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Chapter 16 (A Voice in the Magic), Chapter 17 (Can A Man still be brave if he's Afraid?), Chapter 18 (The Magizoologist's Visit), Chapter 19 (The Impossible Familiar), Chapter 20 (Do you want to be a Magizoologist?), Chapter 21 (Runes and Shadows), Chapter 22 (The Bridge Between Worlds), Chapter 23 (A Nundu's Gift), Chapter 24 (A Grand Prank), Chapter 25 (First Year Ends), and Chapter 26 (Magic & Politics) are already available for Patrons.
"Harry, what is Itisa? Harry? Harry answer me?!" Hermione prompted him, but she received no answer.
Harry looked at the dying troll. 'His head was purple,' the troll had said; he knew only one man in this school who wore a purple turban.
He wondered why Professor Quirrell would ever do something like this; he remembered Itisa's warnings, the way she hissed every time he was nearby; he knew not to trust the man, whatever it was, it was something that Itisa thought was threatening towards them, but hearing that he was the one who sent the troll, he knew he would have to deal with him. He still remembered Hermione's screams; he knew that if Susan hadn't told him that Hermione was in the bathroom, he could have been too late to save her, and the thought of something happening to her made his blood boil in rage. He would get the answers from Professor Quirrell, but he escaped his thoughts when he heard the sound of footsteps coming.
The door opened, revealing Professor Minerva, Professor Snape, and Professor Filius. The three Professors gasped at the sight of the troll on the ground, his wounds visible to anyone, and Harry was sure the troll was dead by now. His healing spell had only helped him to ease the pain, but he knew he could do nothing to heal wounds caused by Itisa's powerful attacks.
"...Dear Merlin!...Harry, are you alright?" Minerva swiftly rushed to kneel beside them, her concern palpable. She carefully flicked her wand, and the tip emitted a comforting green light for Harry. She then turned her attention to Hermione, the tip of her wand now hovering over the distraught girl. It emitted a soft yellow glow, letting her know that Hermione was distraught and still in shock over what happened in the bathroom.
Harry could see that, unlike Minerva, the other two Professors were trying to understand how it was possible for a first-year to defeat a Troll. At this moment, he remembered Loretta's words about Nundus.
'Nunds are said to be magic made flesh, their power can destroy magic itself.'
He wondered how he could hide this from the Professors, and there was only one way he could do this as Snape quickly stepped forward at the sight of him while Hermione was hiding behind Harry.
"Potter," Snape barked, his voice echoing with authority, his black eyes piercing into Harry like daggers. "As your head house, explain what happened here. Why are you here? I want to know everything." Snape demanded with a sharp tone that could cut air, his eyes looking down at the boy with loathing, but Harry paid it little mind. Hatred was something he lived with for eight years. Eventually, it became just another look.
"After the Charm's class, Susan Bones told me that she saw Hermione in the bathroom crying. She might be from Gryffindor, but she is my friend, so I did what any friend would do. I went to the girl's bathroom, and wanted to help her, and it seems it took longer than we thought, and when we thought of returning to the Main Hall. We heard loud footsteps, and before we knew it, the Troll smashed through the door like it was nothing. We tried to get away, but the Troll wouldn't let us, and I remembered what I was taught at home, and attacked the troll with a cutting charm, and then used the Leviosa charm to make his club float, before letting it fall on his head." Harry explained convincingly, but he could see clear disbelief in their eyes.
Unlike Snape, Minerva and Filius appeared more amazed than anything. They believed his words; they simply appeared shocked and a little amazed that he managed to defeat a troll, but the same couldn't be said for Snape.
"Do you expect us to believe this farce? Now you will—" "He's telling the truth." Her voice reminded Snape and Filius that Harry wasn't the only first-year in that bathroom. They didn't know when, but Hermione was no longer hiding behind Harry but standing beside him, looking at them both.
"Miss Granger, what happened?" unlike Snape, Minerva's voice was calm and reassuring as she talked to the student of her house.
"...As Harry said. I was...I wasn't in a good mood, and Harry came here and talked to me-" Hermione went on and explained the same thing that Harry said, but still, her words didn't seem to convince Snape, who narrowed his gaze at the two first-year children.
"You really expect us to believe that?" Snape snarled, ready to threaten them with punishment. A month of cleaning the toilets without magic could get the job done, maybe even the threat of expelling them.
"Enough Snape." Minerva quickly came to their defense, and he figured as much as he scoffed at her.
"I understand you might see Potter as... but that doesn't excuse you for turning a blind eye to his lies." Snape sneered, knowing that Minerva had visited the Tonks quite often. He wasn't foolish; he knew the look Minerva looked at Harry as if he were her grandson or something foolish like that. Out of all the worthless children, she decided to turn a blind eye to the one who was the worst out of all of them.
"I agree with Minerva, Snape. I know your history quite well, and from what I can see, you are the one refusing to belive something because of your past. What do you think happened then? Do you think the cat killed the troll, is that it?" Filius defended the Gryffindor Head House, looking up at Snape with a look of ire as if daring him to say something.
Snape could not answer that, and he knew that he had a point. As much as he disliked the brat, he knew there wasn't much else that could have happened, so with a reluctant sigh, he looked at Potter once again.
"Report to Professor Dumbledore before you go back to your common room," he said before he strode out of the room, ignoring the looks of anger he had received from his fellow professors.
"That man. Sometimes I cannot fathom why Dumbledore hired him." Filius said in a hushed tone, Minerva nodding in agreement. But now wasn't the time to think about that.
The two professors helped Harry and Hermione get to the hospital wing, where they were laid on a bed. Minvera left to inform Dumbledore of what had happened while Madam Pumfrey checked on them as they explained what happened to them. The woman turned white before shaking her head in disbelief.
"Not even two months here, Mister Potter, and something extraordinary has already happened. Let's just hope this doesn't become a requiring thing in this school." Madam Pomfrey said as she prepared a tunic for Hermione. She had wanted to make one for Harry, too, but upon checking him, it was clear he was fine, and unlike Hermione, he wasn't in shock over what had happened.
"Drink it slowly," she instructed Hermione when she tried to gulp down the tunic in one breath, her tone gentle yet firm. Gulp after gulp, the girl obediently followed her advice, gradually sipping the warm liquid that revitalized her senses. A rosy hue bloomed on Hermione's cheeks as the last drop was consumed, a clear sign of the tea's invigorating effect. Harry observed with relief as her energy returned.
"Feeling better, Hermione?" he asked, still sounding concerned. The girl quickly jumped from her bed, much to Madam Pomfrey's disapproval. She jumped on his bed and hugged him tightly, expressing her gratitude with tearful eyes and a heartfelt smile.
"Thank you, Harry. I don't know how I can ever repay you," Hermione said, her voice filled with genuine emotion. She pulled away and gazed at him with adoration and immense appreciation.
"Well, as long as another troll doesn't suddenly show up, then we are cool." Hermione playfully swatted at him before the two shared a laugh. It felt good to feel the tension disappear, but Harry still knew that his friend would sooner or later ask questions about Itisa. The Nundu had been quiet this whole time, acting like a cat, but he knew she was watching Hermione carefully.
The door opened, and Dumbledore strode inside. 'Right on time to save us from the troll,' Harry wanted to say, but he held his tongue. Now wasn't the time to make comments.
"Thank you for helping them, Madam Pomfrey. Can you leave us alone for a few moments? I would like to ask Harry a few questions." Dumbledore requested. The woman let out an exasperated sigh.
"Very well, Dumbledore, but please refrain yourself from asking too many questions. They are still not old enough to understand your words." the old Professor chuckled at the Madam before turning to face Harry with a glint in his eyes.
Harry could see Hermione's nervousness when the old professor walked into the room. She jumped out of his bed and climbed on her bed, using the sheet to cover herself to the neck, and he could not blame her. After all, Dumbledore was one of the most famous wizards in the world, said to have been feared by Voldemort and the current Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Don't worry, Hermione. It's just Dumbledore." Harry said casually, and the girl looked at him as if she could not believe her ears.
"Harry, he is the Headmaster," Hermione warned him hushedly as if Dumbledore wasn't listening to them.
"No way! Really!!" Harry looked baffled. The bushy-haired girl glared at him, but one could easily see the smile of amusement on her face. The old Professor chuckled before clearing his throat.
"Mister Potter, Miss Granger. I'm really sorry for what happened. The troll should have never been able to get inside the school." Dumbledore apologized, sounding sincere, but Harry wouldn't show him mercy. He could apologize all he wanted, but he wanted him to know that this should have never happened.
"I don't doubt it, Miss Andromeda told me that Hogwarts is the safest place in the United Kingdom. Only two months here and two of your students are in danger of dying. I would say her claim about Hogwarts is total bullshit." Harry said harshly, not caring how his words might affect him. He still remembered what the man had done, and because of him, eight of his eyes would always be remembered as lost; sometimes, he liked to believe the Dursleys never existed.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted, horrified that he had said something like that to the Headmaster, but Dumbledore raised his hand for her to calm down.
"It's okay, and Mister Potter has a point, something like this should have never happened, and I hope one day, you will belive once again that Hogwarts is a safe place." Dumbledore said, sitting down on a chair beside Harry's bed.
Harry wanted to add something more but decided that enough was enough; he didn't want to be in the old man's company longer than necessary.
"Mister Potter, can you tell me what happened in the bathroom?" Dumbledore questioned, and Harry told him the same thing he told the Professors, word for word. The Headmaster merely nodded, and Harry couldn't tell if the man believed his words.
The man stood up and moved around the bed before walking up to Hermione's bed. "Miss Granger, is there anything you would wish to add? Anything that Mister Potter might have missed or forgotten to add?"
Harry knew the old man was talking about Itisa, and as he looked at Hermione, he could see her eyes flickering at Itisa briefly. He knew she loved to follow the rules, and if the headmaster asked her a question, she would answer him truthfully.
"I...I...I was in the bathroom because of Ro—someone made a bad comment about me. There's nothing else to add. Harry is not missing anything." Harry's eyes widened, and swallowed back the gasp. Since when has Hermione Granger lied to the Headmaster of Hogwarts?
Harry watched silently as the Headmaster hummed before returning to his feet. "Nothing else you want to add?"
"...no, Headmaster." Hermione said with a tiny voice, almost afraid she might get in trouble with Dumbledore. Much to her relief, the Headmaster smiled at her as if happy she said that before turning to face Harry. She had to stop herself from sighing loudly in relief. Instead, she allowed her to lean back until she touched the soft pillow.
"Well, you two. Professor Minerva and Professor Snape should be coming here right now. They would lead the two of you to your common rooms. I'm sure by tomorrow morning, Trollslayer will get popular." Dumbledore said with amusement before turning to walk away.
"Professor, how did the troll get into the school?" Harry's voice made him stop.
"We are not sure, we are still investigating, but we will learn the truth soon enough." Dumbledore said.
Harry knew the old man was hiding something from him. He was almost tempted to ask about the portraits all over the castle; surely one of them must have seen Professor Quirrell with the troll, but he held his tongue at the last minute; if Dumbledore wasn't bringing up the portraits, then he was sure there was a reason he was not mentioning them. Harry knew what would be the first thing he would do tomorrow. He knew it must have been Professor Quirrell, but he wanted to know why. A man of his status has no reason and has no gain to send a troll loose in the school. Harry couldn't make sense of it, but he was sure the Portraits should have seen where the man had gone while the troll was walking around the school.
"I saw Professor Filius, Minerva, and Snape. Where is Professor Quirrell?" Harry prompted, and Dumbledore turned to face him, his face quite serious.
"Professor Quirrell fainted from fear when he warned us in the Main Hall that a troll was loose in Hogwarts." Dumbledore answered with a stern voice, which was quickly gone, he smiled back at Harry.
"Good night, you two," Dumbledore added before leaving the large, empty hospital wing.
Hermione and Harry were the only ones present, and the young wizard waited for the barrage of questions.
"...Harry...what is Itisa?" Hermione asked once she was sure no one could hear them; she looked at the cat, or whatever she was, warily; she wasn't sure if she should be afraid of her. She saw what Itisa did to the troll, and something was telling her that there was much more she could do, but another part reminded her that Itisa saved them; if she hadn't been there, she wasn't sure if Harry could have defeated the troll despite being a prodigy as many called him. So she was thankful, but still a little wary.
"Itisa." Harry started as the Nundu jumped on his shoulder as she often did. Itisa is a friend, Hermione. My first friend. I appreciate that you didn't say anything, and I will explain it tomorrow after class, okay?" Hermione seemed to want to ask more questions and still appeared a little insecure about the cat, but she decided to go along with it.
"Very well, and Harry thank you again."
"For what?"
"For coming to me. You could have just ignored what Susan said, and just go along with your day." Hermione said with a tearful smile.
"I'm not like that Hermione. I always protect my friends. You needed me, and I came. There's no reason to say 'Thank you'." Harry said sincerely, and he could see her face turning a little red, and she quickly looked away from him.
Harry smirked deviously at the sight of her red face. "Well, if you want to thank me, I guess a kiss in the cheek would do." she quickly threw the pillow on his head, and he laughed in amusement while her face turned bright red.
"Prat! " she shouted, sounding scandalized, but quickly looked away from him, hiding her smile. The last thing she needed was for Harry to think she appreciated his comment. She definitely didn't.
Before Harry could open his big mouth again, the door opened. Minerva and Mister Corpse-Looking Professor Snape walked in. "Hermione Granger, follow me. I walk you to your common room."
"Follow me, Potter, and don't say anything." Snape snarled, looking bitter that he needed to walk Potter back to the Common Room.
He could not even take House Points from him because he was in Slytherin. Snape could not fathom why the bloody hat sorted him into Slytherin. This felt like a cruel joke to him. Harry was every bit like his father, and fate decided he should be in Slytherin; this felt like James Potter giving him one last middle finger from beyond the grave.
Harry rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told. He jumped out of bed and followed the Professor behind. Hermione wished him and Itisa a good night as they walked in two different directions.
As they were walking downstairs towards the dungeon, Harry only now noticed that Snape was limping slightly. His right leg wasn't fully pressing on the floor as he walked, and he was moving it quite slowly.
"What happened to your leg, Professor?"
"That's none of your business, Potter," Snape snarled at him, almost barking, giving him a look of loathem from over his shoulder. Despite Snape's intimidating demeanor, Harry remained unfazed, meeting Snape's gaze with a calm expression.
"You know when the troll was attacking us? I was wishing you were there, Professor." Harry knew he should shut his big mouth, but he couldn't help himself, and his Head House looked at him sternly.
"And why is that, Potter? Surely it would take more than a troll to scare you, great Harry Potter?" He asked mockingly, looking down at him the same way Vernon looked at him.
Harry felt his anger flare up, that look. He was looking down at him as if he was lesser than him. For a brief moment, Harry felt like he was back at the cursed Dursleys. Harry would never allow anyone else to look down at him.
"Did cat got your tongue, Potter? Were you really that scared?" Snape mocked him more.
"Well, I just want to see you meet your match when it comes to an ancient creature with a big mouth, no brain, and one twice prettier than you, Professor." Harry knew he was in trouble the moment he said that, but he couldn't help himself. The Professor had stopped walking, and his eyes snapped at him like bear traps.
"You are just like your father, Potter." Snape said with disgust in his voice; from his eyes, Harry could tell the man was furious with him. Right now, he was giving Uncle Vernon a run for his money.
"Thank you, Professor. I never expected a compliment from you; perhaps I misjudged you." Harry said with an innocent smile, and Snape's fingers curled around the wand hidden beneath his cloak, peering at Harry furiously. For a moment, he was sure the man would pull out his wand at him, but much to his shock, he sheathed his wand and said nothing. Instead, he continued with the walk towards the common room.
The rest of the journey back was spent in silence. Upon entering the common room, Snape walked out, and much to Harry's displeasure, some of the first years, including Draco, were waiting for him. It was almost the middle of the night, so the Common Room was nearly empty.
"I heard a troll attacked you in the bathroom, Potter. No surprise there. A troll is the most dumbest creature; of course, they would go after their own kind." Draco mocked him the moment he entered the Common Room, earning a round of laughter from the two statues behind him. Pancy laughed along, but the same wasn't true for Daphne and Sebastian.
"No, I'm pretty sure that was just your mother, and after seeing her, it all makes sense why you have no brain." Harry fired back at him, a little tired to deal with his bullshit. "And I heard from Professor Snape that you were the first to scream like a little girl when Professor Quirrell told everyone that there was a troll in the dungeon, and you used your two statues like meatshields the whole time until you returned to the common room, and since they lack brains, is not like they have any other function," Harry added, causing Draco to turn red in the face while the two morons behind looked at one another, slowly processing what Harry had said.
"You have a big mouth, Potter. Don't make me silence you." Draco threatened, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Harry.
"'Don't make me silence you.' Even a dead dog has more bark than you, Draco. And have your parents never told you not to play with fire? Accio." Draco's wand suddenly fell into Harry's hand, and the boy looked at it up close.
"Give it back to me," Draco quickly barked. His two friends finally decided to try something, but Harry simply threw the wand back at Draco without much thought and turned to walk back to his chamber. He had no time to waste with him; he had more important things to do.
"Harry, what happened with the troll?" Daphne strutted towards him, sounding curious. He could almost see the gears turning on her head, and Sebastian seemed interested in what he would say, but he remained seated on the couch.
Harry told her the same version he told Dumbledore, and he could tell that Daphne appeared a little suspicious while Sebastian smiled in amusement.
"I think you should have brought that troll here. Change him with Gregory. It would be an improvement." he said humorlessly.
"Watch your words, Sallow. Do I need to remind you that your father owns everything he has to my family? I would watch my words if I were you." Draco said with a smug look, and for the first time, Sebastian's smile disappeared, his face twitched, now appearing murderous.
"And you should watch your words, Draco. Your little daddy is nothing but Voldemort's cocksucker, just as you are his." Sebastian said with a threatening voice, and Draco almost squirmed.
But Harry paid them little mind as Daphne looked at him strangely. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just surprised your cat wasn't scared of the troll." She pointed out at Itisa, who was resting on his shoulder.
"Itisa is braver than all of us here." Harry said proudly, scratching her nose in the process.
Daphne looked at Itisa strangely before turning on her heels and walking to her chamber, which she shared with Tracey.
"Harry, did something with Itisa an hour ago?" Sebastian quickly ran up to him just as his hand touched the door handle of his room. Harry turned to face him, looking confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Did she freeze?" Sebastian added, hoping he would understand.
"What do you mean? Why would she freeze?" Harry prompted, not understanding what he was trying to say.
"Harry," Sebastian said his name hushedly; he looked around furtively. "An hour ago, my sister was using our owl, Senestia, to send an owl to our uncle. But she froze mid-air, fell on the floor, and didn't move for a whole minute. And it wasn't just our owl. Every single pet animal in here froze at the same time, and they remained frozen like that as if petrified. The minute goes, and they all wake up as if nothing happened. I don't know if something similar happened to the other Houses. I will ask them tomorrow, but I wanted to know if Itisa was affected." Sebastian explained, pointing at Itisa.
Harry was left with his mouth wide open. If that had happened, he had no idea. He was too busy with the troll, but if he said no, Sebastian might get suspicious of Itisa. "...Yes. She did." Harry answered, trying to sound convincing, and Sebastian looked at him and Itisa for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay, tomorrow I will have Madam Pomfrey check on Senestia. I think you should do the same." Sebastian said before walking to his room.
It didn't take long for Harry to return to his room. Now that he was alone, he looked at Itisa, caressing her fur, earning a purr from the beautiful Nundu. He was soon joined by Hedwig, who landed on his other shoulder, much to Itisa's displeasure.
"Hello, beautiful. Sorry for not giving you attention, but I was busy with a troll." Harry said with a big smile, now caressing Hedwig's beautiful feathers, and Itisa let out a loud 'meow' of protest. She couldn't talk, but Harry knew she was jealous of Hedwig, and the owl was giving her a look as if to say.
'Shut up, ugly cat. I'm the one he loves from now.'
'Watch your tongue, rat with wings.'
Harry could see from the way Itisa's spikes started growing that the two were not ready yet to become friends. "Hey, no. Bad Itisa, no fighting your family. Hedwig is one of us." Harry quickly said, jabbing his finger at her.
But the Nundu looked at him as if she wanted to protest until she just jumped on his head. He could feel her little feet walking around his hair before setting down in a resting position. Harry sighed, feeling like he was breaking up two sisters from fighting each other. He looked at Hedwig, who hooted adorably at him.
"Sorry, Hedwig. Now. I want you to send a letter to Tonks. Can you do that?" Hedwig nodded eagerly, and he could almost see a smile on her beak as she flapped her pretty wings. She was happy to finally do some work.
Harry wrote in a parchment with his quill on the table. Once he was done, he secured it on her leg and was about to open the window for her to fly outside when something happened.
Hedwig emitted a vibrant, piercing melody, causing her wings to crackle with white electricity. Gradually, the sparkling energy enveloped her whole form, making her appear more lightning than bird. Her eyes glowed a vivid yellow.
She leaped from his shoulder, releasing another ethereal, eagle-like whistle that echoed throughout the room. With a swift movement, she swirled around herself; the electricity started spreading around the room, spreading long, thin white arms that dragged across the floor and wall, leaving behind a red trail, and she was gone...!
Harry was left stunned. She was gone as if she were never there, and he wondered how that was possible. He had seen the small sparks of lightning Hedwig did the first time she met Itisa, but Harry had brushed it off. Since it didn't happen again until now, Harry had convinced himself that it was just his eyes playing games with him.
But now, he realized that Hedwig wasn't just an ordinary owl. He quickly thought back at the different kinds of magical birds he had read about in the Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them.
As he thought deeply about it, two birds might be what Hedwig was, but he couldn't remember them saying that a bird could use electricity to teleport or whatever it was that Hedwig did.
He escaped his thoughts when Itisa let out a loud 'meow.' Within a few seconds, he felt the air growing hotter. A burst of electricity appeared from the place where she had disappeared. Within seconds, she appeared again, and the lightning disappeared.
Harry opened his mouth to ask, but as he looked at her leg, he realized that the letter he had given her was gone. "Did you give it to Tonks?" Harry questioned, and the owl let out a hoot, and he was sure she just said 'yes' to him.
"Here, girl," Harry said, grabbing food from his bag. Hedwig eagerly flew to his shoulder and started eating from his palm. Meanwhile, Harry looked at her, wondering what kind of bird she was.
"You can use lightning. You might be a Stormbird or a Thunderbird." Harry wondered out loud as he used his other hand to caress her feathers. As he thought deeply about it, he realized that someone with more experience than him would see the difference and know if Hedwig was a Stormbird or a Thunderbird.
Hagrid, Harry thought, he remembered Tonks telling him that he might be able to see right through Itisa, so if he wanted his help to know what kind of bird Hedwig was, then he would need to leave Itisa behind, perhaps with Tonks until he returned.
Fascinating, Harry thought, now he had two magical creatures. He wondered if he could befriend more of them.
Perhaps an EisenElephant would do; they were said to be one of the largest magical creatures in the world, and they were similar to elephants. Still, they had the toughest armor in the world. He remembered that Newt Scamander had even noted in his book that EisenElephants could grow in big sizes, the sizes of houses, and most of the known spells could not penetrate their armor.
Harry's mind went to other rare magical creatures, like the Great Leviathan, the ruler of the Seas and the largest magical creature in the world.
Fortissax, the most powerful Dragon in the world, and the ruler of the skies. According to Newt Scammander's notes, the locals said he was over a thousand years old.
Basilisks. The Kings of Snakes, their poison, was the most powerful in the world, and their gaze was deadly.
But then he looked at Itisa. Not for the first time, he wondered where she came from, who was the man that left her in the park, and why?
Why would someone leave a cute Nundu like her in the park? This man had left her for Harry to find the Nundu at the right moment. Just who was this man?
"Itisa, do you know who left you in the park?" Harry asked, hoping to get an answer, but Itisa did not answer; instead, her golden eyes looked back at his emerald eyes, looking at him, just him.
"Well, it was worth a try," Harry mumbled under his breath. He figured he wouldn't get the answer to that question anytime soon. He soon decided to lie down and sleep. He knew he had a lot of things to do tomorrow, and one of them involved Professor Quirrell.
No one hurts my friends. No One. Harry thought determinedly as he fell into a deep slumber.
Tomorrow
The following day started as usual until the time came for him to go to the Main Hall. The moment he entered, he received various looks from everyone; even his fellow Slytherins seemed to be looking at him with respect, which was quite surprising. Draco tried to make a joke about Harry's appearance, but this time, no one paid attention to him.
"Harry, come here," Anne quickly said the moment she saw him, patting the seat next to her. Harry wanted to sit with Tonks and discuss the letter, but he didn't want to reject Anne's invitation.
"Good Morning, Anne, Sebastian." Harry greeted them back before sitting down. Anne smiled cutely at Itisa the moment he sat down beside them, but again, the Nundu didn't appear to be in the mood to play with the girl.
The moment he sat down, he was bombarded by questions from everyone, even students who acted like he hadn't existed until yesterday. He noticed Anne appeared quite saddened when he told them the troll was dead.
"Why didn't you just knock him unconscious?" She asked, looking on the verge of tears.
"Anni, sometimes you have no other choice. Don't blame Harry; he was just defending his friend." Sebastian quickly came to Harry's rescue, and he was relieved. Anne still appeared saddened, but she understood why the troll was dead.
Soon, Harry left the Slytherin table and walked up to the Hufflepuff table. "Ahh, the Trollslayer. Everyone, a toast for the best student in Hogwarts." Tonks was quick to cheer the moment she noticed him, and her words were followed by other Hufflepuffs cheering for him.
"Thank you, Tonks, you are the best." Harry said with a halfhearted voice.
"That's my job, Mister Potter. Now, sit with us, and tell us how you defeated a dragon when you were four." Tonks teased him with a beautiful smile.
"Yes, and I wielded Excalibur when I was two. Tonks, all that is bullshit." Harry said before deciding to change the subject. "Tonks, can you come with me? I need to talk with you." he prompted, and the moment he said that a round of 'ooohhh' came from all the girls of the fourth year or older sitting at the Hufflepuff table.
"Ohh, Harry. I didn't know we were already at that point." Tonks quickly took the opportunity to tease him and even winked at him for extra effect. Harry turned a little red; he was used to Tonks's shenanigans, but he wasn't used to so many pretty girls looking at him at the same time, and some of them were quite beautiful.
"Tonks!" He drawled, swatting at her shoulder playfully, and the girl giggled along with her friends.
"Fine, Harry, but you better not take advantage of me." Tonks teased him again as she stood up to follow him outside, and Harry shook his head in disbelief; sometimes, he wondered if it was a bad sign for him if she was his best friend.
Soon, they found an empty classroom, and Harry could tell Tonks wanted to tease him again, but this time, he was faster. "Did you receive my letter last night?"
"Yes, you said you knew who left the troll into the school, and since we are on that topic, since when can Hedwig turn into lightning?" She questioned with a cocked eyebrow. She had been sleeping peacefully when a bolt of lightning in front of her eyes had woken her up and terrified her; she was halfway to hexing whoever came to her, only to see Hedwig with a scroll on her leg.
"It was Professor Quirrell." Harry said, completely ignoring her comment about Hedwig, and Tonks looked at him as if he was mad.
"Harry, are we talking about the same Professor Quirrell, the same one who is afraid of his own shadow?" Tonks questioned with disbelief.
"I know what you are thinking, but I asked every portrait and the white lady told me that she saw Professor Quirrell unlocking a secret passage on the wall, and soon the same passage opened, and the troll came out with Professor Quirrell using his wand on the troll before running towards the Main Hall. I think he used Imperio on him since the white lady couldn't hear what he used, and then he ran off to the Main Hall to shout about the troll." Harry explained, and Tonks's mouth fell to the floor from disbelief. She quickly shook her head, quickly realizing this was quite serious, and being the Head Girl, her face changed into a more serious one.
"Why would he do this thought? I don't understand." Tonks wondered out loud. It made no sense for a teacher to let a troll loose. She wondered if she should tell Dumbledore about this, but she knew Harry was no big fan of his.
"I asked the portraits, and 'the little girl' told me that she saw a man wearing a purple turban going to the forbidden third floor on the right side five minutes after started screaming around about the troll." Harry answered with a triumphant smile, and he could see the gears moving inside Tonks's head.
"I think we should check what's in there, and then demand answers from Professor Quirrell." Tonks suggested, and Harry nodded in agreement. But he knew he would more than just demand answers from him.
Two Days Later - Amelia Bones
Once again, she was receiving reports about strange things happening. It's been three years since the last time something strange happened, but before, she wasn't as concerned as she was right now.
Yesterday, she received a letter from her niece. She had told her that two days ago, during the night, a troll had somehow sneaked inside Hogwarts and attacked the girls' bathroom and two students: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
Amelia had made sure to send a letter to Dumbledore. This wasn't something that should be allowed to happen, and she demanded answers from him. She wanted to know how it was possible for a troll to walk inside the school, but that wasn't even the part that got her most concerned.
According to her letter, during the same night, her cat froze as she was walking, even falling over as if she had just been petrified, but not just her, according to her niece's letter. The next day, she found out that almost every animal pet that students had in Hogwarts had frozen at the same time, all of them for one minute.
Amelia wanted to ask if the same thing happened to magical animals outside of Hogwarts, but she doubted that she knew anything. This was concerning; animals don't just freeze like that out of nowhere. She knew something was happening here, and this was a good opportunity to talk with her niece and Dumbledore at the same time.
The door opened, revealing Mad-Eye Moody, who looked as grumpy as always. "What now?"
"We are going to Hogwarts," Amelia said in a commanding voice, rising from her seat.
"We?" Moody questioned, pointing at himself.
"Yes, even you." the man shook his head in slight disbelief, looking as if she had just told him that he would get executed.
"It will be a good opportunity to see if the professors taught them 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE'" Mad-Eye Moody said, almost sounding like a madman.
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