Kapitel 28: Trick 27: Coward no more!
Not even a minute later, a group of people ran into the library.
McGonagall heard Ace and looked on top of the bookcase only to see a cat shivering. She sighed to herself and floated to him while standing on a table. She picked him up and held him in her arms, coming back down slowly, saying gently "It's alright now… The monster is gone."
The other professors looked at the cat and asked "Your cat, Minerva?" Minerva looked at them and replied after a few moments, "Yes, luckily he was spared… Ms Granger on the other hand…" before sighing.
Ace opened his eyes and looked at Hermione petrified on the ground, freezing in shock. He felt a tightening feeling in his chest and nauseous from the pit of his stomach. He jumped out of McGonagall's arms and ran off, disappearing from the library.
McGonagall watched him go and sighed before turning to the other professors, saying "Take her to the infirmary please." as she walked out.
Ace ran out of the castle and stared at the sky in a daze before throwing up on the grass. He didn't even know what to think, all he could feel was guilt. He sat on the ground in his cat form, staring off into space, his mind completely blank.
Because of him, a little girl was petrified. All he could do was cower and shiver in fear.
What kind of wizard or mage was he?
All his big dreams of being a hero vanished into a puff of smoke as soon as he was confronted by something that scared him. What kind of hero runs away from a monster? What kind of hero shivers in fear?
He was so distraught by his spiraling thoughts, that he didn't even notice McGonagall walking up from behind him. She looked at him and sighed once again, before picking him up and walking back into the castle.
A few minutes later
She put Ace on her desk in her office and sat behind it, saying "Ace." Ace just sat on the table in a daze, not responding at all. She sighed and grabbed him, saying "Ace! Look at me."
Ace turned his head towards her absentmindedly as McGonagall looked at him gently, "It's completely normal to be afraid, you've barely even been a wizard for 2 years now. It's not your fault that poor Ms Granger was petrified…"
Ace tilted his head at her in a daze, coming back to his senses as she continued "Anyone would freeze in the face of a Monster. There's no need to be so hard on yourse-" Ace interrupted her and patted his chest, meowing.
He stopped and transformed back into his human form, saying "But I'm not anyone! A hero doesn't act like this!" McGonagall looked at him funnily, saying "Who said you were a hero? You're not a hero." Ace froze and stared at her as she continued "You barely even know the basics of magic, you are still a student. How could you be a hero when you know next to nothing about magic?"
She rolled her eyes, "If you could compare to Dumbledore, perhaps this would be a different story. But you are barely on a 4th year level at the moment. Who can you save?" she shook her head and looked at him flatly, "You almost couldn't save yourself, how can you save other people?"
Ace slowly put his hands down and turned around. He clenched his fists and ran out of the office as McGonagall shouted "Ace? Where are you- oh for merlin's sake…" before sighing.
Ace ran into a bathroom and took off his tie, throwing his jacket to the ground as he unbuttoned his shirt at the top three buttons, rolling his sleeves up as he grinded his teeth.
He threw his magic bag and wand to the side before smashing his fists on a sink.
He looked at the person he saw in the mirror and got more angry at himself, he muttered "Why are you such a coward!?" before punching the mirror.
His fist smashed the mirror, but it turned into confetti, falling to the floor. Ace ignored it and grabbed the sink again, gripping the edges tightly as he clenched his teeth in shame.
His mind couldn't help wavering to what McGonagall said… Maybe he wasn't a hero. Maybe his dreams of saving people were just that, dreams. Why was he even at Hogwarts to begin with?
Why even learn magic if he would never use it?
Maybe he should just run away and hide in a corner of the world, never coming out of his home!
Ace grinded his teeth and the sink turned into ice before shattering under his grip. He swung his fist and smashed a bathroom stall door, turning it into smoke before calming down.
He looked at the ground and saw his reflection in the water. He clenched his fists and turned away from himself, overriding his thoughts. He looked at the door to the bathroom and clenched his teeth.
He picked up his magic sack and wand before straightening up and looking at his tie and jacket for a moment before turning around.
He closed his eyes and stepped on his reflection in the water as he walked out of the bathroom, going back to the library.
The days of being a coward stopped today.
This very minute, he was done with being scared.
He would get that Basilisk and kill the fear inside of him.
He swore on it…
A little bit later
Ace returned to the library and started cleaning up before moving his things to the restricted section. He sat down and started to study once again.
A few weeks later
Ace had stopped showing up for McGonagall's experiments. He barely even left the library to eat. He threw himself into research and didn't speak to anyone. He only wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top 3 buttons undone, along with black pants and his sneakers.
Currently, he was looking at writing in blood on the wall.
'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.'
He had just overheard Harry and Ron talking about a girl dying in the bathroom 50 years ago and the fact that Gilderoy was going to kill the Basilisk. Of course he knew which bathroom that was, he was in there a few weeks ago.
He looked down the hallway where Harry and Ron ran off to before transforming into a cat and running off.
A few minutes later
Ace watched Harry and Ron force Gilderoy to jump down a hole in the girls bathroom.
Harry had just used Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets and they all jumped down.
Ace looked down the hole before turning his head to a little girl's ghost, she said "Oh my, a kitty!" Ace ignored her and looked down the hole, hearing Gilderoy laughing mockingly.
He jumped down and slid on a pipe, landing on a pile of bones.
He suddenly heard Gilderoy shouting "Obliviate!" before a loud thud and a rumble.
Ace turned his head and ran to the noise only to see a wall of rocks, Gilderoy, and Ron. But he heard Harry's voice calling out to Ron, "Ron! Ron, are you okay!?" Ron replied "I'm fine!"
Gilderoy sat up and said "Oh hello! Who are you?" Ron looked at him and said "Ron Weasley." Gilderoy replied with raised brows, "Really? And uhh… wh-who am I?" Ron ignored him and turned to the rock wall, saying "Lockhart's memory charm backfired! He hasn't got a clue who he is!"
Ace turned his head to the rock wall, seeing Harry's face through a hole. He looked at himself and thought about whether he could fit through the hole as Harry told Ron to clear up the rocks so he could leave.
Ace narrowed his eyes and looked at the shedded skin of the Basilisk, he walked in the darkness and jumped on the rocks, coming to the hole.
Suddenly, a red bird swooped by him through the hole and flew off.
Ace frowned and squeezed through the hole, chasing after it. He came to a huge chamber to see the red bird was actually a Phoenix!
Not only that but it was attacking the Basilisk!
Ace raised a paw and trembled, but he stamped his paw on the ground and meowed before leaping into the air, clawing wildly with his eyes closed.
Luckily! Ace landed on the Basilisk's head!
It hissed in rage and Ace hissed as well, his fangs growing out to the sabertooth variation as he bit down on the Basilisk. He could feel one tooth pierce into a soft and gooey spot as the Basilisk screeched in pain, shaking Ace wildly!
The Phoenix nudged Ace, who clawed down, scratching another gooey spot as someone shouted "NO!"
Ace flew off the Basilisk and smashed into the ceiling before falling flat on the ground. Harry shouted in shock "Ace?!"
Ace shook his head and got back on his 4 paws with his eyes closed. Harry said quickly "Watch out!!" Ace jumped to the wrong side and was smacked flying into a statue as another voice said "The Basilisk may be blind but he can still hear you!"
Ace opened his eyes and stared at the Basilisk, before transforming back to a human.
He turned his head to Harry then at the new voice before standing up. He shook a bit as the Basilisk hissed at him, standing tall way above Ace's head.
Ace looked up and clenched his fist around his wand before saying "Cover your ears, Harry." Harry was confused but still did as he was told.
Ace put the wand to his throat and said "Sonorus Sana Sempra!" before taking a deep breath and screeching as the other man shouted "NO! STOP!"
Ace's voice created a visible soundwave that blasted the Basilisk directly, before bouncing off the walls, making echoes that grew louder and louder!
Harry cried out in pain as he covered his ears.
The water in the chamber started vibrating and exploding on its own as the Basilisk smashed its head into the statues, blood coming out of its ear holes.
Ace looked at the stalagmites that were falling from the ceiling and reached out his other hand. His eyes glowed purple as he clenched a fist, whipping it towards the Basilisk.
A dozen stalagmites turned to steel and pierced towards the Basilisk.
It writhed from the pain and thrashed around, dodging quite a few stalagmites before one of them pierced through its neck, pinning it to a statue as it screeched.
Ace took the wand off his throat and waved his wand, "Immobulus!" The falling rocks stopped as the echoes died down. Ace guided the rocks to the pools of water before letting out a breath of relief as he looked at the Basilisk writhing in pain but unable to move.
Harry looked at the Basilisk and smiled happily, turning to Ace before his eyes widened and he shouted "Ace! Watch out!"
Ace turned his head as the man shouted "Crucio!" Ace flicked his wand, "Protego!" but his barrier was shattered, sending Ace to the ground as he screamed in agony, writhing much like the Basilisk.
Harry ran to the man only for the man to flick his wand at him, saying "I've had enough of your meddling, Harry Potter!" unfortunately, a deck of cards flew in front of Harry, turning into gold as they formed a shield.
The man turned to Ace, who was gritting his teeth and glaring at the man, who sneered "Haven't had enough, yet? Crucio Maxima!" Ace's eyes widened and he screeched like an animal being slaughtered.
Harry looked desperate and noticed a sword coming out of the Sorting Hat! He pulled the sword and swung it at the man, who backpedaled quickly, dodging the swipe.
Ace rolled onto his stomach and started breathing heavily in short bursts, pain pulsing all over his body as buckets of sweat dripped from his body.
The man looked at Harry and smirked "So this is your plan? Fight me with a sword? In a few moments, I will cease to be a memory and return to my full power!" Harry glared at him and shouted "Never!" before suddenly realizing and turning to the book.
The man's pupils contracted and he raised his wand, "Avada-" but Harry stabbed down on the book with the sword!
Ink burst from the stab and the man had a hole on his chest, blinding light escaped from the hole as he screamed in pain! Harry continued to stab the book until the man shouted "POTTER! AGHHHH!" and exploded into light particles fizzling out of existence.
Harry turned to the Basilisk and saw it hanging limp from the statue, blood trickling down into the water below. He ran over to Ace and flipped him over as Ace sucked in a cold breath of air from the pain.
Harry asked quickly, "Are you alright!?" Ace grit his teeth and nodded forcefully, "I'm fine… The girl…" as he slowly pointed to the girl, who just woke up. Harry shouted "Ginny! Are you okay!?"
Ginny turned to him and said "Harry? Professor Brand? Where am I?"
Harry turned to Ace and said "I'll get you some help-" before he could finish his sentence, the Phoenix landed on Ace's chest, looking at him. Harry said in confusion "Fawkes?"
Fawkes opened Ace's mouth with his beak before tilting his head and dripping some tears into it.
The painful expression on Ace's face slowly receded until his pale complexion turned rosy again and he fell asleep. Harry muttered in shock "Of course! Phoenix tears!" He turned to Ginny and said "Come help me, Ginny." she nodded and walked over.
A few days later
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein