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There was blood on the stones outside in front the school's great hall, lots of blood. It was all dried now of course. It had been dry when the first students had screamed when they had seen it. Still it was there and all attempts to make it go away were failing. Even after all the effort the blood didn't even look faded.
On the plus side it wasn't human blood. Hagrid had said that it was unicorn blood during the initial examination. Of course it had taken Hagrid some time to get up to the school, someone had actually been sent to go get him. While the students in front of the mess had been waiting they'd been treated to the divination teacher ranting about impending doom... or something.
Harry hadn't been there, and everything he'd heard was entirely second hand. Hagrid had been all about what a terrible tragedy this was when he'd been over for tea later. Harry had only been out there because finally the dragon had been moved elsewhere in the castle. His only problem now had been he didn't know where in the castle the dragon was. Then Hagrid had decided it was a good idea to introduce him to that monstrous three headed dog... that had been less than pleasant. Then there was the fact Hagrid had named the dog Fluffy of all things.
Harry was today just getting back from a run around the lake. Once upon a time he'd tried playing football, his particapation in the sport had not lasted long. Too soon had Dudley moved in on Harry's particapation, and then not long later Harry had unlocked magic's power. After that Harry hadn't had much interest in kicking a ball around.
Katie took the precaution to walk around the blood even as she asked, "So Trelawny did say that Mars was bright, and well it is in promience. Isn't that what the Centaur said as well?"
"Yeah," Harry grunted walking across the dried blood, it'd been there for a couple of days now, and it was magic horse blood he didn't see the big deal. Hagrid said something about there being a curse on drinking unicorn's blood but other than that there wasn't a whole lot about it he could find. So that was that, at least until he found evidence to the contrary. Even if he was slightly concerned about Katie, and Su both avoiding the bloodstains.
The Great Hall itself was already fairly crowded, so really they were more than a little bit late. In fact from the looks getting shot around everyone was still on edge. It probably didn't help that that crazy lady was blathering on to anyone who would listen about the surely approaching doom. From the looks of thing Trelawny had probably been going nonstop since the very start, or maybe even earlier, of breakfast.
Beyond the divination professor's ranting though there were other issues. There was a shiftiness to the entire school, and it wasn't helped by the older students like Westerman. Though none of them did it in plain view of the great hall, what went on in the common room was a completely different story entirely. It seemed like what was going on in Gryffindor tower was the same through out the school.
Still the end of the year tests were right now nearly on top of them. Very, very soon they'd be taking them, and that weighing on pretty much everybody. So it was a bunch of stress on top of lots of stress, on top of everyone's individual pressures.
Suffice to say Draco was proving to not be enjoying his first year at Hogwarts nearly as much as he had expected. The letters from home were nice, though he was in many respects not looking forward to some of what waited ahead. He grimaced glowering as Daphne sat down at the table, it wasn't fair. Nott was enough trouble, but more than a few Slytherins had ... grr why couldn't Potter have just decided to go to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts. On another note he didn't particularly mind Potter himself, but him being caused so many other problems. Finally Malfoy turned and glared at his other issue in Slytherin... Nott.
Nott though had more pressing issues, and was nearly about to pull out his own hair, when Selwyn finally gave him the answer to the question. His father's letter had been clear, make sure to study for the end of year tests. So here he was studying at the grand table where House Slytherin took their meals, and trying to eat while he did so hunched over a book.
Across the hall George and Fred were enjoying the company of their year mates. Quiditch was still going to be close this year, and some of the teachers had even talked of House Points as rewards for the highest scoring students this year. That was only one thing on their minds though, the fighting had gotten them another angry letter from their mother. However another had come quieter, this one from Arthur Weasley urging the twins to watch over Ron. So there was that too.
These and countless other issues distracted the students of Hogwarts, while the professors had their own worries. Snape's thoughts were on dragons, and trying to convince, an apparently fruitless endeavor, the headmaster that they should seize Quirrel.
Then there was a rumbling from outside, thunder perhaps. Abruptly though the doors to great hall shuddered and flared open. The rumbling was the sound of hooves upon stone. They were centaurs almost a dozen of them. Apparently the teachers weren't expecting this either as more than a few of them had stood up at the sudden intrusion into breakfast.
Snape starred dumbfounded at the sudden situation. Naturally McGonnagal couldn't be here, or even that great oaf Hagrid when these things happened. He swallowed as the tall creatures looked around seeming searching. Naturally they asked for Dumbledore, and the oaf, but it was the Potter at the end of the list that caused Snape to groan.
The oldest centaur's beard was long, and dark reaching the top of pects, and tied with some kind of decorations. He easily had to be nine feet at least. "Mars is very bright," The old man horse said as he trotted along to the table of the lion house, "and cursed blood from a creature of innocence stains our forrest." A creature of innocence had to be the unicorn, "and Saturn and Pluto have reached their apex, they are high in the night's sky."
"The children of dusk surely have warned you," Another, nearly as old, but this one had still a bit of gold to his whiskers, added trotting up, "A dark and terrible monster drinks the blood of the innocent, and such blood is cursed with a terrible price." The centaur warned, and then Harry caught sight of the nasty looking poultice on the centaur's leg, this one was hurt. "It dwells within your house of stone, in your school," And that caused the hall to be filled with gasps. "A wizard," He declared, "drinks unicorn's blood."
Harry starred and swallowed, and was saved from having to answer when Hagrid came bumbling into the Hall at a run as he tried to keep pace with a young Centaur. Hagrid was out of breath and heaving as he grasped his knees, "Sorry, just a minute, just a minute," He grunted as he breathed in and out, "Now, I was hoping that Dumbledore would be able to sort this out, but he's busy with the governor's today." Hagrid was trying to explain, but he couldn't seem to make up his mind to who exactly he was talking to as he rapidly turned from table to table. At this rate the half giant would probably make himself sick.
It was Katie who was tugging on his sleeve, muttering about how evil it was to drink unicorns blood, but then asked another question, who were the Children of the dusk. Harry frowned, and his answer was short; you wouldn't like them. He at least didn't think she would, and Harry's word was true.
Then a letter came down, tied to the leg of a bird. The bird was large and black, and eyed the centaurs for a minute before hopping straight over Harry's plate, and presenting him its leg. The letter bore the Black Crest, just another bit of news that Harry could have done without before the end of the year tests.
The centaurs' warning had lingered with everyone. It was all grim tidings, and it just compounded the whole issue with the mad bat of a divination teacher. The whole school was talking about it afterwords, and there was a lot to talk about. Each of the old centaurs had spoken in turn, until the last, the youngest, had gone and said his piece. His piece was the grimmest of all the news, warning of the direness of black magic, and how even fire would not be enough.
Telling Harry that fire would not fix a problem was not something he took well. Still the youngest's, of the collection of old centaurs, warnings had warned of time growing thin. Of how something grim and terrible might rise from the night unless it was destroyed.
After the centaurs visit it'd been an entire day until Dumbledore called him up to his office. It had been lunch time when McGonnagal had come to get him after his class ended. Dumbledore's warning had been given as a 'just in case', and had been short. Dumbledore had said that he hadn't wanted to keep him long so that he could go ahead and study for the rapidly approaching exams.
Dumbledor's warning though had its own dire concerns about it. Centaurs, he had said, rarely gave these kinds of notices. In fact it had been the horse men who had stained the stones with unicorn blood as a warning of the grim tidings. All of these warnings and Harry had begun to think that there had to be something brewing.
Of course the headmaster had had yet another reason, more than one, for calling for him. Harry's dodging of the sorting was unorthodox, and something rarely done. It had been done before, but when such happened it was clear beforehand. In Harry's case there were objections. For the school, the students, at least hadn't been bothered, but others... adults had been. Then though Dumbledore had rapidly changed subjects. The headmaster no longer had concern to worry over the sorting as he had been when Harry had first arrived.
The matter Dumbledore brought up so suddenly was the letter from Cassiopea Black. Dumbledore hadn't, surprisingly known the woman from school. His paternal great aunt had not taken the war against the dark lord before Voldemort well. All in all though the conversation seemed to be meaningless small talk.
When Harry had left the headmaster's office Snape had been waiting outside. The potions master gruffly stormed up the stairs to go see the headmaster for what Harry had no idea at all. In truth the rapidly approaching exams were weighing more on him than anything else. So his first stop after leaving the headmaster's office had been the library.
As far as practical examinations, charms would be the easiest he imagined, from a magical perspective at least, it and herbology were going to be, probably, fairly easy. It was transfiguration that potentially posed the problem. From a purely practical examination portion, it was the only flaw. She wanted them to do living to nonliving transfiguration, and that was more than a little difficult.
It wasn't likely the library was going to be able to do much for preparing him for the practical aspect of the finals, well excepting perhaps potions. The problem with studying was no body was quite sure exactly what that droning ghost was actually going to test on for History.
-scene break-
All of this was happening far too quickly... Dumbledor's vague warnings of being prepared just in case had just been one more thing, still the new week came. Exams were upon them quickly, too quickly given all the drama. Still charms had gone well, Flitwick had seemed to pay no mind to the heightened tensions between Lion and Raven houses. Unlike transfiguration was going to be Charms's practical segment had been easier than the book parts, of course transfiguration was its own problem.
Snape had chosen to divy up the matter of exams. The written exam was in one room in the dungeons, and the actual brewing portion part would be in another. All in all though the written portion had gone well. Half of it had pretty much been a rehash of herbology, ingredients and stuff and then the last bit had been a section on potions safety. Nobody, well save Slytherin, had been prepared for that, and that had probably been Snape's intention. Still it'd probably been a wise idea if hadn't caught most of them off guard.
"Divide up," Snape barked grimacing as he looked aroun, he wished Dumbledore would just listen to him, and give him the defense position. The little bastards always fought in his class, or as soon as they got out, or just as they were preparing to come in. Potions was the only core class at this school where injuries were as common, though as far as classes in general went care of magical creatures had its share. The sullen potions master turned his back to the class and started rifling through what was on his desk. Some of the students kind of looked at him funny, oh he already knew what they'd be brewing. Well at least the exam meant this farce was nearly over, if only for the year. He picked up his progress checklist
Harry dropped his bag after he'd pull Daphne into one of the back corners, particularly the side away from the cuboards where the ingredients were stored. Given how nervous most people were most the class didn't notice, and those who did didn't care as everyone else went dividing off into pairs. It took nearly ten minutes for everyone to get settled, and that in itself got Snape annoyed enough to start divvying people up.
"You have two hours forgetfullnes potion, grades will be determined by step and methodology," The potions master grunted, "Enough time has been assigned that in the event of making an early mistake there is enough to start over, begin." He flicked his wand and the timer started counting down in luminous numbers. Snape didn't seem to care about the possibility of cheating now that the practical exam had started, he wasn't even bothering to make them brew two potions per pair.
Daphne opened her ingredients, "After this and history we should be done," the First Years at least, the upper years still had a number exams of course that they hadn't done yet, but for them this was the last exam. Defense had been this morning for the Gryfindors, that had been a last minute reshuffling of exams apparently.
"..." He didn't say anything immediately and kept setting up, pulling out his pestle and mortar from his bag. History was going to be a bore, Binns was such a useless teacher. Snape had at least provided them with a starting point, Lethe Water, and Valerian sprigs. The rest though was on them to remember. "Right,"
The potion itself was fairly straightforward to start with at least, to start with, so Snape giving spare time wasn't really all that grand. He made his rounds quickly the first few minutes, and then settled back as the potion sat under the heat. The notice me not charms Quirrel had put on the handful of charmed moss, that he'd slipped on a few of the Gryffindors, earlier in the day helped keep them from being noticed. Quirrel knew he was running out of time hence the rather drastic step.
Harry leaned back waiting for Daphne to finish measuring out the Standard Ingredients. It was basically an innovation in potions making that had been introduced in the 1830s. Standard Ingredient, was the brand name and the monopoly holding product, was a marketted collection of potions ingredients most notably a mixture of herbs that could be churned out en masse and sold. It was one of those things that Snape appreciated because it kept the dunderheads from screwing up more often than not... on the other hand he didn't like it because it prevented further appreciation of the delicate nature potions too.
Of course Snape was only looking up every now and again, so he didn't catch the moss jumping into a few of the cauldrons. Over a half hour into class is when Quirrel's plan started going into effect. Snape had gotten lax in expecting that nobody would blow up a cauldron on the end of year test, even the Twins would try something like that so he should have been safe from pranks too for that matter. Slowly the moss settled on the inside side of the cauldron and soaked up the heat and the magic growing slowing along the side.
The first explosion went off in a massive wave of magic coating the side of the room, as the mossy substance in the cauldron entered an explosive growth stage, it hadn't helped the heat on the cauldron had been a little higher than it needed. The explosion triggered the others, but most the students only, only, got caught by some hot water. The moss was too busy trying to gobble up potions supplies.
Snape sat up from behind his desk, and then phase two of Quirrel's plan started. This had been the more difficult portion by far. Sneaking some charmed substance on students that was easy, planting something on suspicious Severus that was more tricky. Snape went down like a dropped bag of rocks and went tumbling over his chair, and that when the screaming started.
-scene break-
After the debacle that had been the potions pratical history had been a bore. Snape was still limping around the school. Madame Pomfrey had alledgely threatened to sedate him if he didn't take it easy, but so far he was, or at least at breakfast, had still be lurking about. Still at least exams were done and for the most part people had calmed down.
The rumor was that poor cleaning of cauldrons had lead to the build up of a magical fungi or something that fed on magical ingredients. It was apparently not soemthing that was a problem, it was just bad luck alledgely. After the excitement of potions though getting through the rest had been easy enough.
Still the centaurs' warnings rested over everyones' heads. Mars was bright, and didn't look like it would be dimming anytime soon. To make matters worse it was sweltering hot outside. Every body though had pretty much taken the opportunity to get out of the castle. All four houses.
They had a whole week to be nervous and anxious over exam results. So naturally more than a few people thought to stir the pot as it were. It wasn't even the teachers' fault seeing as they seemed short handed, not that everyone knew the full extent of that until later.
Harry settled back with one of his paperbacks, he was behind on his rereading. If he hadn't been he'd have been more interested in how Fred and George, and their friend Lee were messing with the giant squid in the lake, which seemed to be sunning itself. Everyone else seemed to be spread off into little groups around the shores of the black lake.
The mess started when Max, an older Gryffindor, and Birmingham, an upper year from Slytherin, started some kind of argument. One thing lead to another, and then suddenly Birmingham went backwards. It'd probably been a banishing spell, most likely at least, but when it had happened Harry had one, been too far away to see it, and two, not paying attention in the first place. Maybe it'd been pay back for earlier in the year, or something, but it was still the spark to the kindling. That was how things got out of hand.
One thing lead to another, and the next thing Harry knew his book was water logged, and he had an iron wall between him and a mess that was comprised of fighting students and flying spells. "What are they thinking?" Tracy muttered, "when the professors-"
"Who aren't here," He grunted interupting here, by this point almost every who could cast was spouting spells. It was insane... speaking of insane there was Westerman being an idiot again. The real problem was the older students of course. Once you hit a certain age wizard born, or muggle you figured out you had to pick up other spells. Most fifth or six years started this, purebloods tended to start earlier regardless of what side of the political divide though.
This 'tradition' was reasonably modern for Hogwarts by wizard standards. It had really only caught on during the years Grindelwald and his forces had plagued Europe. It would likely have died off then if not for the rise of Voldemort. Voldemort's fall however had not meant the end of the Death Eater threat so the learning continued.
This year though had introduced a new problem. For years after Grindelwald, well at least once he had become headmaster, Dumbledore had cracked down on the learning. This had been because of certain types of studies students had delved in during Grindelwald's period. He had opposed the studies of the dark arts during his time as a professor, but only after getting the top post did he have the ability to do something about it.
A boy whose last name was Miller, he was a Ravenclaw upper year, had been studying under Flitwick in preparation for his NEWTs next year. He was Flitwick's choice for Head Boy for the house of the Raven next year. He'd been busy watching this 'new type' of magic Potter had brought in, even written his NEWT Charms Preparation final's paper on speculation. He had his own interests but no amount of trying to emulate had given him the insight into the spells. Not that it mattered he had his own. Miller side stepped and hit one of the Slytherins in the chest with a banisher sending him tumbling to the side. Then he shouted for the other Ravenclaws to back up, one way or another this was going to get worse, especially with the Gryffindors charging forward.
In the mean time the Hufflepuffs were in trouble, as it was they were getting boxed in between the snakes and lions. Westermen lead like he imagined a hero did, embody the image that Gryfindor held wizards to be charging forward into danger, heedless.
The downside to all this was because most people were out here. Most the students at least, no one wanted to be cooped up in the school after exams. Westerman had made his choice and no amount of people in his way was going to stop him from charging down Marcus Flint. For the moment that was all he cared about.
A dozen meters away from Richard, stuck between a bunch of Hufflepuffs Redmond was cursing his luck as he tried to figure a way to get clear of this mess. It was all crazy, and moving back would only get him caught up in the group from his own house.
While all this happened and it turned into a general melee it was all of this was irrelevant this skimirishing was at an end. For another minute it continued, and then there was a snarling roar, and when it passed it left the stench of scorched ozone for all to smell. That was the end of it, and everyone tended to stare around at each other.
A few people kind of half turned when the deputy headmistress finally got there, "When Dumbledore gets back he will hear of this," McGonnagal was saying angrily not that anyone was really paying that much attention.
-scene break-
So Dumbledore was gone, and by this point the whole damn school knew it. Very few people in Gryffindor wanted to listen to Mcgonnagal either the whole year had just been a mess. Snape was no help to the Slytherins, the rumor was he was tucked in somewhere in the hospital wing sleeping under Pomfrey's care. No one had seen him though, and Snape was the potions master, and even the members of the lion house didn't doubt Snape's talent at his art.
It was nearly midnight when he trudged in, he'd barely gotten through the door when he got assaulted by a fussilade of questions, namely where had he been? From he could gather after a few minutes it seemed a picture of what had happened was forming. No one had gone to McGonnagal, at least no one in the group that had gone, and Percy had been tied up like a stuffed pig in his year's dorm. The first time someone had looked in they hadn't even seen him, he'd been hidden away beside the bed.
It was clear where the group that had left was going though. Through the trapdoor on the third floor corridor. Idiots the lot of them. "We should get Daphne, and Su." Katie had said after looking around and making sure the twins were present. Apparently they had been thought to have gone with the idiots, but they had gotten back earlier having been setting a prank.
"No way," Fred grunted, "Just us, if we're going after them it should just be us. The rest of you should all stay here. Besides how're they going to know how to get passed the damned dog?"
... well that was actually the easy part, "Fluffy knows Ron, and I both, and Ron went with them," He stated after a minute, George and Fred groaned. Maybe Fluffy would let them past maybe not, but he couldn't say for certain one way or another.
Harry let them argue as he took the time to securely lock his books into his trunk. By the time he had gotten back Hermione was already saying they should got get McGonnagal, and about everyone... except Neville, who seemed to be agreeing with her, didnt like that idea. So it was two first years arguing with the rest of the house. "We should stay here, and go get Professor,"
"Forget it," Lee Jordan declared, "When has she ever done anything for us, by the time she does something it'll be too late. We've got to go now."
He blinked, what was this we stuff they were talking about, but those thoughts were interupted by other issues being brought up. Gryffindor seemed to have some strange notion that they were going as some kind of group... and then Katie was still under the impression that they need to get Katie and Su.
There was a rapping on the window as a large owl irritably pecked the window. "Isn't that Daphne's owl,"
"Yep think so," Harry commented, "Hey Fred open the window," The red head glanced at him, shrugged and popped the latch. It wasn't like they were getting anywhere in this discussion to begin with. The bird angrily hopped in, and Fred rolled his eyes... even the damn bird had an attitude. It went hopping over to the couch and offered the note to Harry. The handwritting was clearly rushed, a far cry from the usual nice if overly curvy script.
George would have made a grab for the letter after Harry passed it off but he didn't feel like getting scratched by a moody bird, "So whats it say."
"Uh," Katie glanced at Harry who was already walking towards the portrait.
Harry turned around, "Slytherin's upper years pulled the same move, and I'm going to go confirm my bet with Daphne that Ravenclaw are probably also going, send a note to Su tell her to meet us at the corridor." he was itching for a fight, and Dumbledore had to have something good below the trapdoor to fight, "and the rest of you stay here." It took ten whole minutes for him to get to the corridor, and that was running... not that he'd ever admit it to Su. "So?" Harry asked staring at the Slytherins who were stuck to the ceiling, he didn't even particularly care that it was a mish mash of spells it was still neat.
"We were waiting for you to get us past the dog,"
He shrugged, guess they were going to wait for Katie, and Su then, he told them, "Its not a big deal I'm sure they'll be in the room after fluff and we'll send them back, its the Ravenclaws who're going to be the problem..." Actually now that he thought about it it was probably entirely possible to go on ahead. Katie and Su could probably get past Fluffy... nah he'd wait... at least another ten minutes.
"Thats a harp," Katie commented as Harry got the dog to roll over, "Why is there a harp?"
Harry opened the door, "Who knows, I don't happen to care, now come on." His fingers glowed as a bolt of fire formed... hmm someone had clearly already set fire to the area down below... weird. Then again people kept trying to imitate his trick... which was mildly annoying him... when he actually cared and wasn't occupied with other stuff... like right now.
"Okay there are burned plants... vines, wait this is devil's snare."
It took a minute and then Harry had flicked and hand releasing the bolt of fire into a bunch of smaller darts of explosive fire, "Now its ash, hopefully there is more interesting stuff up ahead," By which he meant he really hoped that this wasn't going to be a cakewalk... this was like his first dungeon crawl... He'd tried explaining the scene from the Hobbit but that hadn't gone well.
Daphne was beginning to the think a hyper active jittery Harry was a very bad sign... then there was the apparent fact the coffee was kicking in. "Do we actually have any idea whats up ahead?" Nope not at all... other than maybe a dragon, which was not in any way reassuring. Especially with the way Harry had just blown the door off its hinges.
"Come on," Katie urged we've got to keep going find the others.
The Slytherin looked at her, "Speak for yourself the rest of the lions are your problem." She commented, silently envying Tracy's choice to stay in bed. The next room got much the same treatment...only Harry had to hit it twice, the first fire blast had slagged the iron fixtures on the door, but it was still standing and stuck. The second magical attack sent it clear through... along with a bunch of stone, and plaster.
-scene break-
Helltanz's notes Apologies I'm stopping here next chapter will handle Quirrel, the dragon, the troll, and the conclusion of the year. Remember to send me PMs, or reviews if you have any questions. My original intention for this to be a 6.5k word chapter was suspended due to real life issues cropping up, nonetheless I hope you enjoyed it.