"Harry-er," he stammered, his voice a touch too high, "you... you haven't told anyone about that little unpleasantness on the train, have you?" His eyes darted left and right like he was terrified someone might overhear.
I raised an eyebrow at him and shook my head. "Of course not, sir. Neither me nor any of the girls said a word to the staff."
He didn't need to know that Lupin had been right there to see the whole pathetic show anyway. So I'm pretty sure all the staff knew...
Lockhart's shoulders sagged in relief, his fake confidence sliding back into place as he plastered on a bright grin. "Good, good! Let's just keep that little hiccup between us, eh? I knew you were a good lad, Harry Potter."
"It's Harry Sitri, sir," I corrected him blandly.
"Oh-right you are, Harry," he said quickly, brushing it off like it didn't matter. He gestured dramatically toward the room. "Now, come in! I have big plans for this first class. Second years, they get Cornish Pixies-dangerous, noisy things. But you, my lucky fourth years..." He leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was letting me in on a secret. "...you're in for something extra special!"
I slipped into the classroom, already dreading whatever he thought "special" meant. Hermione had snagged us a seat near the middle, and I slid in beside her just in time to see Lockhart prance up to the front like he was on stage.
With a dramatic flourish, he yanked a dusty tarp off the iron cage set in the middle of the room. The sound of claws scraping against metal rang out, sharp and ugly. Inside was a squat, vicious-looking creature. Its skin was grayish and stretched tight over wiry muscles, its teeth sharp and yellow. A filthy red cap sat crookedly on its head, stained darker in spots that I was pretty sure were old blood. In one clawed hand it clutched a jagged, rusty cleaver, banging it against the bars like it was eager to sink it into flesh!
First of all, terrifying...
Second of all, Magic School is officially fucking awesome! What the hell was this little monster!? I leaned forwards.
A couple of girls gasped in fright.
"Behold!" Lockhart declared proudly, puffing out his chest. "The dangerous Red Cap! A truly deadly creature known to lurk in old battlefields, waiting for travelers to bleed so it may soak its hat in fresh blood!"
The red cap slammed its claws against the bars so hard the metal rattled! The ugly bastard bared its teeth, that rusty cleaver glinting as it hacked at the air. A few of the girls yelped and ducked back, chairs scraping loudly, but Lockhart only gave his trademark fake smile and waved his hand like it was nothing.
"Don't worry, everyone," he said smugly. "I made sure to lock the cage thoroughly with magic. This little chap won't be getting out." He puffed his chest, clearly proud of himself.
The creature snarled again, eyes glowing with hate.
Lockhart, of course, didn't notice. He launched into a ridiculous story. "Why, this reminds me of the time I was crossing an ancient battlefield, hunting a savage werewolf. Out of nowhere, I was set upon by twenty-yes, twenty!-of these bloodthirsty red-capped beasts. The clever little devils thought they had me surrounded, but I fought them all off valiantly!" He mimed swinging a sword, twirling dramatically at the front of the room.
I rolled my eyes. The only thing he'd fought was probably a mirror while practicing that dumb grin.
Hermione raised her hand, frowning nervously. Lockhart froze mid-swing, looking irritated that anyone dared interrupt his performance. "Yes, Miss Granger, what is it?"
Hermione pointed past him, her face pale. "The red cap got out of its cage, sir."
The room went dead quiet.
Lockhart stiffened, slowly turning his head. Sure enough, the red cap was standing right behind him, free as hell, its claws wrapped tight around that jagged cleaver. Its lips peeled back in a hateful snarl, eyes locked on him with murderous hunger.
For a second, Lockhart just stood there frozen.
Then the creature lunged with a scream, leaping straight onto him! Lockhart shrieked like a banshee, flailing as they crashed to the ground together. The red cap slashed down wildly, the rusty blade cutting the air inches from his face. Lockhart tried to block with his arms, squealing in panic as the two of them rolled across the floor like some pathetic brawl.
Chairs screeched as half the class scrambled back, gasps and shouts filling the room. The monster's snarls mixed with Lockhart's girlish screams, the whole scene so chaotic it almost felt unreal. His shiny blond curls got tangled, his fancy robes ripping as the red cap clawed at him again and again!
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Damn... Magic school was fucking awesome!
XXX
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chapter 12
Double update, posting chapter 11 and chapter 12 at the same time, so sure you dont skip one of them.
Chapter 12:
— Harry —
Classes were over for the first day.
I had a huge grin on my face as I darted through the Forbidden Forest, my heart pounding with excitement. Our Hogwarts robes were abandoned back in our dorms, replaced by something far lighter and easier to move in. Sona and I had our devil wings out, gliding swiftly around trees and diving low across the forest floor. It was thrilling, the wind rushing past my face as I dodged tree trunks and branches.
"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Sona teased as she effortlessly avoided a blast of water I aimed at her.
The challenge was simple. Sona was wearing a tight, white tank top and, very noticeably, no bra beneath it. If I managed to hit her, I'd get to see her breasts through the soaked fabric.
"Oh, I'll get you soon enough," I shouted back. Water surged powerfully from the devil crest on my palm, narrowly missing her again as she twisted gracefully.
She was a lot better at flying and aerial combat than I was, but I was getting better.
It was finally the end of a long first day, and we'd just left Ancient Runes, our last class, and one of the few Sona shared with me. Having skipped the entire first year of the elective, the teacher might as well have been speaking another language-I didn't understand a single damn word she'd said in the whole class. Sona apparently did though because she was a genius.
She and Hermione would be taking turns tutoring me in the future. This wasn't that though, this was just magic training.
A rush of freezing air whooshed past me, sending chills down my spine and making me shiver. "Damn, that's cold!" I shouted, moving awkwardly out of the way as another icy blast narrowly missed my chest. "Are you trying to freeze me solid, Sona?"
"Maybe," she teased as she launched yet another icy attack. Her brand-new ice magic was scary, even more so when it was aimed directly at me.
Of course, I wasn't about to let myself get hit by one of Sona's freezing blasts. Every healthy guy had an instinctive fear of cold-it was the natural enemy of manhood itself, after all. Shrinkage was the enemy!
I noticed Sona rolling her eyes. She always seemed to know when my mind was wandering into dirty territory.
"Focus, Harry! Stop thinking weird stuff," she yelled at me.
I grinned sheepishly but quickly snapped back to attention as Sona spread her hands in front of her, concentrating hard. A fierce glint flashed in her pink eyes behind her glasses, and suddenly, a massive wave of ice surged forward, crackling and freezing everything it touched.
My heart jumped as my eyes widened. Instinctively, I mirrored her stance, pouring all my focus into my devil crest. A powerful rush of boiling water shot from my palms, glowing bright blue as it met her icy spell head-on.
Our magic clashed violently between us, steam erupting as hot met cold, filling the clearing with mist. Despite my best effort, I felt my energy quickly draining, the force of her magic easily overpowering mine. She was going to win this round for sure. Just as the wave of ice edged dangerously close, she relented, pulling back her magic and letting the ice crumble harmlessly to the ground.
"Not bad," she complimented me and waved her hand, a lot of the mist dissapearing.
I noticed immediately that despite our intense magical clash, Sona's tank top remained completely dry. Still, two unmistakably stiff nipples were clearly outlined beneath the thin white fabric. My heart skipped a beat, heat flushing my cheeks. Magic had a strong effect on devils, and moments of intense magical exertion often heightened our senses and emotions, making us more sensitive and excited.
I quickly adjusted myself, hoping Sona wouldn't catch me trying to hide my obvious reaction. But when I glanced up, her eyes were already locked onto mine, a knowing smile playing on her lips. She began walking towards me slowly, deliberately swaying her hips, making her movements graceful and enticing. My breath quickened with each step she took, feeling the anticipation rise within me.
Stopping right in front of me, she tilted her head up slightly to meet my gaze. My heart hammered even faster as she placed one delicate hand on my chest, and gently bit her bottom lip.
I pretty much knew this was bound to happen eventually. Ever since that first moment I saw her beautiful face back in the underworld, I couldn't get her out of my head. All the time we'd spent together-training, laughing, joking around-it had built this undeniable connection between us.
I found myself slowly leaning down towards her. Her face was glowing bright red, her eyes wide but not scared, just surprised and excited. Like I was...
It was pretty obvious she had come to Hogwarts for me after all.
She didn't move away, in fact, she tilted her chin slightly upward, meeting me halfway. Our lips brushed lightly, sending a thrill down my spine. But just as the kiss was about to deepen, the loud sound of galloping hooves shattered the peaceful moment, making us both jump away abruptly.
Turning quickly, I saw a large centaur burst into the clearing, and honestly, it looked far less majestic than the stories I'd read made them sound.
Its features were exaggerated, awkwardly merging human and horse in a way that made my skin crawl-the uncanny valley effect was definitely real here. The centaur skidded to a stop, kicking up dirt and leaves, its dark eyes narrowing suspiciously as it took in the chaos we'd caused in our training session. It reached back and swiftly drew out a bow, the sharp tip of an arrow aimed at us.
"What have you two done to this forest?" the centaur demanded harshly, its deep voice filled with irritation and accusation, instantly killing any romantic tension left in the air. "You are not welcome here, demonic abominations!"
Sona stepped angrily in front of me, her pink eyes blazing with fury at us being interrupted.
She raised her chin defiantly, glaring straight at the centaur without an ounce of fear. "What gives you the right to threaten two students from Hogwarts?" she demanded sharply.
The centaur stamped its hooves aggressively, sneering down at us with undisguised disdain. "Students? You're both demons! Being at Hogwarts doesn't change what you are. This forest belongs to the centaurs, and we won't tolerate evil trespassers!" it declared, pulling its bowstring taut.
Sona let out a scoffing laugh, clearly unimpressed by the centaur's assertion. "You're wrong," she stated firmly, her voice cold and clear. "I've read the Hogwarts Charter thoroughly. The Founders clearly owned not only the castle and lake but this entire surrounding forest too. They deliberately filled it with magical plants and peaceful creatures, specifically intended to aid future generations of students. You centaurs are nothing but aggressive invaders trying to lay claim to territory that doesn't rightfully belong to you!"
Wow, I wonder if Hermione knew any of that? Did Dumbledore?
The centaur's eyes flashed with anger at Sona's words.
"Filthy lies!" Without another word, it abruptly released its arrow, the projectile slicing through the air toward us!
Sona reacted with lightning-fast precision. She swung her hand up effortlessly, striking the arrow aside with the back of her palm, the arrow clattering uselessly to the ground.
Without any hesitation, she quickly lifted her other hand, forming a sharp icicle in an instant. The air chilled noticeably as the deadly shard of ice shot forward, piercing the centaur directly through its heart. It gave a startled, anguished scream before collapsing lifelessly onto the forest floor.
I immediately praised Sona's quick reflexes, genuinely impressed by how effortlessly she had handled the centaur. I wasn't upset about what she'd done-far from it. My chest tightened with anger at the thought of anyone daring to threaten my family!
"That was amazing, Sona," I said earnestly, placing my hand gently on her shoulder. "You reacted so fast."
Her cheeks flushed a soft shade of red, and she glanced away shyly, though a pleased smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks, Harry," she said quietly, looking up at me again. "But honestly, you could've handled it just as well. You've improved a lot. You're really close to being high-class in power now."
Just as we started to relax, a sudden rustling sound from the treetops above caught our attention. Sona immediately looked up. "Show yourselves!" she demanded loudly.
With unsettling, clicking noises, several enormous spiders suddenly descended from the thick canopy, landing heavily around us. But to my surprise, instead of attacking, they quickly lowered themselves into respectful bows.
I didn't know spiders could bow.
"We obey the dark mistress and dark master," one of them rasped in a deep, creepy voice.
I moved closer to Sona, leaning in and whispering nervously, "These must be Acromantulas. I've read about them. They're not supposed to be native to Scotland though..."
What the fuck was the school doing when it came to this forest!?
Sona nodded, before whispering back, "They must've been experiments created by a devil during the Great War. And they obviously escaped the underworld afterwards. They're likely gentically programmed to obey devils by default. They shouldn't attack us, but we should make sure your human friends avoid this area."
Sona spoke confidently to the spiders. "Clean up that centaur's body immediately. Leave nothing behind."
The spiders eagerly moved forward, their large, hairy bodies shifting eagerly as they dragged the fallen centaur away, immediately beginning their gruesome feast. The wet crunching and tearing sounds made my stomach churn slightly, but I quickly turned my attention back to Sona, slipping my arm comfortably around her waist.
As we walked back toward Hogwarts, she leaned into my side. I glanced down at her, feeling a grin spread across my face as I noticed her relaxed expression and slightly flushed cheeks.
