Previously on Halfblood at Hogwarts
Madame Pomfrey was in a tizzy when she saw Professor Jackson carrying the limp girl in his arms. She immediately gestured towards an empty bed and he placed the student down gently, moving stray strands of hair from her face. He properly and professionally addressed the nurse, telling her the diagnosis. After she was taken care of, we pulled chairs up to the side of the bed, sitting in a half circle while Percy stood in front of us.
"Now, what was this all about?"
"Uh...well...we thought it would be... ya know, fun to explore the grounds a bit, seeing as how it's our first year and all...and we, well we saw someone. At first we thought it was a guard but-but when we looked closer, it wasn't. He was young, ya know, tall and agile. He walked very fast. He was an adult... that much you could tell. He seemed to know his way around, clinging to the shadows and all...he-he gave off this aura though. Almost like the shadows were drawn to him. He was constantly looking around, like he was afraid of being spotted or something. I mean-just looking at 'im gave me chills..."
I looked back at them, shocked by how scared they were acting. The smallest girl was even shaking. Percy uncrossed his arms, his eyes blazing with concern, comfort and some other powerful emotion I could not place. He softened his facial expressions, bending down to get level with them. He gave a small smile, instantly capturing their attention.
"I thank you both for you honesty. I'll see to it that you won't be punished for going out after hours. Make sure it doesn't happen again though. And you have nothing to worry about. The man you saw was most likely an upper-classman of the Slytherin House trying to sneak out without getting caught. There is nothing to fear. Now come here..." He opened his arms, inviting them in. They rushed forward, clinging to him. At first I thought it was because of lust but then I saw both of them still shaking. Professor Jackson gazed down at them with a tortured expression. He gently rubbed his hand up and down their backs, their shaking lessening with each stroke.
"You are safe here at Hogwarts. Trust me..." With those final words, he looked up at me, his eyes telling a different story. In that simple gaze, my blood froze. It was a gaze of knowing, a gaze I know I reciprocated. We both knew, deep down in our souls, that whoever that person was, it was no simple student. It was someone much more, doing something much less innocent.
Percy P.O.V
I saw Hermione's uncomfortable and surprised gaze at my words and at the girls' actions. It was strange for me as well as I looked upon the small girls shivering in my arms. They reminded me of the small, new campers back at home. How innocent and....scared they were. I could feel them shivering in my arms. I wasn't used to comforting people. I awkwardly patted their backs as I looked for someone to help me escape. Hermione just seemed oblivious to my predicament. Dam it.
I knew Dumbledore asked me here to teach and to, as he hopes, help in their battle but, I don't want to protect. I can't protect people. That's part of why I left. Wherever I go, death and destruction is sure to follow. That's why those powers are stemmed into some of my domains and powers. It is a curse that follows me. I can't bring that here. I can't be responsible for any more lives. Everyone I've cared for, everyone I've tried to protect has died.
As I looked upon those girls and the injured students housed in the infirmary, I felt a burst of protectiveness. I may have failed before, but I cannot now. These children aren't even demigods, their fates will not be so cruel as ours. I will redeem myself through them and through the generations of not only heroes, but of humans to come. It's my job now, my duty as a God. Fuck.
I can't be responsible for life. I can't protect it.
I only end it.
With that harrowing thought, I swallowed and disconnect the girls gripping from my arms. They seemed to have remembered themselves as they jumped back with crimson blushes covering their cheeks. They tried to clear their throats, and the girl who had fainted leaned up against the bed.
"T-thanks Professor." they said in unison. I nodded to them. I stood up and looked to Madame Pomfrey as she scurried over.
"I have classes to begin, I trust they will be taken care of?"
"Of course Professor, they will be fine here. I'll send them back once her headache and fatigue goes away." I gave her a half smile and then turned away, preparing to leave.
"Hermione, don't you have some classes to attend?" She looked up at my words clearly flustered. I could tell this was not how she usually acted. It was strange though. Why would she act out of character around me? I watched her curiously as she said her goodbyes and came to my side. She hurriedly brushed her hair behind her ear and clutched a new book in her hands. I looked down at it curiously, fighting back the flashbacks of another bookworm I know- well, knew.
She must have noticed my gaze because she looked up at me with understanding.
"Oh! I got this from Madame Pomfrey. I just-uh-well, I noticed how I didn't know what to do when the girl collapsed and I don't really like not knowing so...well, I asked her for a medical textbook. It should help me with my prefect duties as well. Vast medical knowledge could be useful nowadays. Especially in this time." I don't believe she meant for me to hear her last sentence but my senses are heightened. It was nice to know she wanted to help and care for people and I was positive, were she a demigod, her mother would be Athena. Unfortunately. I simply nodded to her and continued my journey back to the Gryffindor House.
The walk quickly became awkward. Painfully so. I was fine with the quiet but it seemed as if Hermione was struggling. Every few seconds she would open her mouth as if to say something to me only to clamp it shut. I glanced sideways to observe her. She was very short compared to me. I was nearly a whole foot taller than her. As I thought back, Harry wasn't much taller. Her hair was very curly and resided in a messy bun a top her head. She obviously was woken early. She was very pale and I could see a few buds of sweat forming at her hairline. I furrowed my brows as I heard her heart beat hammering away.
She was nervous. But why?
She played with the binding of the book before trying to speak with me. Once again, she failed. Getting impatient with her, I stopped and faced her.
"Is there something bothering you Miss Granger?" She looked up at me in surprise, slightly guilty at the fact she got caught.
"Well....I just-", she huffed as she gathered her thoughts. "It's just, how did you know? How did you know what to do? And what you said to them Sir....did you really mean it?"
I looked down at her. I knew her last sentence had a double meaning. She was searching for something.
"Where I come from, the 'institute' I was trained at, the lessons were much more real and physical. We trained to oppose dark forces and fight, successfully. Because of that, many of us got injured. Especially me. In battle, there isn't always a medic to care for you. Thus, I learned how to treat wounds and properly diagnose and identify injuries and illnesses. It is a survival necessity for my job. Well, past job now. That is part of why Dumbledore requested me to be the new teacher. To pass on what I know to you for your survival. We both know what threat the wizard world will be facing Miss Granger. You are not ignorant, nor blind. And as for what I said....that is slightly more complicated."
She looked back up at me, absorbing the misinformation and truths I had given her. She frowned at my last response.
"What do you mean by more complicated Sir?" She was cautious and suspicion laced her words.
"I flat out lied." I told her bluntly. "It would be counter productive to lie to ourselves and say it was a Slytherin student. it is not fair to them, firstly because we would be making them the villains they are not. Secondly, I believe you already have your suspicions as to who or what could be prowling our halls. But I can confirm nothing. There is much for them to fear Miss Granger. I know of your past adventures. We both know the truth. There is much to fear in the world, both mortal and supernatural. But that is why the teachers are here. To protect you and to teach you how to survive. You have no need to worry. As long as you reside within these walls and I am here, I will not let harm fall upon any of the students. That is why I lied to those first year girls. They are not ready for reality. Not yet anyway." She opened her mouth to ask another question but I held up my hand to stop her.
"That is enough questions Miss granger. You best hurry back to your room. Wouldn't want to be late now." Her eyes widened as she cursed under her breath. She dashed off but not before whispering me a thank you. I waited for her to leave my eyesight before flashing to my room. If I didn't know better, I would have suspected he person to be Nico. But it couldn't possibly be him. No one at Camp Halfblooded knows where I am. Only Hectate, my mother, and Chiron know. And they swore to never reveal my location for the sake of world balance.
So who was it? And what did he want?
As I entered my temple/mansion, I conjured up some clothing for me. An open jacket and pajama shorts were hardly the way to appear on the first day of teaching my classes. Despite how comfortable they are and the fact that I am all for laziness.
I had black combat trousers with deep pockets and side pouches for weapons and ammo. They were pure black, not variations of shades or color. My top was a tight gray workout shirt with black padding along my spine. There was a dark black design of my symbols of power imprinted over my heart encircled my Greek letters and designs much like my tattoos. The sleeves were cut off so it was a tight fitting muscle tank. I had summoned some leather combat boots that laced up to the half of my calf.
I cracked my knuckles as I walked to my weapon room. I sighed as I took a silent inventory. All the weapons I needed for training were all assembled. I nodded to myself and entered the white and sea blue door at the very end of the room. It had a seal lock with no key. There were only a cluster of Greek symbols layered over each other. Omega at the bottom, Beta in the middle, and Alpha on the top. Together, they were a beautiful cluster of multiple meanings. At least to me they were. Once the symbols were touched by a stream of my Godly aura, they shifted. The new symbol created was one of my own design. It was a circle, much like the globe in my mind, and arrows came shooting outward from all angles. Inside, there were visible designs that only I could see, made from my own aura. And only I can truly understand what they mean and symbolize.
I pushed the door open and took in the glory of my weapons and their power. The room was circular, each weapon placed with its brothers fill the perimeter. Riptide was the first blade to my right. I picked it up and it shifted into its pen form. I placed the object into my right upper pocket. Next to it was the shield Tyson had made me. Of course, it had been remodeled and upgraded but it was still my brother's gift. I took it and placed it's watch form over my left wrist. Next were my two Holy Swords.
Katastrofi and Dimiourgia.
καταστροφή. δημιουργία.
Destruction and Creation.
Katastrofi's current form was the smallest size the blade could morph into, besides a dagger. It was made of a combinations of metal, the most prominent being destruction ore and what I can only describe as a solidified black hole. I nicknamed the blade Void, much like the dimension of no return. It was thick and the center of the blade was hollowed out with a pattern of flames. When fed power, the blade would burst with shadow fire, oozing darkness and death. Nico would be jealous. Its pure and godly form was much more frightening. Even I was intimidated by my blade. I could feel its thirst for chaos and madness. I almost lost myself the first time I unleashed it.
Dimiourgia was the same exact size and shape as Katastrofi, with one major difference. The blade was whole and as white as star light. It gave off a silver aura when surrounded by darkness. The blades aura reminded me of Hestia honestly. The peace it gave me when wielded. The balance. In the center of the blade were jade green strips of power that pulsated and changed color dependent on my mood and who I was fighting. They wrapped around each other much like vines and twisted together like a kelp forest. I did not know what the blade was made of, but she had a soul. Yes, a she. I just feel it. Katastrofi has one as well, but Dimiourgia's is much more mysterious and pure. The blade is completely untainted.
Katastrofi shifted into a pitch black ring that fight on my left hand's middle finger. Etched in silver were the Greek and Latin words for Destruction laced with blood red accents. Dimiourgia shifted into a silver and white ring that fit my right hand's middle finger. The words for Creation were etched in jade green around the band. They both reminded me of Ying and Yang. They were my balance.
Next were two daggers. Just looking at them sent a pain into my chest. Chasing Wisdom, the two blades of my fallen beloved. I had recovered them after the war and did not have the heart to leave them for another to claim. I didn't change them into a concealed form, instead I placed them into the two dagger holsters attached to my upper thigh. Wise Girl, you're still protecting me.
At the left side of the room was a weapon I was hesitant to use. It was a gift from Apollo, Artemis, and Ares surprisingly. Blessed to always aim straight and true. The bow was a longbow, nearly as long as I am tall. It's draw weight was over 100 lbs. Artemis told me how the draw weight would increase as my strength did so I would never snap it. The arrows varied in kind. From solid gold, silver, steel, and other metals, I had an unending arsenal seeing as how my quiver always refilled. They both shrunk into a tiny bow and arrow charm which I clipped onto the leather bracelet residing on my right wrist. The bracelet had tiny loops of silver for various "charms" which meant I could collect more weapons. Chasing Wisdom normally resided on the bracelet as well.
My wand was the next weapon to be placed. I had yet to figure out what I wanted to do with it so I simply grabbed the piece of wood and shoved it into my back right pocket. I won't be needing it for class but, I'm supposed to be a wizard. Gotta fit in somehow.
Those were all of my current weapons but there was an empty bracket for another weapon I wanted to get. During my time in Tartarus, I had befriended the Rivers of the Underworld. I wanted to create a Trident that connected to my ocean and water domains, including the Rivers I guard. I had yet to ask Hephy to forge me the weapon. But I didn't want the trident to be its only form. I wanted the weapon to posses the ability to morph into whatever weapon I needed be it a sword or a gun. I'm gonna owe him a lot of favors for that.
With that final thought, I existed my private weapons room and locked the door. I doubled checked the students weapons and then flashed to the grass fields I had shaped to my own design. And I waited.
Hermione's P.O.V
"I flat out lied." He told be bluntly. I could feel my eyes widening. How could this man be around my age? He- there are many things this new teacher is. But why would he confess to me? And how could he lie and be so-so calm and undisturbed by it? "It would be counter productive to lie to ourselves and say it was a Slytherin student. it is not fair to them, firstly because we would be making them the villains they are not. Secondly, I believe you already have your suspicions as to who or what could be prowling our halls. But I can confirm nothing. There is much for them to fear Miss Granger. I know of your past adventures. We both know the truth. There is much to fear in the world, both mortal and supernatural. But that is why the teachers are here. To protect you and to teach you how to survive. You have no need to worry. As long as you reside within these walls and I am here, I will not let harm fall upon any of the students. That is why I lied to those first year girls. They are not ready for reality. Not yet anyway."
I could not deny his logic, though I wanted to protest. He had given me much to think about. He had given away a piece of his past, and the more clues I got, the more I could investigate him. Harry was just paranoid about Percy because of his dangerous aura. Me, I am curious by nature. And this man is an enigma. A Rubix cube I plan on solving. I need to deduce whether or not he is truly worth trusting. And how could he know about my past ventures with Harry and Ron? The only person who could have told him was Dumbledore. But why would Dumbledore give away so many secrets to a person who is not even British?! It frustrated me. I had just turned the corner before I couldn't hold back my final question. I turned back around to confront him. But when I turned the corner, he was gone.
The corridor was empty and still There was no echo of footsteps, nor another path he could have taken. The were no signs of Floo Powder being used and no aura of magic. Were there other modes of wizard transportation I did not know about?
Curiouser and curiouser.
I swallowed and clutched my book closer to my chest. I had a first period class. There was no time to hypothesize how he disappeared. I had prefect duties to attend to. I better not be late. I would just have to settle for sharing my findings and suspicions with the boys. Maybe they could help me figure out somethings. And I also had to redeem myself. There was no way I am allowing Harry James Potter take my place of top in the class for Potions. That is ludicrous.
I barely noticed how the dorms were quickly emptying as I redressed into my robes. I grabbed all my books and rushed out, hoping to get to Slughorn's class before Harry and Ron did. I wasn't the first student. I was the second one to arrive. The first was a Ravenclaw girl who I had never really associated with. We didn't agree and what was good literature. Professor Slughorn greeted me as I slid into my stool. It's only the second day Hermione, you can do this.
Bonjour! My name is Time. My last name is Lapse. How are you liking this chapter so far?
I should Hex you Harry Potter I huffed as I hurried out of class. I looked like a downright fool throughout the entire class period! I hurriedly wiped away the soot stains on my cheeks. At least I didn't looked as bad as Seamus. For a while, Slughorn actually debated sending him to the infirmary. I shuffled my books as I looked upon my potions textbook with distain. It was the most unhelpful book I had ever received. At least fairy tails have a moral. This was just bad literature and educational material! Harry's book seemed to serve him well, despite the fact that he never followed the instructions. How could he dare to not follow the instructions!? They are there for a specific reason! I could hear Harry and Ron laughing behind me and I halted, waiting for them to catch up. I may be frustrated with them, well mainly my incompetence, but they were still my friends.
We continued on through our shared second period until I looked at my next class. It was Professor Jackson's class, Weaponry and Battle. Followed by Defense Against the Dark Arts for fourth period. Bloody Brilliant. The two combatant classes one after another. I knew what to expect in DADA but this new class, I was completely caught off guard. It seemed redundant. An dot make things worse, both classes were paired with the Slytherin House. Administration must believe opposites attract. Oh how they couldn't be more wrong.
Harry P.O.V
Hermione, Ron and I walked towards our third period class and I could feel Hermione thinking she was that concentrated. I knew better than to break her train of thought so I exchanged small talk with Ron once he caught on with how occupied our friend was. As we reached the class, we stopped. A gathering of Slytherins and Gryffindors were clustered around what I could only assume was Professor Jackson's classroom. But why were they not in class?
"It says Meet me in the fields. What in bloody hell does that mean? Why is his door locked?" I could feel Hermione bristle at their incompetence.
"Obviously the locked door means class will not be held here. That note you were reading is Professor Jackson telling us where we are to adjourn. He means for us to meet him at the fields. Seeing as how the Quidditch fields are occupied by beginner flyers, one must assume he means the fields aside Hagrid's house and the Forbidden Forest. So what are you all doing protesting here when we are all late?" With that she turned on her heel and stalked away. It only took a momentary pause before everyone began followed her, the Slytherins mumbling in protest.
We all fumbled past the Qudditch fields like lost puppies. Was this some sort of test? I mean, just saying the word field when Hogwarts is surrounded by grassland is not that specific or helpful. We circled around each other, trying to spy wherever Professor Jackson could be hiding.
Ron came up to Hermione and I as we huddled with the other Gryffindors. "D'ya think Hagrid would know where he is?"
"That's brilliant Ronald! If Professor Jackson's classes are outside, Hagrid would have to know where they are located. It's his job as Ground's Keeper."
"Well, let's go see Hagrid." With that the mob began to journey towards Hagrid's home. The humble stone cottage was a place of comfort for the three friends. None of the other students really hung out with Hagrid. They saw as a trail of light gray smoke billowed from the chimney stack, drifting up to the clouds. The windows had a light orange glow emanating from within. Hagrid was probably cooking something. That, or he got another dragon. But they hoped for the best.
As the large group approached the front door, Hagrid hobbled out looking at them in confusion.
"What are all of ya doing' out here? Yer supposed to be in class."
"Well, you see-"
"Can you tell us where Professor Jackson is holding his class?"
Hagrid let out a little chuckle, holding his pot belly as it bounced. "Having' a bit o' trouble are you? Huh....I'm liking this Jackson kid. You see that strange structure over there on the nearest field? You kind find him over there." They all turned their heads to the direction Hagrid was pointing at. It was a strange thing they were looking at. It was a little bit aways but they knew it was large. What confused them a lot was how it seemed to just appear. Yesterday, there was no building. Today, there is one.
Who the bloody hell is this new teacher?
Third Person P.O.V
"You're late!"
All the clueless students jumped at the loud booming voice. Some had even yelped with surprise. they were all tense, recognizing the angry voice of a teacher. They turned their heads at the sound of gras crushing under strong foot falls. They could almost feel the threatening aura coming from behind.
Professor Jackson stepped up in front of his third period class and sighed. It wasn't even noon yet and he already had his patience stripped away. Those Weasley twins are too similar to Connor and Travis, except they don't know any boundaries. That was going to become a problem in his class. He came close to throttling them a few times. Otherwise, he and the twins could be good friends. He pretended not to notice the sighs of shock and adoration coming from the females. He also pretended not to notice how he intimidated everyone. As he walked up to the front, he stood, his legs shoulder width apart with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Seeing as how this is the first day of my class, I'll be lenient. We have a lot to do, and I have a lot to explain with little time. Boys! You see the wooden building to the left? That is your gym room. Grab a cubby, get dressed. Well? Get going! Girls! See that building to the right, that's your gym room. Put away your things and change. Meet me out here in 10 minutes. No more, no less." The students looked around at each other before dashing into the rooms.
They were all thoroughly confused by Professor Jackson, ad this course. The "field" they had adjourned to was precariously close to the Forbidden Forest and many of them were unnerved. It was very large, slightly bigger than Quidditch practice field. It was split into two main sections as it seemed. On the right side, there was a large circular arena. Hermione had marveled at it, comparing it to the Colosseum and the greek arenas. She also was curious as to how it as built so quickly. She was positive this construction was not even scaffolded yesterday. Then suddenly, there is a building. No one knew what was inside and Percy was anticipating the big reveal of the training arena.
The left side of the field was different. There were various obstacles and training courses surrounded by a large circular track. They looked to be made of wood and some of the structures resembled a jungle gym. A dangerous jungle gym. At the far end, near the start of the track, were these large rectangular boxes. It was too far away for anyone to know but those were going to be the storage for their weapons when in training. they had yet to even know they were going to be using weapons.
As they walked into the sheds, everyone was doubting how they could all fit inside shut a tiny building. Oh ye of little faith. As they entered the small doors to their respective gym rooms, the inside expanded much to their amazement. There were multiple floors and the grandeur could compete against Hogwarts' facilities. But they could not gawk for long. They found the closets the Professor was talking about and as they approached, a pair of clothes appeared on the shelves. They grabbed them quickly and shuffled to get changed. No time for self consciousness. The boys were worse. By the time they were done, the floors were coated in disregarded robes and disregarded books and loose notes. They all had one thing in common though; DO NOT BE LATE.
Professor Jackson stood near the entrances, chuckling humorously as they scrambled to be on time. The first one out was a scrawny looking boy. He was long and lanky, skin and bones really. he seemed like a victim of bullying. Not surprising seeing as how he was Hufflepuff. He was too nice to fight back. When Percy was done with him, he would be able to defend himself. Under his tutelage, hopefully they would have a fighting chance against whatever opposed them throughout life.
Next out was a group of girls and slowly but surely, nearly everyone was out in time. But not everyone. Percy noticed a small group of boys missing from his student list.
"Ten minutes are up. Good job to those of you who made it in time." He looked up as he saw a tall pale boy and two other saunter out of the room laughing to each other. "For those of you who made it on time, head to the track." The three boys ignored him as he walked up and continued snarling. Percy stood patiently in front of them as the class walked on in curiosity.
"Something funny boys?" The pale blonde on looked up and smirked. He reeked of arrogance.
"You are. How can a pathetic nobody teach us anything. You should-agh!" Percy's eyes flashed as he surged forward, slamming his fist into the boy's stomach and flipping him into the ground. He held him there for a second, glaring him into submission until he stopped flailing beneath him. Once the boy stopped and his cronies looked away he stood up and walked off.
"How dare you!! Once I tell my father-"
"I couldn't care less kid. You're in my class now. My class, my rules, my jurisdiction. Your daddy's got nothing on me. Now get to the track and start running. All three of you. Don't stop until I tell you." The boy tried to protest but Percy gave him a warning stare.
"If you want to survive, I'd get started." With that the two fatter boys dashed of, leaving their fuming "friend" behind.
"This isn't over Jackson" he hissed. Percy smirked. Challenge accepted. With that he walked back to the rest of his class. This is going to be a long day.
The Golden Trio looked on in slight horror. He beat Malfoy down so quickly and didn't even seem to have tried. He certainly was intimidating. As he approached the students, they parted before him and followed as he waved them forward.
"This is going to be your hardest class. Physical strength will get you no where, neither will brains. You must find a balance between the two if you are to succeed and master you weapon. If you haven't guessed already this is a class about war. I will teach you how to fight with your hands and other weapons-"
"Why would we need to learn that when we have our wands?" Percy eyed the student, annoyed with his interruption. He was glad that he asked that question though. It was reasonable.
"Come forward." The student nervously stepped up and looked around, confused. "Give me your wand."
"What?"
"Give me your wand." The boy cautiously pulled it out of his back pocket and put it in the Professor's extended hand.
"Now attack and defeat me." The boy balked. He wasn't sure what to do. He tried to form an offensive position but in the end he gave up before he really tried. He threw a few lazy punches and Percy didn't even have to step in order to dodge them.
"That is why. Without your wands, you're defenseless. Weak. I'm here to teach you how to not master weapons but yourselves." He handed the wand back. "It will be a long process. It will hurt, it will test you both physically and mentally. It is dangerous. Once you are ready, I will be giving you real weapons, weapons that can kill if used recklessly. Blood will be spilt in the process of learning. You will be forced through obstacles, training excursuses and battle simulations. Your tests will not be written. No amount of studying will save you. I will make you strong. But before ewe begin, I'm giving you a choice now. If you don't think you can handle it, walk away. Walk now, and you won't suffer. You stay....you're here for the long run." He paused, curious to see if anyone would give in like his other classes. To his surprise, everyone stayed, though few looked uncertain. His students looked on in shock as a genuine smile graced his face. "Then let's get started."
Everyone began to step away but the Professor called the back. "One more thing. I have a question to ask you all and at some point throughout my class, I want you to answer it."
"What is it sir?"
"Tell me...would you kill to save a life?"
"What?" the congregation mumbled in confusion. Harry felt a forbidding feeling as his blood ran cold. That question. Why would he ask that question. Even Ron and Hermione were beginning to feel uncomfortable and scared. The Professor's eyes had darkened, his expression more than serious.
"Would you take another person's life with your own hands, even of it was someone you call a friend, to save the life of another?" No one answered him and he didn't seemed surprised. He walked towards Malfoy and his cronies who were still running the track as the students remained. He stopped them and called them forth to explain the class. The rest of the students stayed there as a group in shock at his question, almost numb.
"Why would we have to kill our friends...?"
"Why would he ask that?"
"Did you see his eyes and expression?"
Hermione looked at Harry with slight horror. "Harry...why would he ask that?" The black haired boy looked back at her before delivering his grim reply.
"Because he knows there is a war coming....that's why he's here...." Ron swallowed with wide eyes.
"What are we in for?"
The bird chirped beautiful, a nice high pitched twitter. It resided in a small circular cage with wires running vertically down. Its partner was quiet as it looked in the opposite direction. It was observing the figure walking past the room, his dull footsteps echoing throughout the corridors. He was tall, thin, and lean. The shadows of the hallways covered his face, casting him in shadow. His clothes were black, the only sign of contrast was his pale, sickly white hair.
He walked up towards an ancient tapestry. Its image depicted the capture of a pure white unicorn with a very long silver horn. Surrounding it was a wooden fence. The creature was reared back, his mane flying as it protested its capture. It had a metal collar shackled to its neck. The color had faded greatly but you could still see and feel the fear and sadness in its sky blue eyes. Surrounding the poor, unfortunate soul was a crowd of people, laughing and pointing as it fuitily tried to escape. The boy paused as he looked at the pure creature, not seeing how he was the beast as well. Pure at heart but caged by the darkness of the world. Alone and weak.
The boy whispered words to the wall and tapestry, looking behind his back as he waited it to comply. The Room of Requirement shifted according to his needs, a metal and stone door forming behind the tapestry. The boy pushed it aside and entered the room.
There was the faint noise of moth wings fluttering, the eerie echo of a skipping record grating against his ears. The air was stale with dust. The room was filled with cabinets and desks, old ruined pieces of furniture destroyed and piled into small mountains. Each shelf was full of creepy and ancient antiques, much like what you would find in a Professor's office or an old abandoned museum. He cautiously walked further into the room as he turned his head to gaze in wonderment at what he was presented with. There was a small pathway through all the rubble and he followed it while casually throwing an apple up into the air and catching it with a loud slap of sound. His right hand rested in his pocket. If anyone had walked in, it would have appeared as if he was taking an afternoon stroll. If, of course, they missed his apprehensive gaze and tense shoulders.
He walked past a group of hanging chandeliers, a faint bang echoed throughout the room. The birds chirps were a whisper, the creaking of the room setting him on edge. He stopped at a window, the light illuminating his nervous and pale face. He turned around apprehensively. Behind him was a large and tall piece of furniture covered with a faded red and white patterned rug. He walked up to it and grasped the red in his right hand while grasping the apple tightly in his left. Please be it he thought. He pulled down and the coarse fabric fell from the object with a loud gush of wind.
The object revealed was a large black and dark brown cabinet. The Vanishing Cabinet. Draco was caught between feeling smug and being intimidated. It was very tall, the edges outlined by an intricate design of metal. The wood looked very old and creaked slightly. It was cast in shadows and seemed to ooze an ominous aura. Draco swallowed slowly before a smirk began to form across his face.
Finally.
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Guess what? NO MORE WRITER'S BLOCK!!!!! So that's good news for you guys! Did you miss me?
I just want to say you have all been so supportive and patient with and I am so grateful. So grateful to you all. Your comments, your votes, your reads, they make me so happy and proud. A shout out to all of you and those of you who follow me. Especially Jaycee_Porter. I know you are new to my stories but I just wanted to say thank you for your comments and compliments. I've always been self conscience about my writing but it is comments like yours that make me feel confident and proud. And that goes to all my readers, not just Jaycee specifically. I love hearing how my story touches you guys and how I am doing the stories and franchises proud. So thank you, all of you.
We've come so far. I never expected my story to become this popular or loved. Never.
19K!
20K!!
21K!!!
22K!!!!
Who knows? Maybe by the time I post this, we'll be at 23K? Wouldn't that be something.
If you guys want, I will tell you about where I disappeared to for three weeks. So just comment if you want to know about it and hear about my adventures.
Next up on my agenda.....hmmm, let's see....what was it? Oh Ya!!! I've entered this story into the Watty Awards 2015!!!!! I never would have had the courage to do this without your support, comments, and votes. I will give you more updates once the entering dates have finished and the competition starts. Also, school has now started (in the story). Shit will start going down. I'm saying this in advance for a chapter I have planned to post later on. Much later on. But Percabeth shippers, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
What else? So what are your opinions on the new chapter? I tried to make it long-longerish....don't know if I really succeeded or not...oh well. Laziness for the win. Always
Travel News. This is still up for debate with my dad and I but we are thinking of taking a two week long off-roading trip up to Yellowstone National Park. That means taking my baby (my Jeep) into desert land and places with no reception. Thus, writing will be lax. Also because I will be driving a lot and trying to finish my AP homework. Procrastination is hitting me hard in that regard. Really hard.
Also, I've decided to do a Q and A with you guys. You ask me question you want to know whether it be in regard to my writing or some things more personal. Saying this, if the questions are to personal, I won't answer them. That doesn't mean you can't ask them. Maybe later on, I'll revisit the questions and answer them. You can ask me about my music choices, places I've been, places I want to travel to, the list goes on. Don't hold back.
Also, I want to know how you guys found my story. I genuinely want to know. So comment how you found me and your first thoughts.
I LOVE YOU GUYS AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT.
*This is an unedited, un-looked over chapter. Please comment any mistakes I may have*
Adieu,
Aisha