Master Xander
Chapter 12
Non-Magical Studies Class
"It is traditional for the three schools, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang to participate in the tournament as they have done since the thirteenth century," Hermione stated. "Professor, tradition is very important."
Alex kept from rolling his eyes. She was so much like a miniature Willow without the shyness. "I agree that tradition is important, but only to a point." He looked at the ceiling as if he could see the sky and beyond. "I guess only three of the eleven magical schools count in magical Britain."
"With the Tri-Wizard contest, they are," protested Ron. 'The three schools are the eldest and most experienced. The contest is dangerous and only schools with previous experience should participate."
"You've been studying, Mister Wesley," Ceraine beamed while Ron turned an interesting shade of red. "That is a discussion for another time."
"Just how dangerous is this contest?"
"I'd say it's dangerous," answered Ronald. "I don't know the details yet, but my parents talked about it and what they told us was very scary."
"Well, we'll find out the details soon. Now as we were saying6, some students will be sitting in on our class, so I expect you to be courteous and patient with them since they will be somewhat confused by our, shall we say robust discussions?" There was a rambunctious laughter heard from those near the classroom. "Remember that you represent Hogwarts, so and the other professors and staff expect you to be on your best behavior. We would hate to have Professor Dumbledore reprimand one or more of our students in front of our visitors."
"Yes, Professor," the students responded in unison.
Now Alex spoke up. "Has your research discovered any truth concerning giant ants and blood-drinking vegetables?
The room went quiet for a moment as Daphne stood up. All eyes were fixed on her. The young woman took a calming breath while both pairs of instructor's eyes bored down on her.
"We, and by that, I mean everyone here in this class have researched extensively. We examined our library, and different newspapers including the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler going back to the 1940s and we found no evidence that what you've alleged about those creatures and plants are real. We must therefore conclude that you were not telling us the truth." She gulped and sat down.
Professor Alexander Harris smiled, and the students shrank back. Suddenly, their professor had the look of a hungry, dangerous predator preparing to strike. "Okay class, where did you research?"
Hands came up. Some students had even spoken to their parents and relatives. About the history of the 1950s era was checked. Several students checked with other professors for information. No one was able to find any information about giant ants or locust. Searching for man-eating, non-magical plants that walked like people proved to be an exercise in futility.
"Terrible," Harris said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Simply terrible. Students, this is a class for the study of non-magical culture and history. Do you believe that a magical newspaper or source would have any information on non-magical events? Did anyone think to search in a non-magical library?"
From the looks of shock and in some cases disgust, none of the students had thought about it except perhaps one or two who had lived in the non-magical world.
"That isn't possible for us, Professor Harris," Hermione said. "We aren't allowed in non-magical libraries. We aren't allowed off the school grounds to go to one."
"History time," Harris said. "Where I came from, there was a town called Sunnydale, California, located in United States of America. Some of you may know it as the Colonies. As I have mentioned to our classes before, magicals and no-mags associated with each other. One of the things that we did together was research. We researched things you wouldn't believe. The point is that we did it together. We also had the resources to do it. Sunnydale was a dangerous town. We had several dark lords and non-magical homicidal maniacs constantly menacing the town, usually in the spring of the year, every year it seemed." There were surprise gasps throughout the room. "Like every other town we had good people and bad people both sides. We had to research in order to survive against a number of dark creatures you don't need to know about. They didn't discriminate between us magicals and the normal community. Therefore, people had to work together. Eventually, the dark ones got so bad that our town was destroyed. A magical force decided it wanted to overrun the world with evil. My friends and I magically blew up the town creating a sinkhole stopping the attack. All that is left is a lake filled with saltwater, which is, if you have studied, is a purifier both naturally and magical. A quick fact, Sunnydale lake is ten miles wide and three mile deep–we think. Most of the people in the United States assumed it was a natural occurrence, but for the survivors of Sunnydale, we know the truth. The point is that we worked together, and we found more things in common than we did then in our differences. Research helped save us.
"But in order to do proper research, you need to have the tools to do it. That is what all this equipment is for. It will be used for research. Most classes use parchment. Here we use paper and pens, not quills and ink blots that spills everywhere so that one of the first spells you learn in an ink-removing spell. That won't be a problem in this class. Students, how can you research when you don't have the capability to do so? You don't even have the capability of seeing the planes flying overhead because of magical seclusion. Therefore, let us see if we can research like the normal people."
Every eye followed him as he strolled to the metal, rectangle box on one of the tables. "This object is called a computer. It can calculate, show images, create images, store tens of thousands of books. That includes every book at Hogwarts and a few thousands outside of your standard magical school. Those are restricted, and in some cases warded against. Some books as you know are dangerous and I have taken steps to make sure that the words on the screen cannot affect the readers of said words. That would be of the bad." Immediately he chided himself. He honestly believed that he had gotten away from the childish phrase. "Mostly, it is a major aid when it comes to research. This computer is not magical, but it is magically connected to my server, which is connected to my main server located in a secured place." He didn't elaborate that the main server drew its data from a dimensional junction connected to his home dimension. "A server is basically a larger computer that can send information to smaller computers upon request. It has a lot more information. These smaller rectangular boxes are called tablets. They can perform the same function. All of them are connected to the large screen television which I will demonstrate."
He sat down on the chair and told the students to crow around. He typed in the words 'images of ant', on the thing he called a keyboard.
"What unhinged person created a thing where the letters are all over the place and in such a crazy format?"
"I'll tell you later." He hit the word enter and instantly, images of ants appeared on the huge television screen in unimagined detail. The pictures kept coming and coming and were in excruciating detail. The images were breath-taking.
"Professor, please type in 'mandrake'," Neville asked excitedly. He was terrified of those plants, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.
"I want you to try it, Mister Longbottom," offering the young man the seat. Envious eyes looked on as he sat down in the offered seat and studied the keyboard. Hermione, in her excitement almost knocked the boy out of his chair.
"Let me do it! You're too slow!"
Alex immediately petrified her and floated her to the back of the crowd and removed the spell. "Wait your turn," he yelled at the embarrassed young lady. "One point from Gryffindor for being too pushy. No homework for you, Miss. You'd like it too much. Instead, you will be last in line for all access for a week."
"Professor," she shrieked. "You can't do this!"
"Yes, I can. Be careful or it will be two weeks."
"Look!" Neville yelled, drawing everyone's attention back to him and the screen. "Mandrake species. Hundreds of them!"
The computer can also play sounds, in this case we have auto filters, so you won't die while doing homework."
"I didn't know there were so many! What else can this computer do?"
"I can't believe that non-magicals could create something like this," exclaimed Claudine McTavish. The young Hufflenpuff was beside herself with excitement. To her, this couldn't be anything else but magic.
"Advanced science may seem like magic, but it isn't," Alex said to all the students. He had everyone's attention even Draco and his little cabal looked thoughtful. Hermione looked furious and frustrated while Harry and Ron stood in sympathy next to the fuming bushy-haired young woman. "They will give you an idea how the non-magicals do things and how they have developed their society. The books on your desk 'Computers for Wizards' is especially modified for magical so that you can understand the basics of these devices, ones which will become very handy as we continue our classes."
"Welcome to the internet, students," Ceraine said. "Now everyone, grab your tablets on your desks and we will show you how to turn them on and how to use them.
Sybill Trelawney professor of Divination found herself a little more fearful than she expected. She was a naturally shy woman prone to bouts of prophetic utterances that she could never remember. Most people in the magical world recognized her gifts, but at the same time many of those same people derided her gifts. Those same people expected her to use her prophetic ability like one could operate a faucet, turning it on and off at will, and when she couldn't, they laughed behind her back. She couldn't control her ability and that caused her difficulties and, in many ways, ruined her social life. Albus was kind enough (and she was eternally grateful to him) to bring her in and have her teach divination theory. In the school she made friends. In many ways, these same professors became like family to her, which was a blessing because she honestly had no place to go.
Hogwarts was her home.
The new professors had invited her to their office for a spot of tea. It was a meet and greet as Professors Delane and Harris had described it. They were a strange but friendly sort and she found that she was comfortable whenever she was around them.
Today was the day that they all had decided that they would meet and get to know one another. However, navigating this part of the castle trying to find their office was difficult. The reason was because she couldn't see well. Her magic glasses helped, but only to a certain extent. Anything thirty feet more or further was simply a blur. The castle helped her move around, but it was still a challenge getting to her destinations. What she never suspected was that her 'gift' was active enough to allow her to get around despite her weak eyesight.
Finally, she reached the office. The door opened for her. Nervous but excited, she walked through the doorway. Interestingly, they allowed her in without specifically inviting her. What did they think she was, a vampire or something?
Harris gently grabbed her hand, keeping his shields up this time, and escorted the blushing woman inside. Alex, being a typical man, did a quick survey of the woman. If you could get passed the fizzed, uncontrolled hair, her horrid taste in clothing and her binocular- class eyewear, the woman was quite pretty.
She didn't have anyone to teach her how to take care of herself and bring out her natural beauty. In the old days, buffy Dawn and the others would have grabbed her, and she would have never been the same again. The same thing would have happened with Ceraine and her sisters.
That thought rough forth a moment's sadness. Ceraine's sister ascended as the family head and as such was required to marry. As close as she was with Alex, the laws of her people were clear. Mystical clan politics and family was–complex.
"Hello, professor, welcome to our office," Alex said, releasing her hand, thereby causing her to cease blushing. His mere touch was an intimacy she was unused to and really didn't know how to respond.
"Please call me Sybill," she responded.
The short time together was nice. Sybill loved the tea and the company. Alex had coffee and Ceraine hot chocolate, which Sybill tried and discovered that she liked it.
"Sybill," Ceraine said as she sat on the very comfortable (in Sybill's opinion) couch. "I wanted to ask you to consider a proposal. We know that you have a problem with your eyesight. Our instructors were very good at sight correction and we wanted to offer our help, if you wanted it."
The woman started fidgeting. Her eyesight was something that she was very sensitive about. "I've gone to the best healers." She smiled sadly. "They all said the same thing. They could fix my sight, but they would have to replace my eyes with magical ones. It was believed that if they did, my inner sight would never be the same. I-I couldn't have that. It's all I have."
"We couldn't consider doing anything like that," Alex responded as he wrapped her hand within his once more and kept his amusement to her reaction under control. "Is it okay if we can do a quick scan just to see if our techniques might work?"
Sybill was torn between running out of the room and allowing them to examine her. "Are you healers?" she asked.
"When it comes to matters of eyesight, we were trained quite well. My eye was gouged out by an enemy. My teacher grew it back without any problem. We learned a lot from him."
"Will it hurt?"
What had people done to this woman? he asked himself. "No, I promise," he said.
Sybill's power flared. She could feel it as it searched his heart and that of Ceraine. She could feel their concern and compassion. They really wanted to be her friend! "Okay, you can try," she said slowly. "I hope you can find out what is wrong at least. That would help so much. At least, I'd know.""
"Relax, Sybill," Ceraine told her. Xander took his wand in his other hand and the tip glowed and that was the last thing she knew as she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Ceraine's and Alex's amulets opened, and the mystic eyes were released. The eyes glowed with power, saturating the room as both eyes rose up and attached themselves to each of their foreheads. The eyes of Agamotto peered deep into the ocular systems of the seer.
"Cataracts," Alex exclaimed in surprise. "I thought they had a cure for this!"
"She also has an inflammation of the optical nerves as well," added Ceraine. "She had a bacterial infection when she was young. The infection is over but there was damage done. I can heal and rebuild the nerves. Will you do the cataracts?"
"Got it," he answered as he sat place his wand on the desk and channeled his mystic powers for the procedure. Having Steven Strange's memories after images were very convenient. "she'll be out for a couple of hours. Let's do it. What about her hair?"
"That's a lady's prerogative," chided Ceraine. "We'll ask her later. We will offer our help. Let us build up our mutual trust first. That's what friends are for, after all."
Abindraz, Bulgaria
The small magical town hadn't known it was under siege for several days, didn't know it until last night. The people would have known if they had looked in the direction of the closest town less than ten miles from their warded protectorate. There was something there, something unnatural that killed people and animals indiscriminately. The warnings had gone out, the people alerted that something was terribly wrong. Whatever it was that was killing the people was unnatural.
They didn't bother with the authorities. They got out of town.
The magical community would have been warned of the danger, but they were isolationists. They cared little for the affairs of the non-magical folks and so, they never received the warnings. Now, it was far too late.
Nikolin Sindelic couldn't apparate. There was a force that stopped him and every other witch and wizard in the town, effectively trapping them. No one knew who died first. But that second night was the stuff of every nightmare he'd ever imagine. When he finally saw what was killing them, he almost went mad. It was like nothing he could imagine. It had no definitive shape, but he did know it had a mass of tentacle-like extensions that latched on and killed.
The older wizard was the last survivor.
To his credit he had grabbed the only survivor, his son, and ran as fast as he could, blasting the creature with every lethal spell he had ever learned. It didn't seem to affect the monster that quickly overtook him. The monster snatched his son from his arms and fed on the screaming baby.
To his horror, he stood, frozen at the sight. The bloated abomination finished its tiny victim quickly and dropped his son like a piece of garbage. Then it looked at him. It had no eyes but he knew it 'saw' him and it hungered. Then it moved towards him.
To his shame he never looked back as he ran for his life. The monster overtook him just before Nikolin fired off his killing curse. The monster stopped for an instant as if tasting the magic. Then it moved for the man could turn to run.
Tentacles latched on to the screaming man's arms, torso and legs. Other appendages latched on to his back and neck. Suction cup-like organelles ripped into the man's body, excreting powerful anti-coagulants while draining the man of his blood and lymph fluids. More appendages tore into his body attaching themselves to his liver, lungs and heart and greedily sucked every bit of fluid that its victim had. A minute later of slow feasting, it crushed the corpse in its efforts to get the last drops of fluid.
Finished, the creature discarded the dried corpse and moved to an abandoned barn where it could rest after its feeding and escape the burning star of this world.
The K'sjansx had fed well. There was nothing left alive in the village. The magical energies and fluids of the people here were satisfying, not as good as the prey in the Dark Dimension, but it was nourishment enough. Now, the mystical vampire entity would rest and propagate. There would be plenty of nourishment to satisfy itself and its progeny.
The remains of the victims slowly dissolved in the morning sun as the injected poison did its job. Having the remains of victims lying around discouraged the presence of new prey…