[x] Plan Searching for Black and preparing for Ghostly Googles
-[x] Case V: The Search for Sirius Black (2 Actions [1 Action in May, 1 Action in June]) - There is a dangerous criminal on the loose, and it is your job to track him down. Sirius Black is a wanted man, and it is believed that he may be hiding out close to the castle. No one should get near, there is danger at all steps. You are determined to find him. You know that Black is cunning and resourceful, and you will have to use all of your acquired abilities and detective skills to track him down. With your determination and intelligence, you are confident that you will be able to solve this case and bring Black to justice.
-[X] Runes Club Research x1
-[x] Overdrive applicable: In Search of New Spells (find spells that can incapacitate an/or stunt your opponents)
-[X] Overdrive applicable: Stage III, A Hogwarts Map x4
--[X] If the previous action is finished with less than 4 actions use the excess in Random Encounter
-[x] Overdrive applicable: What hides behind trees I (Danger identified: Dementors. You know have a counter spell and some experience with soul-sucking foes.) – The deep Forbidden Forest extends around to the west of the castle. Everyone knows everything there is to know about the Forbidden Forest; it is a forest and it is forbidden. The rest is just rumors… werewolf's, vampires, monsters and spiders. All dangers a child could imagine await you in the forest. Why were you trembling in anticipation about breaking out of the castle through the passageway behind the mirror and exploring what had been forbidden to you for way too long? (Takes 3 Actions, can't be taken in the same month as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Break through your Horizon)
--[x] Apply Overdrive x2
-[x] Write a Letter (Free Action) – To you parents about your friends and the supportiveness of Ravenclaw, and cross-house compatriots. Maybe talk about the upcoming Dueling Tournament that you hope to do well in.
-[x]x6 personal actions.
-[x] Alchemy x2
-[x] Learning x 4 (Antidote to Uncommon Poisons (Needed for exams at the end of the year), Lumos (Deep Understanding), Point Me, Diffindo, Incendio (Deep Understanding), Reducio, Expelliarmus (Deep Understanding))
Present Date: 31st April 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
You sat at a large table in a small study room inside the Hogwarts library, surrounded by stacks of old newspapers, parchment and documents that you had been writing in. You had a new case, one that had the entire country on edge: finding the criminal Sirius Black.
The Hogwarts library was by now a very familiar place to you; a vast, enchanted space filled with rows upon rows of tall shelves stocked with an endless supply of books. The shelves stretched up to the high, arched ceiling, and the soft light of floating lanterns illuminated the stacks. In between those shelves were rows of tables for students to work on.
The air was heavy with the musty smell of old paper and leather bindings.
On your way into one of the small rooms you had occupied for the last few days, you passed by the center of the library. You walked by the large, circular reference desk, manned by the librarian, Madam Pince. The stern, no-nonsense woman guarded the library's collection with fierce dedication. Students were required to sign out any books they borrow, and Madam Pince was known to deduct points from students who returned them late or in poor condition.
The most important part for you right now were the private study rooms and alcoves scattered throughout the library, where students could work in peace and quiet. But they were harder to get the closer exams came along. While the other residents of the library were frantically studying for either their O.W.L.s or their N.E.W.Ts, you had mostly abandoned your studies for the time being.
Instead, you were doing something that could shape up to be a lot of fun for you.
Your eyes darted over the description that you had summarized in your Notebook:
Sirius Black is wanted for the murder of twelve Muggles and the attempted murder of Harry Potter on October 31st, 1981. He is also wanted for the murder of Peter Pettigrew, a former friend.
Black is described as a white male, 6'2" tall with short, unkempt black hair and a thin, angular face. There is no reference to the distinctive tattoo of a skull that most Death Eaters would have on their right arm. This means that if he actually misses that, he was either a secret agent of Riddle or had been recruited only recently.
At the time of his arrest and his transport to Azkaban, he was wearing a long black coat. I have found no notice on to what prisoners wear after arriving in their cell.
It is believed that Black is hiding out somewhere around the grounds of Hogwarts (While not outright stated, there is an undertone that he is hunting Harry Potter in the current articles).
Authorities are urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward immediately. Black is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached.
You scratched your neck with the quill in your hand, not noticing the ink that you smeared on your skin in the process.
"On the evening of November 1 1981, a report of a murder was received by the Ministry of Magic," you read, whispering to yourself in the late evening. Curfew was closing in and you would be soon thrown out of the library. This was one of a dozen articles that had been published in the days after the killing. You had not found one clear, detailed and structured text, because most newspapers had understandably focused on the killing of Lord Voldemort instead.
August had been complete chaos for British wizardry.
So, you had to work yourself through all the different versions instead, trying to find the common, verified details: "Upon arrival at the crime scene, it was determined that Peter Pettigrew had been killed by Sirius Black, his former friend and fellow Gryffindor student in Hogwarts."
It was such a captivating series of events. Murder, treachery and old friendships. This case had it all.
"At approximately 11:30 PM, witnesses reported hearing a loud argument coming from a secluded area near the edge of the London district Wandsworth. Upon investigation, only one part of Peter Pettigrew's was found. The rest of the body is suspected to have been torn away in the murder."
A comment landed next to the first part: Who heard a loud argument? What was the argument? Why did it register at all? You marked the last sentence as well. What spell?
"Further investigation revealed that Sirius Black, who was suspected to be the Secret-Keeper for the Potter family, had been confronted by Pettigrew who accused him of betraying their mutual friends, James and Lily Potter, to their enemy, You-Know-Who. A physical altercation ensued, during which Black fatally wounded Pettigrew."
Another comment: What is a Secret-Keeper?Why were the Potters interesting to Riddle? Then another comment was added that you had asked yourself many times before: How did Harry Potter survive?
"Forensic evidence collected at the scene, included the mark of multiple spells and a single finger of Peter Pettigrew. A manhunt was launched, and Black was eventually captured and brought to Azkaban without the need for a formal trial because of the severity of the crimes and his clear involvement with You-Know-Who."
Well, that was interesting, wasn't it?
You cross-referenced the other articles you had found and while it was true that some accused Death Eaters had seen no trial, there were multiple cases that had shown that a trial could make sense. Most famously, a man named Lucious Malfoy and a few others you recognized by surnames.
It seemed like the few weeks after the war had been a free-for-all as everyone tried to save their hides.
Another name came up in a similar text piece: Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black.
The name Black … you had seen it more than a few times while looking for Tom Riddle's history.
You pulled up your old notes again that had been created for the former case.
The Black family is a prominent and wealthy wizarding family in the British area, descendants of a French branch. They are known for their strict adherence to the principles of pure-blood supremacy and their longstanding loyalty to the Dark Arts. The family words are "Toujours Pur," which means "Always Pure."
The family's members are known for distinctive physical features, including their black hair, pale skin, and grey eyes. The Blacks are known for lavish and opulent lifestyles, with many an abundance of family houses and castles. I haven't found anything more recent. They seemed to have disappeared as a family name in the last war."
Well, that fit well enough. One probably dead, two in Azkaban, one the woman of a 'accused' Death Eater. The family had brought up the best members of society, it seemed. There was no trial for Black, but the deductions that had been proposed seemed reasonable enough, even if they were still shady in some details.
"Black was accused of murder and had been imprisoned in Azkaban for over a decade. But now, after his surprising and unexplained escape he is suspected to be hiding somewhere around Hogwarts."
You were determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. You scanned through the further documents in front of you, taking diligent notes as you went.
How did he escape Azkaban? The dementors should have destroyed his mind by now, but if he didn't show any skills to escape early, how after 10 years? Did someone mess up? Did he have a strong skill in Occlumency? Did he gain a new tool?
According to the reports, Black had been a close friend of James and Lily Potter, and was even godfather to their son Harry. But on the night of their deaths, he had betrayed them, revealing their location to Lord Voldemort and allowing them to be killed.
"Oh, damn. That is a personal beef," you said, putting the quill back into ink, before you continued.
Was Black here to finish the job? If so, the attack on the Gryffindors would make a lot of sense. The evidence against the man was damning. Several eyewitnesses had seen him fleeing the scene of the crime. But there were also discrepancies in the story that made you somewhat suspicious.
For one thing, in the one comment that you had heard about the man's perspective, Black had maintained his innocence, insisting that he had been framed. And there were several inconsistencies in the accounts of the night's events, including conflicting descriptions of the killer's appearance by the Muggle bystanders. Or even how many Muggles had supposedly seen Black kill Pettigrew.
But suspecting that all of this was true, and that Black was out to kill Harry Potter, why had he not succeeded yet? If he had been able to enter the castle grounds, what had stopped him? It could not be that hard to kill a thirteen-year-old boy, right?
Present Date: 1st May 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Hidden roll for random Encounter.
Twelve hours after you had been thrown out of the library for curfew you were back. The library had opened its doors around two hours ago, but you had spent the early morning of Sunday by talking to your house-elf friend Nally after she had woken you and your friends. For some reason she had chosen that your bedroom was not clean enough on this particular day and kept all of the Ravenclaw off their beds as you evaded flying objects.
It shouldn't matter. At ten in the morning, you would surely still get one of those cozy study rooms … Your heart started racing when you saw the rows of occupied desks and tables. Exactly two months before the last exam, it seemed as if a clock had reset for most of the students.
When you scanned the room, only one small study room was still with its door open, the insides empty.
At the same moment, the door behind you opened again and someone stepped up next to you. Percy Weasley came rushing into the library, his eyes wide with panic. He too had the same realization it seemed. One study room left, and if that one filled up … both of you looked over the rows of students chattering in whispers as they shared notes with each other. If that one room was filled up, you would have to share all day with the mass of people around you.
The seventh year and you locked eyes, each realizing that you were in competition for the last study room. A second of hesitation. Then you both began to walk as fast as you could without breaking into a run, trying to beat each other to the coveted spot.
Under the librarian's watchful eyes, the two of you jostled for the first position. You evaded the first row of tables to the left, while Percy went right. Neither of you had less than one foot on the ground at any time. A masterful competition in fast walking.
You reached out for the handle at the same time as Percy did, both of you grasping it tightly. For a moment, you both stared at each other, panting and stressed. It was clear that neither of you was going to give up easily. Neither of you wanted to have to share the space with someone else, but especially not with each other.
"Come on, Jacob," Percy said through gritted teeth. "I need this room. I've got a lot of work to catch up on."
"Don't we all, Percy," you replied, a forced smile on your face. "I need this room just as much as you do."
Your eyes locked in a silent showdown.
After a moment of stubbornness, a sound pierced through the quiet whispers of the library.
"Mhhmmh." When you and Percy turned to the source of the sound, your eyes found those of Madam Pince. A command without words.
You and Percy looked at each other again, before you reluctantly agreed that sharing the room was better than the alternative of having to study in the crowded main area of the library.
"Fine," you said. "We'll have to make it work."
"Yes, I guess we will," Percy said, equally disappointed.
As you entered the room and settled in at both ends of the table, you couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of having to share your space for the entire day.
Percy moved like a soulless golem, putting his things on the table before meticulously sorting them on his half of the large table. The books were sitting on top of each other, perfectly aligned with the parchment set that he laid next to them.
You averted your eyes, to stop feeling the sense of annoyance that was building up inside of you. Percy was probably the best and most competent student in the dueling club, but his sense of being felt wrong to you.
"Well, I guess we should get started," you said, pulling out your books and notes as you positioned them across your entire half of the small room. There was only order in the end picture of it all, when it was clear that from your sitting position you just needed to turn into any direction and would see most of what you had set out on the ground and pinned to the walls around you.
"Right," Percy replied, as he watched you sort your things with sheer disgust in his eyes. He shook his head and started focusing on his own materials.
But as you both started to work, the silence that set in the room was only broken by the occasional turning of a page or the scratching of a pen on parchment. It was clear that neither of you were particularly thrilled about the situation, but the active annoyance disappeared soon into a faint memory of something that was not important as both of you focused on your work.
"Do you want one?" someone said.
What.
You looked up. Hours had passed without you noticing. It took you a moment to see the breadsticks Percy was holding out to you.
"No, thanks." You said and continued writing.
This time you felt the eyes on you, that had probably been there for a while now. You looked up again and saw Percy eating while he watched you from his chair.
"Old newspapers, books about medieval architecture …" he said as he looked over the sheets on your table, before looking down on the ground behind you. "Esoteric magic, that is not on your curriculum and … huh, I don't even know what that is."
You sighed. "What are you trying to say, Percy?"
"Why are you not studying for the exams? You are not one of the unfocussed and lazy ones, are you?" He asked. There was an undertone that you could not place.
"Why do you care?" You asked instead, letting your quill drop as you leaned back. Only then did you notice that your back ached … and that your hunger feeling had set in.
Without asking, you leaned over and took one of Percy's breadsticks. The Gryffindor Head Boy helped you by reaching them over to you.
"You are smart and talented. It would be a waste if you were lazy." He said, as if that would make more sense.
"I don't really care what you think, Percy." You stretched with your arms raised high into the air and let out a breath of air, before leaning forwards again and started chewing on the breadstick.
Percy watched you as he ate his own breadstick. "What are you even doing here, Jacob? Why are you not studying for the exams?"
You had to give up on ignoring him: "I'm not studying for exams because I'm working on a case."
"A case?" Percy asked, disbelief clear in his voice. "What kind of case?"
"It's a case to find Sirius Black," you replied, a hint of excitement creeping into your voice. "A murderer on the run. I'm trying to find out the truth about what happened with him and then I am going to find him."
Percy stared at you, his mouth open in shock. "You can't be serious. Sirius Black is one of the most dangerous criminals in the country. You can't just go around trying to find him!"
"Why not?" you asked, shrugging. "They have all the Dementors around for a reason, the quicker I find him, the sooner we get rid of those things."
"You're going to get yourself killed," Percy said, shaking his head. "Leave it to the Aurors. They're trained for this kind of thing."
"So, you are not interested in the slightest? There are some discrepancies in his arrest, and I have a few ideas as how to find him as well …" You said as you eyed the expression on his face. Instead of the excitement you would have hoped for, you saw an uninspired and fuddled Gryffindor before you.
"No, I don't. And you shouldn't either. You should focus on your studies instead," Percy said.
You looked at him. He was being honest with you. It wasn't him trying to keep you out of harm. Percy did not see the beauty of the mystery in front of him. Worse even; he did not care about it. "That is what makes your talent a waste, Percy," you said, breaking the eye-contact and focusing on your materials again.
"What do you mean?" He asked you.
You almost did not answer. In one fell swoop Percy, while strong and competent, had lost a lot of ground in your head. You did not care for the bore that people like him would make the world out to be.
But in the end, you did answer. You would still have to share this room with him for a few more hours, until you were done for the day: "All that brain and energy, and you have never understood the wonder of a question yet unanswered."
Percy was a nice person, who would help any student that came to him with questions or needed help. But he was also caught in a cage, following rules and expectations that people had laid out for him, not trying to be himself instead.
Competent, but limited. Nice but ignorant. You did not care about Percy.
He didn't say anything in return. Instead, after a while, he reached out with his hand again. "Want another one?" Percy asked, without looking at you.
"Yes, thank you." You said, taking another one of the offered sticks.
But you also couldn't bring yourself to dislike him.
You found yourself with many interesting words and references for future projects. One of them, luckily opened itself up in search for something else. A new entry lands in your notebook, but which one is it?
[ ] Apparition (Basic Understanding) – Charm. A spell that allows for teleportation of oneself from one location to another. This spell requires an immense amount of skill and concentration, as a misstep could result in serious injury or even death. It is also heavily regulated, as it requires a license to be able to perform Apparition. But let's be honest, you don't have a British registered wand. You know that you can do whatever you want on your vacations … no one will find out, probably. At this stage you are very loud, and your apparition needs a lot of time for concentration. You can't use this in combat or with another person yet, but you can clearly see the potential. Requires Charms Skill of A- & Constitution 4, DC: 150.
[ ] Portus – Transfiguration. A Portkey Spell is used to transform an ordinary object into a Portkey, allowing the user to instantly transport to the destined location. The usage of this spell is strictly regulated by the Ministry of Magic due to the potential dangers of unauthorized teleportation. You can use this on other people. There is no range restriction for this spell, but you need a few minutes of preparation time ... but there are a few traps that you could set up with something like this. Who would expect a common object to teleport you away?Requires Transfiguration Skill of A- & Alchemy D+, DC: 150.
Three-hour Moratorium! As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
[X] Apparition (Basic Understanding) – Charm. A spell that allows for teleportation of oneself from one location to another. This spell requires an immense amount of skill and concentration, as a misstep could result in serious injury or even death. It is also heavily regulated, as it requires a license to be able to perform Apparition. But let's be honest, you don't have a British registered wand. You know that you can do whatever you want on your vacations … no one will find out, probably. At this stage you are very loud, and your apparition needs a lot of time for concentration. You can't use this in combat or with another person yet, but you can clearly see the potential. Requires Charms Skill of A- & Constitution 4, DC: 150.
Present Date: 14th May 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The classroom was dimly lit, the sun having set an hour ago. Justin and you were each huddled over a cauldron on this Sunday evening; his eyes fixed on the bubbling liquid inside his cauldron, while you were looking at your untouched ingredients that still waited to be used. You were practicing a potion that needed to be mastered by the time exams rolled around. For you the 'Antidote to Uncommon Poisons' was the last thing on your curriculum that you hadn't fully grasped. For Justin ... Well, he had specifically asked you to help him in Potions because he was feeling a bit behind at the moment.
The room was filled with the smell of various herbs and spices, the result of Justin's experimentation at following the potion recipe. Every now and then, he would add a pinch of this or a drop of that, stirring the mixture carefully. By now he was at the end of the receipt. When he reached out to put in one last ingredient into his cauldron, you spoke up without looking up to him.
You said: "I wouldn't do that," your voice void of emotion. But you couldn't help it, it was difficult to talk like a normal human being when you were thinking.
Justin froze in place, the crushed leave between his fingers were ready to be dropped into the potion below. "Why?" He asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"I have the feeling that adds a bit more reaction into the potion than you wish for right now," you explained, never looking up from your ingredients.
A sigh. Then, out of the corner of your eyes, you saw Justin place the ingredient back onto the copper board next to his cauldron.
"Mate," he said, frustration and annoyance clear in his voice. "How is this practicing together, when I am on my third brew, and you still haven't moved one inch …" He looked at his wristwatch. "… in like an hour. And the first thing I hear from you is some cryptic non-sense?"
Finally, you looked away from the ingredients on your table and over to your Hufflepuff friend. There was frustration and a little bit of annoyance in his expression. It wasn't getting easier to deal with people, even if they became your friends.
You just gained more patience for their ways.
"Why would I brew something if I didn't understand the receipt yet?" You asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But that's the whole point of practicing!" Justin said, his voice tinged with frustration. "To make mistakes and learn from them. Otherwise, how are we going to get better?"
"I'm not saying we shouldn't make mistakes," you replied calmly. "I just don't see the point in making them when we can't learn from them. I want to make sure I understand what each ingredient does before I start brewing. Otherwise, we'll just be wasting time."
"Jacob, mate." Justin said. "I think you are brilliant; I really do. But you have to start make some sense sometimes." He pointed at his cauldron. "How about you start with this, why did you think it would explode next?"
You let your head fall into your neck: "I didn't say that."
"You literally just did!" He argued with you.
But you simply shook your head and stood up to take the crushed leave from his cupper board. "No, I said it would get too reactive for what you have in mind. This?" You said, pulling the dark blue matter up. It smelled like Lavender, but it was much more poisonous than that. "Imagine that in the pure form, before working it in any kind, is a mixture of many effects already. All the properties in it make out the whole deathly thing. What you did is some specific steps to either neutralize or break down all unwanted effects until exactly this in here is left."
You moved your fingers with the crushed substance in between them. They colored your skin in a blue shade. Then you threw it into the cauldron, which in seconds went from a dark purple, to a colorless liquid.
"And while I am pretty sure that the potions in our curriculum are specifically chosen so that that process of ingredient manipulation is still rather easy, you overshot with the neutralization here. Instead of having the prior ingredients of your potion fuse together with a little bit of its reaction property, you made all of them react in their entirety here," you said and pointed at his cauldron. "And destroyed any useful effects that would happen otherwise."
And then you went back to your cauldron and pointed at your table. "I first try to understand what I am trying to do with each ingredient. For examples the Murtlap – we chop up the tentacles into small pieces and add them to the cauldron. They are the base of this potion. We need this specifically to take in all of the next ingredient's properties, without adding any unwanted effects to them. Imagine this as plate and isolation all at once. Later we will have to work against that specific effect, but now it's very useful."
You took the tentacles and cut them in front of Justin. The pieces landed in the cauldron, while you continued the explanation: "If I understand that, I can also change the receipt as needed. I could use Gurdyroot instead, it has similar properties it is just more expensive and needs a few extra steps before it is ready. Which is probably why it is not listed here."
You did not look over to Justin. If you had, you would have seen that he was furiously noting down your words. "Next the Wiggentree Bark - shred the bark into thin strips and add it to the cauldron. It is the first effect we are adding. Before the poison is going to be tackled, the body must be strengthened to gain some time."
Even though your hands had never worked on this specific receipt before, they knew exactly what they needed to do. Strips landed in the cauldron, before you grabbed the flobberworms. "Now we need to locate the poison and latch onto it. And next …" You said, taking a chop of knotgrass that you cut into small pieces: "We work on the multiple effects to fight it. We dissolve, neutralize and we weaken with three different properties."
Dittany and Valerian root followed shortly after into the mixture.
"And now, as I said in the beginning. The last step. We combat our very first ingredient. Now we want a reaction between all the prior ingredients and that Murtlap is doing its best to hinder us at that." A bit of crushed hellebore leaves fell into the cauldron as the potion went from a calm violet mixture to a bubbly brew. A few seconds later, it calmed down again. It had kept the beautiful violet color it was known for.
"Woah," Justin said as you finally looked at him. He was lost in thoughts. "It's like a dance. Every ingredient has its own step and you have to follow the rhythm to get it right."
You scratched your chin at his comment. That was a beautiful analogy. You weren't sure if it fit that well, but sure. Why not.
"I see your point," Justin then said. "Okay," his voice filled with new determination. "I get it now. I'll make sure to pay more attention to the ingredients and their purposes before adding them to the potion. Thanks for explaining it to me, Jacob. I really appreciate it."
"Sure," you said with a smile.
+ 1 Vial of Antidote to Uncommon Poisons
- 2 Galleons
1d100+18 #Uncommon Poisons Training, DC 75 = 58 → Failure! New DC 17
1d100+18 #Uncommon Poisons Training, DC 17 = 22 → Success! → New Potion Learned!
1d100+18 #Lumos (Deep Understanding) Training, DC 50 = 61 → Success! → New Spell Learned!
1d100+18 #Point me Training, DC 50 = 96 → Success! → New Spell Learned!
1d100+6 #Researching new spells = 57
1d5 #How many spells? = 2 → The QM pities you and gifts you a bonus spell.
→ 3 New spells in your Notebook for 'Spell & Charm Research'
Immobulus - Charm. The Freezing Charm is a spell which immobilizes living targets. It can also be used to disable Muggle technology it seems. DC 75
Arresto Momentum – Charm. Used to decrease the velocity of a moving target; it should be noted that it can be used on multiple targets, as well as on the caster himself. Needs your concentration to keep up, which could be a hindrance to using it in a fight against multiple people if you are on your own. But this will make you also much more mobile. Requires Charms skill of A. DC: 150
Accio – Charm. The Summoning Charm is a charm that causes a target at a distance from the caster to levitate or fly over to them. This spell needs thought behind it, the object must be clear in the casters mind, before trying to summon. This spell is one of the oldest spells known to wizarding society. DC: 100
Present Date: 18th May 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
1d100+6 #Runes Club Gang, DC 50 = 62 → Success! → Runes Club Findings +1
1d100+10 #Rune-Search Training Roll, DC 25 = 70 → Success! → New grade, A+ (No more progress on Runes Club Findings possible)
→ Runes Club Findings +1: Now 10/10 progress to find Castle Runes.
Monday evening found Megan and you sitting in the clock tower, surrounded by a few other student groups. The large, open space was mostly lit by the evening sun, but a few flickering candles provided additional source of light already as it would soon get dark. The air was filled with the sound of soft conversation and laughter as the students relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.
The two of you sat on a bench near the back of the tower hall, books and parchment scattered around you as you worked on your shared project. Megan was bent over a thick tome, her quill moving quickly across the page as she jotted down notes, comparing two different sets of runes, before adding more to her notes. You sat next to her, but your eyes were fixed on a single page of your notebook.
Across the room, a group of Gryffindors were huddled around a small table that they had magically set up, laughing and chatting as they played a game of Wizard's Chess. Near the windows, a couple of older Ravenclaws sat quietly together, their heads bent over their books as they studied. And in the corner, a group of fifth year Hufflepuffs were lounging on the stage you had sat on a while ago, talking to the headmaster. The Hufflepuffs were chatting and laughing as they enjoyed each other's company.
The clock tower was as always, a peaceful and welcoming place.
"This one is defending again," Megan said after a while, making you look up from your notes. She finished up a sentence and then locked eyes with you. "So, we have the outside runes mostly locked in for defense purposes," she said, pointing the large map of the castle you had drawn and worked on that was set out in front of you. "Some are a bit different, but they all fit the general gist; holding in whatever magic that has been cast on them for this specific capability of defending the outsides."
You followed her finger around the map as she pointed at the different markers that the both of you had found over the last term.
"And then we got these," Megan said, pointing at the next set of runes on her book. "That we have determined to be for compression and expansion." She pointed at different points of the map again, but you didn't follow the movement this time. Instead, your eyes fell on the most distinctive set of runes of the notebook in your hand again.
"We have shown that all of these are near the places that you have discovered secret passageways in." You heard Megan sigh as if weight was being dropped from her shoulders. "I really think we got this, Jacob. We have the other rune sets defined for taking in surrounding magic and feeding the wards, for blocking off the outside and for other creative mechanisms. I honestly think, we are finally done!"
You looked up. When your eyes met, she was smiling happily but you were not. It took Megan a moment, before she frowned: "What is it? Did I make a mistake?"
Your eyes landed on the note in front of you again. "No," you said.
"It's just that I've been looking at this one set of runes for a while now, and I can't seem to figure out how they fit into this." You pointed to the page in your notebook. "These are the ones we found inside Myrte's bathroom. I've compared them to everything we have, and they are without doubt of the 'outside defence' set."
Megan leaned over to get a better look at the runes, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Hmm, that is strange. They should be exclusive to the outsides of the castle." She reached for one of the books on the table and started flipping through the pages.
You watched as Megan searched through the book. But it seemed clear what the obvious solution had to be. They had to serve some purpose, if they were set in that specific place; not only shield enemies from the castle, but to also communicate to the defense mechanisms that starting here there was no Hogwarts anymore.
"Megan," you said after a while. "You don't have to look it up. You are right. These runes set the limits of the defense wards for sure." Then your eyes met again.
"But how does that fit in for magic inside the castle?" She asked confused.
This time it was you smiling at her.
"We have found a hidden passageway that is mysteriously cut off out of the castles magic."
You had found a secret below Hogwarts that had been there since the inception of the castle. While you didn't have any evidence yet, you already knew what it was that you would find.
"The chamber of Secrets."
→ New Actions unlocked. 'A Hogwarts Secret' Quest lines available.
[ ] A Hogwarts Secret:Slytherin, Unlocking a Secret Chamber (2 Actions needed) – Runes of defense mark this place. You have spent countless hours studying the layout of Hogwarts and the way it has been build. And thus, you have discovered a place inside a bathroom that indicates Runes for an outside place. Why would there be outside warding for a place inside the castle? You suspect a hidden chamber that has been sealed off for centuries. And you are determined to unlock the chamber and uncover its secrets. You will need to use a combination of your skills and the castle's history to figure out the correct approach to unlock the chamber. It will be a difficult task, but you are confident that your skills are up to the challenge. Can't be combined with any other Hogwarts Secret action in a given month. [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
[ ] A Hogwarts Secret:Ravenclaw, A room of transformation (2 Actions needed) – Runes of change mark this place. You have come across a place with strange runes that hints to have the ability to transform. Soon, there will be one more transformation: a secret will transform into knowledge for you. You are not sure what the purpose of the room is, nor how to get in but you are determined to find out. Can't be combined with any other Hogwarts Secret action in a given month. [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
[ ] A Hogwarts Secret:Gryffindor, The Headmaster's Office (2 Actions needed) – Runes of control mark this place. You have always been fascinated by the inner workings of Hogwarts, and what better place to start than with the heart of the upper castle? You have spent countless hours studying the layout of the castle and have discovered multiple possible entrances to the Headmaster's Office. To play on fair ground, you might want to send out a letter first; challenge the occupant headmaster so that he knows that you plan to break in and claim another secret of Hogwarts as your own. Can't be combined with any other Hogwarts Secret action in a given month. [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
→ New Ability gained: Warding Magic I – The magical art of protecting a specific place or object with a magical defense effect. This effect can be triggered by certain actions or events, such as someone attempting to enter without permission or tampering with the protected object. The strength and complexity of the ward can vary, from a simple alarm spell to a multi-layered protection that can only be breached with specific countermeasures. Warding magic can also be used to conceal objects or places, making them invisible or intangible to those who are not meant to see or touch them. It is a powerful tool for those who wish to keep their possessions and secrets safe. The skill is also used to break a ward, but it must be used with caution as breaking a ward can often have severe consequences. Lowest skill of [Transfiguration, Charm, Runes, Alchemy] is used for rolls. Dark Arts can be unlocked as an additional bonus.
Present Date: 27th May 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The evening air was cool and crisp as you made your way through the hidden passage beneath the Whomping Willow. You had been careful to wait until after the dueling club was over and most of everyone had left, before making your way out of the castle grounds through multiple stairways and corners that you used to lose any unwanted attention.
Once in the passage, you threw the dark coat that you had brought in your bag over yourself and stowed the bag away in a small cove of the dark and cramped passageway. It would wait here for your return.
A small vial landed in your pocket before you followed the tunnel, roots and vines creeping along the walls and ceiling. You had to duck and shuffle your way through the narrow corridor, trying to avoid getting snagged on any of the obstacles.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you emerged from the passage and into the basement of the Shrieking Shack. You took a moment to catch your breath and survey your surroundings.
From the outside, the Shrieking Shack would look like always: a dilapidated old building that had long been abandoned. The building was in a state of disrepair, with peeling paint and broken windows. It was clear that no one had lived here in many years.
The interior of the Shrieking Shack was even more run down than the outside, with cobwebs covering every surface and the floorboards creaking beneath Jacob's feet. You made your way cautiously through the rooms, taking in the eerie atmosphere.
As you made your way through the abandoned and decrepit Shrieking Shack, you couldn't help but notice that the cobwebs seemed to be fewer in number than you remembered from your last visit. The dust on the floor was disturbed, with some footprints leading through the room. Some of the furniture had been moved, as if someone had been searching for something. A sense of unease settled over you as you realized that you had found your first clue of the night.
It was clear that someone had been here recently.
You pulled your wand out and made your way through the Shack, stepping on air above the visible footprints, leaving no clue behind that you had been here.
The outsides of the Shack were surrounded by a dense thicket of trees, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. The moon was high in the sky, casting a pale silver light over the clearing. You took a deep breath as you exited the building and began to make your way towards the forbidden forest, the ground below you looked soft and spongy ground as you walked above it in the air. You knew that you had to be careful, as the forest was full of danger and secrets. But you were determined to find out what lay beyond its shadowy depths.
"Lumos," you whispered.
Your eyes were focused on the set of footprints that you could make out in the ground, leading up to the forest.
As you made your way deeper into the trees, you could feel the weight of the forest pressing in on you from all sides. The underbrush was thick, and the air was heavy with the scent of pine and the hum of insects. You could hear the rustle of small animals moving through the leaves, but you couldn't see them. You kept your wand at the ready, knowing that you had to be prepared for anything.
You followed the footprints as they led you deeper into the forest, trying to stay as quiet as possible. The trees seemed to grow taller and thicker the further you went, blocking out most of the moonlight. You could felt your heart beating faster as the darkness closed in around you. A sense of danger that was getting more familiar to you as the months went on. You could feel the energy rush inside you.
As you pressed on, the footprints became harder to follow, and you found yourself relying more on your sense of direction to guide you. You knew that the forest was vast and dangerous, and you couldn't afford to get lost. But despite the danger, you couldn't shake the feeling that you were getting closer to something important. You could feel it in your bones, a sense of excitement and anticipation that kept you moving forward.
Suddenly, you heard a rustling sound behind you and turned just in time to see a giant shadow rushing towards you. You were moving, before you consciously registered what was happening. You quickly raised your wand and shouted, "Flipendo!"
The Acromantula didn't have enough weight to counter the force, so it was pushed up in the air. "Incendio." By the time it fell onto the ground again, it was burning brightly, casting a shadow on two more creatures that were to its left and its right.
You heard movement from above and jumped back, stepping higher up into the air to evade whatever had jumped. Something dropped past you. You turned and pointed at a close by dead piece of wood: "Draconifors." You needed to equal the numbers.
The wood, turned into a small dragon that rose into the air. "Avifors." A flash of blue light followed the airborne dragon as it was joined by a flock of bats. By the time you had finally caught up to the movement on all sides, your air support was already in their way, blocking them from reaching you and gaining you some valuable seconds.
"Incendio." And a second spider burned.
Two spiders in front of you, one to your right that had come from above … that meant where you should expect more; you turned around: "Protego." The shield charm went up just in time for two more spiders from the back and your left. They crushed headfirst against the solid shielding spell. The force of the impact made something crack. You couldn't say if it had been one of two heads, but it had certainly not been your shield.
"Glacius," you said when they dropped to the ground. You focused on their legs and soon enough a part of both spiders was frozen against the ground below.
It had taken you a second too long, though.
You heard something being pushed away behind you. And just a moment later something crashed into your back. All air was pushed out of your lungs as you were thrown forwards, losing a step before you were forcefully rammed against a tree.
You groaned in pain as you hit the ground after falling from six feet up, struggling to catch your breath. Your vision swam as you tried to push yourself up, but it was too late. You saw the shadow of the spider moving towards you, its fangs glinting in the dim light.
There was no evasion possible, so you did not lose time on trying. You braced yourself for the hit and instead of endangering the grip on your wand, you pulled your arm away in the last second. It missed its primary target, but the spider simply continued until it sank its fangs into your side. The many eyes of the beast had frantically locked on you as it bit down.
Gritting your teeth, you turned around as it hesitated after releasing its poison inside the wound, thinking its job done. Your right knee touched the ground, giving you just enough room to turn your body to the right, move your wand arm completely away from the spider and swing your left arm towards it.
You heard another crack as your fist impacted against some of its many eyes. A shrieking scream filled the darkness of the forest. But you didn't let it go. Your fist opened to grab its haired head, before it could jump back. Using the creature as leverage, you pushed yourself up and around, giving you momentum enough to fully turn around your axis.
With two points of contact to hold your body up; one being your left knee and the other your left hand on the spider's head, your right hand shot upwards into the direction that had been your blind spot just a moment ago. They had surprised you once with their ability to attack from the back, they would not succeed again. "Incendio," you said as your wand shined the light onto the last spider that was trying to ambush you again.
With that you pushed yourself upwards quickly. It had been only a few seconds, but you could already feel the magic of the potent venom that was setting in. There was not much time left.
Pushing the spider away that you had grabbed on, you shouted: "Flipendo." More room was created between you as the hurt spider was thrown back. "Incendio." The sixth spider burned. And besides the loud shrieking voice, there was no movement left around you.
A second passed. Then another. Then another.
Nothing came.
You let yourself fall against the tree again, panting hard as you hurriedly tried to grab something out of your dark coat. You felt the strength leave your fingers already. But they would not get you this time. Today, you were prepared.
The vial that you had made together with Justin felt cold on the bleeding black wound in your side.
Among six burning corpses of the dark beasts, you sat leaning against the old tree behind you. You stayed there for a while, trying to recuperate and process the few seconds that had almost cost you your life. If anyone had seen you, no one would have understood the excited smile that didn't leave your face until you found the strength to stand up again and continue your journey into the forbidden forest.
1d5+1 = 6
1d100+61 #Jacob Defence I, DC 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 = 85
1d100+41 #Jacob Attack I, DC 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 = 109
1d100+41 #Jacob Defence II (-20 Malus for injury), DC 40 (Higher DC for proximity) = 124
- 1 Vial of Antidote to Uncommon Poisons
+6 Vials of Acromantula Venom
+120 EXP
You have won the battle and while you know that the forest is still a dangerous place, you can't help but feel excitement for it. A core trait of yours is changing. [Adept Dueller]
Trait evolves:
Adept Dueller – With a wand in hand, you rarely feel afraid. In the midst of combat, you will stay calm and focussed, because even if you lose, there is no way that you will go down without a good and proper fight now, is there?
[ ] A genius awakening - You can be surrounded, ambushed or stand against insurmountable odds. Your mind stays calm no matter the situation, because deep inside you there is the lingering feeling of superiority against any opponent. You know that your potential is limitless. If you lose today, you will be stronger tomorrow.
[ ] Blood strengthens me - You have felt the rush of excitement in battle many times before; inside your own body and in the memories of your ancestor. In the midst of a battle, you feel more like yourself than you do outside of it. It is as if you are getting stronger the more damage you take. No one and nothing can break your spirit.
Three-hour Moratorium! As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
[X] A genius awakening - You can be surrounded, ambushed or stand against insurmountable odds. Your mind stays calm no matter the situation, because deep inside you there is the lingering feeling of superiority against any opponent. You know that your potential is limitless. If you lose today, you will be stronger tomorrow.
Present Date: 27th May 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Among six burning corpses of beasts, you sat leaning against the old tree behind you. You stayed there for a while, trying to calm your breath, recuperate and process the few seconds that had almost cost you your life. If anyone had seen you, no one would have understood the excited smile that didn't leave your face until you found the strength to stand up again and continue.
As you pushed yourself to your feet, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment at having survived the encounter with the giant spiders. You knew that you had been luckily well prepared this time, but you also knew that you were getting better at defending yourself against unexpected dangers.
In the eerie silence of the forbidden forest, you took your time walking from one spider to the other. You kneeled down next to the first, turned the large body on its back and pulled your wand out. Without appropriate cutting charms, you had to be creative in how to reach their venom, but if creativity ever got to be a problem …
The softening charm cast against the fang made it soft. The freezing spell focused only on the tip gave you something to hold onto without the danger of hurting yourself. And then lastly, a weakly cast 'Flipendo' to make the rest of the fang stretch beyond reasonable expectations.
A bit of good timing was needed to retract the softening charm again and the fang broke of clean from the spider it had been attached to. The Venom glands hidden inside started pushing out the dark fluid as soon as that happened. Soon enough six vials were stashed away inside your coat.
Tired, but calm you made your way deeper into the forest, your senses heightened and your wand at the ready. Would someone wander this deep into the forest, they would find a peculiar place behind you. Six dead Acromantulas that had been laid to rest next to each other. Their fangs were sitting neatly on their bodies and even though they had marched into a violent death, it seemed that their last rest was a peaceful one.
1d10 #Time spent healing = 5
1d100+17 #Searching Roll II = 70
1d5 #How many Dementors = 2
1d100 +17 #Detective roll, DC 60 = 108
Perk evolved:My name is Riddle II – You have developed the mind of a detective that shines brightest whenever confronted with a difficult riddle. +15 to all detective work
As you walked on air and made your way through the forest, you couldn't shake the feeling that you were being watched. You turned your head from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever might be following you, but you saw nothing. Still, the feeling persisted, and you knew that you had to be extra cautious. You closed your coat tighter around you to guard against the creeping cold.
You took your wand to hold it flat on the palm of your left hand. "Point Me." You said and the wand started spinning until it stopped, pointing north.
The visible footprints on the ground had disappeared long ago, but you were still roughly on track for the general direction they had been going towards. So, you continued, your eyes and ears alert for any signs of danger. But as the minutes passed, you saw and heard nothing out of the ordinary. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the occasional call of an animal in the distance. Your air formed a white cloud in the cold air in front of you.
The cold around you was seeping deep into your bones, when you finally reached the edge of this part of the forest and stepped out into a hill, overseeing the open fields beyond.
You saw the shadows gliding in the distance before you heard the voices this time.
"You, my child, are … our creation." An old woman in her deathbed was looking up at you.
The cold now felt as much physical as mental. You tried closing your mind to it, calming your thoughts in the process as you watched the two Dementors gliding across the field, their dark cloaks billowing behind them. They seemed to be following a thin, gaunt man who was struggling to run.
Standing above the hill, far away from the two Dementors, you walked forwards towards them. An impulse to go and help the man, until your conscious thoughts set in and stopped you. You recognized the man.
He was far away, and you had only seen a picture of a much younger version of him, but you knew who he was. Sirius Black had then been strong build and healthy. But now, more than a decade later, he looked thin and gaunt instead. The pale man that was trying to escape the Dementors had been visibly affected by the harsh conditions of his imprisonment. His hair was unkempt, his clothing tattered and worn.
Even from this far away you could imagine to see the fear and desperation on the man's face as he stumbled and crumbled under the same effects you were feeling. Your fingers were turning numb to the cold and the cloaked beasts had not even focused on you yet.
Black looked around frantically as if he was trying to find a hiding spot. He noticed you in the distance, when his head turned into your direction. His face was thin and emaciated, his skin stretched tightly over his bones when he looked up at you in fear and shock.
For him, you were another dark cloaked creature seemingly levitating high up in the air, as you overlooked the scene. He turned away quickly as if had seen another Dementor in your form. The criminal stumbled away from you and fell to the ground. Finally, the Dementors seemed to be closing in for the last act of Sirius Black story, their icy presence emanating from them as they drew closer.
But just as they were about to reach him, you realized that the man had not come to a fall but had suddenly transformed into a large black dog instead. With a burst of energy, he sprang to his feet and raced off deeper down the field, soon leaving the Dementors and you behind.
A few seconds passed, of which you could not tell who the more shocked and confused party was; you or the Dementors that were now without a target. But as you stood there, watching the dog disappearing into the night, you knew that you had just witnessed something truly extraordinary.
Questions turned to answers as pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Time started to pass by slower, as you saw the Dementors turn towards you. Their attention had changed, disinterested in the soul of an animal, if they could focus on you instead.
As they moved through the air, your brain sped up. Sirius Black was an Animagus.
Sirius had survived the ten years in Azkaban with his ability to change into a dog. Why hadn't he used the trump card to flee before? This could not have been a known fact about him. Every news outlet would have shared that information if it helped catching him.
At the same time, it explained how he had evaded the ministry forces for a year now. People did not know what they were even looking for.
Your eyes stayed fixed on the Dementors as they came closer. The coldness around you was all that you could feel as you raised your wand.
You had learned another thing; Dementors were not very eager for animal souls. This was interesting by itself, but it also told you that an Animagus transformation seemed to change more than just the body. It explained how rare the skill was.
"Expecto Patronum." You told the night. And the night came to live with a bright form as Lobo covered your retreat. Her warm presence stayed with you as you started to run back into the dark forest behind you.
Your boots helped you climb up invisible stairs as you made your way above the trees, evading all disorientation of the forest below. Turning your head, you saw more dark figures in the distant horizon. They had been closing in on Sirius Black from all sides. Now, a new figure joined them. Lobo's bright form joined them in the distance as they started to turn and flee into all directions.
You continued your light jog over the trees into the direction of the castle. Only now did you see that you had walked quite the distance from it, following the footprints of Black.
The puzzle inside your head continued completing itself before your eyes. Research for Sally-Anne had made you a leading expert in past Hogwarts students. You had just needed a refresher for this one.
In 1970 a few interesting names had joined the first years. Among them Severus Snape and Remus Lupin. Two of your current Professors that might have known Sirius Black, who joined in the same year. Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew had all shared a common room with Remus Lupin.
Something moved below in the trees, but you simply moved up higher to evade it, not stopping your thought process to give it attention.
Your eyes found the lights of the upper castle in the distance. "Did you bring him in, because he would know how to stop Sirius Black?" You asked the night, imagining your headmaster sitting next to one of the hundreds of candles in the castle.
Did Lupin know about his housemate being an Animagus? Black was described as an intimate friend of both Pettigrew and Potter. Had he been part of the group? But even if, that still would leave a lot of room for secrets between them, even if he had been friends with Black.
But if Remus had been a Werewolf back then … what had they done with him at full moon? What was he doing at full moon these days? You couldn't imagine him roaming free at night.
You felt closer to an answer. But there was still something missing.
Present Date: 31st May 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
A few days later, you were standing on solid air, high over the castle grounds, the wind whipping through your hair as you looked out at the sprawling landscape below. The rolling hills and forests stretched out as far as the eye could see, with the sun shining down on the lush green foliage of the early summer. In the distance, you could see the shimmering blue of the lake, and the faint outline of a small village nestled in the valley between the mountains.
The castle itself was just as breathtaking a sight to behold from up here, with its tall spires and imposing walls rising up into the sky. The sun reflected off of the ancient stones, casting a golden glow over the entire scene.
You took in a deep breath of the fresh, clean air, feeling a sense of peace and calm wash over you, before you rolled out the large map in your hands. You had been working on this since the start of the year. Even if you were a competent painter, you had still taken the time to learn how to best represent architecture.
The large map was a work of art that you were very proud of, even in this common state void of magic that it was still in. It showed the Hogwarts castle and its surrounding grounds in incredible detail, with every secret passage and hidden room carefully marked and labeled. The castle itself was depicted in intricate detail, with each tower, hallway, and chamber represented with explanations around them. Thoughts about what they represented and what they were supposed to teach children. The map included all the runes that you had found, the surrounding forests, the Quidditch pitch, a large part of the lake, all drawn to scale and with great attention to detail.
Everything you knew about this place had landed in this. It was a testament to something new that you had found inside you; dedication. Curiosity had always been a part of you, but it had evolved into a more potent and guided form.
You focused your magic onto the large map in your hands. And slowly it reacted as it began to come alive. Small dots started appearing all around it, moving through the castle and its surroundings in slow, deliberate movements. Names began to appear next to each dot, indicating who was moving where. The map pulsed with energy as you continued to focus. Soon everything within Hogwarts became known to you.
You could see students moving from class to class, professors walking through the corridors, and even the occasional ghost drifting through the walls. It was a mesmerizing sight, and you quickly found yourself lost in the intricate details of the map as you watched the movements of all the beings within the castle. Then the dots on the map suddenly froze in movement.
As you continued to focus your magic on the map, trying to force it, you felt a sense of control and power wash over you. For just a moment, the castles magic touched you high up in the air. You felt it intruding your thoughts. A slumbering beast that sniffed the air to find out if its children were in danger. But as quick as it had come onto you, the magic left you again, detecting no threat from one of its own students.
You smiled to yourself as you watched the dots on the map move again in front of you as if the castle magic had decided to allow it.
You spent a few minutes like this, your eyes roaming around the map, searching for interesting bits. But your smile froze in place, when you registered a specific name. It was a name that you couldn't turn your eyes away from once you had found it. A name, that you really had not expected to see.
Another part of the puzzle and it was listed right next to Ron Weasley.
Peter Pettigrew.
Trait evolves:
True Ravenclaw – Some things are interesting. Mind you, not all things and you can't really choose what you find interesting, but in general you are a being defined by his curiosity. It gives you an advantage in learning new things, but it also leaves you with a focus as fickle as the wind.
→ New trait:Wide-Eyed Seeker - Gone are the days when your curiosity was fickle, easily swayed by the next interesting object that caught your attention. Now, your dedication to learning and understanding the world around you has evolved. You are focused and driven in your pursuit of knowledge. You are as true a Ravenclaw as there is, dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom and understanding.
→ New item added: Atlas Gift – Magical Item. You have worked an entire year on this specific item. A detailed map of incredible detail with the Hogwarts castle and its surrounding grounds on it, every secret passage and hidden room carefully marked and labeled. You are able to track everyone that walks the castle grounds with this map.
1d100 #Alchemy Training, DC 0 = 95 → Success! → New grade, P-
1d100 #Hidden Mechanic Roll, DC 90 = 72 → Failure!
1d100 #Alchemy Training, DC 25 = 74 → Success! → New grade, P
1d100+53 #Cartography, DC 300 = 90 → Failure! New DC 210
1d100+53 #Cartography, DC 210 = 121 → Failure! New DC 89
1d100+53 #Cartography, DC 89 = 95 → Success!
Three-hour Moratorium! As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
What do you want to focus on next month? You have 10 12 Normal Actions and 5 Personal Actions.
2 Normal Actions can be exchanged for 1 Personal Action.
No stress penalties in the month of June due to hidden obsessive trait.
Social
[X] LOCKED:Case V:The Search for Sirius Black (2 Actions [1 Action in May, 1 Action in June]) - There is a dangerous criminal on the loose, and it is your job to track him down. Sirius Black is a wanted man, and it is believed that he may be hiding out close to the castle. No one should get near, there is danger at all steps. You are determined to find him. You know that Black is cunning and resourceful, and you will have to use all of your acquired abilities and detective skills to track him down. With your determination and intelligence, you are confident that you will be able to solve this case and bring Black to justice.
[ ] Random Encounter – Just… Go and live your life. You don't need to plan everything in your life out.
[ ] Write a Letter (Free Action) – Specify to whom it is that you want to write and what you want to talk about School & Work
[ ] Business School of Hogsmeade (Multiple Actions on this count as multiple rolls stacking) – This is the first year, in which you can go to Hogsmeade. Good that you've been planning for this since first year: Buy Books, Ingredients, Joke Shop Articles, Instruments and other things. Go and look, if you can make some money by buying things for first and second years. Roll for how many are interested and then for how much they want to spend. Take 15% as a fee.
[ ] A Hogwarts Secret:Slytherin, Unlocking a Secret Chamber (2 Actions needed) – Runes of defense mark this place. You have spent countless hours studying the layout of Hogwarts and the way it has been build. And thus, you have discovered a place inside a bathroom that indicates Runes for an outside place. Why would there be outside warding for a place inside the castle? You suspect a hidden chamber that has been sealed off for centuries. And you are determined to unlock the chamber and uncover its secrets. You will need to use a combination of your skills and the castle's history to figure out the correct approach to unlock the chamber. It will be a difficult task, but you are confident that your skills are up to the challenge. Can't be combined with any other Hogwarts Secret action in a given month. [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
[ ] A Hogwarts Secret:Ravenclaw, A room of transformation (2 Actions needed) – Runes of change mark this place. You have come across a place with strange runes that hints to have the ability to transform. Soon, there will be one more transformation: a secret will transform into knowledge for you. You are not sure what the purpose of the room is, nor how to get in but you are determined to find out. Can't be combined with any other Hogwarts Secret action in a given month. [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
[ ] A Hogwarts Secret:Gryffindor, The Headmaster's Office (2 Actions needed) – Runes of control mark this place. You have always been fascinated by the inner workings of Hogwarts, and what better place to start than with the heart of the upper castle? You have spent countless hours studying the layout of the castle and have discovered multiple possible entrances to the Headmaster's Office. To play on fair ground, you might want to send out a letter first; challenge the occupant headmaster so that he knows that you plan to break in and claim another secret of Hogwarts as your own. Can't be combined with any other Hogwarts Secret action in a given month. [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
[ ] Conquer the world: Hufflepuff, Break through your Horizon II (3 Actions needed) – Hogwarts is built in a valley area, surrounding mountains are part of the landscape. Use the unknown passageway in the north end of the castle to travel to Nei'it-ruˆm. This time you will go deeper and explore the caverns under the Guardian's Hall. (Can't be combined with any other Conquer the world action in a given month.) [Required: Dark Arts of D+; Advised: Understanding of Magical Creatures of P-, Tempus Spell learned; 1 x vial of Wideye Potion available.]
[ ] Conquer the world: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea II (3 Actions needed) – The fairly large Great Lake to the south of the main building has always been your most favorite part of Hogwarts' surrounding lands. It was breathtaking how beautiful it was on a sunny day and frightening how dark it could get at night, almost looking like a hole in the fabric of the world. And while it had been as beautiful and wonderful below as you had hoped, one problem hat stopped you in your discovery. The monster has overstayed its stay in the surroundings of Hogwarts. You will hunt it and you will end it. (Can't be combined with any other Conquer the world action in a given month.) [Required: 'Legilimency & Occlumency of A-] (Advised: Understanding of Magical Creatures of P-, Progress in combat spell variety; 1 x vial of Wideye Potion available.]
[ ] Conquer the world: What hides behind trees II(3 Actions needed) – The deep Forbidden Forest extends around to the west of the castle. Everyone knows everything there is to know about the Forbidden Forest; it is a forest, and it is forbidden. The rest is just rumors… werewolf's, vampires, monsters and spiders. All dangers a child could imagine await you in the forest. Why were you trembling in anticipation about breaking out of the castle through the passageway behind the mirror and exploring what had been forbidden to you for way too long? [Currently Locked due to obsession trait.]
[ ] Stage IV, Dreams of old (Takes 2 Actions) – Basques has fled the destroyed lands and left everything behind to arrive in a new land. Follow her through the next few years of her life and learn of ancient histories hidden secrets. [Required: 'Legilimency & Occlumency of A]
[ ] The Splitting of a soul (2 Normal Actions) – Through experience and deduction have you come to realize that the manipulation of a soul is possible through intense emotions, good or bad. This has created new questions to which you have no answers yet. You will not attempt it … but your curiosity is demanding to know what is theoretically possible if one sets out to go the lengths. (Required: Dark Arts P. Gives Ability: 'Horcrux'; ?)
[ ] Overdrive applicable: In Search of New Spells – Go into the library and look for new spells that you could try to learn. If you have some specific effect in mind, write it down.
[ ] Overdrive applicable: In Search of New Potions – Go into the library and look for new potions that you could try to learn. If you have some specific effect in mind, write it down.
[ ] Overdrive applicable: Do Something! – Be creative. Or go and do nothing. Your decision really. Specify what you want to do.
[ ] Overdrive applicable: Brew – Brew a set of Potions. Brewing a single kind of potion (up to 5 portions per brewing action) costs one action.
Personal Actions
[ ] Overdrive applicable: Train, Learn, Achieve – Specify what you want to train or study.
[ ] Overdrive applicable: Do your research – Learn a Spell, a Potion or something different that is available to you at the moment.
[ ] Overdrive applicable: BuildOr Tame – Build one of your known Alchemy Discoveries or Tame a Magical Creature.
[x] Plan Goggles On, Find Black
-[X] LOCKED: Case V: The Search for Sirius Black (2 Actions [1 Action in May, 1 Action in June])
-[X] Overdrive applicable: Do Something! Learn about Animagus (how do you become one, limitations, examples, etc.)
-[X] Overdrive applicable: Do Something! Visit with Professor Lupin - Lupin is the one person in the castle that has intimate knowledge of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Perhaps he can help make the pieces of this mystery fall into place.
-[X] Random Encounter – Just… Go and live your life. You don't need to plan everything in your life out.
-[x]x9 personal actions.
--[x] Train Constitution x1
--[x] Legilimency & Occlumency x1
--[x] Work on x 7 (Ghostly Goggles, Immobulus, Diffindo, Waddiwasi (Basic Understanding), Incendio (Deep Understanding), Accio, Reducio, Expelliarmus (Deep Understanding))
Present Date: 1st June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Your eyes felt heavy, your mind clouded. You had spent the night hawking over the map in your bed, watching the name of a dead man move on it. While it had strayed away at times, it had always stayed close to the person that you were looking at right now.
It was Wednesday morning, and the sun was shining brightly through the tall windows of the Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the room; her arms crossed as she waited patiently for the class to gather their last questions before the revision. It was two weeks before the exams, but the exams were the furthest thing on your mind at the moment.
As the students took their seats and quieted down, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Good morning, class," she said, her voice carrying easily across the room. "Today we will have our first revision. I hope you have all been practicing the spells we covered the last months, but we can use these next few sessions to get in some last unclear points."
She paused, looking around the room to make sure everyone was paying attention before continuing. "Now, let's get started. Who wants to go first with a question?"
Hermione Granger raised her hand, but your eyes stayed on her redheaded friend. Ron Weasley looked more awake today than he ever had in class before. It seemed as if the realization of exams had brought some pressure for him, as he was actively listening to Hermione's first question and noting down what the professor answered in return. The boy's red hair was a mess. He was thin and lanky, with freckles scattered across his pale skin.
You had never paid much attention to him. Weasley had never been a point of interest for you before. At least not this specific Weasley.
You glanced down at your map, confirming that the name Peter was dotted right next to the Gryffindor. But as you had guessed, there was no mystery man in the room.
"Does that answer your question, Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked. You barely registered it.
Was your map incorrect? Did you obsess so much about the case at hand that you had created a mess in the charms? A dot that was not showing any present real person?
The classroom was filled with the sound of scratching quills and turning pages as the students worked on their assignments, but your mind didn't waver away from the line of thoughts you were following. Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the room, but you did not see her eyes on you, scanning you as she monitored the class for more questions.
You were simply observing Weasley who, if the map was correct, was presented as two people at this very moment.
It could be a ghost. You had seen other non-humans listed already. This you had confirmed in the evening the day before. But why would a ghost stay invisible for this long and why would it follow around Ron Weasley specifically? There was no connection that you could think of.
Was Ron Weasley actually not a child? Your heartbeat quickened as more possibilities opened up. Was he an adult, transformed as a child? Or was he possessed by the spirit of a dead Pettigrew?
Was he transformed…
Something felt like it fit.
You sighed and went through everything again. Remus Lupin was a werewolf. Sirius Black had at some point learned to transform into a dog and Peter Pettigrew was somehow part of this equation, but you did not yet understand how.
You raised your hand and looked up at the Professor. There was sorrow in her eyes when she looked at you.
"Yes, Mr. Basques?" She asked.
"May I leave the class, Ma'am? I don't feel well today," you lied, looking her in the eyes as you said it. Either you were a good liar, or it you looked really beyond yourself today. It did not matter; you were allowed to leave.
You spent the next few hours not in the infirmary or in bed like your professor would expect, but in the library. Searching up things that you needed to understand to solve this case.
Runes Club rolls
→ Runes Club Gang, DC 50 (+LCK) 1D100+6 → #Runes Club Gang, DC 50 (+LCK) = 65
→ Roll for what they found 1D10 = 7 → How much for it? 1D7 = 1
+1 Galleon
Dueling Club rolls
→ How many Duels in Dueling Club this month? 1d4 = 3
→ Average EXP (+ LCK) 1d22+6 = 10
+ 30 EXP
→ Class Progress! (+1 to Astronomy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes. +2 to Arithmancy & Magical Theory.)
Present Date: 7th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
You were sitting on a wooden staircase, hidden behind a wall on the third floor. The wand in your hand was casting a light on the map in your hand, as you watched Weasley and Pettigrew move through the castle. You couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in your stomach. Sleep had not come easy to you these last few days, so you had spent most nights reading, training or building.
The map was always in reach, while you surveyed the dot that followed Weasley most of the day. It was difficult to physically shadow someone who spend most of his free time with his friends in the common room and had started panic studying almost all his waking hours. The Gryffindor had left the common room these last few days since friday exactly eight times. Four out of those had been with the name Pettigrew by his side. Four were without.
The only difference between them were that he had his backpack on him, when the map showed a dead man's name next to his name.
It reduced the possibilities. A possessed item that he carried along? A part of a soul that was imbedded in something? You did have a similar idea in the past, so it lingered a little bit longer than other possibilities inside your mind.
The four times that he had left without Pettigrew … you had tried sneaking up on the Gryffindor common room. But it was very difficult to find any desolate moment to even think of breaking into it. There were students in and around it at all times of the day.
The exam weeks came to be the worst time imaginable for this specific case.
You followed the two dots on the map before you. They had started moving from their places inside the Great Hall, because the next class was starting soon. As the names 'Ron Weasley', 'Harry Potter' and 'Peter Pettigrew' left the Great Hall and walked through the hallways, your eyes stayed glued on them.
And then, finally, came chance number nine. As Ron and Harry walked towards their next class, the name "Pettigrew" detached from them on the map. Your heart raced as you realized that Peter was now moving on his own.
Without hesitation, you took the map in hand to fold it in a way that showed you only the relevant area Pettigrew was in. You practically fell the stairs down into the second and then the first floor as you tried to close in on Pettigrew through the hidden stairs and corridors of the castle, determined to finally find out what was going on.
Two corners away, you evaded Tracey who you had almost ran into. She was walking next to a group of Slytherin.
You didn't listen to her calling after you and did not turn around as you continued your run down the floor. Another corner. Your eyes stayed on the name Pettigrew who was moving very quickly into your direction. Both of you were sprinting towards the same corner from two different sides.
Twenty steps.
Ten steps.
Five.
The truth was waiting just in reach.
You hit the corner; your eyes wide open your wand up in the air to defend yourself if necessary.
But there was nothing in front of you. The floor was desolated. You looked left and right, then back over your shoulder. Only a rat was running away from your place at the corner. So, you looked down the adjacent hallway again. The one where Pettigrew had been in just a second prior.
Still empty.
Your mind came to a halt as you took your map back into your hand. Was it a mistake you had built into the map? The name Pettigrew was now moving away from you. As you turned around again, your heart sank.
Had you been so obsessed with a new case that your magic had felt obliged to participate in it? Was this all just a wrong trail of misassumptions and wrong turns?
Your eyes followed the brown rat in the distance. As she went left into the direction you had passed by Tracey, you looked back at your map again.
"Oh," you finally said.
Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus.
New entry: Animagus Transformation – Transfiguration. This may not be one of the most difficult pieces of magic, but it may be one of the hardest to achieve. An Animagus (pl. Animagi) is someone who can transform themselves into an animal and back again at will and without a wand. The ritual to start alone will take months, you will have to learn new skills that will be useful only for that and only then the actual learning part for the transformation can start. Now you start to understand why there are so few Animagi around. The time it takes to make your body and soul react to the change is completely out of proportion to the benefits it brings you. Acquiring the skill takes most people two to five years. Every Animagus is required to register with the Ministry of Magic at the Animagus Registry. This registration includes revealing one's animal form and one's distinguishing markings. The penalty for failing to register as an Animagus is a sentence in Azkaban. But you are not that worried about that last part. [Requires Transfiguration skill of at least A- & Potion skill of A+), DC: 4000.
Present Date: 8th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The pieces were falling together in an unexpected way, but you finally had been able to have a full nights sleep. Well, at least four hours of it.
Only now did you consciously realize that you hadn't been eating well since you had found Sirius and subsequently Pettigrew. You tried to force yourself in the morning, but it was difficult to feel hunger, when a riddle was not solved yet.
"Jacob, I am talking to you," Megan said, bringing your attention back into the real world. She was snipping her fingers. Her eyes were of sorrow, but you also knew that she was getting fed-up with the situation.
"Jacob, you can't just sit here and do nothing about this," Megan said, frustration evident in her voice.
"That is the opposite of what I am doing." You said. "I am almost there. I know Black is an Animagus," you looked around before you lowered your voice, as you saw a few more students in the courtyard around you. "Pettigrew is also and most probably, Potter was one, too."
A few seconds passed, before you said: "Potter Senior, I mean. Not the other-…"
"I know who you are talking about," she said as she grabbed for your arm and turned to you fully. "I am not talking about the riddle, Jacob. I am talking about you knowing how to get to a serial killer and not sharing it with anyone."
You shook your head, but she continued as if you hadn't: "You have to tell someone, like the head of your house or the headmaster. It's not safe to keep this information to yourself."
"I can't just give up on the case. I have to solve it myself," you said stubbornly.
"Why?" Megan almost shouted at you, frustration in her voice. "You practically did. No one can find him and you know how to get him with this …" when she realized that she had raised her voice, she lowered it for the last word. "Map of yours." She then whispered loudly leaning forward.
A part of you knew that she was right. Another much more stubborn part did not want to accept it. So, you started spinning words together.
"What I know is that Black was imprisoned at least partly for something that did not happen," you said. "I know that the supposedly good guy is hiding as a rat with children around him and I am very sure of the fact that Black, Pettigrew and Potter learned how to transform to run around with the wolf."
Megan's eyes widened when she realized that two Slytherins were passing you by. Both of you stayed silence until they had crossed the courtyard far enough that they would not hear you again.
"I cannot say who is the good person in this … because they are all not telling the truth. Why did Lupin not share the fact that the man who killed a family father and a mother is an Animagus? Why is Pettigrew hiding, when he is one of the good guys? What is Weasley's involvement in this?"
You knew yourself that while all of this was true, this was not the real reason. It had to be you, who solved this. Only then it would count. But you could throw in one more doubt into the mix: "Why would the headmaster not look for Black himself? If I can find him … it is difficult to believe that he cannot."
Megan's expression softened, her hand still rested on your arm.
"What could be a reason for him to not to?" She asked.
1d100+25 #Detective Roll (People) = 27
"I don't know," you admitted.
Megan sighed in return.
"I understand that you want to solve it yourself, and I understand that it is a complicated mess. But this isn't just a game. There could be serious consequences if you don't tell someone. People could die." The grip of her hand around your arm tightened.
You shook your head again. "I have already told you before that I don't do this to be good." You repeated something that had come up in your very first real conversation that you ever had with the person next to you. A person that by now … knew you probably the best out of all your friends.
"You can be as irresponsible as you want with your own life, Jacob." She said as her hand retreated from your arm. "You're barely eating, you're barely sleeping, you're utterly obsessed with this case. It's not healthy. But that's your decision."
She was watching you intently as you looked at the ground before you.
"Just don't be irresponsible with the life of others."
You nodded without actual agreement. You knew that Megan meant well.
"Fine." You said in the end, conceding a point.
"I will give it one try. If that…" Ignorant, bothersome, limited? There were many words that would describe your DADA teacher. None of them were good. "… person does not come up with something himself, I will leave and not try again."
"Thank you," Megan said simply.
Your eyes met. And while you were annoyed by the compromise, she was giving you a weak smile.
You liked her.
And right now, that was a very annoying feeling.
You forced a smile back and made her laugh in return.
"You are such a bad actor!"
Building Ghostly Goggles, DC 400 → 1D100+53 → 65 → Failure! New DC 335
Building Ghostly Goggles, DC 335 → 1D100+53 → (93 + 53) 146 → Failure! New DC 189
Hidden mechanic activated, High Roll → Free Roll, Chance of something special, DC 90. Hidden Mechanic Roll, DC 90 → 1D100→ 79 → Failure!
Building Ghostly Goggles, DC 335 → 1D100+53 → 74 → Failure! New DC 115
Building Ghostly Goggles, DC 115 → 1D100+53 → (91 + 53) 144 → Success! Goggles Acquired.
Hidden mechanic activated, High Roll → Free Roll, Chance of something special, DC 90. Hidden Mechanic Roll, DC 90 → 1D100→ 83 → Failure!
Waddiwasi, DC 50 (Charms) → 1D100+18 → 22 → Failure! → New DC, 28.
Constitution Training, DC 30→ 1D100+10 → 70 → Success, New skill level: 4
Legilimency & Occlumency Training, DC 0→ 1D100 → 14 → Automatic Success, New skill level: P-
Present Date: 15th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
You had fought it for an entire week, as you looked for a way out of this predicament. You kept observing Pettigrew, Lupin and the elusive Black in any free minute you could find in the week before the exams.
Pettigrew's life was mind numbingly boring. You followed the rat around when it was not in the Gryffindor common room or with Weasley as much as you could without being noticed. And you never once saw him turn back into a human. But you had learned of other things.
Most important; the rat missed a finger. You remembered how weird it had been that specifically only a finger of him was found. What kind of incompetent forensic work would come out with such a result? Only one finger was there, so the body must have been disintegrated? Was there such an abundance of spells like that when the Dark Arts were involved that this was a logical thing to come up with?
It did not matter.
Pettigrew was a complete and utter waste of time. And because Black spent most of his time far away, outside of the map, you had only come to see his dot moving around a few times. Mostly at night, always to hide away in the Shrieking Shack.
Which left you with the last interesting party of this.
The one you had tried not to talk to. But you had promised Megan, so after a week you did.
"Mr. Basques," the pale man said. You had never been as well informed about the current moon cycle as you were right now. The man before you had 26 hours until he transformed into a werewolf. And right now, you could definitely see how hard those last hours must have felt to him. He looked like a dead man walking. "How can I help you?"
One dead, one living as a rat, one a crazed criminal and one a werewolf who went through hell once a month. You could not imagine a group of friends more out of luck than them.
A few seconds passed by, in which Professor Lupin smiled at you weakly, sitting across the table in his office.
You had thought about this very moment for days. You brainstormed with Megan how to best approach the topic. She had advised you to be sensitive and first talk about classes. She wanted you to say how much you appreciated the professor and thank him for his work this past year. Only then, should you slowly zoom in on the real topic.
Megan had proposed a good approach.
"Professor, was the Shrieking Shack build specifically for you or was it placed for other werewolf students as well?" You asked instead.
Professor Lupin's smile faltered, and he fell back in his seat as if hit by a punch. The man was looking at you with shock and disbelief. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Basques." He stammered, before trying to catch himself. "What are you saying?"
Time passed, in which you calmly watched his expressions.
"What is this about, Mr. Basques?" He asked again after a few moments of silence. "Who said I am a werewolf?"
You raised your eyebrows at him, trying to act like Justin when he played the innocent: "I did," you simply stated. "It took me like two months, but that was not the question. The Shrieking Shack? I knew that it couldn't be part of the original build-out. It seems like an afterthought in architecture and symbolism. Why would it be connected to Hogwarts?"
Your fingers tipped against the table between you and the professor. Your words were quick, your voice uncaring.
"I let it be, maybe it was a place for staff. Maybe the tunnel had been added because someone wanted to add some Hogwarts feeling to it – even though they did not understand that there should always be a riddle connected that teaches children something about magic." You sighed, as you saw that Lupin was gaining his composure back.
"Do you really want me to bother you with how I came up with the real reason for the building or do you want to just tell me the answer, Professor?" You asked.
Professor Lupin looked at you with a mixture of shock and sadness in his eyes. "Mr. Basques," he said quietly. "I am not sure how you discovered my secret, but I can assure you that it was not my intention to deceive anyone. I have always tried to keep my condition under control, and I have never intentionally put any of my students in danger."
You nodded, understanding the weight of his words. "With all due respect. That was not the question, Sir." Your eyes didn't leave his saddened expression. "I think that you are a competent man, but a bad teacher. I do not think that you want to actively harm children. Professor Snape would have to know that you were a werewolf and if he knew, then the headmaster knew as well."
Lupin looked a little hurt. "You think I am a bad teacher?" He asked.
Oh. You had said that part out loud, huh? You were not good with people when you were this annoyed and antagonistic.
"Yes, I do." You answered, without clarifying it further.
"Why do you think that, Mr. Basques?" Lupin asked, leaning forward a bit, not breaking the eye contact now that he had caught up to the conversation.
"I asked you about something and you told me that I could not do it." You knew deep down that it sounded childish. But to hell with it. No one could tell you that you were not good enough for anything.
"The Patronus charm, you mean?" He asked. "I am sorry, but it is a very advanced charm. Even though … Maybe it would have been possible with you. I may have misjudged."
That train had left the station a long time ago.
"So, was the house built for you specifically?" You asked, completely changing the topic. You did not care about his praise. He would not learn from you that you had mastered the spell by yourself.
Lupin hesitated a moment. But then he nodded: "Yes, it was."
"And your friends learned to be Animagi to join you in there, every moon cycle?"
His face was as pale as the piece of parchment in front of him. This time the shock in its expression was limited to a bit of widening eyes.
"Who have you talked to, Mr. Basques?" Lupin asked, now more serious than before. You had hit a nerve with him.
You completely ignored his question, grabbing the wand inside your pocket before continuing. "So, why would you tell no one that Sirius Black was an Animagus? Why not spill the secrets on someone that supposedly killed a man so close to you. Someone that learned to transform into an animal just to support you in your hard times?"
Your eyes stayed on him, watching his frame like a hawk. But instead of an aggressive movement or a sudden attack, you saw a man crumble in front of you.
It was difficult to stop now. So, you continued.
"It takes even the most talented years to become an Animagus. Why would you not spill the beans on the person that killed the parents of one of your very own students, Professor?"
There was no confrontation left in Lupin's expression. The smile had disappeared a long time ago, as he looked at you saddened and hurt. He had been only physically weak when you had come here, but now he seemed hurt emotionally as well.
"Mr. Basques," he said, his voice a mere whisper. "Please leave my office."
Your eyes stayed on him for a moment longer. Then you nodded, letting the wand drop inside your pocket before standing up. The disgust for this man had left your heart. Now there was an emptiness as you saw him sitting there, looking like a broken husk.
You left his office without a next step in mind. But with an answer at least. Lupin was not doing this to hide anything. He was just a weak man, who had lost a lot, someone who had just given in and was dragged along by the tides.
And you had done your best to throw him deeper into the water.
Present Date: 16th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
It was Thursday and for most students this meant that there were four days left to the first exam. For you, that was not the appropriate cycle of time. You were counting days differently at the moment.
Today was the day of full moon for example. It was also day 17 since you had discovered that Pettigrew was alive and day 1 since you had emotionally wrecked a broken fool.
You would wait for this night to pass, gift him one more day of recuperation and then you would go to Lupin and tell him all about Pettigrew. You would say sorry, because that was what was expected – but not because you felt it. Then he could decide what to do with both the rat and the dog.
And you, would have admitted defeat.
Now that you knew that the professor was not hiding something out of malice, there was no real reason left that you could put up against Megan's argument.
You were sitting in the owlery, a tower outside of the castle. Peque had left for a hunt, but the darkness up here gave you clarity as you watched the full moon high up in the night sky. It was already past curfew, but sleep did not find you easily these days.
Your eyes fell on the map next to you again, folded to show you Lupin's room. He had not been moving for hours before the transformation, but his dot had become much more active afterwards. In any given day, you would have wished to see such a creature up close. But it was very difficult to find any motivation at the moment for anything that didn't bring you closer to finding out the truth behind the tragedy of the Potters.
Rubbing your eyes, you sighed and looked up at the moon again.
It seemed that you had failed. Besides attacking Black yourself or catching Pettigrew there was nothing left that you were able to do.
Why was it so frustrating to lose? When had it become such a difficult thing for you?
"I fucking hate this." You said to no one in particular.
You felt constrained by so many things. People, expectations, laws and morals and each of them was taking away from your possibilities here. You almost decided to disregard everything and just hunt Black yourself … but what if. What if he was innocent? Could you guarantee catching him without alerting the Dementors? Could you for sure say that you would learn the truth after having him? That you would not give him over to authorities on false premises?
No, you could guarantee neither of these things, which why everything was so frustrating. You had learned so much but had not come closer to the truth.
Your eyes fell onto the map again.
This time something had changed. Where you expected only the name of your professor, running up and down like a crazed animal inside his chambers, now another name appeared: Peter Pettigrew.
Your eyes widened in shock.
Pettigrew stood right next to the door and stayed there for a second or two, then the dot started moving to the right, quickly moving down the floor. Your eyes stayed by Lupin's room, though. There, the dot that marked your professor, the one who was not himself this night, left the room.
The werewolf was standing in the floor of an open castle full of children. You panicked, already in the midst of standing up and grabbing your wand. A few seconds later, you had jumped over the balcony of the owlery. High up over the school ground, you ran towards the castle as you unfolded the map before you. Your boots finding safe ground high up in the sky.
Lupin's dot was moving at a speed that was unbecoming. The werewolf was seemingly following behind Pettigrew's dot, almost catching up to him as he was led down the floor, then a staircase.
Running above the air, you unfolded more of the map until you had to come to a halt for a moment to open it up completely. You struggled with the parchment, while you tried to think ahead. Where would they run towards? The direction was … to the exit.
Pettigrew was leading the wolf outside the castle? Your eyes darted over the possible route. And thankfully you did not see a single name between them and the door.
You let out a breath, that you hadn't realized you had been holding until now. A few moments later Pettigrew already reached the outsides of the castle. The werewolf close behind him. It seemed as if the wolf had slowed down and not killed the rat.
Did it recognize him? Did it know it had to follow to flee?
Your eyes darted around the surrounding of the castle. Where did Pettigrew want to go? Could you catch him? Was this the moment he fled the castle?
Where would you go to if you were Peter Pettigrew?
A rat. Someone who had spent years in hiding. Afraid of the consequences of hist actions.
Nothing.
You came up with nothing.
It was difficult to find an answer for someone you could not understand. So, instead. You looked around at random.
It did not take you long to find more.
The thing was … what you found on the map did not make any sense.
The first part was strange but not out of question; Shrieking Shack was not as desolated and empty as it was usually. You saw a name that was not unexpected: Sirius Black. But you also saw some names that you did not expect there: Harry Potter, Ron Weasly & Hermione Granger.
It threw up some questions, but it was not as strange as the next thing you found:
You saw an additional name that you really did not expect right next to the other dots: Peter Pettigrew.
Your eyes darted back to the place near the castle where Pettigrew and Lupin were running still. They were clearly heading into the direction of the Shrieking Shack. But how was Pettigrew in two places at the same time?
"Fucking Time Turners." You said. "Fucking pendejos!"
Even your mind could not process everything at once. But still, there was more to unpack. The last one was really the strangest of them all. Another name was standing near the Shack. This one you really did not expect.
Jacob Marvan Basques.
There were two Pettigrews and there was one additional … well, you.
The you that was someone else was standing near the Shack and it was moving back and forth. After a while it retraced its steps and started anew.
Your eyes jumped to Pettigrew and Lupin who were closing in on the Shack from the opposite position. The dots in the Shack were only moving inside of it.
So, you focused on yourself again. It was still moving. There was a pattern to it. You followed your dot with your eyes. Where you found it difficult to empathize with Pettigrew, this action was very clear to you. It was forming letters!
"F-o-r-e .." the last two letters were not needed. Forest.
Your eyes darted over the map, up into the north as you looked around the dark forest to find what the other you was trying to communicate to you. You found it quickly. Another dot.
Remus Lupin.
A second werewolf Lupin, just on his own, somewhere in the north of the forest.
There were three were time travelers on your map. Pettigrew, Lupin and one of them was you. And you were pointing yourself into the direction of the second Lupin. What was the reason for this?
The dot with your name continued its spelling movements on the map.
Your real you, high up in the sky, started running again at the same time, heading into the direction of the dark forest, where a werewolf was waiting for you that you had to find for some reason. Your eyes stayed on the Shrieking Shack as the pair from the castle closed in. Lupin and Pettigrew arrived. It was a bit away from the dot with your name, but the other you had noticed. He came to a stop.
When Lupin finally detached from the Pettigrew dot outside of the Shack, it headed directly for the building.
Your other dot started moving again. This word it only spelled once.
Fight.
Then it started moving into the building as well.
The insides were pure chaos. The dots of your classmates were moving around the building as soon as the werewolf jumped into their midst. Very soon after, Black had fallen out of the building and stopped moving. The next happening you only caught fully because you were closely tracking all names at the same time, actively trying to remember what happened while running through the air. You did not fear falling, because every step caught the solid air below you.
The Pettigrew that had been in the Shrieking Shack closed in on Granger in the chaos. The wolf was moving quickly away from the window, where it had thrown Black out. Suddenly it was heading right towards Potter.
Everything happened in the span of two seconds; Pettigrew disappeared out of the map. The dot that was there inside the building, was suddenly not anymore. And the next moment, your dot – the one that was not you right now, entered the building right behind Potter.
The moment the dot appeared, just a second after Pettigrew had disappeared, Lupin disappeared also.
There were now the dots of Granger, Weasley, Potter and You in the building. The dot of Black was right outside of it, still not moving. The Pettigrew that had not entered the Shrieking Shack was running away, into the north as it left chaos behind.
He had brought the werewolf with him to guarantee his other self to flee. A genius move that was out of leftfield. He had taken out Granger's Time Turner and used it himself to flee thanks to the Wolfs involvement, but Pettigrew was the one who had brought the wolf in the first place. Something that was only possible because he had fled.
It was a causality neutral timeloop.
Your eyes stayed on the dot with your name for one more second, before you searched the second Lupin in the forest again.
You saw one more thing before throwing the map into your pocket: Severus Snape was closing in on the Shrieking Shack.
A closed time loop had appeared, and it seemed, that you had copied it. Your dot had allowed for Pettigrew to flew in time, but then saved everyone by throwing Lupin back with a similar method. You did not know if Potter had been hurt (the werewolf had reached his frame before disappearing), but everyone seemed alive.
So, you would need to repeat the thing. You would need access to a time turner first … and there was one waiting for you attached to a werewolf in the forbidden forest, that had probably been waiting there for the last hour. And it seems as if it had lost the fight against you last time, so it was probably pissed.
So, you just needed a win there? Then you would travel back in time, save the others and then … then somehow resolve the Black situation.
Things had gotten much worse than when you had been in the owlery, contemplating your life and misery just a few minutes ago.
You were walking straight into danger, with no plan besides the knowledge that it had worked before. Even if you were alive, you had not seen the state you would be in soon, when you would become the other dot. Nor had you seen what your classmates looked like.
One bite and your carefree life was over.
You took your newest invention out and put the Goggles on. The light around you changed.
A fight for life and death then.
Possibly the most difficult thing you had ever done.
But you were smiling from ear to ear, while running through the darkness.
First Vote
We are here. The climax of year three. Two hundred thousand words brought you here, dear voices inside Jacob's head. Now, we go into the last round.
Please Allocate Time Echoes first. You have 15 available and can expect three main events. There will be a (1) fight against a werewolf first, (2) then some time travel for the event of saving Harry Potter and then (3) the resolution of everything that you don't know yet. Because in the end there will still be one version of Black, Pettigrew and Lupin to account for. And you don't know what to expect with any of them, because it has not happened yet.
I will only accept Plans like the following (Example, TE stands for Time Echo):
[X] Plan A – 1 TE for [Werewolf Fight], 0 TE for [Saving Potter], 1 TE for [Last Act]
Second Vote
Vote for only one of these additionally to your first vote:
[ ] Alive and well - Prioritize keeping Black, Pettigrew and Lupin alive. This will impact the rolls against you. When one tries to get it all … one might lose it all.
[ ] The lost wolf – Prioritize keeping Lupin alive. This will make your fights against him more difficult. But you can't have him dead. You hurt him enough, this would be punching down.
[ ] This could be a Tragedy – You still don't know if Black and Pettigrew are innocent or not. Maybe only one of them is a criminal, maybe its both of them. It's very simple. You don't care. Lupin would be a tragedy. But it is more important to save the students and keep both of yourselves without bites.
Three-hour Moratorium!As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
[X] Alive and well - Prioritize keeping Black, Pettigrew and Lupin alive. This will impact the rolls against you. When one tries to get it all … one might lose it all.
[X] Plan As All Things Should Be – 5 TE for [Werewolf Fight], 5 TE for [Saving Potter], 5 TE for [Last Act]
Present Date: 16th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Running on air, your feet were pounding against the invisible surface below your boots as you raced towards the Forbidden Forest. The warm wind of the summer night whipped through your hair. Tonight, you could feel the magic coursing through your veins and it was fueling you, adding energy to your movements.
With every step, you fell deeper into a zone that you had rarely experienced before. Doubt left your mind, leaving clarity and a calm self-confidence in its wake. Superfluous thoughts stopped bothering you, emotions, both negative and positive lost their vibrance.
Soon, you reached the border of the Forbidden Forest. As you continued over it, you could see the trees rush past below you, their leaves rustling in the breeze. The sense of freedom and exhilaration that you would usually feel, was now far away and faint. You were defying the laws of physics and gravity, but tonight, it was simply not important.
The Ghostly Goggles on your eyes made the forest below look almost otherworldly. Looking through the enchanted glasses, the world around you was tinted in a faint silvery color as you saw some traces of life. You had built a tool that had come naturally to you, allowing you to see into a different world. A dimension that was inhabited by souls, ghosts and spirits. You were closer to this place than most people who had lived a hundred years longer than you.
It felt familiar to you, because you knew; deep down, a truth was clear. This world between death and life was the place that you had been born in. The sensation that had went through you, when you put on the Goggles … it was like returning home.
Even before your body had been growing inside your mother's womb, your soul had been created in this very place.
Breath in. Breath out.
You continued running.
First you passed a deer mother and its children. They were sleeping calmly as you ran above the trees, high up in the sky. Then you passed a flock of resting birds, their silvery frame shining up to you through wood and leaves. A pack of wolves was wandering towards the same direction that you were running too. The silver trails that they left behind showed that they were unsure if to further approach. Their souls were agitated.
On any other night, the night feared them.
This time, the wolfs feared the night.
You continued running towards the north, in search of the king of the forest that was Remus Lupin. A time traveler that had the one tool you now needed the most.
As you continued running, you spotted something strange in the distance. The goggles on your eyes revealed a massive nest of Acromantulas, their silvery bodies wriggling and moving in unison. You slowed your pace, trying to be as faint a present as possible as you moved above the nest, trying to cut the closest route towards your goal. The spiders were so focused on their work and the forest around them, that they didn't seem to notice you at first. But as you got closer, one of them lifted its head and looked directly at you.
The spider that had noticed you was the largest among the horde. It was as wide as multiple trees and as long a cart. When it looked up at you, it called to war.
A shriek went through the night. A battle scream that should, but did not agitate you in the state of mind you were in. With a burst of energy, you took off running again, as some spiders tried to climb up the trees to reach you, only to come short in their jump and fall towards the ground again.
You did not wait for them to try new and more creative methods.
And soon enough, they were left behind by your quick movements up in the sky.
You didn't stop running until you were well clear of the nest. Then you took a moment to catch your breath. You were relieved that you had made it through unharmed, but you knew that you couldn't let your guard down. Lupin was still out there somewhere, and you had to find him before it was too late.
As you continued in a light jog, you scanned the forest for any sign of Lupin again. Now, that you were closer to his location on the map, the goggles on your eyes made it easy to spot the faint traces of his presence. You could see the silver footprints he left behind as he moved through the forest. The Shrieking Shack was a long march away and the werewolf had probably been searching for a victim since your attack on him. He would be agitated and angry.
You focused on your breath as you got closer, tried to calm your mind again. You could hear howling in the distance now, so you tried to stay sharp and ready to fight. The picture of a revolting ocean inside your mind started calming as the waves got smaller and the current weaker. Superfluous thoughts were pushed to the sides of your consciousness.
By the time you were close enough to see the silvery frame of the werewolf hidden below the trees, you were completely calm. This would be the hardest thing you had ever tried … but you knew that you would win.
You raised your wand arm and pointed the wooden tool in your hand towards the werewolf in the distance.
"Fagus wood and phoenix feather," Nicolas had said years ago, when you had first held onto the wand that had chosen you. You were amongst his many inventions in the workshop, with Perenelle, your mother and father watching you attentively.
The process of finding a fitting wand had taken many hours. Not because you tried that many of the wands, but because in between each failing attempt, Nicolas had sat down to think long and hard, before trying a new one with you.
"Beech does not perform well with the narrow-minded and intolerant," Nicolas said. "And phoenix magic is always very picky when it comes to a potential owner." He came closer to you, bowing down with an energy and quickness unbecoming to his old age. His eyes were sharp as he looked at you. "You will be having a difficult time taming this one and win its allegiance, dear boy."
You looked up at your parents. They had waited with you, not leaving your side even though the ordeal had taken most of the day. The sorrow on your mother's face disappeared when she saw you smile at her.
"I got a wand!" You said.
The wand in your hand was lifeless.
You did not notice that it was waiting for something. For months your wand had felt different, but it had been barely noticeable. As if it was waiting, anticipating something.
Remus Lupin. Sirius Black. Peter Pettigrew.
Three names that had meant little to you a year ago who now were at the center of your obsessions. You were confronted with a most difficult decision. What would you do to get what you wanted most? How much did you value other people's freedoms and lives against your curiosity and drive for answers?
The easy way ahead was clear and visible in front of you.
Lupin was alone and you would trap and surround him, all by yourself. You could start by burning his surroundings, forcing him into a specific direction. Soon he would be pushed into a full nest of Acromantula. Not even a transformed werewolf would come out of that fight alive.
And then, once distracted in a full out war between beasts, you would snatch up the Time Turner and disappear into the past. Remus Lupin would not survive the night, but his destiny was not yours to deal with.
Then, once you were in the past, you would wait and let things play out. You would let Lupin hurt Black first and throw the werewolf back in time once he moved against Potter, to be maimed by spiders in a fight against a different version of you. Soon, you would follow up on Pettigrew. You would attack him without mercy and catch him off guard. And you would get all answers out of this Rat-man. Willingly or not.
It would be so very easy to do that.
Your wand pulsed once. Then it lay dormant again. This you noticed. It was waiting for your decision.
"I don't mind hurting Pettigrew to get what I want," you whispered, explaining yourself to the tool that had chosen you in a workshop on a small Mediterranean island.
The rat had lured a werewolf onto children's doorsteps to make his own escape.
"I don't know what happened to Sirius Black," you said. "But I want to find out. And I want to keep him alive, even if it is for egoistical reasons."
Your wand was still waiting.
"And with the professor …" You kept pointing the wand at the silver figure hidden below the trees in the distance. "I might have committed the same mistake again."
The Grey Lady, the Meerpeople and then Lupin. You had been lost in minor and major obsessions time and time again, disregarding the people around you. You thought of Nally saving you in a fight against Dementors, of Megan crying, of Justin sharing his trauma. You remembered Tracey standing up against her peers to support you, Luna without shoes as she climbed the Ravenclaw tower. They had feelings and emotions. Their thoughts and wishes were just as valuable as yours.
You knew that. But there was more to caring for people than just choosing at random who was important to you and who was not.
The silver shadow of the werewolf turned around into your direction, his head high in the air.
You were getting strong. Much stronger than was reasonable for someone your age. Soon, you would eclipse any student of Hogwarts, then most adult wizards … and you knew, like you knew that the sun would set in the morning, that at some point you would stand at the highest echelons atop wizard kind.
Your wand started vibrating, like it had years ago in Nicolas' workshop.
There had to be a decision soon what your imprint on the world would be. Was Jacob Marvan Basques a net positive to the world or was he not?
You had never been an unreflective fool. You could see the chaos you left behind in your wake. Acknowledging the sense of superiority that dwelled inside you was easy. And while you could not fight the egoism that defined you, you could acknowledge the hurt it had caused in those around you.
"I do not like Lupin," you whispered finally. "But I can't let him die for this." You could not trample the weak just because it was the easier path.
The simple way ahead closed for you. Instead, a much harder path opened.
"No one will die tonight." You spoke.
Sparks left your wand, before you moved it for your first spell of the night: "Diffindo."
A thick branch of the tree below was cleanly cut off. Before gravity had the ability to pull it down to the ground, your second spell hit home: "Avifors." Wood turned into leathery skin, as a dozen bats began their glide through the forest. They evaded a thick tree, half of the swarm moving right, the other half left. Soon enough they had encircled the werewolf that was still looking up at the sky, into the general direction of yours.
While it could not see you above the trees, it seemed to be smelling you.
Another branch was cut off a tree below. This time it turned into a small dragon.
You moved again, walking over the trees to close in on the position of the werewolf. Soon enough, you were standing high above him. While you were still hidden from his view, you could see that he was turning to all sides, trying to spot where the smell came from that he had noticed.
The dragon would keep the attention of the werewolf first, then the bats would swarm in from all sides and try to take out the Time Turner that was hanging around the werewolf's neck. Simple in and out for you, while you were waiting in a safe spot above the trees.
Problem was, that smooth plan did not work.
Lupin moved a hundred feet below.
He propelled himself upwards, bouncing up from a branch above him to push himself further. High up in the air a face with an elongated snout broke through the leaves.
Twenty feet away, the yellow glowing eyes were laser focused on you as the werewolf shot towards you, ignoring all the bats you had enchanted below. One arm was pointing down, having pushed him up, the other arm was gunning for you.
The werewolf was only five feet away, his arm moving upwards as the curved claws on his long and thin fingers reached for your body. Your wand was already moving.
"Protego!" You shouted. A bright light appeared between you and Lupin.
Your shield stood strong and impenetrable, but the force of the hit was so strong that it threw you away with it. Air was forced out of your lungs when the wolf crashed against your shield and you. Both of you came to a fall from high up in the air.
A hundred feet to the ground. Then only eighty. You fell through branches, scratching your face open. The wand in your hand stayed secure, but you failed in trying to grab on for support, still dazed by the sudden hit.
Sixty feet.
You tried to turn your body around and come down feet first to use your boots against the air but were thrown against a branch that broke a rip. You were forcefully thrown around your axis and crashed against the tree. Your free arm reached out, tried to grab anything. It failed.
Thirty feet.
Your boot pushed against air, almost breaking your leg in return before you let the air dissipate again. Another branch you fell through, hurting you but slowing you down just a little bit. Blinded and disoriented you tried to grab for it, but you were too weak to hold on.
Twenty feet.
Another push against air that you reflexively canceled out before breaking your leg. It slowed you down enough to try again.
Ten feet.
This time you pushed through. The force that went through your legs, hips and back sent a shock of pain through you but with it, you finally came to a stop. The werewolf touched ground next to you at the same moment.
There was a metallic taste in your mouth, and you felt the hot sensation of fresh wounds all over your hands, face and arms. But right now, there was no time to care for injuries.
"Protego!" You screamed just before the wolf crashed into the newly erected shield again. Again, it held … and again were you thrown back by the force of it. You were tossed backwards from your position ten feet above the ground. Even though you were disoriented, you were able to move the swarm of bats and the small dragon with your thoughts.
They shot forwards as one from behind you and pushed against your shoulders and back just with enough momentum for your upper body to move forward. Turning around, you were now able to put your feet up against the direction you had been thrown and push against air.
You came to a stop with your body parallel to the ground.
The wolf had surprised you once with his speed and power. It would not do so again.
Before you fell from the position, you had moved your wand in a circle and said: "Immobulus!" The binding charm hit the werewolf square on, stopping its movement with invisible restrains.
Gravity pulled you down and you used the speed to spin around just enough for you to jog down an invisible set of stairs.
You had no illusions that the spell would hold for long. And you were right; Lupin was already able to push against the immobilization as his arms started to move forwards in slow motion.
"Glacius" you said, pointing at one of his feet. Some ice formed around his elongated foot, but the spell was too slow. The werewolf was walking in a slow pace again. It pushed against the invisible magic constraining it and the immobilization spell broke.
"Flipendo!"
The next claw-attack missed you. A pushing spell against the head, a half-frozen foot slowing it down and a small dragon that crashed into its side. In total, it was enough for Lupin to lose his footing. His neck stretched when his head was thrown back.
Time froze for a second as you saw the perfect chance to finish the fight.
One cutting charm against the open neck … and the fight would have been over.
Damn the easy path.
Instead, you let your bats swarm him to distract him just long enough for another: "Glacius!" You were running on air around him as you pointed at his legs. Five more seconds. Four more seconds. His feet were starting to catch on to the ground below and his movements were much stiffer than before.
A howl went through the forest. The werewolf was shouting in frustration and anger.
He pushed his arms to the ground, ignored the swarm of bats around him and pushed himself forward again, jumping towards you. This time it was not trying to claw you to death; his mouth was wide open instead. Lupin was going to bite you.
Not today.
The dragon that you had transformed earlier appeared between Lupin and you. You barely moved your wand to end the spell. And suddenly, the dragon was only a thick branch that was levitating between you and a very angry werewolf.
"Flipendo!" You shouted.
The momentum of a lounging werewolf added to the momentum of a forcefully propelled piece of wood was an exercise in Arithmancy that you had not thought of before and while it would take you a little bit to calculate the exact force … you were able to see the effect right before you.
Lupins head was thrown back, while the body below him was still moving forwards. He turned around his own axis twice before crashing down on the ground.
Then something was shining faintly in the moonlight. You reached out to it and caught the necklace that had been ripped off its holder, before you heard the loud 'thump' of the werewolf hitting the ground.
The necklace you held in your hand was thin and made from gold. There were delicate engravings and intricate designs on the exterior, leading down to the tiny hourglass that contained an unknown substance in it.
"Well, Professor Lupin," you said, pulling the necklace over your head and looking at the unconscious werewolf. "That will be quite the headache tomorrow!"
By the time, the beast came back to its senses, he was alone in this part of the forest.
Round 1:
1d100+81 #Jacob Attack I (+5 Time Echoes) = (7 + 81) 88
1d100+80 #Werewolf Defense I = (76 + 80) 156 → Jacob gets hurt!
1d100+90 #Werewolf Attack I = (30 + 90) 120
1d100+96 #Jacob Defense I (+5 Time Echoes) = (12 + 96) 108 → Jacob gets hurt!
Round 2:
1d100+71 #Jacob Attack II (+5 Time Echoes - Malus 10) = (79 + 71) 150
In between the two directions of time, everything had stopped while it waited for your decision to move forward.
Wind did not breeze past you, the world froze its spinning, and people held their breath. An eternity between two seconds, as the construct of the universe figured out in which direction it needed to flow next.
And then, causality returned, the fabric of space and time went back to the perceived normal. The first second ticked by again.
You fell to the ground, panting and gasping for air. Your back, legs and hips hurt. The soft textile that usually covered your underarms had ripped, letting air flow over the bleeding abrasion below. The skin on your face felt raw and you tasted blood in your mouth.
All things considered; this had gone unreasonably well.
Trying your best to sit up, you tried to calm your breath.
The place around you showed nothing of the combat that had happened moments earlier. Well … not moments earlier, but in two hours from now rather.
The ground was covered in thick moss, the trees and branches above were untouched and healthy, the animals around were lazily moving around, not having noticed your arrival from a future unknown to them.
Step one had been successful, but very difficult. How to continue next?
You brought your map out of your pocket and folded it up on the ground in front of you. You let your wand drop next to it and started analyzing the drawings and dots that moved over them.
You were close to the northern border of the map. Here you could see the dot with your name on it, deep inside the forbidden forest. Now you had to see where you would find the other player that was important for this game of time travel.
At this moment in time, Past-Jacob should be walking towards the owlery. Your eyes wandered to the south, searching for a familiar dot in or near the castle; and there you found him. Standing next to a dot with the name Megan Jones. The dots were moving out of the Great Hall, having eaten a late dinner together, before she would wish you a good night. Soon afterwards you would sneak out of a window on the second floor and use your boots to escape the castle and climb into the owlery.
You looked around the castle, searching for Lupin. And you found him, where you suspected his bed. He was not moving and would stay like this for half an hour, before standing up to move into another room. After a short stay there, he would be in bed again for about an hour, in which your Past-Self would be lamenting himself and hating on the world.
After that hour you had seen Lupin start to move irrationally through his chambers. You had suspected the transformation there.
Everything was as expected.
Well, most of everything. There was one thing you had not seen before; Peter Pettigrew was in the room next to Lupin. And very suspiciously, he was at the exact spot where Lupin had moved to around half an hour before turning into a werewolf.
You had not seen the rat the first time around, but it seemed as if there was more foul play at hand than you had thought before.
As you reached for the hourglass hanging from your neck, you saw a few possible next steps.
[ ] Trust in Yourself – Your Future-You had given you a clear command. He had been in the exact same situation you were in right now, but he had chosen to let Pettigrew do whatever he had wanted to do and attack at the exact moment that he showed you. He had likely gotten the same instructions from a future version of him and so on. An infinite number of stable loops that some version of you, in a faraway time had created for a reason. This had to be the best possible solution, if any version of you had settled with it.
[ ] I will try again – Go back one more hour and try to catch Pettigrew before he does whatever he is trying to do in Lupin's chambers. This was the most obvious choice, even if you asked yourself why Future-You had not done so himself. But you needed to keep in mind; this version of Pettigrew that you were looking for also owns a Time Turner.
[ ] Trust in Yourself – Your Future-You had given you a clear command. He had been in the exact same situation you were in right now, but he had chosen to let Pettigrew do whatever he had wanted to do and attack at the exact moment that he showed you. He had likely gotten the same instructions from a future version of him and so on. An infinite number of stable loops that some version of you, in a faraway time had created for a reason. This had to be the best possible solution, if any version of you had settled with it.
Present Date: 16th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Your eyes followed the time traveling dot of Pettigrew as he moved out of Lupins chambers and past students and teachers on the floors, who were all returning from dinner. No one turned around to the fugitive among them. The rat moved through the castle without any care.
The Animagus transformation was difficult to argue for in terms of returns in time invested, but for Sirius and Pettigrew both, they had been unexpected advantages for the cards that they had been served by destiny. You followed Pettigrew's dot around for twenty more minutes. He soon moved into the Gryffindor common area, into a room where you suspected the beds for the third-year boys to be, because Longbottom's dot was already in place and stationery, when Pettigrew entered.
Most of the other Gryffindor names were still in the Common Room when Pettigrew moved from his place at the door. He closed in on Longbottom, stayed next to him for a few moments and then darted out of the room again.
Neville Longbottom did not move. He had neither reacted, nor noticed what had just happened. But you suspected that he would wake up without a wand in the morning.
You reached for the Time Turner on your neck again and bit your lower lip, deep in thoughts.
The rat had created a stable time loop just as you had and by what you knew, yours was completely reactionary to his; he had brought Lupin back to save himself and you had combated that by throwing the werewolf back in time. The fact that it happened only after Pettigrew had disappeared himself, made you believe that it was part of your trick.
While both of you had a time traveling tool, he did not know of your involvement in his shenanigans. This was your most important advantage, your edge over him. You were itching to use it to bounce on him, travel back in time more and attack him before he went to Lupin the first time … but there was one problem with this line of thoughts.
You were having the idea now. Which meant that you would have that specific thought every instance of this loop. And still, the previous version of you had decided to give you clear instructions to not do that and instead continue with the stable Time Loop a version prior to him had created.
You would not trust anyone else with their opinion, when you could see a better path in front of you. But you had to trust yourself in this, right? If you had decided this was the right path with more information than you had accessible right now, it must have been the better move.
Sighing, you finally stood up. Pettigrew was moving through the castle again, probably to find a place to hide until his time had come to free the werewolf.
You watched out for the castle surroundings and found Potter, Granger, and Weasley in Hagrid's Hut. They were sitting together with the giant professor. While you remembered Hagrid to have mentioned them before, you did not know that they were on good terms with him.
Your eyes focused on the dot among them that interested you most; the other version of 'Pettigrew' was sitting with them. With the map in your hands, you climbed invisible stairs into the sky again. Soon you were walking above the trees again.
The next name you found was that of Sirius Black and very curiously, he was very close to the Hut, sitting among trees and probably waiting for the group to leave. There was a whole lot of secret plans and sneaking involved in this particular time travel odyssey.
The group of Gryffindors stayed long enough with Hagrid, for you to comfortably reach the Shrieking Shack. You moved inside the empty building and put the map on the single table of the living room. On the other side of the map, a different version of Pettigrew hid in a corner near Lupin's domicile, waiting for his moment of action.
You took the time you had at hand to assess your wounds. The worst part was the sharp pain in your side. It was very clear that at least one of your ribs had snapped in the fall. It made breathing difficult and painful. For the rest, blood had stopped seeping from the wounds on your arms, leaving dark stains in your clothes and on your skin. The blood was drying up, but the burning sensation had only increased. It was rather annoying but not a true handicap for the rest of the night. Touching your face, to check for the injuries you winced and felt the tender flesh where the fall from high up in the air had scratched you open.
You knew that you needed to tend to your wounds, but you didn't have anything on you that could help you. Taking a deep breath, you tried to steady your nerves and shut the pain out.
Once you caught up with your emotions and the stress again, you walked over to the table. You found Potter, Granger, and Weasley near Hagrid's Hut, now walking slowly back to the castle. Just behind them was Sirius Black. He was probably in his dog form still, because the Gryffindor dots gave no indications that they had seen someone following them.
As you watched the dots on the map, realization sank in that you were in the middle of a very high stakes game of cat and mouse. You took a deep breath again. There was no player with complete information at the table. But in a war with mostly blind chickens, you and a version of Pettigrew had turned the game into chess with the advantages of knowledge that both of you had.
You could almost see him across from you, letting the chess pieces all fall into place in their natural order, before he countered with his queen to win it all.
Had your past self seen this so clearly, too? The closer you got to the destined time point, the less sure you were about your decision. A visualization of an ocean inside your head gained traction again. Self-doubts were arising through the void of emotions and the water began moving.
Instead of falling for this moment of mental weakness, you distracted yourself with action instead. There were things to do.
You turned around, surveying the room. What did you know? The group was destined to arrive inside this very room in the upper floor. Pettigrew, Black and the Gryffindors. Then Lupin would attack, and the first victim would fall out of the window on the western side of the room.
The glass window was still closed shut, so you opened it with a simple: "Alohomora." Walking over to it, you leaned over and out of the window to look at the ground below. It was a long fall. But you had decided to keep everyone alive in this ordeal, so you raised your wand again.
"Spongify," you said this time. The ground did not look different afterwards, but you knew that the spell had worked.
You turned around and walked over to the map again. Pettigrew was moving through the castle again, preparing to free the werewolf soon. You also saw yourself sitting in the owlery and Black running away from a group of Gryffindor that was following him. Pettigrew's dot was now directly in front of Black. Had he been caught in rat form by Black?
It did not matter to you, the only thing that was important now was that they were closing in on your position. You looked at the castle again to see Pettigrew close in on Lupins room. The other version of you would notice him soon.
You pulled the map from its place, folded it up and put it back into your pocket. From here on you knew everything that was about to happen. Your heart was beating quickly. Were you had expected assurance, you felt more doubt instead. There were so many moving parts and such a small margin of error for the few seconds between Pettigrew disappearing into the past and you saving Harry Potter from a werewolf attack.
And then afterwards, there would still be one Pettigrew unaccounted for. And he would have a Time Turner himself. How in the world would you catch him, if he could just flee from you by jumping back in time?
By then, you would have lost your own Time Turner and no possibility to follow him.
This plan of yours was reeking of holes and possible avenues of failure. And what about Snape? Would he come at the exact time that he showed up last time around? You took out the map one last time, as you jumped out of the window and looked at it. The Gryffindors and Black were going to close in on you in less than a minute now and Pettigrew was standing right in front of Lupins room.
Which meant, Snape should be starting his journey soon as well, right? But once you found him in the catacombs, there was nothing outside the norm for him. He was sitting in his classroom, probably preparing one of the exams. No one was close to him. So, how would the professor learn of the attack that was about to happen?
You folded the map together with his classroom looking up at you and climbed upwards, your feet secure on solid air. A few moments before a large black dog arrived at the Shrieking Shack with a rat in his mouth, you were standing on the roof of the building already, hiding and waiting. You did not dare look over the rooftop, but you heard the shouting as the Gryffindors closed in on the building below. And then, they entered the building below. You heard more shouting and movements but were not able to make out any words from below.
You watched the silver figures through the walls of the building, when you saw Sirius Black transforming into a man. Weasley was the first to react and pull his wand out, but he was soon enough physically overpowered by Black. When Black got his grasp on that wand, the fight was over. Just a moment later, both Granger and Potter had lost their wands, too.
Then you saw Black pointing his new gained tool at the rat and a transformation ensued.
"Right about now," you whispered to yourself and started tracing the familiar movements, walking on air next to the building on the west side that would block a soon arriving Pettigrew and werewolf from seeing you.
F – O – R – E – S – T
You spelled the word out with your steps once, then moved back to the starting point and walked it down again in big letters. There was still no confidence in this. It felt like you were trusting in someone else, that you could not clearly understand even this late into their plan.
You sighed, knowing that you had to trust yourself now that you had committed. Out of all players, you had the upper hand in this very moment, and you were about to use this to your advantage. But things were not exactly where they needed to be yet.
Snape had not moved one inch from his place, and it could not be too long before the time traveling Pettigrew arrived. The shouting inside the Shack was distant now, but you kept your eyes on the open window where Black would soon fall out of.
But as the seconds ticked by, nothing in Snapes vicinity showed any signs of change. He would not come by himself. The more time passed, the surer you were that it had been you who had contacted Snape to come.
But how? The future version of you would have taken the exact same time to come to this conclusion. But there was no tool at your disposal that could solve this for you right now. While you could communicate to your other self, how could you communicate with Snape that had no access to your map?
You walked the word 'forest' one more time and started from the beginning again.
In your mind, you went through the spells and tools available to you. But there was nothing. Not one spell that could be used for communication over long distances. While transformed animals could transport a written message, they could not act without your active command. How would you even attempt to navigate the castle without your eyes on them? Even with the map this seemed impossible and pointless to you.
"How did I do this?" You asked, staring at the dot of Severus Snape. Another word spelled, you turned around and did it again.
The transformations that you could create did not have any agency of their own. Only the Patronus Charm had that, but its incorporeal form could not transport a physical message …
"Oh!" This seemed farfetched, but it was the only idea that had some possible merit to it.
Coming to a halt next to the building, high up in air, the pain from your wounds was forgotten as you focused on the riddle at hand. You knew what needed to happen. Now, you had to make the fantasy come true. Closing your eyes, you concentrated, summoning all of your happiness and focus for a spell that was getting more familiar to you.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silver wolf materialized in front of you, its head gleaming in the moonlight. The Patronus looked around for a moment before it took off, galloping towards the castle, because it knew that time was dire.
'Werewolf attack in the Shrieking Shack. Pettigrew, Black and Harry Potter. No meerpeople this time.'
You tried to be concise, not knowing how much of the message would travel the distance and watched as the Patronus disappeared into the night, feeling a sense of relief wash over you. One step closer to the resolution.
Then a howl went through the full moon night that made it difficult to breath for the fear it provoked inside you. Even after having fought the beast one on one, you were impressed at the presence it still had on you. One single werewolf was enough to provoke fear like no other beast you had ever seen before.
As you approached the point in time, which you had been destined for, your mind cleared. The waves inside your mind lost their potence, the water calmed down slowly.
Putting the map back into your pocket, you started moving one more time. You knew that only one person on this planet was watching you attentively in this very moment.
F-I-G-H-T
"And have fun with the broken rib, dear Jacob," you said to yourself smiling. The idiot did not know what was waiting for him. It was quite a headache to trust in someone else's plan, even if that someone was yourself.
Breath in.
You closed in on the building again, keeping the open window well in sight.
Breath out.
The insides were pure chaos now. The visible souls of your classmates were dashing around the room as soon as the werewolf jumped into their midst. Hermione evaded into one direction to hide behind the table you had used before. Only you knew that she had invited more danger, by shortening the distance between herself and a nearby cowering Pettigrew. Weasley and Potter jumped into the other direction. The werewolf ran right through the space they had just occupied and crashed against Sirius Black who was standing close to the open window.
Black was thrown out of the building. You knew that he would be hurt because there were few people who had a better grasp about how much momentum this werewolf could build up to. The fugitive fell out but he did neither crash through glass, and he would be surprised by the comfortable landing he had on the soft ground below.
"Immobulus," you said at the same time, that you saw Pettigrew attack Hermione through the wall. His small hands grabbed for her neck.
You did not wait for the spell to hit Black, before jumping into the living room. By the time, your feet hit the ground, Pettigrew had disappeared into the past to start the next loop. Your own Time Turner was already in the air, having been thrown by you before you cast a supporting spell: "Avifors!" White birds shot out of your wand.
And then you were back in the zone again.
Time slowed down for you as your mind caught up to its true potential for just a single moment. In this perfect state of mind, you could see everything at once.
Outside the building Black was hit by the first spell you had cast a moment before. He was blocked from further movement. The first player was out.
Time came to a complete standstill.
Inside the room, you could see that only Hermione had noticed your arrival. She looked at you but was clearly still in shock by the many things that were happening at once. Frozen in time, she stood in one corner of the room, no wand and now Time Turner in her possession. She was out of the game, too. Only three players left.
The birds that you had summoned, caught the Time Turner in their mouth as time started to move again in a very slow fashion, your brain was still working much faster than it had ever before. You looked past them and the werewolf who had almost reached Potter.
This was the first time that you gave him all your attention. His hair was messy, his skin pale. And while Harry Potter did not look as unusually thin as he had in first year, he was still far from bulky. A young teenager that would soon be mauled by a werewolf if things went sideways. But here, between two seconds you noticed the single-mindedness in his bright green eyes.
While Weasley behind him had been taken by surprise, Potter was right in the moment. The redhead behind him had his eyes closed and his body turned away from the inrushing werewolf. His arms were raised in futile defense. Potter on the other hand, was standing there purposefully. Even without a wand and with no sensible avenue to success, he continued standing between the attacking force and his good friend. He knew that he would lose the battle, but the realization did not change his resolve.
You had never seen this kind of bravery in someone your age.
The first second ticked by since you had joined them in the room. Your birds had almost caught up to the werewolf, the hourglass on the Time Turner was already being turned by one of them, while the others carried the necklace that would soon land on the werewolf's head.
It was guaranteed that Lupin would be thrown back in time. He could not evade your attack, but it was still up in the air if you would reach him in time to save Potter and Weasley.
The stable loop you had created was a competent one. It was maybe even the best possible outcome for this night, but it was not perfect and that had one simple reason; you lost the possibility to do another loop and correct things the moment you had to use the Time Turner to attack the werewolf before you.
Your Future-Self had called you into a time loop that he didn't know the outcome for, and you had followed. The werewolf was reaching the pair his mouth open and ready to bite into soft flesh.
Destiny was to decide if you were good enough to save the Gryffindors.
No further modifications to rolls, due to choosing the most difficult path:
'Alive and well - Prioritize keeping Black, Pettigrew and Lupin alive. This will impact the rolls against you. When one tries to get it all … one might lose it all.'
1d100+90 #Werewolf Attack HP = (19 + 90) 109
1d100+91 #Jacob Defense of HP (+5 Time Echoes - 5 Malus) = (10 + 91) 101
→ Werewolf attack is a success.
Harry Potter's eyes stayed on the werewolf, but instead of evading him, he pushed his friend behind him away.
A hero, in even the direst situation. Brave to a fault.
Neither strong enough, nor lucky enough to come out of its unscathed tonight, but a true Gryffindor.
Lupin reached Harry, a moment after your birds dropped the necklace on his head. You hesitated on activating the time jump because he was already in physical contact with Harry. You could not have them go back to the past together, because that would leave him behind alone and undefended.
And then you saw the werewolf bit down on Harry's arm, sinking his teeth deep into the flesh and making him scream in pain. Harry ripped his arm out of the werewolf's mouth and pushed himself away just in time for the last of your birds to turn the hourglass fully.
The werewolf disappeared into nothingness, just like Pettigrew had three seconds prior.
A scream from someone else, not Harry this time. He was stumbling back against the wall and fell past Weasley to the ground as he watched the blood gushing out of the wound in his left arm.
You were already running towards him, pulling your robe off and jumped onto the ground next to him.
"Granger" you shouted, pushing the pale Gryffindor against the wall behind him. "Professor Snape is outside. Bring him here." The robe went around Harry's arm once, then twice and a third time, before you tried to pull it tightly. You tried to put a knot into it to keep the blood from gushing out.
"Granger!" You screamed this time at the girl that was paralyzed and still in place. "NOW! GO!" Your loud voice seemed to snap her out of her stupor. Because finally, she got moving.
You failed on the knot and soon enough the blood pulsed out of the wound again. Harry's head fell on your shoulder as he lost consciousness. He was losing blood very quick, and you were completely failing in keeping him alive.
You looked up at Ron Weasley who was still to your side. He looked horrified.
"Weasley," you said. "Make yourself useful and pull this." You pointed at one end of the robe around Harry's arm. To his credit, he reacted quicker than Granger and followed your command. Holding onto one end of the fabric, you had him pull at the other end. Once there was enough tension that the blood flow came to a stop, you said: "Immobulus."
Even after you dropped your end of the robe, the tension was kept in place. It took a moment for Ron to understand it, so he kept pulling his side for a few more seconds while you dropped back to your feet.
You were breathing hard, even if you had not done anything particularly straining. The eyes behind your goggles darted around the room. Snape and Granger were now entering from below. You ran over to the window that you had come in from.
"Wingardium Leviosa." You spoke.
Black flew into sight shortly after, and you moved him into the room, just in time for Snape to arrive at the scene. His eyes found yours first, with your wand in the air while you were dropping in a immobilized Sirius Black.
You did not say anything to the professor, instead you moved your head into Harry's direction. Snape's eyes widened when he saw the state his student was in. The Professor rushed over to Harry's side, his face a mask without emotions again as he quickly assessed the situation and began to work on healing Harry's wounds. You watched as he used his wand to stem the bleeding and close the wounds. You could see the relief on Ron's face as he watched the flesh close on the arm of his friend.
But when it almost looked as if Snape had been able to heal Harry, the wound started opening again and returned to its prior state even though Snape continued his spellcasting.
Dark Magic.
Snape looked up at you, his eyes filled with a new gained shock. "What did this," he asked you, ignoring both Granger and Weasley.
You only needed to say one word: "Lupin." And in the expression of your professor, you knew that he understood.
"Where is he?" Snape asked you then. His eyes were forcing themselves into your mind. You could feel the attack on your thoughts, but you let it happen.
"I made him travel back in time. I should be fighting him right around now," you said. "But Pettigrew is still on the loose." You saw him gain more understanding than just the words you had spoken. But you also learned something new that night; Snape was a master of Legilimency.
The professor turned to Weasley and Granger, "You need to get him to the hospital wing immediately." His wand moved once, and Harry started levitating. Right next to him, Sirius Black joined him in the air. "Go, now."
"And we," Snape said, looking at you. He was calm again, his expression void of agency. Signs of Occlumency that you knew from yourself. "Are going to fetch a mouse."
The intensity of this night is waking parts of your soul that had been dormant before. You are growing, but what is it that develops?
[ ] Magic Sense II – You remember feeling the magic of your brothers. There was warmth and familiarity. Underneath your senses there had been something else, waiting to wake. Your ability is starting to take form and get more sensitive. You sense more magic than before around you; it is like a vibrant sensation that fills the surroundings.
[ ] Spongify (Deep Understanding) - Transfiguration. The Softening Charm is a spell that softens a target area or object, making it rubbery and bouncy. Rare is someone with your understanding over the spell, you can hit large spaced at once, making your surroundings your domain. With good timing, you can even make attacks bounce back on the attacker. +5 to Defence Rolls.
[ ] Magic Sense II – You remember feeling the magic of your brothers. There was warmth and familiarity. Underneath your senses there had been something else, waiting to wake. Your ability is starting to take form and get more sensitive. You sense more magic than before around you; it is like a vibrant sensation that fills the surroundings.
Present Date: 16th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Th both of you looked like an odd pair, walking deeper into the forest, with the Shrieking shack behind you.
Your face was covered in scratches and scrapes, with dried blood caked all over your skin. The wounds on your forearms were bleeding again. You had lost your robe and the sleeves of your white shirt were rolled up. The clothes on you were stained with blood and dirt from the chase and fight. But despite your injuries, your first reflex was to try and evade the spell when Professor Snape raised his wand to heal the superficial wounds.
The tall and thin man pursed his lips when he saw you flinch away at his movement. He had long, greasy black hair and a gaunt, angular face that was watching you attentively. Interestingly enough, he did not cast the spell again. Instead, he took a small vial out of his pocket.
"Drink this and let us move on quickly," Professor Snape said, handing you the potion.
You took the vial and examined it. It was filled with a milky white liquid that seemed to glow with a faint, golden light. You opened it and took a sip to immediately feel the healing properties of the potion flowing through your body. The pain in your side, arms, hands and face began to fade - the wounds began to close up. Seconds later, you felt revitalized and energized.
"This is amazing," you said, looking up at Snape with amazement. "What is it?"
Snape gave you a deadpan look, and let the empty vial disappear into nothingness with a swish of his wand.
If you expected an answer, you could be assured that it was not coming.
The professor was neither attractive, nor was he charming. A hooked nose and thin, pursed lips. But he was holding himself with an air of authority and confidence, that clearly showed a lack of unease for the situation at hand. There was still a werewolf on the lose and a criminal with the ability to jump in time, but except the hint of caution in Snape's eyes it looked as if he was simply walking to his next class of the day.
You looked at the map again, seeing Pettigrew close in on the border of the map. Soon, only your goggles would keep you on his track.
"I don't think we can catch up with him while walking, Professor. Maybe we should start running?"
Instead of quickening his velocity next to you, Professor Snape continued in the leisure pace that he had been going in before.
"Who taught you to build these, Mr. Basques?" He asked, not taking your comment into account. Your teacher was trying to seem nonchalant about it, but he was studying you intently, trying to understand why you had any knowledge about Alchemy. "The map and the glasses."
"An old man in my hometown," you said, giving him a non-answer really. You had given him a lot of information while he had been probing you with his mind magic. You felt like that was more than enough sharing for today. "And it helps quite well in following someone," you continued. "But not if we continue moving like turtles that-…"
Professor Snape nodded once and grabbed your shoulder before you could finish your words.
With a sudden jolt, everything around you disappeared in a blur of colors and shapes. You felt the familiar sensation of your body being pulled and stretched into different directions. It was like being forced through a tube at high speed, yet also feeling like you were standing still. It was disorienting, and your stomach felt like it had been left behind.
Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped, and you found yourselves in a completely different location, on a hill overseeing Hogsmeade. A wave of dizziness washed over you, and you stumbled forwards slightly before regaining your footing.
The map was taken out of your hands by someone, and it took you a moment until you found it levitating in front of Snape, who was studying it. He did not look fazed by the experience.
"This might be an acceptable point to cut him off," Snape said.
It felt colder than before here on the hill.
The map stayed in place, while Snape moved a few steps closer to the forest to your left. His dark eyes were scanning the surroundings, but you couldn't imagine that he was able to see much in the dark.
"But, we won't be alone for much longer," your teacher added.
You walked over to the map to have a look yourself. And only then did you see what he was looking for. Remus Lupin was moving into your direction at a very high speed.
Turning to the town behind you and then to the forest again, you asked yourself if he was smelling you or the townspeople close by.
A cloud of white air formed when you spoke next.
"I fought against him a few minutes ago," you said and had the professor turn around at you, not having found anything in the shadows of the forest. His long, black robe moved with him, giving him the look of a vampire.
This night had it all, huh? Animagi, fugitives, werewolves, vampires, time travelers. It would be hard to raise the stakes now.
What could heighten the excitement further? Dementors?
"Before you traveled back in time?" the Professor asked you, while returning to the map again, that was still levitating in place. Pettigrew and Lupin were only a few minutes away now. They were set to arrive at a very similar time.
What a coincidence.
"Yes, before…" You answered. But your mind stayed on the information at hand.
1d100+50 #Detective Roll DC 70 (+Time Echoes) = (93 + 50) 143
1d100 #Hidden Mechanic Roll DC 90 = 60
The coincidence.
Was there actually any event left to pure chance tonight? When every sequence had been either a reaction to something you did or something Pettigrew did? Until this moment you had expected the rat to have no clue about your involvement in the loop.
The paradoxical form of your own time loop - with a time turner that was not accounted for in his looping information - was integrated perfectly in a way that Pettigrew never got any insights into your existence.
But what if it was not you sitting in the chair of master manipulator tonight?
"Professor" you said, your mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. "Do you have any spells to hinder someone from using a Time Turner without fail?"
Snapes face was pale and lined with wrinkles that folded upwards in reaction to your sudden change in attitude. "I do."
"And there is no way for someone with Pettigrew's skillsets and a foreign wand that he is carrying to mitigate that?" You asked.
"What point are you trying to make?" There was annoyance in his voice, but the professor was attentive still.
"I lost the ability to change the further outcome of these loops when I threw away my Time Turner," you said. "And no matter what I learned afterwards; it wouldn't help me in changing the past again."
You pointed at the map in front of you, your hand was trembling now and losing color to the cold.
"A werewolf is coming, and I am very sure that there are Dementors in its wake. Pettigrew planned this here. We are not ambushing him …" you said, seeing realization in your teachers face. "He is ambushing us. And if what you say is true, you may have fought less prepared against him in the past and in return he was able to build in this external help for a last battle to flee."
You took a deep breath. The air was cold and biting, but your decision was clear.
"No, you are not going to do that, Mr. Basques." Snape commented on your thoughts before you were able to formulate your next steps.
Having someone be ahead of you in your own thought process was a surprise, so you stumbled in your next words: "What-… Yes, I have to! That's the only way to solve the situation."
But the professor dismissed you by simply shaking his head once.
"I will neutralize the time turner, then I will turn around and put down a wild dog. And afterwards I will take care of the Dementors. There is no need for silly games, Mr. Basques. I won't endanger a child." His statement felt definitive and dismissive. Two things that you did not like when coming from someone that was not you.
You felt frustration bubbling in you. While you knew that Snape was more than capable of handling the situation, you felt sidelined from the action. You took a deep breath.
"And you are one-hundred percent sure that you can repeat that in every single cycle against an actor that has probably had enough iterations to look for an out?" There was annoyance, frustration, and anger in your voice, but if you expected your teacher to react emotionally, you were mistaken.
Snape was calmly looking ahead into the forest again. He did not answer, thinking about the stakes at hand. There were no signs of the incoming enemies yet, but it was getting noticeably colder. Only one or two minutes left now.
"I fought the werewolf twice already, I can do it again," you said, pushing his decision into a more favorable state of mind. "Do you want to catch Pettigrew or not, Sir?"
Silence.
You were ready to fight for it and to escape into the forest yourself if needed. But then, Professor Snape spoke up.
"How reliably can you produce the Patronus?" He asked you, without turning around.
"It always works" you stated short and concise. There was an avenue for success here for you. Snape knew that you were right.
Silence again. The professor was thinking.
You were sure on your previous assumptions. This was a planned ambush and if you had learned one thing, then it was that you had to create a perfect scenario to beat a time traveler. Pettigrew needed to lose access to the Time Turner before he had any possibility of using it. It didn't matter if you did it with magic or by outsmarting them. Only when access was lost, could you come out ahead against someone with infinite retries.
And thinking about it … Pettigrew had tricked you in a similar manner in the past. He had forced you out of the time loop by bringing you into a situation where your best answer was to use the tool on Lupin and fall out of the cycles yourself. He had manipulated you into a returning circle of losing against him in the Shrieking Shack.
The werewolf was not brought into the mix for his old self to escape … it was there for you to lose your Time Turner to it. Pettigrew had been the better chess player.
But you were not gracious enough as a loser to let it go.
It still did not answer where your Time Turner had come from originally, but it seemed that some truths had been lost to the endless streams of repetition. What counted now, was to beat the rat once and for all.
"Can you survive one minute against Lupin, without being bitten?" He asked finally.
"I can beat him" you said, knowing that you had it in you to repeat it once again, even against an angrier werewolf with a horde of dementors in his wake.
"I asked you a question, Mr. Basques. I want it answered," his voice was a serious one, his eyes stayed laser focused on the field ahead. You could see some white pigment in the far away distance now. In the dark, it was still impossible to make out the rat that had appeared on the horizon without your goggles.
You nodded, even though Snape was not looking at you: "Yes, I can."
And you could almost feel your teacher trying to balance the scale before him; not endangering a student or catching the person responsible for this night. You didn't understand the relationship between him, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew as a child, but you knew that they had been in the same year.
Maybe that would be enough.
"The only spell available to never fail in this endeavor will destroy the Time Turner," Professor Snape said. "There is no do over if you get hurt or lose your soul. Are you still inclined to go for it, Mr. Basques?"
By the time he had finished the sentence, you were already running away from him and into the dark forest. You grabbed the map out of the air and folded it to hide it away in your pocket.
The last act of the night was going to begin and this time; everything was finally coming to an end. You had no information what the outcome would be.
And this made you free.
As you ran into the forest, you came closer to the perfect state of mind that you had experienced inside the Shrieking Shack earlier. You were growing into your capabilities, awakening more of your talents with each forceful encounter.
The forest around you was eerily silent, making the squishing sound of each of your steps louder, as you ran over the damp ground beneath your feet. The leaves and twigs crunched underfoot. Your hearing became clearer, and you were able to hear the distant hoot of an owl, that had been there before, but too far away for your normal senses to reach. Your breathing was powerful, the pounding of your heart treacherously loud.
Darkness around you was all-encompassing, the only light coming from the occasional flicker of fireflies and the full moon peeking through the trees, but still, you were able to make out details that would have usually stayed hidden to you. The trees loomed over you, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers trying to grab at you as you defied them.
Soon enough, you were able to make out the silver frame of the creature you had opposed twice before. This time, you were ready to finish the job.
The werewolf noticed you just a moment later and came to a sudden halt. The wild movements of his soul went still for a moment of shock after seeing you before a pulse went through it. The fury was like a powerful magic that fueled the body of the beast. The werewolf was here to kill you.
"Professor!" You shouted over the distance, raising your wand in greeting. There was a smile on your lips. This time it was just about you. Pettigrew was not your responsibility, there were no students to save and no time loop to keep up.
No one could take this from you.
Snape had wanted you to create some time, but you would forgive his ignorance this one time. There was no need to buy time, because you had a clear goal in mind: "I am here to defeat you!"
The werewolf was stationary and howling loudly into the forest in one moment. The very next moment there was an explosion on the ground as he pushed against it with all his magical enhanced power to shoot towards you. It was fast.
No … more than that. It was for sure the fastest creature you had ever seen. But how often did he think he could surprise you with the same old trick?
You started running before he did. Not away from the werewolf but towards it instead.
The forest around you felt alive and malevolent, as if it was trying to swallow you whole. But it could not. Nothing could.
You could feel everything at once; the movement of clothes on your skin, the dried blood on your body, the weight of the map in your pocket. The air was chilly, and the goosebumps on your rising skin was like a countdown for soon to arrive Dementors.
But all of those were a faint sensation compared to the ecstasy you felt rush through your body the moment you were able to feel the magic around you.
One step on ground. The werewolf put his head down, preparing to ram into you soon.
You felt the magic in your wand, the magic in your blood, you felt the magic inside your soul, and you felt the powerful magic inside the beast before you.
One step on air. The werewolf was now close enough that you could not evade him to the sides, his arms were outstretched, ready to catch a movement to the left or the right.
Another two steps upwards and time went by slower for half a second as you jumped upwards, turning your body up and over the werewolf. His claws hit empty air below, when you moved your wand, pointing it right at its head from above.
"Flipendo."
Your charm was not the most powerful one, nor was it particularly dangerous, but it was an alright weapon when confronted with an enemy that preferred to use so much momentum. It was like a hammer being swung down by a giant. The head of the beast was rammed into the ground before the rest of the body followed.
The transformed professor crashed, throwing moss and earth into the air around the both of you.
His hands hit the ground at the same time as the head did. You saw the movement and raised your wand, still in the air above him. Before you had the time to fall on the werewolf, it threw itself around with a terrifying fast reaction.
"Protego!" You shouted in time. The werewolf jumped up like an out-of-control bunny and crashed against your shield.
You had never been a quidditch fan, but you might have to revisit that stance after tonight. When you came back from a second long blackout, you found yourself high up in the air above the tallest trees, having been pushed upwards by an unbearable force. Your shoulders and arms hurt. The muscles felt tense, but the rest of your body felt very light.
You were still flying upwards slowly when your feet started moving on their own. You caught yourself in the upwards movement and stepped on solid air below you, pushing yourself up one stair, then another and then another, flipping yourself around your own axis until your head was pointed straight down at the werewolf below you.
The smile on your face had disappeared. Now it was a toothy grin, instead.
Did he not understand that you were the superior being in this part of the forest?
"Expecto Patronum!" You said as you started your descend, gravity pulling you down again. Lobo appeared in a flash, shining bright on the the world around you. The white wolf was looking down at the black wolf just like you were. As you fell into the Patronus, it started to move, knowing your command without the needs for words.
You were engulfed by the bright light of the giant wolf that had accompanied your ancestor thousands of years before.
For the werewolf below, it was like the apparition of a hellish being. A bright wolf falling from the sky, attacking in unison with its enemy inside it.
You did not see the beast jump to catch you halfway, but you felt its magic move.
"Protego!" You said in time for the collision.
The werewolf jumped against a solid wall in midair, before losing its momentum and falling back to the ground. The beast had crashed into your shield at an angle, slowing your fall significantly and pushing you to the side.
Its eyes stayed on the large white wolf above it, but by the time it had caught its footing, you had climbed down enough to start your assault.
"Lapifors." You said and pointed at its right leg. "Enough with the jumping around." And while you were sure that you could not complete an entire transformation, you were able to cripple one of its legs. The black fur, turned into white fluffy hair as it shrank right before your eyes into the leg of a bunny.
You ran around the beast onto its left side. It tried to follow your movement, but it was already much slower than before. Once its attention had completely disappeared from your Patronus, Lobo disappeared from above into nothingness.
"Glacio." The spell was focused on the left leg, trying to freeze it to the ground. The werewolf tried to move towards you but lost its footing and crashed down. Only then realizing that it had one leg that was significantly shorter than the rest.
"Flipendo!" The werewolf fell to the side.
It tried to move up again.
"Wingardium Leviosa." It lost its footing again, trying to navigate the air like a lost puppy. Your wand movements did not come to a stop, one spell went into the next one, a fluent movement creating a natural chain. "Flipendo." The werewolf was thrown back violently, without footing to fight the push.
"Lapifors", a stone below was transformed into a single bird, that rammed itself into one of the beasts' eyes from below. Then another forceful push. Levitation to pull him closer and up. Then a drop and another spell to a leg to transform it into a bunny leg.
The wild and angry howls changed into whining slowly. The aggressiveness into defensive movements as the werewolf tried to find any kind of footing in your onslaught of spells.
"Wingardium Leviosa," you said once more and brought the werewolf into levitation. It stayed in the air, a short distance away from you. You knew that it could fight the spell, but its resistance had been breaking down with every spell. Now, it just stayed in the air, hoping for you to stop.
You looked into the beasts' eyes.
And then you dropped it.
One minute had passed. There was no Professor Snape around yet, but a werewolf stood across from you that had lost two legs and was leaning backwards, trying to stand still.
By now the air around you was making your skin feel numb. You did not need to turn to your left to know that the dementors were in reach, joining your squabble. Your eyes stayed on Lupin instead.
The beast kept its eyes on you.
You did not look away.
Then it moved its head to your left and back to you again. Then the werewolf retreated, moving backwards. You would not know if it had done so because of your fight or because of what it had seen to your left, but it did not matter. The beast stumbled, limited by only two functioning legs, and was then forced to turn around and run away.
You kept your attention on the werewolf for a few more seconds, until it started to disappear deeper inside the forest. Then, you calmly turned to the left the werewolf was fleeing from.
There, breaking through the trees, you could see the dementors now, their hooded figures levitating without a care for gravity and natural laws. The chill was seeping into your bones when the visions started, but you closed your mind to it.
Perenelle's soft words did not reach your heart.
The dementors were shrouded in darkness, their twisted, hooded forms seeming to suck the very light out of the air as they moved closer. Looking at them through your goggles, their cloaks were black voids, but their faces … their faces …
A Dementor's face, was mostly hidden by their deep hoods, but you had seen them before. You remembered what their ugly heads with those empty eye sockets looked like. You had seen them with their thin, scabbed skin.
But these creatures in front of you had nothing of the sort. Your goggles showed you the real creatures behind that façade.
Ten more dementors joined the ten that were closing in. Then another ten that emerged out of the darkness behind. The wand in your hand did not move.
Your goggles allowed you to see the other world, the place between the here and the there. While no one had ever successfully documented anything about the other world, there were some hints about the in-between. It was the place of ghosts and souls. It was the place of dementors and soul-snatchers also.
They seemed to be coming more quickly now; rattling breaths and a taste of despair filled the air, as the first row of them was closing in on you. The closest of the dementors was tall and lean, but you were captivated by his eyes. You were able to see his face, the complexity of his pained expression.
In this very moment, you learned something that had stayed a mystery to most of the wizarding world for centuries. You understood the creation of Dementors because in their eyes and faces you saw humans.
You felt a wave of cold wash over you, the temperature dropping further as the Dementors drew near. The first of them was almost by your side, when he opened his mouth. He was crying in anguish, wanting for nothing more than to end its miserable life, but it was moving out of necessity. The missing void inside their hearts needed filling. It was pushing them forwards.
Your wand did not move.
Instead, you looked at the horde of dementors to its right and left, trying to memorize each and every face.
This was similar to what they had done with you.
You had been something like these Dementors almost fourteen years ago. Not of them, but similar in idea. And the Flamels had used you as a tool. They had taken countless victims that had trusted them and threw their souls to fuel you like wood to a campfire. And in the process, you had devoured them. You had eaten the souls to create the thing that was inside you.
Because there was only one thing you tried not to look at with the goggles on your eyes. You tried not to look at the thing inside you that was still feeding on souls of the innocent. Even after all these years, you had not stopped growing by devouring them.
So, when you saw these creatures in front of you, you could not help but try to memorize all their faces. Because for you, tonight, they represented the victims of your creation.
"One day," you said and finally raised your wand. The mouth of the Dementor right in front of you was wide open, trying to pull the soul out of your face. It had begun its kiss. "I will release all of you and end your pain."
"Expecto Patronum."
The Patronus reappeared to shield you from the dementors. The wolf howled in rage, but the night stayed silent. Its scream either caged in a different dimension or in a time long gone. And then the most curious thing happened. While the dementors turned as one, trying to flee from Lobo, their faces changed for the first time. Their expression was not a pained one, but instead you could see them soften. Even though their bodies contorted in pain, they were smiling.
"I swear it," you whispered.
You stood there as they disappeared into the dark forest; your wolf ready to hunt them to the very end of the world if it needed to be. For a long minute, you just stood there watching the dark.
There was resolve in your heart.
But also, sadness.
The chill in the air dissipated and the visions in your mind cleared. You lowered your wand and took a deep breath. You heard steps behind you, but you had felt his magic from a long distance away. Tonight, your senses were sharp.
"Impressive, Mr. Basques," your teacher said. "You are unable to follow the most basic of instructions."
You turned around to see Professor Snape standing a few feet away, watching you with a look of intrigue on his face. He was holding a familiar silver object in one hand and a tight grip around a seemingly dead rat in the other hand.
You shrugged, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "I don't know, I just felt like winning right now," you replied. "No need to hold out for a hero, Sir."
Snape looked at you for a moment longer before nodding, a miniscule movement of his lip hinted towards a smile that he directed at the rat in his hand "We should go, then. I look forward to waking the mouse" he said.
Snape then added: "I sent message to the headmaster, before leaving the castle. He should be returning soon."
You nodded and put your wand back into your pocket. As you walked over to your teacher, you couldn't help but feel a sense of finality.
"Sir?" You asked when he reached out for your arm.
Snape looked down at you but said nothing. He did not start the apparition, giving you room to state your mind.
"Thank you," you said and looked at the rat. "For catching him."
Snape nodded and without a further word, you were pulled through a tight tube again. This time you did a step forwards, copying his movements from earlier. One moment the two of you were nowhere to be seen, the other moment you were in front of the gate entrance of the castle surroundings, walking in a slow pace towards it.
As you moved, you put down your goggles and invited the natural light of the night into your eyes. A few moments passed, in which you simply walked towards the castle, your eyes directed at the ground before you as you kept to your mind. The professor broke the silence first.
"That was very impressive, Mr. Basques," he said. You did not look up at him, but you knew that he was not looking at you either.
Even though you had lost your smile since the event with the dementors, let it be known that it was Severus Snape who made you smile again.
How could you not, when you heard a sentence that no other student had ever heard before?
New Action unlocked:A daring Heist, preparation:The Slaughter of Dementors (5 Actions needed, multiple actions can be allocated to reduce the counter) – Azkaban, the infamous wizarding prison, has always been a symbol of fear and oppression. The prison, located on a remote island in the North Sea, is said to be inescapable and guarded by the soul sucking Dementors. But you, determined to rid these monsters of the horrors they have been enslaved to, will not let any of that stop you. You will infiltrate the prison and eliminate every Dementor within its walls. But first, comes a lot of preparation. You will need some new spells tools and a strong stomach for the Dementors' presence. And you will need a method to kill these beasts. All of these you will draft out during this preparation event. There will be additional actions needed to learn and build some of these. (Unlocks special event to break into Azkaban.)
A long night behind, a little bit more to do for the rest of the month:
Vote 1: While you have absolutely no worries about the exams, there is still one thing on your to do list, that you wanted to ace: The yearly Dueling Tournament. Do you want to allocate Time Echoes? The first counting for me will be No vs Yes. If there are more total votes for TE spent, then I will take the highest voted plans out of those!
[ ] I can beat these children easily – No Time Echoes spent.
[ ] I might want to be focused – Use [X] TE for the duelling Tournament
Vote 2: You have one Random Encounter planned for this month. Do you want to keep it like this (I will roll for what happens then) or do you want to use it to visit Harry in the infirmary?
[ ] Did you not understand that this is my story? – Do not visit Harry Potter, keep the Random Encounter.
[ ] Two outcasts meet up. – Exchange the Random Encounter for visiting Harry Potter in the infirmary.
Vote 3:
[ ] Level up – Chose how to spend your two new Attribute Points.
[] Two outcasts meet up. – Exchange the Random Encounter for visiting Harry Potter in the infirmary. [] Level up – Chose how to spend your two new Attribute Points. +2 Creativity [] I might want to be focused – Use 2 TE for the duelling Tournament.
Present Date: 29th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The quidditch stadium was abuzz with excitement as the dueling club's yearly tournament was about to begin. The stands were filled with students in their last day of relaxation before they left the castle for summer vacations. But there were not only students attending; today was one of the few days for which Hogwarts opened its doors also for outsiders.
You were standing on top of the stage already, taking in the buzz and excitement around you that made your heartbeat quicken. Families, parents, and siblings were all over the stands, some you recognized, most you did not. A few of the teachers were sitting in the teachers block, but you could also see some witches and wizards up there that were only familiar to you from newspapers. Ministry officials had come to participate in the school fun as well today.
All and everyone had come to watch the 29 participants duel it out for the title of champion. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the field, and highlighting the vibrant colors of the robes worn by all duelists. Yours was not of the usual dark shade of the school robe, but a vibrant blue instead. Your mother had brought it to you this morning.
As your eyes roamed over the many people high up in the stands, they came to a halt on the two figures that you loved most in this world. Your mother was smiling down at you, waving happily and energetic. She wore a beautiful long dress in a darker shade of blue than you, but it was complementary to it, always the artist in need of matching.
The man next to her was not smiling. His face was a blank mask, like the sculptures that he formed in his free time. You raised your hand to greet both of your parents from the distance, then closed your hand to a fist, raising it high up in the air.
Somewhere from the left you heard excited shouting, your Ravenclaw friends taking that as a cue to clap loudly and call out your name. You turned to them and smiled brightly.
As the crowd settled in, Professor Flitwick took to the center of the field, his wand in hand. He was a small man, but his presence commanded attention even in this big a setting. He smiled as he looked up at the sea of faces before him. "Welcome, welcome, everyone! I look forward to the dueling club's annual tournament!" He began. Falling back into habits of Quidditch games, the students in the stand started shouting and clapping in excitement.
"We have an impressive lineup of duelists today, and I have no doubt that these fights will be fierce and thrilling. But I remind all of you that while we encourage healthy competition, safety must always come first! The prefects will be acting as supporting referees, and I urge you all to respect their decisions."
Four prefects had already set themselves up around the stage, their wands at hand. They were supposed to act quickly if anything happened. While they might give the spectators some sense of relief, you knew that they were there mostly for decoration purposes. Professor Flitwick was quicker with his wand than any of you were with your mistakes. He did not need any support.
"And with this, we will commence the 82nd non-consecutive dueling tournament. Let us hope for a grand spectacle!" As Professor Flitwick finished his speech, the duelists began to gather in the center of the field, each one wearing their respective house colors.
Only two of you were already on stage, waiting for this to begin. You were swirling the wand in your hand around, while looking over the elevated platform. Kevin Entwhistle was holding his wand firmly in his hand. He looked nervous. A Hufflepuff third year who had joined the club midsemester. You smiled at him and raised your wand to your head.
He did not return the gesture, instead raising his wand in between you like a knife.
The prefects, dressed in their own robes, raised their wands in their positions around the perimeter of the field, ready to intervene if necessary. The crowd was silent, waiting for the first match to begin.
The tension was palpable. Your heart was beating quicker.
Today you would fight without any of your gear. Nothing but the wand in your hand was admissible, but you wouldn't have brought them either way. You did not want any advantages here.
"Begin!" Professor Flitwick's loud voice drowned any other noise of the stadium. Before the spectators understood the meaning of the word, your wand had already moved forward.
"Diffindo." You spoke. A cutting charm crossed the stage instantly.
A few things happened at the same time; Kevin jumped back and evaded the spell that cut deep into the wood below him. At the same time, you saw one of the prefects who had moved in defense of Kevin. While the cutting charm was admissible, one would suspect that a novice might not know how to defend against it. The prefect had acted quickly to defend Kevin.
The defense charm had never interfered with the duel though because it was blocked by an even quicker spell that Professor Flitwick had cast. You saw the prefect turn to the Professor in confusion, but you did not lose time to it. The Professor knew what you were cooking up probably.
You would not be hurting Kevin, just beat him soundly.
Kevin moved up towards you and cast a spell, you did not care for it, just moving to the side to let it fly past.
"Diffindo", you said again. This time Kevin was too slow to move but was still not hit with the spell. Instead, it impacted on the ground right of him. The wood below was cut to his left and to his right now.
The prefect had not interfered this time. He too would soon understand what was happening.
Kevin and you had the first fight of the day and you wanted to use that to show everyone watching that you expected them to be creative today. You had been given a new surrounding today and you could very much use it to your advantage.
"Flipendo," you said next and saw Kevin raise his arms to braze against the incoming impact. But again, the spell missed him. It flew into the ground below. A push against thin wood that had been cut at both sides. The weight of the Hufflepuff added to the stress of the platform and under the combined weight, the wood broke.
With just a little bit of correct timing; and some careful application of how much you wanted repaired, you cast: "Reparo."
Kevin fell through the sudden hole below, only for it to close around him midfall. A moment later he found his upper body trapped above and his lower body below the stage. The wood had closed around his hips.
It was silent around you.
"We have our very first winner of the day. Jacob Basques joins the final 16 participants in the second round!"
You grinned at the one man, that you knew was watching your every movement most attentively. And there, high above you could see the stone-faced man next to your mother … smiling.
The Dueling Tournament is not a life-or-death situation. No maluses are played out after losing and advantage, instead we play out a simplified ruleset. There are two rules:
If attacking party wins a round with a difference of 30 or larger, the duel is won for the attacking party.
If defending party wins a round with a difference of 50 or larger, the duel is won for the defending party.
1d100+39 #Jacob Attack I = (38 + 39) 77
1d100+7 #Kevin Defense I = (92 + 7) 99
1d100+7 #Kevin Attack I = (49 + 7) 56
1d100+54 #Jacob Defense I = (56 + 54) 110
Present Date: 17th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Two weeks before the tournament, the morning after the madness of time traveling, it had been very difficult for you to get out of bed. It was Friday, the last school day before the exams. While your peers were using this last crunch time for their most important questions of the term, you had ignored any morning routine in favor of staying in bed. When you finally negotiated with yourself that it was time to wake up, you felt like you were hit by a ton of bricks.
Your muscles and bones ached terribly and felt like you shouldn't be moving anytime soon. Trying to strengthen your resolve, you laid there for a moment longer and gathered the energy to get up.
The night before you had faced your fears of losing and emerged victorious against all odds. You had solved a riddle of time paradoxes, saved lives, and stopped a dangerous criminal or two. You had fought against one werewolf thrice, but still somehow getting out of bed was the most difficult part of it all. You let a breath out through your teeth and pushed yourself up slowly to sit up and let your legs fall over the side of the bed, wincing at the pain.
This was your current limit, the most your body could go through. You did not need your fathers' words to know that you were too weak still, had been too coddled in inaction of the past to be able to do such a daring on the regular. Even though you were developing a new trait of athleticism, your magic was evolving at a rate too high for the rest of your physical shackles to catch up.
You took a deep breath and forced yourself to stand up, determined to start this day. There was no intention of following up into classes, you had bigger things to worry about today: for example, how to pull the robe down that was hanging on the wall next to your bed and put it on. You winced, trying to raise your arm to grab it.
The pain was not worth it.
In the end, you just kept your sleeping shirt and didn't bother to change out of your pajamas-pants and slippers. The map landed in your only pocket, and then you moved out of the bedroom into the Ravenclaw common room below as fast as you possibly could. It was a respectable snail's pace.
But neither of those things were a problem, no one was there to see you anyway, your classmates where most probably in the last DADA class with a very annoyed Professor Snape and the rest of the Ravenclaws? They were probably buzzing around somewhere else.
You made your way down the spiral staircase towards the entrance of the common room, but were surprised to find Luna Lovegood standing in front of the exit and looking up at you, as if she had been waiting for you.
She was holding a large jar filled with an unknown substance and wearing a dreamcatcher as a hat. "Oh, Jacob!" she exclaims, "I've been waiting for you! I've caught a Blibbering Humdinger and I need your help to study it. They're incredibly rare, you know."
You laughed at the unexpectedness of her words. Her eccentricity caught you off guard, no matter how often you were confronted with it. Sadly, you had barely the energy to stand, let alone study whatever it was that had caught Lunas attention, but she was smiling as excited as a child that had seen something fascinating for the first time.
Luna was a mirror for you in every sense of the word.
"Of course, Luna," you said, trying to hide the aching you felt. "But can it wait? I'm not feeling very well today."
Luna's face fell, her eyes widened. "Oh, Jacob, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about how you might be feeling. Of course, it can wait. It must have been feeding on your dreams already!"
You shook your head. "No, I just need some rest. But thank you, Luna."
As you made your way to the stairs, Luna's voice followed you. "If you need anything, just let me know. I'll be in the greenhouse with my Blibbering Humdinger."
That made you come to a stop, frown in confusion, and turn around.
"Luna?" You spoke.
Her smile was filled with joy again: "Yes, Jacob?"
"What are you doing here?" You asked. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
She nodded along with your question, as if it was a sensible thing to ask her. "Yes, I should be!"
No further statement came forth. The fact that you had done this conversational spiel to many people before made you chuckle.
"Luna, you know that I asked more than that," you said. "Continue?"
"Oh, yes. I wanted to go to classes, but I was looking for a frame for the drawing I got from you. The Kelpie and the Thestral?" She said, taking one hand off the jar to show you a piece of parchment she was holding onto:
"I want to bring it home for the summer. And well, looking for a frame I discovered this Blibbering Humdinger in the common room this morning. If I leave it behind, it might hurt someone!"
You nodded in return. That was very sensible then.
Wait. "Luna, what is a Blibbering Humdinger?" You had never heard of such a creature.
Luna raised the large jar in her hands to you and said: "This here is one. It feeds on dreams and hopes of people."
You looked at the jar, intrigued despite your fatigue. "That sounds dangerous for you to be holding so closely," you said, taking a step closer to get a better look at the creature. It was quite fascinating. It looked like mundane sand to you. Maybe it was hiding? Or there was a transformation involved?
"Oh, it's not dangerous at all," Luna said with a wave of her hand. "As long as you keep it in a jar and don't move it too much. It's actually quite fascinating. The way it feeds on dreams is unique, and it's been known to help people overcome their nightmares!"
You nodded, still intrigued by the creature. "I'll have to take a look at it later, when I'm feeling better," you said. "Don't let it out before that."
"Of course, Jacob," Luna said, her smile brightening. "Whenever you're ready."
You were ready to move on but gave her a look of consideration first. Luna was alone for now, so no reason to not take her with, right?
"Follow me, Luna." You simply said and continued your way out of the Common Room. "And take the jar with you, we don't want any accidents while you are gone."
"Where are we going?" Luna asked.
"We will be visiting someone that had a rougher night than I did," you said.
As you walked through the castle, Luna followed you closely, the jar containing the Blibbering Humdinger clutched tightly in her hands. She chattered excitedly about the creature and its unique properties.
When you reached the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey gave you a stern look and asked you why you were out of class. But when you said who it was that you wanted to visit, she allowed you to enter, Luna in tow.
The patient of the day was no one else but the grand hero himself; Harry Potter.
Harry laid in a bed near the window, looking pale and weak. You could see the pain etched into face as he watched the outsides, dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he had not slept all night and been in a great deal of pain.
They boy had not noticed you yet. His arm was enveloped in a translucent globe and elevated on a pillow. The wound on his arm was visible through the shimmering globe, a big hole of flesh missing from his upper arm. The skin around it was red and swollen, and it looked black and infected already, even though less than twelve hours had passed since the attack.
The dark magic was taking hold in the wound, blocking any magical or mundane treatment.
When he finally noticed you, it took a moment for his expression to adapt.
"Harry," you said softly, approaching his bedside. "I've come to see you … and I brought someone for company, if you don't mind. This is Luna Lovegood, and she has something that might cheer you up."
Harry's eyes found yours when you walked up to him. He was sweating profusely. Despite this, the Gryffindor tried to bring up a smile, but it did not reach his eyes. "Hey, Jacob." He said, his breathing ragged and irregular. "Hey, Luna."
You took a chair and sat down next to his bed, soon Luna followed your lead.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" You asked in a low voice. If you were feeling exhausted and hurt, you could not imagine what the Gryffindor in front of you would feel like.
Either wanting to portray the hero that he had shown to be or just trying to conform with the expectations of society, you saw Harry smile more brightly at your question. This time, it did reach his eyes.
"I feel awesome. Whoever said, you don't want to be bit by a werewolf had no idea what a great experience this could be!"
His words made you chuckle despite the situation.
Luna moved forward in her chair, holding up the jar in her hands. "I've caught a Blibbering Humdinger and I thought you might like to see it. They're incredibly rare, you know."
Harry's face crossed into a state of confusion for one second, before looking over at you. It took him a moment, before the smile returned on his face. "Wow, that's amazing Luna. Thank you for showing it to me." He struggled to move up in his position but failed.
He fell back against the pillow, wincing in pain. " I'm not in much of a state to appreciate it right now. But thank you for thinking of me."
"Harry, how are you coping?" You asked, concern etched on your face. "You don't seem like you're in good shape."
Harry let out a weak laugh. "I'm fine, Jacob. Just a little tired and in a bit of pain. But Madam Pomfrey says I'll be back on my feet in no time. These things…" he said, looking at the wound in his arm. For a single moment, you saw hate and anger in his expression. It disappeared when he looked back at you. "Need a little bit of time to start healing again." The smile had returned to his face.
You couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. You had done everything that was possible during the night … but you knew that your obsession had blinded you before. There would have been more ways to resolve the situation and maybe some of them would have led to you out of the game, but Harry wouldn't have been bitten at all.
"I'm sorry, Harry," you said, bowing your head. "If I had acted sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened."
Harry shook his head. "Don't blame yourself, Jacob. Professor Dumbledore explained to me what you did and … it was me that did not try to look for Sirius in the first place. I could have done my share of work."
You nodded but did not agree with his words. "Is there anything I can do to help? "
Harry hesitated for a moment before answering. "I was thinking all night about this. How did you find us? The professor explained that you had your own Time Turner, and that Professor Snape helped you catch Peter, but I don't understand how you knew where we were in the first place."
Luna turned to you, clutching the jar in her arms closer to herself: "Where you spying on them Jacob? You shouldn't be following people at night."
You shook your head with an embarrassed smile. "If you say it like that, I sound like a creep, Luna. I was not following anyone, but I had this with me." You said, pulling out your map.
Harry's eyes widened in surprise as you unfolded the map before him. "You have a Marauder's Map? I thought only we had one of those."
You looked at him in confusion: "A what now?" Then you processed his words: "You've also built a map like this? That's awesome! Can I see?"
Harry looked at the map in your hands with a mix of awe and envy. "I can't believe it. You built this yourself? I never thought I'd see another one of these. Can I take a closer look?"
While Luna helped Harry to study your map creation, you were instructed by Harry to take out this Marauder's Map out of his pack of clothing under his bed.
From above the bed, Harry continued talking to you, while you were fishing his map out: "This is amazing, Jacob. I had no idea it could be so detailed. It even shows more passageways and hidden rooms than mine! How did you do this by yourself?"
"Are the students souls trapped in here?" Luna asked from her place next to Harry.
You stood up with only a piece of empty parchment in your hand that you were holding up. "How does this work? Is it a riddle?" You asked instead, not responding to any of their questions until your own curiosity was satisfied.
"Oh, yes," Harry said, looking up from your creation. "Sorry, take your wand, tap it against the map and say …"
You nodded, following along his commands and spoke after him: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
If it was not the most wonderful thing you had seen in your life, it was at least in the upper ranks. The parchment came to life with a sense of sass and style that made you believe their creators to be artists in their most pure form.
You opened it up to see a visually distinct and somewhat more limited, but just as alive version of Hogwarts. The map stretched out through most of the region that you had also included, missing out on some details and spaces, but just as correct in the answers as how to bypass certain riddles. Some spaces were drawn accurate to their proportions and highly representative of the real world, while others were barely sketches that looked like a lazy afterthought. The map in your hand looked like a mosaic of different people, one just as interesting as the next one.
But there was even one space, that you didn't add to your map yet: the headmasters office. Right now, it was visibly empty. And a quick look around the map towards to places where you would expect him otherwise, didn't allow you for more insights into Professor Dumbledors wherabaouts.
"Who build this?" You asked smiling. "It's gorgeous!"
Harry grinned in return. "That would be my father and his friends. My father was P-", but you interrupted him.
"Prongs," you said more to yourself than to him as the last pieces of a sad tale came together in your mind. "Black is Padfoot … and then there is the rat and Professor Lupin." You knew that they had been friends, keeping together so dearly that they had learned the Animagus transformation just to be with their friend. Had they built this map to safely leave the castle each month as well?
Deep in thoughts, it took you a moment until you realized that Harry had fallen silent.
"How do you know?" He asked, expression serious, smile gone.
You looked at him for a few seconds, unsure about his change of behavior before folding his map back together and placing it carefully on his night table. His eyes stayed on you the whole time.
You sighed. It had gone so well until now.
"I told you that I should have acted sooner," you said. "I started looking into Sirius Black about a month ago." And then, you told him everything. How you spent days in the library looking through old newspapers and articles, your theories about what was happening, how you had set out into the forbidden forest, the place where you saw Sirius Black … you told him of how much time had passed in your time of indecision. And you were honest about the fact, that you had hesitated because you wanted to find the answer yourself.
You told him about your many theories, of not being sure of Professor Lupins involvement and about the embarrassment of a conversation you'd had with him a few days ago.
It was difficult for you to open up about these things, to someone that was not your friend. But you owed the person in front of you because he had been hurt by your choices.
The first word that Harry said after having listened to you calmly was not what you expected. You thought him to be angry and to fault you for his circumstances. You expected that and invited his anger on to you.
"Thank you," he said instead. "You saved Sirius and thanks to you, he might be free soon." Harry raised his healthy arm towards you. "Professor Dumbledore told me about the manner of your time loop. You could have died, but you did your best to save my friends and Sirius, nonetheless. I will not forget this, Jacob."
You looked down at his outstretched hand.
A sign with heavy meaning, something any wizarding child would understand as a life-debt freely given. It started to sink in that there would be no anger to expect from him. No one would take it onto themselves to call you out on your failures.
His action aroused anger in you, that you had been failing to suppress. You had tried to see only the good deeds, the success of yesternight, but the only thing that was standing out in all of this was the catastrophic failures. You had lost to Pettigrew.
He had beaten you completely. All past versions of yourself had lost against all past versions of him. You had given it your all and still lost. The Time Turner that you had used for your loops was distinct from Grangers. You were not sure were your past-version had brought it in from, but it was a clear sign that it had been difficult to acquire. This was the best you had been able to do across unlimited resolution loops.
And you had lost. In the end had it not been for Professor Snapes help, your attempts would have been futile. Even with his help, Harry had been bitten and you had nothing to show for it. The Dementors had been used as captured slaves for unspeakable deeds and the rat was gone, without giving you any answers directly.
You slapped Harry's hand away carelessly when you answered: "I clearly failed. So, don't thank me."
Harry's expression fell as he looked at you with a mix of confusion and hurt. "I don't understand. I know it wasn't perfect, but you saved us all and caught Peter. You should be proud of what you did."
You shook your head, feeling the weight of your failure heavy on your shoulders. "I'm not proud of what I did. I should have acted sooner, or I should have been smarter about it and I definitely shouldn't have lost in a battle of wits. I let my obsession cloud my judgement and it nearly cost me your lives. I don't want your gratitude."
Harry looked at you with a look of understanding. "I know you're feeling guilty right now, but you have to remember that you did the best you could with the information you had at the time. You're not perfect, none of us are. And you can't blame yourself for anything that went wrong."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "It's not healthy to keep carrying guilt around with you." Harry looked to the side as he said those words. There was an undertone of understanding to his voice. "You have to forgive yourself, Jacob … and I forgive you too."
You looked at Harry.
"Thank you, Harry," you said, feeling nothing at all at his words. "But you are wrong. I can blame my mistakes and I will. I am sorry that I was not good enough to keep you healthy. I will not repeat such a mistake again."
Luna, who had been quiet during the entire conversation, spoke up. "Jacob, I think it's important to remember that we all make mistakes. No one can expect us to be right all the time."
You nodded, looking up at Luna, feeling more isolated in the room than you had before.
This time it was you who smiled, without it reaching your eyes.
"I know, thank you, Luna."
You had learned a lesson before, that you had not applied this time. Girzum had tried to trick you below Helga's Guardian Hall, deep inside the mines. And in failure he had taught you one very important thing. If there was someone with sharp teeth in the dark, lurking around you, you needed to either kill them or make them your pawn.
Pettigrew had escaped your judgement this time.
But you were planning on visiting Azkaban in the future either way.
What would change in the world if one rat lost its life in the process?
Present Date: 29th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The dueling tournament continued.
You had taken your time in the first round to show everyone that the space around you was as much a tool as the wand in your hand today and to their credit, some of the duelists had learned from that. You saw some different applications of the same philosophy in the first and second round that followed.
Cedric charmed a block of wood into an improvised Bludger, that flew around the quidditch field and annoyed his opponents just enough to be pieced up by Cedric's precision and skill. Tracey on the other hand, started a cutting terror attack and had soon pulverized most of the stage, until her opponent just tripped, not being able to keep up with the assault of spells. There was no Reparo needed. The wand stayed on the stage and the student fighting her broke a bone in the fall.
You watched a few more of the other fights but save Percy Weasley and a few older students none of them seemed like too much too handle. The red hair Gryffindor was in a league of his own today. This was his last act of his school life, and it looked like he wanted to make it count.
Your second round was against Melinda and you smiled at her and said sorry, before you transformed her into a cute little bunny. You took her up in your arms and carried her out of stage to save her the embarrassment of re-transfiguration in front of this many people.
As the tournament went on, the rounds went by quicker. And soon enough, the quarterfinals of the dueling tournament had arrived. You found yourself standing across the blonde Slytherin that you suspected liked and hated you in equal measures. Tracey had a fierce look in her eyes, determined to win and advance to the semifinals.
"Hey Tracey," you called out, a smirk on you. "I am very sorry for the loss you are about to face!"
"Oh please," Tracey shot back, rolling her eyes. "If you think that sounded cool, we need to use some of that time studying for a little experience on how humans actually talk, Jacob."
"Is that so?" you said laughing. "Well, I'll have to remember to bring my A-game then. I wouldn't want to disappoint with bad humor."
"That is sadly too late. You disappoint me every day, Jacob," Tracey quipped, shaking her head with a playfully sad expression on her face.
"Ouch," you said, feigning injury to your chest. "I guess that's just the price of being great, no idea how normal folk speaks."
Tracey laughed, raising her wand up at you. The prefects were setting the stage still, cleaning up the mess of the previous duel. You did not realize that the crowd was reacting to Tracey and your words, because you were focused on her instead. If someone did not take this cunning snake in front of you serious, they were always swallowed whole.
"Speaking of great," Tracey said, her wand at the ready. "How about a friendly bet? If you lose, I get all of your notebooks for the summer."
You chuckled: "And if I win?"
"Why plan for a scenario that will not happen either way?" She answered.
The word 'Begin' by Professor Flitwick was spoken at the exact same time as Tracey's 'Incendio'. The girl was scarry good at these soft skills, giving her more advantages in things outside her simple skill base. How else would a third-year pass into the quarterfinals. Besides you and Tracey there were only students of fifth year and up still in the tournament.
A transformed dragon took in the hit for you while you stepped around him. There was enough debris on the stage for all kinds of transfiguration by now.
"Ha! Good luck with that," you said, your own wand guiding the dragon up in the air to have Tracey focus on multiple things at once. You would most probably not use it, but it was always good to have a trump card. "I plan on being the one doing the defeating today."
"Flipendo," she said. Her next spell was cast as her wand snapped forward: "Incendio!" Birds flew up out of the ground debris as you countered both spells with more transfiguration.
Tracey had a very limited spell repertoire, but she was quick in their casting and her understanding was better than most. She was a talent in the making and with every fight, you saw her growth speed up further. The dueling club was awakening a monster in her.
"Alright, enough chit-chat," Tracey said, her eyes locked onto yours. "Let's get this show on the road."
"Agreed," you said, a determined look on your face. "Let's do this."
The crowd was shouting in support louder than they had before.
"Avifors," you said again, transforming more debris into birds. You cast 'Spongify' on some and 'Glacius' on others, mixing up birds that acted like rubber bullets once thrown at the opponent and others that were frozen at the core but not at the wings, only moving because the spell compelled them to fly.
"Incendio." Two ice birds intercepted it together, but the fire spell pushed itself through with violent force.
"Protego," you said, not moving from your position.
And with that, you had fallen into her trap it seemed.
"Flipendo!" Tracey shouted and you didn't need to look below to know it had not been directed at your body.
On a whim, you dispelled the Protego and pointed your wand down on the ground. "Immobulus!" You spoke.
Your spell hit the ground at the same time as hers did, but you were holding your breath for a full second afterwards until you saw that it had worked. The wooden surface below stood in place, one spell canceling the other out enough for it to not break.
Time for an offensive tactic. One of the birds attacked Tracey from the front.
"Protego!" She said and it crashed against her shield harmlessly. A rubber bird hit her from behind at the same time, while she was focusing ahead. It crashed against her leg, the impact disforming it into a soft mass that meshed around it. You released the softening spell at the right time, and it created a circle around one of Tracey's legs that looked like bird shackle.
Most things would try to fall into their previous forms in this situation. But for transfigured things there were other rules. In short, if your creativity and spell repertoire allowed for it, you could probably do anything. Pretty great this Transfiguration subject, really.
Tracey looked down at her leg and while it would slow her down. There was not much more to the bird shackle than that.
"Jacob, that is a very weird attack. Mind getting this off?" She asked, moving her leg forward to see if the shackle would fall off.
You smiled at her. "Honestly, I have no idea what will happen next. Sorry, if it hurts!"
Her confusion was evident.
A transfigured object could change its form if you had the right spells and intention for it. But what happened once you released the previous transfiguration? There had to be an addition of force-release afterwards, right?
The bird looking shackle that had closed around Tracey's leg turned back into wood. For one single moment it stayed in place. A circular shaped piece of wood around her upper leg, until the wood remembered that this was not its natural form and snapped back violently, pushing anything out if its way that was hindering it.
Tracey's leg was catapulted forwards and then, when stopped by the limitations of her body, it went up. Tracey made a full flip backwards following her leg, her shield breaking by the sudden loss of focus.
"Spongify," you said before one of the prefects had moved and cast it on the ground below Tracey. She hit the floor with force but bounced on it instead of hurting herself. Her wand was still in hand, but the duel was over.
The applause that followed was directed at the two of you.
"You can still have one of my notebooks," you said.
1d100+39 #Jacob Attack I = (78 + 39) 117
1d100+16 #Melinda Defense I = (51 + 16) 67
1d100+39 #Jacob Attack I = (86 + 39) 125
1d100+21 #Tracey Defense I = (78 + 21) 99
1d100+17 #Tracey Attack I = (26 + 17) 43
1d100+54 #Jacob Defense I = (60 + 54) 114
Present Date: 28th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
When exam week arrived, you were as prepared as one could be, having studied diligently all year. Throughout the week, you were found lounging in the common room or wandering the castle with Nally. You were trying to evade the stress some of your classmates were feeling, and instead took the time to enjoy the final days of the school year and soak up the sun outside.
You were feeling relaxed and confident while lazing around. You free time was only interrupted by exams or by one of your friends with their last-minute desperation for studying and exam preparation. You helped sometimes, but often enough you were just trying to recuperate from the stress your mind and your body had gone through. You couldn't remember another time that you had looked for summer vacation this badly.
As the week progressed, the tension in the castle rose as the exams got harder and the stakes higher. Unfazed of that, you were breezing through each exam with ease and grace. Only one other student showed similar prowess across all exams. But while she had not been that attentive to you in the past, in shared exams you noticed Granger paying much more attention to you now.
You did not talk to her, having enough energy spent on talking to one Gryffindor already.
It was the morning of the day you would receive your grades and the Ravenclaw table was buzzing with excitement and nervous energy. Anthony, Terry, Padma, Morag and Su were all huddled together around you on the table, discussing their predictions and speculating on how they had done.
"I think I might have done alright on the Charms exam," Anthony said, pushing his glasses up his nose. Where had those come from? You had never seen him with glasses before.
"I think I aced the Potions exam," said Terry with a grin. His expression was bright, and you knew that Potions was the one subject he had been most afraid of. After Granger, it was probably him who would have the best grades of the year.
"I'm just hoping I passed the Transfiguration exam," said Padma with a worried look on her face. Su put an arm around her and hugged her closely.
"I'm sure you did well, Padma," she said reassuringly. "You've been working really hard all year."
"What about you, Jacob?" asked Morag. "You haven't said much about how you think you did."
You looked at her but continued eating the sandwich you were biting into. "What about me?" You asked, still chewing happily away at the cheesy mass inside.
Morag sighed annoyed. "Yeah, sure. Why did I ask even?" She took a crumb of bread from her plate and threw it at you. It was very unexpected, and it hit you straight in the eye.
You laughed and cried at the same time, almost choking on your sandwich. "Ouw!" You shouted.
"You are always such a little …" Morag started in a loud voice, but as she saw that Professor Flitwick was getting closer, she continued in a whisper. "… unbearable shit! I just asked you a normal question. Why do you make every conversation so difficult, Jacob?"
While Morag still looked annoyed, the Ravenclaws around you were all laughing or chuckling in some manner.
"I have done nothing of the sorts. I am just old and bad of hearing," you said, raising your hands in defense.
Morag was still looking at you annoyed, but she couldn't help her lips from moving up as she tried to suppress a smile.
"Well, no need to answer that," Anthony said. "I don't think I could handle seeing Jacob get a less than perfect grade on anything really. Because then the rest of our futures look bleak."
Thankfully the conversation turned to other topics as you finished your breakfast.
A few hours later, the grades were posted, and the students gathered around the notice board to see their results. You wanted to take your time, but in the end, you walked over to the notice board to follow your friends. All of you crowded around the notice board, looking for your respective names.
You saw yours, nodded at the grades and turned around to leave again.
But a voice caught the others attention before you had been able to escape the encirclement.
"Jacob Basques... Outstanding in all exams," Anthony read out loud.
"Wow, I told you he wasn't doing any studying the last few weeks," Padma said to Morag next to her.
"I guess that gives Ravenclaw the record for top student back," said Su. "Or wait … Granger also has all O's. What happens in this case?"
"Ah man", Terry said, breaking the conversation. "I got an Acceptable on Potions. Bloody Snape. I thought I would ace it!"
Anthony laughed and said: "I mean, you got an A in potions. A for A-cing?"
Present Date: 28th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The semifinals had arrived. The last round for the four best duelists of the tournament. In one leg Percy Weasley was going to oppose a fellow seventh year with the name of Marcus Flint. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The other leg had you as a Ravenclaw and Cedric Diggory as a Hufflepuff contestant.
A perfect end to the dramatic tournament.
"One student per house is left. And as we all know, the winner is awarded with a hundred points to their name. With this it is still possible for either Slytherin, Gryffindor or the Ravenclaw house to win the house cup …"
Your attention fazed out at Professor Flitwick's spiel about house points. It was news to you that there were house points to be rewarded here, but it was difficult to care for something like that, when you were standing across your next hurdle.
Cedric Diggory had his wand at the ready. And while the fifth year had underestimated you when you had first joined the club, his demeanor had changed drastically over the last few months. There was no pushover left this late in the tournament. Anyone could win it now.
Well, anyone that carried the name Basques, that was.
You broke free from the trance you were falling into and looked over the field, to bring your focus back. The quidditch stadium was filled with an electric energy. The stands were packed with more people than before, all eager to see the final rounds of the tournament. The sun was shining brightly still, casting a warm glow over the field and highlighting the vibrant colors of the robes worn by the duelists.
Cedric Diggory stood opposite of you, also wearing his house colors.
As you stood there, you and Cedric shared a moment of mutual respect, a silent understanding that this was going to be a tough and challenging duel. You both raised your wands and took your positions on the stage.
"Are you ready, Jacob?" Cedric asked, his wand at the ready.
"Always ready," you replied, your wand also at the ready.
"Well then, let's show everyone what we're made of," Cedric said with determination.
"And with this," Professor Flitwick's voice shouted over the loud cheers, his voice magically carrying to any corner. "We will commence the semifinals. Let us have two more grand rounds today! Begin!"
Every round before had been an onslaught of rapid spellcasting. Everyone tried to put in more spells than their opponents to just win by overwhelming them.
This one between you, was different.
No spell was cast. You both stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills. The crowd had grown silent as well, waiting for the first move to be made. The tension was palpable as you both studied each other, looking for insights in the others planned tactic.
Cedric was the first to make a move, casting an unknown spell that caused a gust of wind to sweep across the stage. Some of the debris was swept into the air and thrown at you. He was going to throw a lot of pointy things at you with his first move.
You countered it by transforming those in your path into bats.
The wind pushed the newly formed bats quicker than they could fly themselves, rushing by you on all sides and sending them swirling upwards into the stands. You gave the bats enough of your attention for them to fly up higher and not hit anyone.
The next spell that Cedric threw at you pulled a piece of the ground from the stage and threw it onto you as well. While you were not sure, what he had planned, you knew that it was dangerous countering something twice in the same way against Cedric.
"Reparo!" You said instead, quick enough to stop its movement midair. The large piece of wood was caught between two spells, one moving it forward and once backward into its original position on the stage.
"Flipendo." Both you and Cedric said at the same time, throwing more force against the object. This time it was too much for the piece of wood and it broke under the pressure from two sides. Splinters of wood exploded into all directions and only a hastily erected shield saved you from nasty cuts.
You had not seen any spellcasting, but suddenly a large goat was on the stage in between Cedric and you, charging at you. It was surprising, but not a challenging attack. Why was it then that when you looked past the goat and over at Cedric, you saw him smiling confidently? You could tell that he had trapped you somehow.
Your mind was catching up with everything at once. It would be no problem to defend yourself against the goat with the shield you had already erected … which meant, Cedric wanted you to keep the shield up?
Half a second passed.
But why?
If he wanted you to keep your shield up, he wanted you to focus on what was before you. That meant that there might be something behind you that he wanted you to not see in time.
Sneaky bastard was stealing your tricks.
You released the shielding charm, focusing on the still active 'Reparo' from before. Splinters and wooden pieces around you came back to live as the spell was rejuvenated by your will. You could feel the magic spring back to activity, grabbing all the pieces of the large block of wood that would soon push against the charging goat to find its way back into the ground.
This freed you up to turn around and shout: "Lapifors!"
There behind you was a second goat that had almost reached you. It had already crossed all distance and jumped into a bodycheck, ready to ram into you when your spell hit it. You caught the former-goat-now-rabbit with one hand and turned around fluidly to Cedric again to throw it into his direction.
The now airborne rabbit flew above the first goat who was being plastered through the ground by your 'Reparo'. When the rabbit had flown halfway between you and Cedric, you released your transfiguration spell, having it turn back into the goat again that Cedric had created to attack you from behind.
Cedric was quick with his reaction. He threw himself forwards on his knees and moved his wand upwards to release his transfiguration spell. In the last moment, the goat turned to wood that fell over Cedric who ducked under the debris in one motion.
He evaded your fast paced counter by being just as lightning quick as you were.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
You could see the determination and focus in Cedric's eyes, but you knew that it was misplaced. You had already won this.
"Would have been quite embarrassing to lose to that really," you said, putting your wand down to have Cedric relax.
The Hufflepuff kept his wand between you, but asked: "Why?"
"I had planned the exact same thing."
It took Cedric one moment to understand what you were trying to convey. He moved around like, when he finally put two and two together. But it was too late. The flying bats that you had transfigured first, had gone a wide circle around the stadium, hidden from his view to attack from behind.
They flocked into him as one, having him focus on saving his wand against them and opening his back to you.
It was the first time that you cast the most basic dueling spell for the day: "Expelliarmus," you spoke.
Under loud cheers and applause Professor Flitwick declared you the winner of the first leg of the semifinals.
You looked over at Cedric after having dispelled the bats into dead wood. He was sitting on the ground shaking his head in disappointment. When you walked over to him, he was smiling and joined the clapping for you, before taking your hand to help him up.
"A little bit frustrating to lose right before the finals," he said after getting up on his legs again.
"That was a lot of fun though," you answered. "That was really really fun."
Cedric chuckled. "Yeah, actually. That was great. I almost had you there."
"Exactly," you said and laughed. "Almost!"
1d100+39 #Jacob Attack I = (90 + 39) 129
1d100+40 #Cedric Defense I = (69 + 40) 109
1d100+34 #Cedric Attack I = (65 + 34) 99
1d100+54 #Jacob Defense I = (99 + 54) 153
The final round of the dueling tournament had arrived, and everyone was eager to see the showdown between the two finalists, with you representing the Ravenclaw blue, and Percy Weasley the Gryffindor red.
As you walked out onto the stage, you couldn't help but notice the determined look on Percy's face. Again, he looked part stiff broom just as he did oftentimes, and you couldn't resist the urge to needle him a bit.
"Looks like someone's taking this a little too seriously, Percy. You sure that you were not looking for a ballroom with that pretty outfit of yours?" You shouted over the stage as the two of you climbed onto it on opposite ends.
Percy scowled. "This isn't a joke to me, Jacob. I've been working hard all year to get here."
"Well, then I think you can be very proud of yourself," you replied, still smiling. "You don't get to lose to a third year every day!"
But Percy wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Stop embarrassing yourself and let us start this."
Professor Flitwick walked to the center of the stage, his wand in hand. "Welcome, welcome, everyone! We are here to witness the final round of the dueling tournament. The winner will be awarded with a hundred points to their house."
The students in the stands began to cheer, excited for the end of the event. The red corner of the crowd was drowning all others out with their loud support. But their antagonizing shouts gave you only more energy.
"And with this, we will commence. Let us have a grand finale! Begin!" Professor Flitwick said, as he cast a spell. Blue and red sparks went over your heads up into the air, resulting in a big firework just above the two of you. A large lion and an eagle battling above you in the sky.
You and Percy both raised your wands to your faces.
"I saw your grades posted," Percy said, smiling just a little bit for the first time. "I am glad that you are not squandering your talent even though you still lack focus."
His wand moved. "But that will come in time," he said as a spell left his wand. It was not the first time you saw Percy cast a silent spell, but it was always the same challenge to find out what he was attacking with.
This time you had carefully followed the movement of his wand to anticipate it.
"Protego," you said, letting the binding charm fall harmlessly against it.
Over the span of the next few minutes, you tricked Percy multiple times. You distracted him from above and had a seemingly downed bird attack him from below once he was not looking. You tried brute-forcing your way through his shields and you closed the distance between you to provoke a combat of reflexes.
And while some of the tricks worked, in the end they were just tricks. His spell repertoire was much larger than yours and he was able to hide his intentions by casting some of them silently. It was a losing battle from the very first second.
The embarrassing finish came when you blocked a transfiguration charm that was directed at you. The moment you were focused on that, Percy cast a spell that ended the duel in just one instance: "Silencio."
It hit you in the shoulder. Your scream of frustration was simply a muted movement of your mouth.
"Winner, Percy Weasley. And with this I award a hundred points to Gryffindor!"
The cheering that ensued would have drowned out your shout either way. It was the loudest thing you had ever been part of.
With a heavy heart, you lowered your wand and walked over to Percy, who stood victorious on the other side of the stage. You could see the satisfaction and pride in his eyes, and you couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger. But you pushed it aside and forced a smile onto your face.
You stayed silent, extending your hand for a handshake until the Gryffindor released his spell. "You deserved to win." You said.
Percy took your hand and gave it a firm shake. "Thanks, Jacob. You put up a good fight," he said, a hint of support in his voice.
"Yeah," you replied, trying to hide the disappointment in yours.
Percy looked at you sympathetically. " You're a talented duelist, Jacob. I will be gone from Hogwarts now, which means you will be the closest to a champ left."
You nodded. This was just a setback. You'd come back stronger next year. "Thanks, Percy. I appreciate it," you said, before turning to walk off the stage.
Some of the cheers and applause of the crowd was directed at you, but you didn't look up.
The year was over now. And while there was much in form of success, there was a lot of room to grow into next year still.
Right now, though?
You just wanted to sit down and do nothing for a while.
1d100+39 #Jacob Attack I = (10 + 39) 49
1d100+45 #Percy Defense I = (91 + 45) 136
New Perk aquired: Boundless Ambition I - You are continuously honing your skills in the art of dueling and are becoming a force to be reckoned with. Your quick thinking and creativity in the face of battle have become your greatest assets. Whether it's through clever spellcasting or strategic use of your surroundings, you always find a way to come out on top. +5 to all combat rolls.
+ 156 Exp.
Present Date: 30th June 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
As you packed your things into your old trunk, you couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. While you were always sad to be leaving Hogwarts, you were also looking forward to travel home. At least for a while.
You looked around the dorm room, taking in the empty beds and the memories that lingered in the air. You couldn't believe how much you had grown and changed since you first arrived at Hogwarts. This year you had even made new friends, you had solved a hundred riddles that had all been unbelievably fascinating and you had learned about the past of your family … you took a book with a thousand empty pages in it and put it on top of your neatly folded clothing.
This had been such an interesting year. But right now, you just wanted to be lazy and be home with your family for a time.
You closed your trunk and picked it up. With a deep breath, you shouldered it and made your way out of the castle, joining the other students. The sun was shining bright over the hills and the lake. A goodbye for its students, some soon to return, others to set out into their grown-up lives.
You felt the castle touch you with its magic, bidding you a nice trip. It made you turn around to Hogwarts and smile brightly. "I'll be back soon, don't worry," you whispered and followed your friends down to the Hogwarts Express. The train was still waiting at the station, steam billowing from the engine.
As you walked down the path leading to the station, you thought back. There were some frustrations in your heart. A few that you were consciously working on and others that you were pushing away for now. But there were also many positive emotions that made you love and cherish your life. You weren't sure what the future was holding for you.
But you knew one thing; this had been a very fun year indeed.
End of Book 1.Thank you all for the journey up to this point. We go on a break now.
Just joking! How about we start with Book 2 right away?
There are many things for you to do this summer! Chose 3 actions out of the following for the first month of summer vacation. Usual monthly planning is suspended due to follow-up effects of the obsession trait. Jacob will take time to relax. You will have most unused choices (and some additional options) in the second month.
Vote in plans, please.
[ ] A fathers journey – Your father is going to travel a lot this summer. Nicolas Flamel seems to need his help now more than you remembered from your childhood. If you want to spend more quality time with your father, you will probably need to accompany him on his travels. Go and join his daytrips whenever you can.
[ ] A mothers travel – Your mother has had many paintings commissioned over the last few months that she wants to deliver on. She will be attending some events and visiting old friends. Big social commitments that she would like to have you around for. This sounds like something that you would rather not do, but you want to spend time with your mother. Go and accompany her whenever it fits.
[ ] A Grandfather's obsession – Nicolas Flamel looks much worse than he did during winter break. The old man's life is coming to an end it seems, but it seems that his obsessions don't care for his physical state. He es working on many projects at once. You are still torn on what you feel towards him, but he is family. Go and help him whenever you can.
[ ] Ravenclaw meeting – Morag and Padma are going to be in France for a few days with their families. Morag wrote you about it. Ask Nicolas for something to travel with and go to Paris to show them the Place Cachée. You haven't been there in a year, so it might be fun!
[ ] My birthplace – Somewhere deep below the island, there is the place of your creation. You will search for it and see if it is still activated. You don't know what you will do once you find out if souls are still getting trapped or not … but it might be time to confront this devil.
[ ] The sea below – You have everything that you would need to travel the sea around the island. Go into the water and discover what the world looks down there.
[ ] I am here and now I am there – You know of a spell that allows for teleportation of oneself from one location to another. Now that you have enough space and no legal limitations, why not learn how to apparate?
[ ] Friendly visitors – Ask one or multiple friends to come over for a day trip onto the island. Specify who you want to invite. Possible list: [Justin Finch-Fletchley, Megan Jones, Tracey Davis, Padma Patil, Morag Macdougal, Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot]
Three-hour Moratorium!As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
[X] Plan: Catching up with family
-[X] A fathers journey
-[X] A mothers travel
-[X] A Grandfather's obsession
Present Date: 1st July 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The summer sun beat down on you as you stepped off the train, a feeling of excitement and adventure coursing through your veins. You had never traveled such a long distance alone before, and the idea of navigating the muggle world without the help of magic was both thrilling and a little daunting. It had not been by your planning though. Arriving at Kings Cross instead of your father, there had been only a letter waiting for you.
As you picked up the envelope from its hidden position near the place where your father usually waited for you, you immediately noticed the stamp with the image of the Tower of London.
Very interesting. Why would it have a stamp?
You carefully examined it, noting the postmark but that there was no handwriting for an address on it. You flipped the envelope over and noticed that it had been sealed with wax, which had been impressed with a seal you did recognize.
"Interesting," you thought to yourself. It was a symbol you rarely saw, but knew to recognize as your family crest.
You carefully broke the seal and opened the envelope, pulling out a single sheet of paper. On it was a riddle, written in a neat, precise script. You read it over once, your mind working to decipher the meaning behind the words. But beyond the obvious, there truly was nothing of further meaning.
You took the letter and threw it away, making your way out of the station. Only the EnvelopE stayed with you, as you tried to turn it and inspect it further. You cheated, trying to feel if there were remnants of magic, before trying any spells on it.
The riddles your father gave you were supposed to be cutdown if you were ahead. Cheating was part of the game. He learned from that and adapted for future problems that he set up for you. But to your surprise, you found no magic on the paper.
Huh.
Every time you thought you were making good progress, your father liked to make clear to you who the real king of riddles was.
You left the station into the muggle area through a solid wall, without looking up.
That was a clue, wasn't it? Both, envelope and letter had been made of paper. Your mother preferred paper to parchment, but your father was agnostic about these kinds of traditions. His choice could have been an intentional one this time. The envelope had no magic on it and was sporting a muggle stamp. You were supposed to go into the Muggle world. First stop London Tower.
From there it took you two hours and a hunt for clues that made you walk through a big chunk of London you had never seen before to finally acquire a small wallet which provided you with enough Pounds and French Franc for your travel.
This time there was no fancy magic involved with your father's unique lesson in travelling, but some experience in independency instead. You were determined to see it through.
You spent a night in a small town near Cherbourg and made your way from there to arrive in Paris before noon. As you made your way through the bustling streets of Muggle Paris, your old trunk in hand, you couldn't help but marvel at the sights and sounds around you. The towering buildings and honking cars were a far cry from the quaint, wizarding village you called home. You took in the sights with wide-eyed wonder, absorbing every detail and storing them away in your memory.
This was delightful!
A hearty breakfast and some exploration of the unknown muggle parts of Paris later, you found your way back to the familiar platform of the Gare de Lyon in Paris. You knew your way around this part because it was close to the Place Cachée. Perenelle had brought you here a few times in your older years before Hogwarts, wanting for you to take as much of French wizardry-culture in as you could while you were still forming your perception of the world.
Back then she was still pushing for your education at Beauxbatons. And she almost won the race with it, seeing a new culture after having spent all childhood on a small island in the middle of the ocean? You had fallen in love with France and had even taken to find the many balls and events she had dragged you to curious. Interestingly enough, her husband had never joined you. Nicolas had distanced himself from the mortal world long before your birth.
His name turned to myth for many over the decades; a figure that no one but his most trusted had access to.
Suitcase in hand and a sense of excitement coursing through your veins you approached the ticket counter. A few muggles were already standing in line before you, their faces wearing bored expressions, while all of this excitement around them was so dearly fascinating!
Were muggles maybe less empathetic? Asking that … where would they fall in a ranking between conscious beings? How conscious could someone really be without magic? You knew that owls had to be raised a certain way to have them develop most of their intelligence, so maybe the same was true for these non-wizards?
You listened to their chatter, but from you were hearing, they sounded very much normal to you. You needed to find out soon where the truth would fall. Maybe you should ask Justin!
And before that, you should ask someone else to help you on how to formulate the question. 'Justin, are your parents more or less conscious than an owl', sounded wrong even to you.
Finally, the people in front of you cleared the line and it was your turn to step up to the counter.
"Bonjour, je voudrais un billet pour le train à destination de Marseille, s'il vous plaît," you said to the woman behind the counter, smiling at her to show that you meant no harm.
"Bien sûr, monsieur," the woman replied, returning your smile. "Aller simple ou aller-retour?"
"Aller simple, merci," Jacob replied, before handing over the money she asked you for. Well, it had one advantage being a muggle – their currency was much easier to handle than whatever wizards used to come up with. Using a base ten number system was elegant and simple.
The muggle nodded and began typing on a grey tool in front of her that you had never seen before. You leaned over the counter to get a better look at it. It had an illuminated painting that was moving. Fascinating. How did they do that without magic?
"Oui, bien sûr. Il y a un train qui part dans une heure. Il y a encore des places disponibles." The woman added with a smile: "Vous avez besoin d'aide pour trouver votre quai?"
Another tidbit for the future; muggles were very nice creatures! She even asked if she could help you finding the train.
"Non, je pense que je peux y arriver," you said shaking your head and taking your luggage again. "Auriez-vous des repas disponibles dans le train?" Was there going to be food available in the train?
"Oui, il y a un service de restauration à bord," the woman replied, confirming that there would be food. "Bon voyage!"
You gave her a toothy smile and turned around to kill some time before the train arrived.
The hustle and bustle of the station, the smell of croissants and coffee wafting from nearby vendors, and the sound of French being spoken all around you all added to the sense of adventure you felt.
As you boarded the train, you greeted the conductor "Bonjour, monsieur" and showed him your ticket. This muggle was a little less enthusiastic though. He simply nodded and replied "Bon voyage, monsieur" as he directed you to your seat.
They even had as many differences in personalities as normal people! Fascinating.
You soon settled into the assigned seat and watched as the train began to move, taking you further on the journey back home. The train was heading for the south of France, and as the countryside rolled past your window, you took in the freedom and independence that Hogwarts sometimes lacked. You loved your home and family, but the idea of being out in the world on your own was exhilarating. Was this what your father was trying to achieve today? Make you yearn for more? He was certainly succeeding.
A few more years of Hogwarts and then … you could travel the world. There was a long list of places you wanted to see.
You fell asleep at some point over the next few hours, but the very-serious muggle conductor helped you out by waking you at your arrival point. You smiled at him and nodded in thanks before handing him some muggle money. There was a middle-aged man with a moustache on it and a nice round '100'. You had no idea how much five of those bills were, but it did not matter. This was not real money anyway.
The man was certainly surprised by it, but he thanked you profoundly.
You stepped out of the train, took a car to the port and then had quite a difficult time to find a captain that would drive you out to a random barren island in the middle of the sea.
The captain that you finally tried a different tactic with, was a rough-looking man, with a thick beard and weathered skin that spoke of many years spent at sea. He had a gruff demeanor and a stern expression and seemed to take great pride in his boat and his profession. Tall and broad-shouldered, he surely had the sturdy build that seemed to match his profession.
You approached the captain while he was tending to his boat and greeted him with a smile: "Bonjour, monsieur. Je suis à la recherche d'un bateau pour me ramener à mon île." (Good morning, sir. I am looking for a boat to take me back to my island.)
While you explained your wish, you took out a mundane map that your father had prepared for your travel. You were pointing at a small, circled in piece of land in the ocean to the south of the coast.
The captain looked up at the map and then you with a skeptical expression. "Your island? What are you speaking off boy? There is nothing there, just stone and salt."
"I know, sir. It is just an empty island to you, but to me it is my home," you replied with a determined look in your eyes.
The captain scoffed. "Go away and don't bother me again." He made to turn around, when your sack of supplies landed in his boat. A few stacks of those nice one-hundred Franc bills fell out of the open bag and onto the deck.
You followed his expression change rapidly through annoyance, shock, and greed, before he looked back at you. His eyes were wider than before. If nothing else, you had gotten his attention now. "Very well, boy. If you insist, but don't bother me afterwards!"
The boat ride was a novel experience for you, the sea breeze and salty smell of the ocean was something you had only ever seen from the shore. You spent most of the journey standing at the front, leaning against the bow pulpit. The sensation of the boat moving below, the sound of water splashing against the sides of the boat, it was all new. You felt truly alive and happy.
As the boat approached the island, the sense of longing for home got stronger though. You couldn't wait to talk to your parents, to share with them all the things you had seen and experienced on this and past journeys.
Your father was waiting for you at the coast. He was tall, lean and just as imposing a figure as always. His eyes stayed on you for a few moments until you jumped out of the boat to walk a few feet above the water. Before the man behind you had shouted out in surprise to your magic trick, a spell by your father had already hit him. Soon enough, he made to turn his boat and return to his home.
He was a much richer man now, but he would be very confused about the details of his day.
"Papa!" You said, running towards your father to pull him into a tight hug.
His arms did not move much, but you felt the tight pressure of them around your sides.
"Son." The warmth in his voice betrayed his stoic expression.
Present Date: 2nd July 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
You walked up the cobblestone path leading to Nicolas Flamel's house. You took the shortest route as always, jumping over the hip high fence into the garden. The garden, usually perfectly well-maintained in all seasons, was now overgrown with weeds. Again you noticed, how a persons influence on the world was best shown in death and the passing of Perenelle left the world behind less ordered and fitting.
Walking up to the wooden door, you knocked on it but couldn't help feeling a sense of unease in the pit of your stomach. You had not seen Nicolas in months, and you knew that the old alchemist's health had been declining. Opening the door yourself, you took a look at the entry area of the large house; it was empty. The insides of the building were multitudes larger than the outside, but it was on a scale that had always made you uncomfortable. It felt barren of life with only the two people living here.
Since Perenelle's death it was even worse. The building felt desolated.
Even now it was completely clean, mind you. Your parents would never allow for a state of decay in their good friend's house, but you felt the absence of Perenelle instantly. There was no life and vibrancy left.
"Nicolas?" You called out into the house. No answer was forthcoming. So, you let yourself in.
You walked past the entry floor and the living area that opened up to the left, without giving it a look. If it was Nicolas that you were looking for, then there was only one room he could be in during the day. Your steps quickly brought you down a set of stairs at the back of the house.
"Nicolas?" You asked again as you entered the workshop and heard some muffled movement. The man who was for most a mythical figure was struggling to walk from a shelf to the right of his workshop back to the center of the room, where a cob of something translucent was hanging from the ceiling.
The man's once sturdy but lean frame was now gaunt and frail. His skin was ashen, and his hair thinning and white as snow. His movements were slow and labored, as if each step was of great effort. Nicolas' hands trembled as he reached for a nearby chair to steady himself, surprised by your entry as if you had not called out for him constantly while walking down the stairs. He looked up at you with a faint smile, but his eyes were still showing shock to your sudden arrival.
"Jacob, my boy," Nicolas said, his voice barely above a whisper. "What an entrance. It's good to see you."
You could see that he was in a bad state, and your heart ached at the sight of the man who had always been so full of life and vitality. Time was finally catching up to him. Even the greatest mind you had ever known could not stand indefinitely against the passage of time, once his tool to cheat death had been destroyed.
"It's good to see you too, Nicolas," you replied softly, trying to keep your voice steady. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," Nicolas said with a chuckle, but the effort made him cough. "But I'm still here, and that's what matters."
You suppressed a sigh of distress, feeling a knot in your stomach and a weight on your lungs.
When Nicolas tried to take another step forward, he stumbled and cried out in pain. You were by his side in a furry of steps, catching him in a tight hug as you pulled him against your weight.
"How about you let me help you out?" You asked, releasing a bit of your pressure on him as soon as you were keeping him up steady.
Nicolas eyes stayed on the ground for a bit. When they came out for you, they were clouded in pain.
"It is so strange," he said struggling with his words. "All these centuries and still it is a surprise to feel the shackles of age. Thank you, my boy." Nicolas' hand reached out for yours as you held onto him closely. He walked a step forward and you followed him, keeping him on his feet.
You brought him to the center of the room, where a single chair was waiting for him, sitting right in front of the mysterious fabric that was hanging down from the ceiling. You helped Nicolas sit, as you had a look on the Alchemists current project.
"Is there anything I can do to help? My father has been helping you, I hope?" You asked, knowing the answer but in need of any positive assurances from the man.
"Yes, yes," Nicolas said, nodding his head. "Your father has been a great help. But my boy. You do not need to coddle me because I am frail. I am old, not senile. Drop the polite act and ask your question."
The sad smile on your face transformed into an honest one, as you looked away from the fabric down to Nicolas and back again to whatever it was that he was creating.
"What are you working on, Nicolas? It looks fascinating … it feels …" you stopped to close your eye and take a deep breath of air through your nose. Energy went through your veins like electricity, making your skin tingle. The room felt as alive as Hogwarts, but all of it was concentrated on a few items that shined bright to your senses.
You stood up, leaving Nicolas on his comfortable chair as you closed in on the hanging fabric. Your fingers were gliding over it, not needing to touch it to feel the magic in it.
"This feels so intense!" You exclaimed, not noticing the pure sense elation on your face that made Nicolas smile in return. "And this over here as well!"
You quickly walked over to a table that had been built against a wall. You remembered days from your childhood. Nicolas had used this place to build a hundred things. You remembered the man standing here with a dozen magnifying glasses in different sizes hanging from the wall that he pulled to his face or pushed away as the need arouse.
This time, it was you that stood in front of the table instead and on it there was a thin piece of wood that had been cut open in the middle. It was a curved stick with an unmistakable shape. He was building a wand.
But there was more still! On the other side of the room, another table. This one with a chair in front of it. There was a glimmering dark stone on it and while it was the smallest of the objects, it was in no way or form weaker in its effect on you.
"What are these things?" You asked, fascinated.
"Come on boy, why are you asking the question?" Nicolas said, following your rapid movements through the room.
"I - …" you said and stopped yourself. Your mind asked a question and answered it by itself. Was he building the Deathly Hallows? Yes, most obviously.
"So, it is not just a simply fairy tale?" You asked instead.
"That I can't say," Nicolas said, surprising you with his answer. You turned to him. His words were slow as he was having some trouble breathing. "But I determined that the objects exist. I myself have heard of two, even if I have seen only one close enough to confirm it with my own eyes."
"You have seen one of the Deathly Hallows? Where? When?" You stepped back to the middle of the room, your eyes focused on the fabric in front of Nicolas.
"It was owned by an old acquaintance of your father, long ago." Nicolas said, his description vague. "I have never gotten around to hold it, but I was close enough to get a sense of it and I have my thoughts about where it is now … but I have not been able to confirm."
"Why are you building them now then? I remember asking you as a kid, but back than you said that the Deathly Hallows were even beyond your abilities." You turned to the old man, that was barely able to hold himself in the chair he was sitting on. But even though his physical form was meek, he looked spirited and strong minded, his eyes glowing.
"And that fact has not changed," he said. His statement confused you, but he did not wait for another question from you to clarify. "What I don't have in capabilities, I may be able to make up with need this time. With every passing day, I find myself closer to an old adversary of mine."
Nicolas's voice was barely a whisper, but he might as well have been shouting. There was no other noise in the entire world for you at this moment.
"I have battled Death longer than any other man has and now I find myself on the bridge, crossing the river. I can sense him, Jacob. A skeletal hand is reaching out for me and while I will not fight him anymore …" your eyes were locked with his. The magic in the room vibrated with his words as if there was more in the room than just you and Nicolas. "I will take one more thing from death before I leave the bridge behind. I will build the Deathly Hallows, my boy."
The workshop fell into silence before Nicolas spoke one more question.
"Will you help me on this endeavor?"
Present Date: 4th July 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
You had been sitting in front of the blank canvas since breakfast, staring at it intently. The art workshop was quiet and still, save for the soft sound of your breathing and the occasional rustle of your clothes as you shifted uncomfortably in your seat.
Peque had joined you for a bit but left hours ago through the large windows that illuminated the room. The smell of paint and turpentine was strong in the air, mixed with the faint scent of wood from the easel and the workbench. On the walls, there were paintings and sculptures of various sizes and styles, some finished and some in progress, most of them the work of your parents.
Only one of them was of your own creation. It had not moved since you had put it there before leaving for Hogwarts last time. It was a painting of a crowd, standing in the shadows. In the sea of faceless people there were two pairs dancing. There was Isabella Mia Cortez, young and beautiful as she took the hand of her tall husband David Marvan Basques. Both laughing happily as they danced. On the other side there was Nicolas and Perenelle moving to their own rhythm. Perenelle's hand guiding her husband subtly about where he should go next.
While the painting itself had not changed its position, you had noticed how all other artworks had been moved away from it. You could almost see your mother, making room for your painting with a bright smile on her face, just happy that you had left this behind for them.
Back then your artistic intent had been clear and strong. And again, the familiar sensation was growing in you now. There was a need for creation that had no clear form yet because your mind was a jumble of thoughts and ideas, all vying for your attention. You wanted to create something beautiful, something that would capture the essence of the secrets you had unveiled. But instead of seeing a masterpiece growing in front of your eyes, the canvas stayed white and untouched.
Nothing came to you. Your mind was a mess, not taking the time for introspection and self-reflection had left you adrift amongst your obsessions. You had lost touch to your true self in the lust for answers. Sighing, you let the brush drop back to its place onto a flying wooden tablet and didn't mind it as it flew away, sorting itself into one of the many shelves around the room.
Your heard footsteps. Someone entered the room and walked up to you before a tall woman appeared next to your canvas. "Jacob!" The old woman exclaimed. "Why are you not ready? We need to leave about now," your mother said, a hint of concern in her voice.
You sighed and turned to her. "Is it time already? I'm sorry, I was lost in thoughts. I've been trying to paint something, but I can't seem to find any inspiration."
While you were still a mess, your mother was already dressed. Her dress was fitted, with delicate straps that crisscrossed over her shoulders. The dress merged into a robe as it fell in soft waves to the floor, revealing a pair of elegant silver heels when she moved. A pearl necklace sat around her neck and if you looked at them for long enough, they made all light around you shine in strange colors.
"What's wrong, dear?" she asked, stepping around the canvas to stand next to you. While you were as tall as her standing, you had to look up at her from your current sitting position to match her eyes.
"I don't know what to paint," you replied, feeling frustrated.
Your mother placed a hand on your shoulder. "That's alright, dear. Sometimes inspiration comes from unexpected places. Maybe tonight, at the ball something will spark your creativity!"
She was trying her best to encourage you, like she always did. But you knew that her idea was no avenue to success.
"That's not how it works for me," you said, shaking your head.
She raised her brows with a curious smile. "Uhh, is it not, dear? What is it then for you. Enlighten the amateur that is your mother!"
This made you smile weakly, but you were still distracted by the unrest that you were feeling. "I need to feel real. I need to find myself before I can paint anything of meaning. Everything else is just … not worth it."
"And right now, you are not feeling like yourself?" Your mother asked-
You shook your head. "I don't know. And I think that's the problem."
"I see," she said in response. "You are so special. I can never get over the fact. The greatest artist I have ever taught, but such a lost one." With those words she grabbed your face with both hands, planting a kiss on your messy hair. "But you'll find your way, my dear," she said reassuringly. "For now, let's get you ready."
"I will get dressed then-…" you tried to say but your mother was already moving.
Her wand appeared in her hand suddenly, a trick that both she and your father loved to show off. You had not gotten a hang of it yet. It was difficult to understand how they did it. A swish and a turn later you felt some tugging at your clothes. Your hair moved on your head as the fabric on your body also transformed.
A few seconds later, you stood there in an elegant wizarding outfit that consisted of a long, flowing robe made of rich, dark fabric. The robe had intricate embroidery on it, something only your mother could create off the cuff as if it was nothing. Golden and silver threads intertwined from the collar to the cuffs. The sleeves were wide and full, giving the impression of grandeur and elegance even for someone like you.
Underneath the robe, you had a crisp, white dress shirt with a high collar and a button-up front. The cuffs of the shirt were adorned with silver buttons again and the collar with a small silver pin.
You smiled at her dearly.
She beamed at you with all her heart.
And then you dropped the robe to the ground carelessly. "I would rather die than wear this," you said, the smile not dropping.
Your mother moved her hand upwards, her wand bringing the robe back to life. It rose and moved in to close around your shoulders again.
"I think you should trust your mother's taste in clothing, son," she said.
You did not answer, instead you took your wand out as well. You pulled the robe off and cast: "Incendio!" pointing at the thing as you threw it. The fireball would have hit it before the robe touched the ground, but something purple intercepted it. Your mother's wand work was quicker than yours still. Another flick of her wand and the robe was on you again.
"Mama," you said calmly, both of you still smiling at each other like psychopaths. "I will burn the house down if that might solve this problem."
"Vamos hijo, solo una vez en tu vida. ¡No seas tan terco!" (Come on son, just once in your life. Dont be so stubborn!) Her smile dropped and her voice was raised in frustration.
"How am I the stubborn one! I have my own clothes that I can wear!" You said, raising your voice as well.
"You are too old to look hideous, Jacob! You are a beautiful young man, and you need to own that with your presence as well!" Her frown was barely overshadowing the smile that she was trying to fight.
"Fine, I will keep the shirt. But I will definitely not wear this …" you said and pointed at your robe. "Monstrosity."
Isabella Cortez' expression until you left the house was only slightly above a serious frown. The two of you left the island, your mother grabbing your arm for side-apparition to the mainland of France.
The only thing that stayed in the house, was a perfectly fine robe, that was actually not a problem for you. By the strong grip around your arm and the fierce look in your mother's eye, you knew that she was very happy right now even if she was trying not to show it.
You had learned long ago, that while they were supremely mindful in leaving you enough space to develop your own personality, both your father and your mother loved every trait of them that you called your own.
And for the fierce woman, who had done nothing by the book all her life? She wanted to see you push against all conventions. No matter if it they came from the world or directly from her.
The event was grand, taking place in a large ballroom inside a castle near Marseille. The ceilings were high, the rooms spacious. French architecture was different than what you had seen across the narrow sea in Britain. Here magic was only used sparingly for blatant show and was often the adornment to the physical architecture instead. Where lights would probably levitate above you in a British building, here the crystal chandeliers were hanging from above. The magic was hidden in the flames. Their light making everything inside the room feel warm and soft.
The castle was an old royal inheritance to the 'Ministere des Affaires Magiques de la France' and it showed in its richness. The walls were adorned with tapestries and paintings, all created by the most renowned artists in wizarding history, some had been taken from the muggle world. The floors were made of gleaming marble and the room was filled with gold enough to fund Gringotts for a year.
You had always asked yourself why the cultures were so different and from the stories Nicolas had told you as a child, it might be because the French had been far less strict in their splitting between muggle and wizarding world until a few hundred years ago.
As you walked through the crowd, you found yourself surrounded by the avant-garde of French wizardry society. Men and women were dressed in elegant robes and dresses, adorned with glittering jewels and fine fabrics. They sipped on glasses of champagne and laughed with one another as they mingled. You could see famous wizarding politicians, businessmen, and artists all in one room, all trying to outdo each other with their wealth and status.
You saw nothing of interest in them.
The fundraiser was more of a ball for the rich and bored than a true attempt at doing something good, but your mother had always preached that good things for bad reasons were good things still.
You stood alone by the refreshment table, going for a small lizard that turned golden as you ate it for a snack. Weirdly enough, you did not feel out of place here. There were way too many people around, mind you, but the event itself? The old Madame had been very particular about some parts of your education. You knew how to act to fit in, that was not the problem. Perenelle had failed in a different regard instead. You did not want to fit in.
And so, you kept to yourself and glanced around the room, observing the guests as they mingled and chatted with one another.
A few people you recognized. There was a giant woman to the back of the room that you waved at. When she saw you, she gifted you a smile and waved herself.
There were some folks that you knew gathering in a group. One of them was a member of the International Confederation that had pestered Perenelle for the ability to get an audience with Nicolas every time he got the chance for it. Today, he had chosen a new avenue; your mother. Isabella Cortez was the star of the evening. She was a famous artist, and one of her paintings was going to be sold as the final art piece of the night.
That by itself might be enough to bother her but both she and your father were known to be close to the Flamels. As you watched, she gracefully made her way through the interested, the stalkers and the confused, only stopping to talk with chosen guests and admirers.
She was handling herself easily enough, so your eyes continued to wander. You saw little curiosities everywhere. Waiters flew around with trays of strange snacks, tables were filled with magical objects on display. You could see a potion that changed color depending on the drinker's mood, a potion that made the drinker's voice sound like a choir of angels, and a potion that made the drinker be drunk. That last one was the most dangerous of them; alcohol.
As you stood alone by the refreshment table, eating the golden reptile, you noticed an imposing figure making her way to you. The woman that you had waved at before was broad and as tall as the largest man you had ever seen. But it was her kind expression that made you smile in anticipation.
Madame Olympe Maxime was beautiful and confident as she approached you, a much smaller person in tow.
"Jacob, my dear," she said as she reached you, "I wanted to come and offer my condolences to you and your family on the passing of Perenelle. She was a remarkable woman and will be greatly missed."
You nodded, feeling a twinge of sadness at the mention of Perenelle's passing. You focused on the sadness and tried to not think of the treacherous hate that you felt for her. At times you could not tell which of the two emotions was stronger. "Thank you, Madame. It has been a difficult time for us, but we are trying to carry on as best we can."
Madame Maxime nodded, her expression sympathetic. "I understand, my dear. It is never easy to lose someone we love."
"A person is only lost, when no one remembers her deeds, Madame. I will remember Madame Perenelle's actions for the rest of my life. I will carry them in my heart," you said with a sad smile.
The headmaster paused for a moment, nodding in agreement before trying her best at changing the topic, "And speaking of loved ones, I would like to introduce you to someone. This is Fleur Delacour, a dear friend of mine and a talented young witch of my school."
She gestured to the young woman standing next to her, who smiled warmly at you. Fleur was a striking figure, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She was dressed in a flowing silver gown that sparkled in the light of the chandeliers. It was clear that she had planned for the effect that her dress would have under this specific light.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Jacob," Fleur said, extending her hand for you to take. "The Madame told me that we missed out on you in Beauxbatons."
"A terrible mistake," Madame Maxime said, shaking her head with a mischievous smile on her face. "They sent him to the savages on the island instead! How he is supposed to learn anything there is truly beyond me."
You smiled, appreciating how the headmaster had successfully changed the flow of the conversation and took Fleur's hand to shake it. You knew that the expectation would have been a different one, but while you knew of their manners and polite habits, you could not bring yourself to care for them. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Delacour," you managed to say.
"Please, call me Fleur," the girl said with a smile, not dropping a beat at your faux pas. "Madame Maxime has told me so much about your family and your mother's art as well. I am a great admirer of her work."
You smiled, feeling a small sense of pride at the mention of your mother's art. "Thank you, that is very kind of you to say."
"Not at all," Fleur said with a wave of her hand. "I truly believe that your mother is one of the most talented artists of our time. I have some imitations of her things myself."
The conversation continued as Madame Maxime and Fleur talked about the fundraiser and the painting that was being sold that evening. Fleur seemed genuinely interested in your mother's work and you found yourself enjoying the conversation, trying to explain to her some thoughts that might have gone into the few artworks that Fleur claimed to have copies of.
As the night went on, you found yourself exchanging views and opinions about the fundraiser, the paintings, and the people around. You were impressed by her knowledge and passion for art.
And Madame Maxime was as always as kind and interesting a person as there could be. She told you about the past year, about her difficulties in finding a partner at her age and about a secret project that was soon to begin. Surprisingly you did not get any information out of her about this project. Which made it only more interesting for you.
The fundraiser was boring, but the company was surprisingly not.
You are really doing the mingling thing that Perenelle always was speaking of. Look at you, developing into a true social butterfly. You will probably spend the entire next day in your own room and refuse to see anyone, you little introvert! But the night is not over yet. What do you want to do?
[ ] La préparation secrète – Madame Maxime is keeping her secret very close to herself. But maybe if you push and pull at the right moments and with some clever deduction, you might get to whatever it is that she is hiding. You do like her though, so you will rather concede without an answer than be impolite to the kind woman.
[ ] Rien ne va plus! – This is a fundraiser and as far as French fundraisers go, it is tradition that the deep pockets of the Flamels will finance a big chunk of the philanthropic work of the state. Your mother has given you access to the assigned funds for this night. Go and participate on the auction and buy whatever it is that fancies you most for a sum so horrendously high, that a single person could not carry the weight in gold.
[ ] Danse avec moi? – You are at a ball and as far as expectations go, it will not have been a successful one if you did not dance in it. You might be a little rusty as the movements go, but someone might be surprised by how well you will handle yourself. Ask Fleur for the dance of the night. You will definitely want to see absolutely no one tomorrow.
Three-hour Moratorium! As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
[ ] Danse avec moi? – You are at a ball and as far as expectations, it will not have been a successful one if you did not dance in it. You might be a little rusty as the movements go, but someone might be surprised by how well you will handle yourself. Ask Fleur for the dance of the night. You will definitely want to see absolutely no one tomorrow.
Present Date: 4th July 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
Soon enough Madame Maxime left you eager to greet a few more of her acquaintances who had just arrived at the event. Fleur and you fell into a comfortable silence next to each other, each of you focused on something else. Your eyes were glancing over the crowd again, observing some new arrivals and the first pair of dancers that were opening the ball. The orchestra began with a slower piece, calling for attention.
Fleur had her back to the ballroom and was looking for something to snack on the table behind you instead. She was not paying you any attention, so you were able to take a moment of solitude to soak in the atmosphere of the ball. From a distance, without focusing on a single person, you were amazed by the elegance and grandeur of the ball. There was magic woven into every detail, from the music to the decorations and with every detail you recognized for what made it special, a piece of a painting came alive in your head. For just a moment you felt close to inspiration. There was a fragment of a picture that was close to appear in your mind.
You tried to grab for it, but it disappeared just as easily as it had come. Forcing the inspiration to stay just caused it to dissipate into nothingness.
But if you could not force the inspiration from afar, maybe you could do it as part of the painting itself. You turned to Fleur, who had finally found what she was looking for on the table behind you. "Care to dance?" you asked, holding out your hand.
Fleur looked up at you, surprised by the invitation. In her hand she was holding a muffin with a sugar dragon on its top. "Really?" she asked, a smile spreading across her face. "I did not think you much of a dancer."
Her eyes darted to your hand, then up again. Even if she was older, the two of you were the same height. "I would love to," she agreed, reaching for your hand.
The moment she touched you, a spark went through your body. You felt something run through you, making you smile at her. There was a faint impression of Lobo watching over your shoulder as well.
Without hesitation, still wanting to reproduce the moment of inspiration, you led Fleur out to the dance floor. There you turned around to her and put your arm around her waist. Fleur's free hand found its place on your shoulder. Her movement was precise, her back straight. She was smiling at you cautiously. Not because she was shy, no, the person in front of you was everything but shy. It was the kind of smile that Hagrid had when he was stepping around cautiously, trying not to hurt any small being around him.
The music started again. You moved a fraction of a second before her.
One, two - short, one, two - long. Stop. Part turn, part turn, one, two - back.
The opening dance of the night started out slowly. You hadn't had a dancing lesson since you'd joined Hogwarts, so it was good that they were giving you some time to adapt. But even with a faster beat, you would have had no problems. The girl in your arms was as proficient as they came. While you were ahead in your movements, she pushed and pulled you in a fashion that made it clear she did not expect you to handle yourself.
Her guidance dropped down to a smaller assistance to keep the right pace, when she saw that you knew what you were doing. Fleur opened her mouth to say something, but you interrupted her.
"Are you using Legilimency on me?" You asked, pulling her a little closer so that you did not have to raise your voice over the music.
Her mouth stayed open, but she stayed silent, now with surprise in her eyes. She had recognized the term.
"No, I would never do that without your permission," she replied. You let go of her waist at the same time as she let go of your shoulder, both of you turned backwards, stretching away from each other, before pulling her back in.
Someone was trying to play with your mind, and you were good enough to recognize subtle manipulation like this.
"I can clearly feel it still, stop it please," you said calmly.
"It is probably something else," she whispered when she was back in your arms. "I can't really help it." Fleurs smile was apologetic. "Do you want to stop dancing?"
She was not doing this purposefully. Was she actually a giant that couldn't help her large frame in a room of small people? Was there an equivalent of gigantism for minds?
"No," you said, continuing with the steps as more and more people joined around you. The smile on your face had completely disappeared as you detached yourself from the world. Your mind was calm again, even the sensation of Lobo disappeared from your senses. Now it was just you in your brain. You and a crowd of captured souls, waiting for their turn to be devoured. "I am fine, I was just surprised by the sudden intensity of it."
You could see her smile falter in reaction to the coldness in your voice.
"I am sorry for the intrusion. We can really stop dancing now." she said again. Her blue eyes looked saddened.
"Why are you saying that?" You asked.
"You are clearly upset," she said, trying to slow the dance down to a stop.
A little too much occlumency then? You tried shutting less of your mind out and opened your senses to the world again. The air got sweeter, the magic around you felt more vibrant again. Fleur's hand in yours felt like hot fire, her magic colliding with yours in a fashion that made your heart quicken.
You had never felt such an ecstatic feeling at the touch of magic.
"No, please," you said, feeling inspiration come back to you. "I shut my mind just a little too much, I think. You feel …" you were trying to search for the correct word. While Hogwarts felt much more intense, Fleurs magic was flavored. A Patronus was otherworldly, but this felt like more of the real world around you. "Fascinating!"
Fleur's smile returned to her face as she heard your words. "I'm glad you think so," she said. "I find your magic to be just as interesting. It feels like you are a hundred people at once. I have never felt such a thing."
As the music picked up, the two of you resumed dancing, this time with a renewed energy and connection. Your pace synced up, the two of you moving together as one.
"I have never felt something like this before," you said, pulling her around.
You let her magic seep into you, not noticing how your soul was reacting to it. With every step you fell deeper into a trance. Deep inside this slumber of movement and magic, things started to change around you.
"I have never felt something like this before," Fleur said, being pulled around by you.
You were so absorbed in the dance that you hardly noticed when the tempo of the music picked up. Fleur was keeping up with you effortlessly, and you found yourself moving faster and faster, the two of you spinning and twirling across the floor. The two of you laughed as you lost yourselves in the dance, and the rest of the room faded away.
The room around you was tainted in a blue shade. Her eyes were all around you.
Your magic was resonating with that of Fleur, giving whatever was inside her more power than before. While some couples around you stopped dancing and turned towards you, others fell into an energetic madness. The orchestra quickened their pace again, ending in a loop of faster music and more energetic dancers that pushed each other upwards.
The chandeliers above you started circling in small motion, while you and Fleur danced. By that moment, you were completely caught inside the intensity of her magic. Both of you stopped responding to the world around you, as you gave pace the world around you.
Flying plates were caught in a new trajectory, vacant chairs started levitating as well and moving slowly around the dancing stage. More and more things were coming out of their places and joining the furniture in the air. By now most of the room was caught in this expanding trance. Even those that had stopped dancing to look at you, started to move to the beat again.
But you did not see any of it. You could only see Fleur's eyes looking at you. Her magic integrating itself into yours as you were about to make the unthinkable happen. The intensity of her magic was vibrating inside your soul. And from deep inside you something reached up. A monster inside your soul that reached out to her and … a hand landed on your free shoulder.
It was like being slapped awake as your mother's magic cut right through whatever it was that your magic was trying to do in that moment.
Only now did you start to gain some conscious thinking back.
When you turned around to see your mother behind you, you saw her holding her wand up. All around you, things were levitating in midair. The entire ballroom had come to a stop as she had stepped in. Then your mother moved her wand once and everything started to fly back towards its original place.
"Jacob, dear," your mother said. "How about you keep up a little of your occlumency dancing with this gorgeous girl? I don't think this castle is ready for such an interesting display of magic." Isabella was smiling at you, before ruffling your hair and turning to Fleur.
"My dear, I appreciate that you were trying to get my son out of his shell. But you might want to go out for some fresh air. Jacob will accompany you, naturally. I will try to calm everyone down." Her voice was warm and encouraging. Your mother pulled Fleur closer into an encouraging short hug, before pushing the two of you forwards into a quick walk out of the manor. You only heard a few words of what she muttered to herself, as she stayed behind.
"Grown adults losing their minds at children's natural display of magic. I will never understand Perenelle's care for these people," she said in Spanish.
Only when you started walking, did your mind catch back up with the present. You pushed yourself through the crowd of people that looked confused and lost, following Fleurs quick pace out of the building and out into the gardens.
"That explains what I was feeling then," you said after hearing of Fleur's lineage. It had been the effect of her veela magic that you had felt so strongly before then.
The two of you were sitting next to a fountain, both still trying to process what had happened inside the ballroom. It had been such a powerful reaction. Fleur's magic had started out weak, but in reaction to yours it had soon filled your senses in a way that made you dizzy.
"But I cannot fathom how all of this happened. Your magic felt like it was amplifying mine. I felt so strong! But I could not stop it. What was that, Jacob?" She asked, turning to you, and grabbing your arm. There was no spark that went through you this time around. You felt nothing at it, your mind shut down to her completely as you focused on your occlumency.
"I have no idea," you lied. There were not enough emotions in your voice to betray the lie. You had felt the deepest part of your soul move there at the end. The monster had come to life, and you were not sure what its intentions had been. You were glad that you did not have to find out. The thing inside you had found quite a liking to Fleurs magic.
"Really?" Fleur said disappointed. "My god! I want to try it again. That was unique, we have to …" she was going through her words at a quick pace, because she had a much more optimistic view of the event than you had.
Instead of allowing her to keep the focus on the topic, you changed it yourself.
"Fleur," you began, trying to get her attention back. She looked still a little bewildered, but there was more color to her face than before. Her hair was messy now and the emotions on her face spoke of her complete fascination with the riddle at hand.
You understood her better now. It was not only your soul that had taken a liking to her. When the two of you had been at the eye of the storm, your magic interlaced, you had felt so much of her thoughts. She had not thought herself as part of the crow this evening. Fleur felt herself distinct from others. But where you shunned everything bothersome out, she went through expected motions, because that was what would get her closer to her destined goals.
"You want to be a spell breaker?" You asked, watching her carefully.
Fleur's eyes lit up at your question. "You were in my mind, too?"
"Yes," you said, with a smile that did not reach your eyes. "You came here today to find someone that would allow you an apprenticeship during the summer?"
Her eyes stayed on yours as her expression turning into an honest smile herself.
"Yes, that's always been my dream. I just want to learn more about it, but it is so difficult to do without the right tutor." She was biting her lower lip by the end of it. It seemed that she had learned a few things about you as well during the incident. Fleur knew what you would say next.
"So, that was the reason why Madame Maxime introduced us? For you to have a chance to learn from Nicolas?"
Fleur sighed, the smile of someone caught in a criminal act, before hiding behind her hands as she laughed in embarrassment. "I am so sorry; I pestered the headmaster for it. It is really not her fault. She told me that you were a wonderful person and that she would be mad if I was too forward with it." Her blue eyes found yours. "I am sorry."
"Well," you said, looking around the large garden for people. But the two of you were alone. "I would like to help but I think you are too late. Even if he wanted, his health won't allow that anymore."
"That makes me even more of a disgusting pig," Fleur said, looking away herself now.
This was a very familiar situation, wasn't it?
"I can't be mad at someone for following their aspirations, Fleur. I would probably have done the same but worse. At least you are good at handling people," you said. "Why do you want to be a spell breaker?"
"What do you mean?" Fleur asked, with a played incredulous voice. "Doesn't everyone want to be a spell breaker?"
You chuckled at her tentative try at bringing a more lighthearted tone back to the conversation. This girl was good with people.
Letting go a bit more of your mind walls to engage in the conversion, you said: "If you ask me, I was always looking forward to a proper ministry job. I want to stamp in, write some important stuff up on parchment and then stamp out at the end of the day, like a proper British wizard."
As emotions came back to you, you also started to feel her magic stronger on your mind.
"Yes, that would definitely fit you," Fleur said. "That's why you were sent to Hogwarts! The most famous fabric for industrious and rule following paper pushers in Europe." She smiled at you but touched your arm to show that she was just teasing you.
This time you were prepared. You raised your occlumency focus for the duration of the touch and released it again when she let go of you. You had never been so conscious about how to handle your occlumency before and it was a little taxing, but it allowed you to engage freely with her.
"Yeah, something like that," you said with a small smile of encouragement. "So, what about your motivation? I felt the desire to be a spell breaker when I was inside you," you said.
Fleur raised her eyebrows at something you had said there. But instead of commenting, she simply shook her head in amusement.
"Yes," she said, before clearing her throat. "As a child I read stories about spell breakers who can see through magic and find the truth behind it."
"The legendary thief Caribou?" You asked and had her nod with a surprised smile that you knew the books. "I loved them myself."
"Then you would understand," Fleur said. "I have always been able to feel peoples magic myself when I touch them. I've always been fascinated by it, and I want to use it to learn more about the world, just like Caribou was able to do."
You listened intently, and the familiar feeling of inspiration returned. Fleur was unique. She was a painting all by herself that just needed to be captured. She had the drive to pursue her dreams, she had passion and you had felt how much potential she had. "You would be a great legendary thief."
She looked at you with a grateful expression and took a deep breath. "I just wish it was easier to become a spell breaker. It's not a commonly studied subject, and it requires a special kind of magic. I know that knowledge about Alchemy is important for it and that I need to get a foot into warding, but I just can't find anything good to start with."
"Well, maybe you have come to the right person, then" you said. "I am no Nicolas Flamel, but I am something of an alchemist myself. If you want, I can send them to you. There is a beautiful small owl that would love to fly out."
Fleur's smile disappeared. A sad expression was left on her face instead.
"No, you don't need to feel pressured. I messed up and I can't be asking anything else from you now," she said.
You stood up, ignoring her words. As if she had said nothing, you pulled your wand out.
"But I can show you what I know already. What I suspect is that spell breaking is a mixture of multiple arts. At some point everything is really. So, let's start with the easiest; how good are your runes?"
The young woman that had been sitting with you, stood up when you used your wand to paint some runes on the ground.
The striking elegance of how well she had been put together when you had seen her first, had disappeared. Her long blonde hair was messy, natural color had returned to her face as the illusionary magic had been broken earlier and even the silver gown that had sparkled in the light of the chandeliers, looked mundane on her now.
But as the two of you talked about your theory of the conversion of magic subjects, she still shined brighter than she had before. Fleur was unparalleled in the one thing that was truly important to you; her mind.
Present Date: 12th July 1994
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
A few days had passed, and you found yourself back at Nicolas Flamel's home, eager to help the old alchemist build the deathly hallows. Nicolas was close to the end of his life, and his strength was waning. He was sitting in a comfortable armchair next to you as he instructed you carefully on each step of the process.
"Make sure to measure twice and cut once, my boy," he said, his voice firm but weary. "We can't afford any mistakes."
This advice you did not need. Your fingers were moving slowly around the dried skin as you cut it into form. Nicolas had dried it out of the throat of a Nundu that your father had killed a few weeks earlier. One of the deadliest creatures on the planet. A perilous giant leopard with fatal breath.
"What exactly is this supposed to do for the Hallow?" you asked, as you carefully placed it inside the small stone case that was going to be replaced by the future stone of resurrection. "I mean next to the obvious death thing."
"The Hallows are the ultimate prize of the wizarding world," Nicolas replied. "The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility - each one is more powerful than any wizard has ever known. Together, they make the possessor the Master of Death."
As you worked, you were quick to share your thoughts and perspectives on each step of the build, which made Nicolas talk more about what was on his mind. If you kept his mind active, you could learn as much as you wanted.
"We must adhere to all those expectations if we are supposed to replicate its magic. The carcass of a Nundu represents not only death but appeases also to the idea of an ultimate prize, a hunter's ultimate trophy."
That was just as vague an answer as you would have thought. Even building this yourself, you felt like its true sense was hard to grasp. What you were doing felt like a potion receipt that you did not understand, even if you were able to follow the instructions.
"I'm not sure that this is going to hold the insides away from the stone over time, though," you said, pointing to the spot where the skin was overlaid. "I may need to add a second layer."
Nicolas nodded. "That's a good point," he said. "Do that."
You worked for a while, padding the insides of the stone replica.
At some point you heard steps coming down the stairs behind you and halted your work to turn around. The movement of the man that appeared on the staircase was slow and deliberate. His tailored suit was unusual for British wizards, but your father was from a different time and culture. You had never seen him in a robe, which you knew was as much of a statement as his stoic expression.
Your father entered the room, and you felt his magic reach out to you to great you. The tools on your table rearranged back into their usual position, without the need of a wand by him.
Born in 1875, David was a spry 119 years old and despite the years that had taken their toll on his body, he looked sharp and strong.
"David, I am glad that you came. I have a task for you," Nicolas whispered from his place. He did not need to turn around to feel your father's presence. "We need you to retrieve the stone we spoke about."
Your fathers' eyes stayed on you as he nodded. "I understand," he said in his deep, gravelly voice. "Jacob, you come with me." His thick white beard moved as he spoke.
By this you were caught off guard. "Wait, what stone?" you asked, looking between Nicolas and your father. "Have you decided on the frame, Nicolas?"
"You will see soon, Jacob," your father said, his tone brooking no argument. "Come on, let's go."
You hesitated, still wanting to finish up todays work, but ultimately decided to follow your father. It looked like you would go to hunt for the last piece of the puzzle for the resurrection stone.
"Where are we going?" You asked.
A minute later you and your father materialized on a bustling street across the world. You heard someone shout as a car came to an abrupt halt as the two of you appeared out of thin air. Ignoring the insults, you looked around to see the high buildings around you. There were bright lights even at night, the streets were busy and the skyscrapers daringly tall.
"Is this New York?" You asked your father, who was calmly raising his wand.
"That is correct." Even though the insults continued, your father waited until you looked over at him again, before he moved his wand sideways and said: "Repello Muggletum."
The muggle that had been shouting at you from his car calmed down and continued his drive down the street as if nothing had happened. All around you, you saw Muggles turn on their heel and walk back into any direction that was not yours.
You followed your father, who was calmly crossing the street until he came to a halt in front of a white building. Soon the street was a desolated one.
"What are we doing here, father?" You asked, speaking in Basque.
The building in front of you was grand and imposing, made of solid white stone and gleaming glass. Its entrance was framed by two tall columns, with intricate carvings of mythical creatures and symbols adorning their surface. The doors themselves were made of heavy glass, reflecting the bright lights of the city. Only one word was painted on the glass: Antiquarium.
"This," your father said and pointed at the entrance as the doors opened to nothing but his will. "Is a museum. A storage of old things that have significance to muggles." Then he pointed at a metallic thing that was hanging from the ceiling inside. It looked like a small telescope to you. "And that is a device that muggles use to record visuals."
"Oculos Abhorrens." Another spell with an articulated incantation and a clean movement of his wand. Your father was clearly teaching you the spells he was using. You had rarely seen him move his wand so much for anything, so you tried to memorize it to note down later.
"And I assume we are here, because we want one of those artefacts?" You asked, following your father into the building. The telescope above you had not moved after the spell, but you would guess that neither it, nor any similar device in this building was left working properly now.
"Correct." Only one word to make you smile. Who would have thought that you would have an opportunity to be a legendary thief so soon after the ball.
The interior of the museum was dimly lit, but you went ahead this time, climbing the stairs up to the first floor. Inside you got to a large hall with its walls lined up with glass cases filled with ancient artifacts. There were old weapons, jewelry, broken parts of larger structures, as well as paintings, mosaics, and sculptures from long-dead civilizations.
As you moved deeper into the museum, you could not help but feel a sense of awe. Your father, meanwhile, seemed completely focused, his eyes scanning the exhibits as he searched for the object he'd come to retrieve.
"Did muggles build all of this?" You asked.
"Most things, not all," your father answered.
"Father," you asked, sensing the possibility to gain some insights in an environment that would not fault you for your ignorance. "Are muggles intelligent beings? I hadn't thought of them as such but traveling through France and England and now seeing this … it makes me think."
The closed door at the end of the hall opened for you and your father after he raised his hand once. You walked through it to reach a room filled with ancient, intricately carved wooden sculptures.
"That is an interesting question, Jacob," your father said. "The answer is not a simple one."
You followed him through the next room. Even though he had fallen silent, you knew that your father would not end it with a vague statement like this. And you were right, soon enough he continued.
"Muggles are not less intelligent than most wizards are. A blind person is not any smarter or dumber than someone who can see." He spoke.
"But it makes them ignorant, does it not?" You asked. "They have never seen magic; they do not know of its wonders. How can they be like us if they miss the most important part that makes us?"
Your father stopped when you said that and looked down at you. His expression was a thoughtful one. You came to a halt next to him.
"That is true, but then it makes it clear that you are asking the wrong question." David Basques said. "There is no rule that differentiates between degrees of intellect. In this world, there is only one rule-…"
"The weak do not decide their fate," you said, before he was able to finish his sentence. It was the essence of your father's philosophy and the reason why it would have never been a possibility for you to bow down to someone else's will.
Instead of being annoyed for interrupting, your father put his hand on your shoulder and nodded.
"Exactly. And that means that while they might be brilliant in their own way, all their inventions are not going to change the rule of nature that it is not their decision what happens to them. Until now wizardry have stepped aside in cowardice and in their desire for secured laziness and peace." His words surprised you.
"So, you think we should rule over them?" You asked.
But your father shook his head in return. "No, that is the mistake many have made in the past. The weak do not decide their fate, but it is for the strong to guard over the weak, not prey on them." He looked you in the eye and just for a second, you saw a young version of him in front of you. While he looked capable and impeccable as his old self, his young form had been imposing. A large man, with the talent that came rarely in any given generation.
Your father had been a striking image of Basques oldest brother. Brave, smart, daring and responsible to a fault.
"But even so, we should not limit ourselves, Jacob. It is wrong to hide magic away from the world. We should retire all restrictions and let the muggles join us in society. We will guide them in peace until they are part of our realm. And if they refuse us to stand up and fight against us instead?"
What would follow then, did need no words.
You did not answer your father, still caught in his words. Part of it resonated with you on a fundamental level. Why keep something so wondrous like magic away from a race that was seemingly just as smart as you were? Why let the blind stay without sight?
But would it be like Basques and her brother, when they let the refugees in after they knew what was coming … or would it be like the skirmishes that happened first? When it was us against them. Countless had died until their town had been able to grow over the conflict in preparation for something bigger to come.
Had this been a lesson that your ancestor had tried to imprint on you?
But if so, what should you take out of it?
Your father had detached from you to walk over to a tall, imposing statue in the center of the room. He removed a small, intricately carved wooden box from its side, and whispered a spell over it. The box opened, revealing a small stone with a bright, glowing aura.
"We have what we came for."
New Spells in Notebook:
Repello Muggletum – Charm. The Muggle-Repelling charm prevents Muggles from seeing or entering an area. Any non-magic person that would get close to the vicinity of the enchantment would remember something urgent to do and leave. DC: 100.
Oculos Abhorrens - Charm. Used to annulate any kind of observation based on muggle methods or spells. While it will be noticed in the aftermath that someone broke the spells, it does not raise any alarm immediately and leaves you untraceable. It can be countered with high level spell work, but usually it does its job. Requires Charms skill of A. DC: 100
You are pondering a difficult question at night. Your fathers' words made you aware of a philosophical world view that you still need to form. While you might change your perspective in age, as you are very young still, it is an important moment in your life, nonetheless.
[ ] Magic without restriction – Magic is inherent to anything you have dear. Even if someone is not capable of contributing to this world, it is neither in your nor in their interest to have the realms apart. You want any restriction to be fully abolished. Whatever happens in the aftermath is inevitable for the growth that the world will come to see. Giants, Meerpeople, Thestrals and all wonderful magical beings and creatures should roam the world as they please.
[ ] Following behind baby steps – While you see merit in evolving out of the deadlock that wizardry has been kept in for a thousand years, you don't think it can be done all at once. You fear of getting to grow up a cog in the machine, like many free thinkers did before you, because you do not dare to think just big enough. But it is important to you to not have the world fall in chaos once magic is released into every corner of the realms.
[ ] Keeping the status quo – It pains you. This speaks against fundamental values that you have, but you need to be realistic. There are many downsides that would come by getting rid of the restrictions. People would die, extremists may come to rise again, and muggles would be helpless at the end of it. The realms have been separated for a reason. It is not your duty to change that in this world.
Six-hour Moratorium!As always, please take time to discuss the chapter and the vote first.
