One by one, deep in the distance, floating shadows gathered around the castle. The light stopped long ago, but none wandered in dreamland. Stuffed in blankets, students in the Great Hall whispered in the dark. The criminal had come despite the new guardian's presence. It was not safe here. The sight of the injured witnesses and the night's howling didn't help to calm the nerves of the school's pupils. Furthermore, the patrolling staff reported every hour their lack of finding to the professors watching over the sea of fortune's bed, increasing the tension.
Heavy bags under the eyes, green and red robes dragged their feet to the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. The classroom's new appearance and waiting professor stunned some, blocking the entrance. The loss of points made the group returned to their senses. Draco with his arm still in bandages, sat with glee while a blond lion groaned when his leg hit a desk's corner. The healed member was stiff and sensible. Removing another five points for the lesson disturbance, Snape pulled down a screen over the room's blackboard.
Unlike the silent potion classes, the professor actively participated in the course to make sure the subject was understood. Denying Potter any detail about the normal professor's condition, the reserve teacher invited the student to read page 394 of The Essential Defense Against the Dark Arts. This textbook had information on various dark creatures such as Red Caps or Hinkypunks, but the potion master went directly to the nocturnal beast known as werewolves.
" Now. Which of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf ? No one ? How... disappointing. ", the professor stopped pointing the slide with an attacking werewolf. The sneer was more pronounced as the man strolled between desks, verifying the note taken. The only hand raised was dismissed when the professor finished his checking. Changing the slide to another one with the moon's cycle, the voice of a girl interrupted his action.
" Please, sir, an Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice in the matter. Furthermore, the werewolf actively hunts humans and responds only to the call of its own kind... ", the bushy girl couldn't finish her explanation when low howl resonated from the back of the classroom. Calming the class, the potion master belittled the girl for being an insufferable know-it-all incapable of restraining herself.
The lesson continued with the long explanations on why such a creature was dangerous, the consequence of their bite and historic testimonies of villages suffering from those beasts' attacks. Since the topic was too big to finish in one lesson, the professor gave the student homework for the next time. They had to write two pages of effective methods to identify and protect oneself from a werewolf's encounter. The homework's length couldn't exceed the minimum requirement by more than one page, specified the potion master, watching a student in particular.
When most students were leaving, the professor asked for a green robe to stay behind.
" Mister Jones, now that you seem more, attentive. Do you have anything to say about your past behavior last week ? ", arms crossed, the potion master maintained eye contact without attempting any mind prob. Waving his hand at the remaining students to leave them alone, the wizard focused all his attention on this green robe. Towering the third-year, he watched as the latter finished cleaning his desk, some burn parts were mended to their original state.
" The headmaster's teaching made me think, a lot. ", not impressed, the student got up, closing the distance between the two speakers and the exit.
" And, what could have enticed such a, behavior ? All my colleagues noticed your, different state. It was alarming. ", the man observed every move on the student's face. Expecting anything from the old man's lesson, the professor gulped down at the lack of reaction. This kind of facial control recalled the man of his own mastery. Rarely he had seen that student this close, but every time it gave him the dread, especially now as the colder orbs seemed to freeze time.
" Family's personal matters, professor. ", not divulging any emotion, the green robe strode closer to the door.
" Don't talk to me like that impudent child. ", wanting to raise his arm in the air, the wizard calmed himself and blocked the exit path. " While I respect privacy, I have to make sure my students don't endanger themselves. ", the professor kept his voice low, but clear. " If you show such a deteriorated condition again, I'll put you in the hospital wing myself. ", finishing his talk, the man felt the air in the classroom becoming heavier.
The silence weighed tone. Both were immobile. One couldn't look away. " How do you cope with, regret ? ", the third-year leaned back on the doorway. The magic around him had filled the room slowly since the discussion's beginning. No aura was emitted, but his words compelled the one listening to respond to the question. The green robe saw the fraction of second where stupefaction was on his professor's face. A new memory topped the mind first layer. Redhead from a girl corpse in a damaged room repeated itself in loop while the actual question stayed frozen.
" Living with remorse... needs atonement, to make it, bearable. Now, leave. ", not believing his confession, the professor almost yell while closing the room, to stay alone.
The Hog's Head Inn was part of the magical village next to the school. This inn and pub establishment was located one or two streets off of the High Street. The worn-out sign adverted on the door entrance with a wild boar's severed head. Inside the building, many students celebrated the Quidditch match result.
Draco offered butterbeer to his full house member present. That wizard was so happy at his rival faint during the match, making them lost against the Hufflepuff. Bragging on his confidence to win the next match when his arm would be fully 'healed', the blond snake imitated Potter falling from the broom. The two bodyguards and Pansy laughed hard in the pub.
The laughing noise entered the orphan ear and exited as soon as it passed. Even if the green robe wasn't often with his house-mate, he sometimes went with some of them to celebrate. His mind was too focused on some problems that he needed some event to clear his mind. With practice, he had smuggled his second-year friend from the castle. Aging potion, modified disillusionment and floating made it easy. The staff checking for permission only verified paper and signature, not expecting a younger year to be helped by a senior to visit the magical village.
Enjoying a meal, the duo was rejoined by some snakes at their table. The icy princess was surprised at the blond girl accompanying the loner. Luna physic with the aging potion and charm to make her hair brown was unknown to the green robes. She presented herself as Chloe Ekaf a bit drowsy with the drink. This time, Tracy and Blaise had brought a new head, Theodor Nott. This frail student was reserved and didn't look into Luna's eyes when she interrogated him on the book he was holding.
Mikhael was pleased with the discussion between his fellow comrades and stopped the aging student when she was going out of her character's play. She had to restrain herself and not speak of her creature while she was under this appearance. While intrigued, the snakes asked some basic questions before sharing news on the dark wraiths and the criminal sight around the village. They didn't feel safe at all with those creatures creeping in the background.
The topic changed to legends about those guardians. What they were under the cloaks. How they were created. The ritual adept proposed an hypothesis as they were being summoned years ago from another dimension by a now destroy gate since no new wraith was counted. Moreover, they looked a lot like some wraith described by ritual masters having explored some death land from portals.
This original approach enlarged the subject. With alcohol in their blood, the students were more open to the strange proposition and added their own. Daphne finished the topic with biblical legend as maybe they were fallen angels, deprived of their holiness and that's why they feed on happy memories, to recall the heaven. The girl went red when the table's occupant stared at her in disbelief.
The Forbidden Forest bordered the edges of the school's grounds. Entering this dense vegetation without the school's permission was prohibited for security measure, even more now that dark wraiths wandered the place. Step by step, two wizards followed a wild trail deep into the wood. Each footprint from the guide made the ground thrived with greener grass. Sitting next to a tree whose trunk had been cut in half, a wizard in purple robe admired the night. Stars illuminated the sky with their number when the moon's presence was missing.
" Life and magic, are they the same Mikhael ? ", the headmaster didn't look at the student. The forest went silent. Touching the damaged trunk with one hand, greenish light enveloped it with warmth. The half tree hummed. Replaced by new ones, the old barks fell one by one. Some protuberances deformed the ground as new roots emerged. The wizard stopped flowing his magic, inviting the youth to observe the result closer.
" Your parents might have not shown you the affection you sought, but they cared for you Mikhael. It is easy to hate whereas it's difficult to love. We are just, weak. Our desires restrained what we see. ", the older wizard waved his wand, incinerating the half tree. The cinders floated in the air. The thin hand with many rings reached the previous tree's place and stopped solid. With a small smile, the ashes coagulated on an invisible shape. The tree's trunk revealed itself, fully healed, bearing five new branches.
While the older wizard appreciated a candy, the green robe touched the tree. Deformed, but stronger, the old trunk was real. Mark of the headmaster's magic remained in its structure, feeding the body at slower rate. Repeating what he saw with his third eye, the youth manipulated his magic to strengthen every cell and help the tree to develop. New buds flourished in orange dyed. The blooming flowers filled the air with its scent. The orphan stopped his experimentation there.
" Before we leave, I have something for you. ", the leader of light handed two purses to the students. Taking a seed from each handbag in both hands, the headmaster lowered himself and grabbed some earth's portions. Showing his dirtied hands, the wizard conjured water to feed the hidden seeds. In less than a minute, the brown piles displayed the presence of growing plants.
The popular inn and pub Three Broomsticks Pub was cleaner than its counterpart the Hog's Head Inn. A mirror behind the bar reflected the cozy atmosphere. It was warm, crowed and a bit smoky, but clean. The customers commanded drink and food under the owner greeting face, Madam Rosmerta.
Training his wings while disillusioned, the third-year noticed the minister Cornelius Fudge, exiting a ministry sleigh. The minister was meeting McGonagall and a curvy barmaid who complained about the new guardians' presence which was bad for business as it made the client afraid to visit. Watching over his shoulder, the man stopped the conversation at the savior mention and entered the building to finish it outreach of undesirable ears.
Since no ministry security agent was present, the minister was here in incognito, thought the wizard. Taking this chance into his hand, the green robe waited for the important target to regain his sleigh. When the minister bid farewell to the lion head of house, the third-year sat next to the wizard on the sleigh, casting an unforgivable when they were outside of the village with no witnesses.
Both traveled to the wizard's private home. The man saluted the security agents before they froze up nodding to the employer. The minister racked his home of any expensive furniture, jewels and magical artifact and filled them to a house size trunk. All the hidden money in his home was put to another pouch. When everything of valor was stockpile, the duo went outside the property. The guardians woke up with fake memories and wished the best luck to the minister for his travel.
With a smile, the Great Britain's magical chief recovered sold all his jewels to the goblins before emptying his vault into another trunk. Waiting for the man, the third year continued his magic, making the man sell his belongings in the dark alley. The action continued with the buying of illegal portkey while not hiding the man appearance. When every Galleon was transferred, the minister was sent to the Forbidden Forest, alone.
Without resistance, the heavy door opened at the correct hissing. The student retrieved the shed skin before entering the cold place. Still in degraded state, the path to the founder statue illuminated the intact torches. Conjuring earth on the ground, the third year planted each of his seed. They were normal plants, no magical ones.
The ritual adept covered all his seedling in fire, making them grew at an abnormal speed. When the plants reached a meter tall the green robe ceased to feed them with magic. Siting next to the closest sapling, the wizard grabbed its trunk, sending magic to oversee the content. Remnants of his magic left traces around every part. Engulfing the plant with fire, the third year restarted the feeding while burning every drop of magic into the plant.
New branches and roots sprouted from the enlarging trunk. Every part of the magic was used for the plant's development even the smallest drop or lingering one. When he stopped, the third eye didn't notice any trace of his owner's magic in the grown tree. Satisfied, the student eat some pills to replenish his reserve. That tree towered five meters and its roots had pierced the ground hard rocks.
Touching the plant, the wizard scanned the structure again. This time however, the magic filled the whole body without feeding it. Instead, the tree started to crooked up, thinning by seconds. It withered in dusts. The magic recovered this way wasn't as high as the amount invested. The third-year repeated this experience over and over with each remaining sapling. The conversion of magic to life and life to magic progressed to round up the same.
Seeing a rodent knacking a fish carcass, the green robe sent a green light to it. The animal stopped, but wasn't dead. Reanimating the rat, the student changed the color to blue, yellow then used flame, water, wind variations. Using different forms for the stunner wasn't instinctive as most seen applications had the red glow which was the result of the spell original equation.
Instead of using his intent, the student also relied on mental equations for some spells to test the change and output during experimentation. Advanced Arithmancy and Runology booked helped the third year to elaborate on this approach. The rodent was soon replaced by a new one responding to the call of transfigured stone. The Chamber resonated with the animal's silent shrieks.
Deep into the garbage, a student faced an exact copy of himself. The naked body and dimmed eyes stood there, waiting for an order. This crafted golem from the blood of the third year was far more advanced than the previous prototype. This body without soul obeyed every order. The movements were more natural and less mechanic. The way it walked and stood felt more human.
The ritual adept was proud of his creation. The composition and ratio had been modified to respect the user proportion. The artificial construction wouldn't deteriorate as fast as its predecessors. Yet, the artificial magical core couldn't replenish itself despite the rune to gather magic. Moreover, it had to listen to every order to respond to most of the potential situations. It didn't have a real mind of itself. The ritual adept conjured a blade and stabbed it into the golem leg. There was no self-preservation instinct either.
Healing the wound, the orphan summoned many books from the garbage pile while his 'clone' was retrieving metallic objects to its master. Target Dummies of different shape and size hiding into the room were shot by chain spells, overpower spell or conjured weapons and fire spheres. Random curses flew toward the student who either avoided them with side steps, summoned small shield, moved obstacles in the trajectory path or modified the curse into smoke.
Hearing a painful screaming, the green robe sprinted toward the source. Seeing his golem who didn't make a sound at a flesh wound, twisting on the ground with a metallic crown on its head, surprised the student. Conjured snakes bound the suffering being. Its eyes blinked red. Trashing around, the artificial body summoned more magic than its core had to summon lightning and destroy the serpents. When the mad sight met the orphan, the creature head was pierced by a bullet size metallic marble.
The body fell and the diadem reeked of dark whispers.