บท 114: Potter's Thoughts and Time Before Meeting
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[The chapter is edited by my Editor: Alan_Loo/AlanL]
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"I think I injured my hands. This really hurts. I definitely need to go to Madam Pomfrey. They don't look well," said Quinn with his arms raised in front of him and his hands hung limply from below the wrist area.
"Who are you?" asked Sirius Black, while moving his eyes from Quinn to the bloodied face and back to Quinn. "And what are you doing here?"
Quinn weaved magic into his hands and numbed the pain. He didn't attempt to heal his battered-up hands and only stuck to eliminating the pain from his injured knuckles and wrist.
"Oh, I'm Quinn West, a fourth-year student at Hogwarts," introduced Quinn while scrunching up his face to portray that he was feeling pain.
He then focused on the Werewolf in the room and said, "Professor Lupin might know me from his classes."
Sirius, Remus, and even James, who was checking up on his son, widened their eyes when they heard Quinn address Remus in his Werewolf form as Professor Lupin.
"What are you talking about?" uttered Sirius, while trying to separate Remus Lupin from the Werewolf that stood beside him.
"Oh, please. I already know that Professor Lupin is a werewolf," scoffed Quinn and turned his head to look at the Lycanthrope. "The signs were all there; he disappeared for a few days because of weak health and the absence period was always after the full moon."
Quinn then brought in the statement that would close this line of conversation.
"Professor Snape tried really hard to point out that Professor Lupin is a Werewolf. The preparation he did for the Werewolf revision lesson was outstanding. For once, he was completely involved in teaching. He even asked if anyone of us had doubts," shrugged Quinn and then finished with a smile. "It was an unusual yet fascinating day. It made me think that people can accomplish anything if they put their hearts into it."
"What! That snake did that?!" exclaimed Sirius, his hands tightening into fists at the thought of Snape trying to out his friend. "I'll blast him when I see that twat!"
Werewolf-Remus put his hairy paw on Sirius to wind his friend down.
After calming down, Sirius continued the conversation.
"If you knew, why didn't you tell anyone," he paused and then slowly asked. "... Did you tell anyone?"
"I didn't tell anyone. When I realized that Professor Lupin was a Werewolf, I gave it a thought. Then I realized that if Professor was allowed to work here, then he must've been provided a supply of Wolfsbane," said Quinn, and then glanced at Remus. "From the looks of it, he's on the Wolfsbane. Or else, he would've already tried to bite me."
Werewolves, when transformed, had the instinct to bite anyone they could get their paws on. The average Werewolf didn't aim to kill; their wild instincts knew that the only way to continue their race was to turn other people into Werewolves, so the damage that a Werewolf would do was a few bites.
Sometimes, the bites would be at some of the body's vital spots, and the victim could die because of blood loss and shock. Of course, there were exceptions like Fenrir Greyback, who had that innate desire to kill and slaughter at times.
"Aren't you scared?" asked Sirius.
Sirius knew from experience that Werewolves were proper people and not monsters. He knew better than anyone that, even though Werewolves were dangerous, a lot of them tried hard to live normally and had hopes and dreams like everyone else.
But he asked because there was always a risk. He still asked, even with Remus right beside him. And Remus didn't mind because he understood where the question was coming from and was curious about Quinn's answer.
"Scared? No. I was cautious, not scared. I prepared myself and made sure that if one day Professor Lupin stood in front of me in his current form, I'd be ready," smiled Quinn as he unveiled his magic prep. " I know the Homorphus Charm and have practiced it a lot to get it down on my fingertips."
The Homorphus Charm was a charm used to temporarily change a transformed werewolf back into their human form. It would forcibly turn back the transformation and would revert the Werewolf into a human. Quite valuable for stopping a werewolf in its tracks.
In the room's darkness, Quinn's expression wasn't clearly visible. But Quinn was looking at Werewolf-Remus as he was a test subject.
He was thinking about how the spell would work against a Werewolf. Because the spell only temporarily reverted the transformation, the Lycan transformation would come back very shortly. But that small window was enough to incapacitate the Werewolf.
However, Quinn's usage was a tad bit too powerful than your average user. His spell's effects would linger instead of ending after a bit. And that would cause a tussle between the Lycan transformation and Quinn's magic.
Even though Quinn hadn't tested it out against a real Werewolf, he, at some level, was sure that the tussle between the transformation and his magic would be very painful for the target. Two opposing forces trying to forcibly change a person's body wasn't optimal, and it would, in normal circumstances, cause immense pain.
As Quinn finished his thinking, James spoke for the first time and informed everybody of Harry's condition.
"Harry's fine. He's just knocked out. I checked for the basic signs, but we should send him to Madam Pomfrey just to be sure," informed James with his eyes still on his son.
"Alright, then let's divide the tasks," nodded Sirius and looked at everyone in the room. "I will take these shits to Holdings and see if I can get something worthwhile out of them. James, you take Harry, and... Quinn to Madam Pomfrey and inform Dumbledore of what happened here. Remus, you stay here. I know this isn't good for your body, so take a rest and go to sleep."
Sirius took the lead and assigned everyone their tasks, all the conscious people nodded in consent and understanding.
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James Potter, with Harry Potter on his back, walked with Quinn. They made their way through the secret tunnel that connected Shrieking Shack and Whomping Willow tree.
Harry was still unconscious while Quinn's hands were still injured. Sirius and James had tried to offer to cast Healing spells on him, but Quinn had politely refused and said that he could wait for Poppy, the Medi-healer, to take a look at them.
"Why do you know about this passage?" initiated James to fill the very silent underground passage with conversation.
"Hmm? Oh, I found it a few years back when I tried to get a good look at the Whomping Willow. Saw it when I finally figured out that I needed to shoot a pocking hex at the knot at the base of the tree to make it calm down."
The Whomping Willow would attack anyone who would come closer, but if you pressed the knot at the base of its trunk, the magical tree would calm down for a while.
Pomona Sprout used this method when she needed to check if the Whomping Willow was healthy, and so did Quinn when he needed to use the secret passage.
"I know that, too," smiled James as he reminisced about the later of his school years when the Marauders would sneak in after Remus to keep him company.
The elder Potter glanced at Quinn while wondering whether he should say it or not. He, then, decided to say it.
"Quinn, about the thing that person said about me doing those things to you and your family," said James carefully. "None of those words hold any truth. I would never do any of that. Those actions wouldn't be ethical, and no matter what could've happened back there, I would have never blamed you for any of it."
James wanted to erase the thought that Aurors would take advantage of their position. Aurors were the people who withheld justice, and he wanted to make sure that a child around the same as his son wouldn't build a negative image.
"Don't worry about it. I actually don't care about the threat," smiled Quinn. "Even if things went south and you developed a grudge. I wouldn't be worried if you tried to do what that man said."
"You wouldn't?" questioned James confusedly.
"Not at all. I'm a West," smirked Quinn. "If you tried to do things that you describe as unethical, you wouldn't be able to move a finger. I would've been out of your reach before you could've even thought about what to do."
When Quinn mentioned his last name, James finally recalled Quinn's full name, and then it hit him what Quinn was trying to say.
"West, as in George West?" asked James, his eyes widening.
He had only met George West a couple of times. He didn't know the man personally. But he knew who George West was. His work at Wizengamot and in the political circle made sure that he knew of the man who held a substantial amount of influence in every social and professional circle.
James also knew that his parents knew George West. He sparsely recalled that his parents had been invited to dinner with George West a few times and had a business relationship with the head of the West business empire.
"Yes, West as in George West. He's my grandfather," confirmed Quinn, and that was why he wasn't worried. As long as Quinn didn't do anything wildly illegal or wrong, he would be fine.
James was still surprised that Quinn was the grandson of George West, but then it dawned on him how dangerous things could've turned out.
'What would've happened if he had got severely injured or harmed? What if he had died?' thought James in mild horror.
He could almost imagine what George West would've done when he found that his only grandson had been involved in a potentially dangerous situation. James was sure that his life would have been terribly difficult for a long time.
James looked at Quinn's hands and nervously thought, 'He won't make a big deal about this, right? He did that to himself on his own and isn't very bothered about it. So we are good, right…? Right?'
While James was thinking about if he was in trouble, Quinn was silently thinking about what would happen when they reached Hogwarts.
'I need to handle this carefully. There will be only one chance for me to work with,' thought Quinn. He saw the end of the tunnel. 'Let's hope he won't come out and stay inside.'
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- (Scene Break) -
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Quinn and James, along with the unconscious Harry, entered the hospital wing.
"Madam Pomfrey! I am here to visit~!" called out Quinn with a chipper voice.
Both James and Quinn heard a sigh from the inside, and it brought a smile to Quinn's face.
"Quinn, it's almost dinner time. Why are you here right now?"
James and Quinn saw the Matron walk out from her office.
"What do you want to ask that couldn't wait-" sighed Poppy as she walked out while straightening a crease on her clothes, but when she looked up, she saw that it wasn't just Quinn.
"James Potter? What are you doing here?" asked Poppy. She saw the former student and now Auror standing there beside Quinn, and, then, she saw Harry in his arms. "Is this Harry Potter? Merlin, what happened to him?"
She walked forward and towards a bed that was beside the three.
"What are you standing there for? Lay the boy down on the bed."
James moved as instructed and gingerly lay his son on the bed.
"Did you check up on him?" asked Poppy as she diagnosed Harry.
"I did. Harry is knocked out. He was dropped to the ground. I think he has a concussion on his head," nodded James as he replied.
"Huh?" Poppy looked up from Harry at James. "I was talking to Quinn. But, yes, you are an Auror, so I guess you have some elementary healing skills."
James looked at Quinn with confusion.
"I was in a bit of a pinch, Madam Pomfrey. I couldn't concentrate with the pain," smiled Quinn.
"Pain?" Poppy once again looked at Harry and saw Quinn raise his arms and show his hands. Quinn's hands had swollen from below the wrist, and the knuckles had turned green and purple.
"What really happened to the both of you?!" asked Poppy, shocked.
Quinn would've waved his hands if they weren't hurt, but he assured, "Oh, it's nothing. I just punched a man and, well, this happened. If you're concerned, then that man was more injured than I am. In any case, all's well when it ends well."
"I wasn't concerned about that," sighed Poppy in exasperation. "Show me those hands."
Poppy looked at Quinn's hands and pulled out her wand to cast healing spells on the bones and swollen areas. The fractures in the bones started to knit back while the swelling began to subside as the color in Quinn's hand returned to normal.
"Wait for a while, and they'll be good as new. Even stronger than before," said Poppy before turning to James. "Your son is fine. He will be up in a few hours. I could wake him up now, but let him wake up on his own."
James breathed a sigh of relief at the assurance of the healer.
"Good, then I'll go find McGonagall. She'll take me to Dumbledore. I need to talk to him," said James.
"I see. Wait for a second," stopped Poppy and then called out. "Tipsy!"
A Hogwarts house-elf appeared in the hospital wing after a pop.
"What can Tipsy do for Healy-lady Poppy?" said the house-elf in her squeaky voice and looked at Poppy with her big eyes.
"Tipsy, where's Professor McGonagall?" asked Poppy.
The house-elf tilted her head and spoke after a short silence, "Proffy Cat be in her office."
Poppy turned to James and said, "You heard her. Minerva is in her office. You remember where her office is, right?"
James nodded, and after saying a short thank you, he left the hospital wing to find the Scottish Professor.
After James left, Poppy turned to Quinn.
"You're staying here till your hands are healed; don't even think of leaving before I give you my consent," warned Poppy as her eyes narrowed.
"Madam Pomfrey, have you ever seen me trying to leave your company early? I'll stay with you as long as you desire," grinned Quinn.
"I still don't know what happened. How did you get injured? And what about the person who you punched? Where is he? Doesn't he need medical attention? And why was an Auror here at Hogwarts?" rapid fired Poppy, adamant about knowing what was happening.
Quinn slightly smiled and narrated the events from his point of view, emphasizing his heroics that saved the day.
"... Thus, a visit to Hogsmeade turned into an adventure where I saved the Boy-Who-Lived and the Aurors from the Accionites. Not bad for a day's work, right?" beamed Quinn.
Poppy stared at Quinn with her mouth slightly open and then smacked him on the back of his head.
"Why?!" exclaimed Quinn, not expecting the sudden beating.
"You-you knew about Remus being a Werewolf," fumed Poppy. "You were messing with me that day when you brought up Werewolves! Do you know how scared I was?!"
"Oh," uttered Quinn, and then a smile bloomed on his face. "Yeah, that was fun. I loved the tea. We should do it again soon, how about next Thursday? How does that sound?"
Poppy raised her hand for another smack, but Quinn dodged it with a grin on his face.
"So you don't mind that Remus Lupin is a Werewolf?"
"I don't mind. As long as I or anyone else isn't bitten without their consent," spoke Quinn. "Lycanthropy is a disease. I don't blame people who have it. As long as they don't try to spread it, I couldn't care less if they are Werewolves."
"Without their consent?" asked Poppy with a tiny bit of confusion.
"Yeah, people are stupid. If they went near a Werewolf during a full moon intending to get bitten. I wouldn't blame the Werewolf. Their instincts command them to bite. You can't blame someone for what they can't control."
After talking to Poppy, Quinn sat down on a bed and closed his eyes. He needed to concentrate. He needed to be prepared for what was about to come.
There were two possibilities, and Quinn needed to simulate how they would unfold.
'That's difficult given the fact that I haven't talked to him,' thought Quinn.
He had come to the hospital wing so that if the first possibility unfolded he would have an audience, which would restrict any possible foul play.
And if the second possibility came to happen, then Quinn would need to be in a place where he would have the chance to gain back up.
'It depends on who will be the messenger. If they are good, I'll have a chance to explain it in-depth, otherwise, if they aren't, I can still get the message across, but it'll have to be short,' thought Quinn as he kept thinking about how things would unfold.
Both possibilities had their own pros and cons.
What Quinn needed was to think about how to maximize the pros and minimize the cons.
"Mr. West, you have gotten yourself involved in something big, haven't you?"
Quinn opened his eyes and saw his Head of House standing there, arms crossed, looking up at him.
"Professor Flitwick. I hope I'm not in trouble," smiled Quinn, and at the same time, he thought, 'what will happen, though?'
"You're in trouble, Mr. West. You're going to be in detention," sighed Flitwick. "Now, if you are healed, let's go. The headmaster has called you to his office."
'The second one, it is,' thought Quinn.
The first meeting between Quinn West and Albus Dumbledore was ahead.
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Quinn West - MC - "Oh boy, let's go meet the old man in the tower."
James Potter - Auror, Wizengamot member - Still worried if he is in trouble.
Poppy Pomfrey - Matron, Med-healer - This kid is too much trouble.
George West - Grandfather - I don't need to be in the chapter to flex.
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