I'm sorry to say that this chapter was a little on the short side. Most of this chapter was fun to write but I was surprised at how short it turned out. I had to get creative on how to make it longer. Still came up short.
Enjoy!
Chapter 6
Faust
Mephisto checked his pocket watch before looking up to see Professor Minerva McGonagall entering the room with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in tow. Mephisto had business with the young witch but what was the lightning scarred boy up to now? The school year hadn't even started. The two teens stared at him before McGonagall sat down at her desk.
"Kindly refrain from staring, you two," she reprimanded.
"Um… who are you… sir?" Hermione asked anxiously as if she was trying to think of a more polite way of asking a stranger his name.
Mephisto paused for a moment, trying to decide which alias the children should address him as. "Johann Faust V, at your service," he finally answered as he took off his top hat and bowed to them both. The girl would know shortly about his real identity, but decided that Harry Potter could stay in the dark for a few more years.
Harry's green eyes landed on the lapel pin on Mephisto's collar. "I recognize that pin," he acknowledged. "Rin and Yukio's dad has it on him. Their cat sidthe has one on his collar too."
Mephisto smiled. "Well, well, you're familiar with the Knights of the True Cross?" he inquired.
Harry shrugged. "Sort of. I know my Demonology professor is a member," he recalled. "You lot slay demons, right?"
Mephisto's smile widened. "Very good. Although my position is more of a consultant. I don't slay any demons."
"What do you mean?"
Mephisto ignored the question and tilted his head to the side a little. "While I have business with Miss Granger, I am curious as to why you're here, Mister Potter," he stated.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other before looking at the Demon King again.
"How do you know our names, sir?" Hermione asked nervously.
Mephisto was about to answer when Professor McGonagall spoke up. "He does not need to answer that," she said bluntly.
The school nurse, Madam Pomfrey, suddenly entered the room. Harry's face turned red upon realizing why he'd been pulled aside with Hermione.
"I'm fine," he insisted. "I don't need anything -"
"Oh, it's you, is it?" Madam Pomfrey asked, ignoring what Harry said and bent down to take a closer look at the boy. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again."
"It wouldn't be the first time he's done that," Mephisto murmured. Harry and Hermione stared at him incredulously. How did he know that?
"It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall. Mephisto shuddered.
Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly. "Setting Dementors around the school," she muttered as she felt Harry's forehead. "He won't be the only one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate -"
"I'm not delicate!" Harry said crossly.
"Come now, Poppy, surely you can treat the boy his age," Mephisto spoke up. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall glared at him. "One fainting spell doesn't mean he needs to be treated like glass. Why not let him learn to ask others for help the hard way and let him go?"
Now Harry was also glaring at Mephisto. Who did this guy think he was? At first Harry thought this man agreed with him about not being "delicate" but now it was clear that he was using the tough love approach for what happened to Harry.
Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared. "I do not recall any of us asking for your input, 'Mr. Faust,'" she said very crossly.
"Can I leave now?" Harry asked.
Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall exchanged glances.
"He should at least have some chocolate," said Madam Pomfrey.
"I've already had some. Professor Lupin's already given me some," Harry replied.
"Are you sure you're alright, Potter?" asked McGonagall. Harry nodded. "Very well. Kindly wait outside while Mr. Faust and I speak to Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we'll go to the feast together."
~0~0~0~
As soon as Harry and Madam Pomfrey left the room, Professor McGonagall and the man called Johann Faust turned their attention to Hermione who sweatdropped.
"I'm sure you're aware that you've chosen to take more classes than the other third years," McGonagall started.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, Professor, I've bought all the textbooks for them as well."
"Normally if something like that happened, I'd advise the student to drop a few of them in order to have a regular schedule. However, since you've had exceptional marks since your first year, I've requested the Ministry of Magic to lend you a Time Turner," McGonagall explained.
Hermione's eyes widened. "A Time Turner?! Are you… are you sure, Professor?"
The deputy headmistress nodded. "You've been the top of your class since you've arrived at Hogwarts. If anyone can handle a Time Turner, it would be you, Miss Granger."
Mr. Faust gave Hermione a toothy grin. "There are, of course, risks and rules if you accept that Time Turner," he said. Hermione shivered at how frightening Mr. Faust's smile was. It looked like he had fangs.
"Y-yes?" she said nervously.
"You are to make note of every time you use it, how many times you turn it, what time you use it, etc. You are not to tell anybody about the Time Turner, especially Potter, Weasley, and the Okumura brothers. And finally, you can only turn it up to five times, which is about five hours. Otherwise, it'll start affecting you and the timeline… and I hate doing damage control when it comes to dealing with Time Turner users," Faust explained.
Hermione did a double-take at the last part of that explanation. "Wait, what?! What do you mean 'damage control?' Do you work for both the True Cross and the Ministry of Magic?" she asked.
Professor McGonagall glared at Mr. Faust. "Don't you dare!" she warned.
Faust smiled toothily again, making sure his fangs were visible. "When it comes to being the Demon King of Time and Space, I need to know who is treading in my territory. I was infuriated when I got the letter from the Ministry of Magic about this whole ordeal but when I learned who was involved, I couldn't help but be curious," he said.
Hermione's face became as pale as a ghost. "You're… you're… Samael," she said shakily.
Mephisto's smile widened. "Correct."
McGonagall slammed her hands on her desk and stood up. "That's enough! You're frightening her!"
The demon shrugged. "Just wanted to make sure she understands the consequences of time travel abuse," he explained nonchalantly.
"I'd never do that," Hermione suddenly said. "I'll only use it for my studies. I'm fully aware that this isn't some toy."
"Wonderful!" Mephisto exclaimed. He took off his top hat again and put his hand inside. "Ein, zwei, drei!" A puff of pink smoke erupted from the hat and Mephisto pulled out a little box that easily fit in the palm of his hand. "Here you are."
"Thank you," said Hermione, taking the small box and opening it. Inside was a tiny hourglass inside a ring that could easily be turned, all attached to a gold chain.
"You're welcome, my dear. Now if you two excuse me, I have to go to the Ministry of Magic. I still have a few choice words to say to them," he said. He walked towards the door and pulled out a key with an M that was the insignia for the Ministry of Magic. He put it in the keyhole and opened it. Hermione was surprised to see that on the other side of the door was the front lobby of the Ministry instead of the hallway. Mephisto walked in and closed the door without a word.
Silence filled the room for a minute or two before Hermione said, "Professor? Was that really…"
Professor McGonagall sighed and sat down, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm afraid so, Miss Granger. That was Samael, Demon King of Time and Space. Time travel is one of his specialties so he doesn't take kindly to those who damage the timestream. As powerful as he is, his personality leaves a lot to be desired." She let out another sigh before standing up again. "Enough of this. It's time to attend the feast. Remember not to mention the details of this meeting to Potter and your friends."
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione answered as she pocketed the Time Turner. "Oh! Professor, before we leave, I have a question."
"Yes?"
"The Dementor that appeared on the train. Something happened to Rin when it turned to him…"
McGonagall held up her hand to silence the girl. "Professor Lupin mentioned everything that happened on the train in a letter he sent ahead of time, including what happened to Mister Okumura. I can assure you Professor Dumbledore has been informed of this and will speak to Mr. Okumura about it this week."
~0~0~0~
"So what did McGonagall want with you two?" Rin asked as he cut into his steak.
Harry let out an annoyed sigh. "She wanted to make sure I was okay after what happened on the train," he answered irritably. "Madam Pomfrey was even there."
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered with a roll of his eyes. "You were fine after you had the chocolate Lupin gave you so why all the fuss?"
"It wasn't just Harry either," Rin piped up. "Ginny was a wreck after that Dementor left the train. And Yukio was as big a wreck as Harry was and he didn't get called to McGonagall's office."
"How is Yukio anyway?" asked Hermione.
"He's fine now that he's had some chocolate," Rin assured. "What did McGonagall want with you, Hermione?"
"She wanted to go over my schedule for this year," Hermione said casually (although Rin did notice her gripping her fork very tightly).
"What did that Johann Faust guy want with you?" asked Harry.
Hermione swallowed her food before answering, "He was waiting to speak with Professor McGonagall about an unrelated subject."
"Wonder what it was. She didn't seem happy to see him."
As soon as the feast was over and congratulated Hagrid on his new position as the Care for Magical Creatures teacher, the four of them followed the other Gryffindors to Gryffindor Tower.
"Coming through, coming through," Percy called out from behind the crowd. "The password is Fortuna Major."
The portrait of the Fat Lady who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower opened the portrait hole for all to enter. Neville Longbottom groaned at the thought of remembering the new password. He was never good at that.
The boys and girls split into their respective dorms. The third year boys entered their room with their six four poster beds and changed into their pajamas. As they all plopped into their respective beds, they all thought the same thing.
'It's good to be back.'
~0~0~0~
Kuro slept soundly on Rin's chest. The boy was fast asleep with his mouth wide open, drool visibly spilling over the corner.
The sound of the bedroom door creaking softly woke the cat sidthe from his dreams of silvervine sake and lots of fish. A familiar shape skulked into the room. Kuro's ears flattened on his head. He hadn't liked this orange nutcase from the moment he attacked Ron's head.
Kuro pounced on Crookshanks before he could get past Neville's bed. The two tumbled to the floor and, with careful maneuvering, Kuro herded Crookshanks out of the boys' dorm. He didn't stop there, however. Kuro made sure Crookshanks was all the way in the common room before he stopped and went back to the dorms. Unfortunately, the orange menace wasn't one to give up. He pounced on Kuro and the two wrestled around the common room, knocking over knick-knacks and decorations. Fur was flying everywhere.
The two fought for hours until the sun started peeking through the window. When Crookshanks saw that Kuro was not going to back down, he gave up and limped back to the girls' dormitory. Kuro shook his head and let out a yawn. He trudged back upstairs to the boys' dormitory and curled up on the corner of Rin's bed to get some sleep.
Remember at the end of the last story where Mephisto got a letter from the Ministry of Magic? This is what it was about. Plus, Hermione hasn't met Amaimon so I thought I'd make up for it by introducing her to Mephisto.
Remember to review! Like I said in the previous two stories, no reviews means the story goes bye-bye!