Harry, Dora and Ginny watched as the head nurse, Jasmine Rosso washed Hermione's back clean with a cloth. At least, where they could reach. Somehow, something had attacked Hermione and now she was on her stomach, as the thing on her back didn't seem to be going away.
"You know, If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, I would say that Hermione had got herself some angel wings." Harry said as he knelled and looked at Hermione's face. A face that was currently crying as small stabs came from the thing that was on her back. "Ha, ha. Are we being funny" Said Hermione as she looked at Harry's face. Pain, fear and anger could be clearly heard in her voice.
Harry gently took Hermione's hand in his. "If you need to, squeeze in my hand." Harry said as he felt Hermione squeezing his hand tightly, indicating that she was in a lot of pain. Harry nodded and motioned Ginny to get him a chair, so he could sit with Hermione.
"Why did this happen?" Hermione asked to everyone in the medical wing. Harry, Ginny, Dora, Jasmine Rosso and professor McGonagall were there, all watching Hermione being treated for something that didn't know how to treat.
Harry's description of 'angel wings' wasn't that much off the mark. The thing that was embedding itself in Hermione's back, was a large white rectangular device with two wing-like appendages that seemed to attach itself to Hermione's upper back, close enough to her shoulders. Each wing like appendage seemed to have four large feathers, made of an unknown material that was currently standing straight. Because of the 'wings', Hermione's upper body had to be naked. However, professor McGonagall had placed a screen between Hermione and his friend, so that she could protect her modesty, while she undressed and got in bed on her stomach. Now, she was looking at Harry, holding his hand tightly as a new spike of pain coursed through her body.
"Dora, why don't you and Ginny check if we can get some food in here." Harry said, hoping to find a few quiet moments between him and Hermione. Dora nodded and left with Ginny, who was still carrying Hell's date with her. Harry carried Child's play with him as well, as they came to the medical wing, right after the mission was a success. The bridge was repaired, and a lot of Grimm had been killed. Harry could finally say that his total kills of Grimm had increased from seventeen to forty. 'Of course, that doesn't matter for Coco, who has already over a hundred on her name' thought Harry.
"Harry" Hermione asked gently, as she squeezed in Harry's hand. "Why did this happen to me?"
Harry sighed deeply. "I don't know, Hermione. If I had known that this would happen, you would have stayed with Jaune and Dora on the cliff, instead of helping with the rubble."
A silence hung between them. Hermione suddenly flinched, as a as a large shot of pain went though her. "That one must be painful, Hermione." Harry said as he slowly felt life flow back in his fingers.
"Do you mind if I take a closer look at that thing on your back?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head, and let go of Harry's hand, while Harry stood up from his chair.
Walking around, Harry watched as some small metallic wires buried themselves in Hermione's back. Looking closer, Harry spotted something, something that could explain all this. A symbol. Taking his scroll, Harry shot an image of the symbol and sent it forward to his father, who was probably talking with Dumbledore. Harry knew the symbol from his frequent trips to the CCT. ATLAS.
"Hermione, have you ever seen this symbol?" Harry asked as he sat back and held his hand out to Hermione. As she looked at it, Hermione felt another shot of pain shooting through her body. As the pain subsided, Hermione looked at the image on Harry's scroll. It looked like a candle, surrounded by several circles. "What is that?" Hermione asked.
"That, Hermione, is the symbol of the kingdom of Atlas. A technological advanced kingdom that created the CCT, holds several important company headquarters, and creator of weapon systems." Said Harry as he felt his blood leaving his fingers again as Hermione squeezed.
"I'll make a few more pictures of it, if you don't mind?" Harry said as he gently massaged his fingers. Hermione's grip was like iron. Taking his scroll, Harry photographed the base unit on Hermione's back, the wings and the feathers. Harry nodded and looked at his watch. "Where are they?" Harry mumbled, as he turned around and placed his scroll on his vest, causing it to stick to it. "Magnets, Hermione" Harry replied as he felt Hermione's eyes on his back. Switching the battle-mode on, Harry paled as he saw both Ginny and Dora's aura slowly failing.
"Hermione, I'm going to leave for a moment. Ginny and Dora need our help" Harry said as he stepped out of the medical wing, leaving Hermione alone with Jasmine Russo and professor McGonagall. "Will he be okay?" Hermione asked to no-one in particular.
"I wouldn't worry about Harry, dear." Jasmine said in a soothing voice. "He's one of the strongest people around, even at eleven. He'll be fine."
Hermione nodded and fumbled a bit with her own clothes, before she found what she was looking for. Activating her own scroll, she activated it's own battle-mode, and was happy to see both Ginny's and Dora's aura stabilizing, while Harry's was still at full power.
"Excuse me" Professor McGonagall said, as she tried to get the attention of the doctor. "Yes, what is it?" Russo asked as she placed a paste on Hermione's back, that caused her to moan.
"I was just wondering. Why doesn't Harry wear glasses, his birth father needed glasses." McGonagall asked the doctor. That question had always plagued the strict transfigurations professor.
Harry ran the fastest route to the dining hall, and as he turned a corner, Harry found the reason why Ginny and Dora hadn't returned. Team CRDL had cornered them and been beating them. Snapping a picture or two and sending them to aunt Glynda, Harry readied his rifle and took several shots with the lightning dust. To soon to his liking, did two of them fell to his assault, while the other two were to stunned to see an eleven year old kid getting the jump on them. Seeing both Russell and Dove on the floor, Sky Lark charged at Harry, bringing out his halberd. Harry shifted position and changed Child's play from it's rifle mode to it's Guan Dao mode, before he attacked.
The battle was to short for Cardin, who, after seeing his teammate falling to a little brat who took out three members of his team, decided it was best to run. He did, straight into Goodwitch. Seeing the deputy-headmistress of Beacon Academy closing in on him, Cardin did the only thing he could do at that point. He fainted.
"What a weakling." Said Harry as he placed Child's play, back in rifle mode, on his back.
After Harry returned to the medical wing with Dora and Ginny, Harry was asked to go to his father's office, for a 'matter of utmost importance'.
Harry simply nodded and made his way to Ozpin's office, where he listened, and reported about the strange thing that was on Hermione's back to both Ozpin, Dumbledore and via a video-call, to General Ironwood of the Atlesian military. Harry told him of the mission and sent images of Hermione and her attachment to Ironwood, while he kept the most important part for himself. He didn't want Hermione being tested and tested again, just because she was able, even so slightly to move the wings.
Getting a promise from Ironwood to come to Beacon Academy as soon as possible, Ozpin ended the call, before he looked at his son.
"Harry, I know you are hiding something. Please, what is it?" Ozpin asked Harry gently. Harry sighed deeply. "It's the fact that Ironwood is involved. He wants to get something out of this, I just know it. He can't take Hermione with him to Atlas, just because she's able, if barely to move the wings."
"And you have my support for that, Harry" Said Dumbledore as he looked at the young wizard. "Thank you sir." Harry said as he bowed slightly. Whatever the headmaster might be, he was a good man.
"Sir, if I may ask a question?" Harry asked, as he looked at Dumbledore's face. "You may ask, but I reserve the right to answer" Dumbledore replied, giving Harry a friendly smile. Ozpin watched the interaction with his son and the old headmaster with a touch of amusement. Harry took a deep breath.
"Why is it that most students at Hogwarts, avoid the third floor corridor, while Ginny and I can sense a presence there?"
Dumbledore's face turned from amused to gravely serious. "Harry. I want you to promise me, to never enter that corridor."
"Sir?" Harry asked, as he was looking surprised. The headmaster of Hogwarts never looked like that before. It was very unnerving. "I never entered that corridor, Sir" Harry replied, as he looked at Dumbledore. The old headmaster sighed deeply.
"The corridor holds a animal of legendary status. Only staff members are allowed in." Dumbledore said, as he thought of a good excuse to say to Harry. "The animal will move out as soon as it's new enclosure is in place."
'Yeah' Dumbledore thought. 'That will keep him from entering the third corridor.'
Harry nodded and left, leaving Ozpin and Dumbledore in the office. "I'd like to see Miss Granger, as soon as I can" Dumbledore said, not looking at Ozpin.
Ozpin nodded and stood up from his chair and called a second elevator to bring them down to the main floor.
"By the way. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't lie to Harry any more." Ozpin said as the elevator arrived. Dumbledore almost tripped over his own shoes. "What ever do you mean?" Dumbledore asked, hoping not to be caught by Ozpin, telling a lie to Harry.
"I mean about the time he must spent at Hogwarts, and about the third corridor. You and I both know that there is someone who want that object. I can help you with that" Ozpin said, as the elevator continued downwards.
"How? How can you help with something that matters only to wizards?" Dumbledore asked as he turned to Ozpin. Ozpin merely turned his head in Dumbledore's direction. "Because you are playing with lives. Lives that matter to me and Glynda" Said Ozpin.
Turning his entire body to Dumbledore, Ozpin continued.
"Placing Harry at Hogwarts was a risk. One that I knew I had to take. But when your deputy-headmistress told me that he needs to stay there for at-least four more years, I exploded. You can ask McGonagall about it when you see her. From what I can tell, you either haven't done any research, or you plan to do so, while Harry stays in danger at Hogwarts. If I must pull him from Hogwarts, Ginny will be pulled as well. And seeing as that both Dora Tonks and Hermione Granger have made great friends, I think that both girls will want to stay here at Beacon."
Dumbledore was floored, nobody had spoken to him like that in almost seventy years, not after he defeated his old friend Grindelwald.
The elevator doors opened, and both headmasters stepped out, right as team RWBY came past them. Blake and Weiss arguing with each other, while Ruby and Yang looked on, unable to help them. Shaking his head, Ozpin guided Dumbledore to the medical wing, where they could see Harry, Ginny and Dora surrounding Hermione, who was now slowly moving her 'wings'.
"Hey dad. Hello Professor Dumbledore" Harry said as he drank a cup of milk. Ginny waved to, but Dora was looking at something on her scroll. She looked up briefly, before turning to the scroll in her hands. "Don't mind her." Harry said as he waved a hand at Dora. "She's just trying to find out what kind of bag she wants."
"Bag, mister Potter?" Dumbledore asked, before he realized his mistake. "Pardon me, Mister Ozpin" He corrected quickly, as he saw Harry looking up with a frown on his face.
"Yeah, Coco agreed to make a gun for Dora. She needs to choose a type of bag for the gun to fit it in" Harry said as Dora swiped her current screen away. She seemed to be getting more and more excited the longer she looked at the screen. "This is the one" she said as she showed it to Harry.
Harry looked at the picture on Dora's scroll. It seemed to be a black cowboysbag. "Good choice Dora. You can add extra ammunition pouches to the sides, your schoolbooks can easily fit in that. Now, we need to show this to Coco. I'll guide you to the forge, where you and she will make you a weapon to be proud of." Harry said as he took Dora's hand and took her to the forge.
"So, this animagus form of yours is a cat?" Asked Professor Goodwitch to Professor McGonagall, who nodded.
"Yes, and unlike people who become animagus to avoid the law, I did it to further study the art of Transfiguration. While the result is that I need to register my form, I have learned a lot from it, and am able to held others to change in their forms." McGonagall said as she and Goodwitch walked though the halls of Beacon. "Interesting, but I'd like to ask another question, if I may?" McGonagall nodded her head, happy to explain several things to her fellow deputy-headmistress.
"I've heard that Hogwarts has an astronomy class, and that said class is for younger students late at night. Why do you do such a thing, while you could show the night sky on that charming ceiling that you have in the great hall? I'd rather have no tired students in my class, if what you say about magic is true." Said Glynda as she looked at McGonagall.
McGonagall nodded. "Yes, several students have complained about the hours that they would rather be in bed. However, it is not something we can change. The ceiling of the great hall was charmed by Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Each founder poured enough magic in Rowena for her to create the ceiling. After that, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw slept for two days, their magical energy refilling itself."
"So, why don't you show photo's of the night-sky at certain times and teach the first and second classes theory, before they gaze the stars?" Glynda asked, as they entered the teachers lounge.
Their talk was interrupted when an owl flew through the open window, carrying a letter. The owl, clearly old crashed on the table, right in Peter Port's soup. The soup splashed over him, covering him with bits of vegetable and meat. "Oh darn. I wanted to eat that" Said Port, before he started to talk about a hunt of his, where he killed a Beowulf with just a spoon.
Ignoring the Grimm studies professor, McGonagall removed the owl from Port's soup-bowl and removed the letter, before she cast a small sleeping charm on the owl. The owl, clearly exhausted fell asleep, without even blinking it's eyes. Smiling slightly, McGonagall opened the letter, wondering what Molly Weasley would sent now. As she started to read the letter, she slowly became paler and paler, until she needed a chair to sit in.
"Professor? What is it?" Goodwitch asked, and McGonagall gave her the letter before she placed her face in her hands and started to cry softly.
Professor Port stopped with retelling his story about how he had beaten the Beowulf with a spoon, while Professor Peach looked up from her book. Professor/Doctor Oobleck was about to pour a new cup of coffee in his cup, but paused. Everyone looked at the crying professor from the other school. "Minerva?" Goodwitch asked, hoping to get her attention, but the witch just continued to cry softly.
Looking around, Glynda's eyes fell on Professor Peach, and she gently nodded towards the letter in her hands. Glynda looked and nodded, before she started reading.
'To Minerva McGonagall.
Minerva, where are you. I've been trying to contact you several times now, but I can't get through the floo system. Dumbledore won't answer his as well. There has been a complication in Ron's health. The curse that has placed him immobile and juvenile has had an greater effect on him, then so far thought. Ron's life is in direct danger, and the healers at St. Mungo's have given him only three days to live, before the curse kills him. I wish that Ginny is brought back to us, so she can say goodbye to her brother, even if she didn't know she had one.
Please. Help us.
Molly Weasley.'
"Oh Monty" Glynda whispered, as she placed the letter on the table.
"So, do we sent Ginny over?" Goodwitch asked as she looked around. She didn't know what to do. On the one side, Ginny had never known that she had a brother, let alone several. Sending her would be a sign of good faith in the wizarding world. On the other hand, if Ginny was sent, and Molly refused to sent Ginny back, then several huntsmen and huntresses in training, Coco included, would visit the house of the Weasley family to bring Ginny back, creating a conflict between the wizarding world and Vale.
"I believe we need more information about the curse that young Ron has been under for so long." Said Professor Peach. She might have been the most recent addition to Beacon Academy, but she was very knowledgeable in the field of medicine. She often helped with Jasmine Russo in the medical wing.
"What do you mean?" McGonagall asked, her tear-stained face coming out of her hands. "What can you tell me about the Weasley family and Ron in particular?" Peach asked.
Minerva thought this through. 'What can I tell them?' she asked herself.
"Well, for one thing, Molly Weasley is a very protective mother. You could almost say that she is over-protective. The events that surrounds Halloween still give her nightmares, and she frequently is flooing Dumbledore or my office to ask how her children are."
"The events surrounding Halloween?" Oobleck asked as he sat down in a chair. All the teachers had sat down in a chair at a table, hoping to find more facts about the Weasley family.
"Well. The events surrounding Halloween, it is a very dark part of the Weasley family. While the dark lord, who we call You-Know-Who, went to kill James and Lily Potter, several of his inner circle of followers targeted the Weasley family. After they entered the wards, they quickly overpowered Molly and Arthur before they focused on the children. The oldest, Bill, had just starting Hogwarts and was absent, while his younger brothers were driven around in one room. They started with Ginny, but when Ron came in between of the curse and Ginny, he was hit. Molly went ballistic and broke free of the body-bind curse. She killed three death eaters and the rest fled, but not before a port-key was thrown at Ginny. It his her and as she vanished, Arthur took control of the wards to stop the death eaters from fleeing. The port-key and Ginny were never seen again, until Professor Sprout came here for Harry's acceptance letter."
McGonagall took a sip of water that was placed before her by Goodwitch. Thanking the deputy-headmistress, Minerva thought about the best way to describe the curse that had fell on Ron.
"While that happened ten years ago, the curse is still active. If a female was hit, she would have been barren, as the curse would destroy the uterus and ovary. The curse was designed for a female. Because of Ron's intervention, the curse has a different effect. Ron's mental state has been locked ever since that night, making him a child with a body of a eleven year old kid, but with the mental capacity of a eighteen month old baby"
The whole room was silent, except for the soft footsteps that walked in. as everyone looked up, they saw both Dumbledore and Ozpin listening in. "Professor Dumbledore. Is it possible, with your aid, to bring the Weasley family to Beacon?" Ozpin asked.
Dumbledore nodded, not seeing why they would want to do that. "While it is possible, I don't see a reason to do so. What can it accomplish?"
"If we all link hands around Ron, unlock his aura, and show him what he is missing, then maybe with some help from his family, Ron can break this curse" Glynda said, as she knew what Ozpin was thinking. Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at the staff of Beacon. They all nodded. "You are all willing to try to help us removing the curse?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, we are. We believe that an action like this, will be enough to sent a message of trust to the wizarding world." Said Ozpin as he looked at Dumbledore and McGonagall. "And maybe, with all the help we hope to get, we'll finally be relieved of the curse of the veil and the Grimm."
(A/N)I Know, I know. the curse isn't that great, but I had to make something that would explain Ron's condition, and make it dangerous for Ginny.
Please don't Kill me...