บท 31: Harry Potter : Chapter 31: A Crown for the King II
"Sirens, Centaurs, Sphinxes, Veelas, and that's without talking of curses gone out of control such as vampirism, lycanthropy, and the strange whatever that's going on with Dementors..."
"Nobody knows where Dementors come from." Riddle frowned at the temporary change of topic, because he had researched that particular subject out of his interest about souls.
"Are you implying that you've figured it out by chance while you were off trying to set up an illegal breeding facility for magical creatures?"
...
The cat seated next to the window didn't stop looking at Hagrid for a single second, she didn't even blink in the direction of Tom, she was too interested in hearing the answer from their companion.
"Well, I mean..." Rubeus scratched his head thoughtfully, "I don't have definite proof, but when talking about magic those are a bit..."
"Spare me your usual deflecting, and give me a straight answer." Tom snapped, knowing that for all of his brilliance, Hagrid tended to ignore what didn't interest him.
"Oh, because you're always so forthcoming?" the far too large Slytherin replied, slightly annoyed at the nitpicking of stuff that didn't interest him all that much.
"Mreow."
"Sorry Minerva." the two Slytherin chorused blandly, neither truly meaning it.
"Do you know the only two creatures hurt by a Patronus?" Hagrid asked Riddle instead of directly explaning, forcing the older student to figure it out on his own.
"You think a Dementor is the bastard child between human and Lethifold?" Always quick on the uptake, Tom proved once more the insane brainpower he was gifted with by linking the two separated pieces of information.
"If they are something that targets only humans, then it's a safe enough bet that at some point a human had something to do with their creation." Hagrid gestured with his hands, describing small circles with his fingers.
"So at least they started as something with a strong connection with mankind. It doesn't make sense for any being to survive on the shoulders of a single species, even less when said species is one as dangerous as ours."
"And both Lethifolds and Dementors are repulsed by the Patronus Charm." Riddle repeated, narrowing his eyes as he thought about the points that the two species had in common versus their differences.
"But the Lethifolds feed on pain, they slash at everything in their path, they kill each other when left without food... instead the Ministry has the Dementors guard Azkaban, which implies they can be reasoned with, or bound, it doesn't matter right now."
"Yeah, that was the rough reasoning." Hagrid nodded, "Anyway, instead of having a curse that propagates through bite, I thought about turning that mechanism inwards, and having a species of wolves-hybrids, like the Veelas, maybe one in which their animalistic side comes out more under the Moon, so that I can leverage the phases as an ingredient."
"That sounds less and less like a potion and more and more like a sequence of Rituals." Riddle pointed out, his tone bland but his eyes shining with interest at the prospect.
Hagrid shrugged unhelpfully at the words of his Housemate, looking outside the window in order to see an environment that grew increasingly familiar as they approached London.
"What about Chimaeras?" Riddle asked, his mind already running along the sheer potential that Rubeus' theories held, "Crossbreed at least three animals sounds..."
Minerva growled softly at the topic, expressing her distaste for the implications.
"I really don't know." Hagrid looked surprised at Tom's choice of topic, "The information about them is extraordinarily well hidden, even reading between lines doesn' leave me with any useful information."
After months spent elbow-to-elbow under the admittedly irritating eye of Slughorn, Hagrid caught the occasion to blatantly change topic, and he turned towards the cat in the compartment.
"Next year you'll learn to Apparate, won't you? We could make a trip to Greece in order to learn something about Chimaeras, I've heard that the local wizards were the first ones to alter their appearances by transfiguring themselves."
"It's not really the safest time to go gallivanting around in an unknown country, Rubeus." Tom patronizingly pointed out, but his eyes glinted with interest.
"Any secret that you hope to unveil can wait until the end of the War."
"Transfiguration adept at fifteen, this is a big achievement Minerva." Hagrid grinned while he observed the imperious-looking cat that was sitting next to the window, earning himself a distracted wave of her tail as an answer.
"Wouldn't you like to look at how they did things in the past?"
"You're ignoring me." Riddle sighed desponently, "Besides, wouldn't it be better to wisit Norway or a cold place where she can keep outshining us by showing off her catty self?"
Minerva's ears flattened against her skull as she glared at the Slytherin, clearing not appreciating the rather terrible pun, but she didn't reply in any other manner.
"Besides Minerva's having fun in the snow," Rubeus started to speak, rising his empty hands in a gesture of surrender when the Gryffindor witch turned her head towards him, "there aren't that many interesting things up there, are there?"
"Vikings have been the first to weaponize runes, their Berserkers assumed an aspect of either a wolf or a bear and were rather terrifying warriors." Tom shrugged.
"Since you're talking of exploring a random piece of land and actually expecting to figure out something that nobody did until now, we might as well look for something interesting."
"I'd forgotten that you choose Runes as your electives." Hagrid casually replied, "How was it?"
"Rather dull actually." Tom replied as his eyes briefly took in the shifting landscape.
"The only thing we're taught are the meaning behind the symbols and how they work together as a language, it is something that I really didn't need a teacher for.
Even if the history of the old people that used them is somewhat entertaining.
But looking for a way to make that knowledge useful for something more than simply anchoring wards... something that I'm lead to understand only mediocre wizards need them for..."
The unnaturally tall Slythering nodded thoughtfully at the words of his Housemate.
"Hieroglyps, Runes... Before the advent of wands they were among the most effective mediums to channel and cast magic. But then, we might as well jump to America and look for what's left of the Indian Tribes."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?" Rubeus arched an eyebrow at Riddle's frown, "The Vikings landed in the Americas roughly 492 years before Columbus, but they were unable to take over the locals, Rome still hadn't taken them over, so they didn't make use of wands."
"And where did you read this?" Riddle hunched forward on his seat, his eyes hungry as they took in the controversial Slytherin in front of him.
"I thought it was common knowledge."
"It is not." Riddle replied, "In fact, I've never heard nor read about anything like that, and I've looked into that topic for a month or two. So how are you so casually sure of your statement?"
The suddenly uncomfortable Rubeus clenched his jaw, his expression giving off a mixed vibe between annoyance and confusion, only to shrug off his housemate question, and almost violently changing topic.
"So, Minerva, opinions on the location for our adventure next summer?"
"We can't exacty gallivant across the globe until we're of age, Hagrid." Tom idly commented, "And she prefers being a cat than speaking to you. What does it say about what she thinks of your company?"
"Well..." Rubeus made to reply only to notice that the train was slowing down, and that they were finally at London.
"Nevermind."
The three students quickly said goodbye to each other, Minerva returning human to do so and to grab her trunk, and they promptly left the train, quickly slipping through the crowd of parents awayting for their children.
Like Hagrid had done before, he walked into muggle London before ducking into an empty alley and Apparating away.
...
I emerged with a loud crack next to the ash tree that hid my property, and I entered its shadow with no hesitation, the busy months since December apparently catching up to me all together.
I either need to keep my mouth shut, or I need to actually study a wide variety of stuff to be sure that the random bits of trivia in my possession aren't almost revolutionary discoveries. I thought with a grimace, casually rubbing my eyes in order to stave of the tiredness.
Nevertheless, I powered through the tiredness and emptied my trunk, my eyes hesitating briefly when they landed on the closed door that led to the empty room of Hagrid Snr., only to jab once more my holly and phoenix wand at my face, resisting the urge to scratch when a thick and unkempt beard grew out of my otherwise smooth skin.
I secured the Felix Felicis to my neck with another strip of leather, adding several vials to my person, each containing a different brew that I had readied for my expedition, and once I was ready, barely glancing at the Acromantula's egg that still had to hatch, I left.
Apparition was almost a second thougth for me right now, and as soon as I thought it, I was south of the forest of Dean, next to a cottage far from any travelled road, if not for a couple of hunting trails that were little more than flattened grass.
The house itself was built with bricks that had been partially overtaken by moss, while the meters and half wooden fence that surrounded the yard characterized by a lush green grass that echoed the impressive vegetable garden that was set up under a rather large, if slightly dirty window of the house.
In this residence that I had found during my first attempt at apparating, roughly a year before, I had smuggled the two werewolves that I had decided to help.
I had explained their siuation once they'd woken up, and I was very lucky that Marie's grandmother was english, and that she had learned enough to talk and act as a translator for Paul.
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