Chapter Text
Cale woke with a large gasp, reeling from the sensation of falling. Loud voices bombarded his ears, though they weren’t the usual ones that yelled at him whenever he exited the plane of unconsciousness.
He still needed to figure out the sudden cut in connection with his Ancient Powers. It could become a problem.
“Cale!”
“Human!”
Three bodies suddenly rushed into him. Each of his children wrapped Cale’s upper body in a crushing hug…literally. His kids were insanely strong.
However, despite his spine on the verge of breaking, Cale did not have the heart to push them away.
Cale rubbed the top of Hong’s head. “I’m okay… I’m okay,” he breathed.
On’s golden gaze suddenly eyed him with a glare. Cale didn’t need to be an expert on reading expressions to see her intent.
His eyes softened. “I know… I’m sorry.”
Her head tilted.
“Getting sucked into a portal wasn’t my intent… I promise.”
Another tilt.
“I truly didn’t know what would happen.”
She stared, then sighed. Cale felt another shift and this time Raon’s bright blue eyes glared with a shine. As menacing as Raon thought it might come across, the sight was actually very cute.
“Stupid, Human,” Raon grumbled, pressing his head back into Cale’s shirt.
“I know, I know… this human is the stupidest of all.”
“And reckless,” Hong added.
“And reckless.”
On smirked. “And an idiot.”
Cale raised a brow at his adopted daughter. She eyed him in the same manner.
This kid’s getting too smart.
“And an idiot,” Cale said reluctantly. Red eyes then were able to fully take in his surroundings. Everything looked like a hurricane had blown through—papers scattered, chairs knocked over. However, in the middle of the wreckage, the same death-trap of a book laid perfectly untouched.
Last time I take the word of any Bob ever again.
Cale also took notice of the unconscious body across the ground.
Cale quickly got to his feet, ignoring the sudden blood rush, and sat before the teen. Harry’s chest showed movement, a gentle rise and fall of deep sleep.
“How long have we been gone?” Cale asked.
The three adopted siblings looked at each other. On spoke, “Only a few minutes… we were afraid… Well, we didn’t know what happened.”
Cale walked over and sat by the dark-haired teen. Sweat soaked the boy’s fringe and his breathing was fast. However, the strangest thing that caught the ex-commander’s eye was the blood that dripped from Harry’s scar.
The boy had not shared too much about the lighting bolt mark which ran across the right side of his face, though Cale had noticed Harry’s habit of tugging and flattening the right side of his bangs. The mark was very strange. It appeared both old and new—the jagged white lines growing deep into the skin; yet, in areas around the forehead and eye, it also appeared newly healed. One thing that Cale could say for certain was that this was not the pinkish hue caused by actual electricity.
Cale was just about to find something to use as a cloth when On transformed into her human form. She kneeled next to the sleeping teen.
“On?” Cale asked inquisitively.
The girl smiled brightly before pulling out her phoenix core wand. Her eyes closed slowly and her hand stilled in concentration.
“ Ferula,” On said softly, igniting a soft, silver glow from her wand. The stream of light, thin and wispy, made its way to coil around Harry’s head. White bandages suddenly appeared around the right side of his face.
On once again opened her eyes with a little sway. Her gaze caught sight of the result of the spell and her smile grew even wider. “I did it!” she cheered.
Cale looked back and forth between the bandages and his adoptive daughter in awe. “What spell was that?”
On’s cheeks developed a reddened tint as her smile became more bashful. “I saw Madam Pomfrey use the spell to create bandages for Umbridge. It seemed super useful! I’m just glad I said it right.”
Cale smirked. “So, you weren’t actually taught the spell.”
“Well, no…”
Cale just shook his head and placed his hand on the top of On’s silver hair.
Hong, in his human form, and Raon jumped in between them. “That was so awesome, noona!” Hong said in his native tongue.
Raon perched his paws on Cale’s side. “Our sister is the best!”
Cale smiled. “Yes, she is. Though I do remember seeing a section in one of your textbooks that learning new spells without instruction can be dangerous,” he said playfully.
On looked at him with a face that read, ‘Like you have any room to talk.’
“...fair.”
Two more paws pressed on Cale’s back and the head of the baby Thestral peaked around his shoulder.
“Ah,” Cale began, “I see the little one has stuck around.”
Moon Eyes let out a chirp, but the foal’s misty gaze then focused forward. The ex-commander looked in the same direction and then back.
“Do you know what’s wrong?” Cale asked the Thestral.
Perhaps the creature could not physically answer; however, that did not mean no response was given. Moon Eyes gave another chirp and then trotted over next to the teen. With a quick sniff, the Thestral nudged its nose into the side of Harry’s temple.
“What’s he doing, Cale?” Hong asked.
“I’m not sure.”
Raon let out a sudden gasp and flutter of his wings. “There’s magic!”
Cale looked at his youngest. “What?”
Raon jumped. “I feel Moon Eyes’s magic!”
Just as Raon said this, a deep blue smoke enveloped the space around the Thestral’s head. It reminded Cale much of Choi Han’s aura, except, while Choi Han’s would release in inconsistent and rapid tethers, this magic just floated like the actual smoke of a bonfire.
However, that was not all. The bone-like ridges of the Thestral’s body began to glow blue as well, though these marks appeared a lighter shade. Cale was suddenly reminded of a movie he had seen before the apocalypse with bioluminescent creatures.
A deep calm filled the air—an unexpected feeling considering the two humans currently in the room had just been sent through a magic portal. Cale almost felt… sleepy.
Then, like the chime of a bell, the feeling dissipated, along with the unconscious state of Harry Potter. Accompanied by a heavy gasp, the boy’s eyes opened.
Raon jumped full into the air. “He’s awake!”
Harry coughed, prompting Cale to raise the pillow underneath the wizard’s head. He did so gently so as to not spook the boy. His gaze looked too unfocused to be fully aware of his surroundings.
Another cough left Harry’s throat… as well as pitch black liquid.
“Raon,” Cale said urgently. “Can you go to the kitchens to find some water?”
The Dragon nodded. “Of course, Human… but I don’t think I’ll need to! Hyung and I made a friend!” Before Cale could ask, Raon shouted one phrase at the top of his lungs.
After a moment, the air beside Raon warped and popped. Where there once was only air, a new creature with large ears, pinkish skin, and of small stature stood instead. Cale could only blink before Raon flew over to the creature.
“Tiny Dobby! No time to explain. We need a glass of water!” Raon shouted with only breath.
The creature, Dobby, flailed his arms and, with high pitched mumbles, disappeared from the room once again.
What…? Cale could only think.
Not even five seconds later, the creature popped back with a copper pitcher in his hands. “Dobby has brought as you request oh greatest and most powerfulest, mighty Dragon!”
Cale blinked. Ehh?
“Thanks, Dobby!”
The creature dropped to its knees, mumbling something about “all powerful one” and “magic’s realm.”
What had his kids been up to?
The ex-commander shook his head. He would worry about that later. Grabbing the pitcher and cup from the creature’s raised hands, Cale moved back to focus on Harry.
Dobby gave another gasp. “Master Harry Potter, sir!” he yelled, but Cale paid no mind. He held up the glass and tipped the water slowly.
“Thanks Tiny Dobby,” Raon said again. “We got it from here.”
The house elf stammered and nodded with a deep bow. Then, with a snap and a pop, he disappeared.
After a moment, the unfocused look in the teen’s eyes began to disappear. Regardless of whether or not he was fully aware of his own motions, Harry shakily gripped the cup from Cale’s hand and drank the rest of the water. The teen’s green eyes widened as he leaned over the couch and vomited… black liquid.
Harry heaved, tears in the rims of his eyes. “Professor…?” He lurched forward with another cough.
Cale grabbed the boy’s shoulder and ushered him into a sitting position. “Don’t talk… breathe.”
Green eyes met reddish brown fully, before Harry vomited another bout of the gruesome substance.
“T-that’s… that’s disgusting,” Harry said weakly. Taking a shaky breath, he looked up. “We’re back…”
“We are.”
A true grin developed on Harry’s face. “I feel like my insides are my outsides.”
Cale chuckled, but before he could respond, the chubby form of Raon filled his vision.
“Little Mage, Little Mage! You’re okay!”
“I—uh—yeah?”
Cale grabbed the Dragon by the stomach and pulled him down. “Alright, Raon… let’s not overwhelm him.”
But the young Dragon would not be deterred. Raon jumped into the air and flew in little circles around the couch. However, he wasn’t the only one in high spirits. Moon Eyes bounced joyously beside the group, no longer glowing blue. The little Thestral then ran up to Harry and licked the back of his hand.
Harry’s eyes widened. “It’s… It was you.” Green eyes looked back-and-forth from Cale and the Thestral. “Was it your magic I felt?”
Well, this was new.
“Magic?” Hong asked.
Harry’s gaze moved to the youngest redhead. “I… I was stuck.”
“Where?” the Cat sibling asked again.
“I was at Hogwarts… I think.” Harry gripped his head. “But it was… different.”
Hong’s head tilted to the side, before he enveloped himself in red mist and reverted back into his Cat form. “How was it different?” Hong then jumped onto the cushions beside the teen.
“Everything… everything was gone.”
“Oh… I’ve had a dream like that too.”
“You have?”
Hong nodded with a gentle purr. “I dreamed that none of the past three years had actually happened.”
“That must have felt awful.”
“It was. I was alone.”
A thick haze covered Harry’s eyes, dulling the bright green color. “You don’t like being alone either?”
Hong shook his head. “I’m sorry you were alone.”
“It wasn’t real.”
“That’s true… but it always feels really bad after too.”
“Yeah… it does.”
“You’re not alone now, though.”
“I…” Harry’s voice trailed off, but his hand moved to rub the spot between Hong’s ears.
A distance appeared in the boy’s gaze, one Cale recognized. Deep-rooted disbelief.
“It seems I woke before you,” Cale said. “It was thanks to the kids that you were only out for a few minutes.”
Harry’s brows knitted together. “The place I saw… Could that be why I didn’t wake up?”
“That seems to be logical.”
Cale looked toward the baby Thestral. Its silver eyes trailed back and forth between him and the teen.
Whatever the creature did, it seemed to have pulled Harry out of his… vision? Other realm?
“On?” Cale looked to his oldest. “How did we appear back in the room?”
Her eyes trailed to the book on the floor. “Black liquid started leaking from the pages. Next thing we know, the stuff builds and then disappears, leaving you on the floor.”
“So, it wasn’t a big portal like before?” Harry asked, then took a sniff. “And why I smell like a cross between oil and an old library?”
Cale hummed. “Perhaps your mind lingered in whatever place we had traveled.”
“Cale’s kind of an expert in out-of-body experiences,” Hong chimed.
“I guess you could say I’m something of a scientist myself.”
In response, Cale received a series of blinks.
Ah, I suppose that movie hasn’t released yet.
With a clear of his throat, Cale moved on. “Regardless, I am more concerned about that—” he gestured to Harry’s right arm “—symbol on your wrist.”
Harry looked down in confusion. He pulled up the cuff of his Hogwarts robe… and went silent.
“Huh… Well, that’s new.”
—
“So, I now have a tattoo, now?”
“It appears so.”
Harry traced the curved pattern around his arm. Depending on the way the light caught it, he could see the glistening of chromatic scales.
Once again, should Harry be more freaked out about this? Probably. Does somehow getting tattooed by a magical-portal-snake call for concern? Most likely. Should Harry probably think about the consequences of having a tattoo that could be mistaken as the Dark Mark? Definitely.
But the teen really only thought of one thing.
“…awesome.”
I feel like a member of Whitesnake or something.
When Harry looked up, he found Cale gazing inquisitively at the snake. He held a hand out towards Harry, to which the teen extended his arm.
Cale lightly held his arm, his reddish-brown eyes intent. “Do you feel any pain?” he asked.
Harry shook his head. “My arm does feel kinda stiff… that’s about it though.”
Cale’s eyebrows furrowed. “Raon?”
The little dragon hopped on the couch. “Yes, Human!”
“Can you find a magic trace?”
Raon perched himself on Harry’s thigh and put a chubby paw on his arm. White energy pulsed from the young Dragon and tickled Harry’s skin.
After a moment, Raon shook his head. “It feels closer to our magic… not this world’s.”
Harry blinked. That… was not what he was expecting. “That’s—uh—unique.”
The room fell silent. After a moment, Harry’s gaze moved to the curved walls
“So, what now?” Harry asked to redirect the topic. “I mean… I know strange things happen, but very rarely am I being sucked into a magical portal with a snake that somehow tattooed itself onto my arm.”
Reddish-brown eyes looked at him. “No, I would think not,” Cale said. “I suggest we first go over what we saw. It seems that there was a consistency throughout all of the images we were shown.”
Consistency throughout? Despite Harry’s headache, he tried to think back to whatever the book wanted them to find. Surely their whole excursion wasn’t a botched run? There had to be a point. There just had to…
A quiet forest. A blazing inferno. An echoing song. An endless ocean—
It all seemed so different.
—Images scattered throughout. Technologies both of the future and past. Voices of hope and pain.
But no… it wasn’t. Harry not only saw, but he felt. He felt the earthly breeze of a forest far from the touches of any city. It reminded him of the trees that surrounded Hogwarts. Silent and deadly, calm and peaceful—a world entirely their own.
Harry could feel the heat of the desert sun and the shocks of falling buildings. It reminded him of the long days he had spent locked out of the Dursley house in the summer—a heat so suffocating and nauseating with no shade to prevent burns.
Harry could not only hear, but feel the vibrations of a grand piano. With an intake of breath, Harry once again tried to imitate how the melodic chords rang deep into with skin. He had very little experience with physical musical instruments, for the Dursley’s thought genres aside of classical to be utterly detestable. Oh, but Harry loved music. Nearly every genre… though his music taste might be a bit limited to what he had heard through the radio, street musicians, and the one time he was lucky enough to find a cassette player abandoned on the playground.
Harry could still feel the intense pressure under the waves. Though he had never been to the ocean, Harry could taste its seawater. The tide tugged at his limbs, deeper and deeper, sinking farther and farther into an endless abyss. His hands felt heavy with exertion, grasping at empty space towards the last glimpse of light—grabbing, reaching towards anything.
Suddenly, his mind reeled as a thin weight pressed into his hands. In the sea, he took hold of a chalice.
A chalice… the chalice.
Laughter filled his throat, all remnants of air cascading out in upwards bubbles.
But not just laughter. Screams. Anger. Pain.
And all were connected.
Green eyes widened. “The objects!”
Cale turned his head and nodded. “Each of the… visions ended with them.”
“They must be important,” Harry concluded, catching onto Cale’s words. “If we were there to find a ‘horcrux,’ then those objects must have a connection!”
“Perhaps.” Cale stayed silent for a moment. “On the surface, each object looked both ordinary in the setting as well as completely different.”
Harry looked down at the snake on his right arm. “...Professor?”
“Yes?”
Harry gripped the cuff of his right sleeve. “Could you—” he took a breath “—I could feel something from the objects. It was like… like they were alive.” Harry looked at Cale, but the redhead just motioned to continue. Harry steadied his breath. “This may sound strange, but it was almost like they had a will of their own. I could feel it.”
“You are not the only one.”
Harry almost fell off the couch in surprise. What?
But Cale just continued, unaware of the boy’s inner plight. “Though I wouldn’t say ‘of their own.’”
Harry shook his head, completely derailed. “What do you mean, sir?”
“It does not seem like a coincidence that we were shown all the objects.” Cale then sat down. “I could feel it too, like I was whatever entity resided inside. However, nothing seemed complete. Like parts of a whole.”
“Then, what were those places we saw? Last time I checked, muggles had not created planes that sophisticated outside of movies.”
Cale’s pointer-finger tapped his knee. “I’m not sure… but they were important.”
“...Professor?”
“Yes, Harry?”
“That last image—the one with the stone arch—didn’t feel like any of the ones before. It felt…”
“...real.”
The wizard nodded. All of the environments within the visions all had some form of realism, so close very close to the real thing. And, besides the whole “body passing through stuff” bit, one could almost be fooled into thinking they were truly in a forest, or a building, or under water.
However, the last room felt like a whole new presence. It seemed truly real—the chill that set into Harry’s bones, the smell of dust and dry rock, the ground at his feet.
The center point of the grand room also felt familiar to Harry. How, why, or when? He couldn’t say. But he did recognize the hallway before the chamber.
“I think I may have a place to start.”
“Go ahead,” Cale encouraged.
“The hallway we were in—the one with all the funky lighting—I recognize it.”
Now, Harry had much rather forget about the whole incident, but at least it could result in some good.
Harry continued. “I think we were somewhere in the Ministry of Magic?”
Cale eyes focused, intent with thought. “I heard that Pink Toad mention it a few times. What is it?”
It took a moment for Harry’s brain to catch up. He then mentally slapped himself. Duh! Guy from another world, here.
“Sorry!” Harry’s hands flailed out in front of him. “It’s basically the magical government of Wizarding Britain.”
Cale nodded, though a new glint of mischief appeared in his eye.
Harry most definitely did not want to know… nope! No way! Not. A. Chance.
He shook away his thoughts. “Anyway, long story short I was there for my trial and was escorted through similar looking hallways.”
Cale grew silent for a moment. Then, a laugh left his lips. “Well, then… it seems we know our next destination.”
Now, Harry would like to think he’s not that bad of a student. He generally enjoys his classes, except potions for obvious reasons… and when he’s not in the center of a disastrous, evil plot. He tries to study… when he’s not in the center of a disastrous, evil plot. He likes to play board games that other muggle-raised students sneaked into the common room… when he’s not in the center of a disastrous, evil plot. He likes to spend hours flying… when he’s not in the center of a disastrous, evil plot. He likes to help Hagrid out with the magical beasts… when he’s not in the center of a disastrous, evil plot.
Harry doesn’t mean to be a troublemaker… truly!
It just sorta… kinda… happens.
Okay… so maybe there were a few instances where he could have kept his nose to the ground. However, to be fair, it’s pretty hard to do that when you got a snake whispering in your mind, a supposedly murderous convict chasing you, and your life and magic depend on an insane tournament. And no one could blame Harry for wanting to save Buckbeak either! Or Ginny! Or Sirius!
He should probably not say anything… But the words kind of just blurted out.
“That’s… going to be a problem.”
“How come?”
“The Ministry only lets people in on appointment.”
“I see… then we’ll just have to use more creative methods.”
…huh?
Harry heard On sigh.
Cale looked genuinely confused. “What?”
She shook her head with a smirk. “Nothing.”
“Oh, Human! Are we going to loot someone again?”
Again? What’s with this family and looting?
“I’m not sure yet, Raon.”
“What about bust in?”
“Possibly, Hong.”
“What about burn the place? Like the island!”
“Youngest, I think what happened on the island was more like… Boom! Pow! Psh! Gone.”
“Ah! Very true, my good hyung.”
Whether it was the vertigo of being tossed through magical dimensions, or whatever this was, Harry’s brain short-circuited.
He caught On’s golden eyes—eyes that very much knew his own thoughts. The girl shook her head with exasperation, her expression reading, ‘Yes, this is normal.’
…and Harry thought his life was strange.
With another shake of his head, Harry’s eyes glanced toward the room entrance. Light no longer filtered through the door-frame.
Speaking of trouble…
“What’s on your mind?”
Harry looked back and laughed hesitantly. “Well, uh, funny story… I was actually supposed to be having detention with Ms. Toaderella this afternoon.”
Cale’s gaze intensified. “Did something happen?”
“O-oh! Yes… I mean, no!” Stop talking, Potter! “Just the Toad being her usual self. She’s had it out for me since the Ministry.” Harry tried to fight the sudden itching of his arm.
Harry tried not to look away from the red-eyed, intense gaze. It wasn’t scary, per say, but it seemed to look deep into Harry’s soul.
“I’ll take responsibility for any discourse she gives you.”
Bright relief filled the teen’s chest. “Thank you, Professor.”
“...So, how do we break into the Ministry of Magic?”
Never mind… That relief vanished in an instance. “Wait, you’re serious?”
Harry heard On sigh. “You’ll find Cale never jokes around when it comes to looting.”
Cale’s eyebrow raised. “This is the same Ministry that nearly got you expelled, correct?”
“Well…”
“Then, I don’t see a problem.”
There’s probably several, actually… oh, well.
“Well, I know how to generally get in. There’s a telephone booth in muggle-Britain that will take you there directly. There’s also Polyjuice Potion.”
The expression On Cale’s face showed he had no idea what Harry was talking about.
“Ah, it’s a potion that will alter your appearance into someone else. Ron, Hermione, and I brewed some in Second Year to sneak into the Slytherin common room.”
“That could have made things easier,” Cale mumbled.
“But then it wouldn’t have been as fun!” Raon cheered.
…Am I in the presence of a criminal? I guess I’m not that better, technically.
Cale nodded to himself. “I will look into it. In the meantime, I think we need to deal with Ms. Sore-Throat over here.”
Now, that was an idea Harry could get behind, no question.
“Speaking of that, I have something I want to run by you.” Harry took a breath. “As you know by the however-many-and-counting plaques outside the Great Hall, students are not allowed to create their own clubs.”
“Yes.”
“Well… we’ve, my friends and I, have been talking about starting on our own. I’ve been asked to teach.” Harry fiddled his sleeve. “Would you join us?”
Reddish-brown eyes widened a fraction. He went silent, then spoke with a gentle smirk. “I would be delighted.”
“We just don’t know of a place to host it yet.”
Hong’s and Raon’s eyes lit up. “We know of one!”
Cale looked toward Harry. “Do you have time?”
“No way would I miss this.”
—
Cale followed the cheerful whispers and bouncing steps of Hong and an invisible Raon. From Cale’s office, they tracked up the stairs of the central hall and into the main class area. With the sun falling just above the horizon, there were no students in the Astronomy Wing. Most had probably made their way down to the Great Hall.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go eat?” Cale asked. For a growing child, it was important that one ate plenty. Teens, especially, needed proper nutrients and Harry looked… rather thin. Perhaps the sentiment was rather rich coming from Cale. He wasn’t totally oblivious to know that he wasn’t the most, well, muscular of a person.
It was harder to tell due to the teen’s baggy school uniform, but Cale’s eyes could still catch the way the teen’s cheeks dipped with shadows.
Harry shook his head. “No, I’m good… I’m not hungry. I’m more just curious on where we’re going?” His eyes scanned the walls. “When there was mention of a special place I kinda—uh—expected it to be out of Hogwarts.”
“To be fair, I have no clue where we’re going either. But my children are very good at tracking and finding food in the forest so I trust their judgment.”
They began to make their way up the stairs of the Dark Arts tower. Harry looked around again—dark walls and moving portraits all familiar.
“It’s just that…” Harry paused. “I’ve been up this way hundreds of times and I’ve checked everywhere I could think of. It’s all been the same… and that’s saying something for Hogwarts.”
Cale looked at the boy and then back at Hong who had just reached the top step and turned a corner. “Maybe you just aren’t looking for the right things.”
Harry stopped mid-step.
“In my experience,” Cale began casually, “magic is more than just a power we wield. It’s a natural, fluid force that can exceed all human capabilities. I would say that most humans actually hinder magic’s true capability.”
“You’ve mentioned stuff like this in class. I’ve never even heard of that theory.” The teen shrugged. “I’ve always believed that magic defied every law of nature possible. Of course, at the same time, I get to Hogwarts and suddenly there are actual physical and principle laws to abide by.”
“And that’s where the differences in our worlds lie.”
“What do you mean?”
Cale stopped and placed his hand on the wall. “In my world, magic and nature are intertwined. The magic wielders, mages as we call them, use magic based on the elements. However, this world can go beyond that.”
“So, the things you mentioned in your classes…”
He nodded. “Based on the knowledge of my world, yes.”
“Wicked.”
Cale smirked and turned the corner. A long hallway ran down the other side.
Harry’s eyes fell along the tapestry which he had seen before. To be fair, he usually did not go this far up into the astronomy tower, but he had spent lengths of time wandering the halls at Hogwarts under his invisibility cloak. The same—though still bizarre, Harry would not lie—tapestry hung with the same depiction of Barnabas and his tutu-adorned trolls.
What could be out of the ordinary for a place so extraordinary?
Hong stopped right in the center of the hall and looked back to Cale. The ex-commander nodded and stopped just at the edge of the tapestry.
“Ready, dongsaeng ?” Hong cheered, his face lowering in a pouncing position.
In a blur, Raon reappeared floating just above the Cat. “Ready, hyung!”
Together, the two took off in a sprint to the other end of the hallway. With feather-light taps, Hong reached the wall, sprung off, and ran back again. Raon flew right along the order’s tail, front paws stretched outward.
He’s like a little Superman, Harry laughed to himself.
When the two children reached Harry and Cale, they turned around and completed the loop once more.
All was silent for a moment. The frantic movements of the children halted as both gazed at the center wall just opposite of the tapestry.
It was then Harry saw something—fine detail he had missed. In a near empty hall, one would like such a feat impossible; however, that did not dissuade the fact that there was a painting he had never noticed.
Encased in simple wood, the painting almost seemed too plain for the extravagance of the wizard taste… if not for the creatures in the center. Laid out on a green field, shaded by scattered trees, a group of magical creatures sat in the middle. A phoenix, pegasus, hippogriff, two-tailed fox, and green serpent intertwined together in gentle sleep. Circled around the various creatures was a large Thestral—its body, head, wings, and tail curled protectively around the group.
The picture looked so… serene.
Click.
A small noise pulled Harry from his thoughts. His eyes widened.
As green eyes trailed the left wall, the previous empty space now faded away. Twisting, black locks groaned and moved, clicking intricately into place.
It was a door. Iron upon iron created a hidden door.
“Woah,” Harry couldn’t help but say. Despite this being, what… his fifth year of seeing magic? Hard to believe, but Harry still was impressed at its wonders.
“Ta-da!” Hong lifted his head proudly.
Raon flew in front of Cale’s face. “We proudly present the Top-Secret-Special-Door-of-Moving-Parts! Also known as the TSS…TSS… DOM…P.” Raon threw up his paws triumphantly. “The TSSDOMP!”
Cale raised an eyebrow. “Very fitting.” He then looked to Harry. “Shall we go in?”
The boy wasted no time and enthusiastically nodded.
Cale approached the iron door and gripped the handle. For a door its size, it opened silently.
All the breath in Harry’s lungs left in an instant. On the other side of the door… was a forest.
Lush trees towered high, going far beyond what Harry thought was the actual height of the ceiling. Grass, plants, tree roots, and rocks covered the ground.
Harry’s senses were then welcomed with the smell of pine and fresh pine. Sunlight, or at least the appearance of the rays, tickled his skin. Harry even saw a patch of moss that looked absolutely delightful for a nap.
“What is this place?” He asked, slightly breathless. It wasn’t the forbidden forest that was for certain. Said forest barely saw a slither of sunlight.
“It’s the Forest of Darkness.”
Harry looked toward the redhead. “Pardon?”
Reddish-brown eyes scanned the area. “The Forest of Darkness… an area of our home world.”
“But then… How is it here?” Better yet, why was it named the “Forest of Darkness?” It was beautiful.
Grrrr.
Both human heads snapped towards their diagonal right. A deep rumble exited from the foliage.
Crack.
The snapping of branches prompted Harry to reach toward his wand in his pocket.
With heavy steps, the plants split apart. Out stepped a creature, lizard-like with scaly skin and slotted eyes. However, it was massive—taller than a human if it were to stand on its hind legs.
And stand it did.
The creature reared back its slimy head to reveal a full set of pointed teeth.
Harry’s stomach sank. Not beautiful! Deadly! Very, very deadly! He raised his wand, a spell right on his lips. However, before he could utter a word, a figure shot past him in a blur of black.
Boom!
The ground rumbled at the sudden explosion and Harry shielded his face from the onslaught of wind and leaves. When the force died down, the creature was gone.
“W-what was that?” But Harry’s answer lied with the baby Dragon that sat in a pile of singed earth.
Raon grinned wider than ever, proudly showing his and Hong’s find. “See, Human!” He exclaimed. “Isn’t it amazing?”
“Why yes, Raon, this is quite an amazing find.”
“And look”—Raon leapt off the ground—“it even comes with these dummies.”
Just as he said, instead of the body of a giant lizard, on the ground was a mangled, wooden mannequin.
Harry blinked. He tried to pinpoint the exact magic. Transfiguration? But it felt so real. However, as the dust cleared, Harry could truly see that despite the appearance of a large creature tearing down trees, not even a footprint remained around the area.
“W-what is this place?” Harry asked, bewildered.
Hong hummed. “We’re not really sure. One day we were just exploring and found it. We walked in and everything looked like home.”
“Yeah!” Raon cut in. “But the smell is completely different.”
“Youngest is right. We came back and wanted to fight monsters and they just appeared.”
Roan nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! Watch!” Placing two paws on his temple, the young Dragon held his eyes shut.
Sure enough, the floor began to rumble. Harry’s stance faltered from the tremors. From the base of the stone walls, cracks split open the ground. The ground then receded into where the wall and ground met, pulling and shrinking all objects—the plants, the trees, the rocks—beneath.
An eclectic surge suddenly touched Harry’s skin. The feeling wasn’t painful, per say, but could compare to a sudden shock of static electricity. He had felt something similar before, a zap of power—the binding of his magic to the Triwizard Tournament. It was the magic he was familiar with—that of his world.
At the same time, the feeling was so much softer. While the binding felt like an itch and pull, like his soul had been dunked in whatever, the feeling was truly electrifying.
It resonated with his soul, an exploration only comparable to the casting of a patronus. Natural… it felt as natural as breathing.
A thought dawned on Harry.
This was Raon’s magic. Only a very small bit; but with that small amount, enough to completely alter the features of a room at Hogwarts.
Was… was that even possible?
I thought Hogwarts’s wards were protected against outside magic…
Obviously it didn’t account for a baby Dragon from another world.
Within a few blurred seconds, the scenery had changed. Trees still lined the walls, which faded into the open night sky.
Those aren’t our stars, Harry observed.
Then, when his gaze lowered, his breath caught in his throat. Rocks floated upward, crashed, and fused together to create a large cave. The floor rumbled again, and through tiny cracks, white stone surged from the ground. Puzzle pieces of material moved and intertwined, building a gorgeous white structure.
The sight looked like something taken straight out of Ancient Rome. Marble pillars supported five floors of pure stone. Even with the dim lighting of the magicked room, the structure practically glowed under the silver light.
Slowly, the movement stopped and Raon opened his eyes. He grinned. “Look, Human! Our home!”
No way… For the umpteenth time, Harry was left speechless. No wonder the Big Dipper wasn’t in the sky… this place, whatever it was, did not showcase Harry’s world.
He turned to look at his professor. It’s his…