The Gate

by computerneek

Chapter 58

“Lyra, there’s been an attack.” Dumbledore’s hand comes down from his radio.

“You sure she’ll hear that?” Professor McGonagall asks him.

Dumbledore shrugs. “She hasn’t failed yet.”

McGonagall sighs. “I’m pretty sure she’s in the Hospital Wing overnight after that fiasco at the match- and Madam Pomfrey may have used a sleeping potion.”

Dumbledore shrugs again. “I’m sure she would have passed it to someone else if she was going to be unable to respond.”

She raises an eyebrow, before gripping the petrified girl’s shoulders- made difficult by her long, petrified green hair forming somewhat of a cloud around them- and lifts. “In any case, let’s get her up to the hospital… wing.”

Dumbledore stares as well. She’d lifted the girl’s shoulders, while Dumbledore was still bending to reach her feet- and the entire girl had risen with her, shrouded in a purple aura.

Professor McGonagall takes her hands off of the girl’s shoulders, leaving her floating in midair and taking note of the light tingling in her right arm. “So that happened,”

Dumbledore blinks. “What-? Oh, you’re doing that?” His head tilts.

“It’s Equestrian levitation magic,” she answers him, nodding. “I’ve seen it used in countless times in class.”

Dumbledore blinks. “Ahh, okay. Lead the way.”

He tries calling Lyra once more, about halfway to the Hospital Wing- but for as near as McGonagall can tell, he doesn’t get any response. As she gets near the infirmary doors, she glances sideways at the girl’s radio, clipped to the front of her robes just inches away from a reaching hand. Did she see what it was? Did she manage to get something out?

She glances up at the doors and, without slowing down, reaches out with her mind again, rather than her regular hand. The handle is instantly surrounded by a matching purple aura, with which she opens the door. She glances sideways at Dumbledore as he comes in behind her, again operating his radio- this time distinctly worried.

McGonagall places the girl on a nearby bed, and the tingling in her arm finally goes away. So, that’s what it’s like to use Equestrian magic, huh? “I’ll get Madam Pomfrey,” she informs Dumbledore, before departing to find the nurse.

---

Dumbledore stares at the girl- the nametag on her Gryffindor robes reads ‘Glowing Blue’- for several seconds… before he pauses, and turns to look at the nearest other occupied bed.

There’s another petrified student, a look of fear on her face, pinkish-red hair hanging down her back like ropes.

And there’s a non-petrified student, gentle pink hair flowing down from where she seems to have cried herself to sleep. There’s a black something slung over her back, at least as long as she is tall. The long, thin, tube-like section making up more than half of its length looks a little peculiar, sticking quite so far up past her head. It doesn’t look anything like it, but for some reason, it reminds him of the weapon she’d used against Pettigrew the year before.

He rises, and steps closer, reaching over to shake her awake.

The moment he touches her shoulder, she jolts awake, flashing upright with one hand on the thing on her back. She pauses for a second looking at him, before relaxing back into her seat. “P-Professor Dumbledore,” she greets.

Dumbledore glances down at the Hufflepuff on the bed, whose nametag reads ‘Tree Hugger’. “What happened?”

She glances down at Tree Hugger as well. “Well, we-!” She pauses, looking past Dumbledore to Glowing Blue, and her tone becomes urgent. “Did it get her too?”

Dumbledore glances back as well, then nods. “Petrified.”

Her hand flashes up to her radio. “Alpha Romeo on Hidden Light, Indigo One.”

Seconds later, as Madam Pomfrey follows Professor McGonagall back into the room, the main door comes open again- and Bonbon jogs in, Draco Malfoy on her heels. As she does so, Dumbledore notices her sideways glance- and wry smile- towards Lockhart, who isn’t expected to fully recover from the burns his fobbed spell inflicted on him for close to a week.

“Good morning, Dumbledore,” Bonbon greets softly. “What happen…” She trails off, stiffening slightly and looking at the thing on Fluttershy’s back. “Ugh, it’s bulletproof, isn’t it?”

Fluttershy nods. “The sidearm inflicted pain, but that’s about it.”

“What was it?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I only remember its bright yellow eyes, but it turned away before the Stare could do its magic. I tried to talk to it, but it- it didn’t listen. So… I shot. Every round just… bounced.”

Bonbon nods slowly. “Got it.” She looks up at Dumbledore. “So, what happened?” She gestures towards Glowing Blue.

“Found her,” McGonagall begins.

Bonbon nods. “Where? And facing which way?”

Dumbledore looks at her. “Um…”

Bonbon gestures down at Glowing. “We’ve been searching for the monster ever since Tree Hugger was attacked, about an hour now. Her unique talent lets her see stuff she doesn’t have a line of sight to- and judging by her position, she just found the thing.”

Madam Pomfrey looks up at her. “Are there any others?”

Bonbon shakes her head. “We don’t know yet. We’ve already accounted for all non-Agent staff and students; we’ll be doing a headcount amongst the Agents in a couple minutes. I have been able to identify at least one that may have been attacked.”

“Which one?” Professor McGonagall asks.

“May?” Professor Dumbledore asks.

She nods. “Yeah. Absolutely no word from Math Head just yet- but she’s also a new recruit as of two days ago. She might be confused, asleep, or choosing to remain silent because this is a high-stakes operation and she hasn’t gotten even her basic training yet.” She scowls. “I’m going to have to make her training a top priority. Her talent is exactly what we needed half an hour ago.”

He nods slowly. “Ahh… Is that why nobody responded…?” He taps the radio.

Bonbon blinks. “Um…” She looks at Madam Pomfrey. “Lyra’s been sedated, hasn’t she?”

Madam Pomfrey nods.

Bonbon sighs. “Then no, it’s not. That was an oversight, sorry. Though…” She looks up at Madam Pomfrey. “Can I visit Lyra, by any chance?”

Madam Pomfrey raises her eyebrows.

“I heard she was in the Equestrian Annex?”

“Ahh, yes.”

Comments

[Greenhorn]

Does this mean someone else let the basilik out? Since Ariel cannot remember anything regarding Tom Riddle and there is a high chance she does not have parseltongue anymore.

[computerneek]

9916646
... No, this just means it wasn't Ariel. The Diary wasn't destroyed, and the various spells on it weren't broken... it's just that Ariel was pulled out from under them. Meaning, what the Diary has is the ghost of the fragment it used to carry... it no longer serves as a horcrux, but it's just as dangerous as it used to be.

... and what Ariel can or can't remember means nothing for abilities. She's still a parselmouth.

[Jlargent]

9916678 Personally, Math Head is a bit cliche'd for Ginny's Equestrian Form. Number Cruncher or Moneyball would be better.

[computerneek]

9916718
Funny you should say that....

because neither Ginny nor I like that name either. Good thing they'll be changing it whenever they discover the true extent of her CM ability... and that it's simply her Agent name (Like Bonbon's Sweetie Drops) and not a regular name for her pony form.

[Jlargent]

9916765 I want Harry to sing this during the Tournament: