Chapter 21 – The Fallen
The rest of the supper passed with no more awkward 'romantic' incidents with Polly, much to James' relief and he was glad when he was back in his own dorm and could go to bed and forget about the whole night.
"So how was dinner?" Noah asked the next morning.
"Don't ask," James replied snappishly. "Did you know Polly lives with her aunt?"
"Yeah they live above a bookshop her aunt owns," Noah replied as he pulled on a sweater.
"How do you know that?" James asked sounding surprised.
"Because I actually talk to her."
As the weeks went on the snow around the grounds of Hogwarts melted and spring came but no more strange incidents had happened around the school. James hadn't even had any more bad dreams. Maybe having Godwin around had scared off whoever was doing it.
James had completely put the whole notion of him being the Heir of Slytherin to the back of his mind, dismissing everything that had happened as a very elaborate and unfunny prank.
One weekend as it was a fine and sunny day he decided to give Hagrid a visit. Noah tagged along and they found him out behind his hut next to what looked like an old cart that had the wheels removed. Spilling over the top of the cart was a mound of foam and bubbles.
"Hey Hagrid, what are you up to?" James asked as he approached.
"Just givin' Snowy a bath," Hagrid said just as Snowy popped his head up from beneath the form and started splashing about.
James hadn't seen much of Snowy recently owing to the fact the weather was much warmer so the yeti tended to stay in his room down in the dungeons that had been bewitched to be freezing cold.
Hagrid was soon leaning over the old carriage with his sleeves rolled up and a bottle of shampoo in one hand and was scrubbing away at the yeti who seemed to be enjoying himself. Hagrid seemed less enthusiastic especially as he was being constantly drenched by water. James and Noah kept their distance, not wanting a soaking too.
"I'll miss him when he's gone," Hagrid said mournfully as he sat down on a tree stump after he had finished bathing Snowy. The yeti now was out the make shift bath tub and was shaking himself dry.
"Is he going then?" James asked as he and Noah sat down with Hagrid after being soaked by the spray from the yeti drying himself.
"Yeah he can' stay 'ere forever, it's too warm. There's a yeti sanctuary in Tibet that 'ave offered to take him. He'll be with his own kind there," Hagrid said and it looked like he was trying hard to stop a tear forming in his eye. "Grown quite attached to the big fella."
At that point Hagrid couldn't hold it in anymore and grabbed a very large and what looked like a dirty hankie from his pocket and blew his nose into it with a noise that sounded like an elephant trumpeting and he began to sob.
"I'm so sorry Hagrid," James said patting Hagrid on the arm.
"Yeah sorry Hagrid," Noah added.
"It's OK I knew he'd 'ave to go eventually. But I was 'opin' he could stay one more winter but Burns 'ad ter go an' butt his big nose in," Hagrid said, saying the name 'Burns' with much detest.
"Why what did he do?" James asked.
"He spoke ter McGonagall about Snowy, said he knew someone at a sanctuary, It was him who arranged it all."
"Well like you said Hagrid he'll be with his own kind there," Noah noted, trying to cheer Hagrid up. "He'll be happy there."
"Yeah I know," Hagrid said, putting away his soiled hankie.
James and Noah did their best to try and cheer Hagrid up and he seemed in a slightly better mood when they left and headed back to the castle to enjoy the rest of their weekend.
The next week's lessons started and the school work once again began to mount up. After their History of Magic lesson Professor Binns set them a two thousand word essay on the importance of the International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy that was passed in the seventeenth century. In Potions Professor Slughorn set them an assignment researching the varying effects of spider venoms when added to healing potions and Professor Flitwick wanted four sides of parchment on the history of Mending Charms.
Professor Van Bloom's Herbology lessons were still just as boring and unexciting. Last lesson she was teaching the class about a plant called Kalos Nox, which should have been exciting as the flower of this plant had hypnotic effects. The only trouble was this plant only bloomed at night so they spent the lesson looking at a very boring plant with a closed flower, whilst Van Bloom discussed it's unique properties to a very bored class. James couldn't wait till Neville got his memory back and they could have more fun Herbology classes again.
And Professor Payne still seemed to hate any student that wasn't a Slytherin but at least he was now teaching some more practical defensive skills and the class was very excited when he announced they would be learning their first defensive charms.
"Quiet class," Professor Payne commanded, trying to contain the excitement. "Stand up and move the desks to the side of the room."
Once the class room had been rearranged to give them more space the students now stood and waited for Payne's next instructions.
"Today I will teach you two spells, a stunning spell and a shield charm. The first is the stunning spell," Payne said before he turned to his desk and pulled a cloth off a cage, revealing what looked a like small monkey inside it, only it had dark blueish fur and very large ears.
Payne opened the cage and immediately the creature jumped out, looking around at everyone rather nervously. It then made a run for the wall of the classroom and started to climb up, showing extremely good grip as it climbed up the stone wall.
"Stupefy," Payne shouted and a red light shot out from his wand and struck the creature in the back.
It fell to the floor with a thud and some of the students looked rather distressed having just witnessed it.
"Mr Murray please pick that creature up and put it back in its cage," Professor Payne ordered.
"Is it alright sir?" Polly asked as she watched Zander scoop the creature up.
"We're not here to discuss the treatment of magical creatures Miss Green," Payne fumed back. "But as I'm well aware some of you are rather pathetic and don't have the stomach for the harsh realities of the real world, rest assured the creature will be fine once it awakens. Now for the shield charm. I need a volunteer. Greta please step forward."
Payne's daughter gladly came up to her father with an arrogant look on her face as she did so.
"As I know you know the stunning spell already, please cast it at me and I will deflect it with a shield charm," Professor Payne said as he stepped a few paces back from his daughter, who continued to look smug that she already knew the spell that the rest of the class had just been taught.
Though James already knew the stunning spell himself and wished he could tell Greta that and wipe the smug look off her face. His father had taught it to him when he was younger, thinking it important his son knew how to defend himself, especially after everything he had been through himself at a young age. Harry was well aware that there could be many potential dangers out in the world and he wanted his children somewhat prepared.
With a self-righteous overconfidence Greta cast Stupefy at her father.
"Protego," Professor Payne said back and the light from Greta's spell hit an invisible barrier that momentarily glowed at the impact. The class were very impressed.
"Thank you Greta, excellent casting there. Ten points to Slytherin," Payne said and was met with a few groans from the Gryffindor students but they were soon quiet again and said nothing as Professor Payne gave them a sneering look.
"Now I want everyone to have a go at casting both spells on each other."
"On each other?" Polly repeated in surprise.
"Yes Miss Green and if I have any more disruptions from you this lesson I will be taking twenty points from Gryffindor."
Polly suddenly went very quiet.
"Greta as you're already up here and know the stunning spell why don't you remain and Miss Green can come up here and show if she's any good at deflecting it, seeing as she always likes to act like an irritating know it all."
Polly very much wanted to say she didn't feel comfortable going first, but not wanting to lose her house points she reluctantly stepped up and faced Greta.
"When you're ready Greta," Professor Payne said to his daughter who looked like she couldn't wait to try and stun Polly.
"Stupefy!" Greta shouted and an intense red light shot from her wand, hit Polly and sending her crashing backwards to the ground.
Some members of Gryffindor rushed to Polly who now lay unconscious on the floor.
"Don't worry about her, just move her to one side and the next person can come up and have a go," Professor Payne said with not an ounce of caring in his voice. "Mr Potter, you're another one that likes to show off. Up here now and let Greta see if there's someone in Gryffindor who's not completely useless and can actually deflect her spell."
James was actually worried about Polly as he watched his classmates carefully drag her away and was concerned he might suffer the same fate.
He stood about ten feet away from Greta and could see the delight in her eyes at what she was about to do and she didn't even wait for her father to give the OK.
"Stupefy!" she cried out and the red light shot from her wand like a bullet.
"Protego!" James immediately shouted back and the stream of red light deflected off it, much to the class and the professor's amazement, but James had practised that spell many times before at home with his father so he knew it well already.
"I guess you're not totally useless after all," Professor Payne sneered at James.
"Can I have a go at the stunning spell now sir? Against Greta," James said, wanting to teach Greta a lesson and wipe the smug look off her face.
"No I think it's someone else turn now. Greta may go and maybe one of your fellow Gryffindors could come up," Payne said with a smirk.
"No dad it's fine. Let him try his best. He won't get lucky twice," Greta said, not wanting James to get the better of her and relished the chance to show him up.
"OK then. Are you ready Greta?" Payne asked, waiting for his daughter to get a good stance and have her wand ready.
Greta nodded back.
"Very well, Potter cast the spell,"
James waited, watching Greta's eyes staring back at him and he could see she was nervous.
The whole class was silent as James still waited, readjusting his grip on his wand and he watched as Greta got even more nervous and uncomfortable, he could even see a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead.
"I said cast the spell Potter," Payne now demanded angrily but James held his nerve and waited.
"Potter cast the spell now or…"
"Stupefy!" James shouted, cutting Payne off, and a bright red light flashed from his wand and struck Greta right in the chest, she didn't even have time to react and deflect it.
All the Gryffindor students let out a hushed cheer as they turned to each other in excitement at what they had just seen but Professor Payne was less than impressed as Nancy and Edward rushed over to the now unconscious Greta who lay on the floor.
"What do you think you were doing Potter?" Payne fumed as he forcefully pointed his finger in James' face.
"I was just casting the spell like you said sir," James retorted back with no remorse.
"You were deliberately trying to put her off by waiting. That is unacceptable. Fifty points from Gryffindor," Payne said.
"But sir I was just doing what I was meant to," James protested.
"And detention," Payne added.
"But sir?" James said feeling hard done by.
"Another word from you and it will be detention for a whole month," Payne boomed out in anger.
James remained quiet as he took his place back with the rest of the class feeling he had been unfairly treated just because he had been smart enough to actually hit Greta.
James turned to see Polly coming back around as another Gryffindor helped her up and into a chair. He was disappointed she hadn't woken in time to see him hit Greta, who was still laid out cold on the floor. As annoyed as he was that he had lost his house fifty points and gotten himself a detention, seeing Greta helpless on the floor made it totally worth it.
His detention the following evening with Professor Payne was not pleasant. The professor started by giving him a lecture about how dangerous his actions could have been, which James thought was a bit hypocritical seeing as it was Payne who had set the task of the lesson to try and stun each other. Once the professor had stopped venting he had James work in silence, writing an essay on how reckless his actions were and how in future he needed to be in Payne's words 'less arrogant and reign in his overinflated ego'," which James did not think was a fair judgement of him, but he did the essay anyway.
James made his way back from detention through the now deserted halls of the school. He found the school at night rather creepy when no one was around with its many portraits watching you and the flickering light from the torches that adorned the walls casting an eerie glow.
As he rounded the next corner he suddenly saw a figure dart down another corridor and out of view. James wondered who else would be walking around the school at this time of night and when he got to the corridor himself he saw who it was. A small boy in Hogwarts uniform with messy black hair was running down the corridor away from James with his back to him.
"Hey stop! I need to talk to you!" James shouted before running after the boy.
The boy reached the staircase and started heading down as James reached the balustrade above and looked down.
"Please wait! I'm not going to hurt you!" James shouted again but the boy didn't stop or even turn around, he just kept on running.
Not even having chance to catch his breath James began running down the stairs, trying to keep the boy in view in front of him. When the boy reached the bottom of the stairs he headed in the direction of the Great Hall and James lost sight of him but when he got to the hall he heard the doors being closed. James pushed the large wooden doors open with a creak. None of the torches were lit inside so it was pitch black. James grabbed his wand from his pocket and cast Lumos as he stepped in to the hall cautiously.
"Hello? Is anyone in here?" James called out but got no reply.
As he stepped further in there was suddenly a massive bang as the hall door slammed shut. James turned around but saw no one by it as the torches around the hall suddenly started to light themselves.
James looked around the now illuminated hall but it looked different to how it usually looked. There was debris on the floor, some of the windows were smashed and there was a massive hole in the ceiling showing the starry night sky above. And laying on the ground of the hall amongst the rubble were numerous white sheets that were covering various objects.
James moved to the one nearest him and knelt down beside it. Carefully he pulled back the sheet and instantly tumbled backwards in horror. Underneath the sheet was the body of a young girl with long curly hair.
Once James had regained his composure he quickly covered the body back up again as he looked around the hall and realised there must be a body under every sheet. After he went around counting the sheets he knew exactly who they were. There were fifty of them, and James had heard the term the 'Fallen Fifty' mentioned before. They were people who had died at the Battle of Hogwarts.
As James continued to look around the room at the covered bodies he saw the boy standing at the front of the hall. Only finally now he could see the boy's face and he instantly recognised him but he was having trouble believing it. The boy had messy black hair, glasses and a scar on his forehead. It was his father, except his father as he had been as a boy.
"Who… who are you?" James said in shock as he stared at the boy.
The boy didn't answer, he just stared back.
"Why are they here?" James said, gesturing to the bodies.
Still the boy said nothing.
"Why are you here?" James asked and the boy seemed to be doing nothing but smiling at him.
"Potter!" a voice shouted and suddenly James woke up and looked around confused. He was back in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, having obviously fallen asleep in his detention and Professor Payne was now furious.
"Is this detention boring you?!" Payne shouted.
"No sorry sir. I guess it's just late. Sorry sir," James replied, now sitting up straight and paying attention.
Professor Payne walked over to James' desk and examined the parchment he had been writing on.
"Well I guess if I keep you here any longer I will only be wasting my own time. Some people are beyond help. You may go," Professor Payne said and returned to his desk before collecting his books and headed up to his office.
James was still feeling a little confused as he packed up his stuff and prepared to leave. His dream had seemed so real yet it obviously hadn't been. But what did it mean? Why had he seen those bodies? And had the boy he had kept on seeing really just been his own father and a figment of his imagination?