This story is a work of fiction. Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc. are all copyrighted by J. K. Rowling and Scholastic books. As I am not either, I make no profit from such writing and am not an authority on them. Other, "real-life" characters in this story are being used without their authorization, and their sexuality is not currently in question, though we can hope, someday.
I awoke in the infirmary and saw a worried Professor Dumbledore standing over me. "Matthew? Are you all right, my boy?"
I tried to answer, but my tongue felt like cotton and I couldn't answer.
He sat down next to my bed and sighed. "You've put me into something of a mess, my boy. I had to try to explain to a great many people why both you and Michael seemed afflicted at the same time.
I swallowed, several times, before croaking, "What did you come up with?"
"I said you have a natural ability to sense pain and that his illness affected you very strongly."
"Wh-where is he?" I struggled to sit up. Professor Dubmledore tsked and moved the curtain away from the side of my bed. Michael lay in the bed next to mine, although it was hard to tell, as he was blinking in and out of sight. At each return to sight, he seemed more insubstantial, as though he were phasing out of existence. "What does Madame Pomfrey say about that?"
He gave me a small smile. "She's baffled, actually, and not pleased with that."
I nodded. "I think the spell ran out." I thought for a moment. "Or something disrupted it. I haven't felt any weakness, and I can't believe it'd be this sudden."
"At least your mind seems to be working."
"Sure. Always." I grinned weakly. "Speaking of which, I have something else I need to ask you about, but it can wait. Can you do me a favor and get me over to Michael? I don't want to waste any energy to move."
"What are you doing?"
"Stopping him from dying. And having a LOT of questions to answer." He looked doubtful. "Trust me, sir. I'm up to this."
He nodded and pulled out a wand. "I think this will be the most expedient way. Wingardium Leviosa!"
I felt gravity lose its hold on me as I gently lifted into the air. I smiled. I always liked this one. Dumbledore gently moved me over to where I hovered over Michael's prone form, and gently rotated me until I faced him. I let my hand rest on his forehead and focused on retaining his solidity and recharging, as it were, the spell of his creation. I glowed with a slight aura. It ran down my hand and suffused his evaporating body. As the glow brightened gradually around him, and he slowly returned to solidity.
I remember seeing the color come into his cheeks and his tone become solid before I passed out again. The air can be SO comfortable.
Halloween was over when I returned to the real world. Michael was already up and functional, or so it seemed. I groaned and sat up. "Feel better?" Harry sat by my bedside, watching me. I nodded and stretched, causing a series of deep, tendon-loosening pops and cracks. He winced at the sound and handed me a change of clothes. "Everyone's asking about you."
"I'll bet."
He waited while I dressed and noticed how wobbly I stood. "You need some help?"
I grinned helplessly and he took one of my arms to put over his shoulders. "Good thing you're here, Harry. I need to talk with you."
"OK."
"Can we go to the Chamber?"
"Why?"
"Privacy." I laughed sheepishly. "And fewer stairs to climb."
"Oh. All right."
He took me to the girls' bathroom and hissed at the sink, which opened before us. The pipe, which before had been nasty and slimy, was now clean and silver. We made our way down the gradual slope and into the first chamber. The rubbish had been removed and the giant statue of a serpent that hid the other doorway had been removed and the doorway unblocked. He looked at me. "You've been busy."
I motioned him through the doorway. Inside, the Chamber had been redone. The dark gray granite had been replaced by snow-white marble, which glowed with a golden radiance of many oil lamps set into wall niches that ignited the moment we entered. A few chairs and desks sat in the empty room and Harry gently lowered me into one.
"I'm...impressed," he admitted. "You've been spending a lot of time down here, haven't you?"
I nodded, already feeling better. I'd put so much energy into this place, seeing how much I'd accomplished made me feel...more complete.
"So what did you want to talk with me about, then?"
"A few things, actually. First off, how're things going with you and Ron?"
He blushed. "Aaaw, that's so sweet. Not to pry, but you two haven't...you know..."
"Not yet," he affirmed. "It's a little difficult when we're sharing the room with four other boys.
That made sense. "Well, don't use this place. It's a stone floor and wouldn't be very comfortable," I said with a false snap in my voice.
He chuckled. "This is the other thing. I'm re-making the Chamber, as you can see. I thought a fortress specifically focused against Voldemort and his compatriots would be suitable. It's not nearly done, but I wanted to show it to you. I think I'll need some help to finish it. But I just wanted you to know, because I want to you join the team." He looked at me strangely. "Well," I amended, "perhaps I should say I'd like to join your team. Voldemort's hatred is for you specifically, but the more allies you can have, the better."
"No offense, but what makes you think you can help me?"
"This room doesn't prove anything?"
"Not really. Transfiguring one kind of stone to another isn't very difficult."
"No, it's not," I admitted. "So it's up to you."
He looked at me very closely, his green eyes digging into mine. "There's something you're not telling me. And it's important."
I nodded to both statements. "Harry, I'm an Auror. I'm here on a mission to find Voldemort. I can't have you tell everyone, but that's why Dumbledore's given me the freedoms that he has. Similar to yours, actually, if you think it over. I have been using most of my power to help the students here learn to fight Voldemort and to set up some other defenses, but I've been busy." I sighed. "Busier than I thought I would be. Look, I want to be your friend, but it's possible I won't be here when the year ends. I don't know when I'll be reassigned." I sighed. "And that's one reason I invited you to come with me over the holidays. Not that I don't want your company, but." I fell away.
"I understand, Matt. I do. And I'd still love to come."
"Good. Go on up to class. I'll stay down here for a little longer."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure." He turned to go. "Wait! How's Michael?"
"Who?"
"Professor D'Angelius."
"Oh. He's fine. Why?"
"Just asking." Again he gave me a strange look, but left.
With a thought, all the oil lamps but the one nearest my chair went out, leaving me to contemplate the darkness and wonder at the risks I'd taken.
The next day was back to routine, as normal. My teachers (except Snape, of course) were happy to have me back and expressed curiosity as to the nature of my illness. I only shrugged it off and said I must've been more tired than I thought.
I continued my project, as normal, and completed my homework. Harry and Ron were cute together, and Hermione and I spent a lot of time "aaww"ing and making kissy faces.
As my work on the Chamber continued, I noticed that, despite the fact I hadn't lessened the amount of work I was doing, I wasn't getting as tired when I...improved it. And by the time the Holidays were approaching, I had completed about half of my work there. I found it strange that I spent so much time in a place that wasn't originally part of my assignment. But it just felt...right.
It was the final Quidditch match before the holidays: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. I dressed in my heavy winter clothes and went out to the Quidditch field so I could watch the game. I was looking forward to it, as it was an important game in determining the Quidditch Cup. Harry sat on a bright red firebolt and zoomed above the match, watching for the Snitch.
I watched one of the Weasley twins-couldn't tell which-smack a Bludger directly towards Malfoy, who was staying on Harry's tail.
The game progressed fairly well, but without Oliver Wood, the Gryffindors didn't have the same quality of keeper as they had in past years. The game went on for a good hour before the Snitch was even spotted. Someone in the crowd "ooh"ed and caused everyone else to look. Gryffindor BADLY needed the Snitch. They were down by fifty points, and if they lost to Slytherin, they wouldn't have a chance for the Cup.
Harry saw the Snitch and took off after it like a bolt of lightning. I couldn't follow him. He was too fast. He caught up to the Snitch, and as he strained to reach it, a huge shadow fell over the playing field. Accompanying this was a gust of wind that nearly threw Harry and the rest of the players off their brooms.
Overhead, an ENORMOUS dragon stretched out its wings and looked down at us. The teachers were all out of their seats, though the students were running in panic. The monster reared back its head and gouts of purple flame issued from its maw. Michael and I simultaneously wove the Mantle and made it as large as possible while Dumbledore and several of the other teachers tried to quell the flames before striking any of the students.
Luckily, the shields held, although barely. We were all wondering what to do when the dragon laughed. I, for one, was utterly confused. Dragons are powerfully magical creatures, but I'd never heard of one showing signs of human intelligence. Yet it laughed at us and reared back again.
"Inime aval ayachne!" I cried, throwing a pillar of freezing water toward its mouth. The flames hit the water in a cloud of steam that blocked the monster from our sight. "Professor?!" I looked back.
The Prefects and Head Boy and Girl were ushering the students away from the field as quickly and orderly as possible. The rest of the teachers were all prepared with wands at the ready. As the steam cleared and we could see the creature, they all raised their wands and yelled, "STUPEFY!" The dozen or so green beams struck the monster...and rebounded. A series of Shielding Charms defended against the backlash, but Michael was already hurling lightning at the monster. The lightning hissed against its black scales and the creature roared in vexation.
The dragon whirled and aimed for Harry, still on his broom. He'd been prevented from landing by the attacks and was flying for his life. Harry zoomed away and the jaws snapped audibly on empty air. In response, MY bolt of lightning hit the monster under its jaw, snapping its head back.
Its red eyes narrowed and it hovered, searching. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry trying to come in for a landing now that we had the monster distracted and the dragon saw it, too. Another burst of roiling purple flame hurled towards us. We raised the shields once again, and it parted away, scorching the ground around us. As we defended against the attack, the dragon snarled, "Now, you're mine, boy!" The head dove toward Harry again. I dropped my shield and screamed as the remnants of the arcane fire burned through me. I DID, however, manage to re-create the shield around Harry. The monster's nose hit the shield as though hitting a solid wall and recoiled.
The fire died away, leaving hissing smoke from my scorched red skin. My clothes had all burned away, along with most of the ground around me. "Professor," I hissed, "it's Voldemort."
Michael nodded and flooded me with healing energy. The burning faded, and now I felt cold from the wind. "Show me," I whispered. Interposed over the dragon's head, I saw a human one. Pasty white with slitted red eyes and slits for nostrils. I narrowed my eyes. "Distract him. I have an idea." Michael drew the fire wand and began pelting Voldemort with various-sized balls of fire. Though the fire didn't harm the dragon, the impacts distracted him and allowed me to summon to my hand the book of Darkest Magic. It appeared in my hand and I hurriedly opened the cover, leafing through the pages until I found the spell I needed.
"Inime argo morno val. Necros dei torei dai. Kimish ka marandala! CORNO MOR DEMENODRE!!" As I began the incantation, small wisps of black light flowed from all of the teachers and Harry. They all drooped a little, but kept their assaults on the dragon ("Stupefy," "Impedimentia," etc.) and dodging the backlash. I continued the spell and a large black stream of energy flooded me from all the students in the castle. I felt my own power draining from me, forming a giant black ball in front of me that grew with each moment. I committed most of my energy to finishing this ball and hurling it at the dragon. And so I did. The ball became a beam as large as my body that traveled instantaneously between the dragon and myself.
Its scream of irritation rose an octave as real pain overrode Voldemort's control. Black flames burned the scales off the monster and reduced flesh and bone to ash. The scream gurgled as the monster exploded to piles of ash that gently rained down on us. A giant shadow fled the dying dragon just before the explosion and vanished to the north. I allowed myself to flop to the ground and took a few deep breaths.
"Uh, Matt??"
"Oh," I called. "Sorry, Harry. Give me a second." I removed the spell-shield around him and he rushed over. "I don't think I'm doing that spell any more," I groaned.
"Most impressive, young man," Professor Dumbledore said. "I must say, that spell was rather...uncomfortable."
"Sorry, sir."
"That was a very powerful Dark spell, Matthew. I am not pleased."
"Sorry, sir, but it was the only spell I thought would work. That...thing combined Voldemort's abilities with a dragon's resistance to magic, and fire, and well, I knew I needed something stronger. I was going to just use my energy, but my life wasn't enough to destroy the monster and drive off Voldemort. I needed some of the life from all of the students. He's very strong. As you know."
I slowly stood. Harry pulled off his Quidditch robes and put them over me to cover me. I smiled. "Thanks. Now, if you will all excuse me, I need a shower." My knees buckled and Harry caught me. I grinned sheepishly. "And a nap. Then, sir, if you'll permit, I think we need to discuss the defenses of the school."
Professor Dumbledore nodded and turned to the other teachers. Harry accompanied me to the castle.
"Well, Matt," Harry gushed as we walked up to the school, "I suppose you can help me more than I thought. Not that I didn't think you'd be helpful, but that was amazing. I've never seen anyone casting spells like that before."
"I don't hope to have to do so again," I wearily reminded him.
"Anyway, thanks for saving my life. I owe you."
I stopped for a moment. "You want to pay me back?"
He hesitated. "Yeah."
"Good. Help me to a hot shower and then to a bed and I'll call it even."
He grinned. "Deal." He waited while I showered, rinsing off the ash from the dragon's destruction and using the hot water to warm up. He tossed me a towel to dry off; then I put his Quidditch robes back on until we made it to the dorm.
"Password," the Fat Lady asked.
"Floral Hygiene," Harry answered.
He led me up to the dormitory where I slipped out of his scarlet robes, threw on some boxers and slipped into bed. "How're you holding up," I asked. "You contributed to the spell, too."
"I'm tired," he admitted, "but I need to see Ron. Then I'll go to bed, myself."
"OK. Sounds good to me. G'night, Harry."
He smiled. "Sleep well."
I dreamt that day. In it, I could sense darkness nearby. A great, overwhelming power, though I couldn't recognize it. I searched everywhere, trying to find it, but it remained hidden. The feeling was like a void, sucking all my life, all my energy away, yet remaining invisible. It was empty, yet full of something else I couldn't place. Anger? Fear? Hatred? Jealousy? All I could tell was that it was drawing nearer all the time and heading straight for me. As it got closer, I grew more frightened. I couldn't beat it, whatever it was, and I knew it.