บท 32: 32 Waking Up
Another week passed, and now only Dumbledore lingered in the silent halls of the school. The time had come for him to cure the last petrified student. With a soundless *pop*, he materialized in a room devoid of exits or windows, featuring only a solitary bed in the center. Upon it lay a single student encased in a Protego charm.
Dumbledore scrutinized him once more before raising his Elder Wand and dispelling the shield charm. A surge of intense mind magic assaulted him, akin to a ravenous beast newly freed from its cage. Yet, he stood resolute, unaffected, a statue in the face of the monster. Dumbledore dared not make a single false move, revealing any inkling of weakness.
Lucas's magic had not remained dormant during this time. Unbeknownst to him, his magic had honed itself to an even more formidable degree than it already was due to the barrier. Without his intention, his magic, which had attacked anyone approaching, had also been reflected by the Protego. It perpetually sought to invade his own mind, defending against itself and improving continuously. Even Dumbledore marveled at Lucas's power. He was far stronger than when he saw him during the winter break, "To imagine a 12-year-old is capable of this."
He thought about it for a bit and sent a message with his phoenix to one of his closest friends. He wanted to get a second oppinion on the student's magical capabilities.
Nevertheless, the headmaster carefully and with utmost concentration moved his body into his office, where he waited for his friends arrival.
With a burst of flames Snape stepped into the room, where his normal smug expression turned into a frown. The potion master greeted the headmaster before his eyes fixated on the elephant in the room. "What do you want me to do?"
"I just need your opinion. How much has he grown since the last time?" Dumbledore asked his most trusted friend.
"It is hard to say with matters related to the mind, but what I am fairly certain is that he is also a natural in the mind arts, just like the dark lord or me. Otherwise it would have been nearly impossible to grow so much in such a short time. Although he seems to tend more towards emotional Legilimency, he has built a formidable foundation overall. If I had to put it into perspective then he shouldn't have any trouble penetration most Occlumency shields, if he knows how to do so efficiently. That's just how naturals are." Snape gave his assessment as he embraced the storm of wild mind magic.
"How far is he away from Voldemort?" The headmaster asked the question that has been on his mind for a long time.
"Unfortunately I don't know. He would have ro try to invade my mind for me to give an accurate answer. But that is not what you want, is it? You want my guess. In his current condition it is impossible to tell, because he can't consciously make use of his strong point. His other 'normal' Legilimency is lacking in comparison to the dark lord. At least he would have been if the dark lord wasn't so fixated on immortality and the dark arts. If Mr Foster dedicates the next ten years solely to Legilimency then he might be able to reach his level." Snape gave his honest opinion, which worried Dumbledore, because if he factored in Lucas' unique way of casting magic he might be able to find a new way to gain power faster.
"…" the headmaster remained silent taking in all the information the potion master had provided.
Snape seeing that understood that he was no longer needed and decided to leave. Fawkes knew what he wanted and apparated him away.
After a prolonged period of thinking, Dumbledore finally administered the Mandrake Restorative Draught.
It took a few moments, but Lucas began to move. Like others cured by the Basilisk's stare, he rubbed and massaged his sore body, yet his eyes simultaneously surveyed his surroundings. 'Very peculiar,' Dumbledore noted as he observed him. When Lucas's eyes saw the headmaster, they ceased their movement, almost as if he had found all the answers he wanted.
They stayed still for a few seconds before Dumbledore broke the silence. "How are you feeling, Lucas?"
"Could be better. It feels like my whole body fell asleep and is now waking up. A very strange feeling."
Dumbledore waited, allowing Lucas to regain the sensations in his body.
"So, what do you want?" the Hufflepuff asked once he was comfortable, dropping any pretext. At this point both knew that the other was smart enough to see past their superficial acts.
"What do you mean?" the headmaster asked, completely unfazed. He had decided to keep up the act, at least for a bit, to keep as much information as possible to himself.
"Well, obviously you need something from me, otherwise, I would be back in the hospital wing with the other students," Lucas elaborated on his question.
"That is a very astute observation of you, Lucas. You would have made a phenomenal Ravenclaw, I have to agree with Filius on that." Dumbledore dodged the question initially but eventually said, "Yes, I do have something in mind for you. It might sound strange, but I would like you to help Harry with his Occlumency."
The small panic Dumbledore expected to see in Lucas's eyes was missing, which was not a good sign in the headmaster's mind. He had thought that this revelation would draw something out of the boy. After all, he was fairly certain Lucas knew the potential repercussions he could face for not informing the ministry that he was a Legilimens.
"Don't worry, I won't tell the ministry," the headmaster said as reassurance and a threat simultaneously, a message clear to Lucas: comply or face consequences.
Lucas found himself between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, he doubted Dumbledore would carry out his threat, but on the other, he wouldn't put it past him to justify it with his 'for the greater good' mentality. So he decided to play it safe and comply for now.
However, Lucas was unwilling to fully dance to his tune. That's why he took a shot in the dark. He could demand something in exchange, but it had to be something neither too big nor too far away from the castle. "I want access to the Forbidden Forest."
It would provide Lucas more freedom while still being close enough for Dumbledore to feel in control.
The headmaster frowned at this demand but after a few seconds of thinking decided to show his 'goodwill.' 'The Forbidden Forest is close enough.' "That can be arranged, but don't venture too far, strange events happen in that forest. I will inform you at the start of the next year, how we will proceed from here."
"Does his family know?"
"They should by now."
"..."
"..."
"Alright. If you don't mind, I would like to meet my friends now." Lucas said as he didn't want to stay any longer than he had to.
"That could proof to be rather difficult." Dumbledore said with the same smile he had kept up throughout the conversation, "You see the year has officially ended last week and only the two of us are left in the castle."
"???" Lucas was shocked internally, but kept his composure and asked "Why?"
"*Sigh*, I recon it doesn't make a difference whether I tell you now or you find out from your friends. Lucas, you have been leaking Legilimency ever since you were petrified and I thought it would be safer to keep you away from the other students." Dumbledore gave his heartfelt explanation.
A million thoughs ran through Lucas' head and before he could even comprehend what consequences he might face in the future, the headmaster bombarded him with the worst piece of information he could have imagined, "And your mother has been asking about you."
Suddenly, the room got eerily quiet and the headmaster could feel how guilt tried to overwhelm him, before it shifted into anger.
"What did you do?" For the first time he saw a different expression on the boy's face than his normal indifference and if his own sudden mood shift was any indicator then he knew exactly how Lucas felt. 'Truly, a remarkable form of magic.'
"Don't worry, nothing happened. I just sent her a letter six months ago, informing her that you wouldn't return for the winter break. Other than that I did nothing, I thought it would be better so. I did, however, gather her letters for you." Dumbledore said calmly, a little more relaxed than before the Hufflepuff's sudden outburst. "They are somewhere around here. Accio"
A rather thick stack of papers came flying, which effortlessly landed in Lucas' hands, who by now had calmed down substantially.
"Most arrived over the last week."
He quickly skimmed over the first few pages, but didn't get far as the ones he did read, already pulled at his heartstrings and he feared that he wouldn't be able to take the rest while remaining calm and collected. Instead he closed his eyes and simply said, "I want to go home"
"That's understandable, do you know what apparating is?" Dumbledore asked as he stretched out his arm.
"Yes." Lucas said absentmindedly, clearly somewhere else with his thoughts.
"Then hold on thight." the headmaster said as Fawkes flashed them away.
They reappeared in an empty alley, where Lucas didn't think too hard about the ease at which they arrived here. He just put the blame on the phoenix, because the apparitions he had experienced inside other people's heads was so much worse. Once he walked out of that alley any thoughts regarding it had already vanished, replaced by the familiar London streets and the house close by, his home.
When he turned around to see off the headmaster, he wasn't there anymore. That worked perfectly for him, because all that was on his mind was his mom.
----
Lucas stood in front of the familiar door, the place he had called home for as long as he could remember. He had read all the letters and now the anticipation and nervousness surged through him like a tide. If he just hadn't taken the Basilisk so lightly, then all this could have been avoided. All the guilt he currently was feeling would have never existed. He took a deep breath, his hand reaching for the doorknob.
As the door swung open, he was greeted by the warm scent of his home. Memories flooded back and he took a heavy step inside, his heart pounding with a mix of emotions.
The living room, adorned with familiar furniture, felt like always, a haven. But his gaze was fixed on the figure standing in the doorway of the kitchen. His mother, Sophia, frozen in place, her eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and overwhelming joy.
"Lucas?" Her voice quivered with a blend of hope and uncertainty.
"Yeah, Mom. It's me." Lucas felt a lump forming in his throat, the emotions bubbling to the surface.
In an instant, his mother crossed the distance between them, her arms wrapping tightly around him. Tears streamed down her face as she held her son, her words a mix of cries and tears. "Oh, Lucas, my dear, where have you been? I was so worried."
"I'm here now, Mom. I'm sorry for making you worry," Lucas whispered, his own voice choked with emotion.
Sophia pulled back slightly, cupping his face in her hands, as if ensuring that he was real. "You have no idea how much I missed you. I thought something terrible had happened."
Lucas looked into his mother's eyes, the worry lines on her face easing as she absorbed the reality of his presence. "I missed you too, Mom. And I'm sorry for not being able to write. There were... complications."
Sophia's expression shifted a little from worry to curiosity. "Complications? What happened, Lucas?"
Before he could answer, Lucas noticed the owl cage in the corner of the room. William, his loyal owl, perched on top, observing the reunion with keen eyes. "Well, let's say Dumbledore had his reasons for keeping me at Hogwarts."
"Dumbledore? What did he have to do with it this time?" Sophia's brow furrowed with a mix of confusion and concern.
Lucas took a deep breath, deciding to be honest with his mother. "It's a long story, Mom. But I'm okay. I promise."
Sophia led him to the sofa, her eyes never leaving his face. "Tell me everything, Lucas. I've been so worried. And why is William looking at me like he knows something I don't?"
Lucas chuckled, a genuine smile breaking through. "Well, that's because he does. Let me start from the beginning."
As he recounted the events of the past months, the petrifications and Dumbledore's reluctance to let him go home, Sophia listened with a mix of shock, worry, and motherly concern.
When he finished, she enveloped him in another tight hug. "Oh, Lucas, you've been through so much."
They stayed like that for a while, both reluctant to let the other go, eventually Sophia opened her mouth. "Sweety, I know you love magic, but maybe we should look for another school?"
"..."
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