Chapter 6:
Mind Games
Friday, October, 31
Occlumency, as it turns out, is about meditation. At least the first step to learning occlumency is meditating to find your mindscape. I'm pretty good at meditating, I have to be to use my magic sense, but even now, nearly a month later I haven't felt so much as an echo of my mindscape.
Breath, focus, sense.
The first step was finding your mindscape, to do that you were supposed to focus on you. The inner you, the place, as the book put, that is uniquely you. It read like a bad self-help book in places, but it was surprisingly understandable.
Breath, focus, sense.
Hermione and I made a point to meditate in the mornings and for an hour before bed. If we could get away we made the trip to The Room. We couldn't make it a lot, just because we had a new side project didn't mean we could blow off school to practice, but when we did we spent time exploring the library The Room made for us.
Breath, focu-
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.
I sighed opening my eyes, time for class. I looked over at Hermione. "You ready?"
"…Yes" She answered after a moment. "I swear I almost had it this time." She looked mildly annoyed. I smirked slightly, she was very upset at our lack of progress. I was too, but Hermione took it as a personal insult.
"All things come with time." I answered in my best wise sage voice. Hermione huffed a laugh.
888
Class that day passed slowly as I was uncomfortably aware that today was the anniversary of my parent's death. More unfortunately than that though was Hermione's treatment of me. Ever since she found out that I remembered my parents death she had been treating me with kid gloves. It was sweet at first but now it was just annoying. Thankfully I had talked to her the week before and she had gone back to normal, but apparently today's significance was not lost on her.
"Are you ok Alex? Do you want me to carry your bag?" She kept asking me if I was alright. It was starting to grate. It was a good thing that we were in our last class of the day, because I was close to snapping at her. Not so good, was the fact that our last class was Defense.
Aside from the incident in flying class Quirrell had been a consummate professional. No sneaking up on me, no evaluating glances and no pain in my scar. That more than anything worried me. I was beginning to think that he wasn't actually possessed by Voldemort.
"Alright class," Quirrell said as we finished finding our seats, "today we will be covering The White Council. Can anyone tell me about them?" A few people raised their hands, Hermione among them. "Miss Granger."
"The White Council is the largest organization of human magical's that do not wield wands." Hermione said, reciting the textbook answer from memory.
"Correct Miss Granger, but not entirely right. Does anyone know what Miss Granger got wrong?" Quirrell asked, giving Hermione a consolatory look. No one raised their hands. "No one? How about you Miss Potter?" He looked at me curiously, I repressed a shudder. As innocent as he looked I could never shake the feeling that he was going to jump over the desk and rip my throat out.
"Its-It's not that the White Council wizards don't use wands, they can't use wands. No wand will bond with them, but no one know why." I answered, keeping my eyes away from Quirrell's face.
"That's exactly it Miss Potter, though you do have one thing wrong. It is known why the wand-less are such," Quirrell said. I looked up interested, I had read a lot about the White Council in, but nothing I had come across had mentioned why they couldn't use wands. Just that they couldn't. "This is usually something left to your history class, but since it has nothing to do with goblin rebellions I doubt Binns will cove it." He smiled invitingly and the class laughed, everyone but me. I repressed another shudder. Creepy. "The wand-less are such because long ago our ancestors were gifted with the secrets of wand creation by the gods, Yes Miss Granger?"
"When you say gods, you're just talking about powerful witches and wizards. Like Merlin, right?" Hermione asked, the rest of the class just looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
"No Miss Granger when I say gods. I mean gods, not powerful wizards or witches. Though I can see how you would be confused. We swear by Merlin and other great examples of wizarding because most, if not all, of the gods stopped responding to us millennia ago…"
"If they haven't responded in thousands of years, how do you know they were gods?" Hermione asked.
"There are devices known as Pensieves, that allow use to experience the memories of others, and if properly stored memories can far outlast the one who produced them. I had the privilege of viewing the memory of a priest of Cichol." Quirrell paused a moment something like awe entering his voice. "Miss Granger when you stand in front of a god, there is no doubt. There is no uncertainty, there is only reverence or death. Should you ever have the privilege to be in the presence of one, you will know." I raised my hand. "Yes Miss Potter?"
"You said most gods, does that mean some still respond?" I asked. It was certainly important to know whether or not gods were still talking to people. I was interested for a different reason entirely. Could a god have brought me here? "And if they don't respond are they still alive?"
Quirrell looked at me a moment, it was the first time I had spoken in his class of my own initiative, before responding. "The prevailing theory is that there was a war. One in which the white god," Hermione's hand went up, "when I say the white god I am referring to the Judo-Christian god," Quirrell's voice was sneering as he talked about the white god, "came out ahead. Most gods stopped responding nearly two and a half thousand years ago. Not long before Christianity began its upward climb as the dominate religion on the planet. Some still answer prayer or grant boons if the correct rituals are followed but none still walk this earth in anything resembling their former glory and we are much lesser for it." Quirrell almost looked sad before continuing. "But we started this lecture to talk about the White Council. Can anyone tell me the laws of the White Council?" Padma raised her hand, Quirrell pointed at her.
"The first law of the White Council is: Do not kill with magic." Padma answered. "The second law is: do not transform others and the third law do not read the minds of other and, um that's all I can remember." Padma looked embarrassed to admit that. Quirrell smiled at her consolingly.
"Does anyone else know the rest?" Quirrell asked, Hermione hand shot up. "Miss Granger."
"Fourth Law: Do not control the minds of others, Fifth Law: Don't practice necromancy. Sixth Law: Do not travel against time and the Seventh Law: Do not research the Outer Gates or those it bars." Hermione made a confused face. "Professor why would the White Council forbid people from even learning about the Outer Gates? Surly just knowing about them can't be that bad."
"The White Council is not the Ministry, there ways are not our own but in this matter The White Council has the right of it. When it comes to magic there are indeed somethings that are dangerous to know. Not simply because knowing them is dangerous but because the knowledge itself is hazardous to your health. The Outer Gates is that kind of knowledge." Quirrell answered, looking very serious. "The Seventh Law is something both the White Council and the international Confederation of Wizards agree about completely. If anyone is found researching the Outer Gates they will be punished harshly. The White Council wardens will kill you if they are the one who find you and if the Ministry charges you, you get a one way ticket to Azkaban for life." The class was taken aback by this.
Quirrell smiled softly before continuing. "It's a serious subject but not really something you all have to worry about. I started this lecture to tell you this, the White Council is dangerous but not something you will usually have to worry about. If you do ever encounter one of its members and you feel threatened, call the Knight Bus." My eye started twitching, summon the Knight Bus. Like it was that easy. "The Knight Bus will only respond to a wanded witch or wizard and only a wanded witch or wizard can enter it." Only a wanded witch or wizard. The twitching got worse "The bus is warded to prevent anyone without a wand from seeing it let alone getting inside it. The only exception is if someone without a wand is helped aboard by someone with a wand" Quirrell looked at the clock and nodded. "That's all the time we have for today. Remember despite lacking wands, no member of the White Council is to be underestimated."
888
Hermione was lost in a contemplative silence as we made our way to the Great Hall for dinner. Thankfully Defense had stopped her from fussing over me, but as we sat down to eat Hermione still hadn't spoken and I was getting worried.
"Hermione are you ok?" I asked, slouching in my seat to avoid a low flying pumpkin. Pumpkins, first they try and make me drink them, now the dam things try to brain me.
"I don't know," Hermione answered, looking slightly confused. Well that's not a good sign.
"What's wrong?" I asked, now truly getting worried. This was very unlike Hermione, was the lecture bothering her that much?
"Gods." Hermione said, looking slightly nonplused. "They can't be real can they?" I looked around for a moment, no one seemed to be paying us any attention, so I cast a quick silencing charm. Abruptly all sound outside our little section of the bench stopped. Hermione gave me a weird look. "Why'd you do that?"
"This doesn't sound like something you would want others to overhear. Religion is a touchy subject at the best of times. I don't want anyone getting insulted by an offhand remark." I said. Hermione looked offended.
"I wouldn't say anything insulting." Hermione said, sounding insulted at the idea. Is that irony or something else?
"Not on purpose no, but it sounds like your questioning the existence of their gods. I think that would be slightly insulting don't you?" I asked. Insulting? Hell, some people would kill if given that kind of slight.
"It's not insulting to want proof of the existence of supposed gods." Hermione said, indignant.
"How would you feel if someone said that about the white god?" I asked. You can't exactly talk in caps, so calling God, the white god was a good way to differentiate him from the others.
"I would tell them that if they had proof I would love to hear them, otherwise I couldn't help them." Hermione said.
"So, I'm guessing you weren't raised Christian?" I asked.
"No, my grandparents on both sides were really religious so Mama and Daddy made sure to raise me A-religious. That way I could chose for myself whether or not I believed in God, or gods or anything." Hermione answered, looking flustered. "Though my parents are Christian, even if they are not actively practicing, so I would be a little insulted if someone asked that." It looked a little painful for her to admit that. She gave me a considering look. "So were you raised Christian?"
I blinked, yes and no. In my last life yes, in this one no. "Ah, I don't know what, if any, religion my parents practiced and my uncle said it wouldn't be right to force me to attend their church services out of respect to my parents' wishes." It was true to a certain extent that is what Vernon told anyone who asked why I didn't attend Sunday's service. That may in fact have something to do with his decision, but I thought it had more to do with him not wanting me to embarrass him. "What exactly my parents whishes were though I have no idea." I smiled, amused. "So no, I'm not Christian, before now I would have considered myself agnostic."
"That's just it, you are accepting the existence of gods just because Professor Quirrell said so. You said you were agnostic, so why do you believe now?" Hermione asked, clearly frustrated. That was a difficult question to answer, because the reason I took Quirrell's explanation at face value was because I knew he was right, or at least partially right.
This was a universe in which the Dresden Files were real. Which meant the Knights of the Cross were real, which in turn meant that God was almost certainly real. Wasn't there more than one god that got screen time in the books? I tried to remember, Hades and someone else. I furred my brows, for some reason I kept thinking about Santa Claus. I sighed and shook my head, it wasn't important.
I couldn't say I believe because of knowledge I got from my last life. So how to answer? "It's not so much that I believe as it is that I don't not believe? If that makes any sense?" I finally answered.
"No, there was no sense in that sentence at all" Hermione said looking slightly amused. I laughed.
"Look if it bothers you that much we can go to The Room and research it tomorrow." At Hermione's hopeful look I amended my last statement. "Or we can go tonight." With that I cancelled the silencing charm.
888
Pansy Parkinson, Great Hall, Same time
"Have you seen my new Abraxan feather? Much better than a simple quill, don't you think?" Draco asked as he showed off his newest bauble to the gathered Slytherin first years and a few second years. I rolled my eyes. As useful as Draco may be in the future, and he would be useful House Malfoy was the richest family in the British Isles, for now he was the single most annoying part of my life in Hogwarts. I could feel the arrogance and self-entitlement wafting of him. Thankfully muted by the emotions of the other students.
The slightly amused-condescending-annoyance of Walter Obrien in particular, was a balm to my senses. Obrien was a third year and as such would not usually bother with bragging first years. Sadly the Obrien family had fallen on hard times a few generations back and the key to their comeback was a precarious deal Obrien's father had negotiated with Draco's grandfather. As Lucius was soon to fully inherit Headship all outstanding deals were up for renegotiation, at his discretion. Most agreements would continue with little, if any, review but the Obrien family had remained neutral in the last war. So Walter had to play suck up to Draco or risk his family's good fortune.
I sighed, coming to Hogwarts was supposed to be a break from scheming and pureblood nonsense but, of course, that hat had to put me in the House that runs on scheming and all that truly matters is how pure your blood is. I felt my ever present smile grow a little as I contemplated just how my house mates would react to my distinctly impure blood.
"Pansy dear, are you felling alright you've been quiet this evening?" Daphne Greengrass asked me, actually managing to appear concerned. Her anticipation, though, was obvious to my senses. She was no doubt looking for something to improve her own standing in the Slytherin hierarchy. As the heir to House Greengrass one of the richest pureblood families, her family's fortune far exceeding my own family's modest holdings, she should have been Draco's only competition for influence. Should have been, except for two things, one she was the biggest air head I had ever met secondly, and most importantly, was me.
With my empathetic sense is was, quite literally, child's play to see through and manipulate my fellows power plays to my benefit. "Quite fine Daphne dear, just thinking about our Potions essay." I said, sweetly. If truth be told I had finished it a few days ago. I was just using it as my excuse because it was Daphne's worst subject, and by her slight wince and annoyed-offended feeling Daphne caught my meaning.
"If you're so concerned about your work why weren't you sorted into Ravenclaw?" Daphne said, huffily. I just smiled, she and anyone listening knew I had already won.
Still, Ravenclaw would have certainly been my preferred choice of houses. Less scheming, more reading and most importantly it would have put me close to Potter. I looked over to the Ravenclaw table, Potter and Granger were huddled together talking about something as always.
Everyone had of course heard about Alexandria Potter, the Girl who lived. I hadn't really expected much of her, orphaned at age two and raised by muggles I had honestly thought she would be the stereo typical Gryffindor, but that's not what I got. Potter first came to my attention during the first flying lesson of the year.
It had started out normally enough basic instructions, that only the muggle born had any real trouble following. Amusing in and of itself but nothing to pay any attention to. Until, as Potter was helping Granger with the broom, Professor Quirrell stalked up behind Potter. I could recognize a hunter from a mile away and that's what Professor Quirrell was doing that day, hunting, and on that day Potter was his prey.
Professor Quirrell emotions are weird, I can feel them but they're muted and have a slight echo to them. His emotions that day were no different, anticipation mixed with evaluation.
Potter's emotions though rang out loud and clear, when Quirrell revealed himself from just behind her. Fear, as I would have expected, came first pure in its potency. As strong as that fear was, I expected her to drop to the ground and start shaking. Like father did a times, but instead she whirled around and jumped back slightly. Putting her just in front of Granger, Daphne and the other first years laughed a Potters perceived weakness. I though saw it for what it was she, scared out of her mind, had put herself in front of her friend.
It wasn't just Potter sacrificing herself for Granger either, I saw the knife and wand and had Professor Quirrell made another move just then she would have used them. The fear, I had expected, but the intense hatred I hadn't. Even once it became clear that the Professor wasn't going to do anything, she seemed almost ready to run him through.
Interesting, it was obvious she had some training and she put defending her friend over getting away from the threat. How could I help but include myself when Draco convinced Granger to duel after hours, and Granger dragged poor Potter along for the ride. The sheer frustration Potter felt was enough to make me giggle even now.
Then, later that night, when Potter saw Draco and I come up the stairs almost all of her attention was on me. Most students outside of Slytherin overlooked me in favor of Draco or Daphne but Potter was focused on me. Which is a little odd now that I think of it. It wasn't like I had done anything at that point. My smile dimmed a little, could she know? I shook my head, her reaction was that of weariness not fear. She couldn't know.
After Draco and Granger's duel, and my own stunner to insure Draco stayed down, it was finally time for Potter and me to fight. I really shouldn't have enjoyed her increasing frustration as I calmly dodged her spells while walking ever closer, but I did. Still it was necessary I had to test her, if she was going to be strong enough to help me when that time came. If I could get her help in the first place. Perhaps kissing her wasn't the best course of action but I couldn't help it.
That ice spell Magnus Glacies, almost had me. I was actually forced to reveal more of my capability's than I had planned. That feeling of short lived triumph Potter felt before my banishing charm hit only added to my own feelings which is probably why I kissed her. Speaking of, I looked over to the Ravenclaw table.
Feeling the emotions of specific individuals in such a crowded place was difficult but Potter's emptions had a bit more depth than the average student. Making it slightly easier to pick her out a crowed.
As I had been siting there thinking Potter and Granger had stood. I followed them with my eyes as they started making their way out of the Great Hall and I caught a fleeting sense of eagerness from them. Felling like that it's doubtful that they're just going to bed, and they had been disappearing of by themselves a lot lately. I stood and made my way out of the Great Hall, time to see what they've been up to.
888
Alex
"Thanks for coming with me tonight." Hermione said as we made our way to the Room of Requirement. We had been walking for a bit in an amiable silence and I was about to respond when I felt water hit me, slowly at first but rapidly gaining strength as the seconds passed until it was coming down in sheets. I looked up, expecting to see a leak in the ceiling, what I got was a flickering picture. Fluctuating rapidly between stormy sky and stonework. What the hell?
I took a deep breath. "Hermione where are we?" I asked pitching my voice to be heard over the rain, while trying to figure out what was going on. An illusion?
"We are on our way to the Room, Alex. Why are you shouting? Do you want someone to hear us?" Hermione answered, looking annoyed. Clearly she was still under the effects of whatever this is. Were we even at Hogwarts? I looked at Hermione, was she really Hermione or just a part of this spell? One way to find out, I stopped and closed my eyes.
Breath, focus, sense.
Books and fire, Hermione. Thank god. I focused on us trying to sense what was affecting us. Mountain and trees, close but not what I was looking for. I felt deeper. There. Cotton and cough syrup? I twitched my arm and my wand slipped into my hand. "Finite incantatem," I intoned, before frowning. The spell was still active, a little rattled but still in working order.
"Alex what's going on? Why are we wet?" Hermione asked, sounding worried. I opened my eyes, the surroundings were still flickering.
"One second Hermione," I said, focusing on my magic. Mabey if I put more into the spell? I nodded to myself, let's try that. I was about to try again when I was hit in the side before slamming into Hermione. The hit sent us sliding and knocked the air out of me.
It took me a moment to regain my feet and see what had hit me. "Pansy? What was that for?" I asked, incredulous, what was she doing here?
She gave me irate look. "I was saving you from the troll, but if I had known you had wanted to be squished I would have let you be." Pansy said, sounding annoyed and slightly panicked. I was about to respond when her words registered. Troll? I looked around not seeing anything.
"I don't see any…" I said, before Pansy grabbed me and Hermione, who was just getting to her feet, and dragged us backwards. How was she doing that, Hermione and I weren't big but Pansy was smaller than either of us. So how was she pulling us around like it was nothing?
"What's going on?!" Hermione screeched. I winced, I had shaken the spell but we were caught in it. Did she even see Pansy?
I took a deep breath and pored my magic into the spell "Finite incantatem," the spell finally broke and I could see the truth. We were in a small clearing surrounded by woods on all sides. It was dark the only illumination coming from a pit of fire of the left, casting everything in an eerie red-orange light.
The troll took up most of the clearing. Almost twice as big as Hagrid, made almost entirely of muscle and covered in jagged black stone that grew out of its skin the troll was an intimidating sight, but what held my immediate attention was the spiked club the troll was swinging at us. I screamed, "Scatter!" and threw myself backwards.
I watched as the club made it way down, aimed straight at Hermione's frozen form. No. I threw my arm forward into a summing charm already knowing it was too late.
"Come on Granger," Pansy said as tackling Hermione out of the way. They made it with an inch to spare. The club slamming into the ground right behind them. They landed and Pansy pulled Hermione to her feet, but Hermione was still frozen in fear. So Pansy started dragging her in my direction.
I felt a booming sound vibrate through the air, and looked back to the troll. It had dragged the club back to its side and it seemed to be shaking no, laughing. The troll was laughing at us. "Ha ha, Grunge smell Christian witches. Grunge kill Christian witches, eat good."Grunge said smiling, showing off a mouth full of ragged teeth.
"Were are we?" I asked, keeping a wary eye on the troll. He was smacking his lips, imagining how good we would taste but otherwise seemed content to stay where he was for the moment.
"About half a mile from Hogwarts, if we run we may be able to make to the ward line before the troll has us for dinner." Pansy said as she drew near, her usual smile missing. Hermione was still shaking, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly.
"Hermione, Hermione," I said trying to snap her out of it, nothing. "Sorry," I muttered before slapping her. Her return slap nearly bowled me over. "Ow," I grabbed my face. "Hermione what the hell?"
"Sorry," Hermione said, still looking out of it but at least she was responding.
"Tenderized witches." Grunge said, sounding positively ecstatic.
"As nice as this is we need to run now," Pansy said, staring at the troll before grabbing Hermione's hand and running towards the woods and hopefully Hogwarts. I followed, behind me I could hear the troll start laughing again as it started following us.
We ran through the woods, dodging branches and jumping over roots. We were able to keep ahead of the troll only because her had to smash hi way through the trees, not an easy thing to do given their size, but he managed and every with every crash he got closer.
"Run faster!" I yelled looking back. Not thirty feet back, and closing, was the troll. Of course looking back was a mistake, no sooner had I yelled than I hit a branch stopping me in my tracks. I fell to the ground unable to breathe.
I lay in the ground gasping for air, my lungs burning and my stomach aching. Move, I have to move. Move dammit, if I stay here I'm dead and there won't be any third tries. With one last gasp I grabbed the tree and pulled myself up.
"Witch make Grunge work for dinner, Grunge no care. Hope makes witch taste better." Grunge said. I gasped turning around, he was right behind me. I tensed ready to run but he grabbed me, squeezing my already bruised ribs. I vomited over his hand, ugh.
"Gunge need mint." I said, trying for levity. Is this how I die? Facing down a troll, in the middle of the woods? At least Hermione's safe.
"Grunge no cook you, why grunge need mint?" Grunge asked, honestly looking confused. "Is you taste better with mint? Mabey Grunge cook you." I look at him disbelievingly, this was my end, this imbecile? No, I refused to just lay down and die. What are my options? My arms were free and I had my wand but trolls were notoriously resistant to magic. So a spell was unlikely to hurt the brute. My friends were already gone so I had to figure out something myself. Looking up I saw a branch, a huge branch. Big enough to maybe knock the troll out.
Raising my arm, wand in hand I spoke, "Diffindo." I hit the branch but the spell didn't go all the way through. Dam. The troll shook me, I barely managed to keep hold of my wand.
"Witch miss Grunge, witch can't aim." Grunge said, laughing again. His laughter shook me, and more importantly it shook the branch. When he stopped laughing I could hear the tortured shriek of the wood. Grunge look up, the branch stayed stubbornly in place. Just a little more. He looked back at me, "See, bad aim" he smiled. It was a horrendous thing his teeth were crooked and sharp, some of them cutting into his gums and making them bleed and giving his breath a metallic smell, revolting. I started gagging.
"Accio branch!" Pansy shouted, from somewhere under me. The branch tore away from the tree and shot down and slammed into the trolls head with a sickening crunch, before rolling off him and falling the rest of the way to the floor.
"Ugh," Grunge said, as he fell backwards hitting the tree behind him and sliding the rest of the way down. When the branch hit him, his grip on me slackened and I slipped through his fingers and landed in Pansy's arms.
"You ok?" Pansy asked, looking concerned. I groaned in response, my ribs were killing me. "That good, huh?" I groaned again. Her smile returned, subdued but there. "Don't worry Hermione's still running towards Hogwarts, I just came back to get you…"
"Ugh, Grunge head hurt." Grunge said. My eyes widened, he's still awake?
"Right, time to go." Pansy said, looking at the troll before turning around and running, with me still in her arms. Behind us I could hear the troll getting up.
"Grunge kill you Christian witches, kill you dead!" Grunge screamed. Pansy and I looked at each other, and she sped up. As fast as she was running we left him behind in short order, I could still hear him crashing around though.
We managed to catch up to Hermione before too long, still running through the woods. As dark as it was, I'm surprised she hadn't tripped over something. "Your, gasp, safe," Hermione said as we came alongside her, her breath coming in short gasps.
"Yeah, thanks to Pansy," I said, reassuringly as I looked at her. I noticed out the corner of my eye Pansy smile drop before she looked behind her. "He still coming?" She nodded. I looked ahead we were near the edge of the forest a few more seconds and we were out of the forest and next to the Black lake.
"DIE." Grunge roared. Pansy tripped Hermione, causing her to fall, and threw us down, twisting so she landed back first. Just in time for Grunge's club to go flying over us into the lake. Grunge ran out of the forest, his steps tearing up the ground as he went.
Pansy pushed me off her and stood up incanting "Protego," a shield formed around her. Grunge crashed through it fist first, the spell must of taken some of the force out of his charge, because Pansy was only thrown a dozen feet. Landing on the shore of the lake, where she stayed unmoving.
Grunge tried to stop his charge, but with the rain making everything slick, he barreled head first into the lake. "Hermione, are you ok?" I asked as I started limping towards Pansy, my ribs still hurting.
"I'm ok." Hermione said, as she stood before walking towards Pansy, who was still not moving. I heard splashing from the lake, looking over I saw Grunge struggling with what looked like the Giant Squid. As I watched Grunge managed to start dragging himself towards shore, towards Pansy. I started moving faster, getting to Pansy a bit before Hermione, I watched Grunge drag himself closer. It was a slow process, the Giant Squid had a good grip on him but he was making progress.
"Depulso" I said, trying to throw him back into the lake. I heard Hermione add her own banishing charms to mine. We sent them, one after the other, but he just kept coming. This wasn't working.
"Urr, Grunge going to kill you, going to kill you slow." Grunge said, ripping off one of the squids tentacles, but he was looking at us. I scrambled for an answer, if we didn't stop him he would kill us. We were just outside of the ward line, so no help was likely to come from Hogwarts.
I looked at the rain, at the lake and the squid. I didn't need to stop him, just slow him enough to get to the ward line with Pansy and Hermione. I closed my eye and focused on my magic, on my desire to stop Grunge from hurting my friends and channeled all my power into my next spell, "Magnus Glacies!" I screamed, my breath misting in the suddenly much colder air.
When I used Magnus Glacies in my duel with Pansy I made an ice spire maybe three feet high. The spell I cast now was much more powerful. I aimed for just under Grunges head, and as he had been clawing his way out, his head was just above the water.
When Magnus Glacies hit it froze the water below him, the ice spire rapidly grew out of the water and hit Grunge in his chin, before seeming to crawl up his face. The spire once fully formed encompassed his entire head and the lake had frozen from just above his waist all the way to the shore where we stood.
That was all that I had the time to see, before I passed out.
