Escape from Hogwarts: A Crossover Story
"Von von vonon Suka!" The scavenger screamed firing eractic bursts of AKM full auto fire down the great hall. The dusty silver bowls and utensils flew off the tables and bounced, shards of wood and bits of broken glass close behind them. Cedric Diggory looked down to see his friends, Harry, Forest, and Luna all wounded and bleeding. With various gunshot or shrapnel wounds peppering their bodies. "Wait where is-" The question in his mind was answered before it could be conceived, a piercing wail issued from under the old Hufflepuff table so blood curdling and horrible that it hurt him more than the two tokarev bullets he had received to the thigh.
His legs made him run towards the howls, the great double doors and of course the angered scav. He kept low the hail of bullets landing wildly around him. But Cedric's heart seemed to fall to the floor when the double doors burst open and in poured a dozen scavs it seemed. Still he had over 15 yards to go and double that was the enemy. Taking a grenade off his bandoleer Cedric realized things were about to get interesting...
Forest Ryger had trouble carrying the heavy wagon laden with candy and Halloween decorations up the path from Hogsmeade. He was only eleven and his underdeveloped frame struggled with the load. In truth this was only a pittance compared to what Hagrid took, the gamekeeper was like an aurochs in size and strength.
The effort was enough to make him sweat despite the rainy October day. He took off his checkered gray and white scarf and his robe and added them to the buggie. Up the hill and across the long wooden bridge he went. Entering the castle he snaked through long corridors and empty halls that he was still little familiar with. He admired the silence preferring it over the usual hustle and bustle between classes.
When he finally reached the Great Hall, Forest noticed that Hagrid had already left and the prefects had already begun to unpack the numerous wooden crates using charms and incantations to assist them. "There you are Ryger. You start on what you just brought and no using magic. Working with muggle hands oft brings good ends. As my mother says so often." Weasley the Gryffindor prefect then went on to the other girl in his position about degnoming. He heard snippets about having to spin the creatures around and such. Forest thought that his uncle Bill would make short work of such nasty and piggish creatures on his farm in Missouri. And he didn't use a wand more like a Browning sweet 16.
By the time the bell rang he had most of the cart unpacked and some the decorations put up that didn't require magic or help. Some students ambled by taking a seat for lunch, after a few minutes a stream started to come in and his work was almost at an end he only had to get the prefects to help him to set a smoking cauldron on pedestal ten feet up.
Many of them were staring at him as he climbed the ladder and positioned it correctly. "Alright Ryger, move it about forty degrees to your left and be careful not to burn yourself. The cauldron was made of either bronze or cast iron because it felt like a mammoth to Forest because to shift it he had to jerk his body it such a way that moving it caused him to slip and fall backwards towards the hard stone floor.
Forest Ryger only had time to spin around and cover his face when mere feet from the ground he came to a sudden halt. He rolled and noticed a brown headed girl with her wand out. "Thanks that could have been really bad." He tried to smile and play off his embarrassment. "No problem she smiled her large front teeth showing. Brown eyes wandered down to his breast where a blue gray falcon was embroidered. "So you are the boy in Usec?"
Instantly he didn't like where this was going. "Yes I am." Her eyes lit up. "So as you know if you read Hogwarts a History you'll know that the founders upon creation of the school created four houses and allowed no more. So a thousand years later now we see another created called Usec and you are the only member. So Ryger do you even know what Usec means?"
"No I don't." That question had wracked his brain for many a night but he thought it to be some acronym. "Wow even you I thought the symbol of Usec the gray falcon might have some significance to the name but I have found none." She sighed. "Do you come from magical parents or are you muggleborn?" She asked. "I come from two what you call muggles." He replied. "I'm a muggleborn too, my parents are dentists."
"Mine are janitors.." A piece of chicken splat on the wall beside his head and a roar of laughter echoed through the hall. "U suck." A cruel voice yelled. "U sink." One yelled and "U fuck." Another said. A callow youth their age that had almost platinum blonde hair stood up and said. "Keep cleaning you dedicated house elf." Holding up a goblet to cheers. "Don't listen to them. They are just a bunch of bullies and spoiled brats. They think never working a day in their lives is an accomplishment." She said before walking away.
"Ho yo Forest ya done already?" Hagrid asked as he met him leaving the Great Hall. "Yes sir decorating went smoothly and I think we'll get done in time for the feast tomorrow. I'm going to catch a shower before I have to shovel in the greenhouses."
"Aren't you gonna get you something to eat you look awfully thin? Professor Sprout said she'll be fine for a few days and told you that she appreciates all of the dragon dung you put in those pots." Dragon dung smelled worse than cat poo to him and it seemed to linger for days under his fingernails afterwards. "No I'd rather just go up to my dorm." Ever since he had been declared Usec in the sorting ceremony a small round table had appeared at the end of the Slytherin table and behind stood a single gray and white Usec banner on the wall behind it. Forest had taken his meals elsewhere after a steady stream of insults and hurled food.
It took him awhile as it always did to find the silent tower. A brooding blackened piece of masonry that had stood on the Hogwarts grounds for many a century. Before the ministry blanket restrictions, hexes, dark sorcery, and black alchemy were practiced here especially in the fifteenth century. At least thats what Hogwarts a History said. Opening the squeaking wooden door he soon shut the rain out behind him. The bottom floor of the silent tower was like a small receiving room circular in shape, only a cold fireplace was set into the wall.
The spiral staircase of the dark tower was cracked and warped. Forest had to remember where a few steps were actually uneven or missing lest he fall and make the various portraits of cruel Slytherin magi lining the wall to sneer and jape amongst themselves. Finally after a couple hundred steps he reached the top, the slate door with the swans head looked down at him with unchanging chalcedony eyes. "Password." It demanded rather than asked. "Simonov." and the door slid to the side allowing him entry.
For all of the things he hated about being in Usec his dorm was not one of them. Well it isn't really a dorm it was more like a personal suite. A large oval shaped roomed that served as his den was draped with white and gray banners and the falcon of Usec, the stuffed armchairs and couch had a similar color scheme. The ghost nearly headless nick had to lead him here on his first day instead of a prefect because according to Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington the last person to know of the location of the tower "kicked the gibbet." a hundred or more years ago. He took off his tool belt and tossed it on the couch, on it was a tape measure, a hatchet, multi tool, and some other bits and bobs. Often he got odd looks for wearing it around the castle while on duty, when the Slytherins saw him they would shout "Muggle Maintenance!" or some other smart ass quip. Preparing the fire in the hearth and lighting it with a match Forest sat back in an armchair and admired his handiwork. On the coffee table in front of him sat his wand and schoolbag where they usually had been collecting dust. Just looking at them made his stomach flop.
They soured for him ever since his first few classes, no matter how much he read, or studied or tried it was the hardest thing for him to produce magic and when it was the effects are often not intended. "Maybe I can give it another go and try what professor Sinestra said to do." The eleven inch larch and unicorn hair wand seemed as new as the day he bought it from Ollivander. Out of his bag he took out a quill.
He tried to imagine in his minds eye as clear possible the feather floating up gently. "Windgardium Leviosa." Forest swished and flicked. But instead it only turned a vibrant blue and yellow. He just looked at it for awhile before tossing the quill into the flames.
It had been like this ever since he had first started Hogwarts. Everyone else had gotten a hold of spells and casting far better than him. Even Neville Longbottom seemed to outpace him by miles in his spell work. By the time everyone was able to make a textbook levitate he still had only successfully gotten his feather to float off of the desk once. But this wasn't just in one subject this was in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration to the same extent. His spell work was just that bad, it progressed to the point to where the board of governors upon seeing his abysmal performance mandated he get tested for residual magic. Essentially a test to see if you are a squib.
Forest tried to keep the whole thing to himself but the arrival of three board members on October thirteenth soon destroyed his hope. When they showed up in the packed great hall as he was eating breakfast at the lonely table. "Forest Ryger! Is Forest Ryger here?" A voice rang out across the hall sharply. Alarmed Forest took his eyes away from his meal to spot a tall aristocratic man with long pale blonde hair and an ornate cane in his hand, to his left and right were wizened elders stooped and old.
After a moment of whispered silence he stood up and made his way over towards the somber trio. "As you certainly well know. We are here to test your magical aptitude my boy." An old wizard said in a shaking voice almost a whisper when he drew close enough. "Don't beat around the bush Doge, we are here to see if the boy is a squib or not!" Everyone around him burst out in laughter. "Watch fathers haul that squib out of here." He heard Draco say to his friends. Forest felt the sting of shame but what soon replaced it was anger.
"You call me a squib? How do you suppose I got a Hogwarts invitation letter? Or how this wand chose me." He ripped his wand out clenching it in a white knuckled fist. "You think I can't use this thing!?" Pale furious sparks flew from the end of his wand. The sneer on the mans face was liquid malice and the way his nose crinkled up was like a fresh load of dragon dung was beneath it. "I may not be able to use a wand as good as the rest, but I can shove this thing up your arse for you if you call me a squib again."
The blonde mans face twisted into a look of pure vitriol for the person in front of him as he quickly swapped hands which he was resting on his cane, reared back in swung his right hand directly at Forest's face in one motion. The palm of the black dragonskin glove met cheek with SMACK that reverberated down the hall, the speed and force of the blow caused Ryger to stumble on to a knee. While one side of his face seared red and his eyes swam he caught a glimpse of Draco who no longer wore a look of triumph only one of shocked fear. Forest guessed he had been subject to such wroth before on occasion.
"Know you're place squib, how dare you make idle threats against me and members of this council!" His eyes seemed to gain an even more fearsome edge. "Merlin! Lucius what are you doing? stay your hand.." the old man hunched beside him said. Ryger his head still reeling from the blow saw several staff members get up from their table.
Lucius took two steps forward but before he could close the distance any closer a dark shadow fell on to them both. Malfoy went to turn but a dustbin lid sized hand seized him by the hair. "How dare you strike a student, no less a first year, you scum." Hagrid's voiced seethed with venom. The restrained quickly tried to draw his wand from the hidden compartment in his cane. But the larger was more powerful and forced his armed behind his back and the wand fell from his grasp.
The teachers came in now a variety of emotions splayed across their faces, shock, anger, and disbelief were among a few of them. Professor Dumbledore stepped forward. "Lucius you have no excuse to strike one of my students!" His calm demeanor faltering for once the veins in the old mans head bulged. "No student before in the records of Hogwarts has ever score so poorly thus far in spellwork and spellcasting. We have every right to suspect and believe that Forest Ryger is a squib!"
But after hours of rigorous testing, despite Lucius's fervent claims that he was not magical. Forest did indeed prove in all tests to have an innate magical spark, enough to admit to Hogwarts that he was not a squib and keep him there at least. But after seeing that this avenue was likely to fail the elder Malfoy tried another tactic. He proposed an edict to the board of governors on site saying that Forest Ryger was incapable of doing magic and that he should be subsequently barred from all enrolled classes. As it states in the Hogwarts charter of rights Article 6 subsection B. 'No Gravely Injured, Addled, Incapable, Transfigured, or Vanished, students may take up the place of an otherwise healthy and able one.'
Not even Elphias Doge and Professor Dumbledore, could argue the law written in black. So regrettably they had to take Forest Ryger out of most classes, fortunately he was still in Herbology, Potions and History of Magic. Professor Dumbledore fought valiantly to have Forest to be still taught magic and spellwork privately once a week with professor Sinistra. During empty hours he was assigned to sweep some of the classrooms. The rest of the time was dedicated to helping Hagrid as an assistant Gamekeeper. Lucius Malfoy only received a fine of 300 galleons and a temporary suspension from the board for his rough treatment of a student, a slap on the hand if any.
Forest came to himself taking note of the high blacked rafters above that were strung with lanterns. Reminding himself that he needed more lamp oil. The silent tower suite had been in a state of disrepair when he had first arrived, the entry door had been smashed and the suite itself was devoid of any furnishings or even light fixtures. Professor Sinistra was able to help help get a few things as well as Hagrid who built him a massive single bed enough to fit three easily. Small pentagonal shaped windows let the only light from outside into the high tower room and it was at this moment Forest noticed a small hoot owl tapping on the panes of one of them.
He unlocked the barred window throwing it up to let the small creature fly in. It landed on the table dropping its contents. A rectangular parcel and a small folded letter. The letter was a tinted gray, his name was spelled in white lettering, picking it up he felt that the paper was sleek and laminated.
Upon opening the letter it read. 'Forest Ryger, I offer you my congratulations and condolences for joining USEC. I cannot tell you my true name but know I am your head of house.I argued fiercely with Professor Dumbledore and Doge against the board of governors decision to remove you from all magic orientated classes but in the end it couldn't be avoided. You may think this is a great calamity but what you shall learn in the weeks, months and years ahead in the place of those classes will greatly benefit you and all wizard and muggle kind.
Usec essentially embodies individuals that have these attributes. Unseen- We carry out our operations and missions covertly and move as well as draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. Skilled- We try to become as familiar and affluent in our chosen areas. Economical- We waste as little as necessary and we find ways to do things differently. Collected- We approach problems with a calm rational mind.
You are the first be named and called Usec. Not even I was placed in the house when I was at Hogwarts. There will be more to come after you. So hold your head high and be proud of our name. Your formal training begins today.. know that much of this training will require muggle efforts and knowledge. That is to say without a wand, if you have not already please look into the parcel enclosed.'
Forest Ryger saw his name in bold letters on the outside of the glossy gray box. He opened it carefully to reveal another box smaller but of a similar size inside that said 'Kiba Arms' On it. Opening this he finally saw what lay inside it was a tactical tomahawk that looked futuristic and sleek, with a hard polycarbonite white grip and a lightened bell shaped steel head.
'Your first assignment is to learn how to sharpen that axe by hand and how to harvest wood out of the forest the muggle way, at least for this today. If you need any help talk to Hagrid. I want a report back by owl on how you learned to do it. Don't play around with that thing by the way its not a toy. ~R'
He had so many questions, who was his head of house? Who couldn't disclose his name but only as R. And he questioned the whole premise of Usec itself. Why did he get a glorified hatchet when his fellows got to use a magic wand? Not that he was ungrateful or anything but it felt as if he was being left out and made to be a servant. The principles outlined in the letter sounded like the ideal traits of one. It all was so much that he decided to have a shower and then afterwards a bout of sleepiness took him to an early bed and a dreamless night of rest.
The next morning Forest woke in his massive bed bedecked with a few heavy pillows and woolen gray blankets and linen sheets. Rays were reflecting off the hospital wing windows into his blind him initially. But when sight was restored to him he saw what was hanging on a coat hanger on his bedroom wardrobe. "My robes." They resembled Hogwarts robes mostly from the outside but the color scheme was fascinating it was a mix of light grays, whites, and subtle greens in the body. Forest thought it looked like muggle camouflage but it looked more modern the pattern almost pixelated. With the trim being smoky dark gray. Under the Hogwarts seal was the falcon and the words USEC for all to see.
Upon putting it on Forest noticed the inside there were a variety of pockets on the inside, some big and small, deep and shallow. With specialty holders for unknown items but what he did recognize is a loop for his hatchet.
After a sit by the fire he went down to Hagrid's hut to begin the days work at around seven, it was Halloween day after all and still a lot needed to be done. The Gamekeeper was there making early breakfast of roasted sausage and oat cakes. He made sure to eat the sausage when offered but pocketed the cake discreetly. Once you ate one of them you never ate another unless you had a metal mouth. He took out the letter he received yesterday. "Do you know who my head of house? He only calls himself R." Forest asked. "R ey well Forest there have been plenty of wizards with that go by that. I think he is tryin to hide his identity obviously. I don't think I've ever met him." Hagrid squinted rereading the letter not noticing Fang slowly stealing the sausage off his plate. "Don't you think Professor Dumbledore would know who it is? I mean he is the headmaster."
"Yea yer right. Professor Dumbledore would know." Forest nodded. "Thats why I want you to ask him who it is." Hagrid's mouth fell open. "Now I don know if he'd like me meddling in that. Maybe he's out on leave or sick in bed with spattergroit." Forest frowned. "Comon Hagrid Its been two months and I've been helping you loads you owe me." Hagrid looked away stubborn for a second then put his glasses on the table. "Alright but I'm not bothering Dumbledore he's busy with Nicholas Flamel and security, but I will talk to McGonagall she is deputy Headmistress after all and woulda know about any staff changes."
"Okay he gave me this as well." He took the Kiba Arms axe out. "Wow you look a that" He picked it up examining it for a long time. "Never seen something like it almost like its goblin made its so light." Hagrid said. "Its made by muggles." Hagrid met his eye. "Never would of thought it." Forest put it back up telling him about the task about cutting firewood and sharpening the axe. "I'll show you a glade close that is full of deadwood and afterwards we'll go and get us some flat stones by the brook and I'll teach ya how to put an edge on her." Before Hagrid could get him to the door he managed to ask. "Who is Nicholas Flamel?" But before he got an answer the door shut in his face.
Following the directions given by Hagrid he found a bunch of dead trees that kept him chopping and hacking until the end of first period. After a quick wash up he was back to the castle where he was ordered by a Hufflepuff prefect to decorate the transfiguration corridor with licorice bats.
He was outside the classrooms as he let them out, the trick to these licorice bats is you need taffy flies or sour mosquitoes to keep them active or they like to hang upside down on the chandeliers and statues leaving black candied droppings on the floor slick to all passersby.
A horde of Gryffindors poured out of the classroom and he saw Harry Potter the famous boy with his redheaded friend. "What a little know it all! How can anyone stand her honestly." His ginger friend exclaimed, seconds later he recognized Hermione Granger as she pushed past her face in her schoolbags.
"It sounds like she heard you." Harry Potter said to his friend. "Yeah and I did too" Forest stepped forward. "Why did you have to make her cry like that?" The redhead actually had the audacity to look mad. "Thats because she had it coming. Everyday she bosses people around and is the first to answer questions. Granger just doesn't get the hint people are sick of her."
"My uncle always told me if you have nothing good to say then say nothing at all. Maybe you should shut your trap next time.." The ginger scowled. "Don't tell me what to do Usucky." He retorted growing red. "Growing more and more like Slytherin I see first you start in on the muggleborns and then on me. Are you sure you were sorted right?" This made him ever more fierce. "My family have been in Gryffindor for centuries!" He bellowed.
"Come on Ron lets go.." The crowd behind them started to take notice breaking off their conversations and watching. Harry with a little difficulty got his friend away from the scene not meeting Forest's gaze.
After putting up a few ghastly paintings and helping a prefect set up colored lanterns did he finally make his way out to the black Lake where the man himself stood on the bank with Fang skipping stones across the water. "Oi Forest I've been waiting for ye. I found a couple rocks here perfect for putting an edge on somethin." They looked like river stones all flat smooth on one side and rough on the other. "Ya do it like this." He wetted the stone and ran it across the flat edge of the blade. "Do it an even amount of time on both sides, you don't want the edge deforming or dulling to early.
He did as shown for a few minutes until the axe was to his touch sharp. He tested it on a nearby fallen pine tree and it sunk into the wood with relative ease. "Now that blade is sharp now make sure to have the blade cover on, you don't want it cutting a hole in you or yer robes."
"Got it." Forest helped carry some firewood back to Hagrid's hut. "You ought to get back to the castle the feast should be starting anytime now. I need to wash up and get there myself." He felt indifferent about the occasion it was a night to eat some really good candy and stay up and have fun with your mates, but seeing as he had no real ones made him feel down. Especially since he had to sit alone at the Usec table for the entirety. He planned on halfway through calling it an early night to spare himself.
He had time to make a quick journey to the silent tower to take a quick shower and change into more comfortable attire and to shed the work belt. On his way to the great hall he saw a few students of all ages in costumes, one was dressed as Cleopatra, another Emeric the Evil and funnily one was Derwent Shimpling the comedian who famously ate an entire venomous tentacula because the boys face was as purple as an eggplant.
The Great Hall was a testament to the days of hard work He, Hagrid and the other prefects had put into the place as well as the entire castle. Forest Ryger walked past the Slytherins with his head held high not meeting their leering faces. All the tables had special Halloween themed table cloth in the houses primary colors, Usec's was skeletons and wolves playing fetch and cooking with various bones being used as tools and utensils. The candy present on his table was a pale of lone taffy ropes.
While everyone chatted Forest scanned the hall. After a few minutes he noticed Hermione Granger was still missing. Professor Dumbledore came up shortly after and uttered the usual phrase. "tuck in." An assortment of dishes all served in platters of orange burnished bronze appeared before him sumptuous chocolates from what looked like the Swiss alps. Chicken pot pie and honeyed pancakes. It all made him feel sick so he got up and let the feast even before Hagrid arrived.
He went the long way back to his tower to settle his churning stomach it couldn't handle the candy tonight even though it was Halloween. Walking past the girls bathroom he heard Padma Patil say to another girl."She's still crying… hasn't been out since this morning." Which had been true. After they had left Forest looked around making sure no one was coming especially any prefects or girls and went in. The girls bathroom looked similar to the boys except there were stalls on both sides of the wall, he heard gentle crying from one that was furthest.
Forest took his time approaching the booth but when he got to the door finally he figured it was now or never. "Hermione.." A sound of sniffling came form the other side. "Who is it." "Forest Ryger. I just wanted to tell you to come out, after that redhead called you a know it all I told him off."
"You did?" She asked. "Yes I did.. and it wasn't right how he said no one wanted to be around you." He added. "Well he wasn't wrong I don't have any friends." "I don't either.. listen I want to be your friend Hermione." The door to the bathroom stall opened slowly revealing her in a disheveled state wiping at her eyes. "Do you mean it do you really want to be my friend? Or am I just some freak or something you feel sorry for?"
"Yes I do Hermione and you're not a freak. You just intimidate people." She looked surprised. "Intimidate people? What do you mean?" He smiled. "I don't mean it in a bad way only that you are so smart. They feel like the shorter kid in your presence and don't want to be one upped. But you can't help it." She grinned and swatted at him. "I'm not some dog that can't help wetting the ruggGG" Her breath caught in her throat as all of the color drained from her face and she slammed her body against the back bathroom wall.
Forest turned around to see something that was out of a nightmare horror. It was a twelve foot tall calloused ugly monstrosity of a thing with a great knobbly club drug behind it. He had to catch his heart it seemed like or it would jump out of his chest. "Troll! Its a mountain troll!" His hand automatically went for the handle of his hatchet. Taking it out with shaking hands he noticed the trolls watery beady eyes focused on him the entire time.
While his courage was still strong he decided to try and scare the troll off. "Get back you!" He said shouting running forward a few steps then stopping abruptly. The act seemed not even to startle the troll, it only barred its yellow teeth and gave back a deeper growl. The thing dragged its massive club then took an almighty horizontal swing at them. If it wasn't for Hermione tackling him to the floor he would have been turned to mush. Behind them part of the stalls were smashed to matchwood.
On the floor they looked up to see the troll bellow again so loud that it made his ears ring, it raised its cudgel and brought it down in a powerful blow. They were barely able to roll in opposite directions before it collided between them, the impacted seemed to shake the ground beneath. Instinctually Forest swung his hatchet as he passed one of the brutes feet without looking. The hatchet cut through meat and bone as the troll howled in pain. He looked down the see its little toe in a pool of blood severed.
Forest tried to dodge out of the way but a massive hand snatched him up by the ankles. The troll brought him twelve feet up to its eye level and roared in his face a spray of saliva a boogers flew in his face. "Forest!" Upside down he could see Hermione frantic with her wand out but powerless.
Thats when a piece of porcelain sink bounced off the troll's head. "Oi you ugly!" The creature spun around stupidly giving Forest a glimpse of who stood in the bathroom doorway. It was Harry Potter and his ginger friend looking just as scared as he was. "Ron, Harry do something! Hermione screamed. Ron pulled out his wand, it seemed like a pathetic sliver of wood in his hand. "Windgardium Levios-" He incanted but the troll lunged forward with speed that seemed unnatural swinging his club. The very tip of the club connected with Ron's wand snapping it in two. The redhead dropped it in disbelief.
Harry ran quickly around the beast, it tried to stomp on him as he did so but it was much too slow. Behind it now Harry jumped up and grabbed the monster by its tiny neck, it tried to shake and throw him off. After a few seconds of trying to buck him the troll dropped his club and reached behind grabbing Harry by the collar wrenching him off. Harry squirmed as the Troll eyed him menacing at arms length. Forest was sure this was it, he had him and Harry in both hands now and it was only a matter of time before the beast would dash their brains out.
But thats when he saw him standing behind Ron. At first he thought it was a hallucination brought on by the traumatic events. But after he pushed Ron to the ground he knew him to be real. The man before him wore a muggle military style bdu in dark camouflaged gray greens and whites in a familar pixelated pattern, his feet were booted gray and heavy soled. On his head he wore a futuristic but at the same time fear inspiring helmet. It was completely enclosed showing no skin, made of dark segmented plates, the eyes were a deep purple. On his chest was a small black military vest that in one pouch seemed to hold a grenade of some sorts.
What drew Forest's attention immediately was the thing the man was holding. It looked like some kind of modern muggle assault rifle but it had a long and very wide magazine it seemed even to him as well as some long black device attached to the muzzle of the gun. The man closed within twenty yards of the beast or more and suddenly reached into his tactical vest. The troll shook them like rag dolls becoming more belligerent. The sound of a pin being pulled followed by the sight of the stranger hurling something confirmed the worst of his fears. "Oh my god I think he has a grenade!" Forest felt himself say but it was lost in the den of chaos.
A second later what came was a massive bang and a blinding flash of light but no heat or concussion. Forest covered his face his ears ringing, then five or more successive bangs and his face and hands were covered in a warm spray. He had no time to react as he felt the hand slacken and himself falling. Luckily he fell only about twice his height and landed on the hard floor as soft as one could but his sight and hearing still was absent.
It took some while for his vision to go from a black to a gray, then milky white and finally back to normal. The first thing he remembered seeing upon restoration was the trolls head obliterated the top half was gone most of it he guessed was on the opposite wall. Blood had pooled already around the trolls tiny skull.
Taking in his surroundings he saw that Harry was standing beside Ron his face covered in blood but he seemed to be in no pain. Hermione was crying to herself. Thats when the teachers started to pour in Professor McGonagall, Snape, Quirell and Dumbledore. They all looked as shocked as we did when they witnessed the scene, Quirell fainted.
"What happened here?" McGonagall asked breaking the silence. "I-" Forest began. "I heard there was a troll loose in the castle and I wanted to see if I could take on one professor." Hermione said doing her best to fake sob. "Forest tried to stop me but I wouldn't listen he said he wouldn't let me go alone.." She added. "We heard the troll attacking them and we came to help after the announcement was made." Harry said. "So you went in the opposite direction after being instructed to return to your dormitories?.. How do you explain the dead mountain troll Potter?" Professor Snape asked. "My wand broke after I tried casting a spell to counter the troll. The spell killed the troll but my wand is rubbish now." He held up the wand held on by the thinnest strand of unicorn hair.
"You don't have to deceive us we know that Mr Weasley didn't cast a spell that killed a mountain troll in one fell swoop that kind of magic is theoretically impossible for a first year to perform." Professor Dumbledore bent down and picked up one of the clear cylinders halved in brass. "Twelve gauge defense, G3 research, R.I.P." Now that he could see it they did look like shotgun shells. "This came out of a muggle weapon." Professor Snape said. After that they had them cornered and Hermione had to tell them what happened saying that after the grenade had went off they all were blinded but Ron interrupted. "I wasn't as blinded as the others headmaster I saw the man escape."
The room seemed to grow heavier. "Where did you see him flee to my boy?" Asked the Headmaster. "Out of the bathroom on foot he was fiddling his weapon then messing with the pouches on his chest after he blew that sopping great gorillas brains out. He ran to the left towards the charms corridor I think sir." The old man turned seeming to steel himself. "Severus I want you to search the castle get Argus and Hagrid to assist you to begin with, comb it top to bottom leave no place place untouched."
"Very well headmaster." Snape said scowling to the students he left. "Now the three of you are to head back to your dormitories after a stop by the hospital wing." Dumbledore said leaving quickly. He did stop by the hospital wing briefly and was waved to go back to his quarters by Madam Pompfrey , after the troll blood was magicked off him. Hermoine caught up to him halfway back to the silent tower. "Thank you for saving me Forest if it wasn't for you, Harry, and Ron I would of gotten myself killed, crying like a baby. That was really brave what you did." Forest winked. "I'm not the one that killed it.. I was about to be just as much of a victim as you. Thank god for whoever that was."