Chapter 10: Exams end and trouble starts
(A/N: I don't think I made it clear that the block on James's power makes him just about as powerful as a normal, maybe a bit above average, wizard. As of right now he has 5 times the power of a normal wizard but can't use it and that in turn limits how much of each ability he can use with out collapsing from magical exhaustion.)
"I HATE EXAMS!" Triss yelled as the quartet made their way out to the lake. Exams had just ended and everyone was happy about that. Not a whole lot had happened since the end of February. Slytherin had one the Quidditch cup again and were in second place for the house cup, Gryffindor was 50 points a head of them.
"Triss go cool down in the lake," said James as Triss started jumping up and down, obviously on a sugar high.
"Only if you come too," said Triss still bouncing around.
James sighed and took off his robes, shirt and jeans reveling the swim shorts underneath. He took a running jump and dived into the water. "Come on Tigress!" he yelled as he swam around.
Triss stripped down to the bikini she had under her clothes and dove into the water. "Shit this is cold!" she said when she came up for air. She started to swim back to the shore but was stopped by something pulling her down by her ankle.
Kat and Dray laughed when they saw James's head pop up only to be pulled back down by Triss. Two minutes later the pair resurfaced still wrestling. They kept trying to put one another in arm locks but had yet to succeed. Finally James had managed to over power Triss and put her in a head lock.
"I give up," she said pulling her self away from James. "Are you to planning on coming for a swim?" she asked Kat and Dray.
"I can't swim," Kat answered sheepishly.
"Well, we'll just have to fix that," said Dray as he took of his clothes to revile the swim shorts underneath. "Come on, we all know you have a bathing suit on under your robes," said Dray.
Kat sighed and stripped down to her bathing suit. Dray led her about chest deep into the water. "Now, the first thing you have to learn to do is float. What you do is lay flat on your back with your lunges full of air and you float on the surface," he explained.
A few minutes later Dray was pulling a floating Kat around in the water. "Okay, next is the basic free stroke. You use your legs to keep your balance and if you want to as propulsion. Cup your hands and move your arms like you would if you were paddling a Kayak or Canoe," Dray demonstrated the movement. (A/N: Sorry but that's as good as I can explain it.)
It took a little longer for Kat to learn the free stroke but she had it down rather fast. "Very good," Dray said as Kat swam around in the water. By this time Triss and James were wrestling in the water again. James was taking advantage of his Shapeshifting abilities and was changing into various large water animals. At that moment he was in the form of a small Dolphin and was being chased around by Triss.
Suddenly he changed back and , "Someone is coming," before continuing to wrestle with her.
No more than five minutes later Professor Evans was standing at the side of the lake. Dray and Kat hadn't taken any notice to her and James and Triss were pretending not to notice her as they tried to drown one another.
"You are going to wake the Squid with all your ruckus," she yelled. Dray and Kat stopped their swimming lesson but it took another minute to get Triss and James's attention as they were underwater.
"Hello Professor," said James when they noticed her.
"You shouldn't be horse playing when there is God knows what in that water," she scolded them.
"Alright," said James as he got out of the water and grabbed his towel from the shore line. Dray, Kat and Triss did the same.
Evan's left and they dried off and put their robes back on. As they walked back to the castle something caught James's eye. A lone figure walking out of the Forbidden forest, Quirrell. For a split second his scar burned. James mind jumped to the fact that Quirrell was a loyal Death Eater, then that Riddle was the only one who could make his scar burn and the fact that he was in the forest and the end product was "Oh Shit!"
"What's wrong Shadow?" Triss asked.
"I tell you once we get inside," said James.
Once they got inside and out of the sight of Quirrell, James pulled Dray, Triss and Kat into a hidden room. "We've got trouble," said James.
"What's up?" Triss asked getting a little edgy.
"As you guys already know Quirrell is a loyal Death Eater. I just saw him come out of the forest where what ever was left of Voldemort has been roaming. Quirrell came out of the forest while we were walking up from the lake and I doubt he came back alone," said James.
"Why do you think he didn't come back alone?" asked Kat.
James pointed to the plainly visible scar on his forehead. "This isn't just any scar. I lied when I said I had killed a few Death Eaters the night my powers manifested. I blinded a Death Eater and defeated the Dark Lord. Voldemort tried to cast Avada Kedavra on me but I turned it back on him but I didn't quite get away unscathed," said James rubbing the scar.
Dray and Kat gave a new meaning to the words 'jaw drop.' Their chins were so low it looked as if they're jaws had been unhinged. "Do you have any idea what this means?" asked Dray.
"That if any one knew what I had done my face would be in the history books?" asked James. Dray nodded. "That is exactly the reason no one is going to find out. Back to the main subject. What are we going to do about Voldemort?" James asked.
"Why does Voldemort want to get into the school?" asked Triss.
"At the current moment there is an object called the Sorcerer's stone residing in the school. It is capable of giving Voldemort his body back. I think he and Quirrell might be going after it," said James.
"How could they do that right under Dumbledore's nose?" asked Kat.
"Plenty of ways. I wouldn't invest a lot of trust in Dumbledore, he has a habit of being manipulative, " said James holding back all of the other names he could call the headmaster.
"I say we should tell Dumbledore what is going on. Better for him to get his ass kicked around by Voldemort than us," said Dray.
"I agree," said Kat.
"Alright. Any idea where his office is?" asked James. No one spoke up. "Better go talk to Evans then," said James walking out of the room and back into the entrance hall. The rest of the small group followed.
They arrived in Evan's office a few minutes later. "Professor, we need to speak to Professor Dumbledore. It's important," said James.
Evans looked up from the stack of papers she had been grading and at James. "Professor Dumbledore isn't here at the moment. What is so important?" she asked, concerned.
James took a deep breath before he answered. "Nothing that can't wait Professor," he lied smoothly.
"Okay Mr. Cage. Good day," she answered suspiciously, but went back to her papers none the less.
James walked from the office with the rest of the Quartet following. "What are we going to do?" asked Triss.
"I don't think Quirrell will go after the stone until tonight so you and I," he said motioning to Triss, "are going to follow him. You two," he said motioning to Dray and Kat, "are going to stay here and warn Dumbledore of what is going on when he gets back, if we aren't back by then."
"Why aren't we going?" asked Dray.
"Because Triss and I wont get caught as easily as if you were with us. We don't need things like cloaks to become invisible or to hide. Plus we will be able to react to what could happen better. We were trained for this," said James.
"Okay," said Dray a bit psyched out.
At around 10 o'clock that night Triss and James snuck out of the common room. It didn't take them but a few minutes to get to the third floor corridor. Sounds of soft music could be heard threw the door of Fluffy's room. James unlocked the door and looked into the room.
Fluffy was sound asleep to the rhythm of a harp. "Come on," said James as he led Triss into the room. He wasted no time in jumping threw the open trap door with Triss following soon after. He landed with an audible thud. Instantly he knew he was about to be attacked by a nasty batch of Devil's snare but he ordered it to leave them alone threw his elemental abilities. A hole appeared in the middle of the room.
"I never thought I would be happy that you were an elemental," said Triss, remembering all of the times he had started rainstorms over her head. James just grinned.
"Come on," said James jumping threw the hole and on to the hard floor below. Triss soon followed. They came to an archway and James could faintly pick up the sound of beating wings. He looked around the archway and saw hundreds of flying keys. On the other side of the room was a door and in the middle of the room was a broom.
"I think you have to catch the key to the door," said Triss.
"Yeah, I think so too," said James walking out into the room. Before he could get to the brooms there was a mad flapping of wings and the keys zoomed at him. "Oy vay," he said before turning into a black hawk and taking off.
'Tigress, do you see a key the might fit the door?' James asked.
'Yeah, it's 3 feet to your left. Catch it and bring it down to me. I'll open the door while you distract the keys,' answered Triss.
James looked to his left and saw a big brass key with a broken wing. He took a left turn and caught the struggling key in his beak. 'Here Tigress,' James yelled while throwing the key down to her.
She caught it and unlocked the door. Flying as fast as he could James flew through the open door hoping that none of the keys would get in. Triss slammed the door shut behind him.
"Those damn keys are going to kill someone," said James after changing back into human form.
"Yeah, and if that doesn't get them the smell of that Troll will," said Triss pointing to the dead Troll behind him.
"Well at least I don't get blamed for killing another Troll," said James. Triss chuckled. "I don't think there will be more than two more obstacles," said James walking threw another door.
The two walked on to a giant chessboard. James walked through the rows of white players and up to the black. The pawns drew their swords. 'BOOM!' All of the black pieces were blown to smithereens.
"Watch it Shadow," said Triss brushing some of the dust particles from her hair.
"Sorry Tigress," said James doing the same.
'Clang' "Shadow drop!" yelled Triss.
James dropped down to the floor as a sword swiped the place his head would have been. James looked up and saw a marble statue holding the sword. A few feet from him another statue was advancing on Triss. James concentrated on making an elemental sword and with a swish of wind a white sword appeared in his hands. "Triss catch!" he yelled throwing the sword to her.
She caught it and started dueling with the statue. James hit the trigger point for his claws and got into dueling position. The statue took the first swing. James easily countered it and swung at the statue's head. He missed and the statue got him in the side. That just served to piss him off.
Several minutes and a shattered statue later James was moving on to kill the statue that was currently kicking Triss's ass. "Hey marble boy. Come get me," said James trying to draw the statues attention away from Triss who was in a bad way. It worked.
The draw back was that this statue was a lot stronger then the one he had just fought. Several nicks and cuts later James finally got the upper hand on the statue and cut its head off. James walked over to where Triss was laying on the ground. "Triss are you alright," he asked very concerened.
"I feel like hell," she said a little above a whisper. She pressing her hands against a freely bleeding cut in her side.
"I'm going to heal you so don't move," said James putting his hands over Triss's cut. Like with the other people James had healed his eyes turned silver but this time you could see a little bit of blue shinning threw. When James removed his hands the wound was gone.
"Triss, I want you to go back and get Snape and tell him what's going on. Kat and Dray will meet you in the corridor," said James pulling Triss to her feet.
"Alright but you had best come back in one piece. Here, you probably want this back," said Triss handing him the air sword.
"Thanks Triss. See you later," he said pushing her threw the door they had come in threw. 'Dray, meet Triss in the third floor corridor and get Snape,' James thought to him.
'We're already on our way to the corridor with Snape,' said Dray.
'Alright,' said James continuing threw what he hoped to be the final door. He hoped it wasn't another physical obsticle because his wounds from the statues wouldn't heal, he'd used up most of his energy to heal Triss and the rest was being used to hold his form in place.
Thankfully his silent wish came true and it wasn't another physical obstacle. He walked into the room and a wall of roaring purple fire popped up behind him. In front of him a black fire appeared. In the middle of the room was a table with 7 potion bottles and a piece of paper. James didn't even bother looking at the paper; he knew exactly what the potions were and which one would allow him to go threw the fire.
He picked up the smallest of the seven bottles and drank a sip of it. Almost instantly he felt like ice. He walked through the fire and wasn't surprised by what he saw on the other side. Quirrell was facing a mirror that James recognized as the Mirror of Erised, talking to him self.
Quirrell turned around at the sound of James's footsteps. "Cage!" he snarled when he saw James.
"I see you didn't come back alone from the forest. Do ask Riddle how it feels to be a parasite," said James.
"How dare you talk about my master in that manner!" screeched Quirrell.
"I can talk about the parasite however I please," said James calmly.
"Let me speak to the boy face to face," said another voice in a snake like whisper.
"B-b-but m-master you are n-not strong e-enough," Quirrell stuttered.
"I am strong enough for this," said the voice.
Quirrell turned his back to James and started to unwrap his turban. Stuck to the back of Quirrell's head was the face of Voldemort.
"Ah, so Tom Riddle believes he is to good to die like the rest of us," said James looking at what was left of Voldemort.
"Do not speak the name of that filthy Muggle that I called a father," hissed Voldemort.
"Oh, the great Lord Voldemort is sensitive about his name. I bet he is a bit more sensitive about the fact that he was defeated by a five year old. Lets see if you recognize me," said James. Slowly his brown hair turned to black and grew longer and his eyes turned from blue to emerald green.
Recognition shown in Voldemort's eyes. "Severus's son. Doesn't really surprise me. You're just as arrogant as he was, nothing like your mother. She was to be mine you know, but I made the mistake of letting Severus have the first pick of the catch. Of course he would chose her. He enjoyed raping her you know. She, herself, moaned like a whore," said Voldemort trying to piss him off.
Surprisingly it worked but James didn't let it show. "She only gave you up because she didn't want her husband to know she was a whore," Voldemort continued. James had had enough and leapt at Quirrell, sword in hand.
Quirrell turned and the sword went threw his arm. Quirrell screamed as James withdrew the sword. "KILL HIM!" yelled Voldemort. Quirrell charged at James, despite the pain, and James stabbed Quirrell right threw the heart.
Quirrell grabbed the hilt of the sword as he dropped to his knees as he died. "Intelligent help is so hard to find," said James letting the sword dematerialize.
What he failed to notice was the cloud of dust forming over Quirrell's body. The grayish cloud started to take the form of a face. It gave a low type of growl that made James turn around. "Oh shit," he said before the cloud that was Voldemort rammed into him and all went black.
Review responses:
Shewhostalkssiriusontheweekend: Thank you.
ER: Thank you. Consider first review non-existent. No, Lily doesn't know yet. You'll have to see about Snape. My lips are sealed. Yes, Holly and Sara are his half-sisters.
Jordan: Thank you.
Cataclysmic: Dumbledore is okay in some stories but I mainly don't like him. There won't be much of Sara and Holly in the next few chapters but they'll be around soon, I promise.
Slim5: Thank you. I try to make my plots as original as possible.