On Eagles Wings

 
Mark stared up into a plethora of teeth, spikes and fur. He let his mouth slide open to its full length. The monstrous creature let go of its grip on Deus’s arm.
 
“No what werrrrre you trrrrrying to do therrrrre?” it purred to the hapless Slytherin.
 
“Nothing, just erm, looking at my wand!” he lied poorly,
 
“Rrrrrreally?” said the monster smiling. “SO why was it pointing at this young Rrrrrrrravenclaww herrrre then?”
 
“It wasn’t!”
 
“DON’T LIE TO ME BOY!!!!” The monster pulled itself up to its full impressive height, plunging Deus into total darkness. Deus looked as though he were about to wet himself. “Do I look like an idiot?” Deus twiddled his thumbs and stared at the ground. Dagrak stared at the dryad with a look of menace on his face completely ignoring the situation. Candice looked petrified up at the monster.
 
“Keeping quiet arrre we noww?" it said back to its original purring tone. “I must say it becomes you!” The monster turned to Sprout. “Betterrrrrr keeeep and eye on this boyy prrrrrrofessorrrr!” Sprout looked up.
 
“Been misbehaving has he Auntie?” said Sprout as though the monster was an old friend.
 
“Yeah!” said the monster pointing a tentacle at Deus. “He wwwass going to hex this young rrrravenclaw herrrre!”
 
“Really!” Sprout looked angry, Mark wondered whether the monster was scarier or Sprout was. “Ten points from Slytherin I feel! Not good for your second lesson!”
 
Many of the Slytherins turned and glared at Deus who lowered his head so no one could see his face. Dagrak looked utterly bewildered, as normal, and Candice glared at Mark for daring to be there.

Mark just wondered why Sprout called the monster Auntie.

Professor Sprout apparently saw the look of confusion on Mark’s face, as well as the look of terror on some of the other students’ faces.
 
“This is Aunt Beast students!" she said smiling and holding an arm out gesturing towards the beast. “Keeper of the forbidden forest and protector of Hogwarts, if you ever wondered why the werewolves and other assorted monsters don’t come out of the forbidden forest then Auntie here is your answer!”
 
The monster smiled…well Mark thought it was a smile it looked only slightly less terrifying than before.
 
“Charrrrrrmed!” she purred, giving what could only be described as a monstrous bow…or perhaps a courtesy Mark wasn’t entirely sure.
 
“Hi!" said Mark bravely putting his hand up to shake a tentacle. The beast grinned back and a paw appeared from nowhere. The paw was soft and almost cuddly Mark shook it cautiously.
 
“Pleasurrrrrre!" she said.
 
“Hi!” said Nellie shaking the paw.
 
“H..hh..ello?” said Jex and Cicero terrified in unison. Aunt Beast grinned and shook their hands (pausing to laugh as she turned one of Jex’s ears inside out with one of her tentacles, then watching it pop back into place). Sam sat there unable to move and Storm had fainted. Morgana had begun stroking the monster (making Aunt Beast purr loudly) and Angelina was resigned to looking mysterious in the corner by some plant pots.
 
“That’s enough students!” said a grinning Sprout. “I’m sure Auntie has some work to be getting on with!” Auntie nodded.
 
“Yessss I have to gather some creatures up forrrrrr Lockharrrrt!" she said bitterly. It was clear that the staff members didn’t think much of Lockhart, least of all Auntie. “He scrrrrrreamed when he sawww me!” said Auntie grinning “ I wouldn’t have been offended if it wasssn’t forrrr the brrrrroom he attacked me with!”
 
Sprout grinned and Auntie, grinning back, turned and slithered/crawled/scuttled away.
 
“Now now children!" she said. “Back to the Dryad seeds if you will!”
 
Mark turned and started re-potting.

“Proud are you?” hissed Deus under his breath. “Needed someone to rescue you from me, afraid of me, jealous of my superiority?”
 
“Oh get a grip!" said Mark. “Why would I feel inferior to a snivelling coward who had to hex me from behind because he was too afraid to face me!”
 
“Fine then!” said Deus’s voice now angry and determined. “At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, tonight midnight, a wizards duel!”
 
Mark looked up at Circero who it appeared had heard him.
 
“Battle using magic!” Mark looked worried, but he needed to end this with Deus now.
 
“Fine midnight!” he said his teeth gritted.
 
“Done! Dagrak’s my second!”
 
“Second?” he whispered to Cicero. But Cicero got in before him.
 
“I’m his second!”
 
“Good!” continued Deus. “See you at midnight don’t be late!”
 
“We won't!”
 
He jammed his fork into the pot and the dryad started crying in fear. He hushed it up and placed it back into the bottom of the pot.
 
“We’d better get a quick lunch!” said Cicero seriously to Mark. “We need to get some practice in I’ll teach you some hexes!”
 
“What you need hexes for?” said Jex ears pricked up. “Who you fighting?”
 
“Deus!" said Mark. “I need to end this stupid argument over muggle inferiority!”
 
“Hrmmm!” said Nellie who too had overheard.
 
“What’s up?”
 
“Well Slytherins aren’t exactly know for their fair play, he’s already shown that he is willing to stab you in the back…literally!" she said. “ I don’t think that you should go!”
 
“If I don’t then he’s won!" said Mark defensively.
 
“Well maybe, but then the forbidden forest at night! Are you mad?”
 
“I can’t let him win, I’m fighting for all muggle-born students of this school!”
 
“Brave!” said Morgana in a tone that suggested that she agreed entirely with Nellie. “We’ll owl your body parts to them so that they know what you’ve tried!”
 
“Well I never asked you to come!” he said now slightly annoyed.
 
“Well I won’t be!” said Morgana, turning her attention back to the dryads.
 
Mark stared round at them, Cicero he knew would be there, Angelina was just resigned to looking mysterious and was apparently oblivious to the situation, Storm and Sam both shook their heads, Morgana wasn’t looking at him.
 
“I’ll be there!” said Jex. “I’ll make sure they don’t cheat!”
 
“Well I think its stupid!” said Nellie. “But I can’t just leave my friends in danger, so I’ll be there!” Mark smiled; his old friends would never have risked anything for him. That same old thought re-crossed his mind. Welcome home.

Their lunch was hurried and fairly quiet. They bolted down the Chicken pie that was today’s specialty and ran for an abandoned classroom.
 
“Okay!" said Cicero who had taken to being Mark’s tutor in defence (Nellie was counter attacks and Jex was offence) “When attacked with the leg locking charm you need to block by doing this!” He whirled his wand in the air, and a faint shower of silver ran down to his legs (which had been locked by Jex a minute ago), his legs sprang apart and he shook each leg as though he had pins and needles.
 
“Right I think I’ve got it!" said Mark not entirely sure if he had. Cicero nodded and pointed his wand at Mark.
 
“Locomotor mortis!” he bellowed. Mark winced as his legs snapped shut, he wobbled and then fell forwards, steadying himself with his hands he pushed himself back up to his normal height. Looking determined he waved his wand in the way that Cicero had shown him and willed his legs back to normal. There was a moment that felt like an eternity but sure enough the faint silver shower appeared and his legs sprang open.
 
Nellie looked astounded.
 
“By Merlin you’re a fast learner!" she said impressed.
 
“Are you sure that you’re family line is completely human?” said an equally impressed Jex.
 
“As far as I know!” laughed Mark.
 
“Right next trick!" said Jex moving forwards “Is the ever useful sleeping charm!”
 
“Isn’t that a little advanced?" said Nellie looking confused.
 
“No its not actually that hard, best to get it in fast though you need to be at full strength to cast it!” he said walking towards Mark. “Now watch me!” He turned and pointed his wand at Cicero.
 
“Hey I don’t wanna be the firs….”
 
“Dormiensa!” shouted Jex, wincing as he did so. There were a few sparks and then Cicero slumped to the ground snoring loudly. “Th...that’s a nasty one!" said Jex through his panting breathes. “But it doesn’t half take a lot out of you!”
 
“How do we wake him?" said Nellie looking down at the peaceful Cicero.
 
“Easy!” grinned Jex. He walked up to Cicero and prodded him. “Oy wake up lazy!”
 
For a moment it seemed like Cicero would sleep forever, but he was up fairly quickly and looking as energetic as always.
 
“You wont be able to make them sleep long!" said Jex grinning. “When you get more powerful they sleep longer, to the point that someone as powerful as Dumbledore could probably make you sleep forever!”
 
“But that would make you late for classes!” said a figure behind them, with half moon spectacles and a long white beard. Jex looked petrified. “Which by the way if you don’t hurry, might be the case with potions…I really advise against that!” smiled Dumbledore.
 
“Sorry sir!" said Jex, Cicero and Nellie in unison as they grabbed their stuff and ran out of the room.
 
“Don’t let anyone tell you that they are better than you because of your past!” said Dumbledore putting a hand on Mark’s shoulder. “But remember that even those who cling to the past have reason to fear it. Don’t think to harshly of Deus…he is not his father!”
 
Mark spun round wanting to tell the old man that Deus had been threatening him for the last few days. But when he looked into Dumbledore’s eyes he found that he couldn’t. There was something about the way the old man seemed to be happy with everything; he didn’t want to ruin it. He nodded and ran out of the room to follow his friends. Dumbledore stood there. “I hope!” he whispered under his breath.
 
They weren’t late (something which made Mark extremely happy) and they stood outside the potions room waiting for Snape to come and let them in. It appeared that this lesson would be shared with the Gryffindors. Mark hadn’t had much dealing with the Gryffindors.; he was aware that they had the famous Harry Potter with them and wondered if that would make them cocky. However they appeared perfectly amiable. Among them he noted a girl with flaming red hair looking terrified, the blonde girl that had been sorted first and a black haired boy with purple eyes. All of them were looking terrified at the door that led to the potions classroom.
 
They didn’t have to wait long, for Snape came walking down the corridor with the look of a cat ready to pounce.
 
“There will be no foolish wand waving, or silly incantations in this class!" he said as he ushered everyone into the room with a disgusted look. “As such many of you will not think of this as real magic, but for those few with the disposition, I can teach you to brew fame, bottle glory and even put a stopper in death!”
 
He knew how to make an entrance, the class was instantly fixated.

“Right for our first potion I suspect we will have to do something simple so as not to challenge you’re little brains too much, therefore the first potion will be a simple boil removing potion!” He pointed to the class’s books. “Page 34 you’ll find the potion there, the ingredients are in the cupboards get started I will come round and check your progress as you go forwards!”
 
Mark was sat with Nellie, who was already opening her book. Next to them Sam was sat with Jex and Cicero was arguing with Storm over who was getting the more disgusting ingredients. Behind them Morgana had a ridiculous smile on her face and was busy reading through the potion, Angelina was looking both horrified and mysterious all at the same time.
 
Mark ignited the fire beneath his cauldron and started adding the ingredients.
 
“How finely do you suppose we need to chop these slugs?” he asked Nellie who was attacking a piece of monksfoot.
 
“No idea, as fine as you can I think!" she said peeling the petals (for lack of better word, they were more like rotting cabbage leaves) from the monksfoot.
 
“Right!” He began throwing pieces into the cauldron and watching them sink to the bottom fizzling as they went.
 
All the time Snape surveyed the class with a look of loathing and superiority, occasionally stopping to make fun of some poor students potions.
 
“That’s pathetic miss Weasley!" he said to the red-haired girl “ I suggest you add some more slugs, really I was hoping that not all of your family would be idiots!”
 
There was a silent disapproval from all of the students, but no one was foolish enough to speak out against him. Snape continued to insult students and to point out only what they were doing wrong, he seemed to be happy with no one’s work. Mark’s potion looked exactly as it was supposed to but Snape still managed to insult the level of smoke that was rising from it. It was a happy Mark when the class finished.

They all fled the potions room as fast as they could, Mark watched the purple eyed boy comforting the red haired girl who had apparently broken down into tears at the end of the lesson.
 
“That Snape is evil!" said Jex “there was no need for him to insult that poor girl!”
 
“Snape insults whoever he likes!” said Sam “It's kind of his trademark! I don’t think there are any non-Slytherin students who like him!”
 
“Figures!" said Mark staring at his feet, all in all thoroughly glad that he wasn’t a Slytherin. “Wouldn’t you hate to be in Slytherin?!”
 
“I think I’d leave Hogwarts!" said Cicero.
 
“They’d probably knife any muggle born in Slytherin. anyway!” said Storm.
 
“Oh don’t be overdramatic!” said Angelina talking for the first time in ages. “Slytherins maybe cruel but they’re not exactly killers are they!”
 
“Oh don’t be too sure!” said Morgana. “Slytherin was the house You-Know-Who was in!”
 
The group shuddered, even Storm and Mark who had no idea why Voldemort was feared by all, shivered. There was something about the dark arts that made every good-natured person shiver. Mark was even beginning to understand why nobody dared to speak his name out loud as though it would return the evil wizard to his former power. Mark wondered how many other wizards had tried to become as powerful as Voldemort, and wondered even more why some people; like Deus’s dad; ha chosen to side with him.
 
It was in relative silence that they had their last lesson history of magic, taught by professor Binns a ghost. Partially because they were exhausted by their first day but also because they knew what was coming up later. At midnight Mark would have to battle with what little magic he knew for the honour of all the muggle-born students of Hogwarts. He was petrified. Quite why Deus had to pick the forbidden forest anyway Mark would never know.

 
As normal the common room was busy, but this time students were starting on their first sets of homework, Mark finished his potions first wanting to make sure it was out of the way as fast as possible. Jex was swinging his wand around working on his technique (and attempting to hex a fly that was buzzing round him). Nellie once again had her head in her journal and Morgana and Sam were playing wizard chess, Morgana was wiping the floor with Sam. Angelina was sat on the couch staring into the fire trying to read the house elf graffiti.
 
“I can’t read what it says!" she said absent-mindedly.
 
“None of us can!” replied Cicero who was sat humming a tune to himself. “We’re going to have to wait until the fire has gone before we can read it!”
 
“How annoying!”
 
“Yeah I know!” Cicero turned his attention back to Mark. “So you ready for tonight then?”
 
“Well as ready as I’ll ever be but that’s not exactly saying much!" he said whilst writing about the uses of a Bezeor.
 
“Don’t underestimate yourself!” said Morgana looking up from the rubble that was once Sam’s chess pieces. “That’s exactly what he wants you to do!”
 
“I know I know, but I mean...” He looked up “ He will always have an extra 11 years of experience with magic, that gives him one heck of an advantage!”
 
“Yeah but look who his father was!" said Cicero. “The Deus’s wouldn’t have been too bothered with their son, I doubt if he knows more than a couple of extra hexes than you do!”
 
Mark had never thought of it that way, he was beginning to understand what Dumbledore had been saying, he began to realize that perhaps the aggression Deus carried with him was a defence caused by his emotional baggage. Mark actually realized that he was beginning to feel sorry for the Slytherin. But even though his pity, he knew he would still have to fight him, it was the only logical way that he could think of to make Deus see sense. He’d tried reason, that had failed and talking to a teacher would be social suicide, no the fight was his only option.
 
They waited until most of the common room had cleared. Morgana waited with them.
 
“Its wrong you know!" she said when only they were the people left in the common room. “To get in a fight at your second day in this school!”
 
“Its my only option!" said Mark in defence “It’s the only way I can make him see that being muggle-born doesn’t make you weaker than him!”
 
“And if he wins? You’ll have destroyed any chance that you have of keeping your pride!”
 
“Then I have to make sure he doesn’t win!”
 
“He probably wont show anyway!" said Jex. “We’ve seen that direct confrontation isn’t really his thing!”
 
“That’s another thing!” continued Morgana. “If he doesn’t show, and he calls a teacher you’re going to get in a lot of trouble, we’ll loose points!”
 
“Then we wont get caught!" said Nellie.
 
“What?” said Morgana “How exactly are you going to be sure of that?”
 
“With this!” Nellie said, pulling from her pocket a small crystal spinning top. “It’s a modified sneakoscope! It tells you when someone who is trying to catch you out is nearby!”
 
“So it’ll pick up Deus then?” continued Morgana refusing to be beaten.
 
“Well yes, but it’ll soon learn to ignore him, then it’ll pick up any other teachers!”
 
“And before you get to the forest?”
 
“Well we’ll just be careful!”
 
“What we need is a scout!" said Mark “Someone small and agile that isn’t going to get in trouble if seen!”
 
“I have just the scout!" said Jex grinning.
 
Morgana had left, and the team were assembled, Nellie looked nervously all around her, Cicero was trying to make himself look formidable and Jex was stroking Midget, who had been chosen as their scout.
 
“OK Midget you go first!” whispered Jex to the hedgehog (who was nibbling his fingers) “If you see any danger squeak and I’ll hide us!” The hedgehog, who apparently understood exactly what Jex was saying, stood to attention then floated off Jex’s hand and hovered in the air. It was a bizarre sight even after everything else that Mark had seen over the last couple of days.
 
The armour stepped forwards and Midget flew out and forwards into the shadows. Nellie, Cicero, Jex and Mark all crept out past the statue and off towards the front door.

 
The corridors were of course empty, not even the Hogwarts ghosts were patrolling at this time of night. They crept as silently as possible past sleeping paintings and suits of armour that were barking in their sleep. Then they spied Peeves standing in front of the doorway outside.
 
“What are we going to do?” whispered Mark to Cicero who sat staring at Peeves.
 
“I don’t know!” replied Cicero. “Jex where’s Midget?”
 
“He’s up ahead!" said Jex, his ears fully pricked up as though he were listening to every sound. “He says someone is coming!”
 
The group watched as Peeves saw two black robed figures headed towards him. They were obviously students.
 
“I know you!” said Peeves, but not shouting this time, he looked positively petrified. “I’ve seen your father, I know what he’s done, what he’s doing! He won’t find it here! It’s hidden! Not even Peeves can find it!” said the ghost.
 
“Silence spectre!” said a cold voice from the two Slytherins, Mark watched as Deus raised his wand. “Or you will die a second time!”
 
The ghost fled without even his normal repartee or tongue waggling. The only thing that Peeves appeared to let out was a whimper. Deus and Dagrak went outside to head towards the forest.
 
“What do you suppose his dad wants?" said Cicero.
 
“I don’t know, but whatever it is we don’t want him to have it!" said Mark, his heart racing. “Come on lets get this over with!”
 
Nodding in agreement the group stood up and ran as fast and as silently as they could towards the edge of the forbidden forest.
 
“Where are they?" said Nellie looking along the forest; there wasn’t a sign of them.
 
“I don’t know! He just said to meet him at the edge of the forest!” replied Mark scanning round.
 
“And here I am!” said Deus’s cold voice from underneath the hood of his cloak. “Shall we begin?”
 
“Whenever you’re ready!" said Cicero in fighting stance.
 
“Sure thing!” Mark stepped forwards and readied his wand.
 
“First we bow!” said Deus, coldly as though tones in voices were for other people. Mark bowed, but he was no fool as soon as they had lowered their heads he raised his wand. But even though Mark was fast, Deus was faster.
 
“Crucio!" he said. Cicero, Nellie and Jex gasped in horror…Mark screamed. He felt as though his skin was being ripped from off his bones, he could feel a thousand knife blades digging deep into his skin. He could feel himself burning.
 
“Stop it!” shrieked Nellie.
 
“Dormiensa!” yelled Jex, pointing his wand at Deus. The sparks flew but Deus stood still his wand aimed at Mark’s heart as the boy quivered in pain.
 
“STOP IT!” yelled Nellie diving forwards at Deus.
 
“Impedimenta!” he said calmly. Nellie stopped in mid air. Then there came a noise from the forest, a howling that Nellie and Cicero recognised instantly.
 
“A werewolf!” shrieked Cicero. Deus stopped his Cruciatus Curse on Mark and turned towards the forest.
 
“Kill them!" he said coldly. Then he disappeared into the shadows.
 
“Ta TA!” said Dagrak who had been standing behind Deus, and then he too fled, though somewhat less impressively.
 
“What the hell was that?" said Mark through tears.
 
“We’ll explain later! Come on we have to go NOW!" said Nellie (Who had unfrozen).
 
They grabbed Mark under the arms and hauled him up; they started to make their way towards the castle. But time was against them, from the forest three shapes leapt out, werewolves.
 
“We’re doomed!" said Jex petrified. “Midget fly get help!” He threw the hedgehog into the air and it disappeared squeaking madly as it did so.
 
“Well I’m not going out without a fight!" said Nellie raising her wand and pointing it bravely at a werewolf. But her bravery didn’t last long in the face of those red eyes and fangs. “We’re doomed!” she sobbed.
 
“Well it’s been nice knowing you!" said Mark. “You are the only real friends I’ve ever had!”
 
They stood there encircled by the monsters. Then the werewolves howled into the night and got ready to pounce.
 
A monstrous roar that shook the ground reciprocated their howl. Something was coming out of the forest, something huge. A mass of teeth, tentacles and claws. Aunt Beast was coming to the rescue.
 
The first wolf dived towards Mark only to be caught by one of Auntie’s spiked tentacles, it writhed in her clutch for a few seconds before she apparently devoured it. The second dived at Jex, where it became impaled on Auntie’s claw and was also eaten. The final apparently the brains of the bunch ran for the forest. But Auntie soon caught it in her clutch and swallowed it whole. Then she rounded on the 4 students.
 
“What arrrrre you doing herrrre?" she said half angry half confused.
 
 
“Therrrre therrrre!" she said wrapping a fur-covered tentacle around them all. “Come on I’ll take you inside to my cave, you can tell me why you were outside therrrrre!” she purred and began to haul the students off into the forest. The forest had seemed terrifying to the students but with Aunt Beast besides you there is little that you can fear.
 
As it turned out her cave wasn’t very deep into the forest, and she led them inside. It was a strange site, a fire roared in the far end of the cave (mark didn’t want to know what fuelled it he could distinctly smell bacon), old furniture that Hogwarts must have thrown out littered the insides in various states of repair and covered in scratches. But in the far corner they could clearly see what could only be the skeletons of Auntie’s latest meals. To prove they were right she vomited up 3 werewolf skeletons on top of the pile.
 
“Take a seat!" she said pointing a tentacle at the sofa by the fire. “Tea?”
 
The students looked bewildered at the monster but nodded, the beast turned and fiddled with a kettle that she sat by the fire, and then prodded something in the flames, a snake like head stuck out and sent a jet of white flame at the kettle causing the water to boil instantly.
 
“What was that that he used on me?" said Mark to Nellie, returning to Deus’s hex.
 
“That!" said Nellie going white. “Was the Cruciatus Curse! An Unforgivable Curse!”
 
“Unforgivable?”
 
“To use that curse on another human being is to earn yourself a life span in Azkaban!”
 
“So how and why did Deus use it?”
 
“Why? Because like his father he wants to feel the power of being able to hurt someone that much, how…” She stopped. “How is what’s really worrying me, someone our age should in now way be able to use such a powerful curse…not unless they themselves have been altered by powerful dark magic!”
 
“Who used the Crrrrrruciatus Currrrse?” said Auntie handing out cups of tea to the students.
 
“A Slytherin. student that we were duelling with!" said Mark, he didn’t dare hide anything from Auntie.
 
“A firrrrrst yearrrr?" she said confused.
 
Mark nodded.
 
“Not possssible…surrrrrrely!”
 
“It happened!" said Nellie staring down at the floor. “But we can’t prove it!”
 
“Sorry?" said Cicero spitting out his tea as he did so.
 
“If we tell anyone of the staff they’ll think it’s the worlds worst lie to try and pin more blame on other people, they’ll probably dock Ravenclaw even more points than they will when they find out we’ve been outside!” That was something Mark hadn’t thought about.
 
“Are you going to tell anyone?" he said looking pleadingly at Aunt Beast.
 
The monster looked at him and shook her head.
 
“I think that a shot of the crrrrrrrruciatus currrrrrse and an attack of werrrrrrewolves is punishment enough forrrrrrrrr yourrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrulebrrrrreaking!" she said smiling. Mark let out a sigh of relief. “Drrrrrink up!" she said. “I betterrrrrr take you back to yourrrrrrrrrr school beforrrrrre you loose any opporrrrrrtunity of sleep!”
 
The students drank their tea quickly and allowed Aunt Beast to escort them back to the school. Midget found Jex’s shoulder (it was apparently Midget who had alerted Auntie).
 
“Rrrrrrright get inside quickly and off to sleep!” said Aunt Beast patting them gently with a paw. “Come see me whenever you wwwant durrrrrring the day!" she said apparently liking the idea of a little company.
 
“We will do!" said Mark smiling.
 
They soon got up to the Ravenclaw common room and into their own beds. Mark let his head hit the pillow and let his sight wander. He’d met two monsters today, and he’d concluded that the one that looked most like a monster was the one he definitely would never hide from. The other monster, the one he’d felt sorry for that day, was the monster that he had to fight, he had to protect people from him. He would never let Deus get his hands on whatever it was his father wanted.