ACT ONE: SHIFTING FATES
Chapter One: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Mankind were terribly anxious creatures. They frequently found themselves languishing in the trappings of existential dread through the eons as their ego and self-import made them despise the notion that their lives were mere blips in the vast cascading tapestry of the cosmos. Concepts such as Heaven, Valhalla, Nirvana, or Hell were created to lessen the burden of fate or wasted potential; realms where the soul was bound to reach once their mortal vessel expired and provided some solace to the weary. The weight of the truth, however, ultimately befell to each individual person and whether they chose to seek it.
Perhaps that was part of why this remote section of the Scottish Highlands held a special place in his heart. Crisp, damp air filled Fire God Liu Kang's lungs as soon as he stepped through his portal. He was met by the sight of Hogwarts Castle in the center of the Black Lake and Liu Kang was reminded of his encounter with the Four Founders soon after its completion. A smile adorned his lips at the memory. Those four were amongst the first, and few, mortals that had accepted the truth about their place in the Realms. They were far more receptive to the news than he had anticipated, in fact. He'd come to learn through the eons that mortals imbued with the gifts of the arcane tended to be more accepting of the truth.
His Godly eyes beheld beauty as moonlight bathed the rolling hills and the forests in its pale glow. His ears could pick out each individual living creature that called this corner of Earthrealm their home and carried out their role in the cycle of life. His heart swelled with warmth over the thought that mortals had the foresight and humility to not taint the world he so loved to irreparable degrees. It only served to strengthen his resolve to protect this realm as ardently as he had originally pledged.
Then he saw them.
Liu Kang frowned as he watched the ghastly forms of the Dementors as they crisscrossed the sky like spectral vultures. Even from far away, he could sense the aberration that they were to the natural order. He despised these creatures and their affinity for souls; they had no place in Earthrealm and served no purpose other than to punish, consume, and corrupt.
A few of these creatures had approached him and the frostiness of rot enveloped the Fire God. Hunger , it cried out. Endless, unquenchable hunger and nothing but. With a sharp, sudden flare of his powers, Liu Kang reached out and took hold of one of these Dementors then brought it to eye level so he could study it further. The others, having sensed his true divine nature, fled pitifully.
When Liu Kang's eyes peered into the Dementor's nature, it revealed nothing but a foul creature of decay and ruination that had spent an eternity as a blight and a parasitic pestilence; the source of untold suffering to countless mortals. Their latest assignment to Hogwarts Castle was nothing but a hastily arranged chore. The only thing that prevented these Dementors from engorging themselves on the innocent was a millennia-old magical bind that Liu Kang was sure the mortals understood little if not at all.
Their weaponization at the hands of the British Ministry of Magic had always bothered him – but they'd always acted under the guise of keeping order and peace – utilizing the Dementors only for the most vile offenders Azkaban housed. What concerned Liu Kang the most was their infatuation with Harry Potter. What was the reason for it? Up until the point they defiled the sanctity of the Hourglass, Harry had done nothing to warrant the Dementors' wrath. Yet, the boy had been the victim of numerous attacks that almost seemed to be intentional as if they consciously were targeting him.
Nevertheless, the similarities between the Demontor's particular diet and the foul magic of a certain sorcerer did not go unnoticed by the Fire God. He pondered on whether this was how Shang Tsung came to learn of his favored branch of magic, or if these creatures were a result of his experimentations. The implications that this cross-pollination between realms had already happened, or would continue to happen, even under his stewardship of Earthrealm was a troubling one. That was a route Liu Kang had no intention of exploring, so long as this era's Shang Tsung was rendered powerless.
"Your presence here disgusts me. Begone." Liu Kang said with a frown then, with another application of his powers, the Dementor was engulfed in flames then burnt to oblivion as it shrieked out helplessly like a banshee. With the apparition sent to the depths of the Netherrealm, the Fire God wiped his hand on his tunic then gazed out at Hogwarts Castle.
According to Geras, there were only a handful of mortals to be on the lookout for. Beyond the obvious culprits, he was told a man by the name of Sirius Black and one Remus Lupin were either catalysts or heavily implicated in the events that transpired in his visions within the Hourglass. While he knew not where Black was, he was told Lupin was a professor and, even though he could request Albus to speak to him, he was hesitant to do so if the Headmaster had relapsed to his past antics.
The Fire God opened his palm and brought it before him, then he took a breath and blew out a ball of fire. The flames engulfed his hand which then began to take shape until they coalesced to form a small dragon made of fire. It stretched its wings and shook its body as it was imbued with magic-borne sapience then it trilled merrily at Liu Kang. The Fire God smiled then gave it its instructions and let it fly off.
He saw what it saw, and he enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness as it crossed the skies in near silence, despite the element it was made of. A distant, blood-curdling howl echoed from the nearby forest, and it did not assuage Liu Kang's worries in the slightest. He'd heard about Remus Lupin's transformation from Geras and hoped the wolf would remain in his habitat until sunrise. It was just one of many variables that played into Liu Kang's appearance tonight, and as long as no innocents were in danger he would leave the creature to roam freely. Still, it would be imprudent of him to not see what ailed the professor himself.
The dragon flew true and quickly found the Shrieking Shack and the pile of the professor's tattered clothes strewn about nearby. The fight between the two Marauders had been vicious. Sirius must have been prepared to lay down his life to protect his godson and his friends as no Animagus would dare hope to win a fight against a full-fledged werewolf. While many claimed Black to be a vicious and remorseless killer, this showed a clear picture of his true character.
Liu Kang had the dragon gaze around and found fresh tracks on a path that led deeper into the woods. The summon followed the trail and found Lupin, still in his lycanthropic form, near a stream as he engorged himself on a freshly killed deer. The dragon's eyes shone, and Fire God Liu Kang stripped the wolf's flesh bare then he beheld the true nature of its soul. Thus, he saw the true man beneath the beast: Remus Lupin was tall, lanky, and disheveled. He had weary eyes that drooped and seemed to be barely held in place by the bags under them. This was a man full of tender love and care but had those qualities buried and inured by prejudice, fear, and resentment over many years.
This was a deeply hurt and traumatized man who hardly boasted the psyche of a monster or wild animal that others doubtless – and falsely – claimed Remus Lupin possessed. All the professor lacked was fortitude and a way to control the curse in order to break free from the shackles of loathing he had placed upon his own existence so long ago. As it stands, this was less of a man and more a facsimile of one. It brought sorrow to the Fire God's heart.
A strong gathering of magic brought the dragon's attention, and it left the poor professor to its meal as it rushed toward the source. Soon, the dragon broke through the woods into a clearing and then hovered above a lake as it witnessed a most troubling sight. More of those foul Dementors were gathered here as they hounded a pair of people, placing them in great danger. One of the victims was the magical chosen one, Harry Potter, and he hung protectively over a very injured and unconscious man. Liu Kang's senses informed him that he was Sirius Black and he felt a faint connection between the two, both familial, and in the threads of fate. Curious.
An incandescent burst of magic illuminated the woods like a miniature sun. Such a display would've blinded any mortal, but Liu Kang saw it all: a second Harry Potter, one that was bathed in temporal magic, cast a spell that banished those foul creatures. So, the impetus for their reckless misuse of the Time Turner was borne out of love and a desire to protect. Liu Kang grimaced as this reminded him of an old, stubborn fool. Next to Harry Potter stood a flabbergasted Hermione Granger and she too reeked of temporal magic. The children exchanged words then rushed to fly away on the hippogriff; to complete the loop no doubt. Liu Kang sighed in displeasure at being too late to prevent such tempering with the timeline.
Liu Kang deemed he had seen enough and retracted his magic to leave the two be. He recalled the dragon to him. It flew upward until it was higher than any of the dementors by several hundred yards. The dragon then dove, flying faster and faster as it approached the Fire God while also increasing in size until it swelled to a truly colossal size. It opened its maw and swallowed Liu Kang whole before it crashed into the ground and dissipated in a flash, leaving the landscape untouched as if nothing had happened except for a faint smell of ozone.
The entrance courtyard was emptied for the night, as any remaining students wouldn't dare be caught roaming in plain view. This made Liu Kang's approach to the out of place gargoyle easier; the less he was seen, the less likely his quarry would be warned of his arrival. He'd have taken a portal into Dumbledore's office, but a grand display like that would only give him enough time to try and run. The gargoyle was a secret entrance to the Headmaster's office, one only a few select people were aware of, as the main entrance was on the third floor. Liu Kang clicked his tongue as he pondered what this year's password would be. He knew Albus had a fondness for candy, and the last he'd heard the password was Sherbet Lemon.
It was then that Liu Kang remembered the candy Albus had offered Hermione from the vision in the Hourglass and chuckled dryly.
"Maltesers," he announced, then the gargoyle shifted and spun to rise into the ceiling to reveal a secret staircase.
Liu Kang walked up the steps with grace, its ascension proving to not be an impediment to his balance whatsoever. As he came into the office, the Fire God's eyes immediately beheld the Headmaster as he sat at his desk and fed Fawkes. Despite his calm demeanor, Liu Kang could clearly see the nervous lines that formed around the old man's eyes and the subtle clenching of his jaw. Even in the face of an insurmountable obstacle, Dumbledore still managed to maintain his composure.
Normally that was something the God admired about the Headmaster, but as of the moment it was only a source of further annoyance. It was the thought of what the professor had so recklessly put those children through that brought the scowl upon the Fire God's face once more. The phoenix was the first to show awareness of his presence as it bowed its head in greeting once it finished eating the last piece of its late snack. Such an act of reverence being one that the mystical bird had only performed a few times prior to now.
Albus, on the other hand, remained unaffected and could only smile at the feathered creature perched upon his desk. That blissful ignorance the wizard displayed displeased Liu Kang. He acted as though nothing was or had gone wrong, and while he had intended to calmly approach, a reminder of his position was needed.
The candles all dimmed simultaneously which shrouded the room in near darkness. Dumbledore cocked his eyebrow as the smell of ozone caused his nostrils to flare and tingle. A veritable blazing inferno suddenly roiled in his office as an incandescent tornado of flames sprouted up and swirled; books were sent flying off the shelves and decorations crashed to the floor. The portraits could only gasp in horror at the sight before them as Dumbledore climbed to his feet. The pillar of light and heat spanned the height of his office and the intensity of it was such that Dumbledore was thankful for the many wards and magics that protected the masonry of the Castle, let alone its woodwork. The Headmaster barely had time to comprehend what he was seeing when, as suddenly as it had appeared, the fire dissipated into nothingness cloaking the room once again in darkness.
Except, now two glowing eyes peered ominously at the Headmaster.
With a tiny smile that belied the rampant beating of his heart, Dumbledore slowly seated. The candles reignited to reveal the Fire God, whose face showed nothing but contempt and displeasure. Dumbledore's, on the other hand, showed that he had indeed been waiting for this exact moment.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore…" Each part of the Headmaster's name came out of his mouth oozing with venom, punctuated by the brief yet everlasting moment of silence between. The Fire God stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his voice calm but retaining a tone that brokered no argument. "You and I must speak."
"Good evening, Lord Liu Kang. Awfully late for a house call, isn't it?" Albus greeted playfully.
"I suppose it is, but I think we can set aside the formalities on this occasion. I take it, you know why I'm here?"
"Yes, of course. I'd be a fool not to." he replied with a nod. "Please, take a seat."
He motioned to the chair in front of him, but Liu Kang remained still. Dumbledore brought a handkerchief to dab at the few drops of sweat that had begun to bead on his brow.
"I'm afraid I must decline. This is not a cordial visit and I'm most displeased by what's occurred tonight." When he noticed Dumbledore's demeanor shift slightly, and how his eyes moved toward the floor, that was when Liu Kang found himself content that Albus did know his place after all. "I thought we agreed there would be no more incidents with the Time Turner. Its usage was strictly prohibited for a reason; one I felt did not need repeating."
"I know," the professor tipped his head forward slightly, "I am terribly sorry to have broken that trust on multiple occasions, but I can assure you everything is under control."
Liu Kang shook his head.
"If that were the case, I would not be here." Liu Kang said as he crossed his arms. "You won't be deceiving me. I instructed you to cease your meddling of the timeline on more than one occasion, and I believed your honeyed words when you agreed. I left you with only a warning – a courtesy I seldom extend to any mortal – yet, you continued to do so. Not many have tried to make me out to be a fool, yet that's exactly what you've done for this last year and tonight, especially."
"It was never my intention to deceive you. You must understand that I'm willing to take every precaution possible to protect the child of prophecy. Harry Potter must live for the greater good."
The god scoffed at the proclamation.
"If only your actions matched your words, Albus. I recall reprimanding you for the inefficacy of your so-called protection when Cedric Diggory was struck by lightning and Harry Potter was beset by Dementors during that Quidditch match you invited me to watch, to say nothing of how that came to pass with hundreds of other students in attendance. I told you to stop tempting fate by baiting the Dark Lord and to let the designs of the Hourglass run its course, but you did not listen. You still are not listening. Your word was the only guarantee I was afforded in assurance that my trust was not misplaced, and you broke that as well when you let Hermione Granger abuse the Time Turner as a common parlor trick."
Dumbledore shrank even more into his seat, but still maintained the conviction in his eyes. Anger and disappointment were incomparable to what was coursing through Liu Kang's veins as he watched the wizard tap on the arm of the chair rhythmically three times.
"I had – and still have – ample confidence in the abilities of my students. I was, likewise, assured that Ms. Granger wouldn't utilize the Time Turner for nefarious purposes. The risks involved in my decision to grant her the relic were carefully considered, and my prudence proved fruitful as she displayed great restraint and discernment in equal measure; were she not in possession of the Time Turner, then Mr. Potter would have likely perished."
That was enough, as Liu Kang's fists clenched tightly and the kindling in the fireplace roared to life.
"Enough!" The Fire God chastised the wizard into silence. "You mistake your paranoia for astuteness, Albus Dumbledore. It was not written in the Hourglass that Harry Potter was to meet his end on this day. By giving the Time Turner to your students, all you've done was introduce chaos and shear at the fabric of causality in the timeline. The sands have shifted irrevocably, and the Hourglass demands negentropy. It is my duty as Guardian of the Hourglass to make it so."
Dumbledore finally exhaled in defeat then met the Fire God's eyes for the first time since they'd begun talking.
"I will accept my punishment. All I ask is that you spare the children."
"Do not presume yourself able to dictate terms, Albus. In spite of their status as victims of deception, the children nonetheless toyed with forces they did not understand. They did so both deliberately and willingly; therefore, they will face the consequences of their actions accordingly."
It was there that Liu Kang turned to leave the office; his words sent shivers down the wizard's spine as he remembered what had brought upon him for his prior offenses.
"Lord Liu-"
"Silence!" Liu Kang said as he held his hand up, with flames that licked along the fingers of his open palm. "You will speak no more. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are no longer your concern, Headmaster. Consider yourself lucky to be able to call yourself such beyond this night."
A portal of fire opened where the door was and with one last glare towards the old man, Liu Kang stepped through vanishing into thin air.
"This sucks."
That was the eloquent summation that Ron Weasley came to express his displeasure at his current predicament, to which Hermione Granger clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, put a sock in it. You should be glad you didn't come out of all that any worse , or did you forget about the Dementors already?"
"Bite me, I don't like the infirmary is all… I can't believe Madam Pomfrey has me stuck in here for the next couple of days."
"Lighten up, Ron. It's not that bad." Harry said.
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who got attacked by an escaped convict and then found out his family pet was a traitorous Death Eater in disguise. All that kerfuffle and I got nothing to bloody show for it besides a bruised ankle." Ron said with heat and clear frustration. Harry was taken aback by his tone and thought he was quite rude considering what transpired the past two years. Still, Harry rolled his eyes and brushed it off as Ron being an overly dramatic muppet.
"Think about it this way," Harry said with a smile, "now you'll be able to brag to everyone that you got into a scrap with Sirius Black and managed to fend him off. The whole school will sing praises of your bravery. I can even see it now: hear ye, hear ye, of the mighty Ron Weasley!"
"Hey, that's not a bad idea; maybe I'll be known as the Boy-Who-Lived too. Better watch out, Harry, I'm gonna be famous! Oh! Do you think I'll get extra passes to Hogsmeade out of this?"
"Ugh, now he'll be an insufferable prat all summer." Hermione grumbled, which caused Harry's smile to widen.
"Speaking of," Ron said with a frown, "where did that mangy mutt scarpered off to anyway?"
"Does it matter? He's gone and that's that. What you should be worried about is studying." Hermione said with a harsh poke to Ron's chest that he quickly batted off.
"You're mad; the only thing I'm gonna worry about is whether I'll be able to get some real food instead of the grub disguised as medicine Madam Pomfrey will shove in me while I'm here." Ron said and Hermione looked at him aghast over his clear disregard of the healing process.
"Don't worry," Harry said before Hermione could get a word in, "I'll sneak you some treats with the cloak when I can. I know how much you love the blueberry tart."
"Harry! Don't enable him!" Hermione said and wheeled onto her bespectacled friend but both he and Ron ignored her.
"Thanks Harry, you're the best."
"I know." Harry said with a huge grin.
Their conversation slowed after that into a few pleasantries and talking about the few classes they had remaining for the year. Harry and Hermione lingered for a bit longer to wish Ron well then left the infirmary to make their way back to the Gryffindor common room. The two teenagers walked in silence through the halls for a while until Harry noticed Hermione seemed particularly taciturn.
"Sheesh, he's in a mood…" Harry said with a chuckle, but failed to draw a reaction from her. That wasn't like her. Hermione was normally quick to react to his jokes, especially when they didn't belong in the situation; something was clearly bothering her. "Penny for your thoughts?"
A myriad of emotions flitted behind her eyes, and after a short pause broke her silence: "I hate having to lie to him about what happened."
Harry's lips thinned as he nodded. So that's what was bothering her. He shouldn't have been surprised, given the nature of what had unfolded today. Truth be told, he felt the same way.
"I don't like it any more than you do, but it can't be helped." Harry shrugged. "Sirius is still a fugitive – one we helped to escape – until the DMLE puts him on trial and we promised Professor Dumbledore we wouldn't tell anyone about the Time Turner."
"I know that!" she rolled her eyes, pressing her tongue against her cheek as she quickened her step to get ahead of the young wizard. "I know, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating and unfair – not just to us, but for everyone. What Mr. Black went through must've been awful and the thought that the real culprit spent years living comfortably in the same house as Ron and Ginny makes my skin crawl."
Harry nodded along with her outcry, only to nearly stop in his tracks at what he was witnessing. About halfway through her rant, her breath became visible in a thick fog. That was odd. When it finally clicked in his head, his heart dropped as a cold front crept into the hallway and straight into his bones. By the time Hermione had finished talking, he had halted to scan his surroundings with a furrowed brow. What was this?
Hermione stopped about five feet in front of him once she realized he was no longer following. Looking back, the windows began to glaze over with frost. Between the two of them only one thought came to mind.
"Dementors?" Hermione voiced what both of them were thinking. "That's impossible, the wards are impenetrable, there's no way for them to get inside… is there?"
Harry wanted to comfort her, but he was drawing blanks on an explanation. The only thing that came to mind was extremely unhelpful. "Sirius got in the school, remember?" He shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. All he could do was take a few steps ahead of her and wrap his arm around the witch to protect her if needed. Now that his fight-or-flight instincts had been activated, he couldn't help but notice how unnervingly quiet the hallway was. It wasn't exceedingly late, and even if that were the case, the ghosts and portraits should've made some racket. Yet, there was nothing.
"Harry, I don't like this…" Hermione said with a quiver in her voice, moving closer to the teen when a thick wall of completely clear, if only slightly tinted arctic blue, erupted from nowhere in between them. Hermione yelped loudly as she stumbled backwards at the mind-boggling feat of what had to be magic. She placed her hand on the ice to see if it was an illusion and immediately had to yank it back with a hiss of pain; tears immediately formed as she glanced down to see her palm had blistered red and swollen in accordance to the initial stages of frostbite all in a split second. As she stared at the state of her hand, her mind failed to comprehend how something could be this unfathomably cold.
Harry spun back to look at her with tremendous worry through the sheet of ice, unable to rush to her aid. "Hermione, are you okay?!" Hermione wanted to assure him she was fine, but her eyes wouldn't move from her palm as her mouth worked through silent syllables. As the ice crackled, a thick layer of fog rolled from it spreading across the room like a blanket. Hermione was brought out of her stupor only when she heard Harry's horrified gasp. When her eyes landed on his face, she saw him blanched in terror as he looked somewhere behind her. Without much thought, she looked over her shoulder to see what he had seen and nearly screamed as she brought her hands to cover her mouth.
Humans, much like any other species, possess natural instincts. The difference was that humanity had long surpassed the limitations of the natural world and lacked a need to hone such instincts on a daily basis. Of course, some still did whether it was due to profession, hobby, or necessity – but those were largely the exception rather than the norm. However, at times, one would bear witness to an event or creature whose threat was so apparent and of such magnitude that the millennia of safety and comfort ushered in by human ingenuity would crumble into dust then forcefully wrench one back into those primeval times when a moment of inaction could cost you your life.
That was the exact situation the two teenagers found themselves in, for the first thing their barely trained instincts had subconsciously told their brains at the sight of the man who now stood at the end of the corridor was nothing but death, darkness, and ice. The aura radiating from this figure could only be described as suffocatingly malevolent. As the sound of a guttural growl leaving the man's throat hit their ears, both of them had the same thought: Run.
Hermione's legs shook as fear coursed through her veins, yet she could not tear her eyes away from the man. Even from a few yards out, she could tell he was quite tall and exceptionally well built; straight, slicked back hair a few shades darker than her raven-haired companion and piercing eyes that commanded obedience focused solely on her. Although his physical attributes were striking, somehow it paled in comparison to his attire. The only frame of reference she had for how this man was dressed were those cheesy ninja films she had accidentally caught a glimpse of when she was trying to find something to watch late at night. Except, whereas the ninjas in the films looked goofy and dressed for theatrics, this man seemed ready for war. Nothing about the deep blue vest, the vambraces, or the breeches and shin guards he wore indicated they were at all superfluous.
"Hermione Jean Granger…" the man said, his breath misting the air even though it was May and his deep, gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine. His tone was as cold as his aura and even her own name sounded like a threat when it passed through his lips. "Your actions have not gone unnoticed." Hermione's eyes widened in realization as she clutched the necklace tightly. This was because of the Time Turner; this was happening because of her. He took a few steps forward, keeping his eyes focused solely on the girl as if Harry wasn't even there. "Come quietly and you will not be harmed. Do not make this difficult."
Despite his clear view of the situation, Harry hadn't fully processed what was happening. The ninja's arms began to freeze solid and turn a light blue as he approached. It was then that everything finally clicked together for the young wizard, and desperation filled his entire being.
"Hermione, run!" he exclaimed, unconsciously reaching for his wand. She wasn't responding. "Hermione!" Once again, there was no response or even a twitch to show she heard him. " Incendio!"
He cast the fire-making charm, sending an incandescent geyser surging forward from the tip of his wand into the ice wall with vicious fury. Harry willed every ounce of power and determination that he could into his magic as he held the spell for what felt like a full minute. When sweat began to pour down his brow, he let the flames dissipate, only to see that the ice hadn't even started to melt. All he could do was look on in disbelief.
"HERMIONE!" the boy's voice roared. "RUN! Find Dumbledore or another teacher… ANYONE!" His voice was manic at this point.
The ninja's eyes narrowed, clenching his fists. "Do not make me come after you."
"Go! Please!" Harry's plea finally broke Hermione out of whatever torpor she had been under. She rushed towards the closest door she could find, all but bursting through it as she did, placing a locking charm on it. The ninja growled in displeasure as he went for the door.
"Leave her alone!"
"Take care of him," the man said, ignoring the boy. To his shock, the ninja kicked the door Hermione had magically locked completely off its hinges and went past the threshold after her. Harry was struck speechless and now had to pick his jaw up from the floor.
"Harry James Potter," a gruff, accented voice startled Harry and he turned around to see another ninja who looked very similar to the first; only this one wore yellow. His mind stupidly questioned if they were perhaps brothers. "You have been summoned."
"What do you want from me?" Harry asked, frantically looking around for an escape route.
"Be calm, you're not in any danger."
"What do you want?! If you hurt Hermione, I'll-" the remainder of whatever threat he could have conjured was cut off as the man before him literally began to steam. Flames erupted from his arms as he now approached him. He had no idea what was going on. Being confronted by a man who could spontaneously create ice and another who could create fire wasn't something he ever expected to have happened, but neither was time travel. All he knew for certain was that he needed to get to Dumbledore and ask for help.
"Threats will do you no good, child. I advise you to heed my words."
Despite the warning, Harry quickly sprinted down the hall toward the T section away from the yellow ninja. He rounded the corner to head for the stairwell when he bumped into something sturdy and fell flat on his arse.
"Your current course of action is most unwise," said the ninja that now loomed over Harry. The boy looked back down the corridor he had just come from to find it empty; even the ice had disappeared without a trace. His eyes widened in fright and he looked up at the man again then he scrambled away to get back up on his knee and pull his wand out to point at the intruder.
The ninja cocked his head as he curiously assessed the wooden stick then Harry yelped as he felt a burning sensation in his palm. He dropped his wand carelessly and watched as it bounced on the stone floor then suddenly combust into flames. Harry gazed at the blackened mark and the ashen remains of his wand in utter disbelief.
"Do not resist," said the ninja but Harry decided to act, not think. Out of options, he willed the only offensive spell he had a prayer of being able to cast wandlessly to defend himself with to buy some time so he could find Dumbledore. Whether it was due to desperation, the adrenaline, or skill he did not know or care, but Harry successfully cast a Confringo that took the ninja off-guard and had him stumble backwards. Harry spared him not a glance as he ran away as fast as he could; even as he heard the ninja speak words that sent shivers down his spine.
"So be it."
Harry's heart had leapt up and lodged itself in his throat as he ran through Hogwarts for his life; unarmed and defenseless. He tried cutting through some classrooms to throw the ninja off but no matter what he tried, the man always was right there. More than once, Harry rounded a corner only to then nearly tumble as he saw the ninja had somehow gotten there before he did.
Then there was the fire.
Harry could feel the heat nibbling at his nape as he ran. That would have been fine if it was all there was to it, but no, soon the ninja had begun to conjure walls of flames to deter his progress or force him to take certain hallways. If Harry had been less terrified he'd have thought about how such actions were a clear sign that he was being led somewhere.
After a couple of minutes of this frantic chase through Hogwarts, Harry went out into one of the many outdoor courtyards that adorned the school. He looked over his shoulder and he failed to see the yellowed ninja anywhere, had he finally lost him? He then gazed ahead to the far exit of the courtyard and dared to hope.
That hope was quickly snuffed out when the grass he was running on turned into a sheet of ice that was smooth as glass, causing him to fall harshly on his side. He groaned in pain upon impact, even as he kept sliding along the ground until he crashed into the newly-erected pillar of ice blocking the courtyard's exit.
"Cease your pointless struggle, there's nowhere left to run." Harry's eyes snapped to the entrance he'd come out of to see the blue ninja standing there, holding a shivering and pale Hermione in his iron grip. "Stand down."
"You would be wise to surrender," came the other voice that brought dread to the teen's heart. The boy had to crane his head to the top of the pillar to find the yellow-clad ninja perched atop like a bird of prey. "Consider yourself lucky, not many can say they've harmed a member of the Lin Kuei and lived to tell the tale. Unfortunately, that luck's run out." He unsheathed a strange kite-shaped dagger attached to a length of sturdy rope, gripping it tightly. "This is your last chance; what happens next is up to you. Surrender or face the consequences."
Harry's eyes flitted between him and Hermione. The fear in her eyes brought anger and the coinciding determination to help her – but looking at their pursuers, he knew he didn't stand a chance. All he could do now was lower his gaze in exhaustion and resignation.
The yellow-clad ninja leapt down beside him with barely a sound. Grabbing him by the shoulder, he said:
"Wise choice."
AND BOOM! There it is, a brand new chapter that's long overdue. Apologies for the wait, guys. Without getting into it, life has gotten in the way of both of us and therefore made it far more difficult to write. Zod took the helm for this chapter, both through the majority of the writing and even the editing. So, now you guys can really see the difference between the two of us as the Prologue was edited by myself with a blend of both our touches. Beyond a minor section of the scene we fondly refer to as the "Kindergarten Ninjas" all the editing has been left to Zod. Really, he's the MVP for Chapter One, and cannot be more thankful.
Anyway, I assure you chapter two will not take as long as chapter one, so stay tuned!
-Arsenal597