John Constantine and The Overgrown Serpent

After The Fall

John picked at dried ink under his nails.

Lord they made quite a sight, didn't they?

Harry's dirty, torn up, wet, and slightly bloodied state-while John looked similar with the exception of a quick dip in a tar bath.

The dirty blond's erratic slashing and stabbing of the cursed object in their possession splattered him up to his elbows, chest, upper torso, and of course, streaking his adolescent face.

Complied with rumors and speculation they've both accumulated all years, added with the news of their newest disappearing act and tale-needless to say the looks they've received in the halls were dumbfounded at the least.

Joy.
Another flawless way to cap off the year.

Beside him, Harry sighed deeply through his nose and Ron anxiously wrung his hands.
Exhaustion clear as day.

Lockhart and Ginny had been taken to the infirmary the moment they had landed in the courtyard. They were both given a slight look over before being metaphorically dragged by the ears in Dumbledore's office.

Sitting out the rest of their adrenaline highs as they awaited their fate.

They glanced up as their headmaster walked through the door, eyeing the trio with sternness, relief and hints of amusement as he stood behind his desk.

"You three of course realize that within the last few hours, you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules with efficient enough evidence to have you expelled and endangered yourselves in the process?"

They nodded, mumbling out a quick and resigned 'Yes, sir'.

Dumbledore looked over each of them carefully, taking in their ran down appearances and complete acceptance of consequence.

"Therefore, that being said, it is only fitting that..."

John narrowed his eyes as those hints of amusement grew the moment his friends tensed.

"...you three receive special rewards for your services for this school."

Ron jolted as if he were struck by lightning, quickly turning towards them as Harry adopted an expression of equal elation.

"T-thank you, sir!"

They nodded along with the redhead's thanks.

"Well now, Mr. Weasley, if you would deliver this to the owl room?"
He grabbed a letter from a drawer, coming around a corner and handing off the parchment.
"This urgently needs to be delivered to Azkaban. We wish to have our groundskeeper return, hm?"

Ron laughed, giving them nod before running off.

Dumbledore smiled as he turned back towards them.
"Harry. John."

But there was something in his expression that make John pause.

"First of all, I must thank you. The both of you."
He looked down to Harry.
"You must have shown fierce loyalty down in the chambers, for there was nothing else you could have called Fawkes with."

He sighed, sparing a quick glance at John.

"Secondly, I sense that something is troubling you..."

Harry swallowed, looking towards John as well before hesitantly nodding.
Apparently, Harry trusted John enough to have this conversation in front of him.
"I...I couldn't help but notice that...Tom Riddle and I...we share a lot of similarities..."