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Act II - The Warlock of Hogwarts
Chapter 4 - One Chapter Away From School AKA Back to School Part 4
After sitting with Daphne for a couple of hours, Harry had excused himself to go find his friends. After all the drama the compartment had witnessed, neither Daphne nor the others had anything to say to that. Besides, Parkinson's expression kept reminding him of a mandrake's butt the entire time. No doubt because of her plan to damage his relationship with Daphne diffusing like that. As time passed by, he was increasingly certain that she was going to explode if she had to look at his face for another hour and he really didn't want that.
Leaving a bloodied soup on the compartment walls would be in poor taste.
Pansy had turned purple when he had admitted that out loud, while Astoria and Tracey had laughed. Only Daphne had gotten the impression that he was only half-joking.
That was how Harry found himself sauntering along the corridors, peering through the glass-panelled doors until he found Ginny.
Sitting with Neville, and a third individual โ a dirty-blonde girl with very pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Something about her expression gave an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was because she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had worn a necklace of butterbeer corks, or that she was reading a magazine upside-down.
Quibbler, Harry spotted, remembering the amiable, if somewhat dotty editor he had welcomed on his birthday. Come to think of it, he too had similar features. Perhaps this girl was related to him or something?
"Hey, Harry," Neville's words shook him out of his thoughts. "Come on, in."
Harry observed the scowl flash on Ginny's face for a moment, before her lips twisted into a condescending sneer. "What happened?" she asked. "Greengrass and Parkinson too much for you?"
Harry exhaled and slid the door after him. "I did promise I'd find you guys, didn't I?"
"Bet Greengrass loved that," Ginny sniped.
"Not really," Harry said with a soft smile. "But she understands. If she gets to have me spend time with her and her friends, then the least she can do is let me spend time with mine."
"Of course," said Ginny. "It's not like she'd deign to sit with yours."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "And you'd welcome her, would you?"
That shut Ginny up.
"Look," Harry said, sighing. "A lot of things have happened over the summer, and I haven't exactly been forthcoming about it. Daphne and Iโฆ we're together, and we'll be wed in a year."
"But Harryโ"
"And no, I'm not against it."
Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it, and promptly shut it. She tried it again, but no words came out either.
"Yeahโฆ" He exhaled again. "I know." Cracking his neck, Harry sat down beside her.
"You're Harry Potter." said the blonde girl out of nowhere.
"I know I am," said Harry, now completely used to being recognized by random strangers. Neville chuckled, but the girl just stared at him instead.
"And I don't know who you are," he finished.
"This is Luna Lovegood," Ginny introduced. "She's in my year in Ravenclaw. I've known her since we were little."
"She tolerates me," the newly identified Luna chirped, happily ignoring the scandalised look Ginny gave her.
"Lovegood," Harry instantly recognized. "Then Mr. Xenoโฆ err?"
"Xenophilius Lovegood," the girl identified, "he's my father. He met you at your party, Harry Potter. I didn't believe it when he said your wrackspurts left you. But it's true, isn't it?"
"Errโฆ" Harry began, befuddled. "Wreckโ"
"Wrackspurts," Luna offered helpfully. "It's strange. Once a wrackspurt latches on to someone, it brings other wrackspurts with it. Crumple-horned ones, anyway. But youโฆ your wrackspurts are all gone." She blinked her large eyes at him. "Did you drive them away?"
Harry swallowed. He had no clue what she was rambling on about, but there was something utterly magnetic about her stare. Like it had its own weight and strained space, making it almost impossible to not notice it.
And then Luna looked away and hid her face behind her upside-down magazine. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Ginny suppressed a giggle.
"She does that," was all the redhead had to say.
The train rattled onwards, speeding them out into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously grey clouds.
"What did Daphne want, Harry?" asked Neville.
"Daphne?" Ginny caught on. "You're on a first name basis with her?"
"Nothing like that," he said hurriedly. "Weโฆ err, meet at family functions. Astoria and I are second-cousins soโฆ anyway, guess what I got for my birthday?"
"Err.. when was your birthday?"
"July thirtieth," said Neville. "Yeah, just a day before you were born. Iโฆ I knew you stayed at the Dursleys and we weren't, erm, friends, you know, like you are, with Ron and Hermione, or else I'd have invited you. Not that I didn't want to invite you or anything, but I didn't know if you'd like to attend and then you invited me for your party andโ"
"Neville," Harry grabbed his arm. "Breathe."
"Sorry," said the shy Gryffindor. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah," said Harry. "And I didn't know, or else I'd have gotten you something."
"It's okay," said Neville. "Maybe next time?"
Harry nodded. "So, what did you get? Another remembrall?"
"No," muttered the gryffindor, "I could do with one, though. I lost the old one ages ago. But no, look at this."
He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.
'Mimbulus mimbletonia,' he said proudly.
Harry stared at the thing. It was pulsating slightly, giving it the rather sinister look of some diseased internal organ.
"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My Great Uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."
Harry knew that Neville's favourite subject was Herbology, but for the life of him he could not see what he would want with this stunted little plant.
"Does it โ er โ do anything?"
"Loads of stuff!" said Neville proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism." Then Here, hold Trevor for meโฆ"
He dumped the toad into Harry's lap and took a quill from his schoolbag. But then he paused, looked at Luna, and then back at Harry. "Erm, maybe I can show that to you later? It can get, errโฆ messy?"
"... sure," said Harry, clueless about what else he was supposed to say.
"Say Harry," Neville went on, "How's that runespoor? Did you get to talk to Professor Dumbledore?"
"What runespoor?" asked Ginny.
Even Luna Lovegood looked at him, interested.
"Neville gifted me a runespoor on my birthday. You know, 'cause I'm a parselmouth. See if I can make it do things." Harry looked at Neville. "I did ask Professor Dumbledore, and he gave me his permission. Unfortunately, Hagrid's on aโฆ sabbatical, so he told me I'd have to take care of it myself."
"You've brought it with you?" Ginny asked, curious and a littleโฆ frightened?
Harry filed the last bit away for later.
"Yeah, hang on. I'll show you." He pulled out the gold chain over his head, set it on the floor, and waved his wand. The trunk enlarged itself, as did the other object attached to the chain.
Ginny opened her mouth to say something and then shut it again, probably because of the almost negligent way he had cast the enlarging spell silently. Kneeling down, he placed his palm on the second lock and muttered, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." He could feel the trunk get a feel of his magic, verifying it with the one it had set in record. That, along with the pass phrase, would serve as the key for this compartment.
The lid popped open and Harry stuck his right arm into the compartment. He could hear sounds of something slithering and hissing above soft, wet grass. He felt it slowly entwine around his arm and pulled it out, much to Ginny's surprised yelp and Luna Lovegood's cooing.
The tiny runespoor, barely two feet, slowly slithered all the way up his arm, before coiling around his neck and resting one of its three heads against his left shoulder.
"You feel so agitated, ma' dahling," hissed the left head. "Perhaps it's the sight of so much prey?"
"Foolery!" spat the right head. "We don't hunt when they can see us, do we, Speaker?"
"Sssssโฆ. I was having such a delightful dreamโฆ." mumbled the middle-one, before drooping over his shoulder.
Harry rolled his eyes. A brief study of herpetology had taught him that magical snakes were a lot more animated and displayed anthropomorphic behaviour, but he had never expected the runespoor to be that eccentric. Really, how the three heads had kept themselves from biting each other's heads off was a minor miracle .
"What do you call them?" asked Luna.
Harry grimaced. Trying to come up with a name for the runespoor was a task doomed to fail from the start.
"Haven't decided on anything yet," he admitted. "I'd have a better chance with Snape giving me points in potions class than having these three agree on something."
Ginny arched an eyebrow. "That bad?"
"Why don't you think of something?" Harry challenged.
"That's easy. The Gorgon sisters," said Ginny. "Stheno, Euryale and Medusa," she pointed at the left, the right and the middle head, respectively. "Fits in with the snake theme, too."
"Flatterer this one is." The middle-head rose.
"You're always a whore for flattery!" accused the right head.
"I'm not Stheno, I'm Medusa. You're Stheno, and she's Euryale."
"Euryale? You might as well call me Morrigan."
"That takes us back by so long!" whispered the middle-head. "How about Diana, Marie and Florence?"
The left one hissed.
The right one hissed.
"Oh! Sowie!"
And so it began.
"I'll just call you the three gracious ladies," Harry hissed back.
"Flatterer!" said Middle-head.
"He's a clever one," said the left.
"One doesn't need to be clever with you, fool," hissed the right.
Harry sighed and looked at his friends.
"Any other ideas?"
"How 'bout the Greek fates?" Neville suggested. "Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos."
"Atropos, eh?" asked the left-head. "Might as well call us Tisiphone, Alecto and Megaera."
"Oh yes," agreed the right, "might as well call us Deino, Enyo and Pemphredo."
He really, really shouldn't have opened those texts on mythology. Really, what was he thinking? But how'd he know the runespoor could read? Likeโฆ it didn't even make sense!
"I'mโฆ Cynthia." asked the Middle-Head.
"She's Juno," said the left. "I'm Juventa, stupid name. I ought to be Ops!"
"You're always confused. Nothing new 'bout zat!" said the right one.
And now he was getting a headache. Dealing with the runespoor always gave him those.
"What are they saying?" Ginny asked.
"Runespoors," Harry sighed. "I might've opened up some texts on Greek and Roman myths during the summer. Each of them has a fresh set of names they want the others to confirm with. Trust me, they can go on for hours on end. It's like dealing with three babies at once."
"You're going about it the wrong way, Harry Potter," said Luna out of nowhere.
"Huh? Why's that?"
"You're dealing with a runespoor. A planner, a dreamer and a critic, all in one. Leave them by themselves, and they won't get anything done. Separate them, and they become less. Engage all of them, and you'd only get conflict."
Harry blinked. "Thenโฆ what should I do?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said the dotty girl, her eyes shining as they rested on his face. "You need something that addresses them individually, and yet, collectively. And what better name than the triple-headed goddess of the crossroads? The Three who are One. The One who is Three. The Hecate."
"Hecateโฆ" mused the left-head.
"Hecate?" asked the right.
"HECATE!" hissed all three of them as one, their tiny form filled with so much fury that it glowed brighter and brighter, shining with a multicoloured radiance. Harry realised he was watching something he had never seen or even heard of before.
The runespoor had agreed on a name, and that name was becoming a bedrock of their existence. They were changing. Moulting. Evolving. So very fitting for a snake. The body elongated, twisting and entwining all around his right hand until it fell on his lap, while the head portion expanded in three different directions. By the time the sheen faded, it was easily twice as long and thicker; the heads covered with thick horned scales, reminding him of a certain King of Serpents.
"Bloody hell," Neville remarked. "Your runespoor just moulted."
"... yeah." Harry mumbled, still caught up in his surprise. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them stated that runespoors usually ended up dying within a year, and that was without the heads eating each other off. But those that moulted ended up living long lifespans, often centuries, growing to massive sizes. Newt Scamander, the author of the book, claimed to own a runespoor that was close to fifty feet, before releasing it to the wild forests surrounding Ouagadou, the African wizarding school of magic in western Uganda.
The newly named Hecate arose from his shoulder, its additional weight forcing him downwards, as the runespoor raised its hoods, and began hissing intimidatingly.
And at that precise moment, the door of their compartment slid open. It was Cho. Harry only had a moment to register the angry look on her face before her eyes went up to the runespoor and she screamed.
That only made Hecate hiss at her angrily, the left head swerving in her direction, fangs raised.
"SSTOPP!" Harry commanded. Hecate froze and focussed its attention on his voice. But by then, Cho had already raised her wand, and was shakily pointing it in its direction.
"Cho," Harry said slowly, raising his hands in surrender. "Lower your wand. Hecate will not attack you."
"The hell that thing isn't!" Cho shrieked, taking a step back, her aim constantly shifting from the runespoor to Harry and back. "I knew it! You're a dark wizard, Potter! You killed Cedric and framed him, and now you โ youโ"
"I did not frame Cedric," Harry said in a no-nonsense tone. He had always admired that soft expression on Cho's face. It went beautifully with her ethnic looks and wavy, black, long hair. But now, her eyes had all but narrowed to slits, and her tone had a note of hysteric desperation in it. She looked like a mare about to bolt, or a mouse that had been thrown into a snake pit.
"SHUT UP!" Cho asserted. There were already sounds of voices in the background. Obviously, her screams had attracted attention. "Just. Shut Up. I know you did it! You wanted me on your arm at the Ball, and then I went with Cedric! I know you couldn't take it! Cedric was the real champion, and you, you're a fake. You can fool the Wizengamot and the Ministry, but I know you, Potter. You're a dark wizard. Like, look at that dark creature. Clearly it was about to kill Longbottom andโ"
"Tha โ that isn't true at all!" Neville protested, standing up. "Harry was just showing us the runesโ"
"Don't โ don't lie, Longbottom!" she hissed. "he's got something on you! Hasn't he? Hasn't he? But don't fear! I'm a sixth-year. A prefect! I'll โ I'llโ"
Luna Lovegood plucked the quill from Neville's hand and gave the cactus a sharp prod.
Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant; thick, stinking, dark-green jets of it. They hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered over Neville's front. Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat. While Harry received a faceful, the worst of it wasโ
"MERLIN! YAAK!" Cho yelled, her face, hair and torso completely drenched, shaking her head to get the worst out of her eyes. "Fuck! This stinks!"
And it did. Like rancid manure.
Clumsily, Cho stepped out of the compartment, nearly slipping on the floor, and slammed the door shut.
"Wow," said Luna, who was perhaps the only one untouched, save for her magazine, "you were totally right, Neville. It's got an amazing defensive mechanism!"
Harry rolled his eyes.
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