Capítulo 11: Violent Mystery
Harry stood at the edge of the Great Lake, carefully going through his firebending forms. He'd dragged one of the smaller mirrors from an unused classroom out here - with Mipsy's help of course - and propped it against a large rock so he could watch himself practice. The spring air was crisp but not too cold, perfect for training.
"Punch, step, twist, kick," he muttered to himself, watching his reflection carefully. The instincts that came with firebending always told him when a move felt wrong, but seeing it helped too. Sometimes his foot would be slightly off, or his arm not quite straight enough.
His thoughts kept drifting back to last week's Boggart incident. Even though Uncle Filius fixed his paintings and Grandpa wasn't mad, Harry couldn't stop thinking about those horrible screams. The way the creature had twisted and warped before exploding into black ash...
"Stupid Boggart," Harry growled, his next punch producing bigger flames than he'd meant to. "Stupid mist. Stupid everything!"
He dropped into a wider stance, planting his feet firmly on the ground like roots of a tree. With his eyes closed, Harry drew in the deepest breath he could, feeling his chest expand. The energy in his core swirled and built as he held that breath, compressing tighter and tighter until his whole body felt like it might burst.
One... two... three... four... five... six...
Harry's eyes snapped open as he exhaled explosively, throwing his right fist forward with everything he had. The fire that erupted from his hand wasn't its usual cheerful orange - instead, deep red flames roared across the lake's surface, spreading out nearly thirty feet and turning the water beneath to steam with angry hisses.
"Bloody hell!"
"Merlin's pants!"
Harry spun around at the surprised yelps, spotting Tonks and Penny approaching from the castle path. Tonks's hair had turned a shocked white color, while Penny was clutching her books to her chest with wide eyes.
The bracelet on Harry's wrist was zapping him repeatedly now, glowing a deep warning yellow. Taking a quick breath, Harry closed his eyes and fell into the familiar routine of clearing his thoughts, something he practiced every night before bed. Empty and quiet, like the white room. No anger, no frustration, no remembered screams...
His shoulders slowly relaxed as he counted his breaths like Grandpa had taught him. After several long moments, he opened his eyes, managing a slightly wobbly smile.
His voice was quieter than usual, but steady enough. "Hi Tonks! Hi Penny! Did you come to watch me practice?"
The two girls walked over just as his bracelet finally stopped its tickling. Tonks's hair had shifted back to her favorite bubblegum pink, though she was still eyeing the steaming lake water.
"We saw you from Charms class," Penny said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Thought we'd come say hi before dinner."
"Where's Chiara?" Harry asked, looking around for their quiet friend. "She's usually with you guys."
Tonks's smile turned awkward. "Ah, she's got some... girl stuff going on right now. Nothing for little boys to worry about!"
"I'm not that little," Harry protested, but didn't push it. He knew when grown-ups - or almost-grown-ups - were trying to keep secrets.
"That was some pretty intense fire though," Tonks said, gesturing at the lake. "Way bigger than what you showed us before!"
Penny nodded. "Even when we were dealing with the ice, it wasn't quite that... explosive."
Harry kicked at the grass. "It wasn't good at all. I got angry and lost control."
"That doesn't mean it wasn't cool though," Tonks grinned, her hair shifting to flame-red. "Just needs a bit more control, yeah?"
"I guess," Harry shrugged, then brightened. "Oh! Mipsy?"
With a soft pop, the house elf appeared beside him, her large ears perking up. "Young Master Harry is calling?"
"Could you take the mirror back to where we got it from? Please?"
"Of course! Mipsy is happy to help!" She snapped her fingers, making both herself and the mirror vanish.
"Dinner's soon," Penny said, checking with Tempus. "Want to walk back with us?"
Harry nodded, falling into step between them as they headed toward the castle.
"So what made you all grumpy anyway?" Tonks asked as they walked. "Usually you're way more careful with your fire stuff whenever you show off your progress."
Harry kicked a small rock along the path. "Just thinking about stuff that happened last week. Made me mad."
"Want to talk about it?" Penny offered.
"Not really," Harry mumbled, then perked up. "Oh! I didn't show you guys yet, but I did learn how to make the flames push things instead of burn them! Want to see?"
"Maybe after dinner," Penny laughed. "I don't fancy getting singed before pudding."
"You're like a tiny flamethrower," Tonks grinned. "Except way cooler."
Harry scrunched up his face. "What's a flame-throw-er?"
"It's this Muggle weapon thing," Tonks explained, waving her hands excitedly. "They put special fuel in a big metal tank, and when they pull a trigger it shoots out fire really far!"
"But... why don't they just use spells?" Harry asked, genuinely confused. "Sounds like a lot of work just to make fire."
"Muggles can't do magic, remember?" Penny reminded him gently.
"Oh yeah." Harry thought about it for a moment. "That's silly though. They make everything so complicated! Like those flying metal birds Aunt Min told me about."
"Airplanes," Tonks supplied helpfully.
"Yeah, those! Why build a giant metal thing when you can just use a small broom?" Harry shook his head. "Muggles are funny."
"Muggles are just normal people who can't help that they don't have magic," Tonks disagreed as they reached the castle entrance. "And they come up with some really fun stuff too. Like movies!"
Harry waved goodbye to the girls as they split off toward their house tables. Walking through the Great Hall, he noticed the usual whispers and stares following him. Ever since he'd started practicing by the lake instead of hidden away in empty classrooms, people seemed even more interested in him than usual.
He plopped down in his usual seat, reaching into his soul to summon out the leather-bound Hero's Journal. The book appeared in his hands with a faint golden light, its pages already flipping open to the most recent entries.
'Young Harry struggled with the aftermath of the Boggart incident,' read one passage. 'His guilt over its destruction manifested in anger, leading him to fuel his flames with negative emotions rather than his usual artistic passion. Combined with compressed Chi, this resulted in flames of unusual power and intensity, though at the cost of control.'
"Chi?" Harry muttered, feeling his cheeks warm at reading about his mistakes. He'd always just called it energy. The next few lines caught his attention even more.
'While Nymphadora Tonks spoke of "girl problems" affecting young Chiara, the truth lies beneath the surface - quite literally, in fact. Perhaps a curious eagle might find answers beneath the violent tree tonight, where someone could use a friend during their monthly ordeal...'
Harry sat up straighter in his seat at that. This definitely sounded like another adventure! But why would Chiara be under a violent tree at night? And what did it mean by monthly...?
His thoughts were interrupted by Professor McGonagall dropping a napkin on his head. "Eat your dinner, Harry. That book will still be there after you've had some proper food."
Harry glanced up at Aunt Min through his messy black hair. "Thanks," he mumbled, stuffing the journal back into his soul and reaching for some shepherd's pie.
He really wanted to know more about this tree though. Trying to sound casual, he asked, "Aunt Min? I heard some students talking about a violent tree somewhere. What's that about?"
McGonagall's lips pressed into a thin line. "Really, they shouldn't be gossiping about such things to you." She sighed, serving him some vegetables. "But since you asked - there's a Whomping Willow north of the greenhouses, near the forest edge. It's quite dangerous, swings its branches at anything that comes close. You're not to go anywhere near it, understood?"
Harry nodded quickly, shoving a big bite of pie in his mouth so he wouldn't have to say anything else. Perfect - now he knew exactly where to look! After dinner, he could transform and fly around until he spotted it.
But how would Chiara get under a tree that hit things? That part didn't make sense yet. Maybe if he found a comfy branch in a normal tree nearby, he could watch and figure it out. His eagle eyes were really good at seeing things in the dark anyway.
He took another small bite of dinner, already excited about his nighttime adventure. The journal hadn't been wrong about anything yet, and this sounded way more interesting than practicing Occlumency before bed.
"Harry," McGonagall's stern voice broke into his thoughts. "You're practically bouncing in your seat. What are you planning?"
"Nothing!" Harry said quickly - too quickly. "Just... excited about dessert?"
McGonagall raised an eyebrow at the very flimsy excuse but didn't push further. Harry focused on his food, trying to look innocent. He was getting better at keeping secrets, but Aunt Min always seemed to know when he was up to something.
oo0ooOoo0oo
Harry's talons gripped the thick oak branch as he watched the Whomping Willow in the growing darkness. He'd been perched here for almost an hour, his eagle eyes scanning for any movement near the violent tree. The journal had said tonight, but hadn't mentioned what time...
He perked up as two figures made their way over a hill towards the Whomping Willow. His eagle vision easily picked out Madam Pomfrey's distinctive white healer's robes, and next to her was... Chiara!
He watched curiously as Madam Pomfrey levitated a long stick, carefully guiding it to prod something at the base of the tree. The Whomping Willow, which had been lazily swaying its branches, suddenly went completely still.
Pomfrey gave Chiara a quick hug, speaking to her in low tones Harry couldn't catch from his pretty far-away perch. Chiara nodded, looking pale and tired in the fading light, before hurrying towards the now-docile tree. To Harry's surprise, she disappeared underneath it, as if there was some kind of space hidden in its roots.
Once Pomfrey started heading back towards the castle, Harry spread his wings. Whatever was going on with Chiara, she probably needed a friend. He glided silently from his oak branch towards the Willow, intending to follow her path.
He'd barely come close when the tree suddenly sprang back to life. A massive branch whooshed over his head, missing him by inches! Harry backwinged hard, heart pounding as the Whomping Willow's branches began their violent swaying once more.
Well, that explained why they needed the stick. But how was he supposed to get past it now? There had to be some way to reach whatever secret tunnel Chiara had disappeared into...
His eagle eyes suddenly darkened and he nearly lost control of his wings in surprise.
[Devouring the Heart - Elden Ring - Limgrave] – 200CP, 100CP left
It matters not from where a dragon originates, for a dragon is still a dragon, and there is power within their hearts. Whenever you consume the heart of a dragon, regardless of its exact nature, then you will find yourself gaining a new power or ability based upon whose heart you have consumed. The heart of a dragon attuned to the arcane would see you capable of utilizing its magical breath, while a dragon known for its physical strength would see you summoning its claws.
Harry fluttered down to land behind a nearby boulder, his talons scraping against the cool stone as he transformed back to human form. His heart was still racing, both from nearly getting smacked by the Whomping Willow and from seeing those special words appear again after so long.
"Dragons," he whispered excitedly to himself. He loved dragons - had painted dozens of them on his walls. And now he could get powers from them? That was so cool!
But wait. Harry frowned, thinking carefully like Grandpa always told him to. The words said he had to eat dragon hearts to get the powers. That sounded kind of gross. And where would he even find dragon hearts?
Then again... Harry remembered the stories Uncle Filius told about dragon heartstring wands. If wands could use dragon parts for magic, maybe eating their hearts wasn't that weird? And he already ate raw prey sometimes when he was an eagle, so maybe dragon heart wouldn't taste that bad even if he didn't usually eat organs.
Plus, Harry thought with growing excitement, if he did find a dragon heart from a really strong dragon, he might get amazing powers! Maybe even breathing real dragon fire, way bigger and hotter than his firebending. Or super sharp claws that could cut through anything! He probably wouldn't get anything else from dragons, but just that was cool enough.
He looked back at the Whomping Willow still swaying menacingly in the darkness. He should probably be trying to figure out how to get past it to check on Chiara... but this was the first special offer in forever! And it wasn't anything scary like becoming a zombie - just cool dragon stuff!
"Yes," Harry said firmly, making his decision. "I want it!"
He waited, bouncing slightly on his toes. The wind rustled through the leaves above. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance. The Whomping Willow's branches kept swishing back and forth.
Nothing happened.
Harry's excitement deflated like a punctured balloon. He smacked his forehead with his palm, feeling pretty silly. "Oh. Right. I need to actually eat a dragon heart first."
He slumped against the boulder, watching the Willow's branches dance in the light from the full moon. Getting dragon powers would have to wait - he didn't even know where to find dragon hearts. Maybe one of the professors would know? But then he'd have to explain why he wanted one, and he didn't want to seem weird for wanting to eat a dragon heart…
Harry shook his head, pushing those thoughts away for now. He had something more important to do tonight. Somewhere under that crazy tree, Chiara was all alone, and the journal thought she needed a friend.
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