章節 14: New Friends, and A Troll
Hello, Drinor here. I'm happy to publish a new Chapter of A Nundu for A Pet.
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Chapter 15 (A Thunder Bird), Chapter 16 (A Voice in the Magic), Chapter 17 (Can A Man still be brave if he's Afraid?), Chapter 18 (The Magizoologist's Visit), Chapter 19 (The Impossible Familiar), Chapter 20 (Do you want to be a Magizoologist?), Chapter 21 (Runes and Shadows), Chapter 22 (The Bridge Between Worlds), Chapter 23 (A Nundu's Gift), Chapter 24 (A Grand Prank), and Chapter 25 (First Year Ends) are already available for Patrons.
' "Yes, Master. I have met the boy." Quirrel's quivering voice was heard in a room as he looked at himself in a mirror. His face was pale, and the skin under his eyes had turned red.
"What is he like?" The deep and powerful voice of his master echoed in his head.
Quirrel felt his chin shake at the question. He knew his master wouldn't like what he would hear.
"He's a prodigy, master. I had him use a second year spell, thinking he would have trouble learning it, but he already knew it and did it without a wand." The moment those words escaped his mouth, his head exploded in pain, the world spun around him, and he reached out, grabbing something to stand up; he didn't know what it was, but the thing gave away, and he slammed against the floor with his back, and something shattered in the stone floor.
"Why are you complimenting him?" his master demanded, only now that he talked. The pain eased a little, but it was still there to remind Quirrel to choose his next words carefully.
"I'm sorry, my Lord. I didn't mean to." Quirrel apologized meekly. He finally could see clearly, the mirror had shattered on the ground. Sharp pieces had scattered across the floor, all of them reflecting him, him in pain and suffering.
"I was trying to humiliate him, my Lord. I swear, I didn't know he would know the third-year spells, and since he is in Slytherin-" "Slytherin. He is sorted into Slytherin." The master sounded genuinely intrigued for the first time, and Quirrel felt the painful way his head throbbed slowly easing even more; he could see clearly, and only now noticed the palm of his right hand had slit open, blood dripping down to the floor.
"Yes, Master. He is in Slytherin. I was there to see it. Everyone was surprised." Quirrel replied, breathing a little heavily as he reached up, using an armrest as support to stand up. The Master fell quiet after hearing that, and Quirrell wondered if he had fallen into slumber again.
"Is there anything else about him that I should know?" His Master's echoed in his head again after a few moments of silence, and Quirrel pondered deeply before answering.
"Dumbledore mentioned two nights ago that he doesn't have any friends in the Slytherin." His master sounded pleased to hear that House Slytherin was still staying true and knowing who was an enemy and who was an ally.
Quirrel swallowed thickly before continuing, knowing this part was pure speculation and his master didn't care for what he speculated. "I heard he is making friends in other houses, and there's something strange about his cat," Quirell revealed, and his Master fell silent again before snarling loudly.
"...Why are you talking about a useless cat? I don't care what pets he has, and from now remember to visit the Forbidden Forest. We need unicorn blood. Do you understand?"
"...Yes, my Master. I—I will do whatever you want. My life is yours." '
Harry
The young wizard couldn't understand why the Professor wanted him in his office, and neither did Itisa, who followed Dumbledore's every move, baring her teeth.
Harry was sure crafting a talisman wasn't considered 'breaking the rules, ' not that he would have cared much if that were the case.
Walking further upwards in the castle, they found themselves in front of two goblins, and Dumbledore murmured 'Sherbet' under his breath. The goblins quivered before moving out of the way and revealing a way behind them, a way into Dumbledore's office.
Harry followed behind as the old Professor passed the threshold, and they walked into his office. Before them were two sets of small stairs that led to the office with a desk and chairs scattered around. Circle and square windows adorned the wall, showing most of Hogwarts, including the fields and Hogsmade far away.
Portraits of the past Headmasters and Headmistresses decorated the left side of the office, reaching all the way to the ceiling. Behind the desk was a large opening in the room, almost like a second room, and the right and left side of this second room were covered by a set of shelves that reached the ceiling. The shelves were filled to the brim with Magical tools, some Harry had never seen before, and behind this second room, on the rear, he could see a small spiral staircase that led to a small balcony with a door on the wall that led to the Headmaster's bedroom.
"Wow!!" Harry said in amazement when he saw the many different tools; he wondered how they all worked.
He saw a tool that seemed to increase the size of things. He saw a leaf placed inside, which grew in size, but within a few seconds, the leaf returned to normal. He wondered how that worked. Did it also grow the weight of said thing? How did it work exactly? Harry saw many other things that peaked his interest, like one that made a normal-looking rock float, when his eyes fell on the portraits of the past Headmasters.
They were all quite, but he wondered how the portraits could exist like that.
"Do you wish to speak with them, Harry?" Looking over his shoulder, the young wizard remembered he and Itisa weren't alone in the office. The Headmaster had sat down on his side of the desk, looking at him with a smile.
Harry didn't answer right away; instead, he looked back at the portraits. "No, but how can a portrait like this be created, Headmaster?" Harry questioned, sounding curious as he tried to get a closer look. The frame of the portrait was made of a certain type of wood he hadn't seen before, and he wondered if whoever made these portraits had used runes.
"Ahh, young curiosity," the headmaster said cheerfully as he stood up and walked up to Harry's right.
"When I was a student, Professor Phineas Nigellus Black was the headmaster of Hogwarts. I was in the second year when he called me into his office, and I remember the first question I asked him was about the portraits." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes, pointing at a certain portrait. Written on the bottom was the name of the Headmaster in the painting, including for how long they had been a Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"What did he say?"
"He said that a special letter is used when such portraits are created, this allows the painter to paint the man or woman into the portrait, and the said portraits will work only after the one painted has passed away, but they are not even half of what they were when they were alive." Dumbledore explained, sounding a little grim.
"But...they are not alive. How can a portrait exist even after the person is long dead?" Harry questioned, whirling around to face the Headmaster, who stroked his long white beard.
The man remained silent, looking deep in thoughts before sighing. "I'm afraid I don't know everything, Harry. But I'm sure someone like you, with your gifts. All secrets can be revealed to you, Mister Potter. You should know where to look for them." Dumbledore said with a knowing look, his blue eyes staring back at Harry's green eyes.
Harry wondered what he meant when one of the portraits decided to wake up. "Good morrow everyone, now...Merlin, please tell me I'm Dreaming. Is that a Bloody NUNDU BOY!!" Harry was startled by the loud voice, and he turned to see the seventh headmaster screaming his head off at him and Itisa, but Dumbledore quickly silenced him with a flicker of his wand.
"Who is that?" Harry questioned the moment he fell silent, looking closely. To his surprise, the name of this headmaster was wiped away from the frame as if someone had scratched it off with their nails. Leaving behind a mess of half letters that Harry couldn't quite makeup, one letter was left intact in his last name: the letter 'E.' The only thing left untouched was the number '7th' carved into the frame right next to where the first letter of the name should have been.
"I'm afraid I don't know, and as you can see, he was the seventh headmaster of Hogwarts. But no one knows his name, and don't bother asking the others, they won't tell you, and the ninth headmaster and beyond have nothing to tell you since they don't know it either." Dumbledore explained before motioning for Harry to follow him.
Harry looked away from the portraits, but his mind was buzzing with thoughts; he wanted to know how someone could paint like this; how did they do it? What kind of letter was used? What about the frame? How can a painting of someone still talk even after the person is long dead? This all was exciting to Harry, and he couldn't help but want to know more, how all of this worked, and how he could do more with this. He wondered if, somehow, Necromancy was used in these paintings to make them work like this, but even a first-year like him knew Necromancy was considered Forbidden Dark Magic by every place around the world.
"Professor Dumbledore, what do you want from me?" Harry questioned as he sat down. His eyes noticed a bird cage on the table. Inside was what seemed like a dying red bird with a long red tail; its feathers seemed loose.
"That's my pet Phoenix, his name is Fawkes." Dumbledore answered, squeezing a finger inside through the bars, and petting the phoenix.
Harry couldn't help but feel bad, seeing a dying animal like this. He opened his mouth to ask if they could do anything to save him since he clearly seemed to be in pain. Itisa jumped from his shoulder and walked up to the cage. The phoenix remained there, but his eyes were now focused on the Nundu.
Harry feared Itisa would see him as dinner and was ready to tell her not to do anything when she opened her mouth. A burst of purple breath came out and filled the cage. The two wizards fell silent, waiting to see what would happen to the phoenix.
Harry recognized the purple breath, Itisa still let out purple breath into his head every night, and he still didn't understand why, but then they all watched as the purple breath was slowly being sucked into the body of the phoenix.
Once the purple breath was gone, Harry almost screamed when purple flames engulfed the phoenix, its fiery arms reaching the ceiling, and Harry could feel the heat spreading everywhere. He could hear the portraits screaming and asking what was going on, but neither Dumbledore nor Harry answered as the purple flames finally stopped growing and, instead, started shrinking down until they disappeared, leaving behind a pile of ash on the bottom of the destroyed cage.
Harry felt a lump in his throat, ready to scream at Itisa for killing the poor phoenix, when a head burst from the pile of ash, slowly followed by the rest of the body, but this time, he was different; he seemed almost twice larger than before. His red fiery feathers seemed like fire shaped like a feather, and his tail seemed longer, but Harry's emerald eyes went to the new strange purple feather right above where his beak ended.
The purple feather seemed normal like the others, but Harry was sure this wasn't supposed to happen when he noticed Dumbledore's shocked expression.
"Itisa, what did you do?" Harry demanded, almost sounding like a parent scolding their child, but Itisa didn't say anything as she merely looked at the phoenix.
"Fawkes, are you still there?" Dumbledore questioned a little carefully as the phoenix kept looking at Harry, but then he jumped and soared high into the ceiling; he let out a beautiful, cheerful sound, flying around the office, looking better than he ever did before. Dumbledore watched as Fawkes's tail was slowly engulfed in flames; the phoenix let out a melodic whistle, and his tail burst into purple flames that slowly engulfed his entire being before descending down and landing on Dumbledore's shoulder, the flames harmless and the old Headmaster could not remember the last time his pet was so energetic.
"It's Good to see it's still you," he said relieved, his eyes twinkling with joy as he caressed his head. The flames slowly faded away, and Fawkes now seemed twice the size he was before, the same size as an eagle, and he seemed even more beautiful than Dumbledore remembered.
"Sir, is he alright?" Harry's voice reminded him he was still there, and he turned his head to face Harry and the Nundu.
"Oh, he is fine, my boy. Actually, he is more than fine. I don't remember Fawkes looking like this for a very long time." Dumbledore said cheerfully, and the boy sighed in relief. But then Fawkes did something unexpected; he jumped from Dumbledore's shoulder and landed on Harry's unoccupied shoulder. The boy almost fell; Fawkes was too heavy for Harry to stand on his shoulder.
"Huh, it seems Fawkes has taken a liking to you, my boy. You can pet him if you want." Dumbledore said, and Harry reached up to touch his feathers.
Fawkes had crimson feathers on his body and a golden tail as long as a peacock's. He was roughly the size of a swan, but now, he was the size of an eagle. His claws and beak were gleaming gold — the latter was "long" — and his eyes were now purple. Harry noticed that he was warm to the touch.
"Hello, Fawkes." Harry greeted him with a friendly smile, petting him on the head; he wondered what Itisa had done to him. "Professor, what happened to him? What did Itisa do?" Harry questioned, hoping Itisa hadn't done anything harmful, though he highly doubted it.
"Ahh, I'm afraid I don't know, Harry. Phoenixes burn when they get old, and from their ashes, they are reborn again. What happened to Fawkes now is similar to what phoenixes do when reborn, but Fawkes never grew larger before and never changed his eye colors. So right now, we need to wait and see if there's anything new." Dumbledore explained, and Fawkes spread his wings and flew over to the desk. He was too large for the cage, and the old Headmaster wondered if he should buy a new cage or just let him roam around freely.
"Wait, they get reborn. Does that mean that Phoenixes live forever?" Harry asked, a little intrigued. He remembered Loretta saying there had never been a case of a Nundu dying of old age, so it is not known yet whether they can get old and die or live forever as long as someone doesn't kill them.
"Not exactly, unfortunately phoenixes cannot live forever. It's a rare thing to see, but is said that all Phoenixes have what is called the Final Burn, and once that happens, they won't get reborn out of their own ashes." Dumbledore said as he used his fingers to pet Fawkes's head.
Harry hummed thoughtfully before remembering the real reason he was in his office in the first place. "Professor, why did you call me here?" Harry questioned, remembering the Professor calling him after he showed his talisman to his friends. He wondered what Hermione was doing right now. She was probably at the library, and Tonks was probably busy making funny jokes with her housemates. Harry knew no one from his house was waiting for him or concerned.
"Sit down, and do you want an iced honey with lemon?"
"No, thank you." Harry said politely as he scooted out a chair and sat down. He wasn't really comfortable with sitting with the one man responsible for his shitty childhood, but he was willing to tolerate him for now if it meant that Itisa had more chances of surviving in the future.
Dumbledore prepared one for himself before looking at Harry, sitting on the other side of the desk. "Harry, I always knew you were unlike the others, but you are capable of making a talisman when you are still a first year. You are talented. Can I see it?"
Harry sighed through his nose before reluctantly giving it to him. Dumbledore placed it on his palm and looked at it from up close.
"Excellent work, Harry, for a first year, you have done better than many seventh years can do," Dumbledore complimented him, but Harry was sure there was a 'but' coming soon.
"But, you forgot to put a rune defense for physical attacks." Dumbledore pointed out as he handed the talisman back to Harry.
"Physical attacks?" Harry sounded worried and angry with himself.
"Yes, right now, that talisman can defend itself from what we call minor spells, and from what I saw, it can deflect the spells back to the attacker, but if you throw that talisman against the ground, it will break like glass." Harry looked horrified that he hadn't thought of that and quickly started giving it a better look.
"I still think your talisman is a work of art for a first year, and making this mistake, well, you can learn from it. From now on, I'm sure you will not make the same mistake again." Harry firmly nodded. He had been so focused on getting it right and being able to defend himself from magical attacks that he had forgotten entirely about the physical part.
"Thank you, Professor." Harry said politely enough, and Dumbledore looked pleased to hear that.
"One more matter. You were sorted into Slytherin, and I don't need anyone telling me that your house mates are not...fond of you, that much is obvious to everyone."
Harry snorted at the mention of them. He felt a little disappointed by what he saw. When he had heard of House Slytherin for the first time, he had thought that meant a house with smart students who knew how to be cunning, but instead, so far, the majority of them were just bullies. Daphne was the only one from his year who was different from the others, but she still wasn't talking to him for whatever reason.
"I have friends in other Houses, professor. I'm doing fine." Harry said a little dismissively. He wanted to get this over with so he could try something he had wanted to try for some time with the school robes they had.
"I know, and before you leave. I wish to tell you that despite our differences, I want the best for the two of us. I know you have no reason to trust the man that left you with the Dursleys, but I still think that was the better option, and before you curse me. You already know someone who was affected because they had no good protections from Voldemort's men, their house was attacked after Voldemort was gone, the only reason why they didn't attack you and the Dursleys is because of the protection Harry. Remember that. You can leave now." Dumbledore informed him with a grim look.
"Wait, who is this person that I know that was attacked after Voldemort's defeat?" Harry demanded.
"I feel it's not my place to say it, Harry, and don't try to demand the answers from them. They will tell you when they feel ready, but remember what could have happened." Dumbledore said. Harry left the room, knowing the Professor wouldn't tell him anything.
His mind was trying to think of who this person could be. The Professor mentioned no gender, so he had no idea if this was a girl or a boy. But as he walked downstairs, he reminded himself that if he already knew this person, he would eventually know the truth about them. He didn't want this person to tell him about his personal life unless he felt comfortable about it.
With that in mind, Harry returned to the Main Hall.
Once he did, he noticed the various looks he received from many students. Even some seventh-year students were paying attention to him more than usual.
Harry didn't like the way their eyes glued on him as if this was the first time they saw him, but he reminded himself that with the road he had chosen to take, he needed to get used to having people stare at him like this. Despite having no friends there, Harry still sat with his housemates; this time, they didn't try to move his chair or anything like that, but the moment he sat down, the questions came.
"Potter, I heard you made a talisman, is it true?" One-fifth year asked, sounding skeptical.
"Yes." Harry quickly showed the talisman, and with a single word out of his mouth, the coin glowed gold, making it clear it was a functional talisman instead of just a fancy coin with marks on it.
The fifth-year reached out, grabbing the coin from his hand. Harry stared at him as he looked at the coin before giving Harry a cunning smile. "I think I will keep it," he said smugly, ready to put it in his pocket, and Harry was ready to use his voice magic to make the coin fly back to his hand.
"Jakon, give the talisman back to Mister Potter." Lendyell interrupted them as he stood up, wand in hand, looking down at Jakon, who scowled before throwing the talisman high in the air. Harry quickly murmured 'Accio' under his breath, causing the talisman to fly into his pocket, much to the surprise of everyone at the table.
"You know Jakon, you are so low, that you even steal from first year. Next time, try those who are not even born yet. You might have more success." Lendyell mocked him with a shake of his head.
"What did you SAY you bastard-" Jakon swallowed thickly in fear when he felt the tip of Lendyell's wand against his throat, the seventh year staring at him blankly.
"Go ahead, try me. But this time, you will stay in the hospital bed for longer than a month." Harry watched as Jakon slowly sat back down, and the others continued with their lunch.
Harry decided to put something on his plate to eat and join Tonks and Susan when someone decided to greet him.
"Harry." He was a little surprised this one was calling him by his name, and he looked forward to seeing another first-year student; sitting beside him was a first-year girl, but her face seemed a little pale.
"Yes, that would be me. Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Sebastian, and this is my twin sister Anne." The boy introduced himself with a friendly smile, and the girl, greeted him back with a wave of her hand and a bright smile on her pale face.
"It's Good to meet you two. I would have introduced myself, but I think you two already know me," Harry said humorously, and Sebastian chuckled slightly.
"I was there when you tested your talisman. You have talent, Harry," Sebastian said as he dug into his pocket and showed him a piece of white cloth.
"I made this myself. What do you think?" Sebastian questioned. The white cloth slowly changed its element. Harry watched it as it turned from a piece of silk to one made of wool.
"I'm sure all tailors around the world will want to get their hands on this." Harry added. As he reached out and touched the wool, it felt like real wool, and he wondered how long it would take for it to return to normal.
"I like your cat, Mister Potter. I heard she is named Itisa, right?" Anne chimed in with a wide smile, pointing at Itisa.
"Yes, say hi, Itisa," Harry said warmly, but Itisa stared at the girl but did not budge from his shoulder. Anne looked a little dejected that Itisa refused to acknowledge her.
"Hey, Potter. You used runes to make that talisman, right?" Daphne spoke to Harry for the first time, and Harry was sure this was a sign that the end of the world was coming.
"Yes, Princess Too Important to talk to people." Harry said sarcastically, and Daphne decided to ignore his comment.
"Whatever you say, Potter, I just wanted to know if you used Greek Runes on that thing."
"Wait, you know about runes?" Harry asked, a little intrigued, especially about the Greek Runes. Sebastian nodded as well as he turned his head to face Daphne.
"Yes. But I'm not interested on Talismans, they are fun, but I want to use runes for a different reason." Daphne said with a growing smile.
"On what exactly?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Rune Arcs." Daphne answered with a smile; this one seemed genuine.
Harry had read a little about them, but most of the books he had read on runes barely touched on what a 'Rune Arc' was or what one could do with it.
"Rune Arcs! I thought they were considered dark magic?" Anne asked, sounding frightened before Harry could ask more questions.
"Yes and No, sister. Rune Arcs are Dark Magic as long as you plan on using them for bad. So, as long as Daphne over here doesn't plan on becoming the Dark Lady sometimes in the near future, then we all are safe." Sebastian answered humorously.
"Very funny, but back to what I was saying, Rune Arcs is what I want to learn, and to master them, unfortunately, we don't touch on Runes until the third year, and the Rune Arcs are not even mentioned until the fourth year. But I'm sure the Forbidden Section of the Library will have books to help me." Daphne said loud enough that many first-years and second-years heard her.
Harry cocked an eyebrow; why was she saying that part out loud. He knew she was placing a trap here, and he did not like walking on them, but then he looked at Malfoy, and from the gleam in his eyes, it seemed he had fallen already.
Harry chatted more with the only three Slytherin Students who seemed to want to talk with him, but soon, Daphne started talking with Tracey and Pansy. Sebastian, with his sister, walked out of the Main Hall with the Head of the House Snape to brew a healing potion for his sister.
The rest of the day went without problems; Harry spent more time with Hermione, Neville, and Susan. They talked about their day in general, and Susan revealed that she would have astronomy tomorrow. He still didn't know anyone from House Ravenclaw, but he figured he would eventually become friends with one of them.
During Charm's class, Harry once again cast the spell in record time. The professor had nothing more for him to do, so Harry decided to do something himself.
' "Professor, can I help the others since I have already performed the spell?" Harry questioned, looking at the Hufflepuffs and his own housemates. The Professor looked deep in thought before giving him the go-ahead to help them.
Harry quickly started helping anyone he could. The professor watched as Harry helped Susan perform the water charm. Then, he helped a few other Hufflepuffs who were having problems with the charm.
"Move like this, and make sure that you are thinking about the spell you want to perform instead of just moving around your wand like you are trying to blind someone," Harry instructed one after the other. When he reached his housemates, they all gave him the cold shoulder. Sebastian had already performed the spell and was showing how to do it to his sister and the rest who couldn't do it; well, they didn't seem to want to learn from him.
"Harry. How about you show me how to do it?"
"Of course, Tracey." Harry said with a smile, quickly walking up to her desk and showing her how to do it. Daphne looked away; she had already performed the spell, so she needed no help.
After Charm's class was over, the Professor told him to meet him tomorrow at nine in the morning. He wanted to talk with him about 'Special Hours.'
Once the night came, they all walked back into the Slytherin common room, and Harry decided to check on his own robe. Once he closed the door of his room and he was all by himself, he removed his cloak and spread it on the bed.
Once he did, he whispered 'Revelio' under his breath, hoping it would work, but nothing was revealed to him. The robe remained the same. Harry tried to look at it from different angles. To see if he was missing something when he remembered.
'I'm afraid I don't know everything, Harry. But I'm sure someone like you, with your gifts. All secrets can be revealed to you, Mister Potter. You should know where to look for them.'
Harry remembered the Headmaster's words and took a deep breath before speaking the Magic's Tongue.
He could hear everything around him. His eyes changed, looking like snake's eyes, and his head was bombarded with noise from everywhere.
Harry quickly covered his ears with his hands and tried to calm and empty his head. One by one, the voices all disappeared despite his eyes not changing; he sighed in relief; it had felt like hundreds of people speaking to him at the same time. There were so many voices that he could hardly even make up the words he was hearing, but as he looked back at the cloak, this time, it was different. Rune letters revealed themselves to his new eyes, and they all were written on the robe's collar. But then he noticed why he couldn't see the runes before; it was almost invisible, but he could see a thin layer of protection on the robe, like a layer above the cloth, covering the entire thing.
With his voice magic, he tried once again: "Revelio." This time, the thin protection glowed gold, and soon, it started peeling away like an eggshell from the school uniform until the protection was gone. Now, he could see the runes without the need for his special eyes.
"Can't wait to see Tonks and Hermione's faces," He murmured under his breath, as he started working on the robe.
Two Days Later
"Neville, do you know where Harry is, he said he would meet us here?" Hermione fretted as she looked across the hall at the Slytherin table, but he wasn't there, and he wasn't sitting with the Hufflepuffs either; she looked at the Ravenclaws to make sure, but he wasn't there.
"Where is Harry?"
"Well, ask and you shall receive." The two, and many others at the Gryffindor table, turned their heads, and before them stood Harry. But something was off about his robes...
"Gryffindor!! Why do you have Gryffindor robes!!" Percy Weasley was the first to notice and ask the obvious as he stood up, and Harry merely smiled in satisfaction as he walked up to their table.
"That's not a way to talk with a first year....Percy Weasley, especially with a fellow Housemate." Harry said with the biggest innocent grin on his face, and the Weasley twins burst into laughter.
"That's amazing, Harry," one of the twins said during their fit of laughter, earning an annoyed look from Percy.
"Ignore our annoying brother, now..." his words trailed off as he quickly walked up to Harry, placing his arm around his shoulder. "Will you tell us your secrets, Harry. You have no idea the many pranks we can pull off with this knowledge." one of them said, but Harry had no idea which one was he, and he was even more confused when the other one hugged from the other side of his shoulder.
"He's right. Tell us your secrets. We swear we won't tell anyone," the other said with equal enthusiasm.
"Ahhhh, what are your names?" Harry questioned, looking at them a little confused.
"Oh, my name is Fred, the handsome one, and the ugly one is George. You can tell just by looking at him. No wonder all girls come to me," the one named Fred said, and Harry chuckled slightly at their antics.
"Don't listen to him, Harrikins. My brother is just jealous of me. Now how—" A cough made the odd trio turn around as if they were a door, and before them stood Minerva, looking displeased.
"Hi, Professor Minerva. You look beautiful today," Harry said before he could stop himself. He quickly realized he had made a mistake when Minerva gave him a not-so-amused look. The twins looked on the verge of laughing but were trying hard not to laugh, the same for the first years, and Hermione let out a silent gasp.
"Mister Potter, did no one taught you that theft is wrong?" Minerva questioned with a sharp look, the kind of look that even Snape feared.
"I didn't steal anything, Professor." Harry answered casually with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Whose uniform is that?" Minerva demanded right away. Her eyes flickered at the first years at the Gryffindor table, but none of them seemed to be missing their uniform.
"Oh, it's mine." Harry answered with a growing smirk, which confused Minerva.
"Harry Potter, you are from Slytherin, or did that piece of information slip your mind?" Minerva reminded him, growing a little irritated with him. It felt like talking with James all over again, and not in a good way.
"Don't worry, Professor, even if I somehow forgot about it, my dear house mates are always eager to remind me that I don't belong with them, and this is my uniform. Slytherin." Everyone watched as the uniform changed. The red of Gryffindor turned into the Green of Slytherins, and the Gryffindor sigil changed into a snake.
Minerva was left with her mouth wide open. She had never heard of a student being able to affect the runes inside the uniform, and that student was from the first year. This reminded her that despite having James's mischievous personality, Harry showed his mother's genius and his own quite often. Even the twins looked flabbergasted, now staring at Harry as if he were Merlin himself.
"Holy Crickets, Harry! How did you do that?" Hermione was the first to eagerly ask, looking at Harry with a pleading look, hoping he would tell her everything.
"Oh, that's easy. The runes used in every uniform are runes for changing, runes for maintaining that change, and runes for voice. Once the Sorting Hat shouts out the name, the uniform will change and put on that specific house's colors and sigil. Still, the uniform keeps its colors until the very last day. It does because all the robes are connected to the Sorting Hat, so there's never a chance of them changing all of a sudden, which would have happened if they were connected to, let's say the Headmaster's magic instead. But they are connected to the sorting hat. I changed the runes so this uniform would acknowledge my voice. But to make sure the colors don't change every time I say the name of any of the four houses, the runes need magic when the name of the house is spoken, and when we talk normally, there's no magic in our voice, magic in our voice exists only when we say the name of the spell, while it's a very small amount of magic, the rune inside will be activated, and change the colors depending on the name that is shouted when magic is released from the voice." Harry explained, realizing the entire hall had fallen silent; many looked impressed with his explanation. Suddenly, he heard clapping, and everyone turned to see Dumbledore standing up and clapping softly.
"Very good explanation, Mister Potter. I don't think I remember a first year having so much knowledge on runes, but try to refrain yourself in the future from...changing your colors." Dumbledore instructed, and Harry nodded in understanding, but one look at the twins and everyone knew they were already thinking of ways to mess up with people by changing the colors of their robes.
Everyone started focusing back on their meal, and Minerva gave Harry a look. She let out a sigh from her nose. "Since it's not really breaking any rules, you will not have detention, Mister Potter, but I won't be so merciful next time." Minerva warned him, but still, a smile of amusement was visible on her face. She couldn't help but be reminded of James, and she could only hope that Harry's jokes would stay innocent like this one.
Harry turned to face Hermione before winking at her, causing the girl to turn red as he sat down beside her and Neville. "So, what did you think?" Harry asked the moment he sat down.
"I think it was amazing, Harry," Tonks enthusiastically said behind them as she sat down beside Harry, looking at his uniform from up close.
"Thank you, Tonks. You are often the best." Harry said with a cunning smile.
"Often? What are you trying to say, Mister?" Tonks demanded playfully before giving him a side-crushing hug and messing up his hair.
"Hey, stop it, Tonks. You are assaulting a first-year student. I never thought you would stoop so low." Harry said half-heartedly. Finally, Tonks let go of him, and it was time for someone else to demand answers from Harry.
"Harry, only you can think of doing something like this." Neville commented, sounding amazed.
"That was incredible, Harry, but why do something that is against the rules?"
"Because it's fun, Hermione," Harry answered with a tone as if the answer was obvious, and no one could agree more than the Weasley Twins and their little brother.
"Exactly, that was amazing, Harry. How about you change Snape's clothes, turning them pink?" The ginger boy quickly suggested, and many first—and second-years laughed at the thought of Snape walking around dressed all in pink.
"That's not a bad idea," Harry mumbled under his breath. Hermione swatted his shoulder with her hand, looking at him like a parent disciplining their child.
"You will get in trouble, Harry." Hermione quickly reminded him, sounding worried.
"Not if I don't get caught." Harry quickly countered back, giving Hermione a cunning smile. The bushy-haired girl sighed, a little exasperated by his antics.
"You are unbelievable," Hermione mumbled under her breath.
"Thank you, Hermione. I'm happy when my lady is pleased," Harry teased. Hermione looked away from his stupidity but still smiled slightly.
"What's your name?" Harry asked, not knowing the name of the ginger boy who was in the first year like him.
"This is our little bro, Ronald Weasley, but we all call him Ron." The twins introduced him before Ron could open his mouth.
Harry spent the rest of the breakfast talking with Hermione, Neville, and a little with Ron. The twins told him they would meet later to discuss future plans. Harry wasn't sure where they were getting at but decided to ignore them.
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31st October
They were once again in a Charm's class, and Harry was once again bored out of his mind.
Seriously, why couldn't these classes be more exciting? Harry still paid attention to everything happening around him, which wasn't much; their class was with the Hufflepuffs. He paid attention to what Susan was doing. He wondered if he would need to help her, but Susan managed to do the levitation charm after a few tries.
While Daphne, Sebastain, and Anne had already performed the charm from his house, Draco was busy waving his wand around as if he were trying to scare off a fly.
Harry wondered if he could ask the three of them to eat together after class. They were the only three students from his house who didn't seem to despise him for simply existing like the rest of the first years, and Harry figured he could try to become friends with them, especially with Daphne, since her interest in Rune Arcs was something she shared with Harry.
Soon, the class ended, and Harry gathered his things. He was about to walk outside when Susan approached him, looking worried.
"Hi, Susan. Do you need anything?" Harry greeted her, noticing that she seemed concerned about something.
"Harry, have you seen Hermione?" she asked, and Harry pondered deeply about it. He remembered she wasn't present in the Main Hall; he had thought she was in the Library as usual.
"No, did something happen?" Harry asked right away.
"I heard from Lavender and a few other girls that Hermione ran away crying after the charm's class she had two hours ago." She informed him.
"What? Why?!" Harry almost exclaimed, ready to find her.
"I'm not sure, but they heard her crying, and I think she's still crying in the girl's bathroom." Harry was out of the class even before she finished talking. He looked around but remembered that he had no idea where the girl's bathroom was, and it seemed Itisa could understand that he didn't know where to go. She jumped from his shoulder and ran off.
Harry ran after her, and after five minutes of running around the castle, Harry and Itisa found the girls' bathroom. A few girls older than him giggled when they caught sight of him, but he ignored them as he knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing a Ravenclaw.
"Harry Potter, why are you here? This is the girl's bathroom!" the second-year Ravenclaw quickly pointed out and tried to close the door on him, but he quickly placed his foot on the doorframe.
"I heard Hermione is here. Is she here?" Harry quickly asked.
"Oh, the one with bushy hair, yes, she's still there." The girl said with an understanding look, no longer trying to close the door.
"Okay, can I talk with her? I'm not here to peek on anyone," Harry requested. The second year looked conflicted before shrugging her shoulders and opening the door for him.
"Thank you," Harry said, walking past her and into the girl's bathroom. Itisa walked ahead of him and stopped before one of the doors from where the crying was coming from.
"Hermione, are you there?" Harry questioned as he knocked on the door.
"Harry! What are you doing here? This is the girl's bathroom." Hermione's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. From her voice, it was clear she had been crying.
"Oh really, I could never tell," Harry said sarcastically, and he knew he heard a giggle from Hermione.
He knocked again. "Hermione, why are you here alone? Tell me, what's wrong?" Harry asked warmly, hoping she would unlock the door. He didn't like to hear her cry like this.
"No one wants to be my friend! I'm just a bossy know-it-all. The same thing is happening again. I'm doomed to never have friends." Her sobs felt like a knife just pierced his heart. He didn't want to hear such words from her, yet he couldn't help but feel like he was talking to himself in a way, a younger version of himself without friends.
"Hermione, I'm your friend. We have been friends for two months now. How can you say that? Do you really think I would spend so much time with someone who is not my friend? Do you really think I would show my unfinished talisman to someone who is not my friend? Tell me, Hermione, because if I'm not your friend, then I have no idea what I am." Harry quickly said, with a smile, peering at Hermione through the small opening between the door and the frame.
Hermione sniffled her sobs as she peered at him with a small smile. "You—you really—you really mean that?" she sniffled again, a smile growing on her face.
"Yes. I have never been more sure. You are my friend, Hermione Granger." Suddenly, the door was unlocked, and she threw herself at him. Harry was a little surprised but still enjoyed Hermione's hug; Itisa quickly jumped on his shoulder, snuggling her nose against him and Hermione.
"See, even Itisa is your friend." Harry pointed out with a smile as they pulled away; Hermione giggled as Itisa licked her cheek, making it clear they were friends.
"Thank you, Harry. Thank you so much," Hermione said tearfully, still sniffling and trying to regain her composure.
Harry reached out and caressed her bushy hair. He liked the way they felt on his fingers and the way they moved like a spring when he pulled them softly and let them go. "Hey, this is what friends do, and it is not just me. Susan and Neville are your friends, too. I'm not sure about Tonks yet, but she will--" ROAR!!
Faster than ever, Harry leaped to his feet. Itisa had jumped from his shoulder and grown into her lion size—no, even larger. The puff of hair at the end of her tail was engulfed in purple flames, and spikes grew around her body.
"Itisa, calm down. What's wrong—" Then he heard the loud footsteps, which only grew louder. Suddenly, a giant club that a troll was holding broke the bathroom door in two pieces.
Hermione screamed in fear at the sight of the Troll, but not Harry. His eyes turned like that of a snake.
The Troll let out a roar as he advanced towards Itisa. Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass was heard in the room. Harry didn't understand what happened when the Troll wailed in pain. A new gash ran across his entire chest, and the drips of blood quickly turned into torrents, turning the marble floor red. Suddenly, the blood around the wound thickened, turning black like coal.
Harry watched as the Troll screamed in pain; every vein inside his body slowly became more visible against the skin, and he watched as the veins turned black.
When Itisa opened her mouth, grey smoke engulfed the entire bathroom. Harry quickly grabbed Hermione, and the two backed away against the wall. Harry noticed the smoke didn't spread towards them; instead, it engulfed the first half of the bathroom.
The Troll screamed in pain; he looked and saw the Nundu advancing towards him.
The Troll watched hopelessly as four more Nundus appeared around him. The Nundus's spikes started growing, the tips glowing gold, sharp like swords. The Troll turned on his heels, ready to run away, and he did... he kept running and running. He kept running for what felt like hours, but then the smoke cleared away. Four of the Five Nundus disappeared, and the Troll saw that he was still in the bathroom. The Troll cried out as two spikes launched from the Nundu's back, piercing his shoulder and leg. The Troll was no longer a threat, but Itisa kept advancing towards him. She would kill this filthy beast. The spikes retreated back, and the blood on the tip boiled, causing it to bubble. Slowly, Itisa's every was slowly growing, ready for all one hundred of them to pierce the Troll who was wailing in pain.
Harry knew Itisa could easily kill him, and from the way she was slowly advancing towards him, she was about to tear him apart, but Harry didn't want that to happen. He didn't know how this Troll got here, but he needed information first. The Troll stared at the Nundu. He raised his club as a last-ditch effort, ready to smash it down on Itisa...
"STOP!!" Harry shouted with his magic. The air itself changed, turning warmer, his voice echoing inside the room. Suddenly, both Itisa and the Troll froze in place. But not just them; every magical and nonmagical animal inside and near Hogwarts suddenly stopped moving; not even Itisa could move.
Harry looked right at the Troll and tried to talk with him.
'Why are you here? Who sent you?'
'Please help me. Help me. IT Hurts. IT HURTS A LOT.' Harry quickly used his spell.
'Healand, ' he murmured, and the troll's wails of pain slowly stopped.
'Why did you come here? '
'...I don't remember much, but his head was purple, that's all I remember.' the troll said desperately, and Harry knew he wasn't lying.
'SLEEP,' Harry ordered. The Troll's eyes moved at the back of his head, and he fell on his knees before slamming on the floor with his stomach, breaking the bathroom marble tiles.
"Itisa, turn back to normal." Harry quickly ordered once he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor. Itisa started shrinking again until she was back to her normal cat size. Hermione's mouth was left wide open as she stared at the cat- no, she had no idea what Itisa was anymore.
Hermione was still hiding behind her friend and started shaking him gently. "Harry, what happened? What did you do? And what is Itisa? She's not a normal cat, is she?" But Hermione's questions remained unanswered as Harry's eyes widened in realization.
Itisa was hostile towards him from the very first day. Every time they had classes with him, She was tense. Now, it all made sense why she was so hostile towards him.
Professor Quirrell sent this Troll here.
If you want to Read 11 More Chapters Right Now. Write 'www.Patreon.com/Drinor' in the Websearch.
章節 15: A Thunder Bird
Hello, Drinor here. I'm happy to publish a new Chapter of A Nundu for A Pet.
If you want to Read 11 More Chapters Right Now. Write 'www.Patreon.com/Drinor' in the Websearch.
Chapter 16 (A Voice in the Magic), Chapter 17 (Can A Man still be brave if he's Afraid?), Chapter 18 (The Magizoologist's Visit), Chapter 19 (The Impossible Familiar), Chapter 20 (Do you want to be a Magizoologist?), Chapter 21 (Runes and Shadows), Chapter 22 (The Bridge Between Worlds), Chapter 23 (A Nundu's Gift), Chapter 24 (A Grand Prank), Chapter 25 (First Year Ends), and Chapter 26 (Magic & Politics) are already available for Patrons.
"Harry, what is Itisa? Harry? Harry answer me?!" Hermione prompted him, but she received no answer.
Harry looked at the dying troll. 'His head was purple,' the troll had said; he knew only one man in this school who wore a purple turban.
He wondered why Professor Quirrell would ever do something like this; he remembered Itisa's warnings, the way she hissed every time he was nearby; he knew not to trust the man, whatever it was, it was something that Itisa thought was threatening towards them, but hearing that he was the one who sent the troll, he knew he would have to deal with him. He still remembered Hermione's screams; he knew that if Susan hadn't told him that Hermione was in the bathroom, he could have been too late to save her, and the thought of something happening to her made his blood boil in rage. He would get the answers from Professor Quirrell, but he escaped his thoughts when he heard the sound of footsteps coming.
The door opened, revealing Professor Minerva, Professor Snape, and Professor Filius. The three Professors gasped at the sight of the troll on the ground, his wounds visible to anyone, and Harry was sure the troll was dead by now. His healing spell had only helped him to ease the pain, but he knew he could do nothing to heal wounds caused by Itisa's powerful attacks.
"...Dear Merlin!...Harry, are you alright?" Minerva swiftly rushed to kneel beside them, her concern palpable. She carefully flicked her wand, and the tip emitted a comforting green light for Harry. She then turned her attention to Hermione, the tip of her wand now hovering over the distraught girl. It emitted a soft yellow glow, letting her know that Hermione was distraught and still in shock over what happened in the bathroom.
Harry could see that, unlike Minerva, the other two Professors were trying to understand how it was possible for a first-year to defeat a Troll. At this moment, he remembered Loretta's words about Nundus.
'Nunds are said to be magic made flesh, their power can destroy magic itself.'
He wondered how he could hide this from the Professors, and there was only one way he could do this as Snape quickly stepped forward at the sight of him while Hermione was hiding behind Harry.
"Potter," Snape barked, his voice echoing with authority, his black eyes piercing into Harry like daggers. "As your head house, explain what happened here. Why are you here? I want to know everything." Snape demanded with a sharp tone that could cut air, his eyes looking down at the boy with loathing, but Harry paid it little mind. Hatred was something he lived with for eight years. Eventually, it became just another look.
"After the Charm's class, Susan Bones told me that she saw Hermione in the bathroom crying. She might be from Gryffindor, but she is my friend, so I did what any friend would do. I went to the girl's bathroom, and wanted to help her, and it seems it took longer than we thought, and when we thought of returning to the Main Hall. We heard loud footsteps, and before we knew it, the Troll smashed through the door like it was nothing. We tried to get away, but the Troll wouldn't let us, and I remembered what I was taught at home, and attacked the troll with a cutting charm, and then used the Leviosa charm to make his club float, before letting it fall on his head." Harry explained convincingly, but he could see clear disbelief in their eyes.
Unlike Snape, Minerva and Filius appeared more amazed than anything. They believed his words; they simply appeared shocked and a little amazed that he managed to defeat a troll, but the same couldn't be said for Snape.
"Do you expect us to believe this farce? Now you will—" "He's telling the truth." Her voice reminded Snape and Filius that Harry wasn't the only first-year in that bathroom. They didn't know when, but Hermione was no longer hiding behind Harry but standing beside him, looking at them both.
"Miss Granger, what happened?" unlike Snape, Minerva's voice was calm and reassuring as she talked to the student of her house.
"...As Harry said. I was...I wasn't in a good mood, and Harry came here and talked to me-" Hermione went on and explained the same thing that Harry said, but still, her words didn't seem to convince Snape, who narrowed his gaze at the two first-year children.
"You really expect us to believe that?" Snape snarled, ready to threaten them with punishment. A month of cleaning the toilets without magic could get the job done, maybe even the threat of expelling them.
"Enough Snape." Minerva quickly came to their defense, and he figured as much as he scoffed at her.
"I understand you might see Potter as... but that doesn't excuse you for turning a blind eye to his lies." Snape sneered, knowing that Minerva had visited the Tonks quite often. He wasn't foolish; he knew the look Minerva looked at Harry as if he were her grandson or something foolish like that. Out of all the worthless children, she decided to turn a blind eye to the one who was the worst out of all of them.
"I agree with Minerva, Snape. I know your history quite well, and from what I can see, you are the one refusing to belive something because of your past. What do you think happened then? Do you think the cat killed the troll, is that it?" Filius defended the Gryffindor Head House, looking up at Snape with a look of ire as if daring him to say something.
Snape could not answer that, and he knew that he had a point. As much as he disliked the brat, he knew there wasn't much else that could have happened, so with a reluctant sigh, he looked at Potter once again.
"Report to Professor Dumbledore before you go back to your common room," he said before he strode out of the room, ignoring the looks of anger he had received from his fellow professors.
"That man. Sometimes I cannot fathom why Dumbledore hired him." Filius said in a hushed tone, Minerva nodding in agreement. But now wasn't the time to think about that.
The two professors helped Harry and Hermione get to the hospital wing, where they were laid on a bed. Minvera left to inform Dumbledore of what had happened while Madam Pumfrey checked on them as they explained what happened to them. The woman turned white before shaking her head in disbelief.
"Not even two months here, Mister Potter, and something extraordinary has already happened. Let's just hope this doesn't become a requiring thing in this school." Madam Pomfrey said as she prepared a tunic for Hermione. She had wanted to make one for Harry, too, but upon checking him, it was clear he was fine, and unlike Hermione, he wasn't in shock over what had happened.
"Drink it slowly," she instructed Hermione when she tried to gulp down the tunic in one breath, her tone gentle yet firm. Gulp after gulp, the girl obediently followed her advice, gradually sipping the warm liquid that revitalized her senses. A rosy hue bloomed on Hermione's cheeks as the last drop was consumed, a clear sign of the tea's invigorating effect. Harry observed with relief as her energy returned.
"Feeling better, Hermione?" he asked, still sounding concerned. The girl quickly jumped from her bed, much to Madam Pomfrey's disapproval. She jumped on his bed and hugged him tightly, expressing her gratitude with tearful eyes and a heartfelt smile.
"Thank you, Harry. I don't know how I can ever repay you," Hermione said, her voice filled with genuine emotion. She pulled away and gazed at him with adoration and immense appreciation.
"Well, as long as another troll doesn't suddenly show up, then we are cool." Hermione playfully swatted at him before the two shared a laugh. It felt good to feel the tension disappear, but Harry still knew that his friend would sooner or later ask questions about Itisa. The Nundu had been quiet this whole time, acting like a cat, but he knew she was watching Hermione carefully.
The door opened, and Dumbledore strode inside. 'Right on time to save us from the troll,' Harry wanted to say, but he held his tongue. Now wasn't the time to make comments.
"Thank you for helping them, Madam Pomfrey. Can you leave us alone for a few moments? I would like to ask Harry a few questions." Dumbledore requested. The woman let out an exasperated sigh.
"Very well, Dumbledore, but please refrain yourself from asking too many questions. They are still not old enough to understand your words." the old Professor chuckled at the Madam before turning to face Harry with a glint in his eyes.
Harry could see Hermione's nervousness when the old professor walked into the room. She jumped out of his bed and climbed on her bed, using the sheet to cover herself to the neck, and he could not blame her. After all, Dumbledore was one of the most famous wizards in the world, said to have been feared by Voldemort and the current Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Don't worry, Hermione. It's just Dumbledore." Harry said casually, and the girl looked at him as if she could not believe her ears.
"Harry, he is the Headmaster," Hermione warned him hushedly as if Dumbledore wasn't listening to them.
"No way! Really!!" Harry looked baffled. The bushy-haired girl glared at him, but one could easily see the smile of amusement on her face. The old Professor chuckled before clearing his throat.
"Mister Potter, Miss Granger. I'm really sorry for what happened. The troll should have never been able to get inside the school." Dumbledore apologized, sounding sincere, but Harry wouldn't show him mercy. He could apologize all he wanted, but he wanted him to know that this should have never happened.
"I don't doubt it, Miss Andromeda told me that Hogwarts is the safest place in the United Kingdom. Only two months here and two of your students are in danger of dying. I would say her claim about Hogwarts is total bullshit." Harry said harshly, not caring how his words might affect him. He still remembered what the man had done, and because of him, eight of his eyes would always be remembered as lost; sometimes, he liked to believe the Dursleys never existed.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted, horrified that he had said something like that to the Headmaster, but Dumbledore raised his hand for her to calm down.
"It's okay, and Mister Potter has a point, something like this should have never happened, and I hope one day, you will belive once again that Hogwarts is a safe place." Dumbledore said, sitting down on a chair beside Harry's bed.
Harry wanted to add something more but decided that enough was enough; he didn't want to be in the old man's company longer than necessary.
"Mister Potter, can you tell me what happened in the bathroom?" Dumbledore questioned, and Harry told him the same thing he told the Professors, word for word. The Headmaster merely nodded, and Harry couldn't tell if the man believed his words.
The man stood up and moved around the bed before walking up to Hermione's bed. "Miss Granger, is there anything you would wish to add? Anything that Mister Potter might have missed or forgotten to add?"
Harry knew the old man was talking about Itisa, and as he looked at Hermione, he could see her eyes flickering at Itisa briefly. He knew she loved to follow the rules, and if the headmaster asked her a question, she would answer him truthfully.
"I...I...I was in the bathroom because of Ro—someone made a bad comment about me. There's nothing else to add. Harry is not missing anything." Harry's eyes widened, and swallowed back the gasp. Since when has Hermione Granger lied to the Headmaster of Hogwarts?
Harry watched silently as the Headmaster hummed before returning to his feet. "Nothing else you want to add?"
"...no, Headmaster." Hermione said with a tiny voice, almost afraid she might get in trouble with Dumbledore. Much to her relief, the Headmaster smiled at her as if happy she said that before turning to face Harry. She had to stop herself from sighing loudly in relief. Instead, she allowed her to lean back until she touched the soft pillow.
"Well, you two. Professor Minerva and Professor Snape should be coming here right now. They would lead the two of you to your common rooms. I'm sure by tomorrow morning, Trollslayer will get popular." Dumbledore said with amusement before turning to walk away.
"Professor, how did the troll get into the school?" Harry's voice made him stop.
"We are not sure, we are still investigating, but we will learn the truth soon enough." Dumbledore said.
Harry knew the old man was hiding something from him. He was almost tempted to ask about the portraits all over the castle; surely one of them must have seen Professor Quirrell with the troll, but he held his tongue at the last minute; if Dumbledore wasn't bringing up the portraits, then he was sure there was a reason he was not mentioning them. Harry knew what would be the first thing he would do tomorrow. He knew it must have been Professor Quirrell, but he wanted to know why. A man of his status has no reason and has no gain to send a troll loose in the school. Harry couldn't make sense of it, but he was sure the Portraits should have seen where the man had gone while the troll was walking around the school.
"I saw Professor Filius, Minerva, and Snape. Where is Professor Quirrell?" Harry prompted, and Dumbledore turned to face him, his face quite serious.
"Professor Quirrell fainted from fear when he warned us in the Main Hall that a troll was loose in Hogwarts." Dumbledore answered with a stern voice, which was quickly gone, he smiled back at Harry.
"Good night, you two," Dumbledore added before leaving the large, empty hospital wing.
Hermione and Harry were the only ones present, and the young wizard waited for the barrage of questions.
"...Harry...what is Itisa?" Hermione asked once she was sure no one could hear them; she looked at the cat, or whatever she was, warily; she wasn't sure if she should be afraid of her. She saw what Itisa did to the troll, and something was telling her that there was much more she could do, but another part reminded her that Itisa saved them; if she hadn't been there, she wasn't sure if Harry could have defeated the troll despite being a prodigy as many called him. So she was thankful, but still a little wary.
"Itisa." Harry started as the Nundu jumped on his shoulder as she often did. Itisa is a friend, Hermione. My first friend. I appreciate that you didn't say anything, and I will explain it tomorrow after class, okay?" Hermione seemed to want to ask more questions and still appeared a little insecure about the cat, but she decided to go along with it.
"Very well, and Harry thank you again."
"For what?"
"For coming to me. You could have just ignored what Susan said, and just go along with your day." Hermione said with a tearful smile.
"I'm not like that Hermione. I always protect my friends. You needed me, and I came. There's no reason to say 'Thank you'." Harry said sincerely, and he could see her face turning a little red, and she quickly looked away from him.
Harry smirked deviously at the sight of her red face. "Well, if you want to thank me, I guess a kiss in the cheek would do." she quickly threw the pillow on his head, and he laughed in amusement while her face turned bright red.
"Prat! " she shouted, sounding scandalized, but quickly looked away from him, hiding her smile. The last thing she needed was for Harry to think she appreciated his comment. She definitely didn't.
Before Harry could open his big mouth again, the door opened. Minerva and Mister Corpse-Looking Professor Snape walked in. "Hermione Granger, follow me. I walk you to your common room."
"Follow me, Potter, and don't say anything." Snape snarled, looking bitter that he needed to walk Potter back to the Common Room.
He could not even take House Points from him because he was in Slytherin. Snape could not fathom why the bloody hat sorted him into Slytherin. This felt like a cruel joke to him. Harry was every bit like his father, and fate decided he should be in Slytherin; this felt like James Potter giving him one last middle finger from beyond the grave.
Harry rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told. He jumped out of bed and followed the Professor behind. Hermione wished him and Itisa a good night as they walked in two different directions.
As they were walking downstairs towards the dungeon, Harry only now noticed that Snape was limping slightly. His right leg wasn't fully pressing on the floor as he walked, and he was moving it quite slowly.
"What happened to your leg, Professor?"
"That's none of your business, Potter," Snape snarled at him, almost barking, giving him a look of loathem from over his shoulder. Despite Snape's intimidating demeanor, Harry remained unfazed, meeting Snape's gaze with a calm expression.
"You know when the troll was attacking us? I was wishing you were there, Professor." Harry knew he should shut his big mouth, but he couldn't help himself, and his Head House looked at him sternly.
"And why is that, Potter? Surely it would take more than a troll to scare you, great Harry Potter?" He asked mockingly, looking down at him the same way Vernon looked at him.
Harry felt his anger flare up, that look. He was looking down at him as if he was lesser than him. For a brief moment, Harry felt like he was back at the cursed Dursleys. Harry would never allow anyone else to look down at him.
"Did cat got your tongue, Potter? Were you really that scared?" Snape mocked him more.
"Well, I just want to see you meet your match when it comes to an ancient creature with a big mouth, no brain, and one twice prettier than you, Professor." Harry knew he was in trouble the moment he said that, but he couldn't help himself. The Professor had stopped walking, and his eyes snapped at him like bear traps.
"You are just like your father, Potter." Snape said with disgust in his voice; from his eyes, Harry could tell the man was furious with him. Right now, he was giving Uncle Vernon a run for his money.
"Thank you, Professor. I never expected a compliment from you; perhaps I misjudged you." Harry said with an innocent smile, and Snape's fingers curled around the wand hidden beneath his cloak, peering at Harry furiously. For a moment, he was sure the man would pull out his wand at him, but much to his shock, he sheathed his wand and said nothing. Instead, he continued with the walk towards the common room.
The rest of the journey back was spent in silence. Upon entering the common room, Snape walked out, and much to Harry's displeasure, some of the first years, including Draco, were waiting for him. It was almost the middle of the night, so the Common Room was nearly empty.
"I heard a troll attacked you in the bathroom, Potter. No surprise there. A troll is the most dumbest creature; of course, they would go after their own kind." Draco mocked him the moment he entered the Common Room, earning a round of laughter from the two statues behind him. Pancy laughed along, but the same wasn't true for Daphne and Sebastian.
"No, I'm pretty sure that was just your mother, and after seeing her, it all makes sense why you have no brain." Harry fired back at him, a little tired to deal with his bullshit. "And I heard from Professor Snape that you were the first to scream like a little girl when Professor Quirrell told everyone that there was a troll in the dungeon, and you used your two statues like meatshields the whole time until you returned to the common room, and since they lack brains, is not like they have any other function," Harry added, causing Draco to turn red in the face while the two morons behind looked at one another, slowly processing what Harry had said.
"You have a big mouth, Potter. Don't make me silence you." Draco threatened, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Harry.
"'Don't make me silence you.' Even a dead dog has more bark than you, Draco. And have your parents never told you not to play with fire? Accio." Draco's wand suddenly fell into Harry's hand, and the boy looked at it up close.
"Give it back to me," Draco quickly barked. His two friends finally decided to try something, but Harry simply threw the wand back at Draco without much thought and turned to walk back to his chamber. He had no time to waste with him; he had more important things to do.
"Harry, what happened with the troll?" Daphne strutted towards him, sounding curious. He could almost see the gears turning on her head, and Sebastian seemed interested in what he would say, but he remained seated on the couch.
Harry told her the same version he told Dumbledore, and he could tell that Daphne appeared a little suspicious while Sebastian smiled in amusement.
"I think you should have brought that troll here. Change him with Gregory. It would be an improvement." he said humorlessly.
"Watch your words, Sallow. Do I need to remind you that your father owns everything he has to my family? I would watch my words if I were you." Draco said with a smug look, and for the first time, Sebastian's smile disappeared, his face twitched, now appearing murderous.
"And you should watch your words, Draco. Your little daddy is nothing but Voldemort's cocksucker, just as you are his." Sebastian said with a threatening voice, and Draco almost squirmed.
But Harry paid them little mind as Daphne looked at him strangely. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just surprised your cat wasn't scared of the troll." She pointed out at Itisa, who was resting on his shoulder.
"Itisa is braver than all of us here." Harry said proudly, scratching her nose in the process.
Daphne looked at Itisa strangely before turning on her heels and walking to her chamber, which she shared with Tracey.
"Harry, did something with Itisa an hour ago?" Sebastian quickly ran up to him just as his hand touched the door handle of his room. Harry turned to face him, looking confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Did she freeze?" Sebastian added, hoping he would understand.
"What do you mean? Why would she freeze?" Harry prompted, not understanding what he was trying to say.
"Harry," Sebastian said his name hushedly; he looked around furtively. "An hour ago, my sister was using our owl, Senestia, to send an owl to our uncle. But she froze mid-air, fell on the floor, and didn't move for a whole minute. And it wasn't just our owl. Every single pet animal in here froze at the same time, and they remained frozen like that as if petrified. The minute goes, and they all wake up as if nothing happened. I don't know if something similar happened to the other Houses. I will ask them tomorrow, but I wanted to know if Itisa was affected." Sebastian explained, pointing at Itisa.
Harry was left with his mouth wide open. If that had happened, he had no idea. He was too busy with the troll, but if he said no, Sebastian might get suspicious of Itisa. "...Yes. She did." Harry answered, trying to sound convincing, and Sebastian looked at him and Itisa for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay, tomorrow I will have Madam Pomfrey check on Senestia. I think you should do the same." Sebastian said before walking to his room.
It didn't take long for Harry to return to his room. Now that he was alone, he looked at Itisa, caressing her fur, earning a purr from the beautiful Nundu. He was soon joined by Hedwig, who landed on his other shoulder, much to Itisa's displeasure.
"Hello, beautiful. Sorry for not giving you attention, but I was busy with a troll." Harry said with a big smile, now caressing Hedwig's beautiful feathers, and Itisa let out a loud 'meow' of protest. She couldn't talk, but Harry knew she was jealous of Hedwig, and the owl was giving her a look as if to say.
'Shut up, ugly cat. I'm the one he loves from now.'
'Watch your tongue, rat with wings.'
Harry could see from the way Itisa's spikes started growing that the two were not ready yet to become friends. "Hey, no. Bad Itisa, no fighting your family. Hedwig is one of us." Harry quickly said, jabbing his finger at her.
But the Nundu looked at him as if she wanted to protest until she just jumped on his head. He could feel her little feet walking around his hair before setting down in a resting position. Harry sighed, feeling like he was breaking up two sisters from fighting each other. He looked at Hedwig, who hooted adorably at him.
"Sorry, Hedwig. Now. I want you to send a letter to Tonks. Can you do that?" Hedwig nodded eagerly, and he could almost see a smile on her beak as she flapped her pretty wings. She was happy to finally do some work.
Harry wrote in a parchment with his quill on the table. Once he was done, he secured it on her leg and was about to open the window for her to fly outside when something happened.
Hedwig emitted a vibrant, piercing melody, causing her wings to crackle with white electricity. Gradually, the sparkling energy enveloped her whole form, making her appear more lightning than bird. Her eyes glowed a vivid yellow.
She leaped from his shoulder, releasing another ethereal, eagle-like whistle that echoed throughout the room. With a swift movement, she swirled around herself; the electricity started spreading around the room, spreading long, thin white arms that dragged across the floor and wall, leaving behind a red trail, and she was gone...!
Harry was left stunned. She was gone as if she were never there, and he wondered how that was possible. He had seen the small sparks of lightning Hedwig did the first time she met Itisa, but Harry had brushed it off. Since it didn't happen again until now, Harry had convinced himself that it was just his eyes playing games with him.
But now, he realized that Hedwig wasn't just an ordinary owl. He quickly thought back at the different kinds of magical birds he had read about in the Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them.
As he thought deeply about it, two birds might be what Hedwig was, but he couldn't remember them saying that a bird could use electricity to teleport or whatever it was that Hedwig did.
He escaped his thoughts when Itisa let out a loud 'meow.' Within a few seconds, he felt the air growing hotter. A burst of electricity appeared from the place where she had disappeared. Within seconds, she appeared again, and the lightning disappeared.
Harry opened his mouth to ask, but as he looked at her leg, he realized that the letter he had given her was gone. "Did you give it to Tonks?" Harry questioned, and the owl let out a hoot, and he was sure she just said 'yes' to him.
"Here, girl," Harry said, grabbing food from his bag. Hedwig eagerly flew to his shoulder and started eating from his palm. Meanwhile, Harry looked at her, wondering what kind of bird she was.
"You can use lightning. You might be a Stormbird or a Thunderbird." Harry wondered out loud as he used his other hand to caress her feathers. As he thought deeply about it, he realized that someone with more experience than him would see the difference and know if Hedwig was a Stormbird or a Thunderbird.
Hagrid, Harry thought, he remembered Tonks telling him that he might be able to see right through Itisa, so if he wanted his help to know what kind of bird Hedwig was, then he would need to leave Itisa behind, perhaps with Tonks until he returned.
Fascinating, Harry thought, now he had two magical creatures. He wondered if he could befriend more of them.
Perhaps an EisenElephant would do; they were said to be one of the largest magical creatures in the world, and they were similar to elephants. Still, they had the toughest armor in the world. He remembered that Newt Scamander had even noted in his book that EisenElephants could grow in big sizes, the sizes of houses, and most of the known spells could not penetrate their armor.
Harry's mind went to other rare magical creatures, like the Great Leviathan, the ruler of the Seas and the largest magical creature in the world.
Fortissax, the most powerful Dragon in the world, and the ruler of the skies. According to Newt Scammander's notes, the locals said he was over a thousand years old.
Basilisks. The Kings of Snakes, their poison, was the most powerful in the world, and their gaze was deadly.
But then he looked at Itisa. Not for the first time, he wondered where she came from, who was the man that left her in the park, and why?
Why would someone leave a cute Nundu like her in the park? This man had left her for Harry to find the Nundu at the right moment. Just who was this man?
"Itisa, do you know who left you in the park?" Harry asked, hoping to get an answer, but Itisa did not answer; instead, her golden eyes looked back at his emerald eyes, looking at him, just him.
"Well, it was worth a try," Harry mumbled under his breath. He figured he wouldn't get the answer to that question anytime soon. He soon decided to lie down and sleep. He knew he had a lot of things to do tomorrow, and one of them involved Professor Quirrell.
No one hurts my friends. No One. Harry thought determinedly as he fell into a deep slumber.
Tomorrow
The following day started as usual until the time came for him to go to the Main Hall. The moment he entered, he received various looks from everyone; even his fellow Slytherins seemed to be looking at him with respect, which was quite surprising. Draco tried to make a joke about Harry's appearance, but this time, no one paid attention to him.
"Harry, come here," Anne quickly said the moment she saw him, patting the seat next to her. Harry wanted to sit with Tonks and discuss the letter, but he didn't want to reject Anne's invitation.
"Good Morning, Anne, Sebastian." Harry greeted them back before sitting down. Anne smiled cutely at Itisa the moment he sat down beside them, but again, the Nundu didn't appear to be in the mood to play with the girl.
The moment he sat down, he was bombarded by questions from everyone, even students who acted like he hadn't existed until yesterday. He noticed Anne appeared quite saddened when he told them the troll was dead.
"Why didn't you just knock him unconscious?" She asked, looking on the verge of tears.
"Anni, sometimes you have no other choice. Don't blame Harry; he was just defending his friend." Sebastian quickly came to Harry's rescue, and he was relieved. Anne still appeared saddened, but she understood why the troll was dead.
Soon, Harry left the Slytherin table and walked up to the Hufflepuff table. "Ahh, the Trollslayer. Everyone, a toast for the best student in Hogwarts." Tonks was quick to cheer the moment she noticed him, and her words were followed by other Hufflepuffs cheering for him.
"Thank you, Tonks, you are the best." Harry said with a halfhearted voice.
"That's my job, Mister Potter. Now, sit with us, and tell us how you defeated a dragon when you were four." Tonks teased him with a beautiful smile.
"Yes, and I wielded Excalibur when I was two. Tonks, all that is bullshit." Harry said before deciding to change the subject. "Tonks, can you come with me? I need to talk with you." he prompted, and the moment he said that a round of 'ooohhh' came from all the girls of the fourth year or older sitting at the Hufflepuff table.
"Ohh, Harry. I didn't know we were already at that point." Tonks quickly took the opportunity to tease him and even winked at him for extra effect. Harry turned a little red; he was used to Tonks's shenanigans, but he wasn't used to so many pretty girls looking at him at the same time, and some of them were quite beautiful.
"Tonks!" He drawled, swatting at her shoulder playfully, and the girl giggled along with her friends.
"Fine, Harry, but you better not take advantage of me." Tonks teased him again as she stood up to follow him outside, and Harry shook his head in disbelief; sometimes, he wondered if it was a bad sign for him if she was his best friend.
Soon, they found an empty classroom, and Harry could tell Tonks wanted to tease him again, but this time, he was faster. "Did you receive my letter last night?"
"Yes, you said you knew who left the troll into the school, and since we are on that topic, since when can Hedwig turn into lightning?" She questioned with a cocked eyebrow. She had been sleeping peacefully when a bolt of lightning in front of her eyes had woken her up and terrified her; she was halfway to hexing whoever came to her, only to see Hedwig with a scroll on her leg.
"It was Professor Quirrell." Harry said, completely ignoring her comment about Hedwig, and Tonks looked at him as if he was mad.
"Harry, are we talking about the same Professor Quirrell, the same one who is afraid of his own shadow?" Tonks questioned with disbelief.
"I know what you are thinking, but I asked every portrait and the white lady told me that she saw Professor Quirrell unlocking a secret passage on the wall, and soon the same passage opened, and the troll came out with Professor Quirrell using his wand on the troll before running towards the Main Hall. I think he used Imperio on him since the white lady couldn't hear what he used, and then he ran off to the Main Hall to shout about the troll." Harry explained, and Tonks's mouth fell to the floor from disbelief. She quickly shook her head, quickly realizing this was quite serious, and being the Head Girl, her face changed into a more serious one.
"Why would he do this thought? I don't understand." Tonks wondered out loud. It made no sense for a teacher to let a troll loose. She wondered if she should tell Dumbledore about this, but she knew Harry was no big fan of his.
"I asked the portraits, and 'the little girl' told me that she saw a man wearing a purple turban going to the forbidden third floor on the right side five minutes after started screaming around about the troll." Harry answered with a triumphant smile, and he could see the gears moving inside Tonks's head.
"I think we should check what's in there, and then demand answers from Professor Quirrell." Tonks suggested, and Harry nodded in agreement. But he knew he would more than just demand answers from him.
Two Days Later - Amelia Bones
Once again, she was receiving reports about strange things happening. It's been three years since the last time something strange happened, but before, she wasn't as concerned as she was right now.
Yesterday, she received a letter from her niece. She had told her that two days ago, during the night, a troll had somehow sneaked inside Hogwarts and attacked the girls' bathroom and two students: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
Amelia had made sure to send a letter to Dumbledore. This wasn't something that should be allowed to happen, and she demanded answers from him. She wanted to know how it was possible for a troll to walk inside the school, but that wasn't even the part that got her most concerned.
According to her letter, during the same night, her cat froze as she was walking, even falling over as if she had just been petrified, but not just her, according to her niece's letter. The next day, she found out that almost every animal pet that students had in Hogwarts had frozen at the same time, all of them for one minute.
Amelia wanted to ask if the same thing happened to magical animals outside of Hogwarts, but she doubted that she knew anything. This was concerning; animals don't just freeze like that out of nowhere. She knew something was happening here, and this was a good opportunity to talk with her niece and Dumbledore at the same time.
The door opened, revealing Mad-Eye Moody, who looked as grumpy as always. "What now?"
"We are going to Hogwarts," Amelia said in a commanding voice, rising from her seat.
"We?" Moody questioned, pointing at himself.
"Yes, even you." the man shook his head in slight disbelief, looking as if she had just told him that he would get executed.
"It will be a good opportunity to see if the professors taught them 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE'" Mad-Eye Moody said, almost sounding like a madman.
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