Arcane Academy

Chapter 5

Molly tapped her fingers impatiently on the table as she waited for her eldest son to return. He’d left early that morning to go to Egypt to see how Remus and Harry were fairing. Twenty minutes later, she heard the floo activate and hurried into the living room. She smiled brightly at Bill when he stepped gracefully out of the fireplace. “Did you see them? Were they both alright?”

“They’re fine, Mum,” said Bill soothingly, spelling the soot off his clothing with a quick swish of his wand. He then made a beeline for the kitchen, grabbing the tea kettle to prepare him a cup of tea. The dry, arid air of Egypt always made him thirsty the first few hours he was there.

Molly huffed impatiently and pushed him out of the way, heating the water with a spell. Bill smirked at her and sat at the table while his mother set his cup of tea and a plate of biscuits in front of him. She sat down and scowled at Bill. “Start talking. I want to know everything.”

Bill quickly cast the Mufflato charm just in case their privacy was compromised in any way before saying anything else. After all, he didn’t want all of his hard work to go to waste because of a moment of carelessness. His mother looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he muttered, “Considering what he’s already done, do your really want to chance him listening in on this conversation somehow? I wouldn’t put anything past that interfering old coot.”

Molly sighed. “You’re right. I’ve already gotten a letter from the twins, and they said that Dumbeldore was absolutely livid when Harry didn’t show up at Hogwarts on the first day of school. Who knows what he would do if he actually found the poor boy? Are you sure Harry’s completely healed, though? What will he do about his education?”

Bill grinned smugly. “Harry’s perfectly fine, Mum. Besides, you don’t need to worry about his education. Harry’s phenomenal luck has struck again. Would you believe that he was invited to attend the prestigious Arcane Academy?”

Molly frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember where she’d heard that name before. She gasped in surprise when she finally remembered. “I’ve heard of that school. It’s ranked the number one school in the entire Wizarding World. But isn’t it the school that caters to only magical creatures? Then how in Merlin’s name did Harry get an invite?”

“Because, apparently, our little Harry is just full of surprises. It seems that he has a Kitiara somewhere in his family tree, and Harry inherited those genes,” said Bill smugly. “He sent a letter to Remus today, and it seems as though he really likes the school so far.”

“I’m glad,” said Molly happily. “That poor boy deserves to be happy.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to stop tormenting Dumbledore, though. He deserves it for planning to leave Harry in that hellish prison,” said Bill quickly.

Molly smiled coyly at her son. “Whatever do you mean, Bill? I’ve not done anything to the Headmaster.”

“So what’s been making him sick?” asked Bill curiously. “At first I thought you were adding something to his food, but he hasn’t eaten anything the last few times he was sick, so obviously that can’t be it. I can’t figure out what else it could be, though.”

Molly’s smile turned vindictive. “Arthur and I decided that Albus liked messing with people’s heads a bit too much, so we used a spell that was triggered by certain phrases. In Albus’ case, the spell was activated every time he thought or spoke about sending Harry back to the Dursley’s, thus causing him to feel an extreme bout of nausea. Besides, it’s virtually undetectable unless one specifically knows what to look for it.”

“How in Merlin’s name did you actually manage to hit him with that spell? Dumbledore’s as bad as Mad-Eye with his Constant Vigilance,” asked Bill. “For that matter, where did you find the spell? I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

“Your father cast the spell. I merely distracted the good Headmaster while he did so,” said Molly smugly. “And your father found it years ago in his great-grandfather’s spell journal. He was a spell crafter back in the day.”

Bill looked at his mother in awe. “Mum, you are absolutely brilliant.”

Molly giggled at that. If Bill considered that impressive, he would be even more so when he discovered the rest of her plot. That old coot would pay for erasing her memories so blithely. It wouldn’t happen again, though. After that incident, Bill had given the whole family, including Hermione, a goblin charmed pendant to prevent any mind magic from working on them.

“Enough about that, dear,” said Molly, gesturing for her son to end the Mufflato spell. Once the spell was ended, she smiled cheerfully and asked, “Are you staying for supper, Bill?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” said Bill. “I have to go back to Egypt in the morning, and it will be a while before I can enjoy your wonderful food again. The goblins have me working on a dig that’s supposed to last about six months. I trust you’ll inform Dumbledore that I’ll be unavailable during that time?” He actually couldn’t wait to get back to Egypt. He missed the dry, arid heat... and the company of a certain mild-mannered werewolf.

“Of course, dear,” said Molly. That was actually one conversation she was looking forward to having. The old coot had gotten far too accustomed to ordering the Weasley family around like pawns on a chess board. It was about time for a little rebellion.

***

Harry yawned and headed down to the potions classroom. He wasn’t the only one with the same thought, though. Gillian Hargrove was already in the room, waiting for the timer to go off on her potion. She stared at Harry curiously as the other teen walked into the room, smirking when she realised that this was the boy her cousin was so bent out of shape over.

“So what did you do piss off Silas so much? He’s been ranting about you all day?” she asked curiously. She actually thought it was quite hilarious. Anyone who could rile Silas up like that was worth getting to know. Her arrogant cousin needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

Harry looked up at the girl and shrugged. “I honestly have no idea. I merely corrected his mistaken assumption that I was a Kitsune rather than a Kitiara. Zenith provoked him much more than I did.”

“Zenith?” That name was familiar, but she couldn’t recall a face to go with it.

“He’s a Dracken,” said Harry. “He’s apprenticing in Blood Magic this year.”

Gillian filed that information away for later. “I’ve never met a Kitiara before. How exactly are you different from Kitsunes? You look a lot alike as far as I can tell.”

“Well, I’m not a demon for one. Kitiara are half-human half-fox,” said Harry wryly. “Plus, I can use wizarding magic, elemental magic, and healing magic.”

Gillian’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. Well no wonder Kitiara’s were practically extinct. That kind of power was a fearsome thing, and humans had a habit of destroying the things they fear. Silas had best watch himself where this boy was concerned. She had no doubt at all that the Kitiara could destroy her cousin if provoked enough.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Gillian Lydana Hargrove, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I am a Dark Elf,” said Gillian, bowing shortly to Harry.

Harry sighed softly and reluctantly responded in kind. “I’m Harry James Potter, Kitiara through inheritance. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

Gillian gaped in surprise. She couldn’t believe she was looking at the legendary Harry Potter himself. Everyone in the magical community had heard of this boy. “Are you really a child of prophecy?”

Harry was saved from saying anything else when his timer went off. He quickly grabbed a stirring rod and stirred the potion before resetting the timer. Grey would stir the potion again in the morning. He hesitated a moment before turning back to face Gillian.

“That prophecy has done nothing but make my life miserable. I’m just a sixteen year old boy, and the entire wizarding world expects me to defeat a wizard they’re too frightened of to even say his name. I’m not a saviour or the chosen one. I’m just Harry,” said Harry softly.

“That’s just wishful dreaming, Harry,” said Gillian bluntly. “The fact of the matter is that this Dark Lord believes in that prophecy, and he won’t rest until one of you is dead. Besides, you’re not the type of person to abandon your friends and family to his tender mercies. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Because this school can help you reach your full potential.”

Harry scowled at the Dark Elf. She was right, of course. No matter how much he hated the thought, he knew that he would eventually have to face Voldemort once more. Voldemort himself would allow for nothing else.

Gillian just smiled sweetly at the Kitiara. She walked over to Harry and draped her arm over his shoulder, making Harry scowl once again at the fact that the elf was actually taller than he was. Gillian giggled at the disgruntled fox and ruffled his hair. The teen was absolutely adorable with his furry little ears bristled in indignation.

“I can already tell that you and I are going to be the best of friends,” said Gillian happily. “You, my cute and furry friend, shall be my new study partner for Potions.” The fact that the friendship would royally piss off her cousin was just a bonus.

“You’re up to something, aren’t you?” asked Harry, keeping a wary eye on the elf as he ducked out from under her arm and edged carefully toward the door. “You’re entirely too cheerful about the prospect of being my friend. There’s got to be something else in it for you.”

The door suddenly slammed open, hitting Harry in the hip, and Grey rushed into the room. “I can’t believe I forgot about the potion! Harry’s going to kill me!”

“You’re damn right I’m going to hurt you. You just hit me with the bloody door,” growled Harry irritably, rubbing his bruised hip. “Why are you even here? You’re supposed to stir the potion later this afternoon, dummy.”

Grey yelped in surprise and whirled around to face Harry. “Harry! What are you doing down here?”

“Stirring the bloody potion,” said Harry in exasperation. “Have you already forgotten? We just discussed the matter this morning. I was supposed to stir the potion tonight, and we would alternate from there. Remember now?”

Grey just looked at he other boy blankly. “Nope, I’m drawing a blank.”

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the developing headache. He was way too tired for this. “Just forget it, Grey. I’ll stir the damn potion myself.”

“You’re an idiot, Deveux,” said Gillian bluntly. She gave Harry a sympathetic look. “He’s an absolute disaster in Potions, Harry. The only reason he passed last year is because Mathias did all the work.”

Harry scowled at the abashed were-tiger. “You couldn’t have told me this beforehand? My potions skills are average at best. We’ll be lucky to pass this year.”

Grey pouted at the Kitiara. “You don’t want to be my partner anymore? I thought we were friends.”

“You’re an idiot, Grey,” said Harry. However, as Grey just kept looking at him with a pout on his face, Harry finally sighed. “And I’m an idiot, as well, for letting you manipulate me like this. Stop with the pout already.”

Grey grinned and pounced on Harry, rubbing his cheek affectionately against Harry’s furry ears. “I knew you’d eventually warm up to me.”

Harry pushed the excitable tiger away with a scowl. “Don’t push your luck, Grey. I’m just too nice for my own good.”

“You know you love me,” said Grey cheerfully. “You’d be lonely without me around.”

“Now you’re just plain delusional,” said Harry.

Gillian snickered at the pair. Grey was always a constant source of amusement. He was such an overly dramatic little kitty. “I can already tell this is going to be an interesting year.”

***

Harry was getting ready for bed when Tristan walked into the room. The faerie just sneered at Harry and flopped down on his bed. “I see you survived another day. And already making an enemy out of the Hargrove heir. Not very smart of you, now is it?”

Harry just shrugged. “It’s not my fault that Silas is a total arse. Let me guess, though. The two of you are the best of friends.”

Tristan sniffed haughtily. “Hardly. Hargrove is an elf, and a Dark Elf at that. Lowly elves aren’t worthy enough to associate with a Sidhe such as myself.”

“If you say so,” said Harry, rolling his eyes at the other teen’s arrogant proclamation.

Tristan scowled at Harry. “You don’t know anything, do you? A long time ago, elves were considered part of the Sidhe nation. However, four hundred years ago, a large sect of Dark Elves revolted and killed the Sidhe royals, leaving only two survivors, in a bid to take control. Needless to say, the revolters were completely destroyed, and the remaining elves were banned from our lands.”

“That seems rather harsh, though. Why were all the elves banished if the Dark Elves are the ones who revolted?” asked Harry curiously.

“Just because the Dark Elves did the actual revolting didn’t mean the others weren’t involved,” sneered Tristan. “The Light Elves knew what their darker counterparts were planning and didn’t give a word of warning. As a result, my grandmother’s entire family was killed. Only she and her twin brother survived the slaughter.”

“I see,” murmured Harry. He could understand how Tristan felt, as well. Harry had been caught in a similar situation. Dark Wizards had murdered his family. However, the Light side had ruined his life, as well. They just masked their actions under the guise of the greater good.

“In other words, the chance of me becoming Silas Hargrove’s friend is absolutely zero,” said Tristan coldly, the temperature in the room dropping drastically to match his frosty tone. “My family may not be the rulers of the Sidhe nation any longer, but we are still far superior to those damnable elves.”

The room seemed to grow colder with every word Tristan spoke, and Harry soon found himself shivering convulsively. He clenched his fists, trying to form a fireball or even a flicker of a flame, but nothing worked. His lips were starting to turn blue, and his lungs began to hurt when Eclipse suddenly growled at toward Tristan, snapping the faerie out of his cold fury.

Without Tristan’s anger to fuel the cold, the temperature in the room almost immediately returned to normal. Harry gasped in relief as the freezing air stopped stinging his lungs with every breath. Tristan could only stare at Harry in shock. There was a blue tinge to the Kitiara’s skin, and the other teen was shivering violently.

Tristan quickly pulled Harry to his feet and pulled the covers down on the bed. He hurriedly stripped Harry down to his boxers and pushed the teen on to the bed. Stripping off his own clothes, he climbed in beside Harry, wrapping the blankets snugly around them.

“W-Why are you h-helping me?” asked Harry between chattering teeth. “I-I thought y-you were t-trying to get r-rid of me.”

“Shut up,” said Tristan curtly. “I may not want a roommate, but I’m not about to kill you just to get the room to myself. There are other ways to drive you out, you know.”

“Y-You’re still an a-arse, but you’re n-not as bad as I f-first thought,” said Harry with a slight smile.

“Yeah, well, you’re a sap. What’s your point?” snapped Tristan.

Harry just burrowed closer to the faerie and drifted off to sleep.

***

Harry hurried to his Blood Rites class, silently cursing Tristan for causing this problem. If that bastard hadn’t tried to freeze him to death, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep without setting the alarm. And of course, Tristan hadn’t bothered to set one either. It was only pure luck that Harry had awakened when he did, and that was a mere thirty minutes before his first class.

A smug smile crossed Harry’s face. Tristan’s morning hadn’t been that pleasant either. When Harry realised just how late it was, he’d accidentally pushed Tristan off the bed as he struggled out of the covers. Ignoring the cursing faerie, Harry frantically rushed around the room as he got ready for the day. By the time he was done, it was five minutes until class started.

Rushing into the classroom with one minute to spare, Harry sighed in relief. The was only one chair free, and it was beside a girl with pale green skin and dark blue hair. She reminded Harry of a pretty flower. That image was completely destroyed, however, when she took one look at him and gave him an ugly sneer.

Harry jumped in surprise when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked behind him to see a boy with dark golden skin, golden blond hair, and gold eyes. The boy grinned and held out his hand.

“Hi, I’m Apollo Michaels.”

Harry slowly shook the other boy’s hand, staring at Apollo curiously. “Harry Potter. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’re a Kitiara, aren’t you?” asked Apollo excitedly. He grinned wider when Harry nodded in surprise. “I’m a Heliopath. It’s basically just another name for a true fire elemental.”

“What do you mean?” asked Harry.

“Well, you can control fire, too. I, however, can literally become fire, from the smallest spark to the largest inferno,” Apollo explained.

“Will you two shut up? Class is starting,” snapped the girl beside Harry.

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Don’t mind, Kara. Her petals must be wilting today. She’s a flower faerie.”

“It’s Flora Fae, dimwit,” snarled Kara between clenched teeth. “Now shut up, Apollo.”

“Miss McDaniel, is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class?” the professor asked irritably.

Kara sank down in her seat with an embarrassed blush. “No, Professor Everest.”

Professor Everest stared at her for a moment longer before turning back to the rest of the class. “In this class, you will learn to cast spells and wards, using blood as the main component. Has anyone here ever used blood magic?” No one raised their hands. “No one? That’s rather disappointing.”

Harry sighed and raised his hand. “I’ve never used blood magic, but the house where I lived had blood wards surrounding it.” No way in hell was he going to mention the fact that his blood had been used in Voldemort’s resurrection.

Professor Everest stared at Harry speculatively. “Interesting. Anyone else?” The class was completely silent, and the professor sighed in disappointment. “Moving on then.”

Harry listened attentively as the professor lectured, writing down notes at a furious pace. It was amazing what could be done using blood magic, but he knew first hand just how scary it could be, as well. This class would be no walk in the park, though. A lot of the more complicated spells and wards used components of Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and he was a complete novice at those classes.

When the class ended, Harry packed his books with an absent frown. Hopefully, Zenith would be at lunch so he could ask the Dracken for tutoring. As he walked to the door, though, he was waylaid by the golden Apollo.

“Hey, Harry, you wanna eat lunch with me?”

“Uh, well, I usually eat with Grey, Zane, and Zenith. You’re welcome to join us, though,” said Harry hesitantly.

“You’re pals with Zenith? Amazing! You work wonders, dude. I haven’t heard that dragon speak more than two words since I’ve been here,” said Apollo, looking at Harry in amazement.

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. “I didn’t do anything.”

Apollo grinned and draped his arm over Harry’s shoulders, leading him toward the dining hall. “Aren’t you just he cutest thing. And so modest, too. No wonder Zenith warmed up to you.”

When they reached the dining hall, Harry saw Zenith and Zane at one of the buffet tables. Zane saw the Kitiara and grinned, raising an eyebrow at the golden boy clinging to Harry. Apollo just smiled brightly and walked up to him.

“You must be Grey,” he started and then saw Harry shake his head frantically. “Uh, I meant Zane. You must be Harry’s friend Zane. It’s nice to meet you.”

Zane just stared at Apollo for a long moment. “Uh huh, and you are?”

“Oh, I’m Apollo. I’m in Harry’s Blood Rites class,” said Apollo cheerfully.

“You had your first Blood Rites class? How did you like it?” Zenith asked Harry eagerly.

“It’s really interesting,” said Harry. “In fact, I wanted to ask you to tutor me for that class. I think I’m going to need it. According to Professor Everest, a lot of the spells and wards use Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and I know nothing about those classes yet.”

“Sure, no problem,” said Zenith.

“What class do you have after lunch, Harry?” asked Apollo curiously once they were seated at the table.

“Arithmancy with Grey,” said Harry. He searched the dining hall for the were-tiger, but they hyper teen wasn’t there. “Where is Grey anyway? He’s usually here by now.”

“Oh, he had Shamanic magic this morning,” said Zane softly. “They’re learning on how to call their animal form at will this year, and from what I’ve heard, it’s exhausting. He’ll probably sleep through lunch and just grab a snack later.”

“Don’t worry, Harry. I’ll be in class with you,” said Apollo cheerfully.

“T-Thanks,” said Harry hesitantly. Although Apollo seemed like a really nice guy, Harry couldn’t help but think the other boy would wear on his nerves the longer they spent together. He couldn’t stand to be around perpetually perky people like the Heliopath for long periods of time. It just seemed false to him. No one could be that happy all the time.

Zane, however, wasn’t so reticent. He openly showed his dislike for the golden boy. “Who cares? Harry already has a partner for the class. Grey will be there, after all.”

Apollo suddenly lost his veneer of happiness and glared darkly at Zane. “This is none of your concern, Incubus. The kit is not your mate to control, so back off now.”

Zane growled at Apollo, and the scales on his skin began to glow. Seeing that, Zenith quickly grabbed Harry around the waist and pushed them both away from the table. He was just in time, too, because a few seconds later, Apollo burst into flame, burning the table to cinders.

Zane cast an Aguamenti spell to douse Apollo’s flames, but the flames broke off into dozens of smaller flames to avoid the water before reforming into one large flame. Apollo then sent a rush of flames toward Zane, who barely managed to conjure a shield to keep from being roasted alive. Zane suddenly hissed in pain as his trousers caught on fire, and Harry snapped.

“Both of you need to stop it now!”

Zane and Apollo were suddenly drenched as a deluge of water was dumped over their heads. The two teens gasped and spluttered at the sudden downpour while Zenith snickered in amusement. The Dracken’s snickers quickly turned to outright laughter, and the two sodden teens turned to glare at him in accusation.

“Don’t blame me. All I have to say is you got what you deserved. Harry got tired of the two of you fighting over him and decided you needed to cool down is all,” said Zenith between bouts of laughter.

“Harry,” Zane whinged pitifully, plucking at his sopping clothing and looking miserable. “Now I’m all wet.”

Harry haughtily turned his nose up at the Incubus. “You should have thought of that before you decided to start a fight in the dining hall.”

“I’m sorry,” muttered Zane, hanging his head sheepishly.

“Well, I’m not,” snapped Apollo spitefully. “As you said, the little demon started it.”

“Who are you calling a demon, Sparky?” growled Zane.

“Enough, Zane,” sighed Harry. He turned and glared at Apollo. “You’re just as much to blame, Apollo. Zane wasn’t the only involved in that fight, and you are the one who struck first. And for future reference, I am not anyone’s to control. I suggest you take that to heart before you try to speak to me again.” He angrily grabbed his bag and turned to leave. “I’ll see you later, Zane. Try to behave until then. Okay?” Zane nodded sadly, and Harry’s anger melted. He sighed and knelt in front of Zane, pressing his hand against the other teen’s burned leg and healing the painful burn.

“Thank you, Harry,” sighed Zane, sighing in relief. He tried to avoid the infirmary as much as possible. The medi-witch had no concept of gentleness.

“I won’t be so nice next time, Zane. I don’t like it when people fight over me like that. I’m a person, not a possession,” warned Harry. Zane nodded again, and Harry stood to leave once more. As he passed Zenith, though, the dragon demon ruffled his hair.

“I’m free this afternoon if you want to start your tutoring, Harry,” said Zenith casually.

Harry smiled gratefully at the Dracken. “That’s great, Zenith. How about we meet in the library after supper?”

“I’ll be there.”

***

Dumbledore warily picked at his food. Just to be on the safe side, though, he called for Dobby to prepare him another plate of food. He had no desire to suffer from another prank like the previous one.

Dobby appeared beside Dumbledore and ungraciously set the plate down on the table. “Here’s your food, Master Dumbles.” He then popped away without another word.

Dumbledore frowned slightly at the house-elves attitude but finally dismissed it as just another one of Dobby’s quirks. He took a bite of his food and immediately choked, spitting and sputtering to get the disgusting taste out of his mouth. He quickly took a drink of his pumpkin juice only to spew the liquid across the table.

“Dobby!”

The house-elf popped back into the room with a harried look on his face. “Sir?”

Dumbledore scowled at the house-elf. “What in Merlin’s name did you do to my food? It tastes terrible.”

“Dobby did nothing to the food. Fitz prepared Dumbles Sir’s food,” said Dobby innocently.

Dumbledore growled under his breath and stood. However, that action was greeted with rambunctious laughter from the gathered students. Dumbledore looked down at himself and flushed angrily when he realised he was wearing nothing more than a pair of faded long underwear.

“Who did this?” he demanded. Of course, no one answered him. “I’ll find out who did this, and when I do, you can expect expulsion as your punishment.”

“Albus!” gasped Minerva in shock. “Isn’t that a little harsh for a mere prank?”

Dumbledore ignored her and glared at the students. Somehow, this was all Harry Potter’s fault. If the brat had just done what he was told, none of this would have ever happened. When he found the boy, Harry would regret crossing him like this.