Bab 85: ch 85 Nothing is normal here
7:12 am, Saturday Hogwarts Boathouse, Black Lake
-Third-person POV-
Everybody hurts…
🎵…🎶…🎵…🎶…🎵
As Marshall's song ended, the boathouse, lake, castle grounds and the forest became silent.
Dumbledore stood still and observe the situation. He felt heavily unease by what just happened.
He kept glancing at the house ghosts and elves who are keeping quiet and looking at Marshall. The elves' finger didn't ease up and remained in their snapping stance.
The headmaster was going to take a step forward but stopped when he sees a thick white smoke appeared around Marshall. A strong scent of incense spread around the area.
The sudden appearance of the white smoke accompanied by the strong scent surprised Dumbledore. He recognized it, and he mumbled, "Aura!?"
Recalling his times with the Flamels during his early years, Albus had seen Nicolas and Perenelle wield magic without wand. At first, he thought it was just wandless magic, but the old couple explained aura to him. He distinctly remembered the green color aura with mint scent that Nicolas had.
The headmaster was not the only one who recognized aura at the scene, the four ghosts are also familiar with it.
They had lived around the time when individuals who used aura to cast magic are more prevalent than the present time.
When they were alive, Sir Nicholas and Fat Fryer had met Merlin outside Hogwarts and had run into immortals and gods on some occasions.
Bloody Baron remember the times Salazar Slytherin tried to research aura but failed to learned it because the immortals and gods during the old times, and even today, were wary of wizards learning aura magic.
The most affected, seeing the white aura around Witcherly was Helena. Her mother, Rowena Ravenclaw, was able to secretly learn and use aura.
But it came with a price.
Using aura to perform magic exhaust a mortal's life force when they overexert themselves. Only immortal humans and gods are exempt from the backlash.
Rowena's insistence of using aura caused her body to get weaker. The sudden death of Helena at the hand of the person she tasked to look for her daughter, devastated her and greatly took a toll on her already frail heart and caused her death.
Seeing Marshall's white aura with strong scent of incense gave them a shock. A young wizard was able to learn aura!?
Their surprise didn't stop there.
A few seconds later, figures emerge from the white smoke. They recognized some of them as Marshall's pets: The large golden red barn owl and dragon toad with the fairy with red butterfly wings. There was also Witcherly's house elf, Jolly.
The ones they didn't recognize were the elegant white horse, ram, heron, and a small fish swimming inside a floating sphere of water.
The elf and animals approached Marshall and checked up on him.
The boy still have his eyes closed and not moving. The animals didn't disturb him in his trance-like state.
A large tentacle quietly rose from the water and gently waved at the animals and magical creatures. The owl, toad and fairy floated and greeted the squid.
The beasts and animals appear to be communicating with the squid.
To Dumbledore's surprise, Fawkes flew over landing at one of the wood piling of the dock and observe the creatures surrounding Marshall, who is still not moving.
The elegant female gray heron standing still caught the attention of the phoenix, and Fawkes started calling the heron.
Reza didn't pay attention to the screeching phoenix as her focus was on Marshall.
Fawkes started calling louder and louder but didn't receive a response from the elegant heron. Frustrated, the phoenix let out a small burst of flame that made its way toward the heron.
Instead of avoiding the flame, Reza waved one of her wing and extinguished the fire.
The heron turned her neck, glared at the phoenix and open her long beak. A stream of white ghostly flame bursts out and directly hit the wood piling that the Phoenix was perching on.
Thankfully, Fawkes reacted quickly and avoid the white flame. He quickly flew up and made his way back toward Dumbledore in the boathouse.
While Fawkes was flying back, the small fish in the water sphere circled around and with the flip of its tail push some water out. The water turned into a pile of snow and directly hit Fawkes.
Seeing the display of magic of the heron and fish, those who were inside the boathouse figured out that the new four animals are magical.
Tania flew toward the four ghosts and greeted them. Helena showed a rare smile and talked to the fairy.
Bloody Baron had a proud expression when he saw Helena's smile. He was the one who asked Marshall's pet to visit and befriend Helena.
Jolly walked over and greeted Wigby and the other elves. He had interacted with them when Marshall updated the school menu.
Fawkes returned to Dumbledore's side and shook off the snow on his body and screech softly.
The headmaster observe everyone. He knows that Marshall had interacted with everyone inside and outside the castle. He just didn't realized how deeply the kid had integrated himself and won over everyone.
If not for his and Marshall's connections with the Flamel, Dumbledore would have been very troubled by the kid. Marshall didn't hide his disapproval of him regarding Harry and the things happening inside the school.
The boy is obviously considering his and the Flamels relationship.
Everyone was surprised when they heard someone laughed, "Huh?! What's everyone doing out here?"
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-Marshall's POV-
Though I still believe that my previous life was not that bad, I accepted the fact that I missed out on some things growing up.
I internally advise my former self, "It's ok to not be okay."
While singing, I can already feel tears flowing down my face. With the tears, I feel something being released in my subconscious.
The feeling felt like the sudden rush of air that you get after holding your breath for too long.
It was so refreshing.
Somewhere deep in my mind, I hear a faint sound. As I concentrated to make out what the sound was, I realized that I'm actually hearing two different kinds of sounds that overlapping with each other.
*Arf!*Meow! *Aarf!*Meoow!*Arf!*Meow!
?!
'Huh? A bark and a meow?' I was surprised by what I heard. I'm very familiar with the sounds since I have a habit of window shopping at the local pet shops back in Ottery, a habit I didn't stop even after contracting Avatar Long.
I thought the sounds were coming from my mindscape so I appeared inside and sensed every inch of the place.
No cat or dog was found. I was puzzled, but then I noticed that the unicorn heard were huddled together. I can't find my pets, contracted beast and Jolly, in the Beast Space.
Then I panicked and exit my mindscape, opened my eyes and saw the Giant Squid playing with Naji and Bunta.
"Brneigghh..." I heard Grace's voice at my left and found Reza on standing to my right in her heron form.
Someone bumped my back, I recognized Gavel's hard horn.
A sphere of water containing Avatar long in his Blue Oranda goldfish form floated down in front of me.
I chuckled, "Huh?! What's everyone doing out here?"
Everyone hearing me was surprised. But after a few seconds of shock, they quickly gather around me.
I sighed, stood up and put my guitar away. Quickly activating my soul mapping, I realized the mess I made.
Without my bracelet, my soul sensing ability even covered the entirety of the Forbidden Forest.
The forest and lake inhabitants are either repulsed or attracted to me.
Everyone in the castle were out and waiting at the viaduct courtyard. I was alarmed when I didn't find Quirrell with them, 'F*ck! Where is he?'
I just dismiss my concern for now, as the ghost and Dumbledore are approaching me. Fawkes was with the headmaster, but he was cautious of me for some reason.
Jolly jogged towards me and handed me a handkerchief.
I just remembered that I was crying a moment ago.
*Cough*
"Mr. Witcherly, Can you explain what happened just now?" Dumbledore asked.
Scratching my head and I just said, "Uhm… Would you believe that It's my birthday tradition to sing a sad song in honor of my deceased parents?"
My pets, beasts, and Jolly gave me a questioning look, but thankfully they remained silent.
With a sigh, the Headmaster just accepted my explanation.
The ghost of Helena Ravenclaw floated near me and asked, "Are you fine now, Young Witcherly?"
The three other house ghosts followed behind her with Wigby.
Their action elicits a raised eyebrow from Dumbledore.
Hearing her, I asked myself the same question. Though I acknowledge and vent out about sad parts in my previous life, I know that it was just the first step of me truly moving on.
I answered her question, "I'm not sure. Kinda?! Let me check..."
After taking the deep breath, I took out my sleek black wand and concentrate. Deviating from the norm, I didn't concentrate on one particular happy memory.
Instead, I summed up the positive and negative memories from my previous and current life. I softly mumbled, "A memory can't be called a happy one if the sad ones didn't exist. Sad memories shouldn't be dismiss. Both kind of memory are part of who I am..."
*Arf! …*Meow!
When I heard the sounds coming from deep within me, I smiled and waved my wand over the Black Lake and chanted…
"Exspectō Patrōni!"
A dazzling vapor came out of my wand. Few seconds later, two figures appeared from deep within the luminous vapor, a dog, and a cat.
My Patronuses ran at the open space above the lake and acted like two pets who had been caged for too long by their owner and suddenly set free.
I quickly recognized what breed the dog Patronus was, a Pembroke Welsh corgi that is missing a tail.
The cat Patronus, however, is difficult to distinguish because it has an almost 3ft long tail. I have to ask Siri...
Me: What breed of cat is that Patronus?
Siri: Devon Rex...
Me: Why is the tail so long?
Siri: The Patronus came from you. How would I know?
'Damn… Siri just talked back at me.' The b*tchy reply surprised me. I just accepted that the cat Patronus is a Devon Rex with a very long tail.
After running around the lake, the two Patronuses came dashing back at me barking and meowing.
I reach out with both hands, receiving each Patronus. Petting them and touching their fur was a nice feeling.
'Eh? Fur? Animal sound?' I was surprised by how life-like the two were.
Looking for clarification, I turned to the ghosts and Dumbledore and asked, "Is this normal?"
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-Dumbledore's POV-
"Is this normal?" asked Marshall with an innocent face.
In my mind, my reaction was, 'Normal? Anything that has anything to do with you is not normal!'
The white aura can still be acceptable since Marshall was related to the Flamels and Merlin.
Marshall being surrounded by his pets, ghost, and house elves, with the Giant Squid's tentacles swaying behind him after singing and creating a huge commotion, is already giving me a headache.
But seeing him producing two Patronus at the same time gave me a heart attack.
The great eighteenth-century researcher of Charms, Professor Catullus Spangle, set forth certain principles regarding Patronus that are widely accepted as true.
And having two Patronuses from one person is not one of them.
There are known examples where a person's Patronus change in their lifetime transforming due to bereavement, falling in love, shock or profound shifts in a person's character.
Separately, a dog and a cat Patronus is quite common. But together? How did that happen? It's not normal!
~end chapter ~
Next chapter is on May 13.
Stay safe everyone.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
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