Chapter Seven
All characters belong to their respective authors. Go J.K. and Uncle Rick!
"It's strange," said Harry one day almost two weeks later while chatting with his two friends on the school grounds, "the more lessons we have with Jackson, the less I know about him."
"Too true," agreed Ron. "I still think he knows voodoo."
"Harry," said Hermione reproachfully. "Are you really going to start calling him Jackson. It awfully reminds me of Professor Snape and you know how that turned out."
"You're right," Harry sighed. "We don't know much yet."
"Can't say the shadows aren't cool though," mused Ron distractedly. "Those people at the beginning of term just jumped through them. And that guy who scared Nearly-Headless-Nick. I'd like to see him scare the bloody baron. That would be priceless."
"Even though I did say not to jump to conclusions, Ron does have a point," Hermione said, resting her head on her fist. "The magic that professor Jackson's friends used did look suspiciously like umbrakinesis."
Harry and Ron looked at her blankly. Hermione huffed.
"You really don't concentrate in lessons at all, do you?" She asked with one eyebrow raised. "Umbrakinesis is a type of dark magic such as necromancy or shadow manipulation. And as you probably don't know, necromancy is the art of raising the dead."
"I knew that!" Protested Ron. "I just don't see why this is bad."
Even Harry raised an eyebrow at this. Hermione added an eye roll as well.
"How you will ever get a job I don't know," she said. "Anyway, the fact is that umbrakinesis was used by dark wizards and is banned by the ministry. If you use it you get a life sentence in Azkaban. Or worse."
Ron shivered. "I get it now. Umbra-whatsitsname: bad. Azkaban: even worse."
"Actually as Azkaban is the consequence of the action," Hermione corrected, "it is worse to use umbrakinesis while knowing the consequences. Plus, umbrakinesis has caused the death of hundreds of muggles and wizards," she added.
Ron blinked. He opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again.
"Close your mouth Ron," Harry laughed. "Surely you must be used to Hermione by now. Call yourself her boyfriend? Honestly."
Hermione and Ron blushed beet red. "I-I'm n-not her b-b-boyfriend," Ron stuttered.
"Yeah you are," replied Harry in a duh voice. "But in all seriousness, this is bad, knowing that Jackson's friends can perform dark magic."
"I'd say it's more like the dog did umbra-something. And that creepy kid," Ron added. "I actually quite liked those two pranksters. Reminded me blindingly of Fred and George."
"True," agreed Hermione. "The question is, what should we do?"
"Hermione, we can't do anything," said Harry. "We've done the same thing before. Quirrell, the basilisk, dementors, the Triwizard Tournament, the Department of Mysteries, Horcruxes, every year we do something dangerous that we shouldn't do and something bad happens."
"But what if something is actually going on?" Argued Hermione. "We need to find out. And if it does turn out that Professor Jackson is bad, we can tell the headmistress and get him kicked out."
"Or put into Azkaban," Ron contributed.
"But what if he isn't?" Harry asked. "What if he is simply a quirky American that has some strange friends? We are going to be punished."
"I know that," Hermione said. "But if he is bad then what will we do? The worst that can happen is detention and some lost points."
"I honestly feel that you two have swapped positions," Ron added, only to be completely ignored.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Said Harry, waving his arms around.
"I don't know," shrieked Hermione back.
"I think I may be invisible," muttered Ron under his breath, looking on at the argument. "Banana slugs!" he shouted only to be ignored.
"We'll get detention if you're wrong," said Harry.
"Let's take our rubber ducks and go on holiday," Ron shouted.
"One detention won't matter if we are right about him," Hermione argued.
"Never did find out what rubber ducks did," Ron mused.
"It won't just be one detention though. McGonagall will give us three years worth of detention if we are wrong. And that will go on your perfect record 'Mione."
"I hear Florida is nice this time of year."
"No, it's hurricane season over there," Hermione corrected, without even glancing at him.
"Huh. Did not know that."
"Please Harry. Trust me. I don't mind my record being marked if it protects my friends."
"Guys, I was going to break this to you slowly-" Ron started.
"But what if it just puts our friends lives' in danger? What then?"
"-Malfoy is my new best friend."
"WHAT!" both Harry and Hermione exclaimed in unison, turning and looking at Ron in horror.
"Knew that would work," Ron smirked triumphantly.
Hermione had nothing to say. She opened her mouth to deliver a scathing reply but before she could, Ron put one hand on each of their chests and placed himself between the two glaring friends.
"Listen ladies," he said. "I know it's usually one of you stopping an argument between someone else and me-"
"Someone else and I, Ron," Hermione muttered.
"-but in this particular case I think I should be the peacekeeper."
Ron looked so pleased with himself that Harry just had to snort with laughter. Ron looked hurt.
"Can I not be the peacekeeper?" he asked, pretending to be posh.
Harry snorted again. "Not with that expression."
Hermione shook her head. "You two...please take this seriously. We have to find out if Professor Jackson is up to something."
"I'm afraid I'll have to side with Hermione on this one," said Ron. "We must find out what he is doing."
Harry clearly didn't like it but agreed to participate. Hermione plopped down onto the ground.
"So, how should we do this?"
"I dunno," said Ron, sitting down next to her and rubbing his chin. Harry joined them on the ground and looked at them.
"I dunno either," he said. Hermione sighed and looked to the sky as if she was saying, why am I friends with these idiots?
"It's obvious, isn't it," she said, rather priggishly, "the Marauders Map and the Invisibility cloak. We can find him on the map and watch him without him knowing."
Ron nodded. "Sooooooo...just like we always do. Rather nosy isn't it?"
"Oh, I wouldn't call it being nosy," Hermione assured, "we're just...inquiring as to what he's up to."
"So basically what I said."
Hermione huffed. "No! Yes. Maybe."
"Guys, lets just get on with it," Harry interrupted. "Come on, we need to get the Map and Cloak."
They all three got to there feet and walked in the direction of Hogwarts, back to the common room.
When they arrived Harry immediately went up to the dorms and brought down the Map and Cloak. He glanced around. There were a few fifth-years studying for OWLs and one first-year reading in a comfy armchair. Why they were in here at all when the weather was so nice Harry didn't know.
The three friends ran out the common room and into a deserted classroom. Harry pulled out the map and his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he chanted, tapping the map. The familiar lines of Hogwarts slowly appeared, creating the rooms and corridors of the school that Harry knew so well.
"Can't believe Fred and George never told me about this," Ron grumbled. "Don't trust their own brother."
"I can't see his dot," said Harry, baffled. "Where is it?"
The three looked up at each other.
"Room of Requirement!" they chorused.
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Harry looked up at the wall where the Room of Requirement should be. It had been burnt in the FiendFyre so he wasn't sure whether it still worked.
I need the place where Professor Jackson is. I need the place where Professor Jackson is. Harry walked up and down three times, thinking hard. I need the place where Professor Jackson is.
He looked up to see the familiar door set in the wall, as if it had always been there. He glanced over at Hermione and Ron, who cheered.
"Well done mate," Ron said. "Ya' did it."
"Never mind that," Hermione said. "We know the room will work for us. We've done it before. We just need to be grateful that the Professor didn't specify no pupils while he's in there."
"Ssshhh," Harry shushed. He pulled the Invisibility Cloak over the three of them, bending down so their feet wouldn't be seen. He slowly pushed the wooden doors open and stepped into the room.
They were in a training arena. There were raised stands for spectators and a rack covered with various weapons: swords, spears, daggers and bows that looked like they came straight from ancient Rome and Greece.
In the centre of the sand arena were some stuffed straw dummies that held swords and looked like they had been charmed to fight. They were fighting against someone Harry couldn't see, but assumed was Professor Jackson.
Hermione gasped as one of the dummies' heads got sliced off by a sharp bronze sword. It was Professor Jackson. He was shirtless and fighting like a whirlwind against the constant barrage of approaching enchanted dummies.
Harry gasped as he seemed to be about to be stabbed by a spear. Quicker than Harry could see, the professor rolled behind it and sliced its sword arm off. Harry glanced at Ron to see his mouth forming the word 'wow'.
Harry had to agree. The speed at which he dodged and parried attacks was astounding. There were at least ten enchanted dummies against him and he was still easily winning.
He twisted around suddenly so his back was facing them. They all three gave a silent gasp at the sight. His back was riddled with scars, one long one running from just below his left shoulder down to his right hip and many criss-crossing over it.
The professor decapitated the last dummy and threw his sword down. He sat down on the stands and pulled on an orange shirt with words reading Camp Half-Blood on. He glanced up and seemed to spot them. How, Harry didn't know, since they were wearing the invisibility cloak, but he hastily pulled on a arm-guard to hide the black mark on his arm.
"You seem to have found me," he said wryly. "The Come-and-Go Room is a marvellous place, no?"
Harry glanced at his friends. They shrugged and dropped the cloak. Busted.
"What do you want?" the Professor asked wearily. "Why are you here?"
"Ummm.. We were..."
"Wanted to ask about the homework you gave us," Hermione improvised. The Professor gave a short laugh.
"We both know that's not true," he said. "Just say what you're thinking."
"How did you get those scars?" Ron clamped his hand over his mouth as soon as he said it. Hermione stamped hard on his toe.
"Ron! How insensitive!" she admonished. The professors face seemed to darken.
"That's none of your business," he said. Harry waited, despite this less-than-invitation, while the professor stood up and walked over to the destroyed dummies. He bent down and picked up the swords that they were using, putting them carefully on the weapons rack.
He took out his wand and vanished the dummies with a flourish. "Magic is so useful," he muttered.
"What were you doing sir?" asked Harry curiously, once he was done. To his relief the professor didn't take it badly.
"I have to keep in shape, don't I," he replied with a small smile.
"Where are you from? Why did you volunteer to teach here? What was-"
"That is none of your business," he said, deadly calm. "You have no right whatsoever to pry into my personal business."
He stood up swiftly and turned his back on them, a clear sign of dismissal. The boys looked like they were about to protest but they were dragged out of the room by Hermione.
Harry took one last glance back. The professor was sitting again, this time with his head in his hands, just as if he had seen unimaginable horrors that he would rather forget.
CUT!
Apologies everyone, I have been a horrible person by not updating, but now it's the holidays and I can update more often (hopefully.)
I am currently writing this while in a little apartment in a ski resort in France. It's really fun, despite the on-and-off fog that has been gracing the slopes. Now for reviews.
gsunny6: *smiles* I respect your smiles. And I smile back. *smile*
Aviendhaphiragon: it is like that isn't it. Huh. I didn't notice until now. Thanks for pointing it out
Amelia Loves Anime: I may do something like that. If Fred and George did meet Connor and Travis, it would definitely end in disaster. And Annabeth would be a great teacher, wouldn't she. I might just take you up on that in a few chapters.
annabeth tan granger: So many ideas you have. I may put in a few of those, 'cause they sound great. Thanks! Also, I'm British...so I call it a sofa.
Guest Girl: I have started to plan out the next chapters and I am looking for somewhere to put it in. Thanks for the great idea!
Solangelo123: I hate myself too sometimes. I have written the next few chapters and will definitely try to write more.
theblue-hairbrush: DON'T WORRY! I WILL TRY AND PULL YOUR SATISFACTION OUT THE DRAIN. Hopefully. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Lexi: Thanks!
Guest: Yeah, although I may do a 'Demigods go to Hogwarts as well someday.
Anonymous: I will continue! And Connor and Travis bring smiles wherever they go, don't they.
Guest girl: Favourite fanfiction? Really!? I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! THANK YOU!
Guest girl: Unfortunately, I haven't seen Monsters High, but my sister has. I could ask her.
Guest girl: The next chapter is here!
1 WEEK LATER: So, I am actually putting this on fanfiction after my holiday in France, as I didn't have any WiFi, but...no worries.