Chapter 68: A doctor makes a house call.
“There is no stone!” Aerie shouted as Kitsu finally freed herself. The room was growing steadily brighter as both girls now blazed brightly. “Moonie! Show him!”
A moment later the mirror shimmered and vanished. What was left was a grubby little package on the floor. Quirrell forgot about his hostage as he greedily grabbed at the package and ripped it open while Hoshiko used the properties of the fan to sweep Neville away to a moderately safer location.
The contents were indeed stone hard, but it wasn’t a Sorcerer's stone. Not by a long shot.
“What? What is this?”
“One of Hagrid’s cakes,” Aerie answered. “The sorcerer's stone was never here.”
“But it has to be?”
“What? Protected by traps even Neville Longbottom could penetrate?”
“Hey!” Neville protested. “Hang on, you mean to tell me Hermione drug me down here for nothing?” Neville did not sound happy.
“I did warn you to stay out of it,” Aerie replied as she and Kitsumi began to fan out in either direction.
Quirrell scrambled to his feet and cast several spells at Hoshiko only to have her send them right back at him. She stood firmly in the doorway no matter how hard Quirrell tried to blast her out of the way. Shots were going wild, but Hoshiko somehow managed to volley every shot that came her way. She too was glowing brightly now.
Why Quirrell hadn’t dropped from his own onslaught returned to him was anyone’s guess.
“Enough of this, Expelliarmus!” Aerie shouted, a beam of light flashing out from her wand snatching Quirrell’s wand from his hand.
“Quirinus, you fool!” Shouted the voice of Voldemort.
“Who are you?” Quirrell asked in disbelief of the girls.
“We were born to be goddess immortal alicorns,” Aerie stated.
“We are the Princesses of the Universe,” Kitsumi added.
“Now here we are, fighting to survive against the darkest powers,” Hoshiko sang out. (Queue Highlander soundtrack.)
“Heh!” Voldemort shouted as he painfully extracted himself from Quirrell, and as he did Quirrell let out an agonized scream. Voldemort had abandoned his former host, intent as he was to make his escape. His body was small and so emaciated it truly looked to be skin and bones, and he was covered in wicked-looking scars. As for his face, if it had looked snakelike before no one could tell because it now looked rather Puggish.
Each girl now equal distance around the room used their wands to grab Riddle with a telekinetic beam.
“And here we are, we are Princesses of the Universe,” the three sang as three Night Mares joined in the struggle to hold the once proud Lord Voldemort. “Here we belong, fighting for the future of our world!”
“I am immortal!” Riddle protested. “I have inside me the blood of kings! Kings!”
Kitsumi hooked her foot on a silver and black box that had gone unnoticed up to that point. The box had a handle sticking out at one end, yellow caution tape on top, and a long cord. She then swept the box out into the chamber while a ghostly chorus could be heard singing in the chambers beyond along with a disco beat that had started up the moment the box had been touched. "If there's something strange, in your neighborhood... who you gonna call?"
“You are not but a leach-wraith!” Aerie shouted even as Kitsumi shoved the trap across the floor with her foot. It skittered out to the center-right below Voldemort and inches from the crumpled form of Quirrell. And Neville, not to be left out of the action had managed to wriggle out of the rope binding him, mostly, and seeing a large red button on the far end of the cord marked easy.
“Tell me what to do?” Neville called out.
“Push the button!” Hoshiko called, and yes there were presently six beams of magical energy holding the leach. Neville lunged at the button, the trap opened up and light streamed upwards. Riddle was forced in…
“Push it again!” Aerie shouted.
Indeed the trap was threatening to draw in the nightmares as well, but the moment Neville pressed the button the trap shut locking the leach within.
The room was now deathly silent save for a pitiful voice calling out, “..master… master…”
“So, is it over?” Hoshiko asked as she lowered her wand.
“Not by a long shot. About all that will do is keep him on ice until we can undo the dark magic he used to turn himself into that… thing,” Aerie offered as she walked forward. “Professor…” Aerie knelt next to him and got out a small vial that contained a clear sparkly liquid that emitted clear white light. “A couple of drops should be enough to restore you.”
Quirrell looked at her, at the vial, his hand shot out at surprising speed, and he pulled the stopper, and drank the contents. All of it.
“Professor no!” Aerie shouted, but it was far too late. A scream of abject agony burst from his lips, light shown from his eyes, then from his whole body.
And then he was gone.
Well, not entirely. What now lay on the floor was a small baby whose shorts were entirely too big for him. He looked about and started crying.
“What was that?” Hoshiko asked. “What did you give him?”
“No idea. Something Mrs Silverwood gave me. She warned me to keep it on me, but to only use the smallest amount in the most dire of need.”
Kitsumi started laughing.
“Do you know what it was?” Neville asked as he kicked off the last of the rope, and got up.
“Just a guess, but I’d say it’s from a spring on Skull Island,” Kitsumi offered. “Water from the fountain of youth.”
“So who are you, really?” Neville asked. “Are you really immortal, and what is that device?”
“Maybe,” Kitsu offered.
“I’d just assume not test it,” Hoshiko stated as she put her wand away.
“My cousins Hoshiko Tsuki and Kitsumi Silverwood,” Aerie offered. “And, well, I don’t think that we are truly immortal. Taunting him was more like it. We did come prepared. Plan A was to just let him stew down here considering that the last riddle was unsolvable. Dumbledore would presumably swoop in and confront the creature. And it didn’t matter if he won or lost because if he lost the creature would have fled. Plan B was put into action when you and the others decided you could take on a full-grown wizard.”
“You did though.”
“We’ve received training and were forewarned.”
“I am nearly an adult by wizard standards,” Kitsumi offered. “And yes, we were prepared.”
“That and our magic is Akkadian in origin. That thing had no defense against such pure magic. You remember how my aura would flair around Quirrell?”
“Holly shit! That means…”
“Under the turban. That smell of death,” Hoshiko confirmed.
“Just one thing, can you be quiet about what just happened?” Kitsumi asked.
“Quiet?”
“They need to be seen as ordinary students. The credit goes to Dumbledore’s trap,” Kitsumi cautioned.
“That thing?”
“Well, we got it from an individual named Doctor Strange.”
“Moonie, do we have anything to wrap the brat?” Aerie asked.
Upstairs and a few minutes prior, Professor McGonagall has gathered together Professors Flitwick, and Sprout, Madam Hooch, and Madam Pomfrey in the great hall.
“I’ve sent a runner down to Hogsmeade,” McGonagall offered the group. That runner none other than Aurora who’d been instructed to go to the Hogshead Inn and seek out the Innkeeper who was Dumbledor’s brother. She had of course flown down.
“Minerva!” called a man who looked remarkably like Professor Dumbledore save in that he sported a fairly plain brown wizard robe. Beside him trotted a golden-winged unicorn filly with red streaks in her mane. “I sent word to my brother.”
“Am I late?” called a black and white winged unicorn as she swooped in. Those gathered watched in amazement as the unicorn transformed into Mrs Silverwood.
“Ah, Nova, I see you’ve decided to join us,” Aberforth Dumbledore called.
“They’ve switched to plan B I’m afraid.”
“Plan B?” McGonagall asked. “Does that mean you expected this to happen?”
“Indeed we did,” Aberforth offered as he’d been let in on the goings-on. “Plan A was to let my idiot brother handle it. Plan B was put into place in case anything went wrong. The girls, I am to understand, possess a power that Voldemort can not defend against.” Even as he was saying this a golden fiery ring opened up a portal and a singularly unique individual stepped out. He had a blue tunic on over his dress slacks that looked like its origins were from Tibet and a large red cape with a ridiculously large collar that jutted out and upward, and he’d a rather odd-looking amulet.
“Evening,” he offered as his boots stepped down onto the tile floor.
“Doctor?” Nova Silverwood asked.
“The trap you requested has been sprung. Let us hope it did its job.”
“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” McGonagall asked.
“This is Doctor Strange,” Nova offered.
“Medical Doctor and practitioner of the arts arcane,” He informed them. “What say we get going?”
“Indeed,” Aberforth said in agreement.
Aurora transformed back into human form. “I’ll take care of the dog.”
They hesitated but a moment later, Aurora started first, then Nova Silverwood, Doctor Strange, Aberforth, and McGonagall followed with Professors Flitwick, and Sprout, Madam Hooch, and Madam Pomfrey behind her. Aurora’s singing was more than enough to put the dog to sleep when they arrived at the third-floor corridor.
At Professor McGonagall’s bidding, the trap door rose straight up to form a lift, and while it didn’t look like it was big enough they all managed to fit.
Down they went stopping just above the Devil’s Snare where a hidden panel in the shaft opened to a stairwell that dropped them safely down into the passage beyond the plant. The keys were no trouble for Madam Hooch given it was she who set it up, the key that unlocked the door went straight to her outstretched hand and the others behaved themselves when the door was opened. Doctor Strange was good enough to dispose of the body of the troll, but when they entered the chamber with the chess board everyone stopped to look on in astonishment.
“It took me over a week to set this up,” McGonagall said breaking the silence.
“A casualty,” Doctor Strange offered on spotting Ron. He broke from the group to check on him. “Broken arm, and a concussion. The arm has been set and immobilized. The person who set the arm didn’t do anything about the concussion.”
“Probably Aerie, she knows a thing or two about first aid. She’d not likely have any way to treat a concussion,” Mrs Silverwood offered.
“But, did Vol… You Know Who do this?” Madam Pomfrey asked.
“Hardly,” Aberforth stated. “If he had this kind of power he’d hardly need the Philosopher’s stone.”
“My cousins and daughter unlocked their full potential and combined their power,” Mrs Silverwood informed them.
“What?!” Several of the witches gasped out.
“It’s harmony magic. When two or more individual’s magic harmonizes with each other while casting the same spell it causes the combined output to magnify exponentially.”
“The casters must be of one mind for it to work,” Doctor Strange added. “A difficult thing for most humans. Like ourselves… hello?” He turned to face the far door.
Several figures emerged from the door beyond the chessmen. Kitsumi was leading them, and she had a bundle in her arms, Aerie was to her right, Hoshiko her left, and Neville finished the diamond formation while carrying the ghost trap. Behind him walked Hermione. The group was followed by three Night Mares who’d formed a line each still in pony form. The last measure of the Ghost Busters theme drifts in the air. "Who you gonna call?"
McGonagall approached them.
“Hermione Granger… where you the impetus behind taking on… taking on…”
“The leach? But to be honest we thought we were going after Professor Snape.” Neville explained. “Not whatever that thing is.” He was met with shocked silence. He held up the trap by the strap. Noxious vapors were leaking out. “It’s in here. It was wicked. The girls forced him, it, from Professor Quirrell’s body, and then with the help of the Night Mares they pinned it until we could get it in the trap. I pressed the button.” Neville was beaming. He faltered though. “Gran’s going to have a fit.”
“You know who is in that little box?” Pomona asked quietly.
“He’d become a leach-wraith,” Aerie offered. “He’d attached himself to Professor Quirrell, and was to some extent controlling him.”
“The trap is an artifact from another world,” Doctor Strange informed them. “I must confess it was a rather unusual request, but after I looked into possible futures I chose to provide it. It combines magic, of sorts, with technology to create a pocket dimension in which malevolent spirits and their ilk can be enclosed and locked in.” He wasn’t even going to try to explain the science.
“Doctor Strange, I presume?” Aerie inquired.
“I am. Would you be the Aerie Potter?”
“It would seem so. - Neville, if Doctor Strange would indulge me one last time…”
“You’d like me to take that trap and put it someplace safe I gather.”
“It would be most appreciated. In this dimension would be best as I’m not too sure what would happen…”
“You don’t need to worry about that account. The last thing I’d do is dump our problems on someone else’s world.”
“But what’s become of Quirinus?” Professor Flitwick asked.
“Drank the whole vial, didn’t he?” Mrs Silverwood asked eyeing the bundle.
“He did,” Kitsumi replied. “But you probably knew that would happen when you gave it to Aerie.”
“I knew the three of you would want to help him if you could.”
“I Don’t understand,” McGonagall asked.
“I gave Aerie a vial of the waters from the fountain of youth. A few drops revitalize. It can have a rather nasty effect if misused though. One greedy bastard drank himself out of existence. Poof, gone.”
“Meet the new and improved Quirinus Quirrel,” Kitsumi announced and pulled back on a corner of the bundled-up blanket she held. “He cried himself to sleep. He’d given his all to his master and nearly died for his trouble.”
“A shame he hadn’t placed his devotion in better endeavors. What’s done is done though, and he’s a new start and at that age, he’ll need a nursemaid,” Madam Pomfrey commented.
“And a new name I think,” Kitsumi suggested. “Devlin should suit him well. Let’s just go home and we can sort things out in the morning.”
“You’ve a mind to sleep in your own bed I gather,” Mrs Silverwood asked.
“It’d be nice, and the danger is gone now. Hoshiko, you don’t mind do you?”
“I’ll miss having you by my side.”
“By your side?” Flitwick asked.
“I’m the fox. Kitsu is short for Kitsumi Nova Silverwood. Her mother kind of insisted we have someone watching over her while Voldemort was in the vicinity. A bodyguard. Not like Hoshiko needs a bodyguard from what I’ve seen. I’ve got to learn that fan thing she does.”
“I see.” He mulled it over for a bit. “Would it be possible for you to continue? Say, until the end of the school year at the least?”
“Filius?” Minerva asked.
“If she, Kitsu the fox, were to suddenly vanish the students will talk.”
“Well then, if you’ll have me I’ll be back in time for breakfast.”
Aerie let out a big yawn. “I’d like to second sorting this out in the morning. We’ve all used up a fair amount of our manna and I’m exhausted.”
“And I will just take that trap and be on my way,” Doctor Strange offered as he walked over to Neville.
“Doctor, just exactly where are you from?” Madam Hooch asked.
“I’m an American. I learned how to use magic in Tibet.”
“Oh, Aerie that thing you wanted to know about earlier,” Kitsumi offered as they started to make their way back the way everyone had come. “She’s alright.”
“She?” Aerie asked.
“It’s complicated,” Mrs Silverwood informed her. “It has to do with why Professors Dumbledore and Snape are away. Kitsu can explain further when we have the details ironed out.”
“Snape wasn’t even here?” Hermione asked in astonishment.
“I’m not even going to say it,” Aerie said to Hermione.
“And you knew, you knew the whole time. Didn’t you?” Hermione’s tone was accusing.
“As a matter of fact, I did,” Aerie didn’t want to get into it but her life as Nova Arthol was just screaming out to tell this girl off. “My aura only flared around Quirrell. Which you well knew. We had to use herbal packets to endure his classes. All the signs of possession were there. Sure Snape can be a bit of an ass but that doesn’t automatically make a person guilty of misdeeds.
“But you, you based your reasoning not on fact but on your ill feelings toward Professor Snape. And I was indeed privy to certain confidential information that I couldn't share, so yes, I knew. I knew that there was no reason to jump down here. Professor Dumbledore and I may be at odds, but I trusted he had everything in order, and I told you on multiple occasions to leave it alone.”
“You came down here. You went in there and confronted… Voldemort. There I said it!”
“Yes, Yes I did.” Aerie pointed at Ron who’d been placed on a stretcher. “But I did not come down here to confront Voldemort. That was not my number one goal and that leach is hardly the Dark Lord. I came down here to stop you. I went in there because you sent Neville to confront a full-grown wizard on his own. On his own. By himself with no plan and no one to back him up. What exactly was he supposed to do?
“I nearly failed. Quirrell got the drop on me, and on Kitsumi who is older than me, and if not for that fun little trick Hoshiko can do with her fan, things might have gone really bad. Even then, I had backup.” Aerie pointed at the three Night Mares. “What’s more, that artifact that we used to trap the leach, that was already in there. Placed by a specter so that no one would know it was there. I knew what I was doing before I went in there because it had been planned out. I knew what I needed to do. Nothing fancy, just get that leach out of Quirrell, hold it in telekinetic beams, deploy the trap, and activate it.”
“Hermione, the stone wasn’t even down there,” Neville informed her. Which was news to everyone there, save Aerie of course. The only one Aerie said anything to was Princess Luna. “The final challenge was unsolvable because there was nothing there but a cake made by Hagrid stuffed inside a spectral mirror.”
“A spectral mirror?” Professor McGonagall inquired. “Just out of curiosity, how did Ronald Weasley get hurt?”
“He… he sacrificed himself during the game,” Hermione announced, her tone remorseful in that at least.
“He sacrificed himself? As in he took the place of one of the pieces?”
“We all did.”
“Hermione, it was never necessary to take the place of any of the pieces. The game allows for a chess master to call the shots.” Hermione’s eyes widened at the realization. “And you thought you’d be confronting Professor Snape. Is that right?”
“Yes, Mam.”
“So… you chose to put yourself in danger, and your fellow students in danger, multiple times, never once thinking that you might be in way over your head?”
“Aerie came down here.”
“Not to confront a full-grown wizard who I might remind you is leagues ahead of you. What were you thinking? No, I suppose you weren’t. Yes, Aerie came down here, but we all know what she is capable of. Just look around you at what the three of them did. Blasted right through some of my best work. And she did it to save you from your own foolishness. Not to confront someone leagues ahead of her. Fifty points for your foolishness. Another fifty from Ron for going along with it.” She took a breath. “And fifty from Neville for not having the sense to say no.”
“What about Aerie?” Hermione protested.
“Do you seriously want me to take more points from our own house? No, I’m not taking points from her. I do not take points from people who are honestly trying to help others. That and, well, her actions had been planned and sanctioned.” The part about it being sanctioned might not be true, but Professor McGonagall knew that Dumbledore had a knack for getting others to do his bidding while insulating himself in case it goes south. “What you did was grandstanding. Next time try jumping into the lake. That way it will be easier to tell when you are in way over your head. - Now, as suggested, I think it high time we call it a night.”
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Well, this chapter went pretty much like I expected it to go. We all knew Riddle never stood a chance, making this confrontation nothing more than a formality. So that obviously only leaves the possibility of this chapter devolving/evolving into your trademark things going into off the rails and bringing in stuff from other dimensions shtick. An enjoyable chapter. And I'm glad that you included Hermione getting scolded for a bit more of a serious touch. Means that the chapter still has some weight to it instead of feeling like mostly a filler chapter (and I can't believe you managed to make me describe a climactic ending as mostly filler).
Good what she was thinking convincing her friends who are first years to try to fight a grown wizard is beyond me. Harry only stood half a chance because he was the chosen one.
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This chapter really belonged to the last. The need to cut chapters down to size for editing kind of forces me to break things up a bit.
The next is a continuation of the night's events to finally finish things off. As far as Riddle goes.
While I admit that the idiot was a pasty I'm not sure about how unwilling he was . People will sometimes do anything to be important in some way and I have no doubt that Tom could convince people to follow him easily enough even without using magic. As for how his pasty died Harry touch was like poison to Tom and in order to live he left the pasty and the separation killed him. According to the headmaster in the book. He doesn't give much detail about it. Maybe because he thought Harry was too young or something like that. If nova is smart she look up Tom grandfather's records considering he was arrested at home so the address of his home might be on file somewhere in the records.
wow i love it this played out so good.
awesome chapter.