Link of Hogwarts

Thirty-Three

Ron grimaced as Snape snapped at the class to turn to "page 394" but since Lupin has gotten sick there was nothing he can do about the teacher substituting for the man. As usual Hermione suddenly appeared and tried to inform the dour man about what they had just covered last week but the man won't have it and shut her down.

Link ignored Malfoy's needling and throwing balled out parchments at him throughout the class. He stared at Snape as the Potion Master covered the subject of werewolves. In his mind, he recalled a painful transformation that slowly becomes habit.

But Link was sure he had never been bitten by a werewolf nor did he transform every full moon. Besides, that transformation was different from what Snape forced them to cover. He didn't lose his sense of self and it wasn't the moon that changes his form. Once class ended, he shook all thoughts of wolves out of his mind and joined his friends for their next class.

Not to mention Quidditch season has started and that meant helping Luna with her lion hat...

Link blinked as he woke up to pounding headache and sore body. He finally focused his gaze and found himself lying on a bed in the infirmary. In fact, from the ceiling above him he could tell that Pomfrey had placed him in the same bed as the previous three visits. At this point, this bed might as well be permanently assigned to him complete with a nameplate.

He recalled moments before blacking out that they were cheering Ron and his team's victory, Luna's spectacular hat letting out roars of encouragement now and then. The storm has gotten steadily worse than the previous sunny day when the game first kicked off. It was as they were heading back for the after party certain to take place at the Tower when Link felt the familiar chill creeping up his spine.

He had instinctually whipped out his wand and turned to face the direction where the chill first started. Even with the senior students nearby, many were petrified into place when the Dementors hovered close. Once again he could hear Her screaming out for him. When one drew closer to Ginny and Luna nearby as another head straight for Link, he felt his body move.

He recalled screaming something and then there was fire shooting out from his wand. He does not recall learning any such offensive spell so it was a puzzle as to how he managed to cast it, even more when it caught the approaching Dementors and turning them to cinders.

Link knew that Dementors are impervious to most wizarding spells. Nothing can cut them or harm them in any way. In fact, when his curiosity of this new danger lead him to finding out more, Link learned that whatever it was the Lupin cast that day in the train was the only defense a wizard has against a Dementor and all it does was chase it away.

So...what had he cast?

Link tried to move but found both of his legs and his left arm in a cast. He groaned; broken bones are a hassle to heal. In fact, Pomfrey told him that re-growing bones are much easier if not more painful. He put his head back on his pillow, Link stared at the ceiling. It was still dark when he comes around so he didn't want to wake Pomfrey. The last time he was here, she told him that closing all his opened wounds had taken half the night due to how numerous they were.

So now he wondered if there are new cracks on the ceiling...

When the matron finally come around to check on him, she fussed with his bandages; changing them and putting more essence of dittany on the deeper wounds before wrapping fresh bandages over them. She then sat him up so he could have breakfast before leaving to check on the others.

Link looked around as she had opened his curtains and found his friends looking a little green from the amount of chocolates she's forcing down their throat. He breathed easier now that he has seen their welfare and found them unharmed.

Link would go to any length to keep them that way...

When Pomfrey finally returned to his bed, Link decided to ask, "What happened?"

She huffed, "Dementors, that's what! Headmaster Dumbledore's furious and that man's hard to make mad. Luckily for you lot Prof Snape and Prof Lupin were there and knew the Patronus Charm to chase them off," She then smacked his cast wrapped leg and scolded, "What were you thinking, throwing yourself in front of them like some kind of offering?!"

Link winced with each smack, "Sorry,"

She pointed at his nose, "Don't you 'sorry' me, boy! You know what their effect on you is like! You should have run off and find a teacher or a staff member!" She could tell that he's stubborn so she sighed, "But at least you managed to off two of them,"

Link blinked, "I did?"

She raised her hands in defeat, "By Merlin, you did! I don't know how but you did!" She then wagged a finger in his face, "But just because you managed it doesn't mean you can go gallivanting off to hunt them down! Headmaster Dumbledore should currently be using the Dementors breaking their promise to not approach the students to defend your offing two of them," She smirked, "He's using 'accidental magic' as excuse for your victory over the Dementors. After all, magic is still a great mystery even to those of us who use it,"

She then left Link to his own, glaring at him to clean his plate before rushing off to work. Link forced himself to finish the giant block of chocolate, thinking that he will stay off the thing for the rest of the year. Why can't there be fairies to help heal ailments instead?

Fairies can literally revive those knocking on Death's door after all...

As Pomfrey insisted of having them rested and placed them far enough that speaking meant screaming at each other, Link decided to entertain random thoughts. He found that he's rather good at it and so he pondered many things.

He then decided to start finding ways to make the image of turning into a wolf in his head into reality. It seemed like Transfiguration and McGonagall had shown her impressive transformation from human to cat and cat to human numerous times. Should he ask her?

Thus, after such a boring stay at the infirmary, Link informed his friends of his idea on the way to Transfiguration. Neville gawked, "You want to try and be an animagus?"

Link looked at him, "Animagus?"

Hermione answered as usual, "Animagus is what we call a witch or wizard who succeeded in their transformation to an animal. For example, Prof McGonagall is an animagus,"

Link nodded, "Alright, I'm going to ask her for help then,"

Minerva was gawking when Harry bloody "Link" Potter came up to her and asked for her help to transform himself into an animagus. Staring at him over her glasses on the tip her nose, she asked him, "Are you sure, Mr. Potter? The process to become an animagus is not an easy or fun process. Many witches and wizards had run afoul during the process and being so young, I won't recommend you to try,"

Link shrugged, "I noticed that animals are less affected by Dementors and thought that maybe I should transform when I sense them near,"

Minerva sighed, "Perhaps you should ask Prof Lupin to teach you the Patronus Charm. It would be safer than turning animagus," She shot down the idea before mellowing, "Come back to me in Fifth Year if you still have this idea,"

Link pondered on her advice before accepting it, "Alright,"

She then added, "But just because I told you no does not equate to not teaching you. I will help you with at least understanding the process to become animagus. This meant studying Potion and Transfiguration thoroughly on this subject. Once I see that you have truly internalized these, I will see about helping you truly becoming one. Don't try this on your own, that could kill you more often than not,"

"Thank you Professor,"