Another Chapter Guy's!! I know that this is very late and that the chapters aren't as long as they used to be, but I'm finding it hard to get into the mood to write this story. I know what I want to do with it, it's just putting it into words and getting there that's the problem. Anyway, I hope you like this bit, and that I wasn't too predictable with what happened in the previous chapter. Review please!!!
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… Unbridled power coursed through his veins … Senses were magnified beyond comprehension … Mild awareness was smothered by blinding rage … A target was chosen … The rage encompassed him and he leapt –
Ginny sat bolt upright, gasping for breath as the echo of her dream drifted away, clutching at her chest as her eyes darted around the room. When had she come back to bed? Didn't she and Ron go out into the Infirmary to see if Harry had been brought back yet?
Swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress, Ginny slipped from her bed and quietly opened the door to her room, walking over to the door leading to the Main Ward and pressing an ear to the Oak, listening for any discussion. She could hear some muffled voices, but couldn't discern anything from the muddle. Hesitating for a moment, she opened the door and quietly padded out of the hallway, heading directly for the small group of people gathered around a bed.
"Ginny?" Ron called out, surprised. He stood and approached her, grasping her arm carefully in case she needed the extra support. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"I had a really weird dream and woke up," she answered, not having the energy to fabricate anything this time. "I can't really remember it properly, it was too patchy. Anyway, where's Harry … and Hank? I thought he was supposed to be here by now?"
Ron helped her lay on the bed he and Hermione had been sitting on, before resuming his place next to her.
"They hit a bit of a snag, Gin," Ron answered, not bothering to lie to her about it, knowing that she could see through him in an instant. "Hank's gone to pick Harry up right now, and is due back any minute."
"That's good," said Ginny, sighing as she settled on the large pillow behind her. "I want to see that Harry is okay for myself…"
The doors to the Infirmary suddenly swung open quite forcefully, turning their heads in apprehension, until the dark and brooding Potions Master came hurrying inside.
"Headmaster, I need to speak with you immediately!" Snape exclaimed, waiting off to the side so that they might confer privately.
Dumbledore immediately grew concerned, nodded, and rose, meeting Snape on the other side of the Infirmary.
"What do you thinks going on?" asked Ron quietly, directing his question to all present. Remus, Hermione and Ginny all shrugged, but they all continued to watch the heated discussion opposite them.
Dumbledore seemed to look increasingly angered the more Snape spoke, and sometimes a touch of fear lit his features. Snape also looked exceedingly worried, almost frantic with his explanation. The combination of the reactions of these two people made the small curiosity and concern morph into near panic by the time they started to walk back towards them.
"What's wrong, Albus?" Remus demanded as soon as they both came over to his bedside. "What's happened?"
"Severus has found some rather … disturbing information regarding both Harry and Hank. It poses a large cause for alarm, especially where Harry is concerned…"
Remus sat up further, "What do you mean, Albus?"
"It seems that our esteemed O'Fallen has been keeping very important secrets from us," Snape spoke up, sneering momentarily at the students but leaving them to listen, knowing they were involved in this too deeply to be left out. "It turns out that Mr Potter, really is a member of his Clan. In the literal sense. Potter is a Felanade through his fathers side…"
"What?!" Remus gasped, disbelief plastered on his face. "How is that – "
"Oh, I'm not finished yet, Lupin," Snape cut in, looking irritated at the interruption. "I've also just discovered that he's transformed for the first time, in the past few minutes. I presume O'Fallen has gone to fetch the boy, seeing that he is not here?"
"That's right, Severus," Dumbledore answered. "Hank found where Harry was not long ago and left to retrieve him."
"Well then I'd say this is a small snag in that plan." Snape seemed to lose some of his malice for a brief moment, folding his arms and leaning on the end of Remus's bed. "A very reliable source has just told me that our esteemed Mr Potter is none too happy with his uncle, as it seems, and is most likely in the middle of one of his famous Rages…"
"But, he couldn't actually do that much damage to anything right?" Ron suggested timidly. "I mean, Hank will be there, and he'll stop Harry, no worries?"
Snape glared at the redhead. "Did you not here what I just said, Mr Weasley? Mr Potter has transformed into a Felanade, and is in the middle of a Frenzy … do you not comprehend the severity of the situation?"
"Think of what Harry does when he's normal, Ron," Hermione explained hastily. "Then add what we saw in the forest a couple of nights ago, the power we saw being thrown around. Harry is capable of all of that, but he has no control over it…"
Ron's face went slack at the idea. "Holy Shit!" he squeaked, forgetting the company he was in.
"How eloquently put, Mr Weasley," Snape drawled, "Yet quite correct in it's severity. One can only hope Mr Potter calms down before he does anything he will regret once the Rage passes…"
"Yeah, like you'd even care what happens to Harry," Ron spat impulsively, only to cringe back when the Potions Master glared at him.
"While my fondness of Mr Potter leaves much to be desired, Mr Weasley, I do not wish the boy harm. Besides, I would be more concerned over O'Fallen at present, as he would most likely be the focal point during Mr Potter's Frenzy. I believe you know the repercussions of being in that position, do you not?"
Ron paled noticeably and swallowed, nodding his head, remembering the sound beating Harry had given him the first week of term. It had almost resulted in his death…
"Yes sir, I do."
***
Another jolt of pain ripped through him, as yet another blast of energy met it's mark, adding to the burns that already littered his body. Kahn was still running, desperately trying to avoid the rapid blows and blasts that Harry was directing at him. He felt the magic in the air shift again, and leapt to the side, the glowing globe missing him by an inch, yet when he turned to resume running, he met a crushing blow to the head, making him reel backwards, and back into the blast radius of the globe he'd just dodged.
A roar of agony escaped him, and Kahn did something he'd hoped he wouldn't have to resort to. Shakily, he got to his feet, barely registering that the countryside he and Harry had been battling over was little more than burning wasteland.
Harry was now walking towards him, his form shimmering with the heat of the ground they walked upon, his emerald eyes glowing intensely. There wasn't a blemish on him.
Kahn grit his teeth and lifted his hands, wishing that it hadn't come to this. After a moment, a shimmering appeared in his hands, and not a moment later, his Great Axe had been conjured.
"Harry, please snap out of it," he whispered, feeling his chest constrict at how everything had turned out. This wasn't supposed to be happening… He knew that if this continued, he would be killed. Yet, Kahn didn't know if Harry would come out of his Frenzy if that happened or not. If he didn't, Harry would wreak havoc everywhere … but even if he did come out of it, Harry would be struck down with the knowledge of taking his life. No matter how unintentional it was.
Like lightning, Harry leapt at him in his moment of reflection, catching Kahn a bone crunching blow to his midriff. The larger Feline doubled over, all air catapulted from his lungs with the blow, the Axe falling from his fingers and shimmering from existence. Before he could even attempt to take a breath, Harry had twisted him around, looping his powerful arms behind his back, while Harry pressed his own thick forearm against Kahn's windpipe.
A thrill of terror washed over him as he struggled to release his arms, while simultaneously attempting to draw air. White dots began to cloud Kahn's vision, and he felt his movements grow sluggish … weaker. In a last ditch effort, Kahn wrenched his body around, trying to twist out of Harry's grip to little avail. The smaller Felanade held steadfast. He blurrily felt Harry shift behind him, only to stiffen painfully when he felt the vicious claws on Harry's toes sink into his back, before slashing sideways, severing his spinal chord at his waist.
Kahn felt himself fall boneless to the ground, Harry still saddled on his back. The agony from the attack had almost made him black out, but Kahn refused to give in to it. This was one fight he refused to lose. As the darkness gathered at the edges of his vision, Kahn resigned himself to his only option remaining, and prayed that no one would die for his assumption.
As the world slowly became a pinprick of light in his vision, Kahn put his last dribble of energy into Orbing himself and Harry to the only dampener to Harry's rage.
Hogwarts and Ginny Weasley.
***
"I can't believe that Hank never told us this?" said Hermione, her tone betraying just how hurt she was over the lack of trust between them and the Feline. "What was the point in keeping it a secret?"
"I do not know, Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered gravely, the light in his eyes dimming considerably. "But whatever the reason, it has resulted in our current dilemma. I myself never expected Hank to keep such important information from me. I realize he is entitled to his secrets, as are all of us … but this information was dangerous, and it has turned out for the worst."
Bright lights in the centre of the Infirmary ended all talking, as everyone turned to face it, expecting to see Hank returning with Harry in tow……
"JESUS!" Snape exclaimed, jumping backwards, along with everyone else that could use their legs, as two massive Felanade's materialized in the dimming light. One recognisable as Kahn, the other seemingly unknown. "Everyone down!"
All of them looked on, horror struck, as the black Feline lifted Kahn's limp body, gasping as they spotted the burnt fur and the mangled flesh on his back. A loud and menacing growl was uttered by the black one, before Kahn was effortlessly hurled to the opposite end of the Infirmary, landing boneless, smashing the beds and cabinets where he landed, before colliding with the stone wall.
"STUPEFY!" Snape roared suddenly, stepping forward in front of the three teens while shielding Dumbledore with his body.
"No Severus!" Dumbledore yelled, clearly fearful which in turn added to the students angst. If Dumbledore was afraid, what hope did they have?
The beam of red light shot towards the black Feline, but before it could even reach it's target, he had swivelled around and batted the beam away with his hand, his burning emerald gaze now focused on the tall, dark Slytherin.
"Merlin! Is that Harry?!" Hermione gasped, shaking visibly at the sight before them all.
"Who cares!" Ron exclaimed, pushing Ginny behind him as he inched towards the Infirmary doors. "We need to get out of here!"
Before any of them could move, however, Harry had picked up the nearest bed, and with an ear-splitting roar, hurled it at the group.
Everyone hit the floor as the bed careened over their heads; Remus having to throw himself bodily from his bed. The bed Harry had thrown crashed into Remus's vacant one, reducing both pieces of furniture to splinters and foam, the force of the blow sending the debris in every direction.
Severus didn't even have time to regain his senses before a massive hand as big as his middle, painfully snatched him from the floor. Burning green eyes bore into black for only a moment, before the Feline wound his arm back and –
"No Harry!!!"
Harry stopped mid-throw, Snape jarring suddenly with the sudden stop in momentum, and swivelled to face the panicked cry, baring his fangs angrily.
Ginny was on her knees, struggling to stand. Ron was trying to hold her down. "Ron stop it! Harry don't do it, I know you're in there!" she pleaded, getting unsteadily to her feet after slapping Ron's grip away. "It's okay now, Harry … We're not mad at you. Just put him down, and we can talk about what's happened to you … okay?"
Everyone was staring, listening to the exchange with rapture. Snape was still trying to get out of Harry's hold, but the Feline didn't even seem to notice. The glowing gaze was fixed on Ginny, and ever so slowly, they faded into a glossy liquid emerald. Harry blinked dazedly and shook his head, before turning his head to the figure in his hand. A startled roar erupted from Harry and he dropped Snape, who was only just able to remain on his feet.
Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore and Remus picked themselves up gingerly from the floor, watching warily as Harry looked at his arms, stunned, before his eyes widened and he took off to the other end of the Ward, getting there in two strides and a small leap over the broken furniture.
At that moment, Madame Pomfrey rushed out from the back rooms after hearing the loud yet swift commotion. She'd just managed to keep Sirius in his room and came straight into the Ward, feeling a gasp catch in her throat at the sight of the demolished things.
"Poppy, Mr Potter is with a patient that requires your talents," Dumbledore spoke loudly from the end of the Infirmary, hurrying over towards her. He pointed and she looked, feeling her chest constrict at the sight.
"You have to help him, Madame Pomfrey," Harry pleaded, looking down at Kahn woefully. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it, but I couldn't help it! I don't know how to fix him – "
"It's all right, I'll take him," said Poppy, calming the Felanade. She was baffled by the news that a Feline didn't know how to heal, but soon it was explained when she said, "Albus, I thought he was fetching Mr Potter? What happened?"
"Poppy, that is Mr Potter," Albus answered heavily.
"And, I'm what happened…" Harry finished, visibly distraught. "I'm sorry…"
"I will explain later, Poppy," Dumbledore stated at her stunned expression, looking up at Harry. "Please tend to Kahn…?"