Chapter 41: War in the Forbidden Forest
Neal saw the werewolf making his way towards him on its two legs while growling. he immediately put his Black Walnut wand into his pocket and took out his Basilisk wand.
then he spoke in parseltongue to wake it up, "Awake my wand". He pointed his wand towards the werewolf and while it's in the midway, Isle crawls out from his hand and jumped on to the ground. It hissed at the werewolf showing its fangs, threatening it to not to step even an inch forward.
Neal took advantage of the moment and waved his wand, "Expulso". The spell struck the werewolf and blasted it through various trees and injured it heavily. Neal then mumbled, "Prof. McGonagall is right. I should learn some normal spells. These two spells are extremely dangerous.
I can only use them in times like these". Then, Neal looked at the fatally injured werewolf and said, "Well, since you are lurking around here, I guess you must either be a student or a staff of Hogwarts Or you might even be an enemy. Let's see your face after three days, then". He opened the suitcase and sucked him inside to an empty snow habitat.
Back to the Present;
Neal was surprised to hear that the war isn't delayed at all. He asked Magorian, the leader of centaurs, "who are the enemies?". Bane replied, "The Giants, half-giants, The Forest trolls, and the Minotaurs and our allies are, Acromantulas, The Wolves and foxes and Hippogriffs.
I want a copy of your map, Neal. I know we already owe you one but still, this is for sake of war". As Neal nodded, Magorian further said, "the information about the war is already passed to the Hogwarts through Hagrid. Probably in a month or two, you will get a notice from your headmaster that the forest will be prohibited. We decided to not involve humans in our war".
Neal nodded, "I understand. I'll see you again after the war". Then, he returned to Hogwarts with a few potion ingredients in his hand while the rest of all of them were sent to the hall in his suitcase as he feared that the animals will eat or damage the ingredients.
He mumbled, "should I help them? If they won with my help, then I might get a monopoly over a few rare ingredients which I can ask for the rest of the colonies to collect them for me. After all, the forest is too big for me and there might be also a few unfamiliar magical creatures and their colonies".
Neal then continued his life just as every day but as the March arrived, while playing Quidditch, he realized that he's reaching his limit quicker than before. He even fainted once in a Quidditch practice. He also began to feel weaker day after day for no reason.
When he checked himself at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey replied with a surprise, "Bless my soul! Slytherin, you must have been hit with some powerful curse. Something is absorbing your life force. You should urgently meet Dumbledore, right now".
Neal went to the Dumbledore's office and saw the Phoenix burned itself in flames just when he entered the room. He slowly stepped forward to the ashes and mumbled, "today's my lucky day, I guess. I get to see a Phoenix be reborn".
As he touched the ashes and clearing them, a small baby bird came out of it while shaking his head and removing the ashes on it. Neal smiled while moving his index to pet it while touching its chin. As it started to chirp, Neal mumbled, "it's cute".
A voice came from the floor above, "fascinating creatures, aren't they". Neal smiled, "yeah. I would love to have one of them in the future, Professor". He chuckled while walking down the stairs, "your little snake will fight it to its death".
Neal grinned, "I guess". Dumbledore then asked, "what are you here for, Neal?". When Neal explained his problem, he took his wand and pointed at him and spoke a few counterspells he knows. "Hmm, No. There's no curse placed on you. I think it was because of a cursed item you are using. Tell me, Neal, is there such a thing you are using?".
Suddenly Neal realized and gasped, "the diary". Dumbledore asked, "what diary?". Neal replied with a frown, "Tom Riddle's diary. It's been with me since Christmas. Tom Riddle placed his memory inside it. He helps me out with my studies and helps out with spells. I think he absorbs life force to converse. I just need to stop using it regularly".
While Neal was about to tell how intelligent Tom Riddle is, Dumbledore grabbed his shoulders tightly. He looked into his eyes and asked, "did you just say Tom Riddle's diary?". Neal nodded.
Dumbledore then asked, "how did you get it? Did Draco or his father Lucius Malfoy give it to you?". Neal replied, "no, I found it at Myrtle's bathroom. Not sure who dumped it there though". Dumbledore then said, "Neal, hurry up and bring it here, right now. No, we'll just go there".
He grabbed Neal who was confused about why Dumbledore is in a hurry hearing Tom Riddle's name. Dumbledore and Neal apparated right before the Slytherin common room's entrance. He said, "I'll wait here. You go and bring it".
While everyone was wondering why Dumbledore appeared in the dungeons, Neal ran upstairs and just when he went to his room, he found that it was opened. He mumbled, "didn't I lock the door while coming out? That means..."
He rushed to his room and checked the trunk under his bed. As he saw it was pretty much intact, he sighed with relief, "no one tried to unlock my trunk and steal my suitcase. Just in case, let's check it". Then he opened his trunk and saw everything was in its place.
As he looked around the room, he was startled, "Merlins' Beard! The diary's gone". Tom Riddle's diary which he just kept on the desk, in the morning disappeared. He rushed downstairs without greeting back, Daphne and Draco who were just on their way to his room.
As he went outside of the common room panting, Dumbledore eagerly asked, "did you bring the diary? Where is it?". Neal replied, "someone broke into my room while I was on my way to the hospital. They touched nothing but took the diary".
Dumbledore was taken back, "what? are you telling the truth?". Neal nodded, "Believe me, Professor. I'm not lying. I will investigate and see if anyone asked my room number or went towards my room, today. By the way, what is that diary? Is it really a cursed item?".
Dumbledore replied, "something worse than that". As Dumbledore apparated disappointedly, Neal thought, "why, now of all times?".
Meanwhile, Ginny looking at the diary in her hands while smiling, "I finally got my diary back. Now, no one would be able to beat me in the final exams. I will beat that Eve once again and become the class topper. I really have to thank Hermoine for the help".
The next day morning on Sunday, as Hermoine, Ron, and Harry went to Myrtle's bathroom, they saw there was a mess around the cauldron as it fell on the floor. The potion is all over the floor making Hermoine furious.
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