All at once, Professor Blanchard's body was enveloped in fire and lifted from the ground. The flames continued to spread in mid-air and a towering, monstrous form began to take shape. Arms, legs, and a two-horned head made of fire sprouted from the raging torso, where the silhouette of the professor's limp body could just about be made out inside.
As the flaming monster's feet reached the floor, where the grass beneath swiftly burned away, it let loose an almighty roar and then, turned the flickering spaces where its eyes would be in the direction of the two frightened boys standing below.
The fiery beast seemed to smile, revealing a set of flickering, flaming fangs. Suddenly, it pulled a burning arm back and took a mighty swipe at Gideon, who was still rooted to the spot in fear. Gideon was thrown backwards, but not by the impact of the monster's fiery claw.
Alex had yanked him out of the way, but the incredible wave of heat that followed in the arm's wake knocked them both off their feet. Alex got up and started dragging Gideon across the grass, away from the beast. It was useless, though. Such a huge thing needed only one or two steps to close the small gap they had made between them, and Gideon watched in horror as it did just that.
Gideon took a deep breath and snapped himself out of his reverie. 'Stupefy!' he yelled shakily. The jet of red light hit the monster but seemingly had no effect. Gideon got to his feet with Alex's help and suggested the Frost Spell.
Together the boys cried, 'Glacius!'
The beast howled as streams of icy air blasted its burning torso. For a fleeting moment, the boys revelled in their success. However, they quickly realised it had not been howling in pain, but laughter.
'What pathetic magic is this?' the monster taunted in an impossibly deep and terrifying voice.
Gideon was shocked that the giant beast of fire could talk. What on Earth was this creature and what could the boys do against it?
'We've got to run, Alex!' Gideon determined, and threw his entire stock of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder at the monster. It landed and a black smog filled the area as the boys fled.
'There will be no escape!' the monster roared and simply blew their distraction away with an incredible blow of its hot breath. Then, it raised its arms and the entrances to the courtyard were walled off by high flames.
'Let's just try different spells, something has to work!' Alex suggested, and they let loose a flurry of all the magic they knew. Some of the spells would impact the beast's flames with a noticeable flicker but otherwise, he was completely unbothered, and he showed so with his continued laughter.
The beast began to advance. The boys retreated, firing spells all the while until they found themselves backed into a corner.
'Time to burn, wizards!' the massive creature told them. Then, it appeared to swell, raised its head and expelled an incredible breath of fire.
With one last apologetic look to the boy he had so foolishly put in danger with his plan; Gideon closed his eyes tightly and futilely raised his left hand as if to shield himself. Death wasn't so bad. He had expected the heat that followed would be unbearably painful, but the warmth wasn't altogether unpleasant.
'Gideon!' Alex urged.
Gideon opened his squinting eyes. They were not dead. They were not burning. The fire around them had stopped short of a translucent blue field being projected from Gideon's left hand. The ring that had so annoyingly affixed itself to his finger was shining.
Just then, the flames disappeared, along with the blue light. The boys were alive, but their predicament was far from over.
'What is this?' the monster roared. 'You dare defy my power? BURN!' It unleashed another breath of fire, more powerful than the last.
Gideon kept his hand raised, and as the fire was about to consume them, the blue field appeared again, protecting them completely from the blaze.
'Let's make a run for it!' Alex proposed. 'We can extinguish the fire blocking the exit!'
The boys ran to the nearest fire-walled alcove, but the monster blasted them once more. The blue shield appeared again but Gideon could not move while it was activated.
'Just go!' he instructed Alex.
Alex reached the alcove and started to use the Frost Spell, but the beast had taken another breath. Now separated, he turned his attention to Alex and focused his fiery burst on him alone. Seeing this, Gideon made a mad dash towards the boy with his outstretched hand and the strange shield activated at the very last moment.
'The ring!' Alex cried. After the last burst of fire, the beast howled with anger, and the ring shattered.
It didn't matter, though. The fiery creature had made Gideon angry. His fear alone hadn't been enough, but the beast targeting Alex had triggered a range of emotions. Gideon felt the familiar sensation of his dark power rising from within, taking advantage of his weakened state to break free.
Gideon knew it was coming this time. He knew how to stop it. However, for the first time, he embraced the dark magic. He had learned to sense, differentiate, and even limit it, but using everything Professor Voronov had taught him about control, Gideon did the opposite. He let the dark magic fill his chest, course down his arms and into his hands.
Gideon stepped forward as his hands began to crackle ominously.
'Gideon? What are you doing?' Alex asked fearfully.
'Get away if you can, Alex!' Gideon commanded as he raised his wand and gripped it with both hands.
The monster laughed, roared, and swelled once more.
'Didn't anyone ever teach you?' Gideon challenged menacingly as an orange aura surrounded his entire body and he surged with power. 'You don't play with fire! INCENDIO!'
At the same time, the beast and Gideon's wand released opposing currents of fire. The recoil from their collision was enough to pin Alex to the wall of the courtyard. Gideon let out a war cry as his wand blasted a spiralling funnel of crimson flame, which with the aid of the magic word and his intent, was even stronger than the time he had lost control in Professor Voronov's presence.
His hands were shaking but he maintained his grip on his wand and kept up the incredible torrent of magic. The beast, however, began to struggle. It could not maintain its breath indefinitely and Gideon was counting on that. He felt a weakening of the opposing flames and summoned all his remaining strength. His uncanny aura shrank into him and the red fire pulsed, advancing until the beast was engulfed.
It howled again, but this time Gideon knew it was not laughing. He prolonged his spell for as long as he could until it finally cut off and his legs buckled beneath him. Soon, the creature's hollering ceased and all that remained was a burning pyre.
'Gideon!' Alex called as he rushed over to the boy's side. 'How did you do that?'
'Did I get him?' Gideon asked weakly.
'Are you kidding? He's a hot mess! Literally!' Alex joked. 'The exits are clear. Come on, let's get Kuroh and get out of here!'
Alex pulled Gideon's limp arm around his shoulder and hoisted him off the floor. Gideon could just about stand and with Alex's assistance, shuffled toward the alcove where Kuroh was lying just beyond. Unfortunately, just before they reached it, the wall of fire returned, and the pyre stirred.
'YOU DARE USE DARKFIRE AGAINST ME!' the beast roared as it got to its feet.
The boys spun around on the spot. Gideon bit his lip in frustration. His spell hadn't been enough. Alex backed them away with all his strength, as the monster limped towards them.
Unlike before, it was missing a horn, its bottom jaw, its left hand, part of its right leg and a large chunk of its torso, through which, Professor Blanchard could be seen lolling about inside. Its fiery wounds were glowing red as if Gideon's flames had eaten away at it.
'Now, you will burn!' the creature said malevolently.
Even without its mouth fully intact, the beast prepared to release its breath once more.
'I'm sorry, Alex,' Gideon said feebly, knowing he was too tired to fight.
'No, I'm sorry. For Diagon Alley—and everything else...'
Gideon smiled weakly and the boys succumbed to their fate. With his magic depleted and no mysterious ring to protect him, Gideon closed his eyes, and the light of the incoming flames illuminated his eyelids.
'ANOTHER TRICK?' the monster bellowed.
'If you ladies are quite finished, we should probably be getting out of here!'
'Talia?' Gideon asked in astonishment.
The girl was standing between them and a swirling mass of fire with both of her hands raised.
'Wha-what's going on?'
'How are you doing that? How is she doing that?' Alex remarked in astonishment.
'No time, just get up and get out!' Talia ordered, before waving her hands about and thrusting them forwards. The swirling flames moved as she motioned and returned from whence they came, enveloping the beast like a blazing cocoon.
It growled in anger once more. Alex pulled Gideon to the rear alcove as Talia had told them. It was unguarded now. They went through and collapsed behind the wall. With some effort, Gideon turned himself around and peeked over it to try and comprehend what was happening.
He watched in amazement as the beast breathed and threw fire at Talia, who with her outstretched hands, redirected it time and time again as she ran about the courtyard. After a minute or two of this, Gideon grew concerned. Talia was slowing down and her ability to control the flames seemed to be weakening. The beast, however, appeared to grow stronger as its rage increased.
'I don't think she can keep it up! We have to get the teachers,' Gideon stated as he got to his feet. Alex supported him again and they made their way around the Courtyard edges, grabbing Kuroh on the way. They made it around, back to where they had entered, when the beast came smashing through the stone wall, showering the boys with flying rubble.
Gideon cried out in pain as a large chunk of stone rolled over his foot and another gashed his forehead, spewing blood everywhere. He managed to shield Kuroh, but Alex's left arm was pinned to the floor. Worse still, was the giant, flaming set of talons that clawed at them desperately, just inches away.
However, Gideon noticed the hand and the beast's whole flaming body were flickering in the opposite direction as if caught in a storm. Beyond the broken wall, Gideon spotted Talia on her knees reaching out towards the monster, her face pained with concentration. She was somehow pulling the fiery beast back with all her might.
Suddenly, the monster surprised them all by changing directions and lunging for Talia, instead. There was nothing Gideon or Alex could do. Talia's arms flopped down by her sides and her head drooped as if she had expended all her energy. They were going to watch the girl who had saved them die. Then, they would be next.
Gideon's vision was suddenly obstructed by a flapping motion. A bird had shot past him. No, not a bird. A bat, which in an instant, transformed into Professor Voronov and appeared between Talia and the creature. In the next moment, a thick arc of what had to be ice shot up from the ground, and the monster's flaming fist collided with it uselessly.
'Gideon!' a new voice said with urgency. Above him, Gideon met the eyes of his father, panic-stricken, then full of fury. 'You dare hurt my son, you foul creature!' Marcus Maxwell barked. 'Come, let me return you to the abyss!'
Professor Maxwell brandished his wand forcefully and a bolt of lightning struck the beast. However, it had little effect.
'It appears to be resistant to magic, Professor,' called the Transfiguration teacher from the edge of his icy barrier. 'Physical attacks would likely be more effective.'
'Good!' Gideon's father relished. It's been a while since I let loose. Out of nowhere, a silver shield appeared on the man's left arm. Then, a sword and cross guard composed of white light extended from the tip of his wand.
Gideon looked on in confusion and wonder as his father charged at the flaming monster and began slicing at it like a medieval knight. The places where the blade of light stuck the creature left luminous white scars. The beast was forced back to the rear of the courtyard as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher swung his sword and defended himself from its fiery talons with his shield.
Gideon had always known his father was a skilled Auror before moving into management, but he had no idea the man could fight like this, or that anybody could.
'Oh dear, it looks like we've arrived a little late,' said another voice from behind Gideon. The other Heads of Houses had arrived on the scene, led by Professor Dandridge.
'It's somewhat resistant to magic, Headmistress, but as you can see, it is far from invulnerable,' said Professor Voronov, who had carried Talia over to the group and was setting her down. 'Interestingly, though, most of the damage was done before me and Professor Maxwell arrived.'
'Very interesting,' said Professor Dandridge with a knowing glance at Gideon, Alex and Talia. 'How did Marcus know to be here?'
'I'm not sure. Shall we support him?' the Transfiguration teacher asked.
'Oh, yes. Teachers, if you would, I'll check over our young friends, here,' the headmistress instructed.
Gideon watched in wonder as the four Heads of House; Professor Voronov of Slytherin, Professor Longbottom of Gryffindor, Professor Keane of Hufflepuff, and Professor Long of Ravenclaw, appeared to enter the courtyard side by side, as if in slow motion.
Above, Professor Dandridge had begun bathing Gideon, Alex and Talia in a warm golden light from her wand. Their superficial wounds began to heal, and Gideon's head stopped bleeding. She then removed the stone that pinned Alex's arm with a flick of her wrist and began checking him over more closely.
Gideon turned back to the courtyard, where the teachers had begun firing spells to support Professor Maxwell.
'Marcus? Could you withdraw for a moment?' Professor Keane called. 'You don't mind, do you, Andrei?'
'Not at all, Charisma,' said Professor Voronov in reply.
Professor Keane proceeded to shatter the man's barrier of ice and launched the shards across the courtyard. The beast howled in pain as it was rained down upon with frozen projectiles. However, it quickly brushed them from its fiery body.
'You did bring the growth potion, didn't you Professor Long?' asked Professor Longbottom.
'Of course, Neville,' she replied with a devilish grin. 'Ready?'
Professor Longbottom then fired a spread of green bullets in the direction of the monster. However, they fell short and dropped to the floor rather anticlimactically. The beast laughed heartily in response and began to charge. Suddenly, a puff of smoke erupted at its feet. Professor Long had thrown a potion vial at the spot where the bullets had landed. In the next moment, vines as thick as tree trunks sprouted from the ground and coiled tightly around the living flame. She followed up by crystallising the vines.
As the beast screamed with rage and struggled to break free, Professor Voronov conjured a murder of crows, which shot into the sky and circled above. Professor Keane then waved her wand at them, they were each surrounded by a green aura and began to dive-bomb the monster. As each bird collided with it, they exploded and left a green gooey substance behind. Soon, the monster was encased in it.
'Ah, I see that the professors have bought us some time,' said Professor Dandridge. 'Up we get, then, all of you.'
Gideon had been entranced by the magic on display. The creature that had given him and Alex, and even Talia, so much trouble, had been rendered powerless by the Hogwarts teachers in mere moments.
'This is a school, and we can't waste a teaching opportunity, so I think it's only right that you three finish it off,' said the headmistress cheerily.
'Huh?' Gideon questioned, taken aback as he, Alex and Talia rose off of the floor, feeling much better than they had been. 'Professor, we barely scratched the thing!'
'Not true,' she said simply. 'Don't worry, I'll lend you a hand. Now, the essentials for ritual magic are a good foundation in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. When combined, one can create magic circles rather quickly, which while capable of producing powerful spells, are not usually employed in battle because of how long they take to form. If you have some support, though, they can be rather useful.'
Gideon tried to pay attention to the headmistress's words while she drew runes in the air before them. The little, flickering blue shapes emitted from her wand came together as she directed. She continued until three concentric circles were rotating in the air like a bizarre clock.
The beast began to roar again. Gideon looked over and saw that its flames were blazing wildly. It was melting away Professor Keane's gooey prison.
'Just ignore him,' said Professor Dandridge unconcerned, concluding her spellwork with a soft-blue flash. 'There we are! A triple-layer magical circle. One to increase power, one to increase volume and one to concentrate energy, combined for maximum effectiveness. Professors, gather over here if you would, please.'
As the teachers returned at her command, the beast began to smash the crystal-like vines that contained it. They gathered behind Gideon, Alex and Talia, who were now looking nervously at one another. The beast let loose his loudest roar yet and began limping towards them at a trot, its body burning more brightly and fiercely than ever.
'I don't think you will have learned the water creation spell yet, but I think you'll do just fine,' Professor Dandridge affirmed. 'The incantation is Aguamenti. So, together, if you would, point your wands through the centre of the magic circles and give it a go.'
Gideon was dumbstruck. Give it a go? This was crazy. A flaming monster was bearing down on them, and she wanted them to "give it a go"? She wanted a bunch of third-years to attempt a spell they had never tried in the hope that it would have any kind of real effect against this behemoth?
Alex and Talia looked as unsettled as Gideon felt, but they did as they were told. They pointed their wands through the magic circles, aiming at the approaching monster, and on the head's count of three they uttered together, 'Aguamenti!'
To their immense shock, a positive deluge of water was fired from the other side of the glowing circles with the force of a cannon. It blasted the flaming beast clean across the courtyard and crashed it through the stone wall at the opposite end, where it no doubt drowned under the sheer mass of liquid that followed.
'I think that will do,' Professor Dandridge advised with a proud smile as water began to wash over their feet. Gideon, Alex and Talia cancelled their spells and turned to her, stunned by their achievement. 'Excellent! Now, to the Hospital Wing, I think.'