Chapter 40: The clouds are gathering
- 'My Lord,' Nott Senior entered the underground hall of Voldemort's fortress. - A wizard has arrived, claiming that you invited him.
- Invite-a-l? - Voldemort sighed. - A brave man. Well, call him.
A few minutes later, a new man appeared in the throne room - a grey-haired, wrinkled old man, dressed in a simple grey robe, leaning on a simple travelling staff.
- I have received your letter, Lord Voldemort," the old man bowed demurely. - And I am willing to participate in your war, for the right reward.
- Reward? - The corners of Voldemort's lips lifted in what must have been a sneer. - And what do you want as a reward?
- Dumbledore's head when you win, Lord Voldemort.
- I think I understand why you hate the old man so much," the lord said, eyeing the calm wizard intently. - He killed your teacher once, didn't he?
- Exactly," he said, not a muscle in his bony face. - He betrayed and killed my master, who was Dumbledore's ally in the First World War. And then looted his castle.
- Good," Voldemort, surprisingly, did not punish the overly self-important wizard. - In memory of your teacher, I accept your service. Your first assignment will be Alastor Moody and Sirius Black.
- Moody..." the old man stretched out. - 'We met him once... I'm told he's matured.
- Nott! - Voldemort raised his voice. - Show Mr Ben-Hur to his chambers.
5 November 1995. Blаck Mansion.
- All done. - Sirius Black, who had been sitting since early morning in front of a desk littered with various obscure tools, had finally finished his work, accompanied by numerous flashes and a not too pleasant odour. - Not even Dumbledore will detect the portal, as I used a longer and more awkward method of making a portkey, which is why it didn't spread. Remember this, it'll come in handy. Activated by either a strong squeeze of the hand or the phrase "Brainiacs are all around us".
- Yeah, the password's right in line with Luna's image," Neville laughed. - 'It's a win-win.
The aristocrat tossed Neville the finished portal, a radish-shaped earring. Then he carefully gathered the tools into their cases and closed the old book he'd been working from for the last hour.
- Thank you, Sirius. - Neville tucked the metal vegetable that had been turned into an artefact into the wallet on his belt. - Harry's former friends came up to me on Thursday.
- What do they want? - Black frowned.
- 'You're going to laugh, Sirius. They've decided to organise a group to study Defence Against the Dark Arts on their own... a secret group. Hermione had asked to see if there was a suitable room at Hogwarts for five to ten people to train together.
- If Harry had stayed in England, one could joke that the Chamber of Secrets would be suitable for training, and then look at their faces. - Sirius laughed. - 'But it would be better to let them settle in the Room-by-Wish.
- The Wishing Room? What's that?
- Ohhhh... My young friend, it's one of the most interesting places in Hogwarts! - Sirius squeezed his eyes dreamily. - This room is on the third floor near the portrait of Barnabas the Wicked.
- But there are no doors in that corridor. - Neville looked at the man who was lost in his memories.
- That's why it's called the Wishing Room. If you walk past this portrait three times thinking that you need a room to practice Defence Against the Dark Arts, the door to the room will appear.
- A serious approach to disguise.
- You don't yet know the most important thing you shouldn't tell the others. You'll tell the others that you've set up the doors so that you need to walk past that portrait three times with the thought of the training room where you're going.
- And in reality?
- And in reality, the room can change at your will. Hogwarts bound library, with the books from the forbidden section not barred there. Just a study if you want some privacy. - Sirius smiled blissfully. - You could spend a romantic evening with your favourite girl in there, mind you. And as long as someone is in the room, you can't get into it unless you know exactly what it's turned into at the will of those inside.
- Thanks, Sirius.
- You better even know how to tell them-" Black rubbed his chin. - Tell them that I've set the spell on myself only, and there's no use for anyone else to go in there. Not that I'm against using the room, which we found during our studies, but it would be imprudent to give it away now, and you'll still need a safe corner. Then again, these people betrayed my godson, so they don't deserve such a gift.
- You're right, it's better this way.
- Besides, you'll make yourself indispensable to this group, which is probably very closely guarded by our dear headmaster. And you'll keep your finger on the pulse of events among the most... active supporters of Dumbledore in the school.
- Yes, I've already realised that the Headmaster is training his future staff in Gryffindor. - Neville shook his head sadly. - My grandmother used to tell me how influential a Hogwarts upbringing was on the later attitudes of those who graduated. I was impressed.
- Now you see why the Headmaster didn't become Minister of Magic after he defeated Grindewald. He got a much more convenient and less time-consuming position as Chairman of the Wizengamot, and - went back to the school and became Headmaster. He gets money from various sources, but, to be fair, he doesn't keep too much for himself, the bulk of his income going to charity.
- Fear the idealists, the well wishers," Neville quoted a Muggle classic.
- Exactly. Dumbledore is an idealist. And dangerous for that reason. For the sake of his mythical common good, he is destroying all the old knowledge of magic and turning the magical world into a kind of Muggle world. And for the same good, he's making Harry's life a living hell.
- Hermione, Ron, we need to talk. - Neville sat down next to the pair, who were finally studying, and watched the girl reprimand her red-haired friend for another mistake in his essay.
- Yes, Neville," Hermione looked at the young man with a smile.
- 'I was talking to Sirius about the room. - Neville pulled a pause, making his companions nervous. - He tipped me off to the right room.
- And?
- And I've been there. It's a dueling chamber with a platform and padded mats in part of the room. It's quite large, enough room for 15 or 20 people if your group grows.
- Where is it and how do you get there? - Hermione was already jumping up and down with impatience.
- It's on the third floor by the portrait of Barnabas the Hanged Man. - Neville's companions frowned, remembering where that portrait was. - Don't bother, I didn't remember where it was either. There are special enchantments placed on the door that only allow the room to be opened by the first person who opens the room after a long time of obscurity.
- Meaning? - Even Hermione was somewhat perplexed.
- So now, since the room hasn't been used in over fifteen years, only I can open it, and that's until I graduate from Hogwarts. - Neville smiled inwardly at the looks on their faces. - Sirius said that's the magic of this room.
- Good. - Hermione tried to find words of gratitude, though she was seething with resentment at having to depend on Neville for such an important matter. - When can we see her?
- This afternoon, at least. And by the way," Neville gestured with a magician's gesture and placed the ancient parchment on the table. - Harry sent me his map.
- The Marauders' map?! - Ron glared greedily at the parchment soaked in powerful enchantments. - But why? - The redhead stumbled back from a kick under the ribs from the girl.
- Why did he give the map to me and not you? - Neville inwardly grimaced in disgust. - 'Because I, unlike you, wrote to him.
- But he wasn't allowed to write a letter," Hermione even raised her voice in indignation.
- But you knew Sirius was in a relationship with him, didn't you? - Neville looked at Ron. - Your mum has been telling you the news from Dumbledore, hasn't she?
- She always says very little," the boy muttered.
- "But she did tell you that Sirius was the one who got the letter from Harry for the Priggery, didn't she? Did you ever wonder how Sirius could have asked Potter for something if he didn't know the address?
- No.
- Okay, we'll go look at the premises this afternoon. And maybe I'll find someone else to train with us. - Neville stood up abruptly, leaving his former friends sitting at the table and drilling him with disgruntled looks in the back.
At lunch, Neville sat away from his former Potter friends on the other side of the table, and chatted with Colin Creevey about something. Then, after suggesting that Ron and Hermione meet Varnava in half an hour in the corridor, he went off somewhere.
- Luna! - Sitting on a window sill in some dusty corridor, the girl turned her head as she saw Neville emerge from around the corner.
- Look, there are festrals hovering over the forest. - Luna's dreamy smile was, as always, completely inscrutable to the average person. Following her delicate finger, Neville saw three black horses with leathery wings circling over the forest.
- I have something for you, Luna. - Neville glanced at Luna, who was still stuck to the window.
- New goggles to look for brainiacs or bouki wool? - Luna laughed, and then, as if by magic, cast off her Lovegood Holloway mask, smiling softly at Neville.
- 'Not really, but I'll think about it...' Longbottom pulled a portal packed in a small, elegant box from his pocket.
Luna, carefully opening the box, pulled out and immediately tried on a dreadlock earring, removing one of the ones that had been hanging in her ears before.
- It looks nice," she looked at her pale reflection in the windowpane. - Why is there only one?
- It's a portal to the Black house. If one day you're used as a means of pressuring your father, and you get outside of Hogwarts, the portal will send you to Sirius' mansion, where no outsider can go.
- Father told me what you were up to. - Luna nodded. - How do you set it off?
- By squeezing your hand hard or by saying, 'Brainiacs are all around us.'
Luna chimed in with a ringing laugh when she heard the password.
- Who came up with it?
- Sirius, who else. But," Neville shrugged his shoulders, looking at the girl twirling her head in front of the glass with a smile, "before that, he spent a long time asking me what words you often say and about your interests. I guess he was looking for a good phrase.
- Thank you for worrying about me. Give my thanks to Sirius. And this," the girl leaned down without getting off the windowsill, kissing Longbottom briefly on the cheek, "you don't need to pass this on to anyone.
The laughter of well meaning people filled the corridor. Luna took an old dreadlock earring that had become redundant and, with a sly smile, clipped it to Neville's collar in the manner of a pendant, and then went off somewhere further into a little-used part of the castle, looking for some mysterious animals or old secrets. Neville watched the girl's slim figure disappear down the end of the corridor and carefully removed the radish from her collar.
The wand he pulled out of his sleeve described a complex chain of transfiguration symbols in the air - and the radish earring became a radish pendant, which he immediately hung on the chain around his neck like an unusual amulet. Clenching the radish in his fist, the young man walked in the direction of the Wishing Room, there was much to be done today, as they had agreed in their letters with Harry. Sirius Black, who had also decided to get involved in the young wizards' training, had promised to send a list of those spells learnt in Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts twenty years ago, via Augusta, by the next day.
- The ministerial contraption called Defence," Sirius said this morning, twirling his wand between his fingers, "is a fantasy to appease children and their parents. Only the simplest of things really go through there, and, in general, not necessarily useful in case of trouble. Although there is a certain sense in it - only things that are feasible for all students are learnt, and combat spells that can cause real harm are not used in the corridors during clashes. The Auror spells I teach you, they don't need to know... not necessarily. Or not all of them. You've got Granger there, let her have a headache about the extra curricular stuff, especially since she'll probably bring you something 'for extra study'.
After another couple of minutes, Neville was waving his wand to remove the protection spell from the door that had appeared out of nowhere. The spell did exist, but it had been cast by himself as a diversion, not affecting the properties of the Room-at-Will in any way. The spell wasn't too complicated, just very, very rare, and had been suggested by Sirius, who had opened an old book in front of Neville.
- It wasn't hard to cast it, it was just that you had to recognise it first. And the spell is rare, and not likely to be found in the Hogwarts library. - Sirius grinned. - Dumbledore himself had removed all the more or less dangerous things from there, as well as powerful spells. It'll do for a diversion.
- How much longer? - Ron looked around, not hiding his displeasure. - I don't want to be spotted.
- Wait a bit. - With Neville's last word, the lock clicked into place, and the students stepped inside and were faced with a vast hall with grey-blue tiles on the floor and walls. Old, faded banners hung from the ceiling along the walls, and dozens of magical torches illuminated the room, leaving no shadows. Half of the room was occupied by two dueling platforms made of thick oak planks, the other half by large, soft mats, with a fireplace burning brightly at the far end.
- Dobby. - Neville turned to the elf who had appeared beside him. - 'Bring us some juice and cakes, please.
- 'Neville, how can you exploit a poor elf? - Hermione clasped her hands together.
- 'Elves can't survive on their own anyway,' Neville looked at the outraged girl, amused. - Or are you going to order me to sprinkle ashes on my head about being a slave owner? Unlike the Malfoys, elves were always treated with respect and not punished at Longbottom Manor.
Hermione shook her head stubbornly.
- 'But let's not talk about that,' Neville sat down by the fireplace, pulling one of the mats closer. - How are we going to get together?
- At least once a week, otherwise we won't have any practice at all. -Hermione was in her usual element of planning, and she took a breath, ignoring the way Ron, who was supposedly listening to her, was furtively scrubbing his Headmaster's badge with the sleeve of his robe.
- Only, before inviting candidates to come here, it's probably best that they sign a non-disclosure agreement first. Otherwise the whole school will know about the room.
- Speaking of which, Neville," Ron looked up from his badge. - Who else did you want to invite to the group?
- Colin and Luna.
- Lunacy?! - Ron stared at Longbottom, almost dropping his brownie. - She's a...
- Easy, mate," Neville said, a chill creeping into his voice. - Luna's a very clever girl, and it's rude to talk about the absent like that.
- But she's...
- She's a student, and her grades, by the way," Neville glanced mockingly at both of them, "are much better than yours, although Hermione is trying to get you to do better, so that as Head Girl you can set an example for the rest of the class. She wasn't even touched by Snape before the Ministerial Commission's visit, and that's saying something, even though she's a Ravenclaw, not a Slytherin.
- Ron, Neville's right," Hermione, who had been listening intently to the boys' argument, finally intervened. - Luna is a very clever girl and a strong wizard.
- Well, let's think about what we'll need in class. - Neville glanced at Hermione, who was already pulling a scroll of parchment out of her bag.
- I've sketched out a list of spells that I'm sure will be in the exams," she unrolled the scroll, which was quite long.
- Hermione, for God's sake," Neville laughed as Ron looked at the number of spells he had to study. - You wouldn't even be asked that much in a defence final exam, and we're not at Durmstrang, if you've noticed.
- What does Durmstrang have to do with it? - Hermione shook the scroll, a little confused.
- It has to do with the fact that they emphasise combat magic, which, in a stripped-down form, is called Defence Against the Dark Arts here. Didn't your Victor tell you? - Neville couldn't resist a little quip.
- He's not mine," the girl blushed. - We didn't discuss the defence in our letters.
- What did you write to him about? - Ron stretched out with suspicion in his voice, starting to get annoyed, as he always did at the mention of the Bulgarian wizard.
Neville, after saying goodbye to the Heads of Faculty who hadn't even noticed, chuckled and left the room, carefully covering the door that had disappeared again.
18 November 1995. Beauxbaton.
- So, my friends, today will be the first stage of the battle magic competition between the teams of the Rock and Sea faculties. - The voice of the commentator, seated on a small dais on the grandstand of the large training ground, rang out. - The Rock Faculty team: George Malfrock, Alexander Cole, Frank Delilah, Olaf Ragnarsson and Harold Britton.
A familiar pattern, except the presenter doesn't pull a meaningful pause before shouting my name. In this country, I'm just an equal among equals, and no one really distinguishes me from the equally deserving players. And the stands, despite Beauxbaton's stricter discipline, are just as boiling with emotion, with colourful students waving faculty flags and shouting in support of the teams coming out. The only difference was that there were no angry and mocking shouts coming from the stands of Hogwarts during Quidditch competitions. And that was happier than anything else; it was a shame that Dumbledore couldn't, and I suspect didn't want to, eradicate the eternal feud between the Hogwarts faculties.
- And-and-and-a charming team of rivals, the Faculty of the Sea. Anna Campbell," at this point even the excellent upbringing of the commentator, someone from the senior Gryphon Faculty, faltered, and he allowed himself a slight chuckle into the microphone. - Jane Delacroix, Carina Miles, Charlotte de Baille, Josephine McLeon.
- The rules are very simple," After waiting for the cheering noise in the stands to die down, the commentator gave signs of life again. - No Unforgivable," laughter in the stands. - No physical force or close contact. - More loud laughter. - Well for my fellow Faculty of the Rock - remember you are fighting beautiful, delicate and graceful girls... who nevertheless won last year's competition.
Six judges in bright blue robes flew their brooms upwards to monitor the rules from various vantage points. Simultaneously with them, obeying the wands of five wizards at once, a shining balloon-transmitter of no small size rose into the sky above the training ground, which was to act as a Muggle camera and television, transmitting images and sound from the arena through the French network of witch radio and even the still developing television, still available only to the most wealthy wizards.
- Well, gentlemen, since our opponents are ladies, I'll just say this: we'll do them. - George, who on the occasion of the competition had to take off his Muggle elbow pads and kneepads, was on a mental high.
Our teams, differing only in the colour of their baggy clothes, as Olaf joked, so as not to distract the boys with the sight of female charms, lined up at different ends of the range.
Madame Maxime looked at the Beauxbaton Board of Trustees in her box and raised her wand, signalling the start of the competition.
But there was no immediate explosion of magic on the training ground, and the teams began to converge at a quick pace, with the girls splitting up - one stayed just behind, drawing some runic design on the stones with her wand, and the other four stepped forward, blocking our way.
I, according to my plan, went to the front of the line, in charge of defence, my much larger than average wizard's reserve of energy providing us with reliable shields, which not everyone could break through with the first or even the second blow.
- But if you catch the moment when you can attack with impunity, hit with all your might. - As George explained the tactics to us, drawing out various strategies for group combat on sheets of paper.
Team Sea made the first move.
- Flamio Circle! - Two girls pointed their wands in our direction at once, and a ring of fire erupted around us, shattering powerlessly against my shield.
- Confundus! Bombarda! - Delilah and Malfrock shouted at the same time, and the spells painted the girls' shields with rainbow colours.
Further spells flew in a series, and the air between the gradually converging teams was filled with multicoloured rays.
- Insendio-Bombarda-Bombarda-Bombarda Ma-Xima! - The last spell broke through my shield, but Cole, standing next to me, deflected the explosive curse, sending it back to its creator.
After renewing my shield spell and getting a second for my own strike, I waved my wand, casting Ice Field, a rather fancy spell that turned the floor into an ice rink. The girl who was in charge of defending the right flank fell down, opening the door for us to attack.
- Stupefy Ma-Xima-Flamio Circle-Explosio! - Three blows knocked the short blonde backwards, her shield flaming around her.
- Karina Miles was eliminated from the competition after receiving three spells. - The commentator announced the team's first success.
At that moment, when luck seemed to be smiling on us, the fifth team member left behind completed her rune design and, striking her wand against the centre, caused a completely impenetrable, sound-distorting fog to appear all over the field at once.
- The Sea Faculty team is using their crowning trick, the Veil of Mists. - The commentator's muffled voice sounded as if through a down pillow.
- Harry, ice again and put up your shield," Malfrock whispered, looking around.
I immediately sent two more Ice Fields in the direction where the girl's team was supposed to be, seeming to have caught no one already. The shields the five of us had put up immediately began to be hit and blasted, showering us with stone chips.
- So, the roles in the fight had changed dramatically, the Sea team, having lost one of its members, was now shooting at its opponents, who were forced to go into silent defence. - The commentator's voice was all but muffled and barely audible over the sound of close bursts. - I wonder what made the girl's team go from their most effective trump card?
- Apparently you made them," George exhaled in the pauses between bursts, renewing his shield. - They hit with spells that don't leave rays so we can't see the source of the attack.
- George, I'm on the attack. - I updated the shield over the team and swung my wand wide. - Flamio Ignis! - The fire whip that came out of my wand whipped at waist level through the misty clouds, coming to an abrupt halt at one point.
- Insendio-Bombarda-Leviosa Circle - The last of George's chain of spells, immediately thrown in the direction of a possible enemy, was successful, and the two of us sent Stunners to where one of the girls, caught by our captain's telekinesis, hovered in the air for a second.
That was the end of our successes, as a stone of no small size fell from above and broke through the thinner protective screen above, striking Olaf and Delilah.
- Immediately, three competitors are eliminated from the game. Josephine MacLeon, Olaf Ragnarsson, Frank Delilah. - The commentator's voice sounded excited. - I hope the lovely ladies don't wreck the whole stadium.
- Damn it!" George brushed the blood off his cheek. - This looks like it's going to be a really interesting fight. I don't know how they can see through that damn fog, but unless we figure something out - Protego! - we're going to get hammered from afar.
Another rock dropped from above sent the three of us somewhere to the side, but it cost us Cole, who got an Insendio shield piercing and a couple of stunners. The slightly smoking body of our comrade fell to the ground, and George and I stood back to back, the defender-attacker scheme already useless. George, pale from overuse, managed to raise a barrier of rocks around us to deflect some of the spells, and I took advantage of the moment of respite to spin the fire lash again, which hit the water wall somewhere not far away, judging by the eerie hissing sound.
- Come on! - A jerk of the levitation spell threw us both out from behind the improvised barrier and into the direction where the water wall was now boiling. Jane Delacroix, who had been a bit slow, was in single combat with George, and I was standing just behind her, spinning like a wolf, fending off the multitude of beams coming from all directions. The only reason why we were still holding on was that my shields could be broken by the girls only with the second or even the third blow, and now I finally understood what was one of the advantages of stronger wizards in battle.
George finally managed to stun his rival, throwing the Explosive under her feet, and putting into her already falling body the reinforced Confundus, now he was working on her severed left shoulder, hiding behind my shield.
- Aqua murus! - The jets of fire that flew out from both sides hissed into the water column, depriving us of even the slightest view of the vapour that filled everything around us. I growled with exertion, feeling the blood trickle out of my nose as I struggled to keep up with the double pressure of these spells.
- George, think, I'm holding my defences," I growled through clenched teeth.
- We are now witnessing the clash of two incompatible elements. There's a reason Harold Britton got a spot on the faculty team as a fifth-year student, if he can withstand two Insendio's at once and still not get smoked!
- I wish he'd choke on his microphone," George said, waving his wand around, trying to weave something remarkably large-scale. He slashed himself on the arm, splashing blood all around us, and at the same time a mighty gust of wind blew out the fog that filled the bowl. George himself, however, struggled against the natural phenomenon created by the runic system and staggered backwards, apparently the spell was too powerful for him.
Two against two. A staggering George with a bloody face, whose wand was now only capable of casting fairly simple spells like Disarming, and a pretty battered me, who had a dozen deep scratches from who knows what. But our opponents didn't look too good either: sweaty faces, heavy breathing - they'd spent a lot of energy in a power fight using elemental magic.
- Ignea Hastam! - A well-executed Fire Lance, which I had already used against Jacob Campbell, threw his sister Anna, the captain of the Sea team, against the wall. James had somehow managed to deflect the Stuns from Charlotte de Baille, who was still on her feet, by some miracle.
- Lady, surrender," we separated, going around the girl from both sides.
With a negative shake of her head, the brunette, with her ample breasts visible even through her baggy clothes, unfurled her wand, sending another ring of fire at us. This time, the fire elemental was extinguished very close to us - the strength of everyone involved was quite low.
- Stupefy! Stupefy! - George and I decided to end the fight with the gentlest of spells. The girl's shield went out, but she crouched down gently, evading my blow.
- Stupefy! Stupefy! - Charlotte staggered, but managed to cast a Slanting Shield that knocked George's blow aside.
- Stupefy! Confundus! - Unable to react in time, the girl gently settled to the floor, picked up by my telekinesis over the paving stones.
- So, thanks to the applied blood magic and coordination of actions, the team of the Rock Faculty enters the finals of the competition, having broken the resistance of the charming and skilful team of the Sea Faculty. - The host rose from his seat, and George and I, struggling to support each other, got a chance to look around. The field, in some places ploughed and waterlogged, looked like the ruins of a Muggle bombing, and two large cobblestones, torn from the ground, lay nearby, still smoking from the fire jets that had hit them.
I used my wand to pull the body of our last rival still swaying in the air, and the captain, grinning toothily, lifted the girl gently into his arms, heading for the exit of the arena - he'd obviously decided to get to know her better by carrying Charlotte to the infirmary with the medics.
I followed them, limping slightly and writhing from the numerous abrasions that covered my body; I could use a couple of bottles of recovery potions, too.
- George! - I suddenly yelled. - What spell did you use against the fog?
- I'll tell you later," the captain turned round and took hold of his former rival's slender body and gently lowered her onto the stretcher the medics had conjured.
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