Chapter Text

Book One:

nightfall

Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.

― Stephen King

Not chaos, not the darkest pit of lowest Erebus
Nor aught of blinder vacancy,
scooped out by help of dreams can breed such fear and awe;
As fall upon us often when we look into our minds,
into the mind of Man
My haunt,
and the main region of my song

― William Wordsworth

Brothers will fight and kill Each other,
sisters’ children will defile kinship.
It is harsh in the world, whoredom rife
- an axe age, a sword age - shields are riven -
a wind age, a wolf age - before the world goes headlong.
No man will have mercy on another.

― Ursula Dronke’s translation on the Edda’s Ragnarok

Chapter One:
Prophet

The days were getting darker. Even the muggles could tell it. The winds that came from the North of England smelled and felt like change.

And so felt the wizards. The lonely man in his intense purple cape walked on his own, his head bent down as the shadows of the cloudy day hid his face from the curious muggles who saw him. No one could tell how he simply appeared from the back of a dark alley a few blocks behind that street. No one noticed his wand, which he hid so easily on his belt.

Not even when he entered the muggle Prime Minister’s office.

They did not greet each other. Not as normal leaders would anyways. But the muggle minister would not make a comment on it. He knew better than to point mistakes from wizards.

“To what do I owe you this pleasure, Shaw?” The man behind his wooden desk said. The other could feel it in his voice how scared he was.

“I am not here for a long talk, minister.” The wizard said, stepping into the office and sitting gingerly on the chair in front of the table, face to face with the muggle Prime Minister. “I want to take care of these rumours.”

The muggle knew exactly which rumours he was talking about. Even though the wizarding world was a secret among the muggles, the sights and occurrences that had shaken the news lately made people speculate about the disappearances, the strange snake-like shapes in the clouds, and those strange spontaneous lightings in the midnight sky in an apparently calm night. Many people saw the flashes that erupted from the skies, and among with a few dead bodies scattered around the city.

However, the exposure of the wizarding world was not something to be jerked with. The two men in that room knew that very well.

“So what is this Obscurus thing you have mentioned?” The Prime Minister asked, trying to absorb the shattered fragments of the strange words he heard. He could not make sense of any of it.

“Nothing you need to worry about now, but something that is threatening the non-wizard community just as much as the magical these days…”

“Oh, you wait,” To that, the prime minister had to raise his voice. “So you are telling me that I do not need to worry about the death of my citizens? By the hands of your people?”

“No, I think you’ve heard me wrong.” The wizard was not affected by the harsh tone on the prime minister, he only stared straight into the eyes of the prime minister.

“Then do enlighten me.” The other demanded.

“What I am saying…” The wizard minister finally stood up, heading towards the small chimney on the wall. “Nice to know I won’t have to walk from here.” He mumbled to himself as he grabbed a small pack from his pocket, full of a dense ash-like powder. “What I am saying is that if these attacks keep happening, and our own kind cannot contain it,” for the prime minister’s surprise, the wizard stepped into the fire, the orange glow turning green. “Then there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.”

And with a swift motion, the fire engulfed the wizard in bright green flames, twisting ashes and sparks around, and then he was gone, leaving behind an astonished prime minister and a death promise.

But none of them knew about the secret meeting at midnight.

The dark hooded figures that walked into the streets, their steps echoing against the dark wooden walls that surrounded them. The crime alley, as the wizards called it, where at least a dozen of hooded wizards stood in a circle. All of them silent, waiting for his arrival. There was blood in the air. They could feel it.

As soon as they felt the burning sensation, though, they knew it. And one second after, the air twisted in a horrible sound, and the new figured appeared, this one taller and stranger than the rest.

“Where is she?” a cold, horrible voice emanated from the last figure.

With no ceremonies, the woman’s figure materialized above them, her body still, but her eyes open and focused, not on them, but at something no one else could see.

“Talk.” The leader commanded, his wand pointed at the woman’s face, which twisted in agony before she could release the words:

“The reckoning is coming. The ones around you shall fall, and you cannot tell who will fall next, for it is raw and unprejudiced. The Key will open the box, and the balance between all dual things will settle. Only the ones who guard the darkness within can perform the darkest magic of all time, but there will be one who will subdue the shadows and conquer the bloodlines, and when this cursed child is made free, time will reverse and the affliction shall at last come to an end.”

They all stared, the words still being processed in their heads. That message meant no good for them.

“Avada kedavra,”

There was a flash of green, and the woman’s body sank in the ground. Dead.

The leader stared for a moment, before his voice made presence again.

“They never make it easy for us, now do they? Always talking in riddles, shaping their worlds from…” He took his time to find the words, not before removing his hood and showing his face. “Enigmas.”

His skin was as grey as a stormy sky above them. His piercing grey eyes, as if colour had been extracted from them, leaving behind a lifeless vision.

“Keep yourselves awaken, lads,” his eyes scanned all the faces around him as they too removed their hoods, “We have work ahead of us.”

Chapter Text

The platform was crowded with people in a hurry to get nowhere.

The carriage being pushed by the small boy was not steady enough by his sweaty shaky hands. The auburn hair fell over his eyes, and his freckles were hidden in the blush of his cheeks. Not for self-embarrassment, but nobody around would stop staring the large hulking man behind him. Stoick would not stop complaining about how the muggle transportation was unpractical, how the people were too fragile these days or how much he wished he never left Berk that morning. Not that he despised Hiccup (his wife just a few steps ahead of him would never let him get those thoughts loose). But today was First of September. Hiccup’s first time at Platform 9 3/4.

Hiccup’s thoughts were wandering around his… peers back home, some of which were also going to their first year at Hogwarts, to all of his found pets back on the woods behind his house, and especially if that actually meant a new beginning as he was promised.

He always knew he had magical blood. Ever since he could remember, some unexplained disaster would happen near him whenever he tried to do something unusually… odd. Peculiar – his mother would say, - disastrous – his father would say. But that was the way Hiccup was. Different. Something unexpected as his own name indicated.

“…Just think about it, son, when you get sorted into Gryffindor.” Hiccup could almost feel that dreamful look in his father’s expression.

“Stoick.” Valka hissed beneath her breath. “What did we talk about pressure?”

“Oh that’s right, I’m sorry luv’,” Stoick swallowed his own voice, searching for better words to say. “Doesn’t matter which house you end up, of course I’d luv’ it if you ended up at Gryffindor…” Valka hissed again. “But Hufflepuf wouldn’t be so bad…”

“Oh come on dad, seriously?” Hiccup complained as he rolled his eyes to his dad’s cluelessness.

“Or even Slytherin!” He tried to correct himself. “Just not Ravenclaw, these folks were so weird…” Valka hissed again, this time making sure of sending an incredulous glance at her husband direction. “Oh please, luv’, those ‘goody-two-shoes’ dressed in blue and talking nonsense all the time, they are just odd.”

“It doesn’t matter where you end up, sweetie, your father and I will be proud for you just as much.” She said finally.

Yeah, right, Hiccup thought. His dad was the Quidditch team captain at Gryffindor, all the medals, all the honour (and legacy), and so did his mother. Of course that the similarity between Hiccup and Stoick was non-existent. While Stoick was all muscles and manliness strength, Hiccup was a stick with a mouth and a sharp brain.

“Just go for it… son.” Stoick tried to instruct him, but Hiccup was already half-way into the wall, crossing the magical boundary and entering platform 9 3/4. Stoick smiled proudly for a moment.

That kind of craziness did not really scare Hiccup, things like running into magical things, doing things his own way (messy, but definitely intuitive) or just breaking the rules sometimes. Which, sadly enough was one of the reasons why Stoick was so strongly sure he’d end up at Gryffindor.

The platform was crowded with people, but instead of boring suits and rushed appointments, they wore bright coloured robes, they all covered in thick white steam coming from the Hogwarts Express. Hundreds of carriages with owls, bags and things Hiccup still hadn’t seen his entire life, all of it blooming with colour and magic.

“Mom,” He whispered, but he knew she would hear. “What if I am not sorted into Gryffindor?” He asked what was actually consuming his mind that entire month.

His mom was a gentle witch; she bent down to him, her hand brushed his cheeks once.

“Then you will find out something wonderful about yourself.” She told him. “Don’t let your father’s words reach you, just let things happen naturally. You can get surprised.”

Hiccup gasped. “But what if I am sorted, let’s say, into Ravenclaw?”

Deep down, he knew that could happen. Hiccup was smart, that was for sure. But also brave. And ambitious and kind. But Gryffindor and Ravenclaw still stood out the most.

“Then Ravenclaw will have the bravest wizard it has ever know, just as much as Gryffindor would have one of its brightest students.”

To that, Hiccup actually felt a bit relieved. His mom would know what to say whenever he needed to.

“Not as bright as the Minister.” He said. His mom simply smiled, kissing his cheeks once before the train made a loud sound, warning the students to finally get into the train.

He gave his mom a long hug; his dad an awkward one, and after all the ‘yes, I’ll write you’, ‘no, I did not forget it’, Hiccup Haddock climbed into the Hogwarts express.

“He is going to be fine.” Valka reassured her proud husband.

Stoick was still waving, even though Hiccup was not at the window.

“I really hope so.” He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

But in reality, Hiccup was still wandering through the wagon, his heavy trunk being dragged behind him as the older teens laughed and giggled around, filling the compartments one by one. That fear started to rise on him again, what if nobody wanted to sit next to him? What if he had to stand up all the way to Hogwarts? Would he ever make friends once he got to the school?

Eventually, after a few more minutes wandering around the train, he reached an empty compartment. He preferred it that way. Whenever he would try to get in a conversation with someone, he would find his way to stumble at his words, stutter and choke out incomprehensible things. He would rather be left alone.

After trying (key work try) to lift his trunk to the wooden support above his head, he finally sank on the seat. He stared at the trees outside through the window. He did not know where he was going, but he hoped it was better than the place he was leaving behind. On his backpack, he found his old books (the ones he insisted on not putting into his trunk).

It passed half an hour into his old heavy books when the door to his compartment slid open, and before he could even acknowledge it, a boy with spiky white hair slipped into his compartment, shutting the door behind him, then jumping over his trunk and bent down beneath it, concealing himself completely near Hiccup’s legs.

Yes, Hiccup’s trunk was that big.

“Excuse me.” Hiccup stuttered a bit at the shock.

“Shush.” The boy said, and he could not see his face. “I am not here.”

And just as he finished saying it, a group of third years walked through the halls, stumbling on their steps as they crashed into one another. Of the boys, the tallest of them, lifted his wand, waving it once before the compartment door slid back open.

“Oi’, did you see a white haired guy running around here?”

Hiccup’s stomach sank, and he gulped before he felt cold sly fingers holding the base of his leg. Immediately, he remembered all the times someone that were not his parents ever touched him, nearly always to bully him somehow. He still had a faint bruise from the last time he got beat up. But those fingers did not feel like that. He quickly shook his head no.

“I think I heard steps running ahead on the corridor.” He lied. Hiccup was good at lying.

The boy nodded at him, waving his head once before disappearing with his friends. After they were gone, the boy behind his trunk lifted his head gingerly, then rising to his feet, taking careful steps towards the door before he shut it back, locking it.

“Thank you.” He said. He had a playful but alert tone on his voice, mischief clearly distinguishable.

“What did you do to those guys?” Hiccup finally found back his voice.

The boy smirked once.

“That kid Hopper was making everybody sick already with that stupid girlfriend of his. Like, bloody hell, they simply wouldn’t stop snogging around even when everybody was looking at them.” The boy said all of that very quickly, but that glint of mischief never left his voice. His hands dared forwards to the curtains that covered the door, closing them. “I guess that’ll do the trick. Need some help with that trunk, by the way?”

Hiccup took his time to realize that his enormous trunk was still occupying half the room in that compartment. He waved his head, setting his book aside.

“Yes, please.” He said, already standing up to help the boy to grab his trunk.

When he stood up, he realized that the other boy could not be much older than him. Even though he was nearly a foot taller. They helped each other stuffing the trunk in its place, almost letting it drop at Hiccup’s head.

“Thank you.” The brown haired boy asked.

“You’re welcome.” He said with a kind smile, right before offering his hand to shake. “I’m Jack, by the way. Jackson Overland.”

Hiccup took his hand, his grip much lighter than Jack’s.

“My name is Hiccup,” He let his voice die before the name could be heard, though.

“I beg your pardon?” Jack asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s Hiccup…” However, the name still sounded muffled.

“You should try speaking it to the outside,” Jack actually smiled. Hiccup only blushed.

“Name’s Hiccup.” He said it a bit too fast, but he would not say it again. Jack’s eyes went wide for a while, before his mouth shut in a tight line. “You can laugh, not going to blame you.”

But Hiccup’s tone was clearly hurt, and Jack noticed it. But he knew that it wasn’t Jack that was upsetting him. And immediately the laughter was gone, leaving a caring tone instead.

“Hiccup.” He repeated. “It is…”

“Stupid.” Hiccup finished it for him.

“I would say different.” Jack corrected. “Much more different than Jack, if you think about it.”

It was Hiccup’s turn to grin.

The great hall was shining with the candles that floated ten feet above the students. Even though Hiccup had heard of it a hundred times before, it still was amazingly beautiful, the way the sky mixed up with the roof into a wonderful mess of stars, galaxies and architecture.

All the first years gathered in front of the farthest table in the Hall, where a tall witch with green robes and a pointy hat held a roll of parchment in her hands. The Sorting Hat right behind her, still asleep before he had to sing his annual poetry.

Jack stood next to Hiccup all the way until there, both of chatting excitedly about random subjects. None of them mentioned their families though. Moreover, Jack, just like Hiccup, had absolutely no idea which house he was going. However, unlike Hiccup, he did not care.

Hiccup’s mind was wandering around the houses when he finally realised that many students had been sorted into their houses. Astrid Hofferson made it to Gryffindor, along with another two of his village. Steven Jorgenson was sent to Slytherin. Only when the name Hiccup Horrendous Haddock echoed through the walls, and a deadly silence made its presence, that he gulped in fear.

He looked for Jack only once, fearing for recognition to his name, or anything, but found only an encouraging grin directed to him. But as he stepped forwards, he heard the whispers.

“Horrendous? Stoick’s son?”

“He doesn’t look like him at all.”

“Hiccup? What the hell of name is that?” Laughter was heard around the Hall.

Hiccup sank in the seat, the sorting hat being gingerly put on his head.

‘A Haddock?’ A small voice echoed inside the darkness of the hat. ‘I had a few of you. What is inside this head of yours? I see bravery, oh yes. And a huge tendency for witness too. Ambition? Clearly lots of it, and nothing short of fairness, but now, where do I put you?’

Hiccup’s mind flooded with a million thoughts. They all leaded back to Stoick’s words.

‘Oh, so you have a legacy here, don’t you boy?’ The voice said. ‘Are you going to keep up living your father’s dream or start to live your own life? In this case, I have no doubt in my mind when I send you to-’

“RAVENCLAW!”

A deadly silence filled the Hall as Stoick’s nightmare became true.

“Ravenclaw?” The voices echoed through the Great Hall when the students took in what had just happened. A Haddock that was not sent to Gryffindor.

“It would have surprised me if he was sent to it. He’s so small!”

“He looks like a toothpick!”

“He really is a Haddock, but only the fishbone of it.” Laughter followed.

Hiccup was already sinking among his new peers from Ravenclaw when Jack’s name was heard. If not proudly enough, the name Gryffindor roared across the Hall. Jack’s eyes met Hiccup’s one last time before he disappeared into his new house.

Hiccup’s only coherent thought was “You are screwed now.”

Chapter Text

Hiccup would have been glad to say that he and Jack kept their friendship even after they parted ways in different houses. That they hanged out whenever they could and were like the best of friends through everything.

Only no.

They became as far and as different as two people could get.

Hiccup was pretty much the abort of Gryffindor. Yep, that was his identifier. Hidden beneath mountains of books, Ravenclaw clearly written all over his face. Still scrawny and small, as it always had been.

And as lonely as ever when Jack made his new friends at his own house. Smart enough, sassy and with the word FUN written all around him, Jack was doing just fine on his own. If Hiccup had to be completely honest now, he didn’t really care. He was upset that Jack never went to talk to him again, even though he winked at him a couple times whenever they saw each other in the halls, but they hardly shared any class, and Jack was always surrounded by people, something Hiccup always ran away from.

The news that he was sent to Ravenclaw did not go well with his dad’s wishes. In fact, the first letter he ever received was his mother’s alone. It took Stoick a big time to talk to Hiccup when he came back home for Christmas, and then again for the ending of first year.

And then, the Second year.

‘I am all I have’, Hiccup thought to himself, ‘As it always has been, it’ll be fine.’ He repeated that to himself again and again. He could do just fine on his own. He was smart, and ingenious, always finding something new to work on, or to study. Brilliant but lonely. He convinced himself that he was okay with that.

“…And son, remember to try and have fun,” Stoick’s words followed Hiccup’s steps, both of then two years older. Hiccup was going to his third year now. “If you want to know what I would do in your age-”

“I am pretty aware of what it would be, thank you.” Hiccup would cut him mid sentence again, not wishing to listen to any more of that.

“Don’t you use that tone with your father!” Valka raised her voice.

Hiccup simply ignored his mom’s hiss, and no other word was said after that.

That was Hiccup’s routine, basically. Hidden from everyone’s eyes, smart as he was, he could manage at least one hour of spare time before dinner and even two after it. That was how ignored he was. Enough so he could sneak into the forbidden forest and search for creatures.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was his project at third and then fourth year. So far, he had managed to befriend a centaur - one that has gotten as far enough to break his people’s rule to don’t befriend humans; found an egg of Occamy - which was surprising, due to the fact that such creature was native of North America; an injured Billywing and a strange duck-like creature with blue feathers and sparking gold eyes which he had absolutely no idea what its name was.

If not just the search for the creatures, Hiccup had grown an obsession for mapping the places he went. First, a detailed sketch of his common room. Then Ravenclaw Tower. Then he had to add an extension to his parchment when he decided to go further down the halls, corridors, and exploring new shortcuts. By the fourth year, he had not just Hogwarts grounds, but as well as its secret passages, the forbidden forest, the secret entrances.

The trickiest part was the Homonculous Charm. Trick and nearly disastrous (since he nearly set his whole work on fire), but as soon as he had it, every single living soul at Hogwarts appeared on his paper with neatly done calligraphy.

He’d find out much later that year that he wasn’t the first one to do his map (which he so affectionately named the Labyrinth), but that was indeed the closest version, and most extensive in detail that any Hogwarts map has ever gotten.

Countless times Hiccup’s eyes would follow the small name written Jack Frost, usually surrounded by the names of other people that he actually knew, some of them villagers from Berk, for crying out loud. But sometimes he would find Jack alone in some strange places in random times, like at the Astronomy Tower, or wandering around the corridors on the higher floors. He hardly ever was predictable, but Hiccup tried not to focus on that too much. Stalking wasn’t exactly his favourite hobby.

Getting beat up by his own cousin on the other hand wasn’t exactly his idealistic sport either. Snotlout and Hiccup had their mutual dislike for one another since birth in Valka’s words, but even she could not predict how much that dislike would soon turn Hiccup into Snotlout’s hex target. The boy had already attended Madam Pomfrey at least three times only in his fourth year, when the taller boy had turned his teeth three times larger than they actually were. The boy had tears in pain as the School Nurse took care of his wounds.

However, even that was turned into an advantage once Hiccup’s creatures would create inexplicable superficial wounds on his skin. “What were you trying to do, boy, wake a dragon?!” The witch would scream horrified as Hiccup walked into the Hospital Wing with smoke creeping up the edge of his trousers.

“Snotlout,” The boy would reply simply. Dragons were impossible to tame, but firecrabs, however…

Snotlout got a three day detention for presumably setting fire to Hiccup’s robes. If only all of the excuses Hiccup blamed on Snotlout were actually lies. More than once he had found himself with a black eye. Lonely-scrawny-scaredy Hiccup who could barely stand up for himself, befriend a unicorn and perform advanced spells at the age of fourteen.

Nevertheless, not even that was distraction enough when fifth year came.

Nothing would ever be the same after that year.

“Are you excited son?” His father asked as he led Hiccup to the platform 9 3/4. This time, only the two of them.

No Valka to listen to Hiccup’s whispers.

“As much as I can ever get, I think.” Hiccup replied.

Their father and son relationship was… interesting, to say the least. No, they weren’t happy. They weren’t okay. And they wouldn’t forgive anything any time soon. But they hid it all even so, because sadly, they were all the other had.

Stoick stared at his shoes. He did that a lot nowadays. He was still the gigantic man that lived up to his title of The Vast, but now he was bent, the dark marks beneath his eyes and the whole in his chest asked for their appearance. Stoick was now a tired man.

Hiccup had grown a bit that summer, but the hollow from his mother’s death also took its price. Where there used to be a sarcastic, witty, lonely but welcoming boy made room for a closed guy, the careful looks turned into cold and menacing stares. He was still a very attractive boy, even though he tried not to recognise it. Nobody else did anyways.

“Hiccup, son…” Stoick began, his eyes wandering sideways to find the words. “I, eh…”

Hiccup looked at him for a while, and when their eyes met, he saw a glimpse of his childhood through his father’s eyes. A glimpse, and then it was gone.

“Just make the most of your year.” He said finally. Hiccup only nodded.

Stoick wanted to say some more to his son, some comforting words, but Hiccup already had turned on his heels, heading straight for the Hogwarts express, all the words he had to hear left behind in his dad’s sadness.

Whether people would mock at Hiccup for being the typical nerd, his back bent and curious glances, it all stopped the moment he entered the train.

His posture was straight, along with his stare. His wondered yes now were as cold as ice, his awkwardness exchanged for indifference. His steps mostly, once stumbled and uncertain, now would not give a hint. They knew exactly were they were going.

“Oh look who it is?” He heard his cousin, Steven. “Our little Messcup,” His joke was supposed to be hilarious.

Hiccup could ignore that. He did that his whole life anyways.

“Tell me, Hiccup, how heavy is that trunk of yours? I mean, those toothpicks for arms haven’t fell yet, it must be quite light.” A few laughs erupted from some of his peers. People did not really like Steven, but he was number one at Defence against the Dark Arts. If anything, they called him his childhood nickname Snotlout, but only behind his back.

Hiccup was walking forwards when he actually heard it.

“Shame your mommy won’t be around to pick it up for you anymore.”

Hiccup could hear the oohs and the cheering, claiming for a duel right there from the Slytherin students. Hiccup stopped dead on his tracks.

“I’ll remember telling you that if your mom ever ends up missing.” Hiccup said the words. “Let’s see how funny it’ll be then.”

He actually said it. He actually responded to his cousin’s bullying. And he did not stutter. But Snotlout liked playing the villain. He liked to seem heartless.

“Well, my mom is alive, safe and sound. Unlike yours. I mean, it’s not like mudbloods get to live too long now, do they?”

Nobody cheered for him. He knew he went too far. However, he liked the feeling. Preppy teenage boys can be stupid after all.

Perhaps less stupid when Hiccup’s sly hand pulled out his wand, pointed it straight at his cousin’s face and casted his spell.

“Redactum Skullus!”

Snotlout still had his hand half-way after his wand when Hiccup’s hex hit in the face. A loud crack was heard, and after a few agonizing seconds, Snotlout’s head was the size of a tennis ball.

Now to that people actually laughed.

“What are you guys doing?! Attack him!” Snotlout yelled, but his shrank head left a minimalistic sound, as thin and ugly as a poorly played violin. Hiccup had already disappeared to his empty compartment.

Hiccup knew that the rumours would spread to every Hogwarts student before they even got out of the train. It has been a while since a Ravenclaw had stood up against a Slytherin. Especially when it was the abort of Gryffindor they were talking about.

Some people actually went as far as to peek into Hiccup’s compartment, only to find the boy reading, buried in his books like he always was. He hated the attention, but what could he do about it anyways? It was done now, and personally, he thought Snotlout deserved it.

One time, his door actually slid open. A beautiful dark-skinned girl from the sixth year walked in, sheepishly, as if stepping on a mine-field. “Excuse me,” she said, coughing. "You are Hiccup Haddock, right?” She did not wait for his answer. “It’s professor Slughorn, he is inviting you for a tea in his compartment in ten minutes.” She said very quickly, before turning on her heels as if to leave, before turning back to the boy. “And by the way, thank you for what you did to Snotlout.” And just like that, she closed the doors, nearly running out of his view. The boy only shook his head, pondering whether he should warn that he was not going or simply ignoring the invitation. Hiccup only slumped back on his seat for the rest of the trip, ignoring any curious pair of eyes that tried to peek in through the curtains of his compartment.

But among all those people, the one he actually wished to see was exactly the one who never came. He didn’t really expect Jack to appear to see him.

On the contrary of Hiccup, Jack had friends.

Only a couple wagons from there, Jack was trying to enjoy himself among his Gryffindor friends. Not that he didn’t like them, nor that they did not like him. If anything, the girls were head over heels for him.

Jack had grown taller since last year, being nearly six-foot tall, his spiky white hair was now even messier than before, but strangely enough it was charming. It did go well with his pale skin and icy blue eyes.

It was no mystery why people called him Jack Frost.

But it was also not a secret that Hiccup had his identifier, the Messcup, the useless, Fishbone was the less harmful of them. And Jack was aware of the names. And he hated every single one of them. You could not tell, but secretly Jack would steal galnces from the freckled boy, when he was sure no one was looking, hoping that one day they’d be returned. He was indeed ashamed that he never got back to him after the Sorting, but that was five years ago. People mocked at Hiccup whenever they saw him, and even though he was shocked at first with such harsh words, he did not stop them. It is not like he did not have his own things that he would never share. But his eyes pictured Hiccup in such a beautiful way, much – and he meant much - different than the way everyone else did.

So when the news came that the “Mistake of Ravenclaw” had jinxed the bully of Slytherin, every teenage in his compartment stared gaped open in shock.

“I think maybe he finally grew a pair.” Samantha Kingston said, her feather-like blonde hair floating above her shoulders.

“Yeah, but now he’s not just a weirdo, he’s a freak.” Joey Abbington, the tanned skin guy next to her agreed.

“Nah, he’s just weird.” Astrid Hofferson said, her usually uninterested blue eyes still not focusing on anything but her chipped nails. “What’d you think, Jack?”

Jack’s eyes found their way to hers. The girl was the only soul to ever catch Jack staring at Hiccup “I don’t know,” he said, actually uncertain, but then he added “I don’t care.”

Astrid only smirked. “Bollocks.”

Chapter Text

There was a huge gathering in front of Hogwarts’ entrance. The two winged boars stood proudly above the heads of the students as they crowded around the gates. Astrid’s fingers found their way to Jack’s forearm.

“What do you think is going on here?” She whispered.

“I don’t know. Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” He replied. The group stopped as they approached the crowd.

Way too slowly, they were able to see their potions master holding a long roll of parchment, reading out loud the names of the students as they were checked in to the gates.

The confusion was written on Jack’s face as he walked up to Professor Slughorn – Who only earlier had just invited Jack to his traditional tea gathering.

“Professor, what is all of this for?”

The plump man turned to him with the intrigued look he always wore whenever he had to focus too much on something. Jack seriously considered if he wasn’t too old already to be lessoning.

“Oh, Jack, mah’ boy, good to see ya’”, the man said above his slightly twisted glasses. “Alright, name?” He asked. Jack only furred his eyebrows.

“But Professor, you’ve known me for five years now.” Jack answered.

“There are no exceptions, Jack. Name.” The man said, suddenly harsh, making Jack gulp in caution.

“Jackson Overland.” He only had time to say the words before his trunk was pulled off from his hand, gravitating towards another wizard. “Hey!” He gasped before his trunk was opened, a strange glow set into it from the wizard’s wand, and then shut back again, floating to the ground.

“This one’s clean, next?” The wizard said as Jack retrieved his belongings.

“What was that-?!” He had no time to spill his doubts before Astrid grabbed him by his left shoulder, pulling him forwards.

“He’s an auror, Jack.” She said skittishly, fighting the urge to look over her shoulders, her trunk also magically scanned before they resumed their way up to the Castle. Jack’s eyes shook up in realization of what aurors at Hogwarts meant.

He gulped, a shiver running down his spine as the lights of the school illuminated the dark sky above them.

#

The Great Hall was buzzing with all the chit chats from the students, all of them repeatedly mumbling, screaming and laughing about the awesomeness of their holidays. And like a thread wire, the subject quite often was brought back to, well, Hiccup. Some people would laugh at the story of how Snotlout’s head had a shrinking hex. No one could prove that much since the hex was quickly ended, but that did not mean that someone would forget that any time soon. Good stories did not happen everyday, unfortunately.

But even though Jack Overland was laughing at all of it with the Gryffindor table, his eyes simply could not help but wonder to the Ravenclaw’s table direction. Basically, everyone’s eyes were.

He could only see the mess of auburn hair and the bluish shades of the Ravenclaw robes, but it was still his Hiccup. And he would be lying if he said he wasn’t dying on the inside to talk to the boy.

There was this warm feeling crossing through the Great Hall, the one that required silence when Professor Minerva stood up from her seat, placing herself behind the owl-like stage. Her hands rose to the hall as everyone stopped talking, the chats dying progressively so all the attention was on the front of the Great Hall.

The routine was well known, the announcements and any welcoming speech. Hiccup had his eyes stuck on the cup of pumpkin juice on his hands when Professor McGonagall’s words took another route, though.

“As you all may have perceived, each and every single one of you had to be searched on your way into the Castle.” Everyone’s attention was on her as she started. “And you have the right to know why.”

Jack’s eyes stopped wandering over to the Ravenclaw table so they could finally meet the Headmistress.

“Many years ago, when the wizarding world was still undercover, threatened of war against the muggle kind, many young witches and wizards were unable to develop their magical skills due to the risk of disclosure. As some of you might have studied, not all of those wizards reached our castle’s grounds. To repel a child’s magic, as many muggles have attempted in the past,” A shiver ran through Jack’s neck for these words, “only transformed them into monstrous creatures. Except for one.”

Sometimes it sounded like the speech was made only to bring shivers to the students, as if to tell them that their every move was a risk, or as if they were stepping on mining fields. And that is exactly how it felt, down to every teenager on that Great Hall.

Jack’s eyes still wandered to the Ravenclaw table, and finally saw that Hiccup had turned his face to the Headmistress, his usually pinked cheeks and nose visible, but he seemed almost bored through that terrifying speech.

“Which is why I beg you to be careful,” Everyone could tell professor Minerva was about to finish it as her words led to that finale feeling. “Just something for you to consider. As in a matter of security, the Minister for Magic has incorporated a few changes into our system. Even though nothing is supposed to upset our regular schedule, please welcome our High Inquisitor, Mister Percy Ignatius Weasley.”

A red-haired man, around his forties, stood up proudly from his chair, and a small round of uncertain applauses emerged from the Great Hall.

“Mister Weasley is here in lieu of the Minister’s service, in order to prevent any possible threat to our security system. I am sure he will be attending to every valuable doubt concerning the student’s safety,” Professor McGonagall’s eyes wandered back to Percy with a warning look, and everyone in the Hall noticed how uncomfortable he got. “Now off to bed, carry on.”

As if on cue, all of the students around the four tables rose up to their feet, the chats now in a darker tone than ever before.

“What y’all think that was supposed to mean?” Jack heard one of his friends ask. “The Aurors, this bloody speech…?” He looked at him for a moment, already familiarized with Aster’s thick accent.

Jack didn’t know all that well what it meant, but the High Inquisitor, the Aurors, the search on their trunks could only mean no good.

But it all seemed irrelevant once the Ravenclaws passed before them one last time, getting ahead of the Gryffindors to climb the marble staircase to their common room. Jack had one last glimpse of Hiccup, right when he got to the top of the stairs, and turned his head once to look down.

Their eyes met for a moment that seemed to stretch into a thousand, blue locked on green, the words that ran through their heads crossed this invisible thread to each other. Then the moment was gone, and Jack kept staring at the vanishing mass of students.

Chapter Text

Jack woke up in the morning with the sun light peeking through the Gryffindor’s red and gold dormitory. His eyelids pulled against each other, and he was about to fall back asleep when a book smashed hard against the back of his head.

“Oi’!” He yelled, rubbing the aching area. Aster was standing in front of his bed, already dressed up in Hogwarts vests, looking down at Jack with a smirk.

“Rise and shine, Ma’e.” Aster said, his accent stronger as ever. “There’s a mandatory note on our news board, everyone has to check it out.”

Not a second later, he left, leaving behind a confused Jackson. The pale boy only stripped himself off his covers, staring at his skinny shirtless frame on the mirror near his bed. He wasn’t all that bad, he thought. He had long legs and a very pale torso, which made him look even skinnier than what he actually was. He put on his vests quickly, tied up the red and yellow tie around his neck and made his way down to Gryffindor’s common room.

Most, if not all of the Gryffindor students were gathered around the news board. He could hear their voices, but not the words. With a sinking feeling down his stomach, Jack made his way through the people, heading over the board with an unpleased look, and after a short search he found the tiny paper glued to it. A moving picture displayed the castle from distance, the lights on the towers lighting the night, and a deep dark cloud formed above, flying straight past the castle and disappearing in the forest.

The Daily Prophet:

DEMENTORS HOVERING HOGWARTS GROUNDS

‘Our students are absolutely safe’ states head of Regulation of Magical Education Department.

Right next to it was a handwritten note addressed to the students.

From now on, no student shall be outside de castle after sunset. Each and every expedition to Hogwarts’ grounds must have a teacher’s permit – Safe for Hogsmead trips, Quidditch matches and classes of care of magical creatures.

Jack took that in slowly, taking deep breaths as he realised the panic gathering in the students surrounding him. There were no Dementors working for wizards in over twenty years, and if they had been just spotted, then the Ministry had now hundreds of magical families to calm down.

In a minute, he understood why there was a High Inquisitor in Hogwarts.

#

When Hiccup woke up, though, with a splitting headache as he put on Hogwarts’ vests, he made sure to avoid looking in the mirrors. He threw his backpack over his shoulders, nearly knocking himself to the side – he was still a fishbone after all. All eyes were on the notice board as he crossed the common room, and he made his way through the bodies gathered in front of the notice.

Hiccup knew very well what a Dementor was. The boy just shook his head, ignoring the elbows of another student trying to look at the notice.

It was on his way downstairs that he ended up seeing the last person he wanted to. The mess of snow white hair over the young wizard’s head walking down the corridors that made Hiccup stop dead on his tracks. He turned his feet, turning in a U, looking everywhere else when he notice for a split second that the other boy’s eyes locked on him. Too late, Hiccup thought, but he kept on walking away, then sprinting away.

#

Jack couldn’t help but gash at the sight of Hiccup. All these years, and he still had his eyes set on the auburn haired boy. For some reason, he could not move on, Jack guessed even if life depended on it. Five years trying, first innocently, trying to act like nothing ever happened, as if he had never in his life talked to the other boy, but the feeling never faded. Much on the contrary, it got stronger.

Stronger to the point that every girl Jack dared to imagine kissing turned into Hiccup. It was scary, but then pointless to even try fighting.

But that was his Fifth year. And there was still something Jack had not tried.

None of his friends were looking at him, about to turn on the small corridor which would give him a five second window to go unnoticed. He watched as Hiccup’s legs sprinted away down that corridor. Now or never, he thought.

And so he did, finding himself free from his friends, the white haired boy dashed where Hiccup had ran off. Looking over his shoulders, he made sure his friends weren’t after him – he was on his luck. Speeding up, crossing through the people ahead of him, he managed to peek the shade of the reddish hair turning on another corridor. Jack smirked. Today is the day, he thought. If only Hiccup wasn’t as quick as a bloody rabbit, it seemed. Because as soon as he turned where Hiccup had, he faced an empty corridor.

#

Targeted. That is how Hiccup felt all day throughout his lessons. Wherever he went, he’d hear the voices, avoid the stares and dodge the walls. Not that it was any news to him, if anything, he was used to it. But once it was because he was the abort of Gryffindor, now it was for a much different reason not even he could properly understand. What was so interesting about fighting back a bully?

The hardest part, though, he had to admit, was sharing potions class with Jack. Not that they would sit next to each other, but considering that he hardly ever matched his classes with the other boy, it now seemed like nearly every class they seemed to have together. The sad part was… Jack was never alone. All the time, the boy would be in company of one of his many friends or by a cheeky girl making a hundred and one provocative poses to get his attention. Pathetic, Hiccup thought.

The things girls did to get boys’ attention… And unknowing that himself, there was Hiccup, unconsciously biting his lower lip and straightening his back on his seat in close attention to how he looked. That wasn’t entirely meant for Jack, though, but he was starting to acknowledge the new rebellious reputation that he heard surrounding him.

Truth be told, the broody looks, the shaggy hair and careless style was setting Hiccup up for a rebellious type. But most of it was because of his stare. He was no longer quiet for being shy. He was quiet because there was simply nothing to be said. At any mirror he looked, he seemed off himself.

Even his name was not matching anymore. Not that anybody did that, by if his name was ever to be called, Hiccup, it felt like calling another person, or perhaps the ghost of a person, long gone.

#

Every day ended with a checking mark. Curfew was not only mandatory, but each student had to mark his presence with a tap of his wand on a parchment at every common room. Great… Both Hiccup and Jack thought at the same time. Secretly, they both wished they could escape their common rooms for only a little while.

But while Hiccup was focused on leaving, Jack was focused on chasing. He was determined to talk to the auburn haired boy. He heard every single rumour, and he’d be damned if he didn’t ask for some himself. But he couldn’t believe any, like the one saying Hiccup was devoting to the Dark Arts, or that he would become a new school psycho. Nonsense, Jack thought, but still, despite all that, he was determined to talk to the boy.

“Hey, Jack!” Augustus Flinch, from Gryffindor called the white haired in the corridors one day. “Signing up for the Quidditch team again this year? We could use you.” Flinch had this excited tone on his voice, and he sang the words in his Irish accent.

“I think so,” Jack muttered, a bit off by his previous thoughts on Hiccup. “Yeah, probably.”

“Wicked!” Flinch sang again, smiling. “Trials begin next week!”

“Alright,” Jack replied. To be perfectly honest, Jack didn’t care all that much about Quidditch. I mean, he made the team on his third and fourth year, and he was good at being a chaser, but he could think of other things he’d like to do better. On that Friday morning, things seemed to work out wonderfully. For the first time in years, Jack found himself sitting apart from any of his friends. Astrid and Aster were sitting together on Defence Against the Dark Arts, while that other annoying girl, Stephany Bones, who tried way too hard to get his attention showing Jack her cleavage, was out for a different class. That girl couldn’t take a hint! I don’t even know her house! Jack smiled to himself at the thought of how the poor girl needed to find a straight boyfriend. Not that he was her boyfriend, but again, he wasn’t straight.

Jack sat on an empty table, being left out with no partners. And he was guiltily relieved for it. People could be tiring. But then, think about that one time when something happens just as you wished. Just once in a lifetime, and the satisfying feeling that comes with it.

That is how it felt for Jack when the last student came in, stopped dead in his tracks for a minute, looking for any empty seat, right before slipping right next to Jack. There was Hiccup, looking as tired and annoyed as ever.

Jack’s joy lasted nothing, since the boy had barely sat down and he noticed how much the bags under his eyes were shadowing his features, or how the energy surrounding him seemed cold and depressing. His eyes were glassy, and he stared to his books as if he was one moment away from setting them on fire.

Whatever happened to that boy, Jack could not tell.

“Glad to see everyone is already on their seats.” The dark skinned professor standing right in front of them announced. Quim Shacklebolt, former Minister for Magic and new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. “For fifth graders like yourselves, passing the O.W.L.s exams are everything. I have the feeling that simply ignoring the true importance of this lesson would be a serious mistake from every single one of you.” And suddenly everyone understood Quim’s background. The battle for Hogwarts at the second wizarding War. And also too suddenly, this entire class got too interesting. “But it would be my mistake to simply bore you right from the start, so, everybody, save your books and stay with your partners.”

And not too seconds later, all the desks on the class floated off until they cushioned against the windows.

“Who here has a way with stunning charms?” A sly looking girl at the front of the class raised her hand. “Can you give me the incantation?”

“Stupefy,” The girl answered promptly.

“Correct, now, stunning charms is by far the most useful tool you have on a duel. Easy, quick and powerful, but also very tricky for non-initiated. So, for today’s lesson, you guys will have to practice it against your partners. By the end of the class, the best two may duel using only this one spell and defensive shields charms.”

Everyone stared at their teacher, puzzled.

“Off you go. You may start!”

Small duos were worthlessly flicking their wands, to every possible direction, trying to make the spell work – none of them functioning.

“So… I guess that makes two of us, then?” Jack asked Hiccup, in a weak attempt to make a conversation. Perhaps communication would fit better.

“You cast it. I’m ready.” Was all Hiccup said, and Jack raised his brows at the confidence.

“Okay then… you asked.” Jack said. He flipped his wand and…

Nothing happened.

Hiccup just stood there, his wand ready on his hand, waiting for the charm, ready to cast it away if it hit. But he kept on waiting as Jack tried to get the way of the spell.

“You must feel it, mister Overland.” Professor Shacklebolt’s voice made its way to the white haired boy. “Feel the attack coming at your enemy.”

“He’s not my enemy.” Jack suddenly said, and Hiccup raised his own eyebrows in surprise.

“This is practice, you two are obviously not fighting for real. But again, if you were, I have the feeling mister Haddock would have already liquidated you a long time ago.”

To that, a few students smirked, including Hiccup. His very first smirk in a long time. The little shit, Jack thought. Even though seeing any alteration in Hiccup’s expression was better than his usual frown, the reason why he was smirking was enough to tick him off.

In a moment, Jack swung his wand.

“Stupefy!” The bolt of red light flew from his window, all the way to the edge of Hiccup’s wand, where it was blocked by his defensive spell.

“Great job, Overland! And great defence there, Haddock.” Quim saluted. Jack had to acknowledge the disappointment of seeing his charm so easily defeated by Hiccup’s defence. “Now, I want to see you trying mister…”

Quim had no time to finish his sentence. In a fluid motion, Hiccup’s wand swung around over his head, no sound emitted as the boy silently casted his charm straight into Jack, right on the boy’s head. The impact echoed through the room with a loud snap as the boy was thrown off the floor, flying several feet backwards until he landed on his back, efficiently stunned.

The silence fell on the room as everyone stared at the scene. Hiccup only stared back, nearly daring for comments, before lowering his wand. The Professor only made an intrigued look of confused acceptance before stepping away, commanding the others to go back to their work. Enough time for jack to get slowly back on a sitting position.

“Need any help?” Hiccup walked to him, extending his arm to him. Jack still had his own hand surrounding his neck, making sure no bone was broken before rising, ignoring the hand stretched to him.

“No need to aim in the face, mate!” Jack hissed, now turning his head sideways before going back to his original position.

“Sorry about that.” Hiccup replied.

You need to feel it – the words repeated on his mind. Did Hiccup really want to jinx Jack that badly?

By now, most of the class managed to, at least, complete the charm, even if mostly missing their targets for feet of distance. Soon enough, the two left competitors were Hiccup and another boy from Gryffindor who he did not know.

“May the last duel commence!” Quim announced proudly.

Hiccup raised his wand to his head’s level, then turned around, five steps back, and then back to facing his opponent.

“One… two… three.”

“Stupefy!” The Gryffindor boy’s charm exploded to Hiccup’s direction, but the spells were quickly repelled by Hiccup’s wand, as if sucked by the tip.

With a quick motion, Hiccup again spoke no words when his hand swung through the air, the warm energy flowing on his fingers as the spell erupted to his wand, and three swift lightning bolts darted to his opponent. The first one shattering his new formed shield, the second one hitting him on his chest, and the last one punching to his head, knocking him unconscious.

Everyone stared in awe at the scene. There was a five-second silence, and then the bell rang, freeing them off to their next class.

Chapter Text

“Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, to keep it healthy… Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest... And in your family, so in the world... we shall cut away the cancer that infects us until only those of the true blood remain...” Whispered the wizard to himself, facing the golden flames of the Snake-like stake. Those words echoed in his mind for years since the rise of the Dark Lord, and now he knew those words were meant to be used again. Rabastan Lestrange turned himself to the wizards surrounding him.

“We hate them because they exist!” He yelled in his black pointy robes. Around him, thirty similarly dressed men stood, listening to his words as the snake crafted in wood burned up in flames. “We do not need a reason to hate them – we hate them because they breathe.”

The wizards yelled in approval. Their wands had luminous flashes glowing out to the dark field they all stood in.

“Every magical blood that runs in mudblods is wasted, mixed with the blood of traitors ancestors who wanted us terminated. Extinguished!” The surrounding wizards screamed in approval. The fire burned brighter.

“The Obscurial is waiting for us. He is our leader, don’t forget. I have incoming news of squibbed mudbloods who cast their magic on our children of pure blood.” Lestrange resumed, his grey skin covered behind the black mask he wore. “And each time, new mudbloods are being born and… invited into our world.” The worlds he spoke felt so meaningless to him, as if he was deciding matching colours. “Have we found our lost child yet?”

A small wizard with bony fingers shook his head. “He is in the castle, Lestrange. The Obscurial has been there for long enough.” He spoke. “Perhaps it’s time to let it out.”

“The time is coming, gentlemen.” Lestrange spoke again. “May the Obscurial know we are ready.”

The fire burned even more, enough for the sparks to explode from the crafted snake, dancing flames and treason.

#

As Hiccup took off his vests for that night, he couldn’t help but stare at his skinny frame on the mirror. He hated everything he saw, so as soon as he could, he threw his pyjamas over his head. Throughout the entire day, if he wasn’t being targeted before, he was now being downright avoided. It might have amused him seeing how people stumbled upon their feet whenever they saw him, or dodged him on the halls. He was contagious.

Whatever, he thought. Just another year at Hogwarts. As he tucked himself in bed, he made sure to close the dark blue curtains to the outside of his bed, leaving the other side of the window frame uncovered. It was like his private window, where he could look up to and just let himself exist every night.

But not that night.

As soon as he heard the last boy on his room deepening his breathing, Hiccup gingerly paced out of bed, crouching to his trunk, opening it silently and grabbing the Labyrinth. He took a quick look at it, recording the pathways of the castle corridors.

Ever so slowly, he opened the window next to him. It would be cold in the room, but Hiccup made sure to cast a calefactorius spell to solve this problem. Shutting the window, the boy was curved against the outside of the tower, taking one final moment to admire the horizon line before he jumped.

His body fell through the air, descending on a straight line in the mid of the night, falling and falling until he casted his spell, moments before he reached the ground:

“Aresto momentum!” And suddenly, his body turned weightless, inches before the impact, and for a brief moment his body kept hanging over the floor, before collapsing on the grass.

Hiccup immediately jumped to his feet, dusting his vests of the dead leaves and looking all around him before twirling his wand around himself. The Disillusionment Charm crossed his body like cold water pouring on the shower, turning his body as the same texture as the image behind him, and Hiccup had the strange feeling he was a human chameleon.

And then he took off running.

At night, the castle had a different feeling to it. More dangerous, more daring. He headed straight back to the entrance hall, making sure to keep any traces of his presence hidden. His steps were counted, the noise being muffled by his careful steps.

It didn’t take long and Hiccup started climbing through the main stairs of the castle, his eyes quickly adapting to the darkness. Besides him, all the portrayed wizards and witches were asleep in their paintings. Hiccup looked at them and envied it – he would not feel the urge to sleep until it was four in the morning.

Eventually, he reached the bottom of the astronomy tower. For the first time on his expedition, he had to light his wand. “Lumus!” Hiccup whispered, and then he was immersed on the white light. Taking another look at the Labyrinth, he made sure that he wasn’t in the wrong place. Next to him, there was another roll of spiralling stairs, and he reached the black gates of the tower. One flick of his wand, and the gates opened, quietly.

That is when Hiccup turned his wand back to himself, and hitting the top of his head, he undid the spell that kept him invisible. Seemingly, he was alone at the tower. The antechamber before the observation deck seemed almost like a library, stacks of books pilled in the corners, tables with planetary globes and even the roof seemed stylised to resemble the night sky, with shinning stars and planets. A small set of stairs was on his right, and they led him to the observation floors.

Hiccup pulled the Labyrinth from his vests, opening it one last time and quickly finding his name on the astronomy tower.

And just like he planned, he wasn’t alone.

#

The white haired boy could stare at the night view for hours. He thought about the rumours that it had been different since the Battle of Hogwarts years ago, but he could never be sure. Some people said that a whole tower had been missing, but that didn’t seem to be the case. It was still beautiful.

Jack loved this place at night. It was like if he could hear the very breathing of the castle, the winds through the forbidden forest, or his own heartbeat. That left him alone with his thoughts. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he jumped from were he was, sitting at the edge of the tower’s observation deck.

He thought about Hiccup and the rumours. He didn’t believe in any. Like, there was just no way the auburn haired boy would have joined the Dark Arts. There was a much deeper meaning that no one would be able to understand.

Suddenly, the noise behind him made Jack jump to his feet.

Someone had found him. He was in trouble.

“Who’s there?” Jack had no control over his voice as it sounded into the darkness. Mentally, he slapped himself, over and over for his impulse.

The small figure crept out of the shadows, and Jack’s heart skipped a beat. Hiccup was standing in front of him, wand cast out on his hand, the illuminating spell erupting out and bathing them into light.

“Sorry I scared you.” Hiccup said. “I didn’t know there was someone else in here.” Hiccup sounded serious, but it was a lie. “I’m just going…”

“No, wait!” Jack hissed, again trying to take over his impulse, “i-it’s okay, you can stay if you want.”

Jack tried to seem casual, but perhaps he was trying a bit too much, for the way he bit his lips and nodded repeatedly as he spoke.

Hiccup only gave him a lopsided smile. “Okay.”

Jack nodded again, and both boys sat down on the edge.

“I’m sorry for earlier, by the way.” Hiccup broke the awkward silence that formed.

“It’s okay, nothing that Madame Pomfrey couldn’t take care of.”

Hiccup let out a muffled chuckle. “Sorry anyways, I didn’t mean to hit you in the head…”

“How did you do that?” Jack abruptly asked.

“…do what?”

“Stunned me like that.” He replied. “And not just me, but what you did to Agnus McCollen too.”

Hiccup thought for a moment. “Shacklebolt said we had to feel it, right?”

“Any hard feelings?” Jack asked, again trying to make it sound casual. Hiccup only shook his head.

“Nope.” He said. “At least not about you.”

Jack chuckled. “Well that’s good to know. I guess I wouldn’t want to be in your list.” Jack tried joking, awkwardly, before silence fell between them again.

Hiccup pondered on those words before he looked straight into Jack’s eyes, which were staring at the castle’s towers.

“Are you afraid of me?” Hiccup asked. Jack turned back at him, this time seemingly puzzled.

“No.” He answered. “I am intrigued, actually.”

“About what?”

“…How have you been lately?” Jack said.

And to that question, Hiccup finally felt surprised. Jackson Overland, who hadn’t spoken to him in years, talking to him like normal people would. It was heart-warming, something Hiccup hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Okay, all things considered.” Hiccup answered.

“What kind of things?” Jack asked, moving closer to the other boy.

“Just some things.” Hiccup had an ending tone to his voice, and Jack felt safer not to push it.

“We haven’t talked in a while.” Jackson stated. “I still remember that day.”

“You mean the last time someone actually spoke to me nicely?” Hiccup said, but there was an underlining tone that suggested playfulness. Jack smiled, but it didn’t feel honest. He actually felt bad for Hiccup’s statement.

“Come on, I’m pretty sure you made some friends in Ravenclaw.” Jack said.

“Not really, no.” Hiccup said. “I’m surprised you actually know which house I am, to be honest.”

Jack made a stunned face for the second time that day. “Wait, no one?”

Hiccup shook his head. “If you don’t count the teachers, that is. They all love me.” Jack chuckled, and Hiccup smiled to it. “But no, I’ve got no one.”

“Well, I can be your friend.” Jack stated, suddenly seeming excited about it. Hiccup only gave him a weird look. “I mean, I know we didn’t really stay friends after the first year, but…”

“Okay, you can stop right there before I have to stun you again.” Hiccup’s harsh voice interrupted Jack’s words. “I mean, I get it, you had your new friends in you new house and everything – which is perfectly fine – but you could’ve at least said something, like ‘hi’, I don’t know.”

Staring at the green eyes, and the shaky breath coming out of the angry boy, Jack finally understood how much Hiccup felt. Felt enough to stun him right across the face. Judge him, but Jack felt that instant urge to hex him, hurt him back to dismiss the shock of Hiccup’s words, but at the same time, Hiccup was angry. And Jack understood that.

Hiccup turned his looks from Jack and went back to staring the view. Jack moved a bit closer, so their shoulders were only a few inches apart.

“I’m here now.” Jack said, and Hiccup looked back at him. Not with an angry stare, but if anything, he just seemed sad. “And if it’s not too late, then can we be friends again?”

Hiccup took a deep breath. Jack wanted to be friends, which is already more than he could ask for. Still, he had to be sassy.

“Not going to laugh at my name again, are you?” He said, bringing back the memory from five years ago. Jack laughed.

“Only if you promise not to jinx me in the face.” He replied. Hiccup smiled, the scowl on his eyebrows finally disappearing, and for the first time, Jack actually got to see through the anger, and he could not help but think the other boy was beautiful.

“It’s a deal.” Hiccup said, offering his hand, which Jack stared for a moment before taking it. They shook hands, and then just looked at each other for a moment, before Jack shook his head, laughing.

“I should probably go, before someone realises I’m gone.” Said Jack, getting to his feet, which Hiccup realised were bare. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked, hopeful. Hiccup nodded.

“Sure.” He said. “We have a few classes together.” Hiccup mentioned.

Jack smiled. “Brilliant. I’ll see you there, then.” With a final grin, he walked away, leaving Hiccup alone with his thoughts.

Chapter Text

“…Head of Educational Standards Department Missing, Minister for Magic Eames Shaw asks for caution…”

“Another person missing?”

“It seems so…”

“Jack!” Astrid called him louder from across the table on the Great Hall. Jack had been staring at the Ravenclaw table ever since they sat down for breakfast, but had not seen Hiccup yet.

“What’s up with the snow-head today?” Said Aster, sipping on his pumpkin juice. “Been off all day.”

“I’m just tired.” Jack said, his eyes still glued to the other table.

“By tired I’m assuming you’re crushing on Elena Gilbert.” Said Astrid, making them all laugh. Elena Gilbert was from fifth year, she had so many acne on a square inch of her skin as the Moon has craters on all of its surface. “I mean, she is not that bad…” Astrid was clearly joking, making Aster choke on his juice.

“Har-har, bloody har.” Jack said, looking down at his plate of waffles and syrup. He wasn’t all that hungry.

“Lookin’ pretty odd, mate.” Aster kept pointing at him with a spoon. “Sure you don’t wanna skip a class?”

“Aster!” Hissed Astrid, “You can’t skip classes at Hogwarts.”

“Well, perhaps just headin’ for Madam Pomfrey…” Aster got quiet after a particularly painful kick hit his leg beneath the table.

When the bell rang, Jack was the first one to jump to his feet, the excitement before seeing Hiccup taking the best of him, and he sprinted out of the Great Hall, leaving Aster and Astrid behind him.

“What’s wrong with him?” Asked Aster. Astrid only shrugged.

Jack was sprinting through the hallways, dodging the people that showed up in front of him, his head always kept up. Hiccup on his mind all the way. As he ran, he eventually got the attention of the group. The Girls in the short skirts, as he always thought about them. He was used to their harassment, the blowing kisses and the way they would sing song his name. Ja~ack as if the words were flying through the air.

“Why the hurry?” One of them said.

“Stay a little bit.”

“Just give us a minute!”

“Get that skinny ass over here!” They all giggled.

Here is the thing: most fifteen year old boys would love this attention. Most of them would easily envy Jack for his looks, or jinx the odds for giving him this advantage in the girl’s world.

Jack would hate it.

If anything, he felt violated, almost. No one bothered to ask what Jack wanted. To be left alone, that is what he wanted. Especially when he would walk close enough to those girls, avoiding them near the walls, still enough range for their sly hands to… SLAP!

The burning feeling on his butt did not make him as angry as it made him embarrassed. The girls giggled even louder, waving their fingers maliciously at him. One of them was tall and skinny, the black hair falling in waves over her shoulder. She only smiled at Jack, chewing on her gun as she blinked deviously.

#

As soon as Hiccup woke up that morning, he felt something curious. This immense and contagious warm feeling in his chest. It would put on a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.

“Good morning!” He actually said to the first boy that he saw as he left the common room. Said boy only stared at his silhouette as Hiccup sprinted out the entrance.

“Whatever happened to Haddock?” The boy next to him whispered.

Hiccup knew very well what happened. The urge to see Jack happened. The idea that perhaps not everything was meant to go downhill this year. That was more than he could ever ask for.

He didn’t get far.

“Hiccup Haddock?” A small voice rose up to him as soon as he reached the main staircase. A fifth year girl from Ravenclaw with dashing dark hair called him, raising her hand with a paper note. “Professor McGonagall wants to see you in her office.”

Oh her chest, Hiccup recognised the prefect badge.

“Oh, come on, right now?” Hiccup asked, grunting.

“Yes, now.” The girl simply replied. “She asked me to take you there.

With a final grunt, Hiccup let the girl scout him back upstairs.

#

Jack kept on waiting at the bottom of the grand Staircase. Waiting for Hiccup. People would see him. Then wave at him. Some would even smile. He kept waiting. Hopeful.

Until the bell rang. And waiting became a waste, so he gruntingly went to his first class. Alone.

#

“Here we are.” The girl said. “Twisted and Turned,” she sang, and not a minute later, the eagle statue in front of them turned around itself, rising to a spiral staircase.

“Go on.” She nearly commanded. “She is waiting for you.”

Hiccup gulped before walking forwards, the frown back on his face. He did not take two steps upstairs before they began to lift him up by themselves.

He nocked at the wooden door, unsure.

“Come in.” He heard, and then the door swung open.

The boy took in the surroundings of the Headmistress’s office. Frames after frames of past Headmistresss surrounded the room, covering the walls. Planetary globes, piles of books and a thousand artefacts Hiccup couldn’t name. And after the desk, Professor McGonagall looked at him, her eyes alert behind the glasses.

“You asked to call me, Headmistress?” Hiccup spoke.

“Mister Haddock, yes, I have.” McGonagall spoke. “Please, have a seat.”

Hiccup sat down on the wooden chair in front of the Professor. His looks went from the books ahead of him, to the letter she was writing, then to the frame of Professor Dumbledore on his left. The right arm of the Headmistress.

“Mister Haddock, I have some questions concerning you that I think we might need to discuss.”

“Sure.” The boy replied. “About what?”

“I’ve been informed by some students that there is a growing concern about their security around you.” The Professor resumed, scrambling the papers on her desk. “Just yesterday I’ve received a letter from the family of a student, after your duel in class landed him in the Hospital wing…”

“If Agnus McCollen ain’t that good with his defensive charms it’s not really my fault, Headmistress.” Hiccup said before he could get a hold of his voice. “It was a fair duel, in Shacklebolt’s class. Perhaps setting unprepared scholars to duel should be one of the teacher’s concerns, if I can make a complaint.”

“I’m pretty aware of the nature of Quim’s classes, mister Haddock.” She said, even. “If I still remember, we’ve been together during the Hogwarts’ Battle, I’m sure you are in pretty good hands.”

“Brilliant.” Hiccup said. “So, what’s the actual concern?”

“I’ve been hearing the rumours, mister Haddock.” She said, squinting her lips. “Students are getting afraid. I’d like you to know that even though I do not support the use of force in bullying, a squinting hex would be very appropriate for a few bullies.”

Hiccup’s eyes darted up. The Professor stared at him with an amused smirk.

“I only want you to understand that whatever you are going through right now, you have a choice.” She said, leaning forward. “There are people here that can support you through whatever it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“These are dark times, Haddock.” She said. “People are starting to get afraid. Have you read the Daily Prophet lately? As long as that bloody Skeeter isn’t writing in it… The smallest things are setting everyone uneasy.”

“So I’m setting people off uneasy?” Hiccup asked, a hint of irony on his voice. “That’s interesting. Perhaps I should befriend someone, and then things would go truly wild.”

“Oh, for sure they would.” She agreed, leaning back on her chair, now staring at Dumbledore’s frame through her round glasses. She pouted her lips. “People are disappearing, Ministry officials are under arrest and Muggles are getting each time more aware of the situation. You can trust no one these days.”

An awkward silence fell between student and Headmistress. Minerva McGonagall studied Hiccup carefully with her tired green eyes.

“But there is one thing I need to ask you before I let you resume your classes: which side are you on?”

Hiccup cocked his eyebrows, feeling the unworthy energy rising in the entire castle.

“Considering I got nothing to lose… My own.” He said. “Can I go now?”

The Headmistress stared at him, nodding in both defeat and approval. She was proud. Hiccup got back to his feet, already turning and ready to leave when McGonagall called him again.

“Mister Haddock.” The Headmistress was looking right through him. “Trust no one.” She said.

Hiccup nodded one more time, smirking before turning on his heels and shutting the door behind him.

#

“Open your books at page 137.” Professor Binns spoke, his ghost unknowingly floating behind the desk in front of the class. Jack was, once again, alone at this class. Astrid and Aster were two rolls in front of him, and the place next to him was empty.

As the professor began his lecture, Jack sank his head on his elbow, furrowing. Why wasn’t Hiccup there? He thought.

That was when the doors of the classroom opened, and everyone stared up at the incomer.

“Late, Mister Haddock.” Professor Binns announced.

Hiccup stayed quiet as he walked past the desks until his eyes met Jacks all the way to the back of the room.

“Where were you?!” Jack hissed as Hiccup took the seat next to him.

“Sorry, long story.” Hiccup replied. Two rolls ahead of them, Astrid and Aster turned their heads back, their eyes fix on the two boys.

“Well, it better be more interesting that this story,” The white haired boy gestured to the lecture ahead of them.

“It probably is,” Hiccup said. “Professor McGonagall wanted to see me.” Jack’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

“What? Why?!”

Hiccup only looked at him, biting his lips in defeat, the explanation visible on his expression.

“You were in trouble.” Jack asked, which Hiccup nodded, a half smile forming on his lips. “Why?”

 “The duel yesterday?” Jack nodded. “McCollen was sent to the Hospital Wing, and since the Head of Educational Standards has disappeared, his parents got scared. They sent a letter to McGonagall last night.”

“Oh, God…” Jack said.

“So, apparently I am the new school terrorist, and I’m targeting Astrid next if she won’t stop looking at us,” Hiccup smirked at Astrid, caught off guard when she realised that Hiccup had seen her. She quickly turned back to her desk.

What Hiccup did not notice was that Jack was looking at him, a small smile pulling on his lips as he admired the boy next to him. As far as he could tell, Hiccup was impossibly mysterious and clever. And damn, did Jack like it.

Chapter Text

Jack spent the day with Hiccup. Throughout classes, the two boys would be as close as possible. Surprising for Hiccup, he assumed Jack would prefer to spend at least a few classes with his other friends, but instead, he kept near him at every possible moment until Dinner, when they had to part to their respective tables.

Such change of friends didn’t go indifferent to Astrid.

“What’s up with the Fishbone?” She whispered to Aster.

“Who?” He asked.

“That twig from Ravenclaw that Jack won’t get away from, what’s up with him?” She hissed.

“I dunno,” He said. “Why are you so bothered anyways?”

“It’s just weird, Jack went off all suddenly and just now started to hang out with him.” She frowned at the two boys ahead of her, the way Jack would start taking to Hiccup a bit too close for her taste.

“Jealous much?” Aster smirked. Astrid’s elbow hit him up his ribcage, earning a moan of pain from the taller boy.

“I just want to know what is going on.” She said with finality.

“Just wait for dinner time.” Aster said. “He will have to sit with us then.”

Astrid huffed. Jack did sit with them for that night, but barely spoke as he devoured whatever food he could place his hands on, and then he’d leave before Astrid could make any questions. He’d repeat this act for an entire week, until Friday, when the levitating candles lightened up the four tables of the Great Hall. The lines of students chatting wildly in the night.

All but two of them.

“Where is he?!” Astrid hissed again, gesturing with her knife to the empty seat next to her where Jack should be. Aster shrugged, devouring the peace of chicken on his hands.

Jack was obviously with Hiccup.

The two boys were wandering through the halls of the seventh floor for an hour now, where they knew most people would not climb up to, especially at that time. Hiccup would laugh as Jack would hold his hand and make him spin around in the mid of the corridor, the two boys losing their heads at the complicity of being out so late.

“Wait, so she actually asked you which side were you on?” Jack asked in the mid of his laughter, earning a roll of nods and chuckles from the smaller boy.

“And I literally said ‘my own’,” He replied, and Jack bended himself over his stomach in maniac laughter.

“Oh gosh, that was great.” He said, slowing down his circle steps as he still held Hiccup’s hands. Both boys were dizzy. Suddenly Hiccup looked very serious, as if his mind just registered something.

“Do you really think something is up?” Hiccup said, his voice lower than before. Jack looked puzzled again. “Like, with all these people gone missing and Dementors showing up… do you think there might be… you know?”

Jack only stared at him, still breathing heavily. “It is… just like it used to be before.” He said. Feeling the warmth from the other boy hands, Jack nearly choked realizing how strange all that was, suddenly losing his grip on the freckled hands.

“So, uh… Wanna do something right now?” Jack asked, trying to ease the tension. Hiccup was the same as him by that point, noticing how his heart was now beating for an entirely different reason. Both boys started walking further into the halls, still quite close one to the other.

“Oh, I wanted to ask you something, actually.” Hiccup said.

“Shoot.”

“How come you never talk about your family?” The words left Hiccup’s mouth, and suddenly, Jack flinched.

“Um, let’s say that’s because no one really asked.” Jack said simply. Hiccup was left still waiting for more.

“Well, in this case I’m asking.” Hiccup said. “I want to know.”

Jack placed his hands on a pillar near a window, noticing the bluish-green lights that came from it.

“Well, it used to be just Flee and me.” He said, the usually bright side of his features turning sober and darker. Hiccup ended up leaning against the window in front of them, listening. “She was my sister.” He added, a downed expression on his face.

“What happened?” Hiccup asked.

Jack stared at the floor.

“We’re Half-bloods.” He said. “I think dad was a wizard, but to be honest I don’t remember them much…” Hiccup was nearly asking who Jack lived with, but he didn’t. Now was not the time for those details. “She was just a couple years younger than me. We were in South England back then. There weren’t any Death Eaters seen in months…”

Hiccup’s eyes were wide open, his hand covering his mouth.

“There was an attack in Brighton that day. Flee and I were far from each other when they came. The muggles couldn’t see them, but I did. I ran for her, but it was too late, someone casted a spell right on those gas vaults that Muggles use. Seven dead, right there. Including Flee.”

Hiccup was speechless. Jack’s eyes were watered, holding back a single tear he wouldn’t let go.

“I’m so sorry, Jack.” Hiccup said.

Jack shrugged. “It’s been six years now.” He said, finally, wiping his face with the back of his hands. “Are you a Muggle born?” Jack asked, his voice cracking.

“No,” Hiccup said. “My mom was.”

“What happened to her?” Jack asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the pillar.

“She was an Auror, in hunt of Death Eaters.” Hiccup explained, looking out the window. “She was caught this last summer.” He said, Jack’s mouth opening in shock. “She was after a former Death Eater that’s been on the run ever since the Hogwarts Battle.”

Jack only looked at Hiccup, dreading the way it would sound horrible to say he was sorry. He was now taking Hiccup’s place as a comforter.

“She’s been missing ever since Summer started. They haven’t found her body, but it’s pretty obvious by now that she’s been taken.” There was a long silence. “I haven’t really told this to anyone.” Hiccup said. “I miss her.”

Jack looked down at him, a tear also threatening to escape before he took back the hold on Hiccup’s hand, rubbing his thumb on the freckled skin. Hiccup gave a sad smile to the gesture.

“You know, they haven’t found the body… doesn’t mean she’s not alive.”

“Yeah, but I wish I was that optimistic.” Hiccup retorted. “If she’s not dead, then she probably wanted to be.”

There was another long silence.

“How about your father?” Jack asked. Hiccup only shrugged.

“Haven’t you heard? I’m the abort of Gryffindor.” The smaller boy said, and Jack immediately understood what that meant.

“Stoick Horrendous?” He said.

“Horrendous Haddock, more like it.” Hiccup smirked, sarcastically. “He wanted me to be in Gryffindor. He doesn’t really like the wisecracks on Ravenclaw. I’m basically on my own now.” He finished, looking at Jack’s blue eyes.

Jack thought about it for a second before saying, “Not really, you’re not.”

Hiccup’s cheeks turned red, but he smiled softly, taking in his new bond with Jackson Overland, squeezing back at Jack’s hands, still linked to his.

#

After Jack left Hiccup at the entrance of his Common Room, he went back to his own. He was still trying to process in his mind everything that had happened. He had Hiccup. Not in the way he wanted to, but for tonight, he was sure that in the very least, he had his true friendship, which was more he could have ever asked for.

That was until he reached Gryffindor’s common Room at the Seventh floor, stepping into the Fat Lady’s portrait hole before facing the angry blue eyes of Astrid.

“Nice to see you joined us.” She said, skittish. Jack rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I was with…”

“Your new friend?” Astrid’s voice was rough, sharp as a knife. “Look, I usually don’t really care who you walk with, but what is it about the Fishbone that you just can’t step away from him?”

“Why do you care?” Jack’s anger matched Astrid’s, worse. “It’s not like you actually gave a shit about him when you’re neighbours. Why care when I start hanging out with him?”

“Because he’s weird, Jack.” Astrid said, gesturing at nothing around herself. “He made you literally disappear for a week now… He’s always been this pathetic useless until now and then decided to hex everyone, including you!” Jack rolled his eyes. “He’s dangerous.”

Jack looked at Aster for support, said boy sitting on one of the red couches by the fire.

“Don’t look at me, she’s the one who’s flippin’.”

“Thank you for your support.” Astrid yelled at Aster, raising some suspicious looks from whoever was in the room.

However, when Astrid looked back at Jack, though, she found nothing.

Jack was a pro with sneaking out of uncomfortable situations. In a second of distraction, he managed to sneak into the stairs and slip into his room. He sat down on his bed with a ‘hump’, he was barely annoyed at Astrid. He knew the girl disliked Hiccup from the very beginning, but he was more than willing to simply stop talking to her if that meant keeping Hiccup’s friendship.

Still, it didn’t mean he wasn’t upset. He liked Astrid. Sure, skittish, rude and wild Astrid who was one of the best a duelling he knew, still losing for Hiccup now. But still, he liked the friendship. But if keeping her meant being judged for having Hiccup, then he would choose Hiccup.

Jack looked near him, where on the dresser near his bed, he found the old picture of Flee. A crooked smile, her wide brown eyes shooting up in wonder. Except for the hair and eye colour, she looked like Jack. The same facial structure that made the mark of their blood link.

Jack pressed his two fingers against his lips, then pressing them against Flee’s forehead on the picture, before tucking himself for bed.

Chapter Text

It has been already a month ever since Jack and Hiccup became officially friends. The tension between Jack and Astrid had diminished after the boy had finally asked her to just forget about it, and the girl promised not to judge Hiccup – at least not when Jack was around. Flimsy, but it was just enough for them.

When Hiccup reached the entrance of the Great Hall that morning, though, Jack was already standing near the doors, waiting, wearing that old blue hoodie and those skinny brown jeans. It was sort of amusing to see the other boy looking so casual, a high contrast to the usual Hogwarts’ dark vests.

“Hey.” He said, stepping closer to the pale boy.

Jack had his mouth open for a second, for a minute his eyes were lost on the green shirt Hiccup was wearing, a bit long on the sleeves but that suited his skin and frame perfectly. He made a mental note not to comment on it, though.

“Hi.” Jack said, his voice lower than usual.

“Any plans for today?” Hiccup started walking past Jack, and making the other boy run a few steps to catch up to him.

“It’s Saturday, so basically everyone’s going to Hogsmead right now.” He said, but with a frown.

By the entrance of the Grand Staircase behind them, some students yelled when the small Poltergeist flew above them.

“…Something wicked this way comes…” Peeves sang as he messed through the halls, dropping a handful of books - probably stolen from the Library – on the entrance Hall. “Oh, look everybody! It’s the Skeleton and the Snowman, our new Valentines!” He yelled, gesturing at the two boys who blushed furiously.

“Shut it, Peeves!” Jack yelled back, dodging from a book that flew over his head, nearly striking him in the face.

“Oh, the snowman is bringing the twig to Hogsmead! Snowman loves the twig, the Snowman looooooves the twig!” Peeves flew into the Great Hall, disappearing behind the big wooden doors until all the boys could hear was the mocking song and the laughter.

“Don’t listen to him.” Hiccup said, noticing how Jack’s cheeks were burning. “He’s gonna end up finding someone else to mess up with before the weekend ends.”

“Yeah, but I just wish he could shut up about it.” Jack nearly whispered.

Hiccup raised his eyebrow. “About it?” He repeated with a demanding tone that begged for an explanation.

“Just… never mind,” Jack said, now pushing Hiccup to the Entrance Courtyard. “Come on, off to Hogsmead.”

“Wait, what did you…”

“I said never mind, Hic!” Jack interrupted, now messing with Hiccup’s hair, making the boy huff in frustration.

“Wait, we’re still going the wrong way!” Hiccup yelled, making Jack stop in confusion.

“What you mean, the wrong way? There’s only one way to Hogsmead…”

Hiccup placed his hand over Jack’s mouth, effectively shutting him up.

“My dear friend, this is when you start to appreciate our friendship.” Hiccup smirked, and Jack cocked his eyebrow. “Follow me, I’ll show you once we’re out of this crowd.”

Jack followed Hiccup back to the halls, flinching when he heard that Peeves’ mocking still hadn’t ended, since now half the hall was laughing along with his singing. Indeed, some people gave them amused looks when they linked the song to the scene of the two boys rushing upwards through the castle, against most of the crowd that descended against them.

“Hic, where the hell are we going?” Jack said as Hiccup sped up into a deserted hall on the third floor, finally dragging his feet so the smaller boy would have to slow down and give him the attention.

“Okay, I guess I can show you now.” Hiccup slid his hand into his pocket, which made Jack gulp until he saw that Hiccup had a parchment in his hand. “This.” He gave the brown piece of parchment to Jack.

“What is this?”

“That’s the Labyrinth.” Hiccup replied, excited. “I’ve been working on it ever since the third year.”

As Jack unfolded the parchment, he understood what Hiccup meant for Labyrinth. His mouth gaped open. Every little detail of Hogwarts grounds were accurately sketched, to the corridors and pathways to the common rooms and toilets. Not missing a single spot.

“This is… It’s all… you made this?” Jack was speechless, the details and the cleverness behind it all was just brilliant.

“Yes,” Hiccup smiled, proud of his achievement. “This…” He pointed at the corridor they were currently in, and Jack saw the small drawings of two minimal black head and shoulders that wrote in neat calligraphy Jackson Overland and Hiccup Haddock. “This is us.” Hiccup said. “And this is where we are going.” Hiccup said, gesturing to the One-Eyed witch statue near the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. “It’s a secret passage to Hogsmead, now we have to worry with this,” Hiccup’s finger touched the small point near them that read Argus Filch, “Or we’re basically screwed.”

Jack couldn’t say a word.

“…brilliant!” He said, a smiling creeping on his cheeks, mirroring the mischievous smile Hiccup had.

“Let’s go.” And with that, Hiccup gathered the courage to grab Jack’s hand, pulling him into the halls and running towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts corridor, and he could not help but smile when he felt Jack’s fingers hadn’t left his as they ran.

The one-eyed witch statue was the creepiest thing Jack had seen in that castle, and that was something to remark. He could not believe how he had never paid attention to it before.

“Okay, now watch out for Filch as I take care of this…” Hiccup had his wand in his hand, and Jack nodded before looking out the corridor.

“Dissendium!” Hiccup’s wand tapped on the witch’s hump, and not a second later, it opened up to reveal the small entrance to a dark tunnel beneath the corridor.

“That is wicked!” Jack said, walking towards Hiccup to look at the dark entrance before them.

“What is going on here?” The tired voice of Argus Filch sounded through the corridor, and the two boys froze.

Before they could say anything, Jack took Hiccup’s hand, jumping into the darkness and pulling the smaller boy behind himself. They slid down on the cold stone shortly until they landed on what felt like a rabbit hole.

“Come out, you little cowards!” Filch’s voice was getting closer, but not close enough so he could’ve seen them.

Hiccup swung his wand, and the entrance closed behind them, leaving them in the dark.

“Lumus!” Jack said, and light flooded them from the tip of his wand.

“He can’t hear us from down here, now, can he?” Hiccup asked.

“I think not.” Jack answered, looking right into the green eyes.

Both erupted in laughter right then. They laughed until they were gasping for air and tears slid down their cheeks. The sudden adrenaline of doing something forbidden getting the best of them.

“Okay, that was a good one.” Jack said, wiping his face with his sleeves.

“Let’s go.” Hiccup pointed his own wand forward, lighting it and taking the lead through the dark tunnel covered in dust and vines. “The first time I got here I ended up tripping and had to go on all the way to Honeydukes with dirt covering my clothes.”

Jack laughed. “Wait, so this leads to Honeydukes?”

“Yeah, gets us right underneath the store where we can climb up to the cellar.” Hiccup replied, crouching to avoid a spider web nested on the cavernous walls.

“I have a question, though.” Jack said.

“Shoot.”

“How come you never tried to talk to me all these years?”

Hiccup’s steps went more slowly as he digested Jack’s question, swallowing at the anticipation of answering such an innocent question that he truly couldn’t come up with an appropriate answer.

“I don’t know…” He muttered. “I guess you were always surrounded by your friends, I guess it made me nervous.”

Jack stared down for a bit. “I wasn’t… always surrounded by them,” He tried to say, but his voice was lingering on uncertainty. “I mean, I’m sure there was plenty of opportunity so say something, perhaps in the library or… wherever.”

“You hate the library.” Jack nodded, smiling. “And say what, anyways?” Hiccup said, still not looking back, only walking forwards.

“I don’t know, perhaps ‘hey’ or ‘how are you doing?’” Jack would deny if you asked him, but the thought that Hiccup also didn’t try to talk to him made him quite upset.

“I guess we’re both suckers.” Hiccup said. “None of us tried anyways.”

“Gladly I did.” Jack said, suddenly. Hiccup only snorted.

“You only did because I showed up that night, and it was just a week ago.”

“True, but you would have left if I didn’t ask you to stay.” Jack pointed. “Plus, better late than ever, right?”

Hiccup smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” They kept walking quietly for a few moments. “I didn’t know you actually wanted to talk to me.”

Jack looked at him.

“Of course I wanted,” Jack said. “It’s just you never even looked at me after the first year. I thought you were mad that I didn’t talk to you first.”

“I was a bit mad, but I never really blamed you.” He stated. “I mean… I didn’t help much either, did I?” Hiccup finally looked at Jack, green eyes on blue, and both boys finally saw how much they liked the other’s looks.

That’s when Jack suddenly tripped, falling on his face when his foot crashed hard against the first step of the stairs. “We’re here.” Hiccup said, smiling. Jack rolled his eyes before he gave room for Hiccup to take the lead, and then they climbed up the stairs until Jack got hit again, this time in the head as they reached the top of the tunnel.

“Ouch!” He hissed. Hiccup laughed. “This really isn’t funny.” If looks could kill, his eyes would have torn Hiccup apart right there. “Stop laughing at me!”

“I’m not laughing at you!” Hiccup said, but it was such an obvious lie that both boys started laughing. “It happened to me the first time as well, both things.”

“Good to know,” Jack said. Hiccup reached up to the trapdoor and pushed it upwards, climbing the final steps until he was standing in the dusted cellar of Honeydukes. Behind him, Jack rose up, his hand still pressing the top of his forehead as he looked around. “I can’t believe we actually did this.” He said.

Hiccup smiled. “We just did.”

“How many of those passages there are at Hogwarts?” He asked.

“I don’t know, that I know at least four, but possibly many more. I mean… this is Hogwarts, you know.”

Break through the crowd of students that filled all the corners of Honeydukes to their way out wasn’t an easy task, but as soon as they did, the cold air blew on their faces. Hogsmead looked like a Christmas card, its wooden buildings and cottages in weird shapes covered in snow and sparking with ice crystals. It wasn’t even winter yet, but Jack and Hiccup still wondered if there was a single day when it wouldn’t snow at Hogsmead.

Jack made sure to rush to Gladrags Wizardwear, noticing how they were both shaking with the sudden cold. None of them had brought their winter coats or vests.

“And one would think we’d dress up appropriately to go to Hogsmead.” Hiccup remarked, and Jack gave him a half-assed smile while they picked a pair of brown and grey coats.

“Well, we would have if we had planned on it.” Jack commented.

“Your fault that asked me on the last second.” Hiccup retorted.

“Your fault that you haven’t hesitated!” Jack raised his voice, even though jokingly, but made some of the people near to look at the two. “Sorry,” he muttered. Hiccup laughed.

Suddenly, Jack’s fingers reached a grey beanie that he immediately imagined on Hiccup.

“Try that one.” He said, offering it to Hiccup.

The freckled boy adjusted it on his head, feeling how his ears seemed to warm up nearly instantly. “Feels nice.” He said. “How do I look?”

Jack was again, at a loss for words.

“Adorable as ever.” He remarked, but masking it by pulling the edge of the hat over the green eyes, messing with the other boy. “Take it, I’m paying for everything.”

“Jack, you don’t have to pay for my clothes, seriously…”

“Nope, I do, I was the one who invited you here anyways.” Jack said, stepping further to try on this greyish-blue coat he found. “Yep, definitely taking this.”

“You look like a girl shopping.” Hiccup said, smirking at Jack’s face. Jack only faked offense.

“You wound me, Hiccup.” Jack placed his hand over his chest, and Hiccup chuckled. “I should just let you pay for your own clothing.”

“Like I just told you to…”

“-Nope, I’m definitely buyin’ it.” Jack stated, walking past the boy straight to the counter, then looking down at the balcony where he was resting his elbows on as he waited for the wizard to cast his spell, folding their new clothing neatly in two separate bags.

“Why packin’ them if we’re gonna go out wearin’ them?” Jack asked, curious.

“To spread the brand!” The wizard replied, returning the pack and making sure to display the Gladrads logo on it. Hiccup laughed.

Both boys were now wandering through the main street, holding half-full mugs of butterbeer on their hands. Jack stepped closer to Hiccup, swinging his free arm around the other boy’s shoulders.

“So, where do you wanna go?” He said.

“Oh, I don’t know, it feels like we’ve been here for hours.” Hiccup replied, suddenly content with the weight of Jack’s arm around him. He took the opportunity to actually wrap his free arm around the other’s waist, and for a blissful moment, pressing the side of his forehead on Jack’s chest.

“We could go to Zonko’s.” Jack suggested. “Haven’t been there in a while.”

“Sure.” Hiccup stated, turning his steps and heading towards the prank shop. “I heard it’s nothing compared to the Weasley’s Wheezes shop.”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “Shame what happened to the other twin, though.”

While they stepped into the shop, they noticed most of Hogwarts students were contemplating the items in there. Piles after piles of boxes filled with Boxing telescopes, explosive pumpkin pie, sugar quills and other things Jack couldn’t even name right. Everything glowing in bright red and purple shades of the store.

“Feels like home.” Jack said, smiling at Hiccup. “Come on, let’s plan something.”

“Uh-oh, on who?” Hiccup asked, with a sick feeling that Jack’s plan would lead to at least a whole month of detention.

“I don’t know, maybe Hofferson…”

“Wait, weren’t you friends?” Hiccup cocked his eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. Jack was about to answer something when another voice reached them:

“Oh, Peeves was right, if it ain’t the new lovebirds?” Nicholas Stonem, a tall boy with olive skin and dark eyes spoke, and he was not alone. At least three other friends were behind him, a girl included.

“Shut up, Stonem, Peeves is just messing with us,” Jack retorted, trying not to sound defensive, hoping that the sniggering would end soon.

“I doubt it.” Nicholas gave a malicious grim, taking a step forwards. “I think I’m looking at Hogwarts’ new couple… of faggots.” His hand was heading for his vests, certainly after his wand.

Jack took an instinctive step forward, placing himself ahead of Hiccup.

“Stay away, Stonem.” Jack said, his voice stronger than Hiccup ever remembered. “There is nothing for you here.”

“Oh, look at him, trying to defend his boyfriend already.” The mocking now brought laughter.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Jack stated, pulling his wand out of his pocket.

“Oi, Nick,” Suddenly it was Hiccup’s voice who rose up behind Jack, and things suddenly happened too fast. “Why don’t you quit talking shit for a moment?”

In an instant, Hiccup’s hand pulled Jack’s shoulder backwards, throwing the boy on the floor, then swinging his wand, levitating a small brown sphere, the dungbomb flying all the way to Stonem’s face, exploding in a horribly smell of putrefaction.

“Run, run, run!” Hiccup said, pulling Jack along as they sprinted to the exit of the store, the laughter and screams behind them as they exited, and kept on running until they found themselves surrounded by nothing but snows and trees.

They stopped, bent on their knees and stared at each other before, for the second time on that day, they erupted in laughter at how wickedly sudden all of that was.

“Did you look at his face?” Jack nearly screamed, tears streaming out his eyes as he laughed. Hiccup nodded, his hands over his mouth in a way to contain it. And with that, Jack couldn’t hold it. Soon, both boys hugged, perhaps the heat of the moment, but they just held one another as they laughed, and everything just seemed at peace for that one moment.

“That was badass, Hic, really.” Jack said, finally stepping away.

“Thanks.” Hiccup replied.

“How did you learn how to duel?” He asked, taking another step back to look at the green eyes. “I mean, I don’t remember you being that good before.”

Hiccup laughed. “And I wasn’t.” Then his smile faded. “I guess I haven’t felt too inclined to duelling before this year.”

Jack only looked at him. They were surrounded by snow, but there was a small wooden fence near them. They walked to it, resting their arms on it.

“Because of your mother?” Jack’s voice was soft, but still firm.

Hiccup nodded after a moment. “Thinking about her makes me angry.” He said. “And for what I’ve read, anger helps in battles.”

The blue eyes looked down, staring at the snow.

“I feel angry, all the time, to be honest.” Hiccup said. “As if I could literally kill someone with my bare hands, even myself.”

“Don’t say that,” Jack snapped. “Don’t you ever say that.”

“It’s true!” Hiccup finally looked back at him. “I mean, I’m not going to jump off a bridge or anything, but I’m so… Argh, I don’t know, perhaps I would…”

Jack’s body again acted before his mind as he once again wrapped his arms around Hiccup, close enough so his lips were near the other boy’s ear.

“Don’t.” He said, and he could feel his own heart sinking.

“Why?” Hiccup’s voice was broken. Crying.

“Because you matter.” He answered, his voice much softer than before.

“I don’t…”

“You matter to me.” He said, finally, holding Hiccup even tighter. It took a moment, but he soon felt the other’s arms circling around his shoulders, and then they were in a tight embrace, as Hiccup’s tears feel on Jack’s shoulder.

Chapter Text

The three wizards flew across the sky, dark smoky figures that headed towards the castle. Hogwarts stood, as silent and still as always, magnificent over the highlands of Scotland, its towers lightening the grounds, no one aware of the incoming wizards. The wizards sped up through the sky, wands on their hands until they slammed themselves against the invisible barrier that surrounded the entire castle, the impact sending bright waves that ran through the shield, the sound echoing for everyone inside the walls.

“Morsmordre!” The wizard yelled, and with a deep, guttural sound, the frightening green light emerged from his wand, the skull and the snake hovering above Hogwarts’ grounds for the first time in twenty years.

#

Jack was at the entrance courtyard when it happened. The light glimmered on the sky. Next to him, Astrid and Aster froze on their steps, looking upwards as the Shield waved above them.

I would’ve been only unsettling, until the Dark Mark appeared.

In a moment, all around them, the students yelled, fear rising on them at the sudden attack.

It didn’t take long until they started running towards the entrance, dinner still to be served on the Great Hall. At the very end of the Hall, Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat when the wave of panicking students flooded the halls, some girls in tears of anticipation.

As everyone sprinted inside, however, Jack, Aster and Astrid ran towards the entrance bridge, out in the clear where they had the most clear view of the Mark. The impact radius still lightened up the centre of the shield, bright lightning bolts imprinted on the sky, like cracks on the concrete, where just above it the snake floated from inside the shinning green skull.

“Who… how did that…?!” Astrid yelled, covering her mouth with her hands in horror.

“We can’t know it from here.” Jack interrupted as his heart tightened in his chest. He looked at the two teens before turning around and sprinting towards the castle.

“Jack, wait up!” Astrid yelled before following him, her legs burning as she ran behind him all the way to the entrance, but missing the Great Hall, where Jack turned to the Grand Staircase and sprinted towards the fourth floor.

“Where the hell is he goin’?” Aster yelled, out of breath.

Suddenly, they reached Jack at the top of the Astronomy tower, climbing the spiral staircase until they reached the observation deck, where Jack was lunging to the front porch.

And he wasn’t alone.

A small boy with long auburn hair was hugging Jack’s body hurriedly, both in apparent urge to check the other’s well-being before the two boys pointed out towards Hogwarts’ shield, where the Dark Mark still shined, green and sinister on the sky.

“What did you see?” Jack asked the boy.

“Nothing, I just got here a minute ago.” The other boy replied, shaking. Suddenly Astrid recognized Hiccup, her neighbour who she would never exchange a word even when they were back home. “How did you know I’d be here?” Hiccup asked.

“I didn’t.” Jack answered. And then looked back at the entrance. “Glad to know you guys could catch up.” He stated, making Hiccup look back as well.

Hiccup’s eyes jumped wide open at the sight of Astrid and Aster.

“What is he doing here?” She asked, skittishly. Jack shook his head at her, turned back to Hiccup and focusing only on the boy, who was shaking from head to toe in fear.

“That’s the first appearance of the Dark Mark in twenty years, Jack, it’s got to mean something.”

“They’re terrorists, Hiccup.” Jack said, placing his hands on Hiccup’s shoulders. “They’re only tryin’ to make a statement.”

“How can we be sure that you didn’t do it?” Suddenly Astrid spoke, her words reaching the two boys, now incredulous.

“How could you say that?” Jack said in anger.

“I mean, just think about it.” Astrid had her hand pointed to her vests, bringing her wand ever so slowly. “Nobody knows how that mark appeared, and he was the only one in a position high enough to conjure it.”

“Not another word Astrid, I’m tellin’ ya.” Aster was the one who spoke. “You’re goin’ too far.”

“Just think, Aster! He was already here; he could have enough time to do it himself if he wanted.”

“The Dark Mark only appears after someone is killed, do you really think Hiccup is somehow a killer now?” Jack yelled, and the girl flinched. “That’s enough, Astrid, Hiccup didn’t do it!”

Jack had his own wand pointed at the girl. “What are you going to do, hex me?” Astrid said, a tear poking out her eye.

“Lower your wand.” He warned.

“I don’t trust him, Jack.” Astrid stood firm, gripping on her wand and staring at Hiccup. Said boy only took a step back, his own hands lifting up not to provoke Astrid any further.

“Astrid, you know me.” Hiccup said. “You hate me, and we know it, but you can’t assume I’m a death eater. Not after what just happened to my mom.” He said, even.

“How do you expect me to believe you?” The girl retorted. “Ever since we are little, you’ve been weird!”

“That’s no excuse, Astrid.” Aster spoke, placing himself in front of the other two boys. “We know ya don’t like Hiccup but Jack is our friend, and this theory of yours is just somethin’ else entirely…” He could not even find an appropriate word for the insanity of all that.

Astrid only looked at them. As far as she could remember, Hiccup was the most peculiar boy on the village of Berk. To say that her family was highly traditional would also be an understatement.

The first memory she had of the boy was when some of the muggle-borns of the village had surrounded him in a small alley, where they would beat him up. She hadn’t joined the beating, but she had watched it. She knew some of those kids, even though they were muggles, her family wasn’t prejudice, and they would allow her to play with some of them. Not a week later, though, Ed Finnegan, one of the bullies, had to go to the hospital, where he didn’t come back from for nearly a month due to a mysterious illness that gave him red and purple bruises all over his body.

You could judge Astrid for her lack of heart, but once both her and Hiccup got in for Hogwarts, the memory of the attack came back to her mind. Her parents always said: Dark wizards don’t turn evil in an instant, but from years of pain and prejudice. She deemed better to stay away from the boy.

So feel free to judge Astrid for the fear of all the disappearances, Dementor sights, Ministry inquiries and now the Dark Mark, shining proudly again above Hogwarts. What if all the years of suffering did make Hiccup turn into the dark magic? All the seeds were there. And she knew better than anyone: Trust no one.

“Don’t think that this puts you in the clear.” Astrid said, finally lowering her wand. “I’ll be watching you.”

Hiccup only looked at her, not angry nor scared of her, but with the familiar sense of injustice that he got used to after years of harassment. The girl turned on her heels, having a final look at the Dark Mark before walking out of the Astronomy Tower. Jack turned to Hiccup, his hand patting his shoulder in soothing moves.

“We should get back to the Great Hall.” Aster said. “All the students are probably there by now.

#

There were still a few students crossing the tall portal of the Great Hall. Some of them were shaking, some of them were crying, but most of them were silent. They all knew what that meant. Jack was walking between Hiccup and Aster until they arrived at the Entrance Hall.

“I think you should join your table.” Aster said to Hiccup as he noticed all the students were sitting accordingly to their houses.

The small boy gulped, then nodded, having a final look from Jack before walking to the Ravenclaw table. Jack and Aster sat down on their table, a couple seats away from Astrid, who gave them no looks.

Not a minute later, Professor McGonagall stomped into the Great Hall, followed by the small figure of Professor Flitwick and the high inquisitor, Percy Weasley. As they climbed up the steps at the end of the Hall, the lights on the candles seemed to diminish.

“Everyone, remain calm.” Professor McGonagall said, even. Worry and strength filling her voice. “I need all of you to orderly walk to your dormitories…”

“Who casted it?” A girl from Gryffindor screamed.

“Has anybody got hurt?”

“What is happenin’?” Soon, most of the students on the Hall were screaming for answers.

“SILENCE!” The raising voice was not of the Headmistress, but from Percy Weasley himself, his wand pointed against his neck in an enhancing spell. Effective as it was, he looked at Professor McGonagall, nearly asking for permission before he spoke. “We do not know who conjured the Dark Mark. Or the meaning behind it. All we do know for sure is that tonight, around eight fourteen, three dark wizards stomped on Hogwarts shield. The Aurors are looking for any signs of dead bodies around Hogwarts grounds, now, if we had found any, we would’ve known by now-”

There was a collective jump scare when the doors of the Great Hall were opened again. Two aurors walked into the Hall, all the way to Weasley and McGonagall, whispering a few words before stepping back. For what it seemed, McGonagall swallowed drily, and scanned the room until her eyes met Hiccup across the Ravenclaw table. Percy only nodded. From the Gryffindor table, Jack’s eyes wandered all the way from Hiccup to the Headmistress, and a sinking feeling took the best of him when Percy announced.

“We have found a body.” The tension grew in the room. “It belongs to Valka Haddock.”

Chapter Text

After Valka’s name was casted, there was a minute of silence in which all the eyes landed on Hiccup.

This is not real; this can’t be real… He thought. But the more that he looked down, hoping that when he looked back up, no one would be looking at him, the reality would hit him. They said her name. It was over.

From the Gryffindor table, Astrid looked over her shoulder, remorse and fear forming on her features. Jack stood up, slowly, nearly out of breath at the image of a suffering Hiccup only a few meters away from him. He could barely give a step towards his direction before said boy stood up, one hand over his mouth and the other wiping off the tears from his cheeks, before he went out running.

All the eyes that were on Hiccup landed on Jack. With a sickening feeling, he walked out of the Hall.

Hiccup went all the way up to the seventh floor, the tears turning into screams, and when Jack finally found him, the boy was standing near a window, throwing punches after punches on the wall ahead of him, screaming.

“Hiccup.” Jack spoke, which Hiccup paid him no mind. “Hiccup, please!” The punches grew harder, and blood was being left on the walls as his skin was ripping from the flesh.

That’s when the white haired boy pulled Hiccup to him, forcing him to stop and just held him there, forcefully as now both boys began crying, Hiccup’s hands now holding Jack’s arms as he turned into the boy, dropping his head on his shoulder, finally allowing himself to just feel it.

Unknowing of both Aster and Astrid also there, who followed Jack after he left, and hence most of the students at the Great Hall, including the very Headmistress, who had her mouth gaped open at the scene as the two boys fell to the ground and just held each other. Crying.

#

‘DARK MARK SPREADS PANIC’

‘MINISTER FOR MAGIC DEMANDS PATIENCE FROM THE WIZARDING COMMUNITY’

‘We can guarantee the safety of the students’ – Headmistress McGonagall announces.’

‘THIRD WIZARDING WAR?’

#

No fearful glances headed Hiccup’s way after that night. Mostly, they were pitiful now. Which was even worse.

The following morning, most students took the train home. The classes were cancelled until the following Wednesday, which not everyone was sure they would come back. Astrid was the first one to write to her home announcing she wouldn’t be back. In the other hand, Aster would head back to Australia immediately. Jack would never leave Hogwarts if he had a say in the matter, so he got to stay.

But Hiccup had his trunk ready to get back at Berk.

Both boys were at the Hogsmead train station, most students around them heading inside the red train, nothing but a blur to them.

“Are you sure you are ready to see your dad, Hic?” Jack asked, worried.

“Not ready, but… I guess I have to.” Hiccup replied. Ever since that night, his voice got quieter, his energy somewhat lower, but ironically, the feeling of constant anger seemed to nearly disappear.

“Just making sure you’re okay.” Jack said, looking down and gulping at his own words. How could Hiccup ever be okay with that?

“To be honest, I don’t even know how I am anymore.” The green eyes met the blue again. Hiccup didn’t seem sad, or overly emotional. “It’s just… like you said once, perhaps hoping that she’d be still alive. Now there’s nothing to hope for, right?”

That shattered Jack’s heart, right there. He swallowed again, staring at his shoes and searching for the right words before the locomotive blasted its warning toot before it would leave.

Without another word, Hiccup embraced Jack, longer than a friendly goodbye. Pressing his head further against the other boy’s chest, and closing his eyes, just feeling the closeness as Jack’s hand tangled in his hair, his fingers drawing calming patterns on the base of his neck. They remained that way until the last toot forced them to step away, giving each other awkward glances before Hiccup jumped in the train, shutting the door a second before the train started moving.

Jack only stared for a while, until the train made its curve and disappeared behind the trees. The boy had his mind fuzzing with every little though that his brain could gather, and it gave him nothing but headaches. He took a deep breath as he started walking back towards the castle.

He thought about the Dark Mark, the warnings and the sights. And he thought about Hiccup. How much he just wanted the other boy next to him, to hug him and somehow protect him from the world.

His steps brought him all the way back to Hogwarts’ gates, where two aurors awaited, wands ready and eyes alert. Jack stopped, offered his wand and raised his arms as the two wizards checked him, rolling his eyes until they declared him clear.

Hagrid’s hut was still there even after all these years. The Guardian of the keys and grounds of Hogwarts was still the teacher of Care of Magical Creatures, which Jack skipped as many classes as he could to avoid dealing with Fire Crabs.

At the Clock Courtyard though, he had his first surprise as Astrid Hofferson stood near the stone fountain, arms crossed and a moody expression.

“Hey.” He said, walking towards the girl.

“Hey.” She said back, looking down at her own shoes. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?” Jack asked.

“Hiccup.”

The boy breathed in, deeply, forefeeling the obnoxiousness that this talk would bring.

“Listen, we already agreed not to discuss any of-”

“I know we agreed, this is not what I want to talk about.” She said, suddenly seemingly lost. “I wanted to apologise.” Jack twisted his features, puzzled. “I was so rude to him that night, and then we just find out that…”

Jack only looked down.

“Look, I really think you should be apologising to Hiccup, not me.” He made to leave when she spoke again.

“I know.” She said. “It’s just… I am not going to say that I like him, because I still don’t.” Jack rolled his eyes. “It’s just… I know how much he means to you.”

The boy only stared at his friend, seemingly puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

“He’s my best friend.” He said.

“You’ve only talked to him for a month.” She muttered, and Jack sent her a half smile, completely not a fan of that talk. “When are you going to tell him?”

Jack stared at her, and he could see that she meant exactly what she said. And she didn’t have a single drop of sarcasm or playfulness. That was Astrid being dead serious, right then. No point on lying now.

“I don’t know. Probably never.” He turned on his heels, walking into the Clock Tower, leaving Astrid behind, both still stormed with their thoughts.

#

Hiccup didn’t wander much through the trains wagons, soon he found an empty compartment where he placed his trunk. And then just sat down, staring at the fields outside as they grew each time darker and greener. He hated to admit it, but he already missed Jack. He kept thinking about that one hug they just shared, and somehow imagined himself as still hugging him.

The door of his compartment slid open, where Aster stood, a careful expression on his strong and somehow beautiful features. Hiccup never noticed, but Aster was quite a handsome young man.

“Hi.” Aster said. “Mind if I join you?”

Hiccup shook his head, and Aster closed the doors behind himself.

“Astrid didn’t come along?” Hiccup asked, to which Aster only replied with a head shake.

“She felt Hogwarts is still safer than bein’ outside.” He mentioned.

“She’s probably right.”

The boys only stared at nothing for a while, until Hiccup looked back at the window, and Aster looked at him.

“I’m really sorry about your mom.” Hiccup looked at him. Not saying a word. “This whole mess is just getting’ worse, ain’t it?”

“You tell me.” Hiccup replied. “One terror attack and everyone’s going home, suddenly.”

“It wasn’t just one attack; the whole bloody world seems to be goin’ to shit.” Aster said, now looking outside the window. “Attacks like these wouldn’t happen for nearly twenty years, and now all the sudden we’re right back to facin’ a war.”

“Do you really think it’s going to break out in war, Aster?”

“Oh, yes.” He said, but unlike everyone else, Aster did not seem afraid of what it meant. If anything, it sounded just like any regular news. “If we don’t do anythin’ about it soon, they might as well just let them kill us all.”

“So you’d go all-out war by yourself?” Hiccup asked.

“Not me, but,” Aster seemed ready to get his wand out of his pocket and start duelling right there. “We can’t just let it slide, know what I mean?”

Hiccup nodded. Suddenly, the doors to their compartment were open, and with a loud tap, the boy that probably still had that dungbomb stench stuck on his clothes. He had his brows furrowed in anger, and it was aimed at Hiccup. “Ya think you’re real funny now, don’t ya Haddock?!”

“Get lost, Stonem, we’ve got nothin’ for ya.” Aster spoke, taking his wand as the menacing boy stepped inside their compartment.

“You shut it, aussie,” Stonem retorted, which was a mistake. Hiccup’s hand was twice as faster and immensely smarter:

“Expeliarmus!” The boy stood up, steady on his feet as Stonem’s wand was pulled out of the boy’s hand, and with blind luck, Hiccup snagged it with his right hand, and now pointed both wands at Stonem.

“Give it back!” Stonem screamed, anger now drowned in fear.

“Leave.” Hiccup said. “Before I make you.”

“I’m warning you, Haddock-”

“Expulso!” Aster swung his own wand, and Stonem flew backwards so harshly that he collapsed against the opposite wall with a loud thump.

Hiccup looked down at the two wands on his hands, and a warm feeling went through his right hand as he wield Stonem’s wand, now sensing its very loyalty changing. Hiccup smirked. That wand would never be used against him again.

“Good luck with it now.” Hiccup said, and smirked before throwing the thin piece of wood and magic near Stonem’s goggled expression, daft with had just happened to him. With another flick of his wand, the doors to their compartment swung back shut, and with a final click, he heard the commotion on the corridor forming. Aster gave a look to Hiccup, both dark and stunned at the same time. “Nice shot you gave.” He said.

“You too,” Hiccup replied as he sat down. They fell back into silence, and the same happened outside in the corridor. “You know, my mother was a Muggle born.” The short boy said. “No wonder why they took her for so long.”

“Yeah, that really sucks.” Aster looked down. “My parents are muggles, you know.” Hiccup cocked his eyebrows.

“I didn’t know that.” He said, his mouth now staying open.

“Yeah… Which means that if we do nothin’, soon enough it could be my body beneath the Dark Mark.”

Hiccup looked at Aster, who was looking right back at him, this feeling of mutual understanding crossing through each other’s eyes. Outside the window, a lightning announced the incoming storm.

Chapter Text

Berk was as cold as Hiccup ever remembered it being. Perhaps it was his emotional state, but he was shaking to his bones. The bus back to Berk was noisy and smelled like smoke, but he didn’t have the guts to ask his father to come pick him up at King’s Cross. As he walked up through the village, he wondered on the familiar sense of being home, and for a moment, that cheered him up.

When he got to the big wooden house where he lived in, he made slow steps into the entrance hall. His hand waving around to the light switch, until he found the button.

“Dad?” He tried. The house was quiet. “Dad?” He spoke louder.

He went up to the living room. Them the bedrooms. Stoick was nowhere to be found. Home alone, he muttered. Part of him felt relieved for not having got right out having to greet his father, but another part also had this sad empty feeling that he just wanted to have his father close.

The boy wandered to the kitchen. Dark and lifeless for months now. Dust and oil covered the oven and the sink, Stoick was never the best at cooking. But the scent of his mother could still be felt there, and when Hiccup acknowledged that, the tears came, and he broke down, for the first time, alone.

When Stoick did came home, however, it was only hours later, the bags under his yes making clear that he spent both his original shift and the night shift in the Ministry.

“Hiccup?” His voice echoed, and for a moment, that spark of hope flinched in Stoick’s chest.

Said boy finally stood up from behind the kitchen table, walking towards the entrance hall. And then straight to his father’s arms.

Hiccup had never seen his father cry before. Not when Valka went missing or when Stoick lost his job as Head of the Wizarding Artifacts Department, but now, in a high contrast, the tears were streaming from his eyes like a waterfall. And he hugged Hiccup so tightly the boy thought his spine might break, but he only hugged back, also crying.

“She’s gone.” Stoick said, again and again. The warmth in his chest turning so hot it could be actually fire, and he felt that perhaps he might not have enough to bare if he was alone. And for a moment, the strained relationship of father and son became as precious and more powerful than it has ever been in fifteen years.

#

“I was in the Ministry when I got the news.” Stoick said in front of the oven as he prepared the tea. Hiccup was sitting by the kitchen island, hands joined in front of him as he watched his father. “Anheuser, my boss, yeh know, he came to me personally after he put his hands on the Prophet, said he was giving me some time off to take the news in.” Stoick’s hands shook as he carried the two tea cups to the island. “I didn’t feel ready to just come ‘ere knowing she… would not be, yeh know…”

“Yes,” Hiccup nodded, wiping a tear off his eye. “When they offered me to go home I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come back either.”

The freckled hands took the cup, but only held it, feeling its warmth.

“Why did yeh come back, son?” Stoick said.

“I came back for you.” Hiccup replied. “I didn’t want you alone, specially now.” There was a sad and honest grim from Stoick. He actually felt happy knowing that his son cared.

“Hogwarts is safer, son.” Stoick said, shaking his head. “I would have understood if yeh had chosen to stay. Besides, I know it’s going ter be painful here.”

Hiccup shook his head. “It’s going to be painful anywhere.” He raised his cup to his lips, sipping on the hot tea. “I wanted to come.”

“Well… The funeral will be the day after tomorrow,” Outside, the snow fell faster against the grounds, starting to cover the windows. “I wasn’t sure if there would be enough time for yeh ter see it. How long will yeh be stayin’?”

“Until Wednesday.” From his chair, the boy turned his head to look outside the window, watching the snow. “Some students are not sure if they want to come back.”

“Do ya?” Stoick asked. “I mean, I know yeh were never a fan of the castle and all… But I would like if you stayed where it’s safer.”

“I want to go back, yes.” The boy replied. “I made some friends this year, they were there for me when we got the news.”

“That’s good news, son.” The huge wizard actually smiled with that. “The first good news I hear in years, basically. But I wanted to talk about that night.” Hiccup’s green eyes met his father’s. “All we have is the Ministry reports, I want to know how it actually happened.”

Hiccup had a deep breath. “I don’t know, it all happened so sudden. I was walking down the Grand staircase when they hit the shield.”

“The Death Eaters?” Stoick’s eyes went wide.

“Yes. They flew straight into it. They didn’t get through, though.” He made sure to mention this part. “But there was this loud… Boom, they truly hammered the shield, then I rushed to the nearest window I could get to, and there it was, the Dark Mark.”

“Anythin’ suspicious that yeh could’ve seen earlier?” Stoick again asked.

“No, nothing that got my attention.” Hiccup said. “I ran to the Astronomy Tower, but they were already gone by then.”

Stoick lowered his head, staring at his cup. “May the gods help us.” He looked back up at the ceiling. “It’s all goin’ back to the way things were before.”

“What you mean?”

“Durin’ the Second Wizarding War, of course.” Stoick answered, adjusting his seat on the table and making the tea cups shake with his huge size. “Things are… just like before. I don’t know if it was in the Prophet since I trust none of what’s written in there, but there has been more people missin’, weekly.”

“Like mom?”

“Even worse,” his father raised his eyebrows. “Yer mom was on their hunt, it was her job as an auror,” Hiccup felt slightly proud at those words, “but now they are targetin’ everything related with the muggle-borns.”

“Have anyone else we known disappeared?” Hiccup asked.

“Oh yes, do yeh remember the Hoffersons?”

Hiccup nearly chocked. “What?”

“Asger and Vali Hofferson, the father of that blonde girl, I think she studies with you. In the same year.” Stoick answered.

“Wait, that’s… when?”

“A couple weeks ago.” Stoick said. “We hadn’t had news from ’em in weeks, until they sent some aurors to their house. Completely empty.”

Hiccup had his mouth open. “But I… I just saw Astrid only yesterday… She didn’t know anything.”

“How often does she mails her family?” Stoick asked.

“I don’t know, I never talked much to her.” Hiccup said as his father stared suspiciously. “Jack would’ve told me something if she knew, she would’ve told him.”

“Who is this Jack?”

“Jackson Overland, we became friends this year.” Hiccup replied simply.

“Well, poor lass… if she depends on the Ministry she’ll never get the news on time.”

“Wait, but shouldn’t it be the Prophet’s job to let us know about all the disappearances?” Hiccup was getting each time more unsettled.

“Yas, but people are gettin’ scared, Heccup, if they let everyone know about everythin’ that’s happenin’, the Ministry will have a mass panic to deal with, if not a full uprisin’ on their hands.”

#

Astrid,

I know we have basically… zero closeness, but if the Prophet won’t share the news then I guess I have to. Your parents have gone missing for two weeks now. They left no traces, and the ministry hasn’t shared the information. I am sorry. I got little information, but I’ve been to the house earlier today: it is empty.

I am sorry for letting you know like this. But I know how it feels.

Write me back if you feel like it.

Hiccup.

Hiccup wrote that letter to Astrid later that day. He wasn’t affectionate to her in any ways, but she had the right to know. He borrowed Ash, an old dark owl his family had, and sent it later that same night. The owl would arrive at Hogwarts by the morning. It made his heart sink to send the news through a letter, but he felt it was the right thing to do, sending the news as fast as possible.

Only a few people attended the funeral, mostly relatives, but some friends from Valka’s time at Hogwarts. It was a grey day for most of what Hiccup could see. Valka’s funeral followed the former Viking wizards tradition. The body in the ship, sailing peacefully on the water. Hiccup dried his tears with the back of his hands as his father raised his bow with the flaming arrow.

When the string was released, the arrow flew it’s bowed trajectory to the boat, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Soon, the fire spread through the ropes and wood, gulfing the ship on fire, the red and gold flames mixing with the auspicious colours of the twilight sky.

As everyone started to walk out, Hiccup stood, even after Stoick had turned his back to the final lights of the flaming ship, after it had already disappeared in the horizon.

Hiccup’s green eyes nearly reflected the view, glassy.

“Mister Haddock.” A voice behind him spoke. The boy turned, startled.

A tall wizard in black vests, the Ministry’s insignia on his chest.

“Who are you?” Hiccup asked, his voice low and husky.

“I am the Minister for Magic, Eames Shaw.” The man said. He had this strong features on his face after Hiccup had a better look, as if the age turned his skin into a solid rock. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?” The boy was unamused.

“An offering, my boy. And a deal. Consider that as an invitation straight from the Ministry’s office.”

“I want nothing from the Ministry, sir.” Hiccup said, crossing his arms. “What do you want from me?”

The Minister took a deep breath, suddenly realising Hiccup would not be an easy going person.

“The wizarding community is scared. The Death Eaters, the Dark Mark. And I don’t know if you’ve been aware, but your name has appeared on the Daily Prophet lately.”

Hiccup raised his eyebrow. “I haven’t read it, no.”

“Well, people are intrigued. Your mother is the first known victim of Death Eaters in over twenty years. So the Daily Prophet figured it’d be interesting if you could give us a word about this whole story, you could start from when your mother disappeared, or letting them know of her bravery-”

“I’m not doing any of that.”

There was a long awkward silence. Then Shaw smiled, looking sideways.

“I don’t think you got it, Hiccup. People are getting scared, they need a role model. You need you to help us out, clearing the whole situation to calm down everyone-”

“I understood perfectly.” Hiccup stated. “I’m not helping any of you.”

The man stared at Hiccup, puzzled.

“Now, if you excuse me, I have to get ready, I’m heading back to Hogwarts by the morning.”

“Mister Haddock…” The Minister tried again, until another voice boomed above them.

“Are we havin’ a problem here?”

Stoick Haddock stood a few feet away from them, higher from his position on the top of the hill, still bathed on the last rays of sunlight. Hiccup looked up to him, and somehow found the amusement to smile. No wizard would be fool enough to mess with Stoick Horrendous Haddock.

Shaw gulped.

“No, I just wanted to have a word with our brave Hiccup here…”

“Yeh’ve had yer word.” Stoick stated. “Now leave.”

Chapter Text

The trip back to London was silent, but comfortable. Stoick actually gave his hand to Hiccup at some point, and just squeezed it once, a gesture of support that made the boy smile for a bit.

King’s Cross was crowded with the mass of people, but Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was strangely darker than Hiccup remembered. Perhaps due to the timing. He was used to boarding the platform at 11:00 AM, but now was still 09:00 AM. Some fancy precaution from Minerva McGonagall.

“Do yeh have everything yer need?” Stoick asked, and Hiccup had a deep breath.

“Yes, sir.” Hiccup nodded. The toot sounded, making Hiccup jump, startled.

“Here, son, I got ya this.” Stoick pulled a small package from his pocket, a small square box, not bigger than a shoe box, with circle holes on the sides.

“What is it?” Hiccup asked, attempting to open it, but Stoick placed his hand above his son’s.

“Just open it tonight, not before, yeh got it? You’ll like it.” He assured.

The whistles sounded again, just in time for Hiccup to give Stoick a final hug. It has been a while since they had not shown basically any act of affection on this place. Hiccup closed his eyes, again just feeling the moment. “I love you, dad.”

A tear escaped Stoick’s eye. “I love you too, son.” His father said, before letting his son go. “Take care.”

Hiccup nodded. “You too.”

And with that, Hiccup jumped in the Hogwarts Express, fighting to fit his trunk inside the locomotive, and turning to the window to give his father a final look before the train started moving.

It was then, wandering through the wagons that Hiccup saw him. Snotlout was standing in the wagon, along with his Slytherin peers. Hiccup’s eyes met his for a moment, cold as ice, his expression harsh.

Snotlout didn’t stare back, but didn’t do anything remotely offensive either. Hiccup walked past them without looking back, and went on to the next wagon.

He found Aster sitting alone in an empty compartment.

“Hi, mind if I join you?” He said, copying what Aster had told him only a couple days ago. Aster smirked, and Hiccup mirrored.

“Be my guest.” He answered, and the other boy got in, closing the doors behind himself. He helped Hiccup putting his trunk above their seats, and then both boys sat down, staring out the window.

“How was it with your father?” Aster asked.

“It was alright.” The smaller boy replied. “He seemed okay, all things considered.”

“Do you believe some of the Prophet’s reporters came to my parents’ house last Sunday?” Aster said. Hiccup stared at him, furrowing his brows.

“What did they want?” Hiccup asked.

“They want to get ‘my’ point of view of the whole thing, but they’re only tryin’ to make things seem safer than they actually are.” He replied. “They kept retortin’ my answers to make the shield seem impenetrable.”

“The Minister came to my place as well, asking for the same thing.” The boy said, and Aster gulped. “Right after her funeral. Said he wanted to calm everyone down.”

“Wow, wait up, the Minister himself?” Hiccup nodded. “Bloody bastards, they are.” Aster commented. “At least we still have the Quibbler.”

“Quibbler?” Hiccup asked, “Don’t tell me you read that rubbish.”

“Oh, I recommend you to read that rubbish yourself.” Aster said. “That guy’s not afraid to write exactly what happens. No wonder it’s been banished so many times before.”

“What you mean?”

“Durin’ the Second Wizardin’ War, they came after that guy so often… Not just Death Eaters, but the Ministry as well. They tortured him, even kidnapped his daughter.”

“You’re kidding.” Hiccup crossed his arms.

“It’s history, mate.” Aster shrugged, amused. Hiccup rolled his eyes, staring back at the window.

“Guess I’ll check out on the Quibbler, then.” The auburn haired boy said with finality.

“You do that.” Aster winked, and for the first time, Hiccup actually smiled.

There was a long silence. “Aster,” Hiccup said.

“Huh?”

“Have you heard anything about Astrid’s family?” Hiccup said.

“Not that I can remember, why?”

And Hiccup told him everything he heard from his father. From the disappearance to the Ministry’s coverage of the case.

“I can’t believe it…” Aster said, disgust more than anger filling his expression. “How long do they think they can hide this?”

“Not much, I hope. I sent her a letter as soon as I knew.” Hiccup said.

“You did well.” Aster said, now looking sad. “She’ll be heartbroken once we get there. Did she reply to you?”

“Nope.” Hiccup answered. “Not that I was expecting a reply from her anyways.”

“Wait, complete silence?” Aster asked. Hiccup nodded. “That’s not good news.”

“Why? She never really liked me in the first place.”

“It’s not that.” Aster placed his hand on his forehead. “Astrid is not the type to ignore things like that. She’s not entirely evil, you know? But if she gave no reply, perhaps the Ministry must be checkin’ on the mails we’re sendin’.”

Hiccup stared at him. “What you mean?”

“It’s a bloody conspiracy, Hiccup.” Aster said, annoyed. “Astrid would never let this go quiet, so I’m positive that your letter might have never even got to her in the first place.” Hiccup had his mouth open. “I’d look for my owl, first thing when you get to Hogwarts.”

#

Aster turned out to be a nice friend. The afternoon they spent together, he made sure not to mention Valka’s name. He knew the right thing to say. Allowing Hiccup to pay for his own sweets when the Trolley Witch appeared. He wasn’t a joker like Jack, but his natural sarcastic and sassy nature matched Hiccup’s, in a way both boys ended up getting along just fine.

When they reached Hogwarts, the sun was still visible in the horizon. Hiccup figured there would be less students coming back to Hogwarts, but was surprised to see things were nearly the same as ever.

Jack was waiting by the entrance courtyard when they arrived, dressed in his blue hoodie, leaning in against the stone wall. When he saw Hiccup, he walked to him, pulling the boy into a crushing hug before the boy could barely step inside the castle properly. Hiccup chuckled with the tight embrace, hugging back once he dropped his backpack. Around them, people looked, but no longer judging or sneering like before, but mostly sympathetic ones.

“How was it?” Jack asked.

“I’ll tell you soon, did she get my letter?” Hiccup interrupted.

The white haired boy furrowed his eyebrows. “Who?”

Hiccup’s hear sank. “Astrid, I sent her a letter, did she get it? She stayed here with you.”

“Hiccup, we didn’t get any letter.”

Hiccup grew pale. “We need to find her, something happened to her family.” That’s when the small boy ran, and Jack ran after him, screaming his name.

“Wait up!” Jack called, but Hiccup disappeared somewhere inside the Great Hall. When Jack finally reached him, Hiccup had already made sure Astrid wasn’t there. “What happened?”

“Her family is missing for two weeks now!” Hiccup was panting, breathless. “She has to know.”

“What?” Jack was incredulous, suddenly his own heart skipping a beat.

“I sent her a letter, but the Ministry must’ve intercepted it.” The boy explained. “We got to find her, she needs to know.”

Jack looked around. He didn’t spend as much time with Astrid as it seemed. Mostly he’d spend those days wandering around the castle while the girl would be off around the lake or inside the common room. “I’ll check our Tower, she could be there.” Hiccup nodded, and Jack ran off to find his friend.

#

When Astrid got the news it wasn’t either from Jack or Hiccup, but from Aster. As soon as he found her, he told her everything Hiccup had told him. At first, the shock had made the girl emotionless, then the confirmation once Hiccup and Jack ran to her, and reality would hit her hard. She ran off, disappearing behind the castle’s grounds and hiding near the Black Lake where no one would be at that time.

“Have you found your owl yet?” Aster asked Hiccup once they were by the Entrance Hall. Hiccup shook his head. “Have you checked the owlery?”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Sarcasm dripped Hiccup’s mouth. “I’m already considering Ash has been either captured or killed by now.”

The dark energy rose among the three teens.

“I’m heading to bed.” Aster said, stepping away.

“You didn’t even have dinner yet,” Jack pointed.

“Not hungry,” and with that, Aster left, walking back inside the castle and disappearing behind the entrance door.

The two boys kept on wandering through the courtyard, until they settled on a bench near the covered pathway. Hiccup told Jack everything about his meeting with his father, and answered every little question about the Minister’s official visit.

“I think he just wanted you as their marketing face,” Jack said. “You know, your name appeared on the papers at least a dozen times only this week, people did get interested.”

“Whatever, I’m still not doing shit for them.” Hiccup retorted. “Dad said it’s safer here in Hogwarts.”

“He’s probably right. Even being right in their aim they’re probably never getting in.” Blue yes directed towards the night sky above them. “Trust no one.”

“Trust no one”. Hiccup replied, remembering the line McGonagall told him on her office just a month ago. “Anything interesting happened while I was out?”

Jack grimed. “Not a bloody thing. I mean, aurors coming and going at least three times a day, which is basically useless considering there was nearly no one here, but… Everything got just too boring.”

“Guess you’re glad I’m back, then.” Hiccup smirked, and this time Jack actually nodded.

“I missed you.” The taller teen said.

Hiccup’s eyes shot open, finally losing that sad tone to his smile, but instead a flattered one. Blushing. He swung his arms around Jack’s waist. “I missed you too.”

Jack hugged him back over his shoulders. “I might be wrong, but I could bet that the teachers are giving us an easier time with their homework tomorrow.” Hiccup giggled.

Suddenly Hiccup jumped, freeing himself from Jack’s arms.

“Oh gods, it’s night already!” He exclaimed suddenly. “Meet me at the Astronomy Tower in ten minutes!”

“Wait, what?” Jack suddenly got confused, shaking his head as if someone had slapped him across the face. “Wait up!”

“Just meet me there!” Hiccup yelled before disappearing.

Hiccup ran all the way back to the Ravenclaw Tower, avoiding every living soul he could, with one thought in his mind: his father’s box. As soon as he stopped at the Ravenclaw portrait, he spilled the answer of the riddle and jumped into the room, nearly stomping into a seventh year girl on his way. He crouched besides his bed, pulling the box to himself, feeling how something seemed to swing inside. He gulped.

And then ran all the way back, the girl he bumped in still watching in shock and yelling when he nearly crossed her again, fast as a lightning.

When he reached the Astronomy Tower, Jack was already waiting, his elbows rested on the balcony, looking at the night view of castle ahead of him.

“Here.” Hiccup yelled, basically sliding on the wooden floor. “Dad just gave me this, right before I got into the train. He told me to open it only tonight.”

Jack seemed curious. “Let’s do it then.” He smiled.

Hiccup sat down right there, crossing his legs, and Jack joined him. The freckled hands grabbed the cover of the box, taking it off to reveal something that he most certainly was not waiting for.

A miniature of a black dragon stood inside the box, so small Hiccup could put it in his hands if he wanted to. Its dark scales had some shades of blue on them, and its green eyes were wide and fierce, unlike most dragons Hiccup ever studied about.

“Is that…” Jack started, “a dragon?!”

“Shush!” Suddenly Hiccup became aware of how dangerous that was. “It’s not an ordinary dragon; that’s a Night Fury right here!” Hiccup exclaimed, lowly. “They’re very rare, last time they were seen was decades ago in Norway, before our great-grandparents were even born!”

The small dragon contorted itself inside the box, suddenly looking up, its eyes meeting Hiccup’s and escaping a small fragile guttural sound that made Hiccup pop his mouth in awe. He lowered his hand, allowing the tiny creature to curl itself inside his palms. The freckled fingers petted the creature, that seemed to hum in content.

That’s when they noticed a small piece of parchment inside the box. Jack’s hand that grabbed it, unfolding it and reading it.

“Burn this letter after you read it.’

‘I know how much you love dragons, and all things considered, I suspect breaking one more rule won’t be anything new for you. This may seem like a model dragon, but use the incantation mentioned beneath it – Only in places it will not be seen – and you’ll have its true size. Don’t let anyone know of your possession. If the Ministry caught it, then you’ll have a handful of problems to deal with. You can choose its name, and keep it safe. Someday it may return you the favour.’

‘There is another letter with some basic instructions on how to take good care of it, make good use of them.’

‘Essentio makes it real, Ocultatum makes it small.”

Jack’s eyes wandered from the letter to the small dragon, and then back at the letter.

“Let me see it,” Hiccup raised his hand to the letter, and Jack gave it to him, also extending his hand so Hiccup could place the small dragon in it.

As Hiccup read the letter, Jack observed how the dragon curled itself around its own tail, not sleepy, in fact it was wide alert, but also as if it was too quiet, scanning the room and observing all of its surroundings.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard about a dragon so quiet before.” Jack said.

“What you mean?”

“I mean, look at him!” Jack had a glint on his eyes as he cupped the dragon inside his palm, his finger petting the area beneath its chin, which made a funny reaction; the dragon literally twisted itself, shutting its eyes really tight in apparent bliss from the touch. “Also, never seen one that looked so cute.”

“I bet most of them would seem cute if they fit inside your pockets.” Hiccup remarked, smirking, and Jack gave the dragon back to Hiccup.

“What are you going to call it?” He said.

“I don’t know… Is it a he or a she?” Hiccup wondered, examining the dragon, now laying on his own back on Hiccup’s palms.

“I think a female dragon wouldn’t be so docile.” The other boy had the smallest of grins, just like Hiccup, finding the small creature adorable.

“You can literally feel its heart beat.”

Jack smirked. “How about you name it Jack?”

Hiccup chuckled, shaking his head. “Absolutely not.”

Chapter Text

Jack was wrong about the professors taking it easy on them the next day.

The looks and the words were less severe, and directed to Hiccup, much soother, but the homework was a living hell.

“What did you expect? These are O.W.L.s after all.” Hiccup elbowed Jack on his ribs, playfully.

Aster was sitting next to Astrid, only one desk ahead of the two boys. Her cheeks were puffed, and her eyes red, as if she spent the entire night crying. Which, she could have might as well done.

It wasn’t until much after lunch that something interesting happened.

Hiccup scribbled down the notes professor Binns conjured on the chalkboard. “It is not uncommon for Wizardry and Mythology to mix even in the Muggle culture. Muggles deem fairies smart and powerful creatures when we know for a fact that that is far from the truth. Magical History goes from the creation of the legendary Hidden Box to the expansion of anti-life. What the Muggles call the Pandora’s Box, we refer for a fact to hold the Aether, the most dangerous substance on the Wizarding World. The Box is hidden for a very appropriate reason, for it must not fall in the wrong hands. Nicholas Flamel wondered on the use of the Aether as the most devastating tool for global reshaping and mass extinction of species…”

“How could we make some of that Aether?” Jack whispered to Hiccup, and the boy only gave a sly grim.

“Planning to mummify someone?” Hiccup replied. It was known that Vikings used Aether to transform dead bodies into Snow Giants. But that was Muggle mythology.

“I wouldn’t mind having Stonem mugged right now.” Jack said, and Hiccup had to hold his laughter not to disturb the class.

“I hope I am not interrupting.” Mister Beans exclaimed from his position behind the desk, and both Hiccup and Jack went quiet.

It was then that something big slammed against the window, all heads in the class turning to it. A girl screamed:

“It’s an owl!” And suddenly Hiccup was rushing to the window.

“Ash!” The boy exclaimed as red drips marked the glass where the owl hit.

“Mister Haddock!” Professor Binns exclaimed as his lecture was interrupted. Only when Hiccup opened the window for the owl to come in, he saw the twisted angle on the owl’s wing, seemingly swollen.

Ash collapsed on Hiccup’s arms, quiet and still, but eyes alert and roaming the room.

“He’s injured!” He warned the teacher, and there was a collective ‘aw’ from the class.

“Take her to the Hospital wing, immediately.” The ghost professor instructed, and so Hiccup did; giving a worried look for Jack before rushing out the door, carrying Ash gingerly on his arms.

#

“Looks like he was hit by a stunning spell.” Madame Pomfrey told him as she examined Ash. “He must have fallen mid-flight when it hit him.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Hiccup asked.

“Sure, give him a week of rest and he’ll be back on the owlery in no time.” She explained, casting a spell that made the scattered ingredients on the desk near them to mix and boil into a potion. “Although I have to admit, I don’t commonly attend animals in my Wing.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know who else to run to.” Hiccup explained, but the lady only waved her hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry, better that you brought him to me than a random teacher. I still remember when a snobby teacher tried to do my job and fix a broken arm… poor lad had all the bones in his arm missing.”

The door of the Hospital wing swung open, both Hiccup and Madame Pomfrey turned their heads to see as Astrid walked into the room, her eyes still wet as she came to them.

“What’s the matter, dear?” Madame Pomfrey asked.

“I have to talk to Hiccup, Madame.” Astrid answered, and Hiccup gave a last look at Ash before leaving the Hospital Wing to join the girl, that took him to the corridor outside.

“What is it-”

Hiccup let all the air in his lungs escape when Astrid’s arms laced his shoulder, burying her head on the crook of his neck.

“I’m sorry.” She said, and Hiccup realised she was crying. He awkwardly hugged her back, placing his head over her head. “You would have to be completely mental to cast the Dark Mark over the castle.”

Hiccup let out an awkward chuckle as he finally hugged the girl tightly.

“You don’t have to-”

“I do.” She said, squeezing him tighter. “Thank you for letting me know.”

With the emotion and the shock, Hiccup just smiled, a tear threatening to escape his eyes. “You’re welcome.”

Astrid loosened her grip on the boy, wiping a tear from her cheek. Hiccup was about to say something when the girl’s strong fist punched his shoulder. “You’ve never saw me cry, got it?” She said, the shadow of a smirk on her lips.

Rubbing the impacted area, Hiccup smirked back. “Deal.”

They gave each other sad smiles, before the girl finally asked, swallowing any sadness down her throat. “What is your next class?”

“Defence Against the Dark Arts.” He said.

“Good, me too.” Astrid said, rubbing the sides of her eyes, still red. “Come on, we’ll be late.”

Jokingly, Hiccup offered his right arm, which Astrid hooked her own by her elbows. And that’s how the somewhat strange friendship between Astrid and Hiccup started. As they walked through the corridors, all the eyes fell on them. Astrid lowered her head for the first time ever since Hiccup ever remembered seeing the girl.

“Embarrassed for walking with me?” He asked, twisting his face.

“No,” She replied. “I just don’t want them to see my face like this.”

Hiccup looked around. “Well, you don’t look that bad.” He said, and the girl’s sparking blue eyes met his, a provocative smile appearing.

“I have a question, though.”

“Shoot,” He answered, amused as two Slytherins observed them walking with raised brows.

“How long have you and Jack been going out?” She nearly whispered, but Hiccup nearly choked, about to retort when she continued. “No need to be secretive, you guys are being just too obvious.”

“We’re not going out!” Hiccup whispered back, but his cheeks were a beat shade of red.

“Don’t lie.” She said, “I’m not going to judge.”

“I’m not lying; we really are just friends.” His green eyes wandered everywhere but at her direction, awkwardly.

“Shame…” Astrid pouted her lips. “How long until you ask him out?”

“Probably never-”

“I knew it!” She half whispered, half yelled, but anyway gathering looks from around them. Hiccup flushed. “Sorry,” She whispered again.

“I didn’t even say anything.” Hiccup remarked.

“You said probably, which for me means that you do like him but is not willing to ask him out yourself.” She said, rolling her eyes. Hiccup was now a very bright shade of red.

“Okay, perhaps I do, but still, I doubt it’d ever be reciprocal. We’re just… good friends, and that’s fine by me.”

“Oh, that’s just bollocks.” Again, she rolled her eyes, adjusting her fringe as they got into the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, the class slowly filling. For Hiccup’s surprise, she sat right next to him. “Don’t worry, I’m just borrowing you for today.”

“It’s fine.” Hiccup said. “Astrid, promise me you’re not telling Jack anything.”

“Ugh, boys, always complicating things.” Astrid sighed. “Why not?”

“Because you know what happens when this sort of thing happens. He’ll either call me a faggot and stop talking to me or beat me up and call me a faggot and then stop talking to me, and I don’t want any of that.”

“Oh, boy…” Astrid said. “Okay, but just because I owe you this.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes, smirking. “Good enough for me.”

“Seriously, Hiccup.” Astrid said. “You do know how messed up this whole thing is.” She turned very serious. “I would have never known anything if it depended on the Ministry, and you got your owl hurt for it. And even after I was so mean to you… I can’t thank you enough.”

Hiccup actually was touched by Astrid’s words. He smiled at her, that heart-warming smile that made their bond official. “You’re welcome.”

When Jack and Aster walked in the room, both boys nearly choked seeing their two friends sitting together, so casually talking as if they were long-time friends. Jack actually stared for a while, until Hiccup saw him and winked. A mix of amusement and jealousy filled Jack’s heart right then.

#

For a while, you could say that some sort of strange peace fell into the four teens. Astrid and Hiccup became great friends. Even better than she would be with Jack. Sometimes they caught the other mourning or, rarely, breaking down for their families. Helping each other through wasn’t that hard, because they understood what the other felt.

Hiccup was glad he had Astrid now, but only a couple days later, for what he wanted to do, she wasn’t exactly what he needed. Right after the final class, Hiccup ran to Jack, grabbing his arm and calling him up. Puzzled, the white haired boy ran, tripping on his feet as he las lead to the entrance of the castle. The sky was already a deep shade of purple, and a few stars were visible.

“Hiccup, where are we going?!” Jack asked.

“You’ll see.” Was the answer, and when Jack slowed down his steps, Hiccup made sure to take his hand to keep on pulling him.

Hiccup pulled Jack all the way through the entrance yard, and then further deep into the grounds, until they entered the Forbidden Forest.

“We’re almost there.” Hiccup said.

Jack was never one for rules, but the Forest was nowhere a place he enjoyed sneaking into. After a few minutes, they found themselves nearing a strange junction of big rocks, as if they formed a gate. Hiccup crossed it first, and that’s when he pulled Jack into a strangely warm and lit clearing, descending at least the height of an entire tower deep into the ground, and it seemed large enough to fit the entire West Wing of the castle.

“I found this place years ago when I was sneaking out.” Hiccup pulled Jack by his hand, proudly. “I don’t think anyone has ever found it before. It’s near the edge of the shield, so probably no one will see us.”

“It’s quite beautiful,” Jack said. “Lumus!”

The bright light from Jack’s wand allowed him to see that there was a small lake, its water forming through a strange canal that Jack presumed was directed from the Black Lake. A few pine trees surrounded the stone walls, forming a cove.

“Okay, look.” Freckled hands got themselves into the pocket of his vests, where Hiccup pulled the small dragon. “Here you go, bud.” He whispered. Placing the small dragon on the ground, he pointed his wand.

“Hiccup, what are you doing?” Jack asked.

“Essentio!” The smaller boy muttered.

Blue light lines formed all around the small dragon. It was the most beautiful magic when the dragon started to grow, little by little, and Jack held his own mouth not to scream.

With a gurgling sound, the dragon raised his head and roared, a strong and resonating roar that made the night rejoice. Because right in front of him stood a full sized Night Fury.

#

Once the dragon was again turned small, Hiccup put the small creature over his shoulder. He decided to name it Toothless, due to its retractable teeth. Both boys walked hurriedly through the Clock Tower Bridge, the twisted wood stalls making a tortuous path.

“How often will you bring him back here?” Jack asked.

“As much as I can after classes; the later, the better.” Hiccup had this decided energy to his voice, as if a new light had brightened all his being. “How often can you come with me?”

Jack shrugged. “As much as you want me to, probably. Let’s not forget we still have our O.W.L.s, though.”

“I didn’t know Jackson Overland still cared about his grades.” Hiccup teased, and the small Toothless seemed to grunt from Hiccup’s shoulder. Both boys found it adorable.

“I usually don’t, but doesn’t mean I want to quit school, you know?”

#

This routine started between the two boys, in which they would sneak out after classes, wait until they had to tuck in for bed, and run for the Forbidden Forest. Hiccup would cast the spell and Toothless would jump up top its true size, a majestic bluish-black dragon that would fly hours into the night towards the depths of the Forest.

“Watch out, Hic.” Jack muttered when Hiccup would sprint through the woods. Hiccup would only laugh it off whenever he fell – which was plenty of times.

There was just this glint on Hiccup’s eyes, this wonder and excitement that Jack could not help but stare at. It was beautiful, the way Hiccup and Toothless would bound, quickly gaining confidence in each other. Jack would break his own standards and surprise even Madame Pince when he spent hours in the Library researching on dragons, only to find out there was no records in known history that suggested there was any behaviour in other dragons that got at least similar with how Toothless was. “I’ve never seen a dragon so calm like this.” Hiccup whispered as the hard nose of the dragon would touch his palm, his nostrils moving.

“They’re not supposed to be calm like this.” Jack answered, nervous.

And that was saying something. Most dragons weren’t that smart, or sentient for other human beings, and as far as he could see, he had developed a deep emotional bond with Hiccup. Although he seemed unsure near Jack, to which the boy commented:

“It’s as if he was that overly jealous girlfriend or something,” and Hiccup laughed at it, pushing Jack’s face away with his hands.

Eventually, Toothless would start flying, gaining confidence in the cove. Oddly and uncoordinated as it was, the huge black dragon made flips and twists through the Forest, the dark scales mixing with the night sky, making him nearly invisible. The dragon roared, safeguarded by the forest, and then would dive back towards the ground.

#

Hiccup carried the miniature version of the dragon back to his room after they parted ways. Toothless would find the small area over the headboard that was rusted and scratched by careless students that came before him, and curled itself inside its wings, falling fast asleep.

During the day, in the short blissful breaks between classes, Jack and Hiccup would dodge to the Library and start their research, often daring into the Restricted Section where they would find the most advanced tales of dragons in Wizarding History. “Hagrid should probably know a lot about those creatures.” Jack commented.

“Yeah, but it’s not like we could just go there and be like ‘Hey, Hagrid, any tips on how to care for a forbidden mysterious dragons as we break at least two hundred rules of the Ministry?” Jack laughed as Hiccup rolled his eyes, focusing back on the books.

 “There was another announcement on the Ministry, you know?” Jack said, and Hiccup looked up at him. “The Head of Educational Standards is trying to invest in Hogwarts supervision.”

“Ugh, just when I thought things were going to get easier…”

“What does that mean?” Jack asked and Hiccup grunted.

“It means the Ministry is trying to intervene in Hogwarts,” Hiccup explained, lowering his voice until it became a growling sound that caused shivers to Jack’s ears.

“Isn’t that what they’ve been trying to this entire year so far?” Jack said. “I mean; we are having to check on a freaking note board when we arrive for curfew.”

“I have a feeling it can go worse than that.” Hiccup muttered, eyeing Jack’s hands as he struggled to finish his Divination essay, they boy clearly not understanding another word of what he was writing. “Oh, give me that!” Hiccup hissed.

“What are you…?” Jack stuttered, puzzled.

“I’m correcting this, before you end up writing something even more embarrassing than ‘the dark upcoming vision of Uranus’,” the boy scuffed and Jack laughed.

#

Argus Filch walked towards the Grand Hall entrance, carrying an insanely tall ladder that nearly smacked everyone’s heads on his way, climbing up to the very top of it and grabbing a big wooden frame and a hammer. Everyone stared as he hammered the proclamation into the wall:

PROCLAMATION ONE – SANCTIONED BY THE MINISTRY

ANY ASSOCIATION TO CREATURES NOT IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL CREATURES IS FORBIDDEN – SAFE FOR OWLS OR CATS OR TOADS.

FAILURE TO THIS RULE SHALL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE EXPULSION.

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

#

“Do you think they know something?” Hiccup asked to Jack, later that day as they sneaked into an empty classroom.

“They can’t know it; we’ve been careful about it.” He said, and Hiccup wandered around the room, pulling his head backwards in angst.

“What do we do?” He said, lowly so no sneaky ears could listen. “Anyone in my room could have seen Toothless, what if he’s taken away?!-”

“Hey!” Jack said, grabbing Hiccup’s shoulders and forcing him to calm down. “Look at me: they can’t track Toothless, your father’s letter said so. Even if they find him, all they’ll see is the model dragon, and that is not illegal in the castle.”

Hiccup forced himself to breathe. “What if they try casting a spell on him?”

“They won’t find out anything.” He promised. “We already tested that one out, remember?” Hiccup nodded. “It’ll be fine.”

#

Indeed, on that same day Hiccup was called to the Ravenclaw Tower – Toothless was presented back to Percy Weasley himself.

“It’s just a model,” Hiccup explained, his skin paling while the High Inquisitor looked over at his shoulder, and quickly Hiccup noticed the Auror standing behind the red haired wizard.

Percy discreetly winked at Hiccup, taking the dragon model on his hands.

“I haven’t seen one of those in a while now… my brother works with real dragons in Romania, keeps sending us pictures sporadically.” He muttered, raising his wand. Hiccup held a breath, shutting his hand tight as he prepared himself for the worst: “Especiallis Revelium!”

Nothing happened. Toothless only looked at Percy with curious green eyes.

“Seems about right.” Percy said, looking back at the auror that accompanied him with a satisfying grim. “You can keep your dragon,” Percy smirked as he returned the creature back to Hiccup’s hand, and the boy sighed contently once they were out of the Ravenclaw Tower.

#

It was in the next day, though. As Hiccup strolled down the Grand Staircase, it seemed like every last student was walking towards the Entrance Courtyard. He saw Astrid’s blonde locks in the middle of the crowd.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

Astrid gave him a worried look. “It’s professor Hagrid.” She said.

The mass of students was gathering around the centre of the courtyard, snow slowly falling over the centre where Hagrid stood, his figure raising nearly higher than the covered corridor that surrounded the area. Two enormous trunks were thrown near his feet, to which he looked down, tearful. The scene broke Hiccup’s heart.

Two aurors stepped out of the Castle’s entrance, pointing their wands, and soon, a little man wearing deep blue robes appeared, and Hiccup nearly choke. The Minister, Eames Shaw, who only a month ago asked Hiccup to act like a posing model for the Daily Prophet, took out a parchment from his pocket.

“Any near human creatures are being restudied by the Department of Magical Creatures, and until further notice, deemed dangerous and inapt to mix between pure blooded witches and wizards-”

The biggest choir of mockery insults from the entire Hogwarts history began, students started to boo at Eames right there, and Hagrid looked around, partly stunned, partly crying.

“SILENCE!” Eames voice rose from where he stood, and the action only caused people the scream louder. “I’m warning you-”

CRACK

Right there, in the mid of the crowd, another wizard apparated, black robes spinning and lifting the snow to reveal the round pair of glasses, and again, everyone screamed louder, this time cheers of excitement and rejoice when Harry Potter himself arrived at Hogwarts.

Chapter Text

The cheers surrounded Harry just like they did twenty years before. It didn’t take too long until Minerva McGonagall walked into the courtyard, her green robes floating around herself when she straddled stubbornly towards Harry, offering her hand, which he took with a clear expression of respect for his former teacher.

“It seems like you are doing marvellous with your new occupation, Eames.” Said Harry. “The students are truly excited with your new tactics.”

“Potter,” The Minister replied, a fake air of superiority on his grin. “As head Sof the Aurors Department, you should consider to abstain from the higher Ministry’s business. As you see, as Minister, I-”

“You have the right to dismiss members of the school’s staff.” This voice belonged neither to Harry or Minerva, but the red haired Percy Weasley, who also walked towards Shaw, positioning himself between the wizard and the half giant. “However, as the High Inquisitor, Minister, I remind you that you don’t have the right to ban them from this place.” All eyes were on them as Shaw looked sideways, insecure. “This decision lies with the Headmistress only. And reminding you of what happened last time someone tried to subdue this rule, and came face to face with Albus Dumbledore himself.” His voice was as sharp as a blade.

No wizard in right mind would dare to cross Dumbledore’s legacy.

Eames made a disgusted face for Hagrid, right before turning on his heels, heading out of the courtyard.

“Thanks, Percy,” Harry said, shaking his hand before turning on his heels to greet the half-giant, who nearly crushed the Auror in a bone cracking hug. All the students remained where they were until Professor McGonagall spoke.

“All of you, head back to classes.”

#

There was a dark mood creeping up the castle. McGonagall was furious, everyone knew that, but when Harry Potter showed up in the castle, then things went down right frightening. The whispers were everywhere, some were excited, some were scared. A few remained alert. It was clear that Potter was furious with the overall situation. The spot for Care of Magical Creatures was yet to be filled, and Hagrid hadn’t been seen out of his hut for days.

Four new Aurors arrived at Hogwarts that same afternoon. Black vests and hard expressions, standing still at every entrance. For weeks, blocking Hiccup’s final hopes of ever going out with Toothless. The small dragon became unquiet on the headboard.

“I’m sorry, bud,” Hiccup muttered one Saturday, when the snow would lazily fall over the windows. “I wanted to get you out.”

There were small dragon-like grunts coming from Toothless throats, and Hiccup gave an unhappy smile. The boy would carry the small dragon everywhere as much as he could, even though most classes would not allow him to keep the creature.

Hiccup pulled the Labyrinth from his pocket, and even on Saturdays, all the entrances were guarded by Aurors. Jack’s name was still near the entrance of the Great Hall, but neither Astrid’s or Aster’s names were near him. Hiccup ran right to him.

Jack was still waiting when Hiccup got there, but instead of the usual mischievous or plain happy look, all he saw was a dark frown that surely meant no good.

“What’s up?” Hiccup asked once he got near him.

“Thank God, you showed up.” Jack said, his voice sounded annoyed as well. “Hide him!” Jack said, quickly but gently picking Toothless from Hiccup’s shoulder.

“Wait, what are you-?!” Hiccup was both confused and scared.

“Shush, no time to explain!” Jack gingerly placed Toothless on the inside of Hiccup’s vests, earning a small screech from the creature. “We got to get to Hagrid, immediately.” He practically whispered.

“Hagrid-?!”

“SHUSH!” The taller boy actually hissed as he squeezed Hiccup’s wrists, earning a silent yelp from the other boy.

Both boys walked to the entrance, trying their best to act casually as they walked between the two Aurors that guarded that entrance until they were out of sight, snow pouring on their heads when they started to sprint their way to Hogwarts’ Grounds until they began their descent to Hagrid’s hut.

“How do you even know Hagrid?” Hiccup asked.

“Long story,” Jack replied. “We’ve been in touch ever since third year.” He explained.

As they stepped near the hut, though, they heard the voices. They were not alone.

“I’m asking you one last time,” A grave and pompous voice rose from inside the hut’s walls, and Jack had this sinking feeling forming in his stomach. “I know Potter has been warned of your demission, who have you been spyin’ on?”

“I have no’ spied on anyone!” Hagrid’s voice sounded annoyed, impatient. “Don’ yeh think this is the firs’ time someone tries ter take information from meh, but this is bloody nonsense!”

There was a sharp sound when the other’s wand sliced through the air and most certainly pointed at Hagrid’s face.

“Your insolent thief, you disgusting half-blood- “

It was either bravery or stubbornness that made Jack rise from his place, knock on the door harshly and stand at the entrance, proudly announcing that he could listen.

“Hagrid, are you in there?” Jack sang, sounding overly confident when immediately, there was a loud CRACK and the door swung open, revealing the Auror, now seemingly small, concealing his wand behind his cape.

“I see you have visitors, I’ll leave you alone for now.” The wizard spoke, slightly harsh to the half-giant as he stepped out of the hut and bumped his shoulder against Jack’s, walking out to the snowy grounds back to the castle.

#

“I’m glad yeh two came now.” Hagrid spoke as he served the tea in the two overly big cups for the two boys. “Although I still think it is stupid from yer par’ to cross an Auror, Jackie, especially now tha’ they seem so keen on takin’ out every undesirable creature.”

“I’m sorry Hagrid, but I had to keep him away from you.” Jack spoke, noticing how Hagrid’s hands would shake the teapot. “That’s fine, thank you.”

Hiccup noticed how Hagrid was loud and careless as he fixed the mess on his hut. “You seem to have everything packed.” Hiccup spoke.

“Aye, now that the Ministry nearly took me out of my own home, I need ter keep things at hand, now, don’ I?” Hagrid turned back to the smaller boy, that near him felt even smaller than usual. “What is yer name again, by the way?”

“Hiccup.” The boy rushed to answer. “I’m in your classes.”

“Oh righ’, the little Toothpick, righ-?” Hagrid seemed to remember, but Jack hit a well-aimed kick on the edge of the Giant’s foot. “I’m sorry, I should not have sai’ that...”

“It’s fine,” Hiccup coughed, suddenly awkward as Jack pulled him by the wrists to the chair.

“Hagrid, we needed to talk to you.” Jack said, putting down the cup of the horrible tea and trying his best not to make a nasty face at it. “What was that auror doing here?” He cocked his eyebrow.

Hagrid stopped moving, looking over his shoulders before whispering. “There’s nothin’ I can say if I’m not sure they won’t hear.”

To that, Hiccup, who was still trying to climb the tall chair, took out his wand, swinging it once. “Abbafiato.” He said, and suddenly it was as if a deafening bubble formed inside the hut. Jack widened his eyes at Hiccup, once again amazed at the boy’s skills, and such stare did not go unnoticed to Hagrid.

“Very well, then,” He started. “Le’s not act shocked a’ the news tha’ the dark wizards are joinin’ again.”

“You mean Death Eaters?” Hiccup spoke, and there was a collective shiver up everyone’s spine.

“Yes. And even thou’ it’s been twenty years since the fall of Yeh-Know-Who, many wizards and witches that were pro the Muggle Born Commission Registry ‘ave been investigated by the Ministry, and some of those investigations are goin’ on even today.”

“Like the Malfoys?” Jack said, and there was a strange nod.

“Don’ even remind me of this name, I taugh’ personally ter a Malfoy, yeh see? Still remember his firs’ class, tha’ little bastard. Face to face with Buckbeak, arrogant and shown off like he was… yeh should’ve seen how the creature knocked ‘im out!” And the giant started laughing at the seemingly hilarious memory.

“Most people think Death Eaters went hiding after the Second War.” Jack said.

“Aye, but yeh, more than anyone knows better now, don’ yeh Jackie?” Hagrid had a soft tone as he said that, but even so, Hiccup looked worriedly at his friend.

“So they’ve gone back to active now?” Hiccup said.

“Imma’fraid so, lad, but probably by a different name and leader, if they even have one.” Hagrid spoke, now very serious. “For years there hasn’ been a single wizardin’ act that was as frightenin’ as the ones back on those days, and now all the sudden, twenty years later, here we ah,” And Hagrid sounded deeply tired, shaking his head. “It was just like this the las’ time. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named acted silently, joinin’ recruits for his cause, but never endin’ his attacks. Yeh do understand his goal, right? Ter wipe out any member of the Wizardin’ Community that is not considered a pure blood or anythin’ else.”

“Muggleborns.” Jack said. “And that’s why they’re after you? Because you’re not entirely a wizard?”

“Fancy way ter call me half-giant, but yes, that’s why.” Hagrid did not sound offended at all, but still Jack muttered sorry. “It migh’ not be long until I have ter ge’ the hell out of here…”

“But, you can’t leave!” Jack nearly screamed in shock. “I mean, Hogwarts would-”

“-be just fine without me.” Hagrid calmly added, and Jack’s shocked expression slowly died to a more concerned one. “It’s not like it hasn’t happened countless times before, lad, besides,” Hagrid threw a big piece of meat to a hungry Fang. “I migh’ be more useful outside the castle, especially now that they all started lookin’ for it.”

Jack and Hiccup looked at each other before turning back to Hagrid with meaningful stares.

“And I should not have said that…”

“Oh, no, you already did.” Jack said, leaning in to the table. “Wait, what do you mean by that?”

Hagrid cursed under his beard, grunting before looking back at the two boys.

“How good is this spell yeh just casted, lad?”

“Good enough.” Jack replied for Hiccup, and the small boy just nodded with an awkward grin.

“Okay, hear this, for I’m not repeatin’ myself: The Order is formin’ again. And yer too young to even participate, but know this, if the Ministry is compromised, then yer better get the far away from here, especially yeh, Haddock.” The two boys had their eyes nearly enlightened with what they heard. “Now, ya never heard that from me, but if I was yeh, I’d get the biggest number of friends I could to prepare all sorts of mess we could.” He leaned back, and lowered his dustbin lid sized hand to pet Fang. “Hogwarts could certainly use a li’e mischief.”

“Wait, Hagrid,” Jack pleaded. “What are they looking for? You said they were looking for something.”

“I can’t tell yeh, lads.” Hagrid tapped his hand on the table, not angrily, but still enough to make the cups shake. “This is the Order’s business, I should not even be talkin’ tha’, now off yeh go.”

“Hagrid-” Jack asked again.

“I said, off yeh go.”

#

Hagrid’s words kept hanging on the boys heads as they made their way back to the castle, Hiccup hugging himself to prevent the shivers that crept up his body. Jack blew air into his hands to warm himself, and their noses were very red with the cold. The velocity that the snow grew to cover the majority of Hogwarts’ grounds was shocking, and a blizzard was sure to form in moments.

“Here,” Jack muttered, his arms reaching around Hiccup’s shoulders, and the boy gladly curled himself into Jack’s chest, just like it was back on Hogsmead. Oh, what they wouldn’t do for another round of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks…

“What do you think that was all about?” Hiccup asked, his eyes wandering sideways through the castle’s grounds. “That whole thing about the order, what do you think he meant, like building an army?”

“Shush.” Jack looked around them, searching for Aurors. “I’m not sure if it’s the best thing to discuss this here.”

Just then, as they were near the stone circle that rose up before the wooden bridge, three wizards appeared. Call it luck that both boys stopped dead on their tracks before they could have been seen, but they immediately retreated a few steps until they got to actually see the scene before them:

What seemed like three wizards crossing the bridge turned out to be two Aurors half scouting, half dragging a tall wizard, with hair as red as fire.

“Is that…?” Hiccup could never finish his sentence as Jack’s hand tapped his mouth, pulling the smaller boy by his vests and nearly throwing Hiccup on the floor behind the bridge entrance. The boy yelped, silently though, as the three wizards dragged Percy Weasley, nearly unconscious through the grounds, walking down past the Stone Circle and heading towards the school entrance.

“Let’s go.” Jack hissed as he pulled Hiccup back up, and both boys sneaked in to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the trees concealing them. As they followed the Aurors, they could hear no words, keeping their heads down and tripping on their way through the woods.

Only when the Aurors dragged Percy to the very entry of the School territory, after the gates that signalised the edge of the magic shield, they could hear the words, briefly.

“Should we end him?” One Auror asked, gesturing his wand.

“Not us, and not here. The Obscurus will want him.” The other replied, twisting himself with a loud CRACK, the sound muffled by the reforming shield before they disapparated.

Chapter Text

PROCLAMATION TWO – SANCTIONED BY THE MINISTRY

AGATHA WHITE HAS REPLACED PERCY WEASLEY AS HEAD OF HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

As the days grew colder, Astrid knew that the holidays were approaching. The snow would fall slowly some days, winter coming near, and so would Christmas. At any other year, the blonde girl would be excited for going back home, spending the Christmas eve and the New Years with her parents. But that particular year, such thing would not be possible. She had other relatives who offered her some shelter, of course, but once Hiccup announced that he’d stay in the castle, the girl politely refused every other invitation.

It was all directing to be a remarkable Christmas, until she saw the boys. Pale looks, eyes wide in shock and dry throats, she knew something was off. For as soon as they had put themselves together they made sure to tell the girl everything they had just witnessed. When they were done, the girl had her mouth open in shock, her eyes scanning their surroundings to check if anyone close enough could listen.

It was right then that she saw the strangely emaciated figure of Argus Filch crossing the hall, holding an enormous wooden ladder beneath his arm, nearly knocking down a few students on his path.

“That can mean no good.” Hiccup muttered. Astrid stepped forwards, examining the big wooden portrait the keeper carried up among a hammer, stabbing the new Declaration on the wall. This one meant a new High Inquisitor. The second portrait, near the one that announced the review for magical creatures, was way lower so students could read it clearly.

More people were climbing down the marble staircases, crowding in a mass of students staring at the wall, getting more and more numbers. Aster came down as well, walking straight to the two boys and Astrid, standing next to the girl. Filch brought another two heavy frames with him, nearly hitting the students across the head with his ladder, then climbing up and hanging them up even higher.

“Every student organisation has to be reviewed, including reading clubs, Quidditch teams and any non-official formation.” Hiccup read. “What exactly are they going for?”

“That is an excellent question, Mister Haddock.” Minister Shaw walked into the entrance hall, dodging through the mass of students, all around him and trying to stay as far away from him as possible. “The Ministry has found better for the safety of the students a complete review on every and each possible formation that could represent a threat to our school system, and…”

“So reading clubs and Quidditch teams are threats now?” Hiccup’s sharp voice had cut through Eames words, and students around him yelled in approval. “What is this, are you afraid that they’re going to start throwing books and broomsticks at the Ministry’s door?”

“That would be certainly unsettling.” Obscene yells from students followed the minister’s reply, and it got clear how unprepared the wizard was for that position. “Alright, everyone…”

“Are you going to cast away the centaurs too?” Another voice rose up from the middle of the students.

“And Hagrid as well?” This time Jack spoke, and even though not everyone was a fan of Hagrid’s classes, cheers supported him.

“The Ministry of Magic is not at the mercy of scholars and teenagers!” The minister rose his voice, now in complete loss of his own control. “Everyone!” But the chaos was taking place among the students, and soon offensive slurs were shout across the hall. Even Professor McGonagall appeared, and even though she might have acted like calming the students, she quietly took pride in seeing everyone cursing the Minister, and mostly kept herself from joining the choir until a sinister dark voice buzzed:

“Silence!”

This voice wasn’t either a scream or a desperate shout, it was a command. A strange, feminine voice that seemed to float through every living soul in that hall. As every head turned to the entrance doors, standing right there they saw a strange short woman, dressed to her toes in dull brown robes. Her eyes were an odd shade of blue, not like Jack’s icy blue eyes, but a pale shade, nearly grey, as if life was being extracted from them. She had this forced expression on her features, and Hiccup wondered if she had eaten kittens for breakfast. Suddenly he understood who she was.

“As the new High Inquisitor of Hogwarts School, I must admit that I am… deeply impressed by the scale of indiscipline from the students.” She said in an annoyingly sharp voice. Also, not sharp as McGonagall’s, which was filled with witness and discipline; hers felt like thin blades scratching black boards, ear deafening and cruel.

“You must be Agatha White; am I correct?” McGonagall finally walked down the final steps towards the new witch that had just came in.

“Minerva, yes.” The hispid way she pronounced the Professor’s name sounded wrong, as if she had spelled the letters backwards. “I assume you are responsible for…” Somehow, it felt like White was referring to the chaotic mess rather than the actual school. “…this.”

McGonagall examined the woman up and down before answering. “The school, yes, I am the Headmistress.” The witch took a firm step in front of the new High Inquisitor.

“Well, Minerva, I am rather shocked at my reception. Certainly that I had expected a better behaviour from the student group, but in any case, the Minister considers that if the responsible Headmistress cannot take the grip of its very school,” McGonagall seemed at the very edge of exploding right there, if not holding herself for dear life. “Then I guess we can all say it’s a lovely thing that I happen to be right here.”

Every eyes on that hall were stuck on that woman, talking so deeply and so passionately that a twisted feeling shock up through Jack’s body.

“Agatha, what a lovely thing to have you here.” The Minister stepped forward to the witch, taking her hand but all she gave him was a cold look of unworthiness.

“I suspected that the Minister would have everything under his control, am I right?” White said, adjusting the dark brown scarf she wore – Hiccup could not even distinguish one piece of clothing from the other. The woman started walking towards the students, as if she was examining each and every single one of them. “I see these little heads of these teenagers, so clouded, so… empty.” She moved her hands enthusiastically as she spoke, but it looked like she could grab someone by their necks in an instant. “I feel this teenager spirit trying so desperately to take control of their own beliefs, am I right?” She looked straight through Hiccup, and a wave of disgust rose up inside both Hiccup and Jack. “But I think you fail to see that there is a great difference between what you believe it’s best and what is actually for the best of your well-being. See, you’re only children, magical blood running through your veins that demands discipline to shape its good use.” She sounded passionate about it. “And the Ministry will, I can assure you, shape your little heads into working the very best that the world expects from you all, fitting into the same patters and good costumes that got our world growing for centuries.”

Students looked one to the other, shrugging. Agatha’s eyes met Hiccup’s again, taking another look at his incredulous expression as they stared at each other, repulse growing inside him. That is when Hiccup felt a hand touching his shoulder, and warmth got back to his chest as Jack pulled him one step closer, so Hiccup was standing right in front of Jack. At that sight, the witch gave a strange face, as if her eyelids shook in stress.

“I think it’s best for us to take this to my office.” McGonagall said, finally, walking to the witch, and White gave Hiccup one final look before readjusting herself. “We have much to discuss. All of you, head back to your classes.”

Someone yelled “It’s Saturday!” on the background, but people paid him no mind. The two witches stepped away from the scene, the minister following closely behind as the students watched.

#

It took Jack only a day to realise what the new High Inquisitor was all about. The four teenagers were standing in the Astronomy Tower, Hiccup and Jack standing by the observation deck while Astrid and Aster sat down on the floor.

“What do you think she meant with all that?” Aster spoke. “That whole thing of feeling the spirit or whatever.” He mocked her voice in a strangely high pitched falsetto that made Hiccup actually flinch. Astrid replied to him:

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? The ministry is trying to keep us under their thumbs now. It’s like if they were afraid of us or something.”

“Well, she saw how we reacted to the Minister.” Hiccup spoke, his back to the view of the Castle’s towers as he faced his friends.

“Yes, and that only puts you in her black list, doesn’t it?” Astrid said, causing Jack to look worriedly over Hiccup, and the girl again remembered how obvious their feelings for each other was. She didn’t comment on it, though. “I mean, you clearly have more wits than the minister, and that’s not only because he’s daft; then secondly: you basically started that entire protest yourself, which puts not just him, but consequently the entire ministry off balance since they can expect nearly no support from their own students; and third: we all saw how she looked at you before McGonagall pulled her away.”

“I think it’s the first time you talk nicely about Hiccup.” Aster remarked, and said boy actually blushed.

“Astrid’s right, though.” Jack said. “Thing are changing, and not for the better.”

“Hagrid has made a comment on the Order today.” Hiccup remembered. “That the order was reforming, did he mean the Order of the Phoenix?”

“Nah, mate, the order was finished after You-Know-Who was taken out.”

“Yes, but he said they were reforming,” Hiccup looked at Jack now, both boys now thinking about everything they heard from Hagrid. “He said that the Ministry was compromised.”

“Compromised?” Astrid got up on her feet, walking to the boy. Hiccup nodded.

“I can feel it comin’, I tell ya.” Aster fixed his sitting position. “With these bigots takin’ charge and now that your parents…” Astrid looked sternly at him, swallowing. “Everythin’ is headin’ to hell by now. The Dark Mark, an’ now… I mean, if the dark side is recruitin’, I don’t see how the Order wouldn’t.”

“Even if they are forming,” Jack interrupted. “There is no way we can just join them, I mean, if they’re not dead, they’re so far from us and we’re still scholars yet!”

“Hagrid’s part of it.” Hiccup pointed.

“Yes, but he’s one step away from being kicked out from the castle.” Said Jack.

“Not if Potter can intervene…” Astrid reminded.

“It won’t matter, it’s compromised anyway! I’m up to assume that every person somehow connected to the Ministry cannot be trusted.” Jack shook his head. “If we have to make a group, it has to be made of people we actually know, no one else.”

The words fell on the four teens, and there was a long silence in which all heads looked down, their minds fuzzing until Aster spoke up again.

“We still have McGonagall.” The three heads turned to him. “And even if she is now under surveillance the whole time, I could bet that if she has the chance, she’ll be the first to raise her wand.”

“She was good friends with Dumbledore…” Hiccup said. “She’s the one who told me not to trust anyone. Hagrid said they’re looking for something. We don’t know what it is yet, but if we did…” His eyes met Jack’s as the boy smirked.

“I’m in.” Jack said.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen: Curse

“Not even a month before the holidays an’ they will still make us study?” Complained Aster one afternoon, as he and Astrid were heading down the grounds after the potions class.

“If you didn’t comment on it perhaps it’d feel less irritating.” Astrid retorted, hitting his elbow with her shoulder. “I wonder how exactly you made it to this school.” She said, and Aster gave her a strangely amused look.

“If you want me to leave, then I will try not to take it personal.” Both teens smiled, and again Astrid bumped into his arm.

“I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just that I thought Australia had its own wizarding school.”

“An’ they do,” Aster replied. “Happens that my dad is an English man, and he married my mom in Hertfordshire.”

“I thought you were from the Gold Coast!” Astrid said, smiling at the taller boy. “Like, with the accent and all…”

Aster laughed. “My mom lives there, an’ I was basically raised there, but I was officially born here.” He explained simply. “I wish you guys could say better with flaps, though.” He spoke, faking the English accent, which made the girl widen her eyes in amusement. “This T thing sounds exhaustive.”

“Try using glottal stops then.” She said, smirking.

“Then welcome to Bris’tol.” Both friends laughed.

There was a strange gathering forming near the edge of the forest, as most students gathered for their class of Care of Magical Creatures. Most students dreaded that class, and were truly just waiting for the next year when they would hopefully no longer need to attend it.

Hiccup was already there, this time by his own when he noticed his other two friends approaching. He waved at them before stepping closer to them.

“What are they all waitin’ for?” Aster asked.

“I think it’s the new teacher.” Hiccup answered drily, remembering how Hagrid had been fired from his position – and nearly kicked out of the grounds afterwards.

They were expecting perhaps a known magizoologist, or even a Ministry employee, or perhaps a centaur, which Hiccup found fascinating. But once the brown robes of Agatha White were distinguishable among the snowy grounds, a collective aw of unhappiness rose. The witch climbed down the irregular grounds, trying to keep her steps firm but it got clear that she was not used to such a strange terrain. Eventually she reached the students.

“You’ve got to be messin’ with me…” Aster said, rolling his eyes.

The witch forced the brightest smile she could pull, desperately trying to look excited – which gave her a terribly strange appearance, as if she could take someone’s head off with her own hands when she announced:

“Welcome, class! How refreshing is it to have such an interesting class for this… singular discipline.” By her voice alone she could have strangled a whole bunch of little kids for breakfast. “I hope that we can, together, form your heads in preparation for the adequate – Ministry approved – methods of dealing and treating with these creatures.”

There was one thing Hiccup quickly noticed about Agatha White: she was by far the most unprepared teacher to deal with A - magical creatures; and B – students. As soon as she opened the gates to the enclosure of the Fire Crabs, she kept on waiting for the students to go ahead of her rather than simply getting in herself. Then the lecture came, and it turned obvious that the woman had absolutely no idea which level that class actually was – since she kept bringing back lessons outdated from fourth year.

“Professor, I think you’re doing it wrong.” A girl from Hufflepuff finally said after the teacher started to retreat the creature with her wand, pushing it against the fence. “You’re not supposed to hex them with magic.”

Hiccup, who was already skilled with his lot, actually paid attention to what the girl was referring to. The teacher casted a shield spell against the turtle-like creature, which managed nothing more than to get it angry, and small spirals of smoke were forming from its tail.

“I believe your instructions are outdated, Miss Cattermole.” White said, her voice somewhere between trying to keep her posture and panic. “We have to teach these creatures that they’re here for our taking. And I’ll make sure to teach you how to properly claim them.”

Hiccup stared at the teacher, incredulous. Aster and Astrid joined, the girl’s mouth gape open as the teacher turned her back. “Observe.” She said, and the entire class stopped to watch in horror.

“Locomoto Mortis!” She muttered with a sickening malice. The creature contorted itself as its legs joined beneath it, making it fall to the ground with a strong thump. Fire erupted from the creature’s tail. “Reducto!” She ordered again, and with a bright blue flash, the creature’s tail exploded, earning screeches of pain that set the entire enclosure in shock.

“Stop it!” Hiccup screamed, running towards the creature that now found itself rolling over its tied legs and chunked tail, its mouth screaming and turning into a fearful glare at every living soul there present. “What are you doing?! You’re hurting him!” He screamed again.

“I’m afraid that is the point.” The professor said, and as the creature ran away from Hiccup’s hand, a twisted smile displayed on White’s face.

            “You’re meant to take care of the creatures, not scare them!” He yelled, pointing his own wand at the chunk of what was left of the Fire Crab. The beast still stepped away from him, screeching in terror.

“And you’re meant to be learning, not lessoning me on my own class!” The professor nearly shouted. “Ten points from Ravenclaw!”

The look of utter disbelief on Hiccup’s face was enough to make Aster and Astrid raise their voices. “You’re torturing the creature!” Astrid pleaded.

“This is not fair!” Aster spoke up, and soon a whole choir of voices rose up, and the trembling lip on White’s face gave it away before she snapped.

“ENOUGH!” The way she contorted itself resembled much of a curse for Hiccup, but the instability of that moment was enough to make everyone retreat at least three specks back.

Her eyes locked right on Hiccup’s, who was still bent near the hurting creature, finally calmer after he was able to place his hand on it’s crystallised shell.

“From every single creature on this planet, we must understand the privilege that it is to be us!” The sick smile returned, and so did the twisted excitement. “The most advanced, intelligent and powerful creatures. It’s all about us! Wizards!” She clapped her hands, but in reality nobody seemed to cheer. “That’s is why you’re having detention with me, Mister Haddock. Tonight, on my office. I am sure you will find it particularly enlightening.”

#

Jack’s chest was a tight muscle throughout that day. He had forgotten how hard it was to walk around Hogwarts halls without Hiccup. Indeed that was one of the few times on the week that the boy had to be kept apart from his friends. These moments were rare, but they were painful. He felt it in his chest, he felt it screaming and hurting. Loneliness used to be an ally before. But now that he actually cared for his friends, it was a weakness.

“Hey, handsome.” He heard the voices. “Finally alone now, huh?”

The same girls that would call him out. In any other day he would just ignore. “Not today.” He grunted, speeding up as he passed by them, making sure to step far from their position. The girls giggled. “Oh, he’s shy, girls.” They said, hiding little chuckles with their hands.

Jack sped up, sprinting his way out of the corridor and down to the Great Hall for lunch.

Hiccup and the others were sitting together on the Ravenclaw table, which Jack found unusual, since it was much easier for the smaller boy to join the others on the Gryffindor’s table, however as he came closer to them, he listened.

“…bloody woman is just messin’ with you, Hiccup.” Aster reminded Jack of a protective bird with the wings hovering over Hiccup.icHH Said boy had a deadly scowl screwing his face, his eyebrows nearly joining into one.

“She wants revenge because everyone cheered for you, that’s what she wants.” Astrid had her hand gripping on her cup, her fingers so white that Jack feared the cup might break. But what really had his attention was Hiccup, staring down at his plate as if he wanted to set it in fire.

Even a Ravenclaw prefect seemed to near the group. “Nobody’s blaming you for those points, Hiccup.” He commented, and Jack’s confusion grew larger.

“Did something happen?” Jack asked, staring blankly at his friends. Astrid only looked back at him, apparently unsure of how to explain to him everything they had just witnessed. That is when new voices formed from outside the hall.

“What are you insinuating, Minerva? Trying to lecture me about my own class!”

“If I was heard correctly, you have greatly dishonoured the primary teachings for your lesson!”

Every student in the Great Hall rushed to the entrance. Minerva McGonagall and Agatha White were climbing up the marble ladders, arguing heatedly.

“I must inform you, Minerva, that the Ministry is now deeming new ways of dealing with creatures that stand beneath our might, and-”

“By torturing them in front of the students?!” McGonagall’s voice rose, horrified. “If these are the new doctrines of the Ministry, we should really reconsider where our loyalty is directed to-”

“Ah! But I knew this is where it would lead now, wasn’t it?!” There was a triumphant air on White’s expression. “Trying to marginalise the Minister in order to perform your… flawed practices! It really is no wonder why half the Ministry in under surveillance.”

“You are completely out of your mind!” The tallest witch exclaimed.

“Oh, Minerva, we shall see soon enough.” She then looked straight at every student gathered in front of her. “Hogwarts good costumes are far more lost than I’ve ever imagined! If we don’t cut our decadent standards now,” It seemed like most of the school was crowding the hall. “Then the Ministry must intervene drastically.”

#

“She can’t torture these creatures, she won’t.” Jack said later that day. “I mean, the Ministry is dealing with much more than just students, most of their employees have children in Hogwarts.”

“You think they care about what anyone thinks of them by now?” Astrid retorted. They were sitting on the clock tower courtyard, the four teens near the fountain of the mermaids. “Everything on the Prophet is being twisted and nobody knows about what is going on in here.”

“Someone must have told their parents, Astrid.” Aster pointed.

“We can’t know for sure. The mails are also under watch.”

“I can’t believe she actually just tortured that Fire Crab.” Hiccup said, holding the small dragon on his finger as Toothless tail curled around it. “So far we already know she’s prejudiced and cruel.”

“Hic, don’t you have detention to attend?” Astrid suddenly remembered, and Hiccup’s face paled as he jumped to his feet, cursing.

“Goddammit, I forgot…” He said, stuffing Toothless back over his shoulder. Jack widened his eyes in shock, “I’m going there now.”

“Wait!” The white haired boy nearly shouted. “I-I’m going with you.”

Hiccup gave a puzzled expression before allowing the other boy to join him. “Good luck!” Aster shouted over to them, before looking ahead again and meeting Astrid’s amused face, deviously cheering at the two boys.

Jack walked next to Hiccup, shoulder by shoulder – nearly – as they made their way to White’s office. “The Labyrinth showed she’s on the third floor.”

“Wait, you checked the Labyrinth?” Jack asked. Hiccup only looked away. “You didn’t forget a thing.”

Hiccup shrugged. “Not really. I mean, I wanted to avoid going there as much as I could, but I was hoping Astrid wouldn’t make it so subtle.” He mocked the last words, stating clear sarcasm. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“You’re welcome.” Jack replied. “I can’t say I’m not worried about this though.” He added once they were on her corridor. The smaller boy gave a funny look.

“Afraid that she is going to mug me or something?” He joked, but it was clear he was nervous.

“No… I’m actually worried about you.” Jack said, a bit too fast, but it was understandable enough for the other boy. Hiccup looked down for a little.

“I’m gonna be fine.” He said, gathering as much confidence as he could. “If anything, she’ll ask me to write some lines…”

“Yeah, we know how well that went last time.” Jack said without thinking, and Hiccup’s grin disappeared. He then met the green eyes, and his expression turned into a sorrow.

“I’m gonna be fine.” Hiccup said, giving a cheerful look before taking Toothless from his shoulder. “You better take care of him for me.” The small creature gave a weak grunt before resting on Jack’s hands, already used to the taller boy. And with that, Hiccup turned on his heels and walked on to White’s office.

As he knocked on the door twice, he held his breath, and there was a short moment before a weak “come in” reached his ears.

White’s office was a strange place. Deep brown colours covered the room, which had this strange feeling to it, that made Hiccup dizzy the moment he stepped in. A frame of the Minister hanged on the wall, and there was a strange smell that reminded Hiccup of rotten food. Agatha White was sitting behind her desk, seemingly busy as she ran her fingers through piles of parchment, scattered over her desk in an absolute mess.

“Good evening, mister Haddock.” She said, still not looking up from him. “Please, sit.”

Hiccup took the most careful steps towards the table, as if he was stepping on egg shells. He felt disgusted of that woman.

“I am going to ask you to see some of these, Mister Haddock.” The witch tapped her wand on some pieces of parchment, and they floated through the air until they landed on Hiccup’s lap. “Read them, obverse and ponder. And then you must agree.”

Hiccup only looked at the parchment. “What if this come to a conclusion I don’t agree?”

White looked out the window, somewhat thoughtful. “Just read it enough for the meaning to penetrate.”

The green eyes lowered to the writings. This could be worse, he thought. And then he started to read:

Good costumes and wizarding standards on danger: The risks non-conventional life styles could bring.

The inacceptable behaviour from those members of our community which support formally or unspoken any mix, integration or variation of ancient magical blood might bring great harm to the present status we have rightfully claimed as the most advanced species in the planet.

In the past hundred years, many wizards have become prominent through history despite their natural disadvantages. Muggle-borns wizards and witches, despite their obvious fight have clearly made their struggle, but one cannot, for as good as their intentions might be, break the natural order of the Survival of the Strongest.

“Are you serious about this?” Hiccup asked, incredulous. “What is this, a shaming on the muggle-borns?”

“Just read it for now.” White replied without as much as raising her eyes to him. “Everything will be explained soon.”

Wizards have been supportive and tolerant of foul behaviours, regarding not only the pro muggles actions but as well as countless of other mistakes, for wizards may not love wizards and witches may not love witches.

Hiccup’s stomach sank.

Reparative wizarding for such cases have been an option ever since its inception in 1719, when Spencer Oaks, the famous alchemist, started his own form of resolving the repulsive tendencies of his son, Kimball Oaks. After discovering the perverse relationship of his son with a muggle farmer’s son, Spencer developed his own way of coping with the tragedy.

With support from the former Minister of his time, Spencer was allowed to perform the cruciatus curse on his son, using the connection between pain and desire to covert into repulse. Although his son’s mental state after the treatment was controversial, the results were satisfying enough – he no longer had any desire towards wizards of his same gender. Even today there is a special memorial at St. Mungus regarding Kimball’s suicide, completely due to the remorse he felt for his horrific behaviour while not in good standings, before his treatment...

“This is madness!” Hiccup said, falling back on his chair. “What am I supposed to do, explain why the boy killed himself?”

“On the contrary, mister Haddock.” White gave a sick giggle, stepping near the boy. “I want you to write down Oaks bravery on assisting his father on such a painful treatment.”

Hiccup could have jumped on that woman right there, and he fought back every single muscle on his body to prevent himself from doing so.

“He wasn’t brave, he was tortured to madness!” He exclaimed. “He killed himself for what his father did to him.”

“You are incorrect, Haddock.” The woman said again, now walking back to behind her desk. “His father did it for him.” The boy had his mouth gaped open. “Knowing of the pain his son would endure, but a small price for what would certainly be a great advance!”

Hiccup only stared at the woman, hating every single inch of her.

“I’m not doing this.” He said, and his voice was strangely strong.

“I beg your pardon?!” The witch’s voice got so high pitched that soon enough only the bats could hear her.

“I said I’m not doing this.” He stated. “This is wrong. This is dooming people for something they have no guilt of, whatsoever!”

“So you refuse to comply with your detention?!” The woman was horrified, leaning back on her chair in absolute disgust. “For as far as you are concerned, you little insolent, to fail detention is to deem yourself worthy of expulsion.”

Hiccup got quiet, staring at the woman, and then at the paper still on his hands. “School regulation states that this is a safe space for all students.” He said, trying to remain calm. “My best friend is a muggle born, my mother,” he gulped, and he saw White’s upper eyelid twitch. “…was a muggle born, and I am not sure if you’ve known, she was killed for it.”

It was White’s time to quiet down. “And I am sorry for your lost. This is exactly why this is so important. Poor woman should not have joined a community so beyond her capacities.”

Hiccup was not simply silent then, he was mortified. Beyond disgust creeped on him, and he did not hear the door open, or the steps run into the office.

“What are you doing here, Minerva?” White exclaimed, and hearing her words, Hiccup looked back, finding Professor McGonagall standing behind him, a deadly expression on her face as it looked like she was about to spit fire on Agatha’s table.

“I happen to be the Headmistress of the school, if rules weren’t changed yet. Now, what do you think you are doing?!” She was one volume beneath screaming. “Pushing medieval beliefs on my students?!”

White got to her feet, her mouth open in shock. “Oh, I must warn you, Minerva-”

“For you it is Professor McGonagall.” The Headmistress said, and Hiccup never felt bigger respect for his professor than he did now. “I still happen to be the greater authority here.”

“As High Inquisitor I must warn you that…”

“No, you must be warned that your job is only meant to sign up those bloody reports to the minister, which is clearly unprepared to rule anyways. Haddock boy, you get out of here, we’ll finish this in my room.”

“You dare to intervene on my own detentions?”

“I am the Headmistress.” Minerva said, and it seemed like her word would be final. She looked as fierce as a lion, and a chill ran through Hiccup’s spine as he stepped away from White, gathering his backpack as he left.

“For now.” He heard White mutter.

Chapter Text

“I don’t understand; how did you know what she was doing?” Hiccup asked to McGonagall as they were out of Agatha’s corridor.

“You may thank Mister Overland for it,” She said, and Hiccup shot his neck upwards to gaze at the professor. “He came to my office as soon as he escorted you to detention.” She finally looked down at him. “For Merlin’s sake, boy, I told you not to trust anyone and suddenly there you are with more friends running after you than a snarfalump plant has tentacles.” Although she was scolding him, there was a strange proud undertone to her voice. “Now, let’s hurry, we’ll meet him and your friends in there. No more questions, these walls can listen.”

It was the second time in that year that Hiccup found himself in the Headmistress’s office. But it was the first time he was not alone. Jack, Astrid and Aster rushed to him as soon as he walked through the door. Jack placed a hand on Hiccup’s shoulder awkwardly, and both boys blushed. Behind them, the fire crept near the wall, right beneath a big silver sword hanging on the wall. Professor Neville Longbottom stared at it, his hands on his waist as he stared at it. Further on the corner, Hiccup noticed Rubeus Hagrid, whom he visited earlier on that week, sitting over some cushions that nearly disappeared under his gigantic body.

“Very well, nice to see you are all gathered here.” McGonagall closed the door with a flick of her wand, and suddenly the room felt much darker and also much more welcoming. “I’ve made sure to secure the tower with a silencing shield. As far as we know, the Ministry is concerned that whatever information circulates in this tower might be used against them, so it is highly crucial that we must all remain silent.”

“Heccup?” Hagrid got up from his position and managed to stomp near the boy, his large hands lifting Hiccup’s arms, looking for what could’ve been injuries. “What has that bloody woman done ter yeh?”

“No-nothing.” Hiccup said, panting. “At least not physically.”

“Oh, if only she did I’d not let her get away from that so easily.” Infuriated, McGonagall said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. “It’s been a while since a woman have annoyed me so terribly.”

“Let’s not remember that, Professor.” Professor Longbottom said, furrowing his eyebrows. “I still have some scars left from her. Right on your fifth year, am I right, Haddock? An obscurus, the dark mark and now even a new Umbridge. God, the fifth year must be as jinxed as the DADA class.”

“There are more than fifth years on this school, I can guarantee that. And they’re all in danger.” McGonagall said. “I must sound like Sibilla right now… However safe Mister Haddock is now, White is certainly going after more decrees from the Minister to insert her wishes into the school.” McGonagall was now walking near the fireplace. “Mister Haddock, I must ask of you, what exactly was your detention about?”

“She uh… wanted me to read some papers on…” He looked right at Aster, who was looking back to him, and his heart shattered at remembering what was written. “Anti Muggle manifests. She was shamming on muggleborns.” Aster lowered his eyes, screwing his face as if he was in pain.

“Did she inflict anything on you?” The professor asked. Hiccup shook his head. “Any spell, potion, anything?”

“She only wanted me to write more about it, agreeing to what was written.” Hiccup explained.

“Offensively?” The Headmistress asked, and Hiccup nodded in confirmation. “Very well…” There was a long pause. “I think it’s safe to assume that she’ll recur to the Ministry within no time. She has probably already written a new Proclamation by now. Revoking my rights, anything. She is definitely not happy with my intruding, and even though I thought there was going to be much more harm to mister Haddock, which gladly there is none, I assume she will try something again as soon as possible. With Percy Weasley taken away and the most absolute daft aurors guarding our gates… It is safe to assume that we’re on our own. Until things get settled, I must ask the four of you to remain quiet as much as you can. No crossing with Agatha’s path, do you understand me?” The four teens nodded. “She is a dangerous witch, no matter her disciplinary incapacities. Any attempt of her to harm you must be reported to me with no hesitation, and I hope it’s clear that it means any sort of harm.” Again, they nodded. “Very well, off to bed, all of you.” The four teens made to leave, turning on their heels. “Oh, and Haddock?” Said boy stopped, looking back at the teacher. “If anyone ask, your detention with me was meant to clean all the portraits, am I clear?”

Hiccup nodded, a sly smile pulling from his cheek.

#

Jack and Hiccup were walking side by side that morning. Their shoulders and elbows constantly bumping, but they smirked to one another when it happened. This has been their routine for the past several months. Meeting at the Entrance Hall, breakfast with Astrid and Aster, and then walk out to their class – or Jack would walk Hiccup to his class first when they had separate lessons. Peeves chant was still hovering them whenever they saw the Poltergeist, until Jack learned how to use the stunning spell to push away the devious creature.

“He’s a bloody moron, that’s what he is.” Jack saved his wand back in his robes. “Sometimes I wonder who the hell decided to bring him into the castle thinking it’d be a good idea.”

“One of those life questions that will die unanswered.” Hiccup replied with a shrug. “You really need to practice your stunning spell, though.”

Jack cocked his eyebrows at that statement. How dare Hiccup say that to me? He thought, but at the same time, he was amused. Then another thought popped in his head.

“Perhaps if I had a good teacher to help me out with that…” He implied, smirking. Hiccup looked back at him, also smirking.

“Oh well, if only I didn’t have such a busy schedule…” He lied.

“What those detentions are taking their toll now?” Jack’s smirk faded a bit as they turned on a corridor. “Seriously, could you teach me, though?”

“Sure.” The boy replied. “You might end up needing it.” He batted on Jack’s shoulder as they entered Defence Against the Dark Arts Class.

There was a strange commotion when they got in, and Jack’s heart sank. Agatha White was standing near the Professor’s desk, a clipboard and a feather on her hands while she seemingly argued with Shaklebolt.

“…So you’re telling me that, even after you so bravely fought during Hogwarts’ Battle over twenty years ago, you still consider yourself apt to teach?”

“I believe so, madam White, now would you mind allowing me to direct to my class?” The wizard said, and his voice was dry.

Hiccup noticed Jack still standing, staring at the scene, before he extended his hand to pull Jack on his seat by his wrist. They exchanged a look, and suddenly McGonagall’s warning to remain quiet came to their minds.

“I see…” She scribbled down on her clipboard.

“Welcome everyone.” He announced. “As you may have noticed, today we are keeping the company of our High Inquisitor during our class, as she wants to…”

“…To evaluate if the lessons that are being passed on to you is following the Ministry’s standards and procedures. As you must know, according to the educational decree number, I must make sure that you are being presented to theoretical magic instead of…”

“Everyone open their books on page 235.” Quim interrupted, and Hiccup swore he had never seen such a dark expression on his teacher’s face. White only stared at Quim, horrified of being interrupted on her talk.

Hiccup stared down at his book as the class continued. Every now and then, White would make a comment on Quim’s class, nearly always on the most interesting part of the lecture – Which was one thing the students were not used to, for there weren’t many lectures on DADA class. Jack took the opportunity to, every now and then, slip little notes while Shaklebolt spoke. Some of the notes were silly, like a stick drawing of a tall witch that resembled weirdly of McGonagall gesturing her wand to a fat and short looking witch - Hiccup assumed to be White -, making the latter collapse in a pile of ashes. Hiccup held his laughter, trying not to snort in the mid of the class while the very witch that the drawing was referring to was just standing a few meters away from them.

How about bringing Toothless to the Cove? One of Jack’s notes said, and the smaller boy gulped. He wanted to bring Toothless to the outside so badly, the creature would often complain with its dragon-like screeches, but it was hard once every possible entrance was guarded with aurors.

We’d have to leave separately. Hiccup wrote back.

If anyone asks… we’re going to the owlery. Was Jack’s reply. Hiccup nodded, crushing the paper and silently casting a spell to it, that turned the paper black immediately. Jack was awed at the simplicity that Hiccup could use such applied spells in a loose manner. Made Jack envious, nearly, but not as much as it made him admire the other boy.

Jack would deny if you asked him, but while Hiccup focused on his books, he’d observe the small frame of the boy, the shape of his back, the way it would curl down before his lower back, how his cardigan would fold around his waist, but his trousers would neatly hug the boys’ legs, especially when he would ignore the robes and capes to wear only the main clothes. A warm feeling went down Jack’s stomach, and he gulped as he looked back to his book, trying to focus on casting hexes on boggarts.

“…Remind me again how is this permitted by the Ministry standards?” White’s voice brought Jack back to class, and he saw her scolding look while she frowned at Quim’s class.

“As you can see clearly, professor,” Quim Shaklebolt sounded as sharp as a knife as he spoke. “Everything taught here is exhaustively theoretical.”

“As it should be.” There was a maniacal glim on the witch’s eyes. “For you understand, that we deem these children too young to-”

The bell rang, and too suddenly everyone stood up, rushing to gather their books as they could not leave White’s presence quickly enough.

Jack rushed up to Hiccup, who waited behind the door for Jack so they could walk together. Perhaps it was the rush, or they were just damn good friends, but Jack tried his luck as he swung his arm around Hiccup’s shoulders as they walked, and the other boy felt his heart beats tighten, stronger, and allowed himself to lean back on the taller boy’s chest.

“So, when?” Jack asked, and it took a while for Hiccup to remember they were planning an excursion to the Cove.

“Any free periods today?”

“Only after Charms.” Jack answered, and Hiccup nodded before twisting his features in a frown.

“No, wait… Jack, after Charms we both have Divination at the same time today, right before Dinner!” He said in deep thinking.

“Not if we don’t show up.” Jack winked, and slowly Hiccup understood what he meant, about to scold him when Jack kept going. “Come on, Hic, you can barely take her class without rolling your eyes anyways.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we should skip classes!” Hiccup whispered the last words. “Besides, she’ll notice if we’re missing.”

Jack chuckled. “No she won’t. If anything she’ll be glad she doesn’t have to deal with your mockery.” Hiccup rolled his eyes. “Remember when she said you were about to suffer great consequences for something you did when the moon was in Jupiter or whatever.”

Hiccup laughed. “And I said I was probably already paying for it on that instant, I remember.” The pale hands squeezed the boy’s shoulders once. “Still, I’m not sure about it. I mean, we could-ACK”

It was as if the air pushed their shoulders apart. Hiccup was nearly thrown to the floor by the curse, while Jack was slammed towards the wall. Right behind then, Professor White stood, her wand lowering behind her robes as she proudly smiled, like she had just won an award for good services.

“Moral impurity and proximity must not be encouraged.” She said, in her devious thin voice. “Five points from each of your houses, and I must warn you that any new attempts of contact will lead to detention.”

Jack and Hiccup stared as she gave a final giggle, turning on her heels and walking away in a straight line while everyone’s eyes scanned her with disgusted looks.

“Are you alright?” Jack asked, checking Hiccup for any injuries. The boy only waved his head, his cheeks a burning shade of scarlet. Strange looks were given to them, and as they stepped closer, a Slytherin girl with a hurricane of red hair walked up to them, her blue eyes wide in alert as she whispered  in a thick accent:

“Yeh should find ah good hidin’ place.” She looked back to check if people were listening. “As far as Ah know, White has her eyes on yeh, Haddock.”

“Thanks, Mer.” Jack answered. “I heard you caught detention at her class.”

“Yeah, Ah’ve yelled at her for tryin’ to hex the creatures, and she gave me detention.” You could feel the anger from the girl’s voice. “Bloody woman should be put ter be cursed, that’s what should happen.”

“Yeah, I didn’t really get in good terms with her on my class.” Hiccup said.

“So Ah’ve heard. Brave thin’ you did, though. Stepping up to that woman. Next time we’ll make her pay for it.” She announced, and turning on her heels, she left the two boys, turning on a different corridor.

“How do you know her?” Hiccup asked.

“We both got detention a few years ago.” Jack said simply. “She knew how to escape Filch’s corridor by hexing his cat. She’s a wild one, that girl.”

“I didn’t know Gryffindor and Slytherin got together.” Hiccup smirked, and Jack chuckled.

“We can assume that the three of us don’t go for that rule.” Jack replied, again slipping his arm around Hiccup’s shoulders, with an alert look on his face for any comebacks from the horrible teacher, and they both stomped out to their next class.

#

When Hiccup and Jack sneaked out to the grounds that evening, they both hid their laughter at the silly but effective way they managed to trick two trained aurors into letting them out. Once in the woods, they walked for what felt like hours until they reached the Cove, where Hiccup pulled Toothless out of his pocket and casted his spell on the dragon, restoring the creature’s original size. “I never get tired of seeing this spell.” Jack said in awe.

“Me neither,” Hiccup agreed. It was a beautiful magic, indeed.

Toothless started to jump around the Cove, flying towards the water and sinking its head into it, presumably trying to catch a fish, Hiccup thought. And then settled for curling itself beneath a pine tree, his wing falling over his eyes as he immediately fell asleep. Jack snorted at the scene. Hiccup walked towards the water, bending on his knees as he took it with his hands, drinking from the pond.

“So,” Jack started, taking out his robes and throwing them over a big rock that stood next to them. He pulled his wand out his vests. “How are we going to do this?”

Hiccup snorted. “I’m not going to be your training target, to begin with.” He said. “So point that wand somewhere else.”

Jack laughed. “Whatever you say, bossy.”

Both boys stood next to a stone that was at least seven feet high. Hiccup pulled out his wand, and Jack mimicked the way he held it, steading it with his thumb. “Try not to jerk it everywhere when you cast it.” Hiccup said.

“Okay,” Jack agreed, and copied the movements Hiccup did, the soft flick and accurate swing that preceded the spell.

“Try this, expulso!” The jolt of light that erupted from Hiccup’s wand blasted against the stone, leaving a dark sulk in the rock.

Toothless would raise his tail to look, staring at the two boys as they casted their magic against the rock. Weirdly enough, the dragon rolled its eyes, before letting his tail fall back over his head.

And so they began. Spell after spell, Hiccup would take the lead, and Jack would follow, closely mimicking every single movement the boy did. Jack was getting the way of it, and Hiccup noticed by the way the white-haired boy seemed to dance with his wand, a flick turning into a precise swing, the spells blossoming from faint sparks to light flecks, and he knew that the boy had talent. They would try new spells, and Jack got them even faster, from stunning to repulsing and reducing their targets to ashes. The sun would set lower in the sky until they were immerse in red and gold light. At one spell, Hiccup had to stop himself from laughing at Jack’s poor attempt to perform a disarming charm, which Jack somehow managed to make his own wand flick away from his hand, falling on the floor and burst the grass in green flames.

“I’m pathetic…” Jack whispered.

“Not there yet.” Hiccup smirked, grabbing the boy’s wand and returning it. “You’re just not aiming at a real target, exactly.”

“What do you want me to do, disarm you?” Jack asked, slightly annoyed.

“Well, it’s not real disarming if I allow you.” The boy shrugged, and there was a real caring tone on his voice. “Come on, I promised I’d teach you.”

Jack’s blue eyes met greens again, and they just stared for a moment before Hiccup walked up to the other boy, grabbed his arms and managed Jack into an offensive position. Then he placed himself right on his aim.

“Just as I taught you, don’t jerk your wand everywhere and focus on me.” He said simply, holding his wand.

Jack took a deep breath, his eyes piercing through Hiccup’s as he imagined exactly what he was aiming for. His eyes travelled down all the way to the boys hands, and he has let himself admire how freckled they were. He casted the spell, “Expelliarmus!”

Perhaps there was a meaning to the spell. The caster and the casted, the gentleness, for Hiccup’s wand gracefully flew from his hands as if warm fingers had courted his hand to release it, and that’s how Hiccup’s wand flew all the distance between the two boys, landing on Jack’s open hand.

“You got it!” Hiccup said, a proud smiling escaping him for a few seconds. Jack smiled back at him. “Think we could try some duelling, perhaps…?”

“Absolutely not.” Jack replied, laughing. “No need for humiliation tonight, thank you very much.” He said, and now Hiccup laughed.

Jack placed the wand back on Hiccup’s hand, and their skin lingered for a bit, warmth crossing through their fingers. “Wasn’t there a way to actually rob someone’s wand?” Jack asked.

Hiccup gulped, suddenly unable to look at Jack in the eye. He nodded. “Yes, if you steal it from someone, it might end up changing its loyalty to you.”

“That’d be brilliant if one of us managed it.”

Hiccup’s skin burned red. “Yeah, about that…”

Jack’s skin fell pale. “Oh no, you don’t tell me…”

“Yep.”

There was a silent moment.

“You didn’t…?”

“I did.” Hiccup smiled sheepishly.

“Who?” Jack wondered, stunned.

“Stonem tried to hex me on the train home last month.” Hiccup replied simply, a bit ashamed. “I disarmed him, and his wand just changed to me in an instant.” He said. “It’s mine now. He doesn’t even know-”

“He tried to hex you?!” Admiration gave way to anger, and suddenly Hiccup was not sure if Jack was just being overly dramatic. “That little-”

“He didn’t even get to do anything, I disarmed him before he could… and I had Aster.” Hiccup tried to smile, but it only seemed to fail, considering Jack never stopped talking.

“He shouldn’t have tried anything, not after you-ASTER?” Jack suddenly screamed, and on the distance, Toothless raised his head to look at the two boys, now yelling at the Cove. “So that idiot was there to defend the damsel in distress?”

“What damsel?! Don’t call him that!” Hiccup shook as he lost clue whether Jack was messing with him or not.

“I do call him that, he knew… And you…” The boy neared breathlessness. Near them, Toothless approached carefully, acid green eyes glued on Jack as he watched for Hiccup. “I mean, why would he even need to get close, it’s not like you needed anyone to stand up to you…”

“What’s wrong with you? Don’t say that!” Hiccup tried, a fearful tear escaping his eye. “He was just helping me… He was just defending himself too…”

“I bet he needed, Stonem is better defend himself…” a strange pulse seemed to shake Jack from inside his chest, his face screwed in pain and the image got Hiccup terrified. “I can’t breathe…”

“Jack, calm down-!”

“I can’t breathe,” Jack was panting, hard, and Hiccup teared up.

“Jack…?”

The voice that left his throat was not Jack’s, but something sinister, darker, a hundred octaves lower: “Get away from here.”

Jack was now shaking, and Hiccup felt true fear of how the boy started trembling in front of him, pain wrenching over his features as something sinister shook the boy’s body. A horrific sight. The low, resonating growl erupted from Toothless throat, and the dragon stepped closer to its boy. He told me to leave. Hiccup thought. I have to leave.

Call it stupidity or bravery when Hiccup jumped forward, his arms lacing Jack around his shoulders, and pulled the boy into him, both boys starting to shake in fear. Hiccup fearing Jack, and Jack suddenly fearing himself. “Jack, just please... Calm down,” he said, and when Jack looked up to him, his heart jumped. Jack’s eyes were fiery red. Glowing, like shining fire lit against the dark sky. The taller boy contorted against the strange embrace, paining. “Leave…” He grunted, but his voice echoed in an unnatural way, as if spoken by a monster.

Hiccup grabbed Jack’s face with his hands then, and again spooked himself as miniscule black dots pulsed beneath his skin, raging violently inside the pale boy. Hiccup teared up, now unsure whether he should had left or stayed. In the mid of all the confusion, the very thing Hiccup noticed was this scent, this strong and warm scent that emanated from Jack, something that reminded him of pine woods mixed with his cologne, and that was enough to keep him there, locked on the tight embrace.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, the pulsing seemed to subdue, and when Hiccup felt the arms wrap back around his middle, both boys sank to the floor, panting heavily as now Jack pulled Hiccup tighter into the hug, and the other boy now only allowed, moving his arms higher so they circled Jack’s neck, setting himself between Jack’s arms and legs. And that is how they were for several minutes, Hiccup’s fingers daring to go up their way into the white hair, where they tangled on the thin threads on the top of the boy’s head, pulling him into his chest, where Jack’s face rested, exhausted. Finally, Jack’s grip on Hiccup’s waist loosened, Jack looked in pain, as if something had just devoured him on the inside.

“I don’t want to go just yet.” Jack whispered, his voice weak and broken, but at least it was his voice again.

“Then don’t.” Hiccup replied, squeezing his eyes shut, savouring that precious moment. He can never know what this means to me, Hiccup thought, and he took that embrace as a gift, a stolen jewellery he could never dare to wear twice.

Eventually, Jack untangled himself from Hiccup, slowly getting to his feet before he offered his hand to Hiccup, who still stared at him from his position on the ground.

“What was that?” He whispered, his voice rasping like ripping paper.

“It’s… It’s gettin’ late.” Jack didn’t reply, and Hiccup made no further questions, taking his hand carefully, and gathered himself up as well. Summoning Toothless and silently casting the spell, Toothless was once again a model-scaled dragon, which Hiccup gingerly placed inside his vests.

The walk back through the Forest was slow, Hiccup’s mind buzzing with a hundred questions. What was all that about? Whatever happened to Jack that made the boy so unstable all the sudden? What magic was that? His mind roared with questions, until he felt Jack’s warm hand grabbing his own. He was still shaking. He wanted to make those questions so badly, to ask Jack and force the boy to give him the answers, but he stayed silent. All the way as they neared the entrance to the castle, the first stars now shining over the blue and purple shades of the nightfall. The two aurors nearly fell asleep where they were supposed to guard the entrances, and the two boys just slipped into the castle as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Two teenagers met them as they were just climbing up the first steps of the marble staircase. Astrid’s blonde hair messed Hiccup’s vision as they nearly crashed against the other.

“Jack! Hiccup!” She exclaimed, and Hiccup knew she was about to yell-“Where have you two been?!”

But neither of the boys felt like chatting much, and Jack’s deep and broken voice said first. “Around.”

The dark tone didn’t seem to faze Astrid at all. If anything, the girl grabbed both boys by their elbows and in spite of their protests, dragged them all the way to the entrance of the Great Hall.

“Shush, I think White’s about to make an announcement.” Astrid said. “It’s dinner time, anyways, and you guys haven’t eaten yet.”

“Astrid…” Hiccup started, but right next to him, Aster intervened.

“Just go alon’, mate.” The serious tone he said that made Hiccup breathe in, accepting the defeat. For lack of a smooth settling, he was nearly thrown over Ravenclaw’s table, and he felt Jack’s sad eyes headed to him as he was forced to walk away from the other boy. Right now, he wasn’t sure if he was relieved or sad for leaving Jack’s company.

By the corner of his eyes, he observed his three friends walk up to the Gryffindor table, taking their seats right before the Hall’s doors closed, and Agatha White stood up from her seat, walking towards the students as they only stared at her, nearly digging holes with their eyes.

“Good evening, everyone.” White said, her voice as childish and obnoxious as ever. Inside Hiccup’s chest pocket, Toothless grunted. “It has come to my knowledge that there has been certain… unrest among the students of this school.” She took her time to pace around as she talked. “Many of you seem unwilling to submit and improve your skills as functioning pieces of this great mechanism that is, after all, the school itself. But you no longer need to worry,” Everyone’s eyes widened, expecting for her resignation or at least one good new. “I have spoken to our minister, and I have been granted full authorization to perform required supervising, and therefore, I will now begin an intensive program to restore the ethical costumes and ensure a safe place where students will now be able to live accordingly to recommended standards and beliefs imposed to us years ago, and they will, I’m sure: purge this school from any misfit or unworthy… from disturbing the peace."

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen:

Blood

“That filthy gargoyle!” Astrid nearly screamed. Jack and Aster were stump on the red couches in front of the fireplace. “She’s barely allowing us to use magic anymore, you’ve seen what happened to Azel Helen the other day when she tried to restore the duel club… she’s taking over the entire school!”

“….About the disappearances, the Minister for Magic has declared that disappearances concerning wizards are nothing more than just schemes from opposition to disvalue the power of the Ministry, and to refuse work is a sham to the wizard’s good honour and should lead to immediate expulsion from our Wizarding Community…”

“They’re trying to purge society, all over again.” Jack said, staring at the radio. He looked back at Aster. “How long until White starts picking on you?”

“Not long.” Aster said, resting his forearm over his eyes. “It won’ take long until all the mudbloods have to submit themselves…”

“Don’t talk like that!” Astrid said, horrified of the slur the boy used against himself. “It’s not going to happen-”

“Of course it will, Astrid!” Aster’s voice raised, and the girl went shut. “I mean, not even Hiccup who is pure-blood is gettin’ an easy time, how lon’ do you think it’ll take until she’s after people like me?”

The boy stared at his two friends with a deadly expression before excusing himself to his bedroom.

“Just give him some time, Astrid, he’ll come around.” Jack said, but he wasn’t so sure himself.

“Where were you and Hiccup today?” Astrid asked, still standing up near the window.

“Just hanging out.”

“Oh, bollocks, we all saw your face when you guys came back.” Astrid waved her hand in an annoyed gesture, and Jack took a deep breath. “What was that all about?”

“Could we please not talk about it?”

“Was it something he did?” She ignored it. “Because if he did…”

“For Merlin’s beard, Astrid, no!” Jack nearly yelled. “It has nothin’ to do with him. You,” And he looked at the girl’s blue eyes, and he felt the urge to scream at her face. So he clenched his fists again. “Look, whatever, I’m just going to bed…” He stood up, shaking his head sideways as if dispersing smoke from inside his skull. “Night, Astrid,” He dismissed, retreating himself after Aster. The girl looked down, defeated.

#

The wizards gathered at night. Dressed from toes to shoulders in black capes, standing in a circle in the open field. Around them, nothing but mountains, the dark sky above them, the angry clouds covering the stars, and snow poured over their heads. A seventh wizard appeared, covered to his head with a black hood, behind him a trail of black and red smoke that seemed to erupt from his very skin.

He wielded his wand, and waved it to the very centre of their circle, where a fire started, perhaps only two foot tall, but that enlightened most of their faces with a creepy distortion. His face was nearly grey, as if life had been extracted from it.

“Good evening, brothers.” He had this aura around him, this strange energy that made all the other wizards bow to him. “I’m skipping the formalities of letting us know of the good news, for I brought none. First, I need to know our advances.” The greyish looking wizard pointed to the man in front of him. “Gerbier, if you may start….”

“Yes, sir.” Gerbier said, and as his name suggested, he had a heavy French accent. “I have been informed that the Department of Wizarding Security are tracking the Obscurus in the south of the country. They think you are running to Europe this very evening.”

“That’s not enough.” The Obscurus said. “They could still be roaming around the country after us. Gentlemen, I hope you understand the luck we have. Most of the Wizarding Community believed Obscurials to be extinct, and so far, I am the only one who has been seen, and by my own will, I may add.” There was a collective grim forming through the Seven. “However, our time of hiding is coming to an end. Soon enough, we will have to make a stand.”

There were actual cheers now, and the fire seemed to rise, and burn brighter.

“I have the Death Eater’s loyalty.” The Obscurus spoke, but there was no affection regarding the group. “They believe I’m aiming for their goal, to… purge the bloodlines,” The six other Obscurials laughed as he said. “What a waste of magic… That’s not what fate asks from us, now.” He took a step forward, nearing the fire. “Out ancestors have made the way for us generation years ago. They’ve had their dawn as the world had its twilight. And now it’s our time.”

“None of us asked for this life. None of us asked to be curse. But all of us have accepted our fate. We have all embraced the task that only we can achieve. I have also realised the sudden act of the former Order of the Phoenix. They’re on the move, which means someone is being… careless.”

His piercing blue eyes wandered around the field, staring at every wizard that surrounded him. “Gothel,” The witch with long black hair stepped backwards. But the dark wizard did not walk up to her. “Mor’du, my fiercest one.” The big wizard with black vests stared by the corner of his eyes. “Gerbier… MacNair… Bloodvist…” And then he stopped, right before standing in front of the sixth wizard. “All of you have been loyal and useful to this assembly. All… but you, Richard.”

The tall wizard with deep brown hair gulped. He had a thin beard around his jaw and piercing blue eyes, but the bags around it announced how tired, if not exhausted he was. “Sir?” He spoke with a thin frail voice.

“Every attempt to reach for the last Obscurial has been foiled, and I suspect we both know very well why.”

The wizard gulped. “Bu-but sir?” He was shaking. “I thought we could no longer look for new Obscurials, we have already have formed the Order of the Seven…”

“And indeed we have.” The Obscurus said, his eyes starting to glow. “But as it may seem… One of us has decided to diverge from fate...”

“Sir-?” The wizard named Richard tried, but the leader’s eyes kept glowing, increasingly brighter.

“And your betrayal has cost the lost of the Ministry’s support. Tell me, Richard… How is your son?”

There was a moment of silence when you could hear a snowflake falling on the ground. “You’re not having him.” He said. “You’re not doing a thing to him, heave him alone!”

“I don’t have to do anything; in fact, I do not need to move a single muscle. The boy is coming to us when the time comes.” The Obscurus replied, drily. “He’ll replace you, destiny will take its course and we’ll continue from where you ended.”

It was when it happened. A scream, a sharp eruption of red and black flames that came out from the Obscurus chest. The energy that exploded from the two wizards was brutal, and even though the very darkness within Richard fought back, it was weak compared to the one that burst from the leader.

The smaller Obscurial screamed in pain, his eyes now glowing as he exploded, particles of his being floating around the field, lost in between fire and snow.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty:

Fire

Jack woke up with Hiccup’s name on his lips. He knew he loved the other boy, but in that particular day, the warm feeling bolted across his chest, and even though it hurt, it felt sweet. Love is a good feeling to hold on to, he thought. He closed his eyes again, and just focused on how a few days ago, when the shadows screamed inside him again, how before he could run from Hiccup, the boy held him close. Just hugging him and trapping Jack on that embrace. Jack never commented on it, but he never forgot the feeling. The warmth, and above all, the scent. Hiccup smelled like grapes and woods. There was the smell of shampoo that emanated from his auburn hair, but the strongest came from the skin at the boy’s chest and neck, where Jack buried his nose in the crook and just allowed himself to flavour that moment.

Three taps threw him out of his thoughts.

“You better wake up, showpony.” Aster spoke. “Everyone’s leavin’ today.”

“I’m not goin’” Jack grunted, trying to fall back asleep, and he was nearly succeeding when he felt a jet of cold water splashing on his face. “ACK” He yelled, shaking himself to get rid of the coldness. “What was that for?!”

Aster laughed. “You ge’ ticked off too easily.” He said, shaking his wand to get it rid of the water. “Come on, we’ll all be stayin’. Me, Astrid, and Hiccup…” He slowed down the last name, and a creepy smirk crept up his lips.

“Ugh, piss off,” Jack frowned, getting up and walking up to his trunk.

“You say that, but no point in hidin’ the obvious.”

“And what’s obvious, may I ask?” Jack looked annoyed.

“You like him.” Aster said. Hearing this didn’t even bother Jack anymore. He knew exactly how he couldn’t hide it from Aster anymore. “It’s like… ridiculously obvious by now.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jack answered, sorting his clothes. “But it’s stupid just the same.”

“What would give you that idea?” Aster asked, and his eyebrows were cocked in confusion.

“I mean, he doesn’t even like me.” Jack kept trying to get his damp head through the hole of his shirt. “We’re boys, and I doubt Hiccup is gay in the first place.”

“Have you tried askin’im?” He said, smugly.

“One does not ask this kind of thing, Aster.” Jack smirked, forgetting how the other boy had just woken him up. “Besides, he’d probably just mock at me. We’d never talk again. I rather keep things as they are.”

“How can you be so sure?” Aster said. “I hate to bring you the truth, but ever considered that he may like you too?”

Jack froze. The idea of Hiccup ever liking him back sounded simply ridiculous. Okay, they were good friends, if not best friends by this point, and they would hug sometimes and all, but the idea of Hiccup being gay for Jack or returning his feelings was too good to be true. Things were never that good for Jackson Overland, he knew that, and therefore it could not be true.

“It just won’t happen, Aster.” Jack said, with finality. “Let’s get going, I’m starving.”

The Great Hall was buzzing with students trying to get their last free meal before taking the Hogwarts Express back to London. Christmas was only a few days away, but no one seemed to be particularly cheering. When Jack saw Astrid, his heart sank. The girl had to stay for this Holiday. Her parents never came home.

Hiccup had his arms locked with the girl’s, and they seemed to support each other. Both wearing dark jeans and muggle clothing, you would never believe it they would be this close if you saw how Astrid used to think of the boy.

“Hey,” Hiccup said, quietly.

“Hey.” Jack replied. “Are we going to do something today?”

“I was thinkin’ of goin’ to the Quiddditch Field later?” Aster suggested, and Astrid nodded, giving a sad smile.

After breakfast, the four teens made their way through the nearly desert castle. The aurors seemed happier at the entrances that day. Perhaps the lack of people to pay attention seemed to cheer them up.

Jack grabbed the four broomsticks from the Quidditch arsenal supply. It had been a while since he would not mount a broom in Hogwarts. Hiccup reached for his pocket, releasing the small Toothless that flew freely around them as they lifted from the ground, mounted in their brooms. They divided in two groups, Jack with Astrid, and Aster with Hiccup. Mostly throwing the Quaffle from one side to the other. Astrid could fly effortlessly on a broomstick, and Hiccup was incredibly good, so they were well balanced.

Eventually Quidditch turned into a tag game, were Aster became the chaser. It was a glorious day, the four teens flying and eventually laughing whenever someone would be caught, and then started chasing the others. Even with the snow, the sunlight glimmered over them, bathing the day in gold and red colours. Jack laughed as Astrid caught Aster, nearly throwing him off his broom, and while the white haired boy laughed, Hiccup looked up at him. His hair seemed to glow, the strands spiked up by the wind, and his pearl white smile just seemed too beautiful. Hiccup took a mental picture, just savouring that moment, until the blue eyes locked on his, still smiling. His very eyes were smiling.

“Are we interrupting something?” Aster screamed from where he was floating. The scene of the two boys lost in one another was simply too obvious for no one else to look at.

Hiccup shook his head, untangling himself from that moment, before racing back to chase Astrid once Aster tagged him. Jack was blushing furiously, although he was still smiling as he observed Hiccup cross the field after the blonde girl. Aster flew up next to him, stopping shoulder by shoulder.

“Why don’t you tell him?” The boy spoke. Hiccup and Astrid were far enough not to listen, laughing their heads off as they flew. “He likes you.” He said, and this sudden warmth filled Jack’s chest. “And you like him too.”

Jack’s eyes still chased Hiccup, the reddish-brown hair pulled up behind by the wind as he flew in full speed. “I love him, Aster.” Jack said, and he realised it was the first time he acknowledged that to anyone. Perhaps even to himself.

Aster smiled. He felt proud of Jack, if the word was fitting. “Just let me know when you do it.” He said, before tapping Jack on his shoulder. Then he flew away, laughing into a glorious morning.

#

The holidays went as holidays should be: a rush of laughter and joy. No unwanted memories rose back to surface for more than they should. The four teens spent their days doing exactly as they pleased, and they did not at all bother with White’s presence.

When Hiccup came down the marble staircase to the Great Hall, everything felt out of place. He didn’t notice the thousands of enlightened candles or the choirs of the ghosts that wished Merry Christmas to whoever they met. Astrid, Jack and Aster were already on their table, casually chatting while Hiccup approached.

“Hey, Hiccup.” Aster said, his face more cheering than usual. “Merry Christmas.” He announced, raising his hand to shake Hiccup’s.

“Merry Christmas you too.” The boy said, squeezing Aster’s before sitting right next to Astrid, who gave him a quick hug over one shoulder. “How are you?” He asked the girl.

“I’m doing okay.” She said, but her voice seemed deeper than usual. “All things considered.”

“It’s going to be alright.” Jack said from his seat, and the girl nodded. “Let’s not pity ourselves too much, it’s Christmas!” He cheered, throwing a small piece of bread towards Hiccup’s face, which the boy retaliated with one of his waffles.

“Have you guys gotten anything?” Hiccup asked.

“Our presents were in our common room.” Aster replied, taking a sip from his cup. “Mom sent me ‘dis,” He raised a small snow globe with what seemed to be a plastic farm inside. “She has a thing for snow globes, my mom.”

“I found it cool.” Hiccup said with a small grin. “My dad sent me more books.” He cocked his brows.

“Nerd.” Jack said behind his cup, but also smiling.

“Don’t be so pouty.” Astrid announced. “We both know we’re probably not getting anything from out there this year.”

“Well, I never get anything from anyone.” Jack commented, and even through his cheerful grim, Hiccup felt a sharp pain crossing his chest. Then Jack smirked. “I’m kinda used to it.”

“Well, I sent you all presents.” Hiccup said, and Astrid smiled. “How did you like it?” He asked the girl. He had given her a silver chain that she had wrapped up around her wrists.

“I love it, thank you.” She said, and there was real emotion on her voice.

“Thanks for the sweets, Hiccup.” Aster spoke. “Too bad I have Jack as a roommate, I’m gonna gave to hide’em away from’im.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Jack complained, and Hiccup laughed at the silliness. “Come on, we’ve got an entire day to spend and I don’t plan on wasting it here.” The boy said, jumping to his feet as he stuffed his mouth with a toast, nearly running out to the snowy grounds.

Christmas was the most pleasant day ever, in Hiccup’s mind. The four teens would sneak outside and play snowball wars, Jack teaming up with Aster against Hiccup and Astrid – and eventually lose to Astrid’s fierce arm. The laughter would break out in the snowy fields, and while Aster still stuck by gathering snow with his bare hands, Hiccup waved his wand, charming the snow into perfect spheres before casting them to chase the other teens one by one. “Not fair!” Jack would yell, and Hiccup would laugh it off. It was a perfect moment, the auspicious smell of snow and pinewoods as the four friends would laugh through their holiday, any worries forgotten for at least that little while. It was all so precious. And it was just enough.

At night, while Astrid and Aster would excuse themselves to the Gryffindor Common Room, Jack waited a little longer with Hiccup. “I’ll catch you guys in a bit.” He said, and Astrid nodded before turning on her heels.

“I don’t really want the day the end.” Jack said, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Me neither.” Hiccup answered, shrugging. “I was actually considering to ignore curfew.”

“How rebellious of you.” Jack commented with an amused expression. “We still have a few minutes. Want to go for a walk?” And he offered his arm, which Hiccup took a second glance before chaining with his elbow.

“I’d love to.”

The seventh floor was the place they went most often, and Hiccup leaned against their window when they finally stopped. “I thought Astrid wouldn’t be as cool as she was today.”

“What you mean?” Jack asked.

“You know, with her parents and all…” Hiccup looked down.

“Oh, right,” He commented. “Yeah, she seemed alright.”

“I haven’t given you your present yet.” Hiccup nearly spilled the words. “I didn’t really know how to give you.”

“What is it?” Jack asked, sounding suddenly excited.

Hiccup’s hand went up to his coat, bringing back a small black string with a simple bronze circle tied to it. His hands brushed Jack’s as he gave it to him, and the boy inspected it closely, realising what it was. Moon craters were sculpted in the circle, and it seemed to darken into nearly complete blackness on one edge, as if shared right in the middle. The two sides of the same thing. “Do you like it?” Hiccup asked.

Jack suddenly put the necklace back on Hiccup’s hands, and the boy shortly look confused before the taller teen bent himself lower, still looking at Hiccup with his icy blue eyes, smirking. Smiling back, Hiccup placed the string around the boy’s head, gingerly putting the necklace on Jack. “I’m taking that as a yes.” He chuckled.

“It’s a definite yes.” Jack replied, pulling Hiccup in for a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Hiccup said, hugging Jack back promptly, and smiling a bit, before realising the other boy was not letting go. And apparently, neither was he for both boys kept stuck on that hug for what felt like minutes.

“Sorry I didn’t get you anything,” Jack said lowly to Hiccup’s ears. “I didn’t have much chance to sneak out to Hogsmead this month.”

“It’s okay.” Hiccup said. In reality, Hiccup didn’t buy the necklace, he had made it himself, but he didn’t care about not getting a present from Jack. After a while they stepped away, both boys blushing to their ears. “Merry Christmas, Jack.”

As if on cue, the boy looked up just then, noticing the all too familiar green branches with small white berries hung above them. “You gotta be kidding me, right?” He said, uneasy, fearing to look down – until he saw Hiccup’s face again. There was that mysterious smirk again, eyebrows screwed in amusement and questioning.

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” He replied simply, and the boy surprised himself with what he had just said. Jack just remained quiet, too stunned to say anything else. “Unless you do want to…” He lingered to say as Jack remained with a shocked expression, quickly going back to active.

“No, I mean…” Jack rushed to explain himself.

“So you don’t want to.” Hiccup stated simply, the smirk still present.

“I do, I…” Jack got tangled in the mess this situation had turned to, and his heart stopped at the things he was saying without thinking. Damn you, Hiccup. “I mean, do you?”

He looked at the freckled boy, who only chuckled to himself, just enough awkwardly, just enough confidently. Damn you, Hiccup, indeed. Before the boy could embarrass himself any further, Hiccup leaned in, making the move himself. Jack’s heart stirred, anticipation exploding in his stomach as the weightless feeling took over. Hiccup was going to kiss him, he was leaning in to him, lips pursed, the freckles on his cheeks so close…

Hiccup landed the kiss on his cheek. And just as fast as it happened, it was over, he pulled away, smiling at the scene of a flustered Jackson Overland. “It’s just me, mate. No one’s even looking.” He laughed.

And just like that, he walked away, leaving behind a terribly frustrated and stunned Jack. “Ain’t you coming?” He called as the boy remained unmovable.

#

The very next day, the four teenagers fuelled their packs with HoneyDukes’ snacks, dressing in thick winter cloths and ventured to the Black Lake. The ice covered the surface of the water like smooth dark glass. Jack and Aster skated happily, aiming harmless tarantalegro jinxes on each other – Jack’s legs were cast dancing in a weird twisted motion that oddly resembled Hiccup of a graceless deer. From a rock at the margin of the lake, Astrid and Hiccup watched the other two boys fooled on the ice, their hands holding steaming mugs of tea.

“When are you telling him?” Astrid whispered, somewhat breaking the tension. Hiccup shrunk on his seat.

“Probably never.” He replied, puffing his cheeks. “Although I nearly kissed him last night.”

Astrid’s neck snapped when she turned at him, the most surprised smile on her face. “You’re kidding.” She teased, and Hiccup didn’t even bother to look at her, his eyes glued to the snowy forest ahead of them. “How did that go?”

“Well, the typical got stuck under the mistletoe. He got nervous, so I decided to see if it lead anywhere.”

“And?” It was one the rare real smiles the girl gave lately.

“It was just a kiss to his cheek. Nothing much.” He said simply.

“How did he react?” Astrid asked, still curious. The boy shrugged.

“He just stood there like a scared daft rabbit.” He spat, and it took a moment before the two friends started laughing, loudly. “It was quite comical.” He sipped from his mug of steaming tea.

“Jack can be quite daft sometimes.” She mentioned. “But I’m surprised you actually made a move yourself.” She nudged Hiccup’s shoulders, and the boy smirked.

“I just figured, what harm could it make anyways…” He trailed off in thoughts. “But again I didn’t make anything too clear.”

“You do well.” She concluded. “Live a little.”

It was 31^st of December. That night Jack left his dormitory silently, sneaking out to the corridors, dodging from whomever ghost he found until he met Hiccup. The boy quickly taught him how to perform Arresto Momento, and through Jack’s fear and excitement won as they jumped, without screaming as the spell held them before they crashed against the ground.

Sneaking into the Forest at night was worthy of expulsion, but so was most of whatever the boys did nowadays. As they sped up in the woods, they heard the faint sound of centaurs at distance. Silently, the boys sped up the well-known way to the Cove, reaching the stone entrance and them releasing Toothless from Hiccup’s pocket. Jack lightened up the Cove with a flick of his wand, releasing the bright focus of light to float away over the pond.

“Essentio!” Jack casted the spell, and Toothless grew.

“Come on, I’ve been wanting to show you this for a long time!” Hiccup said, grabbing Jack by his hand – the butterflies in Jack’s stomach went wild. Hiccup pulled the boy until they were standing next to Toothless, who gave a loud purr as he petted the dragon. “Go on, hop up!” Hiccup said, and Jack’s face paled.

“What?” Jack nearly stuttered. “No, wait up…”

“Just go,” Hiccup rolled his eyes before kicking himself up at Toothless back, and the dragon seemingly paid him no mind, if anything it widened its large green eyes to check out Hiccup’s legs around his large torso. “I’ve been practicing this when you couldn’t come along,” He admitted, a bit ashamed of not including Jack on those trips.

“Merlin’s beard…” Jack stammered. “You do realise this is actually insane, right?” He tried forcing a nervous smile, but Hiccup replied with a real grim.

“Yeah,” He nodded, his hand rubbing Toothless scales.

Jack’s eyes focused back on the fire breathing creature in front of him, taking a deep breath before pulling himself upwards, gingerly not to disturb Toothless. “Oh man…” he shook his head as he settled himself behind Hiccup, who amusedly looked at him.

“Not that hard, was it?” He said, and Jack rolled his eyes at the insanity of it. “Alright, hold on tight.”

“Hold on to wha-?!”

“Let’s go, Toothless!” Hiccup announced, and the dragon bent down once before opening its wings in a way both graceful and intimidating, and then they were catapulted towards the sky, Jack’s arms wrapped around Hiccup’s waist, yelling as they were shot upwards.

There was this unexplainable feeling about flying. How this weightless sensation erased any and every thought from your mind. How your body seemed to lose itself  in space. Icy cold wind would cut through their bodies, and horrible shivers shook up both boys spines. Jack screamed, but the roaring wind seemed to twist the sound, and Hiccup laughed at the foolishness. They had just begun.

Through the starred sky, Toothless would spin and twirl, roar and bounce as they interchanged between radical dives and smooth slides on their flight. Hiccup would laugh, and once Jack got used to the extremity of their conditions, he joined along, his arms swinging forward until they laced around the boy’s torso more carefully not to crush his ribs. There was magic on their flight, this feeling of being so high up that their problems were miles beneath them.

“Calmer now?” Hiccup finally asked once he felts Jack’s arms warm up around his torso. Jack only nodded, his chin resting on Hiccup’s collarbone.

Hiccup felt the butterflies on his stomach – those were different from the flight ones, those were warmer and filled not his body, but his heart. It was an intimate moment between two friends, full of feelings, but blossoming with complicity.

“I guess that’s a way to overcome fear of heights.” Jack muttered, and Hiccup chuckled.

“Don’t tell me you are afraid.” He said in a mocking tone.

“Bloody hell, Hic.” Jack squeezed the boy tighter, and with a definitive move, Hiccup’s hand flew down to meet Jack’s just above his stomach. Ice and fire colliding.

“This is… magical.” Jack said, his cheeks blushing, but Hiccup could not see that. “I mean... It’s... it is, isn’t it?” He babbled, and Hiccup had to laugh at the awkwardness.

“It is.” Hiccup said. “I feel happy when I’m up here.” The boy pressed himself tighter against Jack’s frame. Beneath them, Toothless gurgled, as if trying to add to the conversation.

“I don’t know about happy,” Jack smirked, still blushing to his ears. “But definitely free.”

Hiccup chuckled. “Aren’t they somewhat the same?”

“Not really.” Jack said. “But they do walk hand-in-hand often.”

The smaller boy turned his head back, so he was staring right through Jack’s eyes, but the night was so dark, that even the white flecks of hair and the shining blue eyes seemed misty and blurry for him.

“You can be quite deep sometimes.” He mentioned, and he could feel Jack’s breathing. He spoke softly, “Isn’t happiness the way to freedom or vice-versa?”

“I used to think that too.” Jack admitted. “But I’m more prone think that it’s the other way around.”

“Why so?” Hiccup wondered.

“Happiness lies in the moment, Hiccup.”

“Oh, now it feels deeper.” The boy said, and the wind was starting to pale on them as they flew so high on the clouds, but still never nearing the castle’s shield.

“Happiness is just one aspect of the whole.” Jack said. “Like your favourite season. You may love autumn, but winter comes nonetheless. There are more emotions, and we need them as well. We’re not meant to live in one thing forever.”

“Like happy?” Hiccup asked, annoyed.

“Too much happiness make us blind. And blindness makes us lose freedom.” The words left the pale boy’s lips so softly that they seemed to hit Hiccup like arrows. “I thought you’d be the one to see that more easily.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Because you’ve know pain.” Jack’s words were not destructive, but calm. “And hurting makes you alert.”

There was a heavy silence. “What if I had enough of hurt?” Hiccup spoke, and even if he could barely see Jack in the night, Jack could see him just perfectly. His green eyes were watered, and the small fold between his eyebrows gave away how honestly he meant his words. Jack’s hands held tighter on Hiccup’s waist, his thumb rubbing on the skin between his clothes.

“It’s just for a moment.” Jack whispered.

Realising their closeness, Hiccup blushed, and it felt like the sky went a hundred shades darker as Hiccup’s flushed face seemed to light up in the sky, floating with no boundaries. Completely free.

He looked away.

“Happy New Year, Hiccup.” Jack whispered again, pressing harder on the boy’s stomach. Hiccup looked back at him, his lips slightly apart. And before the other boy could say anything else, he leaned in for his lips. The kiss was so sudden, and Jack thought for an instant that he went too far when Hiccup leaned back into him, kissing him just as eagerly, locking his lips, his chest burning like pure raging fire.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-One

Rogue

It happened that night. The moment the man stepped out of his house. From the street, you could feel the tension coming from everywhere, every family in every building preparing to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. The man anchored himself on his bench, looking. His back would hurt from all the time standing up and his wrinkles gave away his elderly age. Still, he wanted to see the fireworks. He found them beautiful.

The chant of the final seconds began. Miles from the Thames, he could hear the numbers being yelled by the crowd gathered in front of the river.

“Happy New Year!” The bells from the Big Ben roared over the buildings, followed by the explosion of the fireworks, resonating so that every bone in his body shook.

The man’s fingers grabbed his cigarettes, taking one to his lips, as the other hand struggled with the lighter, snapping it twice before bursting the flame. He puffed the smoke out, slowly, savouring the ashes. The bell kept echoing, once every five seconds.

The fireworks blew louder. The explosions in multiple shades went brighter. Sparks of red and gold, silver-green and blue, crossing the river miles from there, but he could see it at the distance. How the darkness suddenly increased around the fireworks, as if covering them in blackness, not even the London Eye visible behind the pitch.

That was when the sparks exploded around the structure of the Ferris wheel. A rain of fire fell over the river, and the screams of the crowd echoed as they were engulfed in the flames, but these were pure black and red. Gigantic lightning bolts exploded from the Eye, and it was like  a giant hand slammed against the water, a pulse of dark wind stronger than the very atmosphere, a spectacle of deadly lights opening the year.

From the bench, the cigarette fell from the Muggle’s mouth, and he stared in awe at scene, baffled from what he had just witnessed, and the screams replaced the cheers as panic rose in London.

#

“There is no evidence of Magical Influence on the Thames River’s attack last New Year’s Eve.”
MININSTER FOR MAGIC DENIES DEATH EATERS ROLE IN NEW YEAR’S ATTACKS.

“The Muggles must fight for their own.”
Head of international security department denies involvement in Muggle’s war.

#

The students came back on the Hogwarts Express the very next morning, filling the castle’s corridors with echoes of the chatters and conversations. The news of the attack on the London Eye ran like Fiendfyre. Was that a work from the Death Eaters? Who was this new dark wizard that had no fear of exposition, and who had such power strong enough to kill nearly one hundred wizards at once?

Jack’s fingers would constantly rub the bronze moon charm, having memorised every last sulk on the cold surface. He came down the marble staircases with Aster and Astrid behind him. The shock of seeing the crowded corridors after two weeks of emptiness was disappointing. That short period of gold bliss was over. Time to go back to lessons, duties and…

“Of course, not, Minerva, but I must warn you…"

“For YOU it is ‘Professor McGonagall’”.

The angry voices would raise from the very entrance.

“We have a loose Obscurial on this school, Professor , and as far as I can see it, you refuse to see the facts and therefore , by consequence of your inaptitude,” There was a general ‘wow’ from all the students near, “Risking the safety of your own students.”

Jack stepped down in the staircase, joining the mass of students crowded around the heated argument. Professor McGonagall stared, smoke nearly fuming out her eyes as she looked at White with a massive anger. "I will not allow you to run your tortures on my school."

"This torture as you so defiantly name, is approved Ministry methods to guarantee the students security. Should I allow them otherwise?! I think not! And if you're in the way of security, Minerva, then by definition, you are a threat and an enemy yourself !" She gestured to the students, but there was no support from them whatsoever. McGonagall took out her wand.

Four aurors ran into the Great hall, from the doors, the stairs, coming through the crowd wielding their wands. Some people screamed as White herself grabbed her wand. "It's five against you, Minerva, I recommend you to lay your wand."

"She's not alone!" Another voice spoke, this time a male. Professor Neville Longbottom walked up past the students wielding his own wand, but McGonagall objected, jerking her own wand at him.

"Yes, I am, Professor Longbottom." She spoke. "Hogwarts still needs you." And suddenly she gave the Professor the very position she had been on years ago. "If anything happens to me, the students will need your support."

Professor Longbottom stepped back, gulping. And he hated what he saw next.

McGonagall's wand jerked forward, a blast of red lights flew towards the aurors, and while the students screamed, the fight erupted in the Hall. Yells from the aurors, screams from the students, bolts of lights flying everywhere, but Jack stood still, watching, frozen.

The aurors were down in instants, being no match for McGonagall’s precise spells, but then it was up to her and White. The two witches stared for a while, rounding each other like tigers about to clench on themselves. White made the first move, and a green bolt of magic darted towards McGonagall, being captured by the eldest red spell. Curse and Hex joined, they wands connected in a massive eruption of red and green magic. In the awe that came from everyone's mouth,  McGonagall stood, as fierce and powerful as ever, her eyes glistening from the long held anger against the witch in front of her. There was a strong impulse erupting from McGonagall's wand, and White was pushed backwards to the ground, at the same time another ten aurors ran into the Hall.

With a swift motion, the witch casted a final spell not against the aurors, but to the statues, immediately giving them life. They bolted upwards, wielding their swords and axes, swinging them through the air as they stormed over the aurors, now desperately trying to subdue the walking statues.

White had just got back on her feet, shooting a devious look at the Headmistress before shouting: “You can’t go anywhere! I have every entrance guarded, there is no way you could possibly leave the castle!”

“I still happen to be the Headmistress here.” McGonagall said fiercely. “And you’ll have really big shoes to fill in after me. Bring her hell.” She shot one last look at Professor Longbottom. And with that said, McGonagall gave a spin, twisting on her feet before being engulfed in white smoke, disapparating from the castle and leaving behind five fallen wizards.

#

There was a strange feeling throughout the rest of the day. No one was particularly pleased with McGonagall's departure. Not even the Slytherins, who usually would cheer any loss from their Gryffindor peers. Jack met Hiccup at the Entrance Courtyard, where the freckled boy would hug his own arms to warm himself up against the cold.

"Hic." Jack said as he approached the boy.

"Hey Jack." Hiccup replied, blushing as he saw the white-haired boy, trying to avoid gazing against the other’s eyes.

“I wanted to talk to you.” The boy approached, also looking down.

Hiccup was nervous, tense. As if dreading what Jack was about to say. “What is it?” He said, finally.

Jack took a deep breathe, gathering enough courage to look at the other boy in the eyes. “How are you?”

Hiccup sighed, slumping his shoulders. “I’m alright.”

“We haven’t spoken properly since…” They got quiet.

You would think that the two boys would sneak out to get together at every lonely moment by now. That they’d be as secretive and passionate as two people could be. That was not the truth.

“Look, if you think it was a mistake, I get it.” Hiccup started muttering, unsure. “I mean, I know it was just in the moment …”

“Is that what you think?” Jack snapped suddenly. His eyes verging despair, and it broke Hiccup’s heart. “Do you regret it?”

“No.” Said Hiccup, rushed.

Both boys blushed, their ears and cheeks turning red. Jack could feel his own heart beating against his ribs. He looked around him. A blizzard would start falling any minute now. “Come on.” He pulled Hiccup by his sleeves, guiding him to a covered area, far from the entrance. Far from everyone.

As they walked, their hands brushed against each other, but neither moved. As if a ghost had done it, Jack felt Hiccup’s small finger curl around his own, secretly, hidden behind their robes.

“Did you…” Jack started, and he was shaking. He closed his eyes as his hands flew up to his own lips, remembering the way Hiccup’s lips would press against them. “Did you like it?”

“I did.” Hiccup replied, blushing to his ears. “I just… I just thought you didn’t really mean it later.”

“I meant it,” said Jack. He looked down as Hiccup looked up, green eyes meeting the blue ones they used to admire from afar. Jack lifted his hands, now brushing against Hiccup’s cheeks. “I would kiss you again if I could.”

Hiccup leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and taking in the fire storm forming deep in his stomach. He wanted to close the distance so badly, every inch of his being asked for this.

“We can’t.” Said Hiccup.

“I know.” Came the reply, and they leaned into a kiss. This one was nothing like their last. This one was sweet and filled with pain, the heat not raging on them like last time, but soothing, a blossoming flame. You could tell Jack leaned first, but Hiccup reciprocated just as eagerly. How many times hadn’t the two boys thought back on repeating this one kiss, and now that they were actually doing so, it felt like fuel for Jack, burning through his body as he swung his free arm around the other boy’s waist, and for a moment, he thought: he’s mine .

As fast as it started, it ended, and just as fiercely. Hiccup was in a bliss at the sudden kiss, but made no attempts to lean back into it.

“Sorry about that, I couldn’t help it.” Said Jack, blushing now harder than before. “How did you like it, though?”

Hiccup looked up, still in a daze. “It felt quite rushed.”

“Sorry,” He spoke again, and with a devious smirk, they stepped away.

“You do know that we can’t carry that for now, right?” Hiccup whispered. Jack sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to…”

“I know.” Jack replied, also whispering. “I was about to say the same thing, actually.”

Hiccup stepped back, cocking his eyebrow. “Were you?” He had an amused/confused expression, and that made Jack chuckle to himself.

“…sort of, I guess?” He tried. “With White out there and now that McGonagall’s gone.”

“That’s why we can’t be together now.” Hiccup spoke disappointed. His hand flew up to Jack’s chest, his fingers inspecting the moon charm he gave the boy. “Apart at least we can figure it out.” He looked down, his hand holding up to Jack’s but did not shake it. “Deal?” He only held it, and breathed deeply when Jack squeezed back with his thumb.

“Deal.”

Chapter Text

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

AGATHA WHITE HAS REPLACED MINERVA MCGONAGALL AS HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

The wild and untamed red hair seemed to float through the corridors. The girl would turn at the corners, dodge the doors and sprint through every possible group of people. The girl had the most daring look in her eyes, and the most rebellious attitude as she ran past the Grounds and down the gardens to Care of Magical Creatures.

“Mer,” A sweet feminine voice rose up as she approached the group of students. “We’re here.” The girl said.

Merida had the stormiest look as she approached the voice. She neared a girl with the most dashing golden hair, long enough to form a tall beehive over her head and still leave enough to fall over her back. Her deep green eyes were so lively that they seemed to fill her surroundings in dizzying warmth. And as they fell on Merida, this ravishing girl immediately pouted, figuring this was going to be one of the hard days when Merida would be nearly hostile.

“Azel,” Merida greeted, her voice lower than usual.

“Guessing you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Said the girl.

“No, the bed woke up the wrong side of me.” Came the reply, sang in a deep Northern accent. “How late am I?”

“Not much,” Azel said, looking down at her parchment as she scribbled with her quill. “White is on a good mood today,”

“Ah guess takin’ out the Headmistress would make her day.” Merida smirked. “Any news from Professor Longbottom though?”

Azel shook her head with a disappointed sigh. “He only told me to stay alert.”

“Ah wonder how long eet will take until he calls it.” Then Merida looked up, searching for the teacher. “And Ah also wonder where the hell is that disgusting woman,”

“She quit the class now that she became Headmistress.” Azel explained. “Now she can pester us full time.”

Merida wondered on it. “Well, at least we won’t have any tortured animals for a while.”

Azel smirked.

There were deep stormy clouds floating over the castle’s towers that afternoon. It seemed to spread inside the walls as well. The students walked quietly, too scared to call in any attention from the Aurors or professors or , God forbid, from White.

The days were dark. Everyone could feel it. The tension seemed to emanate from the walls, waiting to erupt violently.

Spread through the castle, voice channels would echo to the students:

“ Any student organisation is now disbanded. Failure to comply will lead to immediate expulsion!”

“All third years must submit themselves to an interview in my office by five o’clock!”

“I wish these things weren’t tracked.” Jack spoke to Hiccup once, low enough only he could hear.

“What, so you could explode it or something?” He asked. Jack nodded.

“Or something.” He mumbled.

Hiccup could feel this tension working up on the taller boy. He didn’t like it one bit. “Hey,” He called, nudging his shoulder. “What’s up with you?” He asked.

Jack shrugged. “I guess I’m tired.” He said simply.

“Oh, cut the bollocks,” Hiccup retorted, and Jack breathed deeply. “I can tell something’s bothering you. I just want to help.”

Jack didn’t respond, his eyes scanning the floor around the other boy until they reached up to his eyes. Then he remained quiet.

“Oh,” Hiccup muttered. He knew what that meant.

“Yeah,” Jack replied, brilliantly, he thought. The boys had started to walk again, this time in a much slower pace; the tension growing more awkwardly. Hiccup stared at his shoes as he walked, but the other’s  blue eyes roamed from the brunette boy to the nearly empty corridors around them and to the tapestries where man-sized chess pieces would stand against the walls. Hogwarts was full of these statues ornamenting the halls. How dusty can they be? Jack wondered before grabbing Hiccup by his wrist and pulling him with a sharp tug, both boys disappearing under the shadows behind the iron king piece. Jack pushed Hiccup backwards against the dark wall, the boy nearly losing balance before the pale hands held his neck and cheeks, slamming his lips with his own.

It took a moment before the shorter boy allowed himself to sink into the feeling that was Jack, his knees nearly giving in. Everything was so vicious about that moment, that Hiccup nearly forgot they could still be heard when a particularly loud moan escaped his mouth. Jack’s pale hand almost slapped his mouth, holding itself back just enough not to be hurtful. Hiccup pushed it down.

“I thought we weren’t going to do this.” He panted, his eyelids half-closed, his mind foggy.

“Agh, don’t ruin it.” Jack replied, leaning his back against the iron statue while Hiccup held himself against the wall. They stood there, breathing heavily, the heat of the moment slowly undoing itself between them.

“How is it gonna be, Jack?” Hiccup asked between his breaths. “Are we gonna keep saying we can’t do this and then just steal these moments?”

“It could be.” Jack shot, but in truth he felt nearly attacked. But what was the pointing in hiding by then? “I like you so damn much.”

The other boy only stared, smiling faintly. “I really like you too.” He replied, equally breathless. Then he leaned over Jack, his hands holding down on his chest. “Let’s just keep this to ourselves.” He concluded. Jack agreed before recapturing his lips.

It became a recurring habit. Jack and Hiccup would meet in the quiet hours, sneaking in behind the library bookshelves, or behind the old statues that scattered around the school, and changed short words before one of them would end up making a move. Jack’s lips were often dry after his make out sections with Hiccup.

There must have been a list with the strangest places they went to make out. Inside the broomsticks closet, against the window of the Seventh Floor, the empty classroom near the Headmistress’s office. Once, Jack’s hands held too tightly over the Hiccup’s robes, and they heard a small burbling grunt before Hiccup nearly shout for Toothless. They made sure the dragon was never at the inside pocket over Hiccup’s chest again.

After one of those times, sneaking behind the tapestry of the double headed witch, they saw it. Walking right out of the fifth floor corridor, Aster stumbled like a drunk man, his hands pressing an ice cube against his forehead. Right behind him, Astrid kept her hands around his shoulder, guiding him through the corridor until he collapsed on the nearest seat.

Hiccup slowly walked up to them, Jack on his toll. “What happened to him?” He said, gingerly.

Astrid jumped at the sudden voice, but immediately rolled her eyes in relief at the sight of their friends. “He just had the interview with White.” She explained. Jack had his mouth open.

Hiccup kneeled near Aster, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder. His eyes had deep dark circles around them, and his lips were dry. “What happened to you, mate?”

Aster hugged himself, shaking his head. “I can’t remember.” He said. “I can’t remember-” he repeated, shaking now violently.

“It’s okay,” Astrid came closer, also kneeling next to the boy, holding him steady. By the corner of his eyes, Jack saw how Astrid’s eyes were glassy.

“I don’t want to go back there.” Aster said. “She wants us,” He started, now looking directly at Hiccup.  “She wants the muggle-borns.”

The three friends remained in silence. Just then, another student walked right out from where Aster came. This one alone, and like Aster, hugging his chest, sweat covering his frightened pale face. He stopped in front of the four teens.

“She did it to you too, didn’t she?” He said with a weak voice. “She’s going to have us all killed by the end of the year.”

A thunder exploded in the sky, and the light bathed that corridor, illuminating them in ghostly looks. Steps echoed in the corridor, and for a moment, Jack feared it would be White, but he soon found relief when he saw Professor Longbottom walking towards the teens.

“You should be going now,” Longbottom said, a careful look shadowing his features. “White is looking for any trouble she can find tonight.”

The students didn’t go quietly under White’s ruling.

When Hiccup walked down the marble stairs that morning, entering the corridors for the third floor, he stopped dead on his tracks:

Just a couple steps away from his place, a small green lake merged from the stone floor, trees and bushes pointing up from the water. The smell of putrefaction rose up from the corridor and flooded his nostrils, and Hiccup covered his nose with his sleeves not to feel the horrific scent. He could hear other students gathering behind himself, and from the other side of the swamp, he saw more students joining and even laughing at the view.

That is when he looked up, his eyes opening wide. Tied from the tree by the neck, hanging above six feet, he saw a damaged wooden doll of a witch, crudely resembling White, the horn of a stag deeply sunk in her neck. A stripe was waving by tip of the arrow:

Purity will kill us all.

That night, when the castle was silent, it happened. The air shimmered and shook before the walls around the office in the third floor exploded. The dark mass formed and condensed into a raging beast that broke through the concrete, smashed the corridor all the way into the office door, where it slammed against the wooden surface. Golden lights erupted, a protective spell that cast out the Obscurus back towards the hall, and with a pained sound, it flew back towards the windows, smashing the glass and crossing the grounds into the woods.

“Gentleman, we are running out of time.” The grand Obscurial spoke behind his mask.

Again, the Order of the six Obscurial wizards was gathered in front of the fire, burning the wooden snake under the starred sky. Red light bathed their features beneath their hoods, and they all had apprehensive smirks to their faces.

“Our agent in the castle still had no luck in capturing the Obscurus, but I have been told that the child might be coming to her.”

“The Order is infiltrated in the castle,” spoke Gothel, the woman with long curly hair and some sort of cruel beauty. “They are trying to delay the Ministry’s intervention in the school.”

“We cannot be held back by a patch of mudbloods,” Spoke Gerbier in his thick accent. “The Order of the Phoenix is nothing but a small obstacle.”

The lead wizard stared at the French Obscurus with amusement. “I fear you underestimate our enemies, Gerbier.” He said. “As far as I can remember, they were the first defence line against Lord Voldemort not twenty years ago.”

“Pure luck.” Gerbier replied, but there were no approving cheers from anyone in the Dark Order.

“How is our search for the Box?” The wizard spoke again, and now McNair stepped ahead.

“The box is hidden in the Castle, master.” He said. “Deeply guarded in the heart of magic. It is virtually inaccessible.”

“Not without a distraction, I assume.” The grand Obscurus spoke again. He stepped closer to the fire, and the wizards could now see his mask, a metallic raven that seemed to shimmer with the fire in front of them. “You were a faithful servant of Lord Voldemort, McNair.”

The wizard smiled, proudly. “Yes, I was, master.”

“You’ve been hiding your true magical self for eleven years. In this Order, you have held your chair for the shortest time. So tell me,” he looked down, walking away from McNair. “Once we have reached our goal, once we possess the box, and it’s curse has been released into the world, how would you like your duty as the executioner?”

McNair smiled. “If it honours you, master, I would like it very much.”

Behind his mask, the grand Obscurial smirked. “The attack on the London Eye was a tremendous success, but still, the Ministry managed to hide their existence from the Muggles.” He looked back at the fire, the flames dancing around the snake. “Start spreading the word, gentlemen. Lady,” Gothel bowed. “It’s time the muggles start fearing magic again. Let the war start.”

Professor Neville walked quickly around the halls, his hands cold, grabbing the edge of his robes, dirty with the herbology class. He was a tired man, two wars were stealing most of his youthful looks. His beard had yet to be made and the bags under his eyes gave his features a dark expression. He looked around nervously, making sure that he could blend in among the mass of students in a hurry to get to class.

Jack kept fidgeting with his feather through Transfiguration. The woman at the end of the room scribbling furiously as the students wrote down four times what was written in the blackboard.

“I’m sorry, professor White,” Hannah Miller rose her hand, timidly. “Aren’t we supposed to learn how to transform the creatures back to their original form after we cast the spell?” She said, looking with pity at the small cup on her table that used to be a raven.

“Yes dear, but that was when Professor McGonagall gave the class.” White said in her minimal and enthusiastic tone. “However, I as a new teacher, must follow the standard Ministry procedures that ensure that you are taught properly.”

#

Neville Longbottom hurried in his steps, breathing heavily until he reached the History of Magic classroom. He knocked once before entering, nearly out of breath. “I’m sorry, Professor Bean, but I need to borrow Mister Haddock for a moment.”

Hiccup looked at the doorway where Professor Neville was standing. Behind him, he distinguished the high blonde beehive from Azel’s hair and the characteristically wild red curls of Merida.

“I must inform you, Miss Miller, that as an enemy of the Ministry, I highly doubt that there is any value to McGonagall’s old lessons. In fact you should forget most of what you read.”

“ That’s bollocks!”  Another voice echoed, but no one could tell where this one came from. It was a boy, but Jack did not recognize it. It was as if emanated from the very walls.

“Who said that?” White demanded, taking her wand out of her dull brown robes. “Who was it?!” She insisted. Everyone stared at the walls in silence, until the first bang exploded.

This one came from outside the door, banging the wood, and from the corridors everyone heard the shouts, some of them scared, but in further notice they sounded more like laughter.

“Everyone, stay in your seats!” White nearly screamed, but there wasn’t a single student sitting in its chair anymore. Everyone rushed to the door, swinging it open and then they saw it:

Fireworks lightened up the staircase to the Transfiguration classroom. The bright colours exploded and sparkled through the walls and flew at every direction over the students heads. While some people panicked and ducked, Jack swung his wand to his desk, commanding “ Accio! ” until his backpack flew to his hand. He barely saw White, screaming her lungs out as she was nearly buried under the teenagers before he saw the small fireworks flying inside the classroom. More screams rose, but those were filled with joy.

In the mess, Jack ran down the stairs, nearly tumbling on a few students until he reached the bottom, sparks shooting and exploding way above on the ceiling, but originating smaller sets of tiny fireworks around the wondered students. He saw that a new swamp had formed on the corridor. The fifth on the castle only that week.

“ Anyone that do not return to the classroom immediately will face detention! ” Jack heard White’s voice trying to scream louder than the fireworks and the crowd that yelled along, but nobody really seemed to care or listen. The fireworks were exploding so loud above them that no one could blame them anyways.

Suddenly he felt something grabbing his right hand, and he looked down to see the reddish brown hair of Hiccup, a rushed expression as he tried to drag Jack away from the crowd.

“What are you doing here?” Jack nearly shouted, but Hiccup shushed him with a squeeze to his hand.

“Not here.” He said. “Come, everyone is waiting.”

“Waiting where-?!”

“Shush!” Hiccup ordered, and Jack went silent.

They ran up all the Great Staircase until they were at the seventh floor, all the time still hearing the fireworks’ bangs on the lower floors. Hiccup guided the boy further through the corridors, and Jack was about to ask where they were going when Hiccup suddenly stopped.

“Hiccup, I-”

“Not now.” Hiccup said, and the smaller boy furrowed his eyebrows in deep concentration. “Ugh, how do I get in again?”

For a moment Jack thought ‘ He lost it’ , when out of nowhere, a highly polished door materialised from the wall in front of them. The magic was so simple but so beautiful that Jack stared in awe.

“How…?” He started.

“Go on, get in-” Hiccup pushed him inside, and the heavy doors seemed so light that Jack wondered how they didn’t fall from the portrait that held them. Jack was stunned to see a beautiful and spacious room, lit with a bluish-green light that seemed to irradiate from everywhere. He was about to start making questions when he realised that they were not alone.

Several students were spread through the room, waiting for him, and Professor Longbottom came up from between them: “Glad you two made it safely. Welcome, Jackson, to the Room of Requirement.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Three:

Army

Jack was speechless. The room was stacked with books and small cushions, excessively cosy for Jack’s expectations. Standing in the room, he immediately saw Astrid, Aster, that Slytherin girl Merida, a blonde girl with a beehive that seemed way too big for a regular sized hair, a few other fifth years and at least another twenty other students that he didn’t know.

“I’m glad your plan worked out, Haddock.” Neville said. “And you made it out without a scratch!”

“Just barely,” Hiccup replied. “Those fireworks worked better than I expected. Everybody left the room.” He explained.

“How was White, though?” Astrid asked, smirking. Hiccup winked.

“Desperate.”

“What is this?” Jack asked, still in awe, and everybody looked back at him.

“This is the Room of Requirement, Jack.” Astrid said, walking up to her friend, her wand firm in her hand. “It’s a secret place where a student could go to if he was in desperate need.”

Jack still had his mouth open in shock. “I see.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.” Professor Longbottom said. “Twenty years ago, to be precise.” Everybody got closer now, listening attentively to a war hero. “Back in my fifth year, when another Ministry’s lackey started intervening on the school. We gathered here where we could learn how to fight back, but…” You could feel apprehension rising on the room. “It was nothing in comparison with today. Last time I got here, back in the Battle of Hogwarts, I thought the room would be sealed off. Now listen up, everyone. McGonagall left the school just this week, but she left me in charge of protecting you. But the way things are going, I am not sure how long I can keep all of you safe from White. She is backed up by the aurors and they are backed up by the Ministry.” A gut wrenching silence followed. “It would not be too far to assume that the entire Ministry is compromised.”

“What about the Order?” Astrid said, and Jack’s heart nearly skipped a beat at the thought of having the Order of the Phoenix standing up against White and the fact that Astrid was talking about it in front of so many students when Hagrid had asked for absolute silence. But apparently, the news weren’t as shocking for everyone else.

“You are still too young to join the Order,” The Professor said, and there was a collective sigh of disappointment.

“Then let’s make our own.”

Jack looked to Hiccup, who never seemed braver than when he said those last words, not when he jumped off a tower or flew on Toothless back. The boy looked back at him, and soon he heard the first shouts of encouragement.

“Yes!” The other students replied. “Let’s put White to run.”

Professor Longbottom looked back at Hiccup. “You called it, Haddock. You name it.”

Hiccup thought for a second. “How about… the Black Army?”

“Dramatic much?” Jack commented, but he had to admit that he liked the way it sounded.

“Let’s do it,” Merida’s thick Scottish accent spoke. “The Black Army it is.”

There were cheers of excitement rising through the room, Jack and Hiccup could feel it in their bones. Professor Longbottom smiled, he seemed proud. “Okay, then.” He said. “We’re going to need more space, though.”

As soon as he said that, the room shook, and Jack feared for the worst, until he realised that the floor expanded, meters and meters to every direction, and he felt as if he was moving along with the ground. More pillars formed along with the new room, and in a moment the room expanded enough to conceal not just the students, but from the shadows emerged what seemed like metallic manikins, masks on their faces that Jack immediately recognised to mimic Death Eaters.

“Come on, then,” Professor Longbottom said. “You better get started, You’ll have until lunch, White will be stuck in the fireworks and the swamp until then. You’ve got around two hours.”

And with that, he quickly rushed to the outside. Astrid and Jack stared at the door as it shut, and just like that, they put themselves to practice. Hiccup wasted no time in wandering to the book shelves at the corner of the room, immediately reaching the ones at the very top, even if he had to climb the shelf.

“A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions... The Dark Arts Outsmarted... Self-Defensive Spellwork... wow…” He said, and Jack noticed how his eyes seemed to glisten in lust as his hands reached for the first hard cover he could touch. The blonde girl with the Beehive approached him. “Jack, this is amazing, this is everything we could possibly ask for!”

And then the girl took no time in piling as many books as she could carry in her arms, collapsing to the neared cushion.

“Take care there, Azel,” Merida said, walking up to her friend. “ Jinx for The Jinxed’ doesn’t really sound like somethin’ yeh really nee’ ter read.”

“I haven't found most of these books in the Lybrary, yet… I only dreamt of those titles in my wildest dreams, this room is perfect !” The girl Azel complained in a sweet sang voice. Jack chuckled before walking towards Hiccup, taking the book on the highest shelf for him.

“A literal dream coming true, I guess?” Jack said, offering the book.

“Definitely much better than the cove.” Hiccup replied in a deeper tone. He then looked around. Apparently no one really knew how to start. “How are we going to help them, Jack?”

Jack just looked at him, smirking. “The same way you’ve been helping me.” Hiccup looked back at him, green in blue. “Come on, it can’t be that hard.”

The white haired boy turned on his heels, and looked over the other 26 people talking loudly in the room. “Hey, everyone?”

Nobody seemed to notice him. “Alright, quiet please?!”

Hiccup hid his smirk at the awkward fail, rolling his eyes. He needs a whistle.. . And at arms reach, a whistle seemed to enter his focus, hanging in front of him. He took it, and blew it hard. Jack jumped at the sudden sound, and everyone seemed to quiet down instantly.

“Not bad,” Jack muttered. “Thanks.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes, stepping ahead of Jack. “Okay, listen up everyone. I think that for being our first meeting, we could start small. How about Expeliarmus for a first try? You know, the disarming charm.”

“That’s Potter’s spell, isn’t it?” Aster spoke from where he was standing with Astrid, and Jack had the sudden impression that they were a bit too close for friendliness.

“Yes.” Hiccup replied, and everyone seemed to cheer up in excitement. “Come on, pair up everybody, and try to stick to your partners only .” He said.

There were books after books of defensive spells, and as most of the room practiced the disarming and stunning charms, some Ravenclaws took their sweet time winging through the pages looking after new hexes and curses they could use. Azel took a sudden interest in the Muy Obscure Rituals from Sotanaht Grim, the detailings of the world levelling curse.

“I see no use for this book, Azel…” Hiccup commented after the girl motioned it to him, not raising his eyes from the heavy book on his lap. “That’s not precisely what were dealing with.”

“Gladly so… I can’t even believe books with these instructions still exist, we should burn those…”

“Nah, far chances,” Aster called out from the center of the room, as he duelled disarming charms against a Hufflepuff girl. “Old dark books like these ar’ protected by magic, not even fyendfire could destroy it so easily…”

“It does have burn marks all over…” The girl whispered as she examined that hard cover.

“I suppose someone else must have thought of the same thing, then.” Hiccup said again, still not raising his eyes from the pages.

“ Small curses, Soul breaking curses, Horcrux making, the unspoken unforgivable spells… Which spell could be worse than the unforgivable ones?”

Hiccup had no answer to it, but he jumped in fright as the girl shut the book loudly with a resonating thump. “Well, if we can’t destroy it, we better hide it. I know a place. Have you found the next jix yet?”

Hiccup finally lifted his face. “I have.” As he stood up, he marked the book page with his own finger. “I don’t suppose we have enough training for this one yet, and you just went through a whole bunch of curses, but what you think of trying the Cofringo charm?” He bit his lip.

Azel made a darkened face. “Don’t you think of it as too much? Why would we need to blow things up, though?”

Hiccup shrugged, but soon enough Aster ran up to them, his brow chirmed up. “Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing some fire… although the further from my face, the better. But on White’s ass? I wouldn’t mind a bit.”

Hiccup snorted a chuckle, but Azel remained with a dark furrow. “But still, Aster, that’d encourage more than violence…” He gave her a stern look. “Self defence? Sure, but those are full on harmful attacks, we should go for peace first…”

“I’d beg to differ,” Aster retorted. “I see ya aimin’ for the path of love, I guess… But trust me, blondie, there’s no freakin’ love letter when it comes to pigs like White. I’m sorry to say that, but you’ve had it too easy. We don’t kiss bigots, we punch them. Hard. I rather resource towards the path of good old violence.”

He said that in that perfect manner that only Aster could bring, just enough elegant and rebellious that a huge laughter erupted from the surrounding students who listened intently to the conversation. Some even straight up clapped Aster. And as Hiccup worried for Azel’s reaction to her poor reality check, he surprised himself at seeing her nodding along, dropping her head in acceptance as Aster gave her light pats on her shoulder.

“The first meeting of the Black Army.” Jack said much later, when he, Astrid, Aster and Hiccup were outside the Room of Requirement. The day had passed, and now they were starting their way to their common rooms. “I guess it went well,”

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Aster spoke, and he seemed angry. “That bloody fourth year nearly took out my eye with that errant spell!”

“Oh, Aster, you’re exaggerating, it just burnt up your brow.” Astrid said, rolling her eyes, but that did not make Aster any happier.

“I swear, next time better everyone be up in lines.” He said, angrily.

“I think it went great.” Hiccup said. “I mean, they need some practice but at least they won’t be completely defenceless in case anything happens.”

“Argh, what could possibly happen?” Started Aster. “I mean, it’s not like there’s a riot going on in the castle or Dark Marks appearing everywhere,” He said in a clearly mock tone.

They reached the point where Ravenclaws and Gryffindors got apart.

“You two go on,” Jack said, and did not wait for an answer before he started pulling/dragging Hiccup out to his tower.

“How chivalrous.” Hiccup said, smiling until he noticed the dark tone on Jack’s face. “Is everything alright?” He asked, worried.

“Fine,” Jack lied, but Hiccup could tell. Gingerly, he snatched Jack’s fingers with his own, and the warmth seemed to comfort both. They walked quietly until they reached the West Wing of the castle, now empty as most students were already inside. “Hic,” The smaller boy stopped in front of him, eyes open wide. “I don’t want to keep doing this.”

Hiccup stared in shock. “What?”

Jack raised their linked hands. “This, Hiccup.” He said, now letting go of the boy’s hands and pointing everywhere, desperate. “I can’t keep up with all this right now.”

“You just gestured to all of me.” Hiccup retorted, rolling his eyes.

“Damn you, Hic…” Jack was sweating, his face starting to screw in a frown.

“Jack, we’ve already had this talk.” The small hands grabbed Jack’s sleeves. “We agreed on keeping this a secret, specially when White is watching us-”

“-no, we agreed on not doing anything until it was safe.” Jack interrupted, stepping away. “And here we are, giving hands, making out when nobody’s watching.”

“We wanted it this way!” The green eyes watered, and both boys were about to start crying. “I did it because I thought you liked me.”

“I do like you!” Jack exclaimed, actual tears forming out of his blue eyes. “I like you, and that’s the problem. That’s the whole bloody problem, it’s because I like you that it hurts the most.”

Jack held the other boy by his shoulders, squeezing lightly. Hiccup sighed: “I like you too,” He said. “And I don’t want to lose you.”

The taller boy sighed. “You’re not losing me, Hic, it’s just... It’s not-”

“Safe.” Hiccup finished, not looking at Jack. There was a long pause.

“Yes.” He concluded. “If things were different… If I…” Jack swallowed, drily. “I could be different.”

“Why is there never an ‘ us’ when you’re talking?” Hiccup asked, and Jack stared at him. “You make those decisions for yourself. You always do.”

“That’s not it-” Jack tried.

“And it’s fine.” Hiccup interjected, nodding in self-assurance. “If that’s what’s best.”

“Hic…” Jack pleaded, aiming for the boy’s hands but the boy shied them away, walking towards the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jackson.” And with that, Hiccup ran up the staircases, spitting the password of the common room and scribbling his signature on the daily checks, running off to his bedroom, stripping of his robes and collapsing on his bed. He wanted to hate Jack. He wanted to change all his feelings and condense them into this singular hatred for Jack Overland.

However, he couldn’t. Because he knew that Jack was doing this for himself that things seemed easier. If it was up to Hiccup, he would dare for them to go out and do as they pleased. But he was not given the choice; Jack did that for Jack, and Hiccup was okay with it. It’s better this way , he thought before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

The following days were a mix of rush and joy for the members of the Black Army. The smile forming on Jack’s face after every meeting was more than enough to drive White absolutely out of her nerves. The general cheerfulness coming from the others was right out infuriating for the Headmistress. She still did not understand why every single one of her most targeted students seemed so happy about. At every meeting, there was something new to cheer for.

Hiccup was especially proud of the general commotion, after he had successfully taught Merida the stunning charm; helped Astrid to master the levicorpus jinx, and even learned the freezing charm from Jack – no small deed. Even Aster seemed more confident at their everyday routine, and found ways to imagine White’s face on the targets whenever he practiced the stunning charm. He could nearly hear her voice spitting barbarities about mudbloods – and that was more than enough to propel the australian boy to cast the spells at the edge of his rage.

It didn’t take long for Jack and Hiccup turn back to their former awkward state. On every aspect they acted just like they once did back when they met. The shift in their behaviour could be nearly sensed by Astrid and Aster, who both had a good guess on the nature of their relationship, but smartly chose to remain quiet near them.

There was a bit of anger too. Hiccup was hurt, but stubborn as he was he’d never let that show. At night, he would slip out of the tower and fly Toothless out to the cold, the dark scales of the dragon mixing with the night and shadowing beneath the stars until they were far off into the sky. He would cry to himself, and even though part of him hated the distance from the other boy, he knew that there were far more important things to worry about.

He focused on Toothless after the meetings. Nearly every night he’d take out the dragon from inside his pockets and run to the Forest. Sometimes he wondered all the way to the Seventh Floor, standing before the doors of the Room of Requirement and mentally ask for a place he could fly. The first night he got in, he was so amazed at the tallest room he had ever stepped foot, full of pillars and pathways he could fly to, and his first impulse was to call for Jack.

This is for Toothless , he would think, shaking his head before flicking his wand to the dragon. “ Essentio!” He whispered, and the ‘model’ revealed itself into a glorious dragon.

Even inside the expanded Room of Requirement, Hiccup missed the nights he could fly out in dark sky. Flying outside was true freedom. The black scales of Toothless would blend in with the sky and they would pierce through the air in full speed at every curve, descent and dives. Magnificent.

Even with all the excitement of the Black Army and the distraction that was watching White losing her façade of collected control, the students still had to attend classes, deliver their homework on time and live though the charm of school life. Astrid and Hiccup would often sneak into the library on their free periods – they still had to find a teacher to assume the Care of Magical Creatures class. Hiccup had the small model Toothless on his desk, currently curling around its tail with eyes wide open, staring at the two friends.

“I heard that Professor Slughorn is giving a party next week.” Hiccup said, aware if Madam Pince was not eavesdropping on the two. Astrid smirked.

“Yeah, for his Slug Club.” She nodded while scribbling answers on her Potions essay. “I haven’t attended most of his meetings, to be honest.”

“I didn’t know you were in the Club.” The boy replied, shaking his head to get his hair away from his eyes. “How did you make it?”

“We don’t, actually, he just invites whoever he particularly likes.” She explained simply. “He asked about you once.” Hiccup looked up at her, his brows furrowing into a questioning gaze. “He was curious. Hell, everybody is curious about you.”

“What you mean?” An irritated shush from Madam Pince reminded them to keep quiet. They exchanged an amused glance while Toothless gave an annoyed yawn.

“I mean, you showed up on the Prophet at least three times this year,” Hiccup’s eyes saddened when he remembered the reason. “And to most people, your mom is a hero now. And you’re a great student and a terrific dueller. I mean, if I were Slughorn, I’d be trying to get you in the club ever since the beginning of the year.”

Hiccup looked down, taking in this new view of himself. The boy wouldn’t think of himself as popular, nor valuable. Especially with the way things were going, popularity was considered less useful than love potions in his mind. At least love potions could bring Jack back , he thought, but quickly shook away this absurd.

“He said we can bring guests, if we wanted.” Astrid said as she waited for Hiccup’s inexistent reply. “I am taking Aster, though, but I’m sure someone could bring you in.”

“Aster?” Hiccup trailed, looking at his friend with an amused look. “So you two…”

Astrid’s face flushed, the girl almost choking. “No, no, no,” She quickly stuttered, and Madam Pince shushed again. “We are just goin-going as friends! Only friends.”

Hiccup scoffed, which made Astrid blush even more furiously as he turned back to his parchment. “Yeah, right.”

“You should take notes.” The girl said, and now Hiccup stopped moving. “Maybe it could give you some advantage with Jackie there,” She sang the name, effectively mocking Hiccup.

“Yeah, well, we know that is not going to work. He doesn’t want anything to do with me.” He spoke lowly, nearly growling.

“Well, I don’t know about that, he considered inviting you to the party.” She said lazily, her eyes glancing sideways.

“Is Jack part of the Slug Club?”

“Yeah… The old Slug was interested in Jack’s frosting skill, I guess.” She answered, “He didn’t invite anyone to go with him yet.”

Hiccup remained silent for a while, taking it in. Then shrugging it off. “Well, he’ll find someone soon enough.”

“Hiccup…” Astrid tried.

“Someone better, like one of those girls that keep swooning at him…”

“IF YEH CANNOT READ WITH YER MOUTH SHUT, THEN GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LIBRARY!”

Madam Pince had finally lost it, because she was aiming any hard object at the two. Hiccup quickly gathered Toothless back into his pocket while Astrid lifted her books to protect her head, pulling Hiccup away from the Library, laughing as the witch cursed all sort of hexes to the corridor.

The thing is, throughout the whole White’s ordeal, they could nearly feel the eyes popping out of the walls whenever they moved. White was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Filch was working like a shadow behind the students, watching their every move.

The changes came up slowly. A few more rules here, a couple more detentions there. The Quidditch matches became impossibly unfair once that White banned the Gryffindor’ seeker from playing, accused of associating with illicit purchases from Weasley Wheezes – all proven fake as Merida reported at the very next meeting of the Black Army.

“They’ve been framed,” She explained as she collapsed on the comfortable plump cushions of the room, her fierce red curls spreading like a crown around her head. “Ah’ve heard my teemates scheming to plant those Dungbombs inside the Gryffindor’s dressin’ cabin. Filch’s out there in the corridor patrolling, nobody should be able ter leave the room for this hour.” She sighed before letting her head fall backwards against the cushions.

“They banned that Kingstom girl.” Azel explained as she walked away from the bookshelves, that same copy of Muy Obscure Rituals on her arms; her golden blonde hair as always folded on a neat beehive above her head. “She is a muggle-born, so White just kicked her out of the team. Without a seeker, there is no way Gryffindor could win the game.”

“We can still make over 150 points before them.” Someone from the Gryffindor team suggested. “We’d still win if…”

“Fat chance,” Aster retorted. “We’d never get that far before they catch the Snitch, and we couldn’t let them score even one goal!”

“We need a new seeker, then.” Another boy replied.

“Are we seriously discussing Quidditch at this point ?! ” Merida yelled, even though she had started the conversation. “White’s nearly purgin’ the school of muggle-borns and all ya concerned about is how to replace a goddamned player?” A Gryffindor boy opened his mouth to the raging girl, but docked as she threw a heavy book over his head. “To hell with your game!”

A strange silence fell on the room, but it took two seconds for Jack to notice the blonde girl standing at the doors. “Astrid?” He asked, furrowing his brows as the girl remained immovable at the top of the stairs.

“What is it?” Aster rushed to the girl, his hands ghosting over her elbows, but the girl walked past him, walking on a straight line to Jack.

“ It’s Hiccup! ” She nearly whispered, and Jack’s heart sank from his chest. “White called him in again, he’s in her office right now.”

The dreadful woman had intercepted Hiccup personally while he was only making his way out of his Common Room, barely making into the Grand Staircase when she materialised in front of him, the most devious expression as she stood unmovable in front of the boy and ordered him to follow her all the way to the very place they were sitting. “I thought that now that you’re the Headmistress, you’d be using Professor McGonagall’s office.” Hiccup said simply as he slumped onto the chair across from White’s desk. The same evil smirk was there, pulling her lips in a twisted sense of dread and suppression.

Hearing Hiccup’s assumption, the woman’s expression turned into one of obnoxiousness, and it took no words from her for the boy to presume that McGonagall made the room impenetrable. He smirked.

“I believe this is not what we should be discussing here, mister Haddock.” She spoke quietly, her voice still piercing like knives on a chalkboard. “McGonagall is not here to bother me anymore. However, there is a far more important question to be answered here.”

Hiccup gulped as he feared the worst. “…the Quidditch Match?”

“You’ll find out not everyone here appreciates your wittiness.” White said, her own smirk returning to her face. “No, Mister Haddock, the thing I want from you is to understand the following:’

‘There has been some unrest lately. We have a loose creature threatening our grounds, and if we cannot contain it, then I suppose I won’t be able to keep the school working much longer. I don’t believe any of us want to see that happening now, do we?”

There was a condescending tone to her words, so Hiccup only nodded nervously. “…I suppose.” Don’t be Toothless, not Toothless, he thought.

“Wonderful.” She said standing up from her chair and walking all the way around her desk. “In this case, I think you will make this pretty easy for the both of us.” Before Hiccup could reach his wand, White casted her spell: “ Incarcerous! ”

Ropes burst from her wand, tying the boy’s wrists to the armchair, his legs to the ground and his head backwards, trapped as he yelled in sudden fear.

“What are you doing?!” He tried screaming, but the ropes tightened around his throat, blocking the words as he choked.

“I am preparing you, Mister Haddock,” White then walked on forwards, ignoring the squirming boy as he struggled against the ropes. “I need you to stay still for this experiment. ”

“ Please! ” Hiccup cried in pain as the ropes squeezed him tighter. “ Please stop! ” White looked back at him and smirked before she stopped in front of a locked black wardrobe that Hiccup hadn’t even realised that was there, hidden in the shadows standing as tall as a man.

“I will let you go really soon, Mister Haddock.” She said, pointing her wand to the handles of the wardrobe, unlocking it before stepping backwards. The cabinet shook once. “ Expecto Patronum!” She exclaimed as a white shapeless shield ghosted out of her wand, hovering inside the cabinet – which shook twice. “ Prepare yourself. ” She whispered.

A Dementor jumped out of the furniture, floating away from the white sparks of the Patronus charm as it screeched in horrible sounds, a deafening gurgle as the pressure in the room seemed to drop, the air turning even colder as the creature slammed itself against the opposite wall of the windowless office.

Hiccup didn’t release a single sound, immobilised in horror as he witnessed the starved figure of the Dementor, seemingly even more fragile than he ever believed them to be as it shielded away from White’s shield. The boy couldn’t reach his wand, couldn’t move his fingers as the ropes held him fiercely.

“He will try to extract something from you, Mister Haddock.” White said. “It will be painful to watch, but I am sure that my effort will be rewarded.”

“ Please! ” Hiccup tried again, tears straddling down his cheeks as he shook in terror of the dark cold creature.

The Dementor turned back to the boy, sensing his fear. Slowly it approached, and Hiccup felt every single hair in his body shiver at the freezing cold. He could not remember ever feeling that scared, not when the Dark Mark was conjured, not when Jack snapped in angst. That was the scariest he had ever felt in his entire life.

Face to face with the Dementor now, he shook horribly as the saw the dark cape lift above the creature’s head, exposing a terrible dark pit where its mouth was. He shut his eyes, his mouth, in a desperate attempt to protect himself, but then all he felt was this weightless feeling as he could not form one coherent thought. The cold shattered the air as he felt the tips of his ears and nose freeze when the bony fingers of the Dementor grabbed his face, nearly passionately as if to kiss him. A horrible voice echoed in his head. A woman’s scream.

His last coherent thought was of Jack’s lips, and for a moment, he actually figured if that wasn’t how it felt like. A kiss like any other of the kisses he shared with the pale and tall boy. He felt the push, twisting his insides as every last part of his being got pulled backwards, and pain worse than he could imagine crossed his heart. Rolls of memories rushed on his mind as he felt himself being ripped apart, torn and twisted and suddenly it was like he was falling, but not weightless anymore. He was heavy, so heavy that every single one of his limbs seemed about to explode in pain, like his blood had been replaced by liquid metal.

And then suddenly it was gone, the pull, the fall and the weight as he felt the warm white magic explode across the Dementor’s face, Agatha’s Patronus charm repelling the Dementor away from his limp and useless body, pushing it across the room until it got trapped back into the cabinet.

The strings around Hiccup loosened their grip, the marks where they held tightly against his wrists were whitened on his skin, but the boy did not move.

“I hope it didn’t go too far…” The scratching voice of White ringed in his ears as she examined his face with her hands, and he managed to wriggle out of her fingers. She grabbed then a small tea cup, partly filled with a deep blue liquid. “Drink this, it’ll make you feel better.” She spoke.

Hiccup’s fingers trembled around the cup, eyeing it suspiciously as White turned around on her heels. Something in his clouded mind sparked, a small light on comprehension between his confusion, but he knew better than to drink it.

White still stared at him. “Drink it!” She insisted.

As if on cue, the Dementor’s cabinet shook, and in the short moment White took her eyes away from Hiccup’s hand, he spilled the drink on the opposite floor, and quickly brought the cup to his lips.

 “That’s better. Now,” She said before leaning towards the boy, and Hiccup could only see the scowl on her face, maddening as the frustration seemed to emanate from her features. She took a firm grip on the boy’s chin, forcing him to look at her: “I will tell you this once, Mister Haddock, and listen closely: if you were an Obscurus then you would not have stood a chance against that dementor, it would have made it come out and then it would have torn you apart. If you or any of your friends are hiding that creature, you may be sure I will find out.”

She let go with an abrupt move, and Hiccup felt the sting were her nails had pushed into his skin. Trembling and without using a word, he stood up from his seat, grabbing his backpack with shaken fingers and stumbling away from the office. His shirt was glued to his body, he was completely covered in sweat. His hair was damp and sticking on his forehead as he walked forwards, down to the spiral staircase on the third floor before collapsing on the handrail, his hand clenched to his chest, where Toothless jumped out of his pocket and into the boy’s freckled hands.

How long did he stay in there? Minutes? Hours? All he knew is that eventually he heard steps rushing upwards to him, but he did not move, not when he heard the muffled gasps of Astrid nor the angry yells of Jack, running to him as he enveloped the boy in a desperate hug that he could not stand. He shied away from the pale hands, everything feeling too much. Too much heat, emotion and physical contact that he started crying on the spot, no longer protesting when Jack’s fingers curled around his free hand, lifted him by his waist and guided out into the corridors.

Chapter Text

The four teens rushed to the Grand Staircase, Jack practically carrying Hiccup on his arms, as the boy seemed to slip in and out of senses, his head spinning and his stomach still churning. They ran upstairs until they reached the sixth floor, where they shuffled the corridors on to Professor Slughorn’s office. Jack wasted no time before knocking harshly on the door, and when the plump, bald old teacher appeared, he gave a little squeak at the image of the scrawny teen that looked like he had just been on a train wreck. He stepped away just before the group flooded his office.

“What happened to Haddock?” Slughorn exclaimed. “Close the door, you.” He pointed at Aster as he spoke with a careful voice, tying his thick purple robes tighter around his large waist. He examined Hiccup’s pale face, the dark bags under his eyes and slow reactions to anything the outside world did to him. “What did he get himself into?”

“We don’t know; he just came back from White’s office.” Jack stuttered the words as Hiccup collapsed onto the couch.

“Good Merlin! Can you hear me, mah boy?” He spoke, leaning his hand up to the boy’s forehead. “I must say, you should have taken him over to Madam Pomfrey, Mister Overland.” He said before rushing to one of his cabinets with surprising agility.

“White is tracking the hospital wing.” Astrid explained. “Jack figured it was best to bring him to you.”

“I see…” He said, suddenly moved/proud with their consideration, before he quickly recomposed his determined manners, turning on his heels holding nothing but a piece of chocolate. “I’ve pictured another occasion for this, but given the circumstances... I hope he wasn’t kissed to the end.”

There was a strange silence. “...wait, kiss?” Jack made a grimace.

“Take it easy, boy, I’ve seen very few worse meetings with Dementors than this. I’m surprised he actually managed to come back with his soul still in one piece.” The professor said before eyeing the way Hiccup’s hand was attached to Jack’s. With an awkward grin, he offered the chocolate to the white haired boy instead. “Try giving this to him, I believe he’ll respond better to you.”

Jack took the candy gingerly, ignoring the others in the room as he placed the chocolate on the boy’s lips with the most tender expression. Hiccup chewed on the piece slowly, and suddenly it was as this completely new fire formed at the sweet taste, colour spreading back into his cheeks.

“What happened to you?” Astrid rushed into his vision, holding his face with both her hands. “You look horrible.”

“Nice seeing you too,” Hiccup gnarled, batting Astrid’s hands away from his face, sitting up on the couch. “I’m fine.” And then he looked around. “How did I even get here?”

“A common effect of the Dementor’s kiss,” Slughorn spoke again as he turned back on his heels, adjusting the tiny ornaments on his office as he frowned. “He’ll be disoriented for a while, you better keep him company. How exactly did you get face to face with a Dementor, my boy?”

Hiccup had a lost expression, still trying to figure why the room seemed so bright and what was that ringing sound that echoed in his mind. “White,” he mumbled.  “She’s got Dementors in her office.”

Jack nearly choked on his throat. “WHAT?!”

“That is illegal!” Astrid shrieked, and even Aster’s face seemed to go one shade darker. “We have to report this!”

“She’s tortured you!” Jack continued to exclaim, his hands now running in circles on Hiccup’s back, which in any other time would get the boy in a blissful state, but now it just served to annoy him. “We must tell someone, uh-a teacher.”

“Thank you for your consideration,” Slughorn spoke up from his couch, offended.

“You can forget it,” Hiccup said, shaking himself away from Jack’s now abusive hands. “She’s been hiding it well, that’s what she’s been doing to everyone lately. She makes us forget it afterwards with a potion. But that’s not all,” He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to penetrate the fog in his mind to remember the creature she had mentioned. “She thinks we’re hiding a creature, she said the name, an… Obscure? Obscurus… Obscurial.”

A collective shiver crossed through the room as the teens and the professor took in the news. “Does that name sound familiar to any of you?”

“That’s dark magic, my boy…” Slughorn mentioned. “Obscurials have not been for the past century. There’s no way one could exist now, trust my words.”

“I don’t know, professor, if that’s White’ new threat… Whatever that is, she’s positive it exists, and she’s keen on keeping that information a secret. But we’ve got no support from anyone whatsoever.” He said darkly. “We’re on our own.”

“No, we’re not,” Aster spoke up, stepping away from his corner. “Have you forgotten what we’ve been doin’ this past few weeks?! Does the Black Army mean anythin’ to you?”

A shameful silence fell over Hiccup, being pampered over by Jack, soothed by Astrid and scolded by Aster. It angered him.

“And what do you suggest we do?” Hiccup asked.

“We’ve got to break into her office,” Aster said. “If she’s holdin’ a Dementor in there, then there’s no way to get rid of it but freein’ it out.”

“Let a Dementor loose on the school?!” Astrid seemed to have a fit. “Are you out of your mind?”

“White has shields on her door, we can’t get in there by magic.” Jack pointed.

“Or unless we get invited.” Hiccup replied. “The only way in is if she wants us to. Like pissing her off to get ourselves in detention.”

“Which you’re not doing any time soon.” Jack said firmly, holding Hiccup’s wrists.

“Maybe I could try.” Aster said, and Astrid seemed even more out of herself. “She’s huntin’ muggle-borns anyway… It’s not like it’ll be hard for her to get me in detention.”

“No,” Astrid spoke up, “no, It’s too dangerous. Besides, Hiccup couldn’t protect himself, who guarantees that you will?”

“She wasn’t expecting me to,” The freckled boy tried to free his wrists from Jack’s hold again. “If you’re fast, you might actually surprise her.”

Both boys nodded. The silence that fell on the room was only disturbed by the sudden sound of the teacup on Slughorn’s hands, looking tiredly at the teens. “Well, I assume you are feeling better, Mister Haddock?”

The boy nodded, still holding a piece of the chocolate.

“We’ll be going now, Professor,” Jack thanked his teacher, who seemed slightly baffled from the commotion in his office. The four teens walked to the doors, waving at their professor before leaving.

“Are you feelin’ any better, mate?” Aster asked once they were in the point where Ravenclaw and Gryffindor would split. Hiccup nodded, still with a downcast expression. “See ya.” The Australian said before bringing the boy into a tight embrace, which Hiccup responded equally. Maybe each other’s hug was the only one that mattered, the only ones who now shared that fear. The blonde girl went next, letting go in a soothing manner before following Aster up to their common room.

Jack obviously stayed behind.

“You don’t have to keep looking after me,” Hiccup said drily. “You can leave if you want.” The white haired boy only remained quiet. The shorter one only rolled his green eyes before turning on his heels to the corridor behind them. Jack followed, staying a couple feet behind Hiccup all the way to the Ravenclaw Tower in silence. At one point, Hiccup took out Toothless from his pocket, checking on the dragon that he forgot had spent all the encounter with the Dementor hidden inside his robes. “ Are you okay, bud? ” He asked worriedly, when the dragon only remained curled inside his palms.

The boys only stopped when they reached the bottom of the spiral stairs to the Ravenclaw Tower. Hiccup shifted on his feet uncomfortably. “I’ll see you later.”

“Wait up,” Jack said, finally trying to look at the boy in the eyes. He had his mouth open, but there were no words coming out. What was he supposed to say anyways?

But Hiccup was the one that moved first when he felt the tears burning up behind his eyes, throwing himself into Jack’s arms and hugging the boy tightly, craving for the immediate comfort only Jack could bring, and Jack received him readily, lacing him strongly enough to hold, and gently enough not to break.

“I heard-I heard her.” He stuttered between his tears. “My mom. I heard her in there.” He held on even tightly to Jack, and both nearly stumbled as the taller boy squeezed harder on Hiccup’s back.

Jack wanted to kill White. Every part of him yelled for him to destroy her into tiny pieces. He planted a soft kiss onto the boy’s forehead, bringing in the familiar scent of skin and grapes only Hiccup possessed. They remained that way for minutes until the sobs died down, and all that left were the tearful red eyes. Jack placed a hand to the boy’s cheek, brushing it once and holding himself not to pull him into a kiss. That seemed to cross both boy’s minds, and even though they leaned in, their lips never met, instead brushing in a comforting manner and joining their foreheads before Jack pressed a single slow peck on the corner of his mouth.

“You know, this would be a lot easier if you just did what you wanted to do.” Hiccup whispered. Jack only closed his eyes tighter, embracing the boy even closer.

“You know why I can’t. I won’t be able to stop.”

The green-eyed boy then looked up, a mixture of sadness, fear and disappointment on his face, and the expression mirrored on Jack. “You know, if you wanted me to wait for you, I’d wait.”

Tears formed on Jack’s deep turquoise eyes. He nodded once, and pulled Hiccup’s hands to his lips once, pressing a slow kiss to his fingers. “Be safe.” He whispered, letting him go.

Hiccup looked down, drying his eyes with the back of his hand, then nodded in a strange and rushed manner, brushing off their robes before Hiccup walked away, running the steps to his Common Room as Jack only closed his eyes, his mind clouded with all the things he could never say.

When Astrid and Aster walked up to the Transfiguration classroom the next morning, the sense of dread building up on their throats for White’s class, they nearly sat down on their usual places when the high pitched voice of the hateful witch spoke up: “Stop!” She commanded before the class even started.

She swung her wand, the tables and chairs suddenly vibrating and straddling out until there were was a separate roll of desks on the far corner of the room. One by one, a thin red rag with white lines marked ‘ mudblood’ on the seats.

White hissed with a devious smile. “All muggle-borns must sit on their designated place.”

The sparks flew through the air in Bloomsbury Street. The smoke spiralled up from burning vehicles, muffling the screams of the Muggles who ran away in absolute horror of the complete destruction. The Six Obscurials materialised themselves, the black capes emerging from their raging beastly forms.

The Great Obscurial spoke first, slowly. “Gentlemen, our time runs short.” He started leisurely walking through the sparks. “Our mole in the Castle has not given us any leverage about the child, yet the Order has still succeeded in training them for combat… Tell me, should we terminate our bargain with Agatha White?”

Gerbier shook his cloak 

“Spare us from your rants, Erebos…” Gothel hissed, daring to use his name, standing solid on her heels. “I told you we had no use for her, and still you insist on throwing all the efforts into that… incompetent, useless witch.” She spat the words, disgusted.

“We will not need her for long now, my dearest,” The Grand Obscurial said, still facing the burning street. “The muggles will soon turn against the wizards and the ancient times will start again – without her in it.”

“She still thinks we wait for the Death Eaters’ to assemble,” Gerbier said, followed by the dark sinister stare from MacNair.

“They already wait for the order, Master Hammond.” MacNair smiled. The screams from the muggles now muffled metres away from their position. “They are ready to attack the castle.”

“Are they aware of the Resistance?” Erebos spoke, and the smile escaped MacNair’s lips. The Grand Obscurial turned to them now, his eyes as piercing as a blade. “Have they been informed of this latest defiance from the Order of the Phoenix? With their new teenage army within the very walls of the castle?”

“A bunch of kids against Death Eaters,” Gerbier snared in his thick accent, and the other Obscurials laughed. “That’s a good one. What do they plan to do, cast Expeliarmus?”

The Grand Obscurial looked down, before staring back at him. Then he lifted his wand.

"Expelliarmus." Gerbier’s wand suddenly shot off from his hand. “What is a wizard without his wand?” He muttered. “Crucio.”

Gerbier snapped in pain, and the laughter and chuckles immediately died down. “A teenager has defeated Lord Voldemort with Expeliarmus. Don’t you dare to underestimate the power of the young ones, you fool; they have fire in their veins, much, much brighter and fresher than ours.”

Gerbier’s form exploded into the dark shadows of the Obscurus, twisting and turning agonizingly in a horrible screech.

“We shall attack in the next full moon.” The Grand Obscurial faced the flames again, releasing his curse from Gerbier. “Agatha White is still on the search for the Cursed Book. She’ll find it at the right time. When she does, we’ll let the terror take care of the Muggle’s judgement – lead them to the castle. Arrange a meeting with the Muggles. And take a good look; there won’t be as many souls wandering through these streets.”

In the beginning, some people took White’s presence as a joke. It won’t be so bad , some even dared to say, looking optimistically to the new High Inquisitor. It might have been easy to ignore free hate speech as a collateral effect for true change. Now no one was sure how they could ever ignore the elephant in the room when White declared that all classes should separate desks for muggle-borns. Or forbade any trip to Hogsmeade – at least that much was understandable, the Prophet was suggesting a huge infestation of Boggarts in the area. They did not even realise when she replaced detentions with the Dementor’s torture. When Astrid walked out of her detention, nearly falling down the staircase from White’s office, dark circles over her eyes and her memory promptly erased with the forgetfulness potion, both Hiccup and Aster knew it was time to act.

The attacks on the muggle world were no longer spared. Minor attacks than the Thames River – still in investigation by most Aurors -, random peaks of energy that would leave entire muggle cities in the dark for days, mysterious dead bodies found sporadically in public places, strange marks that no muggle could identify. Unknown to the students still at Hogwarts, the appearances of the Dark Mark disguised in the clouded skies was becoming increasingly more common. Astrid’s parents were no longer the only ones to disappear.

Not one week after Hiccup’s encounter with White, a commotion sparked up among Slytherin students. Aster had barely stepped down the Grand Staircase for the Great Hall when the first hex had hit the back of his head, knocking him a few steps forwards.

Around him, there were around twenty students in green robes, their pointy hats covering most of their faces. “What’s the matter with ya?!” The deep and Australian voice echoed, and some students nearby looked at the curious scene. Right above the entrance hall, the big white stripe covered the double doors. The sign was written in red:

‘Mudbloods are the ones to blame.’

The following morning was worse. Hiccup had barely finished climbing down the steps of the Ravenclaw Tower when he heard the surprised shouts. As he ran up to the entrance Hall, he felt the debris on the floor crackling under his shoes, glimmering against the light coming from the windows – now most of them broken, huge sections of the glass missing.

That night, students with pointy hats and covered dark faces had left their dormitories from the Slytherin Common Room. They marched towards the Grand Staircase, and from there they rose their wands. “For Valor,” they chanted. One by one, portraits on the walls were woken up, shouting for silence. And then came the curses.

“ Diffindo! Reducto! ” They commanded, and one by one the frames began to explode in a horrific mess of shattered glass and screams from their paintings, falling over the stairs and into the limbo at the depths of the staircase tower.

Throughout the mess of the Night of the Shattered Glass – as the students decided to name it after they woke up to an entire hall covered in glass and broken paintings –, Hiccup’s mind was still stormed with the creature that he remembered so vividly of White mentioning the last time they met. “You have no idea what it is?” Aster asked while both boys sank behind an entire section of Dark Magical Creatures in the Library. Hiccup sent a dark look, and Aster immediately retreated. “Bloody hell, the woman is hiding a bloody Dementor in her office, if there is anythin’ to be uncovered is that. You’re right.”

Hiccup nodded, turning back to his Norwegian copy of Norse Monsters and Plagues. When he looked back up, he saw the tall blonde beehive of Azel emerging from the shelves, the girl walking to them with a determined look, holding a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , along with a coloured copy of a thin book he could not name, and the old copy of Muy Obscure Rituals from Sotanath Grim.

“I thought you would’ve gotten rid of that book by now.” Aster commented as the girl approached.

“I’m still looking for a place to dispose of it.” She replied sadly as she gave the book a disgusted look.

“No luck, I take it?” The boy tried, and found the girl shaking her head.

“No, but in the meantime, I’ve been reading some of it. They have this chapter on the World Levelling Curse… Although horrible, I couldn’t help but find it fascinating.” She said as she sat down with the two boys.

“Can I see it?” Hiccup mentioned the book, and the girl gave it another dark look before handing it over to him. “I never even imagined such books were even allowed in the school…” He spoke as he flipped through the pages. “There are Norse rituals here?” Azel gave him a tired nod. “Why is everything so sacred? All the rituals he describes… Whoever this Sotanaht was, bloke must have been a really powerful wizard.”

“A really dangerous one, more like it.” Azel suggested. “There are instructions after instructions in there, but apparently it can’t be done by a single wizard… These old rituals require sacred places… He refers to one of them as the Heart of Magic.”

Hiccup shivered at the name. “One of them?”

Azel nodded again, and Hiccup realised how her hair seemed to be frizzing out from its usual spotless knot, the golden locks somewhat damaged. “Yeah, there’s this whole chapter on Equivalences , I didn’t read the whole thing but like every myth and culture gave different names to the same thing. Call it Heaven or Asgard or Avalon, Hell or Patala – it’s all the same, all in a pattern.”

There was a long silence. “Wherever that is, I hope no one ever dares to find it.” Hiccup returned the book to the girl, who promptly slipped it into her shoulder bag. “Who else has heard of it?”

The girl pondered for a second, remembering. “Merida… And Jack. I haven’t openly mentioned it to anyone else I don’t trust.”

“You do well,” Aster said. “I can’t imagine what White could probably do if someone reported it to her… or if she ever managed to put her hands on it.”

Azel nodded, and Hiccup amused himself with the friendly interaction that had quickly formed between the pair. For a moment, he imagined if Astrid would ever get jealous of Azel, but he pushed the thought away. Astrid wasn’t the jealous type.

“I didn’t find many useful instructions on the Patronus charm, neither much background on the Obscurial records… But I managed to get this.” And she flipped the latest Quibbler magazine on the table.

“How did you find that?!” Aster held himself from screaming in wonder, Madam Pince still hovering the students for silence.

“The Room of Requirement.” Azel shrugged. “I needed a way to know what was happening outside the castle, and the room led me to a tunnel all the way to Hogsmeade. I can’t even remember the last time we were allowed to step out of the castle.”

Hiccup lifted the Quibbler, staring at it inquisitively. He then gazed at Aster next to him. His friend only smiled: “I told ya, nothin’ better than this to actually say what’s really goin’ on.” Aster nearly growled, and Hiccup laughed.

“I assume it must be filled with crazy theories, though…” Azel made a disgusted face to the magazine, and Aster rolled his eyes:

“Oh blondie, when you ‘assume’, you make an ass out of you and me.”

Hiccup’s eyes scanned the magazine, realising that whoever wrote those pages had a twisted sense of dread for everything that surrounded him, and he couldn’t help but laugh at the news of the ‘smoky spirit’ that was bringing death from the earth’s core.

The duality of the light and shadows, birth and death, fire and water that is turning our world back against us! Find shelter immediately!

“You’re joking.” Hiccup said with an unbelieving smile – which Azel could not help but find dashing. “This is… just too much.”

“Maybe, but that’s not what I want you to check out.” The girl said, her fingers flipping the pages until Hiccup read the title: How Obscurials might still be on the loose.

“Obscurials?” Hiccup asked, and the girl nodded.

“Read it.” She said, and Hiccup rolled his eyes before starting.

…The young wizards or witches who developed a dark parasitical magical force, known as an Obscurus, were a result of nothing else but their magic being suppressed through psychological or physical abuse. The latest threat our world has been facing could mean a new rise of such dark creatures, lethal and violent bursts of destructive magic that could risk exposure of our magical world.

At least that is what they want us to think. There are rolls of famous Obscurials in magical history – some related to the very Dumbledore family tree -, that have led to the persecution and death of many of wizarding and non-magical lives. Could the Second Wizarding War be the perfect situation for the rise of a new generation of those children immersed in dark magic? Could we face an entire new Order of extraordinary witches and wizards that secretly plan to take over the dark world with their trauma and repressed talent?

Find out more in the next Quibbler edition, along with a whole tutorial on ‘How to take care of your floating pumpkins’.

“You can’t actually believe this.” Hiccup said, incredulous. “This goes too far.”

“You think so?” Azel retorted with an amused smirk. “What was that thing White told you again? That she tortured you for?”

Hiccup leaned towards the table with his eyes closed, pressing his forehead against the surface. “She said we were hiding a, uh...” Secretly, his heart sank as he thought of Toothless, still laying on his desk, green eyes wide alert on the environment. “…she mentioned an Obscurial?”

The name fell unfamiliar to the other teenagers as well.

“The blondie could be righ’, mate,” Aster spoke. “The Quibbler is the most controversial news channel in the wizarding world, if he’s already talkin’ about those… Obscurials, then maybe the ministry’s tryin’ to hide somethin’. Maybe White could be lookin’ for that.”

“We all know there is only one way to hold back Dementors.” She laid on the table, sitting down on the chair as she spoke. “The bigger problem is, who is going to teach us how to make a Patronus Charm.”

Hiccup pondered for a moment, right before the name of Professor Longbottom escaped his lips. And indeed, that same afternoon, when they gathered the Black Army in the Room of Requirement, their teacher was already waiting for them as Azel urged him to teach them how to perform the shield.

“Do yeh think this is going ter work?” Merida asked Astrid in a secretive way. The blonde girl only shook her head in an unsure answer.

“You are too young for this!” The professor replied, and there was a collective commotion from the students. “Are you sure you know what you’re all asking?”

There was no other answer than an obvious yes. And that is how all the students in that room held their wands, forming groups and focused intently on their happiest memory . The chants of Expecto Patronum seemed to rise from the very heart of the room while every teenager tried its best, all the while with Professor Longbottom encouraging them with his impressive clouds of silver and blue smoke that seemed to light the room with warmth. Unlike White’s Patronus, which was sharp and burning, Hiccup thought that the Professor’s reminded him more like the warmth of a campfire on cold nights.

Still, Hiccup was unable to create even sparks with his wand. All around him, the noise and distraction of being surrounded by so many people making him feel overwhelmed. “Come on, Heccup, it cahn’t be that hard.” Merida cheered him up.

“Easy for you to say, you’ve already done one.” Hiccup said, and indeed, Merida had casted a huge silver bear, which caused a great commotion from the room and a small sting of jealousy from Hiccup. “What is your memory, by the way?”

“Oh Haddock, that’s not the kind of question you ask a witch!” The cheerful Professor walked up to them, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Try thinking of your best memory, and you don’t have to say it, just hold on to it.”

Hiccup stared at his wand, trying to focus. Around them, Azel had already released an impressive lizard-like Patronus that brought gasps of admiration from most students. Even Astrid had conjured a silver bird that seemed to float gracefully around the room. Hiccup turned in front of him again, and he held his breath steadily.

His mind wandered over to his memories. The Dark Mark seemed to break into his vision, the green flash and his mother’s name echoing across the Great Hall. He flinched, before tracing the memory further, until Jack rushed behind him moments later, all the way to the very corridor outside, where he held him as they cried. He thought about his mother’s laughter the first time he stepped into the Platform Nine and Three Quarters. That golden afternoon with Jack, Aster and Astrid. Flying with Toothless and kissing Jack at midnight.

“ Expecto Patronum! ” He swung his wand. The warmth emanated from his fingers instantly, and a silver dragon burst from his wand, proudly flying so high up that it ascended towards the ceiling, flying in beautiful spirals around the Room.

The cheers that emanated from the room were deeply overwhelming to his ears, as most teenagers in the room seemed to surround him, some admiringly and congratulating, some beaming with jealousy. Then the dragon dissipated into the air. His green eyes wandered towards Professor Longbottom, whose eyes shined of excitement. Astrid kept smiling cheerfully and even Merida seemed to send him a congratulatory look. Everyone but Jack, who was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter Text

The following afternoon, Luka Southerland had been summoned to White’s office. And not long after, was sent back to the Gryffindor common room with snow-pale skin, sulky eyes and dreadful shakes and chills. The owls had stopped sending anything that week, the only owls that managed to enter the castle brought the Daily Prophet – and then the poor animals rushed to leave before they could get shot down by stunning spells. More owls had been found injured at the school grounds, and Madam Pomfrey now complained how she only seemed to treat animals in her hospital wing.

Aster had stormed into the Library, searching for Hiccup, and as prophesied, he found the boy buried behind a heavy book named The Beasts of the Far-South Underworlds . But the boy hadn’t noticed him yet, so he grabbed the parchment in his pocket and silently shot it over the book, spooking him as Hiccup yelped, kicking a chair and knocking the back of his head on the wall with a loud ‘thump’.

“What was that for?!”

“You and snowflake ar’ equal, nevah manage to take my pranks.” Aster crossed his arms, smiling at the awkward position Hiccup was sitting.

Hiccup didn’t respond, still glaring daggers at Aster when the taller boy gestured to the parchment on his lap. The boy opened it curiously, but wincing from the pain. As he read, though, his features went from confusion to utter disgust. “She’s seriously doing this?”

“Who’s gonna stop her now?” Aster’s mocking held hopelessness. “I think it’s better if we simply lay low right now… either we’re getting kicked outta Hogwarts or we’ll have to find our own way out.”

“You’re not getting kicked out,” Hiccup said stubbornly. “And I’m not letting you out.”

“Ah, you do care.” He said, smiling half-heartedly. Hiccup gave him an unamused look, and it was all it took for Aster to give in, nodding as he sat down next to his friend. “Okay, now in all seriousness… You do understand what this means, right?”

Hiccup looked down. Of course he knew.

The Ardere Decree:

Any and all kinds of relationship between muggle-born students and pure-blooded students is now forbidden.

Muggle-Born students when inquired of suspicious illegal activities must submit themselves to the Headmistress or High-Inquisitor immediately.

Inspections after suspicious theft will now take effect, to guarantee that no pure-blooded wizard or witch is being stripped from their magic by muggle-borns.

THE HIGH INQUISITOR

“You do realise we’re not going by any of her rules, right?” Hiccup spoke, crumbling the parchment and throwing it across the library’s corridor.

“You know what this woman can do, Hiccup.” Aster retorted. “You remember what she did to you… what she did to both of us.”

“I remember…” Hiccup said, but then his voice seemed to drift off. “Wait… Tell me we’re not the only ones pissed off about this.” He looked at Aster then, who was shaking his head with a scowl. “Then maybe you and I don’t have to lay low.”

“Alright Aster, so make sure that she’ll get you into detention as late as possible.” Hiccup said, running through the plan for the tenth time. Both boys were crouched behind the statue of the one-eyed witch, ten minutes before White’s Transfiguration class. “Getting into detention is easy for you, and we know she’ll be targeting you, but also try not getting her too upset...” Hiccup’s hands were shaking as he examined the Labyrinth again, Toothless resting on the Australian boy’s palm as he examined Hiccup rummage through his papers, every detail of the plan carefully written on the parchment. “Also make sure that she targets you alone, don’t get anyone else involved in whatever you do… Unless of course if they step in… which they probably won’t anyway…”

“Bloody hell, Hiccup,” Aster grabbed his friend’s arm, making him focus again. “You do realise that you are way more nervous than I am, righ’?” He pointed, making Hiccup groan in frustration.

“I do know, but I don’t want anyone to get face to face with that thing again, unprepared, and especially not you .” Hiccup stated, running his fingers through his reddish-brown hair. “Once she sets your detention meeting…”

“I’ll meet you back here and we’ll set the rest of it.” He said simply, knowing that Hiccup would only start rambling about every little detail again, and both boys grinned nervously. “I’ll be fine, you are the one that seriously shouldn’t have skipped breakfast.”

“Oh, shut up, sorry for worrying.” Hiccup beamed, and Aster laughed. As they got back on their feet, Hiccup made sure to follow Aster as much as he could in the corridors before it’d be suspicious. Aster laughed again.

“Stop snickering.” Said Hiccup.

“It’s gonna work, you tosser, if anyone can come up with strange mental plans here it’s you.” He said reassuringly. “Here.” He lifted his hands, offering Toothless still curled in his small finger, and Hiccup gingerly took into his hands.

“Give her hell.” He said, and Aster nodded before walking up to the Transfiguration classroom.

The chairs were still divided in strange corridors. That same pattern had repeated itself through all classrooms, where White made it mandatory to divide students between their blood status. Now, they were not only divided, but also White managed to hang a small sign written mudblood on the back of every chair. Aster frowned before sitting down along with the other couple muggle-borns in that class. Astrid showed up moments later, sending Aster a deep look of sorrow before slumping on her chair.

When White walked into class moments later with her usual “ Good morning, children ”, Aster’s stomach sank in despair of what he was about to do. “All the muggle-borns are in their proper seat, good…” She muttered as she circled her desk. “Please make sure to take notes of what’s written on the board… What are you doing, Mr. Weiss? Get back to your table.”

Aster stood still behind his desk, and a deadly silence fell on the room. White cleared out her throat, straightening her posture. “I won’t tell you again-”

“I am not a mudblood.” Aster spoke. All the students in that classroom shifted on their seats, some of them coughing. Astrid sent the boy a pleading look, her eyes wide open.

“Fifty points from Gryffindor.” White said again, now forcing her throat. “And I will make sure to remind you that you are… ”

“ Incendio! ” Aster flicked his wand toward his chair, so both the wood and the paper sign burst into wild flames, the word mudblood flickering into smoke, unrepairable. Around him, a tumult broke when people started cheering and clapping in ovation.

“One hundred points from Gryffindor!” She yelled, a loud crack echoing from her wand, making everyone sit down again before she stepped towards the boy. “And you, your insolent filthy…”

“ Incendio !” Someone else screamed, and Aster noticed that another chair had burst into flames. “Stop! One hundred points from Hufflepuff as well-”

“ Incendio !” The third student on his roll shouted, and more fire and a cheerful applause rose from the room. Soon, a Gryffindor set his wand to White’s very table, and the whole class went wild when the legs won life, dancing to a non-existent music and throwing books, ink and feathers from the professor’s desk while its legs shuffled on the wooden floor, everyone cheering with laughter as the teacher’s skin turned scarlet in rage.

This went terribly wrong… Aster thought.

And indeed, much later, when most of the Transfiguration classroom had been sent to detention, Merida walked down the corridors of the Dungeons to her common room. She stopped dead on her tracks once she saw at least ten students hanging from their wrists on the cavernous ceiling, the deep green light that shimmered from the lake reflecting on their faces. The fierce and untameable red hair made Aster recognise her in an instant, and her utter look of shock was enough to make him grim even through the complete bizarreness of the scene before groaning:

“I know I’m handsome, Red, now would ya please stop starin’ and get us out of here?”

“That’s not what we planned!” Hiccup yelled once he met up with Aster by dinnertime, at the dungeons, one corridor before the kitchens. “How did you even manage to…?” The short boy gestured to Aster’s wrists, still marked by the chains.

“Merida gave me some help.” He simply shrugged. “Most of the class went bonkers after I stood up, and I know, I know,” Hiccup sent him an exasperated look. “I know ya told me to get to her office, but seriously… Nobody could stand that woman, Hiccup! If anythin’, more people takin’ a stand means better chance of fightin’ her off.”

The shorter boy groaned as he leaned against a wall, sliding to the floor. “What do we do now?” He said.

“I was hopin’ you would come up with a plan.” Aster admitted, speaking more to himself. Hiccup sent him another dry stare.

“Don’t look at me like that, I’ve just been hung by my wrists on the dungeon. You haven’t had that yet.” Hiccup rolled his eyes, but nodded apologetically.

He mumbled an apology, but Aster only nudged him as he sat down near the boy, grinning. Hiccup immediately took his nearest hand, his fingers gently running over the reddened area where the chains had strained the skin of his wrists. “I’m sorry I put you through this.” He spoke as his fingers touched the aching skin. “I didn’t mean to get you hurt.”

“It’s nothin’ I wouldn’t have done anyways.” Aster whispered. “Seein’ the look on that woman’s face just made my week.”

Hiccup looked at him before smiling back. “All out war?”

“All out war.” Aster agreed, throwing his arm around the other boy’s shoulders and giving him a squeeze before they heard steps, and suddenly Astrid launched herself at Aster, punching any inch of skin she could reach. Merida and Azel appeared next, entering the underground corridor for the kitchens, looks of complete shock plastered on their faces.

“You stupid-reckless-imbecile!” She punctuated every word with a hit, aiming her fists on Aster’s chest. “You could have gotten yourself expelled!”

“Yeah, but I… didn’t?-”

“Calm down, Astrid!” Hiccup’s voice quivered with his raised hand towards the girl, but she paid him no mind.

“Don’t you dare justify yourself!” Astrid was nearly screaming, to the point Azel had to remind her that someone could hear. “And you,” She pointed at Hiccup, who gulped before stepping back. “I know this was your idea. I told you guys not to try anything just yet!”

“Oh, come on, let the boys rebel for a li-oh bit,” Merida spoke, walking towards the kitchen entrance. “Some anarchy has never killed anyone before.” She said, and then thought back. “At least not more’ than modern monetary systems do anyways.” And then she raised her fingers to tickle on the pear of the fruit-themed painting. The fruit giggled and twisted until a handle appeared, and all six teenagers found their way into an enormous, high-ceiling room, large as the great hall above it, with mounts of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stonewalls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end.

For the past few weeks, the group of teenagers barely went on the Great Hall to eat, another way of staying as far away from White as possible. The elves never stopped working, already used to the frequent presence of the students that ran from the gathering on the Hall above them. But even them seemed more sympathetic to the situation of the boys. To Hiccup specially, when the boy was very fond of the working creatures, thanking and even helping them with small gestures – inadvertently causing the elves to deem him as their favourite.

The five teenagers sat down on the table closest to the fireplace, where the warmth made up for the wetness of the environment, where the Elves kept moving and cleaning everything the teens touched. Azel sat next to Astrid – who kept sending angry/worried looks at Aster while the boy sat near Hiccup – who kept sending strange/questioning gazes at Azel as she and Merida smirked, digging into the mashed potatoes with green sauce that the elves placed in front of them.

“Why y'all took so long after all?” Aster asked as he bumped shoulders with Hiccup. “And where’s Snowflake?”

Astrid cleared her throat as she replied. “That tosser was at the Common Room last time I saw him; said he wasn’t hungry and was going to eat later.” Hiccup swallowed drily, his alert expression fading. “I’m worried about those idiots from the Inquisitorial Squad,” She explained. “They’ve been asking us why we weren’t headed to the Great Hall like everyone else.”

“Wee had ter pretend we were oll sick before they let us out. Finally those pukin’ pastilles from the Weesleys were put to good use.” Merida added as she chewed on her apple pie. It seemed like the more the boys ate, the more the elves put over their table, almost like they pitied the teenagers.

“I just wish I had used my wand on that Gladstone girl,” Astrid continued, an annoyed expression on her features. “I’m dying to put a jinx on that stuck-up nose of hers… Wipe out that smug look of hers whenever she stares down at that badge White gave her.”

“I wonder how come we never see the elves more often.” Azel said finally, looking as the small creatures stumbled everywhere, always working. “There are certainly enough of them to fill up the entire castle!”

Hiccup sipped from his pumpkin juice. “ Hogwarts a History explains that students weren’t meant to see elves in the castle. Technically being here right now could be considered a felony.”

“Another rule on the list of ‘ignored’,” Astrid smirked at him, and Aster gave another unamused look at the girl, trying to hide it behind his cup.

“Well, whatever the rules are, I’m startin’ to warm up to these lads.” Merida said joyfully as another pie was placed in front of her.

The teens walked out of the kitchens in a hurry, curving in themselves not to be seen. They rushed up the stairs out of the dungeons and Astrid peaks out first to signal them to move. In front of Hiccup, Aster scratched his hands, staring down, guilty. If the teenagers got caught, without him, they’d be yelled at, them dismissed. But they had Aster – a mudblood, from all people. Such sour mood didn’t go unnoticed by Hiccup, though, who stepped up to him, nudging his arm with a smile.

“We’re breaking all the rules, mate,” Hiccup stated. “I thought you’d be the one to be more cheerful;”

Aster forced back a smirk of his own. “I just don’t want any of you gettin’ into any bigga’ trouble because of me,” He said lowly.

“Ack, don’t mind that,” Merida spoke in front of them, also stepping down to match their pace. “If anythin’ I’d rather be kicked out while kickin’ White’s butt than bein’ forbidden of doin’ whatever I want with whoever I like.”

Aster smiled, shaking his head as he laced both his friends’ shoulders in a hug. “You are truly one of a kind, curly.”

“Don’t I know it?” Merida beamed cheekily.

The Room of Requirement was tinkling with silver flecks of spells as the students aimed their best attempts on the Patronus Charm, filling the room in wondrous warmth. The thin rays of silver reminded the teens of soft flames, burning freely in the air. More people had joined the Black Army, their numbers reaching nearly forty students. Most of them were muggle borns whose faces carried nasty shadowy looks from White’s torturous detentions.

It was a joyful moment, and Hiccup rejoiced in the hopeful and rebellious spirit that stormed his friends. All of them but Jack, who had still not appeared.

“Chill out, Hiccup, he’ll turn around soon.” Astrid spoke next to her friend. “It’s not the first time he goes all dark and twisty ,” She dodged a flying silver hedgehog that nearly slammed against her head. “He does that from time to time… then he walks up next morning like nothing ever happened.”

Her words did nothing to comfort Hiccup, though. “I just don’t want to be the reason why he’s avoiding us.”

Her Patronus ceased when she heard it, and she turned to him with a piteous look. That’s when the doors stormed open, and Azel rushed into the Room of Requirement, her eyes reflecting complete shock and bewilderment. “What’s goin’ on, Azel?”

“Do we have a radio here? I have news.”

“Oh bloody hell, no bad more news…” Aster started, his face already scrunching into a dreadful grimace when Azel smiled.

“Oh no, these are good news. They’ve found McGonagall.”

Chapter Text

The Room of Requirement flipped into a radio station the moment Azel stepped in through the doors. At the very centre of the room, a small and battered wizard wireless crackled to life as a Ravenclaw student leaned over the desk, adjusting the buttons and panels like a demon as the other teens surrounded the station.

“B. A., River  here, do you read? We have a new report, Mackie is in course to the Fortress; I repeat, Mackie is in course…”

“Mackie?” Hiccup laughed at the brilliant use of nicknames as static noise broke from the radio sound. “When did ya’ll build this?”

“It was Professor Longbottom’s idea,” A fourteen year old student from Gryffindor replied simply; “Back in the time he used it all over the country to maintain communication between the Castle and the Order… I suppose we had to do the same.”

“That’s brilliant,” Another voice spoke from behind the group, and the sound made Hiccup turn in surprise and anger as Jack wandered over to the station, but their eyes never met as he joined the other teens without ever looking at Hiccup. “Though how can we know where she is?”

“She must be arriving at Hogsmead any moment now…”

“Then we need a way to get her in,” he said, looking over to the others. “We need a group to go pick her up, immediately.”

“With Auror’s guarding every entrance?” Another student said.

“Then we’ll make new ones.” He stated resolutely. “We need a way to Hogsmead, now. ”

And the words had barely escaped Jack’s lips when a deep rumble echoed from the depths of the Room of Requirement, and as all heads turned to the source of the sound, a huge crooked metal door materialised from the wall, the sound now escaping to the insides of the earth.

“Is that… a tunnel?” Astrid said, stepping away from the station and walking distrustfully towards the new door, wand in hand as she examined it. It took a moment before more sounds emanated from the radio.

“ -showdown in Hogsmead, I repeat, five wizards have been spot fighting in the centre of the village-” more static.

“She can’t win this one, someone go help her, see what’s happening!”

“I’m going.” Astrid said before sprinting towards the door.

“Don’t!” Aster yelled before the girl disappeared behind the metal door. “Bloody stubborn…”

“You’re not going alone!” A brunette boy from Slytherin who seemed oddly familiar spoke out before following the two into the end of the room.

“Someone needs to go get Professor Longbottom, we need him here, now.” Merida ran the opposite direction towards the entrance door, followed closely by Azel. Commands and rushed steps perpetuated the Room, and Hiccup soon found himself standing stunned amidst other members of the Black Army for agonizing minutes until the entrance doors reopened, and Professor Longbottom walked in, Azel and Merida storming in on his heels as the most hope-driven look ghosted over his face.

“So it’s real?” He asked, suddenly looking much younger than his forties showed. “She’s coming here?”

“We’ve sent three of ours to Hogsmead to go after her, the Room must have opened a pathway straight here,”

“Her way in could also be theirs,” Jack suggested, and a dark wave seemed to chill through every spine in that Room. “Keep your wands out, everybody.”

And just as he said that, a thick and muffled explosion seemed to burst from the door where Aster and Astrid had pierced through. All wands immediately pointed up in a roll, all eyes dead locked on the dark end of the Room of Requirement.

Another rustle shook the door. Hiccup’s knuckles whitened with the grasp he held on his wand.

Then the door swung open, and a sharp yelp rose when the dark wandless figure of the monstrous Auror revealed itself from the passage. There was a deafening scream of hexes and curses when hundreds of lightning bolts exploded in the Auror’s chest, and he stood still like a statue for an endless second before his body jerked forward, and he fell lifeless against the floor.

“I would appreciate it if you kept your wands down now,” The unmistakable voice said from the shadows when Minerva McGonagall stepped out of the door, revealing herself to the roaring army of students.

Hiccup stuttered on his words before finally processing what he was seeing. McGonagall was still alive, a deep bruise on the side of her aged cheeks and her travel cloak was chirmed and ripped at some spots, but she stood as fierce as a lion; Hiccup thought she had never seemed more magnificent.

“Professor, where have you been?” Hiccup asked, his face screwed in shock. “What’s happened to you?”

 “I’m sure there will be answers to give, Mister Haddock, but now I need you to listen. Hogwarts is in danger; we’ve been exposed.”

A collective cry of horror crossed through the students. “How?”

“Who could’ve...?”

“We can handle these news later, let’s work at the most urgent task right now. If we’ve been exposed, then the shield surrounding the castle may no longer serve us if the peril comes from within; all the Aurors are under the Imperius curse. They await the Order, that’s our advantage, they don’t think we can handle a whole bunch of imperiused Aurors; their ignorance is our leverage. So we must act first.”

“We don’t have a plan yet, Professor!” Longbottom took out his wand as well. “White has been watching every corner of the castle in the last months, Aurors on every entrance, and that bloody army of Slytherin minions of her...” He then noticed the small amount of Slytherins present who eyed him offense. “Sorry.”

“That doesn’t mean we cannot reach her. She’ll come for me. But first, you must deal with the Aurors, and her… minions. Think you can manage that?” Most students took out their wands now, the most determined look on their faces, and a sudden feeling of pride washed over Hiccup. “Good. Now, N.E.W.T’s students: stand on every possible entrance, delay the Aurors as much as you possibly can while I deal with White.”

“What if I want to fight?” A Gryffindor student from the fifth year protested, and most Gryffindors and quite some Ravenclaws followed.

“If you are at least seventeen years old, you may go.” McGonagall dismissed, and the boy gave an unamused humph. “Now, the rest of you must remain here and make the room safe.”

“They’ll try to join in, Professor!” The same student claimed. “The other students…. they broke down the Halls the other night… I don’t doubt they’ll butt in the fight.”

McGonagall stared at them aflictuous. “Very well… If you think they’re in similar battle standing, then O.W.L’s may engage, only on other students. Don’t try anything other than disarming or hexing…”

Before she could finish, however, the students took their stand, and in nearly orderly fashion, started to stomp out towards the corridors, gripping tightly on their wands, some of them looking back and wishing luck to the small group that consisted of Hiccup, Aster and Azel. Hiccup’s eyes followed Jack’s all the way as the boy walked towards the exit with an encouraging nod.

“I must say I’m impressed at how you’ve been resisting, so far no student has got killed.” McGonagall said.

“We’re just trynna survive here.” Aster said darkly.

“And you’ve done a remarkable job at it.” McGonagall adjusted her robes, mending the rips with the tip of her wand. “Now let’s go. I’ve been wanting to put that woman to run ever since she stepped on this school, and I will do just that. And you, Professor Longbottom… Oh, am I proud of this day…” The witch seemed to bright up before following the last student that left the room, disappearing into the corridors.

“Do we go after her?” Aster asked, and Hiccup gave an incredulous look when the castle quaked under their feet.

The two boys sprinted out of the Room of Requirement, and not too long after they felt Hogwarts’ walls vibrating; Hiccup knew then that the battle had started more violently than he could have predicted. It seemed that whatever surprise attack from the Black Army exploded on the lower floors, and seemed to travel all the way to the opposite ends of the castle. Soon, most of the students in the castle were storming the corridors with scared looks, filling the halls in a massive crowd. She realised the horror from White’s ruling as she ran past the scared students with swollen eyes, emaciated figures and hollow cheeks, as if life had been drained from them.

Hiccup found McGonagall at the bottom of the stairs, stunning away a startled Auror he recognized to guard the entrance of the Clock Tower. He pulled the Labyrinth from the inside of his pockets, looking for White’s name; then he nearly cursed in anger as he realised that the Headmistress had not even left her office. “She’s not moving yet.” He exclaimed to McGonagall.

“Then we will take the fight to her. Keep your eyes on your map, Mister Haddock.” McGonagall said before disappearing in the mid of the panicking students, wielding her wand all the way as she ran.

A pair of hands pushed past Hiccup and Aster, and he barely recognized the golden beehive of Azel as she ran into the staircases. The two boys exchanged a conclusive look before they ran the other way. They had barely reached the Great Hall when they encountered a violent battle. Jack and Astrid were shooting spell after spell against a tall wizard that seemed to cast random hexes and jinxes against the walls, lighting the stones and rebounding on every direction; the green light nearly hit the students that scrambled away from the fight.

Hiccup pointed his wand, “ Expulso! ” And slammed on the Auror’s face, knocking him out. The entire Hall was covered in dust and smoke, and a huge section of the ceiling seemed to be burned, as if struck by an explosive curse.

The entire deal of older students battling the Aurors had fallen short; Aurors still retarded by the Imperius curse began targeting any student that came too close, and soon another two Aurors appeared at the centre of the Great Hall, emerging through the terrified crowd of students. 

First, Aster and Jack lined up left and right to Hiccup’s shoulders, and then Astrid’s blonde hair whisked on their sight as she threw the first spell, and their duel began; red and green flashes erupted in the hall, the two Aurors holding their four opponents with mastery that neither of the teens could top. A fifth wand appeared, and they all looked up to Quim Shacklebolt, joining the fight with such fury that the others stepped back. The professor took over the duelling, his first curse shattering the Auror’s shield like glass, and soon their wands linked through what seemed like a violent string of fire, heat emerging on the point their wands connected.

The four teens focused again on the other Auror, who finally stumbled as he could not repel the multiple hexes and curses - all rules gone to rubbish. When he finally flopped to the floor, lifting dust and sand on his hard impact, Hiccup started running again, ignoring Jack, who yelled his name. Hiccup slipped through the Entrance Hall and back to the upper floors. 

At every corner of the castle, the masks of the Aurors seemed to obliterate as they started to cast actual curses, and a sudden fear rose up in the boy before the shields formed from the members of the Black Army. On the moving staircase, Professor Longbottom fought a tall blonde wizard in black robes, an Auror with a strange twisted face that seemed half troll. They battled fiercely, loud eruptions of magic floating on the air, as they nearly seemed to dance in their duel.

“They’re Death Eaters!” Professor Longbottom screamed as he shielded himself against the disguised Auror. Hiccup aimed an explosive jinx, not towards the Death Eater, but at the stairs, which smashed  squarely under his feet, and the wizard was yanked down dozens of meters where he stood, the impact never heard amidst the fight.

Most teachers were joining the fight now. Even Sibila Trelawney started shooting her glowing silver globes from the top of the stairs directly at any Auror she could find wandering off beneath her position. Hiccup tripped over a stone gargoyle that had been hexed out of its place and smashed against the floor. “Oh, don’t mind me, I’ll just lie here and crumble,” cried the ugly stone face.

In front of him, not only Aurors slash Death Eaters seemed to be the enemies now, but some students with the Slytherin robes started to sway their wands, the same ones that Hiccup deduced to have shattered the frames and attacked Aster not a week before. Nicholas Stonem was the first one to step forwards against the boy.

“Oh, you so don’t want to do this.” Hiccup spoke.

“Quiet, you freak…” Stonem screamed, his hand shaking as he prepared to cast his jinx. Hiccup only had to look once at his hand to recognise the wand he had disarmed away months ago. “I want to know what you did to my wand. Now!” He said, pointing the wand into Hiccup’s face.

“I did nothing,” Hiccup lied. “And I’ll do nothing.” And that wasn’t a lie. “Go ahead.”

“You don’t think I will?” Stonem’s face screwed up in anger while Hiccup’s remained impenetrable. “ Colocorpus! ” He roared, but the ropes that broke out from his wand only casted backwards, and in a moment, Stonem was trashing on the floor, mummified by his own spell, betrayed by the wand that was once his.

“ Accio wand !” Hiccup conjured, and the wand at Stonem’s hand flew to him in a swift manner. Wielding two wands now, he stared at the other teenagers that seemed to coward as they stared in horror at what had just happened. As they started to run, though, another figure emerged:

“Oh, y’all folks aren’t goin’ anywhere.” Two Slytherin boys raised their wands, one with platinous golden hair and a pointy face, the other with dark rebellious hair and vicious green eyes. “I was never a huge fan of our Slytherins mates; how about you, Al?”

“Not even a little, Scorpius.” Said the other, ripping off the green insignia on his robes before chasing after them, brandishing their wands before being followed by Aster and Astrid.

“THEY FOUND IT!” A horrible booming voice screamed from meters beneath Hiccup’s position. Hiccup looked down just then, as two fake Aurors erupted in black smoke, shooting upwards as hexes were cast at them.

Then, at every direction the Aurors or Death Eater, Hiccup could net yet tell, seemed to mimic the escape as they all blew into smoke, one by one shooting up against the exits, doors and even windows, smashing glass and bricks on their way out. Hiccup followed their trail all the way to the Entrance Courtyard, where now most students seemed to be gathered, staring off into the starry night as the noise of the fight gave way to the ovation and cheers.

“We did it!” The students started to yell. “No more corrupt Aurors here! The Black Army rules!” Claps and more cheers echoed from the castle, and for a moment Hiccup was sure that he had seen Aster and Astrid share an overly tender hug, their faces mashed together in what could be a kiss under the moonlight.

But Hiccup’s mind was worrying far from the celebration. What had they found? He thought. Somehow in the middle of the frenzy students who laughed and yelled in ecstasy, he found Jack; or perhaps it was Jack who had found him. The smile plastered on the white haired boy’s face dissipated when he saw Hiccup’s worried frown. With no words, Hiccup grabbed Jack’s hand, his fingers gripping the other's tightly before he pulled him away from the courtyard, up towards the stairs. His free hand reached for the Labyrinth again.

White remained in her office.

“What’s wrong, Hiccup?” Jack stared at him deeply. 

However Hiccup was suddenly unable to reply anything, only managing to focus on how a thick layer of soot covered Jack’s beautiful face. As if moving on their own, Hiccup’s sleeves reached up to clean the dirt. And then both boys froze.

The dust would settle and the battle would die and would there finally be a room for all they wanted to be? All they really were in the first place? Was that day the final day of their game of shadows?

But the sinking feeling still nagged at Hiccup’s guts. And as Jack leaned closer to kiss him, Hiccup stepped away.

“White’s office.” Hiccup shook his head, yanking himself to now , and again the boy pulled him up, now running to the third floor with their lungs burning. This new hope, the fact they had just won this battle, that they could finally be together, it all fueled them like fiendfyre.

And then more thoughts raced his mind; Astrid and Aster had finally kissed, McGonagall would run the school again, no more discriminated persecution on Muggle-borns, Aster would be safe; The whole point of the Black Army had been worth it. Hope filled the boys like a Christmas morning.

As they sped up through the corridors, they started hearing the voices. At the very top of the spiralling staircase before White’s office, McGonagall, Professor Longbottom, Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, Azel and Merida were standing in a circle in front of the wooden doors.

“…so she’s trapped in there. We can’t get in and she can’t get out, the opposite walls are blocked with shield charms.” Professor Flitwick said, his head the same level as Jack’s thighs.

“She can’t disapparate?” Azel asked, but Merida immediately replied that-

“One cannot disapparate from Hogwarts!”

“Unless you’re me, that is.” McGonagall interjected with a sharp note.

The two boys stepped closer, still breathing heavily from their race up the stairs. The group seemingly paid them no mind as they approached. “We need to bring in the Order now, Headmistress.” Professor Longbottom said, his face completely covered in black dirt. “Most of the guards are gone now, we need ours here before they decide to bring back-ups.”

“Yes, naturally… You and Professor Sprout go right back to the Room of Requirement and find out how to call the Order immediately.”

Professor Longbottom nodded, turning then to Hiccup. “Nice shot back there, Haddock.” And with that, Longbottom ran back down the staircase, sprinting off to the seventh floor.

“Are you alright?” Hiccup asked Merida, and the red haired Slytherin nodded with a victorious smile.

“Those oorors had no business on me and Azel here,” She gestured to her friend. “We neerly got caught by those losers defending White. They’re tossers really, couldn’t strike a hex right even if it was standin’ still in front of them.”

“Merida was amazing.” Azel nodded, and Hiccup noticed how her beehive seemed crooked on her head, some strands of her golden blonde hair loose and hanging until they brushed the girl’s hips. “McGonagall helped us in the fight too, but White hasn’t moved from her office this whole time.”

“A coward move.” McGonagall interjected while the dwarf professor Flitwick started conjuring a terribly complicated spell on the doorknob, trying to unlock it. “Hiding in a hole like a scared rat while the fight-”

An explosion erupted from the bottom of the stairs, as if the ground beneath them had waved like a tapestry, throwing everything upwards. As Jack flew on nothingness, he only had time to see Hiccup’s hand hovering a few meters away from his, a weightless feeling as he reached up to protect the one thing that meant more to him than himself, hugging the smaller body against his chest as they rotated on the air before falling from the edge of the staircase, until they crashed on a pile of rubble.

When he opened his eyes again, the world was a mess of pain and darkness. Everything seemed to go on slow motion, the sparks and flames  cascading over their tangled bodies; Hiccup’s terrified face with his hands clenching Jack’s chest, a fresh bleeding cut over his thick eyebrows as he tried to focus on the other’s face.

“ Are you hurt?! ” His words sounded faint and barely discernible. It took ages until sounds made sense again, and Hiccup shook his head.

They struggled to stand up, off-balance, hands tightly clasped as they looked around. The tower was covered in wrecks, broken stones from the walls had piled up over the steps of stairs, some of which were now missing. Several feet beneath them, Azel cried in pain as blood leaked from a deep cut on her leg, Merida on her knees next to her friend, holding the blonde hair away from the girl’s face as her own wild red hair spiked on every direction, burnt up in some areas.

Hiccup looked up where the door was, finally opened, but unscratched, indifferent to the colossal explosion that had just shook the tower. Next to them, McGonagall stood, supporting herself on the broken handrail, most of which had fallen to the bottom of the spiral stairs.

“Where is she?” The Professor hissed, gripping her wand firmly.

Professor Flitwick emerged at last from the rubble, his glasses crooked on his face, pointing his wand to the door where a strange sort of cold seemed to leak from the inside. A silver mist sipped from White’s office, giving way for the short witch to walk out, wand in hand as she looked down to the disastrous state of the tower.

“Well, I must say I’ve hoped for better.” She spoke in her usual high pitched voice as she stared up at McGonagall. 

“Surrender your wand.” Flitwick warned.

“Oh, you don’t want me to do that.” She replied, and only then Hiccup saw the silver flame dancing from the tip of her wand. “You see, he is really consuming my focus. Cast me out and he’ll be let loose in the school.”

“We can handle a Dementor, you old prick.” McGonagall said.

“Is that so?” White gave a daring look at the wizards. “ Finite !”

In a second, the Dementor burst out of the room, knocking Flitwick to the floor and advancing to the students. “ Expecto Patronum !” Hiccup exclaimed, but nothing came out of his wand, and Jack’s hand held even tighter on his. A silver and blue cat appeared however, as McGonagall casted her charm first, and the Dementor set off to the window, shattering and escaping to the outside.

Then the two witches roared into battle.

The blue lightning erupted from McGonagall’s wand and struck White’s shield in a storm of sound and sparks. Only then, Hiccup realised how much White had hidden away her own power. The shield broke into a wall of daggers, shot at McGonagall so quickly that the witch only had time to shuffle them to the opposite wall, the teens docking their heads as the metal blades fell over them and down the stairs into the abyss. McGonagall brandished her wand again, and fire ropes advanced against the other witch, ready to circle White on a lasso, until the other witch blasted it into smoke, which solidified and reformed into a gigantic snake, opening its mouth wide to McGonagall, ready to attack, bounding the witch dangerously close to the edge of the stairs.

“Minerva!” Said a squeaky voice when Flitwick again stood on his feet, his own wand now blasting stunning spells up against White.

The snake had turned into a cold black stone, exploding in sand after McGonagall slammed it back against the Headmistress, and the two duellist rounded each other again before Flitwick hexed the floor beneath White’s feet, rolling her out of balance, and with a sharp tug of her wand, McGonagall knocked her out from the staircase.

“ Levicorpus!” McGonagall summoned, and White gave a piercing scream before she levitated up in the air, hanging from her ankles in the centre of the spiralling staircase, over the dark abyss. 

“Cowards!” White screamed and thrashed, “Cowards! Two against one!”

“You will do no more harm at Hogwarts!” Flitwick yelled back as he conjured the witch’s wand with his own, “ Reducto! ”

“No!” White agonized in despair as he blasted her wand into ashes before her eyes. Looking down, Hiccup and Jack realised how most of the students had followed the sound of this last battle, filling the bottom of the tower and climbing up as much as they could to the witches, until a crowd formed on the stairs.

“He will not let me live through this!” White cried. “He’ll know I’ve failed, he’ll know…”

She shrieked in horror now, tears trickling down her cheeks. “Who are you serving?” McGonagall asked in a harsh tone. White had a demented look, now completely out of herself.

“If I tell you, he’ll kill me.” She spoke. “I cannot do this.”

“There will be much more to kill for if you don’t say anything.” McGonagall warned, stepping closer to the edge of the staircase when something else brought everyone’s attention. “Do something noble at least; courage, woman!”

A tremor shook the castle’s grounds. The wind from the outside, seemed to intensify, as if intending to knock down a tower with its force. The small spots with fire waved and shrieked into sparks, and the crowd of students screamed. Another tremor occurred.

“He is coming.” White said in a small pitched voice as more tears came down her face.

“Who is coming, Agatha?” McGonagall asked again, now worry and pity taking over hate for the witch before her. Agatha White shook in fear.

“The Order of the Seven,” She said, her voice now barely a whisper. “I gave them what they wanted. They are coming… The Obscurus is coming.”

And immediately her features twisted into a face of pain and madness, her eyes rolling in their orbits as she was suspended upside down on the top of the tower, her limbs pulling into a painful contortion as she screamed. And then she went silent, air still filling her lungs as her soul parted from her body, floating over the crowd who gave shallow whimpers she no longer could hear.

Chapter Text

The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall littered with tiny stars. Underneath it, the four long tables were filled with scared students, most not even respecting their designated house table. Some were still in their pyjamas, others in dressing gowns. Here and there you could see the pearly shine of the ghosts hovering the floor. Every eye was locked on Professor McGonagall, still in her torn travelling robes as she stood on the raised platform at the top of the Hall. Behind her, the teachers stood in line, including the massive shape of Hagrid at the corner of the Hall.

Hiccup sat next to Aster and Astrid, Jack sitting across them next to Merida and Azel, who still had her leg bandaged under the table; all displaying the small cuts and bruises from the battle half an hour before then. From the entrance of the Hall, the doors opened as a strange group of wizards marched in the room. The teenagers did not recognise them from start until they saw Quim Shacklebolt, followed up by a red haired wizard with long nose and many freckles; another witch with bushy hair tied back in a long plait; and a wizard with black hair and green eyes behind the round glasses, who Hiccup recognised as Potter. Another fifteen wizards walked in behind them, storming into the room, and that was when the boys recognised the Order of the Phoenix.

“You better have found your artefact, Mister Potter.” McGonagall spoke from her place, “Agatha White managed to give us one last warning before the curse took her consciousness away. We’re out of time.”

“We’ve found it, Professor.” Said Potter, walking up to his former teacher. “They have just attacked the Ministry’s headquarters, but Hestia Jones managed to extract the answers before they took her.”

“Took her?!” McGonagall had an expression of shock. “You mean…?”

“Dedalus Diggle tried to get to her but he was too late. That’s why the Dark Mark was hovering above Saint Francis Folly this morning.”

“Oh no…” Professor Slughorn, who had great admiration for the fallen witch, gave a mournful moan.

“So, where is the artefact?” McGonagall asked with a determined look. Right then, a tall wizard with long silver hair stepped on to the elevated platform, his hand shaking in seemingly unmeasured fear.

“It’s in the castle, Professor. But we don’t have much time to look for it while the Order of the Seven approaches, the unplottable charm has been rendered useless with the threat of the Obscurial… They plan to destroy us.” The man answered, and Hiccup felt an elbow touching his ribs when Aster leaned over him:

“ That’s Lovegood, Hiccup!” The Australian boy had a secretive whisper to his voice, and Hiccup’s eyes were locked on the wizard. “He’s that bloke from the Quibbler.”

“What artefact are they talking about?” Astrid asked, and both boys shook their heads.

“What about the students?” The witch with brown and bushy hair asked. “They have the right to know what is happening.”

“Yes, Miss Granger, naturally…” McGonagall said, now joining her hands in front of herself as she turned to the Great Hall. “Listen to me. All of you: there was an attack earlier today. The Wizarding Community has been exposed.”

A wave of cries and whispers crossed over the four tables.

“These are not Death Eaters nor… followers or Voldemort we are facing.” The students gave a strange shiver at the mention of the tabooed name; McGonagall resumed her speech indifferently. “It appears that Muggles are threatening the integrity of the fidelius charm cast over this castle for the past millennia… It is hard to tell if the castle is still unplottable. The responsible is no longer hiding. Instead, he claims to be among us. An Obscurial.”

Now fear rose over the students, who began muttering louder. Hiccup stared to the rest of the Hall as people started looking at each other with the most accusatory looks. And then most eyes landed on him.

“It’s not your job to point out between you who might be carrying such a parasite. But for the sake of the school, I must warn you that if any of you holds an Obscurial within you, then not only does your life run grave danger, but so does the life of any of your colleagues.”

“He should turn himself in!” From the Slytherin table, Nicholas Stonem yelled, and most of his peers followed, Merida only stared with angry eyes at the house she once belonged to proudly. “Whoever he is, his life isn’t worth all of ours.”

“Maybe we should turn yeh in ter the Obscurus, Stonem,” Merida raised her voice in anger, standing up. “What right do yeh have ter choose fer anyone?”

Most of the Gryffindor table stood with the red haired Slytherin girl, followed immediately by the Huffle-Puffs, and then the Ravenclaws.

“They never fail to make me emotional…” The red haired wizard next to Potter commented behind his hand.

“I suggest you remain quiet, Mister Stonem.” McGonagall warned from the elevated platform. “We are not turning anyone in tonight, unless someone decides to out themselves voluntarily.” The Hall quieted down, safe for some protests from the Slytherins. “Now, if there is an Order of Obscurials heading our way, then we must start evacuating the castle. Immediately. The House prefects will oversee your departure, and it is essential-”

“What about our things?” A girl from Ravenclaw asked.

“And our owls?”

“We have no time for rescuing belongings; the priority is to get out of here safely.”

“What if we choose to stay and help?” A Gryffindor said, and several others cheered.

“If you are over seventeen years old, you can stay.”

Across the table, Jack aimed a short kick to Hiccup’s leg, and the boy gave a strange look before seeing that the white-haired boy was shaking his head ever so slightly. He knew what that meant. Jack was not planning to leave.

From the edge of the professor’s table, a sudden shout brought the attention of the Hall. “Sibilla!” Pomona Sprout screamed when the witch next to her began contorting in a painful manner, her arms folding against one another and her long pointy fingers began shaking. The Divination professor hissed.

“ …it is coming…”

Professor McGonagall stormed up to her, annoyed. “This is no time for your tricks, Trelawney…”

But Sibilla Trelawney remained glued to her chair, as sturdy as a rock, her eyes twisting on the orbits until all that could be seen were the white globes. “ The reckoning is coming.” She spoke again, her voice was hoarser than usual. The entire Hall went quiet. “The one who can unleash death is on his way here and he will not come alone. He has an army that outmatches our numbers but they possess power that our kind does not know… Both species will clash tonight but there is a danger that neither of them is aware of… And by dawn, all the evil will be unleashed by those who tried who contain it hidden, and the world will stare in horror at its doom, the billions of souls trapped behind the gates to the kingdom of darkness-” A horrible sound gurgled out from Trelawney’s throat, a trapped scream, and with a final gasp, the witch’s head tumbled downwards and then back up, her eyes rolling back to their natural position. The entire hall was still silent.

“Did I say something?” She asked, trembling. “I must have fallen asleep by chance, it’s been a really long night…”

All eyes locked on Professor McGonagall. The witch swallowed drily before turning back to the students.

“We are running out of time, off you go. Monitors? Escort the students of your houses to the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor. Orderly!”

The four tables rose up at the same time, everybody standing up in lines as the students walked out of the hall, only a few remaining on their seats for the incoming fight. There were no Slytherins left, but some Huffle-Puffs and Ravenclaws remained in their place. McGonagall had to climb down the platform and check which Gryffindors actually were of age.

“Absolutely not, McLaggen, you’re barely fourteen yet- Oh, Mister Haddock!” The Headmistress walked up to where Hiccup sat next to Jack and the other boys. “I know exactly what you’re thinking, but in absolutely no circumstance I am allowing you to stay...”

“But the Black Army!” Hiccup cried, and Astrid pleaded beside him.

“It served its purpose beautifully, now let the Order handle it. I can guarantee you, nothing has prepared you for what’s to come.” The Professor had her voice even sturdier, and the teenagers were immediately defeated. “Now off you go, your colleagues are already getting there by now.”

With a collective sigh, the six friends stood up from their seats, Azel being half aided and half dragged by Merida as her injured leg still limped painfully. The short time the teens stood behind was enough for the other houses to get a massive distance, in fact they often found themselves nearly alone walking up the corridors to the seventh floor, barely hearing the echoes of the teens that had passed through the corridors much earlier than they did.

“It’s so unfair!” Astrid yelled as they rushed up the stairs. “It’s as if everything we’ve done so far has been pointless!”

“It’ not like that,” Aster interjected, patting Astrid’s shoulders. “We all fought today, maybe it’s for the best…”

A blinding flash erupted from every window. Bright and clear as if night had turned into day. But there was no sound at first.

“What the hell…” Aster started again, but it felt like the Castle had fallen silent from the flash. Not one sound could be heard for a long minute.

Then they heard a distant whistle, growing in volume and tone until it became too close.

There was a loud explosion. The shockwave ran through the teens at full speed, pushing them several steps behind, some windows shattering with the massive hit. Through the frame of the window, the orange reflection of the fire lighted the wall of the towers outside, sparks and stones falling like a cascade in front of them.

“It came from the seventh floor!” Merida screamed through the smoke, as the realisation and fear had finally struck the six teenagers. They started to run in despair, all the time their minds hoping for the better, but as they saw the massive fire that peeked out from the stairs at the top of the sixth floor, panic had reached out to them.

“Jack!” Hiccup yelled as the boy stubbornly ran up towards the fire before anyone could hold him back. It was anger, and not bravery that moved Jack though, added to the fear of seeing the probable queue of bodies that could be on that floor.

The screams were muffled by smoke and coughing. The halls to the Room of Requirement were crowded with students struggling to stand in the chaotic scenario that the Seventh floor had become: a huge section of the outside wall was missing, as if someone had punched off an entire chuck on the tower into oblivion. Piles of wood and stones covered the floors, and blood was being drained over the rubble. A burnt hand showed up from inside a pile of the wreckage. If it was a student or a teacher, no one could tell.

Astrid covered her mouth with her hand; all the others began feeling tears watering their eyes. The ones who had managed to get back on their feet were divided between those who were in a rush to leave the tower in a massive exodus and those who scavenged through the rubble for their colleagues, who were still buried neck deep in the piles of glass and bricks.

“What is that?” Astrid asked when she looked out though the hole on the wall – what was left of it. As Hiccup and Jack stepped up to the place, balancing themselves over the rubble, they saw it. Lights, artificial ones pointing out from the ends of the horizon. First, they were two, very close to one another. And then another one flashed up next to it. And then two became four. And then four became eight and ten and fourteen.

“What the hell…?” Aster spoke lowly as more lights appeared on the horizon, until an entire line could be drawn above what seemed to be the end of the world. Suddenly there were tens of hundreds of lights. And they all flashed not farther than a few kilometres from the castle.

“Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Hiccup spoke, and his heart sunk when he guessed right. A flash burst from the horizon – a muggle missile, Hiccup recognised instantly - swift and bright, speeding towards the tower.

“It’s gonna hit the shield!” Aster yelled as they all expected the glass-like surface of the dome to hold the attack, but instead the explosive flew, untroubled, through the gardens of the castle. Hiccup only noticed a roar of screams filling the corridor, the imminent sense of peril, and Jack’s hand yanking him to the floor, before the air around them went off.

Chapter Text

The night staged the gut-wrenching scene as the shield that surrounded the Castle for centuries had now been obliterated by the curse. Lined up at the edge of the surrounding forest, tanks and muggles aimed Hogwarts with their weapons. It was an incredibly bizarre image, of horribly and unimaginable beauty.

The Muggle Prime Minister stared in shock, standing next to the man, the Wizard, Obscurial, if he remembered the word correctly. Standing in front of a massive iron gate, two winged boars stared proudly back at him. Behind the Minister, six muggle officers guarded the man, their hands glued to the guns attached to their belts. The Obscurial was surrounded.

"The barriers fall..." Said the Obscurial. "No more hiding for this race of rats, working in the shadows…"

"You-you said they had a book…"

"Oh that is correct, the Rituals of Sotanaht Grim…" The name gave shivers to the Minister. "I've had my forces collect it for me, it's now in safe hands. But still, there is a big chance they have already learned of its use…"

"We are diplomats, Mister…"

"Erebos." Said the Obscurial.

"There's no way we can call an attack without further evidence…"

"Oh, right, Muggles and their annoying little scientific nature, won't do anything out of the sheer faith…" Erebos looked back to where the muggle squad guarded the Minister. They gripped their guns. "I suppose you believe, however, that you can kill me if you move fast enough. That your guns and bullets are enough to protect you from me…"

"Say no more, Erebos, we are done here…"

Before the guard could draw their pistols, Erebos shifted into the Obscurial, his human form disappearing into the black pulsing monster of matter and gusting wind. The Minister witnessed as one by one, every last one of his men were slaughtered by this uncontrollable dark mass, their bodies twisting and breaking with violent force.

And then Erebos, the wizard, stood again next to him.

"You may kill me, but I am not giving the order." He trembled.

"Such bravery…" Erebos' eyes glistened with power. "But I do not need your consent. Imperio!"

And just like that, the Minister stared at Erebos blankly, indifferent to the world. Then he reached his pocket, drawing a strange muggle device, which he fidget with a few buttons. There were a few seconds of agonizing silence, before a massive roar burst from the hills, like in New Year's Eve, when all fireworks go off at once, and the bombing began against the walls of the Castle.

Erebos removed the spell. The Minister blinked, before he realised in horror what he had done.

"You have been so very useful for me, Minister…"

"No… I didn't..."

"Tomorrow a new world will awake." He concluded, aiming at the Minister with his wand again. "I wish you could see it…"

"Please-!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of green light, and the Minister fell to the ground.

Erebos stood still, watching as the explosions rocked the Castle, the night bleeding into red. Behind him, McNair approached in sinister silence.

"They have him. I can feel him now." Said Erebos, calmly.

"Then it's time to move." MacNair spoke next to him, still staring up to the winged boars that surrounded the gates. "If we attack now, the boy can still turn in to us, my Lord."

"Enough of titles, MacNair, my friend, you forget the purpose of tonight. We are not here to recruit Robert's son. Not even to destroy whatever credibility the Order of the Phoenix still has. Our only mission is the Hidden Ark."

A loud boom echoed over the gardens.

"But how do we get to it when we don't even know where it is?"

"The box will be exactly where it needs to be; the boy will find it for us, just as fate has prophesied."

MacNair nodded. "Gothel has found the book. The Aurors retrieved it during the battle earlier tonight."

Erebos smiled wickedly. "Naturally… Bring it to me. I must examine the rituals to open the Ark…" He studied the boar intensely. The wizard raised his wand, aiming at the statue. "Then destiny will do its part." A spell blew up the statue, spilling stones and sparks over the ground. "All shall fall."

"The passage on the Seventh Floor is completely blocked!" The monitors from the houses cried to McGonagall as they tried to control the panicking students. Some of them had blood spilt over their robes, covered in dirt and soot.

"There is still the secret passage on the third floor!" The woman with voluminous brown hair next to the red-haired boy exclaimed, proceeding to explain the way to the one-eyed witch that led to Hogsmead.

"The Shield has been compromised, Headmistress, we can only establish basic protection..." Professor Flitwick spoke as he examined through the entrance doors, still casting spells into the sky, trying to prevent further damage to the shield.

Aster, Jack, Hiccup and Astrid all stepped close to the group of wizards at the centre of the Great Hall, eavesdropping as they talked hurriedly. "Gather those who are of age, we must keep them as far away from the School as possible for as long as we can."

"Too late for that." Aster said suddenly, walking up to the Order of the Phoenix. "We're not going anywhere."

"What the devils are you all still doing here?!" Professor Flitwick shouted over his shoulder, his face screwed in annoyance.

"They never really obey, do they…?" The red-haired wizard spoke again.

"We've got no time for rebelliousness, my boy, no matter how brave you seem to be." Another wizard spoke, this one much older, but the teens paid no mind to the orders they were given.

"They've surrounded the castle, Headmistress." Jack spoke before anyone else could yell at them again. Merida stepped up to him.

"It's true, ma'am, they've got all sorts of muggle weapons headed towards us. They've made this huge wall surrounding the grounds, we're trapped in'ere."

"But Muggles shouldn't be able to see Hogwarts…"

"Someone broke the Statute of Secrecy, whatever delusionary spell we've had has been rendered useless." Flitwick spat, shaking his head.

The wizards eyed each other waringly. "The only way out is fighting, it seems…" A dark haired Auror pondered. "But I don't think we'll be successful at getting those to leave." He gestured to the five teens, still gripping hard on their wands, eyes wide alert.

"What can we do to help?" Hiccup shrugged. The members of the Order seemed to gather closer around the teens. "Do we even know how muggles managed to find Hogwarts?"

"They've been told, no doubt." The witch with bushy hair assumed. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were threatened with war or worse. Holding them back is just part of the problem, though. We need to fight whoever is behind them all, it has to be someone much more powerful."

"You talked about a student carrying an Obscurial earlier," Hiccup asked. "What exactly are we up against?"

"You just guessed it." The witch replied. "They have an order of obscurials with them. And they're more powerful than any Obscurial anyone has ever seen."

Merida, Azel and Aster stared in awe. Jack absorbed her words darkly. Hiccup nearly laughed. "This can't be… There haven't been any living obscurials for nearly a century! And even if there was, it could never live long enough to form an army of them."

"Well, I guess this rule has been thrown outta the window." The Weasley wizard retorted. "Cause right now we have seven of them out there on the grounds waiting for us."

"How do we kill them?" Jack spoke suddenly. All the wizards looked at him.

"...I don't think they can be killed that easily…" The witch started, right as another explosion echoed through the grounds, shaking the windows.

"We're running outta time," Potter stood, an air of urgency returning to the group. "If they're going to help, I say we can't stop them. Just let them know what we're after. Maybe this way, we'll find it faster."

"There's something hidden in the Castle." The Headmistress spoke now.

"Bloody hell, I've heard those words before…" The read haired wizard said, and the woman with bushy hair next to him sent him a look of disapproval.

"The artefact is a box, hidden deep under the castle's dungeons."

"The dungeons?" Jack asked, incredulous. "What could possibly exist beneath that hell-hole?"

"I like this kid already." The red haired man said again.

"The Obscurus has a prophecy," The witch next to him explained calmly, and Jack felt he could grow to like her better. "The artefact is an ancient box, our history refers to it as the Hidden Arc. It holds the darkest substance in the world."

"Oh no, the Hidden Arc?" Hiccup gasped. "It's a myth. There's no way it can even be real, something like that would have caused a disaster long ago… How can it be hidden here?"

"Legend also said it was the founding stone for much of the wizarding world, boy… don't forget, there's always some truth in myths." The older Auror spoke again.

"So what do we do once we find it…?" He asked. "If we ever do it, I mean."

"We need to destroy it. The Order of Obscurials is coming for it, we need to get to it before they do."

"And we better do it fast." Another Auror spoke. "We can't hold them back for much longer." Another blast shook the Hall, and everyone's eyes looked up in fear. "We have ten men roaming through the dungeous looking for every hidden entrance, and just waiting for a response…"

It was when Jack turned around to look at Hiccup, the only person that mattered before his decisions, that he found nothing. Hiccup was gone.

The Obscurial stood in front of the gates, still waiting. His wand carelessly held by his fingers. Under the hood, his features merged into the shadows, undistinguishable. McNair still remained close, his smirk expectant, the calmness that precedes murder.

"Our boy is on the move… he'll start searching for the box any minute now…" The Grand Obscurial deemed. "Now is the time for hunting." He gave McNair a sinister grin. "All out war."

Jack ran his way amongst the panicking mass of students, looking for the auburn hair, until he stumbled at the deserted path to the Grounds. It was there, in the empty Courtyard, that he saw him. Walking stubbornly towards the muggle army. Before he could help himself, he casted a shield, blocking the teen's path.

"Hiccup, you ain't gonna do it!" Jack's voice followed the freckled teenager through the Courtyard. "Don't you dare going there!" He yelled, close enough so his hand finally yanked Hiccup's wrists, forcing the boy to turn around.

"Let me go." Hiccup said, tugging his hand. "I have to do this!"

"I can't let you do this! Please, don't go!" All Jack saw was the outline of the night sky bleeding with red sparks, and Hiccup at the edge of the catastrophe.

"Yes, you can." The boy snapped before taking out his wand and pointing it to Jack's terrified face. "Let me go, right this instant."

"Don't do this." Jack pleaded, and before he could know, he also had his own wand towards the boy. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, he thought.

"Relashio!" Hiccup ordered, the grip from Jack's hands freeing his wrist. His tears shone red with the fire outside. "I have to do this, I've got to help them!" He stepped out. "I'm sorry."

"Hiccup!" Jack screamed before the boy started running, seeing Hiccup's hand reaching for the inside of his robes after Toothless. "Immobilus!"

Jack's hex missed the boy by an inch as he dodged out of the bolt's way. He looked back, incredulous, as Jack also stepped closer. Now in the cold air, both boys panted as the sparks flew around them. The sky roared above them in red and blue flames, and the smell of ashes and smoke filled their nostrils. "I don't want to fight you, Hiccup, but I can't let you go."

"Then you are fighting me." The other replied. "Expulso!" He ordered, and the hexes started blasting between the pair. Jack casted every body-binding spell he could bring up to his mind while Hiccup ripped the air with shield charms, effectively conjuring a wall against them. He put Toothless on the floor, "Essentio!" He whispered, and as Toothless started to grow, he looked back, his eyes catching Jack's running form as he threw himself at his shield, screaming words he couldn't hear. "I'm sorry." Hiccup mouthed, now fighting tears as he mounted on Toothless, the dragon beating its wings, shooting to the sky as they performed the unforgivable.

The night agonized with deathly songs.

Magic and fire erupted throughout the castle's grounds. As wizards casted spells and counterspells from their positions, they had to dodge and tuck themselves behind the stone walls before being hit by cannon blasts. No one could acknowledge that the impossible had happened: Muggles were fighting the wizards on magical ground.

From an aerial perspective, mounted on the dragon's back and hidden in the night and the black scales, Hiccup could see the edges of the Castle: the Forbidden Forest was on fire. The flames rose up from the woods and lighted up the horizon into a golden haze. Although the muggles had not penetrated the castle's walls, the smoke also spiralled up from the cliffs, and their missiles had hit some courtyards. Muggles could not get in, and wizards could not get out.

"Okay, Toothless," He spoke, his hand caressing the dragon's scales. "It's you and me." Both dragon and rider pointed downwards, the creature's enormous wings spreading in a menacing promise. They soared towards the ground, nearing the crowds and machinery surrounding the castle. They still hadn't been seen, the dragon as dark as the night. "Three," Hiccup began, and the gurgling sound erupted from Toothless' throat. "Two," Any minute now, the soldiers and wizards would be drowned in flames. "One…"

"What is that?!" A scream echoed above the crowd, and a huge light bathed the ginormous black silhouette of the dragon.

"Now!" Hiccup roared, and Toothless released the inferno. A massive roar soared through the crowd as the fire consumed every man and machine it could reach. From close, Hiccup could see the tanks exploding when the jets of flames engulfed them. However the screams seemed to muffle every other sound from the rider's ears. Every last cry pierced his ear, and somehow, the world fell into slow motion, and he focused on the bright orange flames that licked the ruined metal in such an elegant and deadly manner, his mind flashed the line from the Bhagavad-Gita: Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.

The Order of the Phoenix watched, paralyzed, as the massive explosion lighted the horizon, yellow fireballs expanding in a merciless line through the muggle army. From afar, they could still hear the screams.

"My God…" Professor Flitwick whispered, his eyes glued to the horizon.

"Whatever that is, it is buying us time." Professor McGonagall replied. "We might as well use it, we've waited long enough." She stated. "Have the Prefects gotten the students out of here safely?" Another Auror nodded. "Then it is time to move."

"Jack, hold on!" Aster yelled after Jack as the boy mirrored Hiccup, running stubbornly towards the dungeons, the girls long forgotten in the Great Hall. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"I'm the one they're looking for, Aster." Jack spat back.

The other boy heard, but did not believe. "Stop screwin' around!" He said, his hands pushing the boy by his shoulders. "This is no time for your stupid jokes!"

"I'm not joking, Aster." The other boy snapped, and Aster nearly missed the cerulean eyes flicking a deep shade of black, and if it wasn't for the dim lights of the Dungeons candles, he wouldn't have seen it.

Jack kept his impenetrable gaze. "Hiccup's gone, Aster." He spoke. "What else have I got to risk?"

"Ya talkin' like he's dead."

"He could be."

A horrible silence fell on them. Neither knew what to say. Then Jack spun on his heels, descending further down the stairs.

"The Order will be storming in here any second, and I'm the one they should be sending. It's better if I do it now, before anyone else gets hurt." The spiral stairs ended at the castle's deepest corridors, so poorly lit with torches that Aster could mostly rely on their sillhouettes.

"Jack, they've probably stripped this place already… What makes you think it's here?"

"Azel's book had mentioned that Salazar Slytherin was the one responsible for shielding the castle's most ancient delusionary charms at its foundations… we are beneath the level of the lake right now… And I've been feeling this place for a while now… It's almost like a vibration, or a pull, I can't really describe it... but it pulsates; It's steady, like a beat… In other words, it could be the heart of magic." Jack whispered, his eyes scanning the walls where the earth seemed to merge with the constructed stones. "But I don't think I'll do much in my natural form."

Aster's face paled. "What do you mean by that?"

Jack looked down. "Please don't hate me when you see it." As he stepped away from his friend, he raised his hands. "I don't want you to get hurt."

And in a second, the figure of Jack shifted into a black, indistinguishable form, not smoke, nor watery either. More like a pulsing mass, moving in strangely contained manners. Aster jumped back, cursing in fright as he had at last seen Jack's real form, the ghost of the human still present in the dark matter.

Chapter Text

"I can't believe it… You're an obscurial!" His voice mixed fear and amazement.

Jack's body emerged from the blackness again. "That's a word." He retorted, smoke seemed to emanate from his fingers. "Now I need you to step back. I can feel something beneath us, but I don't see other way to get there."

Aster nodded once, racing back to the stairs. Jack's form again collapsed into itself, and this time, red lights peeked out from the centre. Jack's Obscurial form was controlled, steady, but still subject to his anger. And with a violent swing, the black mass expanded upwards, merging against the stone ceiling before shooting down against the floor, punching the stones once.

The boy screamed then, his body again reappearing from the Obscurial, his face screwed in pain. Aster stepped out of the stairs. "Wait, try again, I think I've heard something," He said, and Jack sent him a look of utter offence. "No, like an echo! It must be hollow down there!"

Jack grunted, rolling his eyes before taking out his wand this time. "I don't think I can do that again for a while." He spoke.

"Blimey, Jack, I wonder how you've kept that hidden from us all this long!" Aster still had this dark look of admiration, no longer fearing his friend.

"It was harder before Hiccup." Jack explained simply, and Aster knew better than to push further conversation.

Both boys pointed their wands to the floor. "Confringo!" They exclaimed in unison, red bolts shooting from the tips of their wands. Bigger cracks began forming on the stone floor, enlarging as their spells continued to pierce through. "Diffindo! Reducto!" Another crack, and then a huge booming sound when the floor collapsed, the stones cascading several meters down a dark cavernous passage. Both boys stared at each other. "I'm not going first." Aster stated promptly. Jack grunted, rolling his eyes.

"Lumus Maxima!" He commanded, the tip of his wand releasing a bright glow that descended into the hole. "Follow me," He said, before pulling his friend into the abyss. Aster's screams seemed to last forever before he saw the floor. "Aresto Momentum!"

Their fall was cut smoothly, floating briefly over what looked like a very unsteady surface before both boys sank into cold water. Jack's knees quickly hit a hard surface, and struggling back on his feet, he emerged again, his waist still underwater as he found himself into what looked like a small lake.

"If you EVER do this to me again I'm gonna kill you, Jack – I don't care if ya a bloody Obscurus!" Aster cursed not two meters away. And then he looked around. "Bloody hell!"

Looking up, the hole which the boys had fallen into had shrank into a small point of yellow light. The light that Jack had casted showed a small stone dais rising from the water only a few steps from them – and at the top, the silhouette of a woman stood immovable at the end of the cave. "Let's go." Jack said, and soon they reached the edge of the little bridge.

Soaking wet, Aster gave Jack a look of disgust before stepping towards the figure of the woman. That section of the dungeons seemed more like a cavernous tomb than the basements of the school, although the structural stone pillars of the castle could be seen at various spots piercing through the stone ceiling to the ground. The closer they got, they realised it was a statue. "Lumus!" Aster's wand lighted further, and soon they saw not only a woman's shape, but her body curled into the features of a lion down past the breasts; a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. She had a beautiful face, her almond shaped-eyes shining with a twirled green glow from the water surrounding the stone dais. A sphinx! Jack thought.

As Jack stepped closer to the sphinx, he could feel the old structure shaking beneath his feet. Behind him, Aster raised his wand. "How lon' has this been here?" Aster asked, realising the complete expression of wonder on Jack's face.

"It's been placed here by the four founders themselves... Aster, this is the first time light has shined over this statue in over a thousand years." The boy nearly smiled realising what he was seeing. Aster gave a whistle of admiration. Suddenly, the statue of the sphinx moved its head, the narrow eyes blinking on the hard surface; both boys jumped backwards.

"Solve my riddle, make no mistakes." The statue said with a deep, calm voice that could hold years of wisdom into it. "Answer wrongly - I shall attack. Answer correctly - you may pass. Shall you choose to remain silent and I'll let you walk away, unscathed."

The two friends exchanged terrified looks. Jack shook his head, but Aster spoke first.

"We have one chance, mate… and we're here already."

"I exist to flee my creator. What makes me is also what ends me. What am I?"

Jack stared, dumbstruck.

"Just say it, mate." Aster said, nudging at his friend.

"…an Obscurial." Jack tried the most obvious reply he could muster.

"Wrong answer." The sphinx statue replied, and a loud crack several meters above them shook the cave, right before a massive rock fell against the bridge, and Aster yelled as he dodged it narrowly, falling to the ground as his foot almost got caught under the rock.

"Holy…!" The Australian screamed.

"Let me try again." Jack pleaded.

"What am I?" The sphinx insisted. Jack wondered on the question:

"Darkness?"

"Not quite." She hissed, and another stone fell, this one nearly squashing Jack, who had jumped away and rolled painfully to safety; A chunk of the platform collapsed into the water.

"If we die right now, Jack, I'm goin' to kill ya!" Aster yelled again as the platform shook more violently.

"Ask me again."

"You better make it count!" Aster said as he swung his arms around himself, trying not to fall off to the water beneath. The light from his wand moved the shadows as if they danced around the cave.

"What am I?"

"A shadow!"

The sphinx went quiet, again immovable, and both boys looked up in fear of another rock falling on their heads. Then swiftly, the statue arched backwards, her sphinx's paws clutching to her own throat, and with a sickening crack, broke her neck, snapping the stone surface and ripping off her own head.

The two boys gave a loud cry in shock, completely baffled for what they had just seen. Then, as if with a whisper, a strange speck of light burst from the open throat of the headless sphinx. What looked like a glowing marble hovered above the statue, a strange material that seemed to reflect the surroundings of the cave - however from close inspection, neither Jack nor Asther could see their reflections in the floating ball.

"Is that… Is that the Eether thingy?" Aster questioned, amazed. Jack took a moment before nodding once.

"Yes… yes, I can feel it." He whispered. "I can hear it. Like it's talking to me."

"What is it saying?" His friend asked, stepping to his side.

"I don't know… too many voices at once… feels like an invitation."

"Maybe we should destroy it," Aster interjected.

"Maybe you should leave it to us." A third voice spoke from around the boys. The two turned to see that six new silhouettes had joined the cave, all wearing dark robes that covered their heads to toes.

"If it ain't the Overland Junior," this voice was female, and its owner spoke from the water. "All prepped and ready, solving riddles, killing sphinxes, what a clever boy…"

"Should be a great substitute for his father." This voice belonged to a barbarian male, strong and bloody in his sound. "Hopefully he'll live longer."

"And he's got the Æther for us, just like we planned…"

"Step any closer to us and I'll destroy it." Jack stated, pointing his wand to the statue behind him. Laughter erupted from the six people, all surrounding him and Aster.

"Don't mock him just because he's naive." This voice echoed from behind the statue, and Jack turned around to see a man, this one even taller than him, but his face outing the shadows to reveal a broken beauty. He seemed to be in his forties, skin pearly white, but what shocked him were his eyes, glowing grey; those eyes had seen hell. The man must have been beautiful in his youth, lively, but now his features looked spectral, worn. "I am very pleased to meet you, Jackson."

"Who are you?"

"I am Erebos." He raised both of his hands. "We are like you. Obscurus." The six other wizards had stopped moving, still sank waist-deep in the water. "We want to help you."

"I don't need no help." Jack spat, his wand now pointing to the silvery sphere. The woman in the water laughed again.

"Oh, he can play." She sang. "Tell me, boy, what do you plan on cursing the Æther with? Perhaps a Cofringo charm? Or an annihilating hex?" She moved her wand and Jack was ready to counter-attack before he saw her conjuring a dim fleck of light that gingerly floated towards him, ever so slowly. "Or maybe you're too scared to do it."

"What does this thing do?" He asked.

"You can't destroy the Æther, boy, trust me." Erebos resumed. "And you can't hide it any better than this, so you can either let it be–" he motioned towards the statue. "Or you can unleash it."

"Why'd he unleash somethin' that could destroy the school?" Aster raised his wand to the Obscurus.

"They're not that naïve," The witch smirked from the water. "I suppose the Order has bitten the bait."

"The Order has told you what we wanted it to know." Erebos said, stepping closer. "Didn't you for a moment wonder why it all happened so suddenly? Why all these disappearances?" Jack and Aster were cornered. "You didn't truly believe it would be Lord Voldemort's return after all these years, now, did you? No.'

"Certainly Miss White would have made you think so… What, with all the hunting on Muggle-Borns and the Death-Eater-ish behaviour… that was our idea as well. Certainly not far fetched from the Second War. There will always be the ones looking for a known enemy. Common ground. Familiar foes… Death Eaters. And prejudice, fear… They're always great catalysts for a massive panic."

Jack was taking everything in like who drank an extremely hot tea at once, the liquid burning down his throat as the truth was finally revealed. "You don't plan to start a war…" Jack said.

The Obscurial smiled. "Wars take too long. May I introduce you to the Order of the Seven."

The little light fleck had now started slowly spinning around the statue. "These are Mor'du" He pointed to the enormous man at the far end of the cave. "Gothel," He gestured to the woman, who replied with an elegant nod. "Gerbier, MacNair," The two men closer in the water grinned. "And that one is Bloodvist." The man in the shadows caused Jack's stomach to float in fear.

"And as you may have noticed, we need a Seventh Obscurus." He finally stood in front of Jackson, eye to eye. "Such a position had been held by no one other than your father; Robert Overland."

"My father died…" Jack began.

"Oh, my poor boy." Erebos lowered his head. "At least not when you thought he did. You see, it is the blood that curses us all into this Order. A member of the Seven can only be replaced by an offspring. It is our undying curse… An everlasting betrayal... The blood running in your veins, as the blood that ran in your father's," In a sharp and nearly invisible motion, Erebos wand had sliced through the air – Jack yelped as a sharp pain ripped the skin on his wrist – and drawn three blood drips, which floated through the air to Erebos wand. "And the blood that runs in mine."

Around them, the other Six copied his spell, all of them drawing their own blood with their wands, conjuring them towards the statue. "An unbreakable bond. You see, there was only one flaw in your line – and it came when your father had another child."

"Don't." Jack spat, tears trickling down his eyes.

"I am sorry to say this, but what happened to Flee was not the curse of Death Eaters, but the will of Fate to restore an heir. An Obscurial is hard to maintain and develop once a host has found love – And you, Mister Overland, has always had love in the form of your sister. I am sorry to say, but fate had no room for your sister."

Anger filled Jack's body right then. "You killed her." He shook. The other Obscurial only nodded.

"Yes." And there was a sincere tone of defeat on his voice. "It broke your father to see her go... It was his intention to escape the Order – but one can never do so without destroying the rest of the blood linings. Failing to fulfil his destiny would signify also the death of you.'

'None of us chose this life, Jackson. We never have. But we answer to a calling that is greater than our very existence. Some people call it fate, God, divinity, or demons. We call it magic. To restore Order to a world bouncing towards extermination. We have done it before, it's different every time. We have awoken volcanoes, filled ships with infected rats, burned Rome to ashes, destroyed empires, started worldwide wars… Every time civilization tips towards unbalance, Fate resets the course of life. We are not the villains here. We're the tools. Never before the world has had to be reset so many times.

"And now we do it again. Permanently this time." The Six Obscurials stepped closer to the statue, their wands targeting the boys. "Tomorrow the truth will be revealed as the world watches the Wizarding world tear itself apart. War has been the most effective method for destruction – never underestimate the power of fear and hate. But this time we'll need a bit more magic. The world levelling curse needs a sanctum. We will release the Æther, and then let the anti-life subdue the nations. Anyone too close to this sanctuary will be dead in hours. The humans will take care of their own annihilation in the following months, and by the time it is done, only the strongest of every species will survive. The new world can't be born while the old one still lives."

Jack and Aster stepped closer to each other. It was over. They could try pulling a fight, but they were only two – did not stand a chance against six older, more experienced wizards who possessed the darkest of magic in them. The light circling the statue had sped up, spinning now around the sphere in the woman's hands. "Now, I assume, I can only give you the invitation, Jackson. You could officially join us." The boy only stared, brokenly devastated. "You still carry the blood, you share our curse. Or, you can run from here. It's your choice. We will harm neither you nor your friend. It's a valid choice – perhaps you can survive the Unleashing..."

"There will be no unleashing." Finally, a ninth voice spoke from above: as Jack and Aster looked beyond the Order of Obscurials, a flash of light erupted at the cave, striking the water where MacNair stood.

And then hell broke loose. The water exploded upwards when the Order of the Phoenix invaded the cave, and the Obscurus quickly erupted into their black forms, a storm of darkness. The members of the Order emerged in white smoky lights – casting curses on the Obscurials, which Jack and Aster took as their cue, jumping from the elevated section of the platform and throwing themselves into the water. The battle was all over the place. Professor McGonagall single handedly fought Gothel as the Obscurial erupted in black torments against the shield the Professor had created. Shacklebolt and Flitwick both aimed their spells at Erebos and Gerbier. Mor'du and Bloodvist raged at the walls chasing who Jack assumed to be Potter and Weasley, both flying on broomsticks spinning around the cave while casting red bolts behind themselves. Jack and Aster covered themselves as rocks and sparks fell over their heads, conjuring shields above each other.

"Jack, the sphere!" Aster yelled as he tried to keep his head above water. "It's unguarded!"

Both boys stared at the statue above them, standing proudly at the end of the stone dais, now looking impossibly far in between the missing spells and fire. "I can get there!" Jack screamed. "Cover me!"

As Jack allowed himself to storm into the Obscurial, Aster drew his wand, batting the missing spells away from his friend, the one thing he could focus on. Jack flew towards the statue, dodging any spell that neared too much, shifting back into human once he reached the platform, now simply running towards it. When he saw the orb, he saw the light that had been casted on it was now at full speed, circling it so fast that he could not see where the light fleck ended nor began. He took out his wand. "Protego!" He conjured the wall around himself, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do with the sphere – too scared to do anything, even more scared to do nothing. "Finite!" He said, but the spell hit the light that protected it, casting backwards into the cave.

"If you unleash it," Erebos' voice trailed behind him. He turned around. "It'll be over. This is where the end begins."

"Tell me how to stop it!" He clenched his teeth, aiming his wand behind himself.

"There is no stopping it." Erebos replied calmly. Then, he drew his own wand towards Jack's shield, and with two fire lines, the shield was cut in two, gone. "Step away."

Jack aimed the first spell, quickly repelled by Erebos' wand. "You don't want to fight me, boy." And in a second, Jack shot spell after spell – all the ones Hiccup had taught him, all being redirected or battered away from Erebos' expert hand. The boy pushed himself to the limit of his ability and further, but they were unbalanced. Erebos was far too much for Jack to fight on his own. "Stop holding back, Jackson!" He screamed at last, repulsing Jack's wand away from his hand. "You don't even need that stick for a duel – Unleash it!"

And in that moment, something snapped inside Jack, and he knew exactly what Erebos wanted. What he needed. He raised his chin. "As you wish." He said, shifting into the monster.

Erebos gave a proud laugh before turning himself into the Obscurial, but his was much bigger and much darker than the one Jack hosted. And then they clashed onto each other. Jack's Obscurus was fast, filled with anger as he stormed himself against the other. Both men twisted in what looked like a vengeful dance, blackness spreading around them as red lightning erupted from their centre. Jack's power was fuelled by the thoughts of a possibly dead Hiccup, of his dead sister, of his father's betrayal. It fuelled his veins into this monstrous creature, this force of nature that screamed excruciating roars. Eventually, he had hit the very centre of Erebos, and for a moment he thought he would come out victorious.

But then the world seemed to shift, as both his and Erebos's Obscurials merged into what looked like a net in the shape of a dome; impenetrable. "You have talent, boy, I'm not going to lie. But you're still holding yourself back. Let me show you what real power looks like."

And as soon as he said that, Jack was pushed down towards the end of their dome, feeling his body being pulled by what could be a hundred hooks yanking every inch of his soul. He screamed in pain before being violently thrown to the ground again, the Obscurial parasite evaporating and again giving way to his body. His head spun uncontrollably, but he could tell he lay at the statue's feet. All around him, the catastrophic view of the battle had let him know that they were losing, the Order of the Phoenix being ripped apart by the Obscurial's defense.

"You are fast like him," Erebos said, also having turned into human again, and walking towards the boy. "But not as strong." Erebos pushed Jack's body away with his wand, the boy rolling on the floor with a painful blow. "You can still join us." He said, now kneeling next to Jack, who struggled to breathe. The older Obscurial tried snatching the boy's hand, but Jack yanked it away, refusing to give in. Erebos looked down, disappointed. "I guess not." Then he stood up, and stared at his Obscurials – the Order of the Phoenix had been subdued, their wands being cast away or their still living bodies being thrown away on the water, defeated.

"Let it end." He commanded, and the Obscurials stopped raging, now their dark forms hovering the cave. One final spell shot through the cave, hitting the statue with a deafening blast, but for nothing as the smoke revealed the unharmed stone. Erebos looked at the origin of the spell, where Aster had his wand pointed at him. "Incendio!" He casted, and Aster's screams pierced the cave as his body burst into flames.

"NO!" Jack screamed, but his voice was also shut with a sharp hex.

Then Erebos looked back at the Statue, casting Gothel's shield charm away with his wand. "We release the fire, first to destroy," From the tip of his wand, a burning red line formed, drawing itself towards the statue. It entered the sphere, as if there was no wall dividing the reality from the reflection. "And then to rebuild." Then the Sphere began to grow.

Slowly, like a balloon being filled with air, the sphere doubled its size, then tripled it, until it was big enough to conceal an entire person into it. It was neither silver nor white, but almost reflective, like it displayed images from what seemed to evade inside out, a spherical mirror. "I release the Æther from its grave. I unleash the dark magic from its tomb."

He raised his wand again, the red line still burning connected to the now enormous sphere.

"Everto et Ardere..." He ordered, and that is when the sphere became transparent, its edges glowing in coloured lights, as if it glimmered all the spectrum of the rainbow. "Furrantur vitae ad domain obscurum" A horrible sound shrieked from the Sphere, a scream so unreacheable as death itself. "Evanesco… I steal life to the kingdom of darkness… and I surrender myself into the abyss."

Erebos stepped inside the sphere, his form expanding and twisting into a warped shape, as if reflected by a thousand mirrors, and then he fell into the unknown. The ear splitting screech escaping the Æther suddenly grew louder, escalating into a resounding blast, a boom echoing not from the inside of the Aether, but as if streaming from the Earth itself; loud and unending, a pulsing and beating heart that died with an atomic explosion. And everything fell into a deafening silence.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty-One:

Aftermath

The screams still roared the ground several feet under the dragon's wings. Hiccup and Toothless flew over the Muggle army with dangerous proximity, the boy casting away any and every offense from the army with his protective charms, and Toothless blasting his scalding jets of fire down on the vehicles.

"Confringo!" Hiccup screamed when a missile flew in front of his eyes, and he only had a couple meters and his shield of advantage before the explosive went off.

Toothless gave a deadly howl as both dragon and rider spiralled down to the ground, dirt and grass raining on them as they crashed against a burned tank. Hiccup cried in pain as the dragon rolled over its back, putting itself back on its feet as they heard the muggle soldiers advancing in one line, surrounding them completely, shadows in the night distinguishable only by their black silhouettes against the burning forest.

"Fianto Duri!" Hiccup screamed before the bullets began hailing against him and Toothless. The dragon contorted and roared once, surrounding Hiccup protectively as both ducked under Hiccup's shield, which Hiccup could already feel that began to lose strength.

That was it, Hiccup thought. So much bravery and all that insanity trying to buy time for the Order and only to be killed by muggles, from every possible enemy…

A crack of a thunder exploded the sky. Above them, night had turned into day, white light glowing incandescently as everything froze, still.

Then an eruption of sound and fury rolled over the earth. The massive shockwave detonated the forest, blasting everything to the air, and Hiccup was thrown to the floor, unconscious.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky was on fire. Red lights shimmered over his irises as they reflected the burning shield. Scarlet flames fell in cascade on the grounds, sparks and soot sprinkling the air. Hiccup struggled to stand, the explosion had shaken his senses into oblivion, it seemed. With tremendous effort, he managed to get on his knees, and he took in the vision of his surroundings, the smoke spiralling in the air of the obliterated edge of the forest.

"You alright, bud?" He asked through coughs to the dragon, realising then of his damaged hearing; his voice sounded dimmer than usual, echoing faintly in the air as if travelling in the vacuum. His trembling hands patted Toothless' scales, but the hard texture was apparently unharmed against the explosion. Toothless gave out a deep growl in pain, but slowly turned his slender black body up, getting on his paws while shaking away the fog in his head.

Hiccup furrowed his brows as he tried to mount on Toothless, suddenly hyper aware of the deathly silence that had fallen on the atmosphere. Except for his shaky breath, he could hear nothing. No wind, no sparks. But he was sure he could hear the dragon's breath under him as they raised flight. The bristle of his clothes as he moved. But nothing beyond their own bodies. The world had fallen quiet.

Once again in the air, the dragon saw the levelled army that extended for miles on the edge of the Forest. The few remaining tanks and warfare vehicles that he had not destroyed with Toothless had been rendered dead with the magical explosion, although he could see some muggles crawling out of the useless machines.

"...all communications down…"

"...Not a word from the Minister…"

He heard the voices, but they felt removed from the atmosphere. It was the most bizarre experience. Some of the Muggles in the armada cried in terror when they saw the dragon, and tried to aim their hand weapons, but no bullets ever came out of their guns.

The bloodlust in Hiccup thirsted for him to burn them to ashes, and he could feel Toothless' deep and frightening rumble under him stating that the dragon wanted the same thing, but his hand on the dragon's head made him stop. The more rational side of his mind forced him to guide Toothless away, flying gracefully like an arrow over the army, and hovering towards the castle. Or what was left of the castle. The fire rose from the towers, shining red flames dancing in the night. A huge section of the seventh floor was destroyed, certainly the beginning explosion that had annihilated the entrance to the Room of Requirement. At the edge of the world, he could see the dawn slowly approaching in a hopelessly blue sunrise.

It was a lonely feeling, the loneliest he had felt in his life. And then five black figures levitated from between the castle's towers, shifting into a dark plume that disappeared in the clouds.

Hiccup tightened his grip on the dragon, petting its head as both gazed at the sky. "Steady, Toothless." He whispered, but against the silence, it felt like a scream. The horizon was glowing white when he reached the Entrance courtyard. He landed on the stone floors, walking slowly towards the main hall. Hearing no battle, he quickly shrank Toothless to his hidden size.

Prefects and teachers wandered through the corridors, lost. Their faces showing confusion and apprehension. Some of them were bleeding, but all of them were still alive. "What happened?" He asked no one in particular, and a strange taste seemed to invade his mouth when he spoke.

"We don't know!" They replied in ushered voices, fearing that the minor disturbance could set the world on fire. And then they ran off, disappearing in the halls. A strange taste brought Hiccup's attention. A stark combination of rust and metal, and he imagined if his mouth had started bleeding, but as he brought up two fingers to his mouth, he saw no red on his fingertips.

Hiccup ventured deeper into the castle, looking for Jack. The fire still burned brightly, and still all he could focus on was that horrible silence, which he knew would torment every last one of his nightmares from there on.

Jack lay face down, his head buzzed with a sickening ring. Strangely enough, he could feel the strange vibration that seemed to punch the stone floor under his fingers, but yet every sound was muffled, as if drowned in the water. As soon as he realised the silence, he also noticed how pain seemed to sear through every member in his body, as if every last one of his bones had been crushed repeatedly. Blood still ran from the open cut in his forearm, and suddenly he remembered Aster's burning body when Erebos had casted the Confringo curse.

Above him, the Order of the Seven was nowhere to be seen. They had evaporated into the opening on the roof of the cave, disappearing into the night. Jack struggled to his feet, half crawling and half stumbling towards the only thing his conscious mind still made sense of, sinking into the cold water as he struggled to swim towards Aster, who he found wielding his wand, scared beyond life, his eyes wide open as if the battle was still occurring. "Jack?" He called, also swimming towards the white haired boy.

That is when Jack had a good look at his friend: thorugh the torn clothes, he could see that there was this horrible red shade burning all the way from the boy's shoulders to his fingertips, as if bleeding ivies grew from inside his skin. "Aster, your arms…" He whispered, lost. And when Aster looked at his skin, confused, his nose started bleeding. Jack realised then of the strange metallic taste that invaded his mouth. "I'll take you back to the surface." He said.

All around them, the Order of the Phoenix screamed unintelligible words. The Sphere, or the Æther, had gone quiet, but this sinister feeling was swirling from inside it. "We can't stay here any longer," Professor Flitwick said. The red haired man from the Order stepped closer to the Æther, but he soon screamed back "Leave it there! We need to seal off this section of the Castle to stop the curse from spreading."

Jack had never seen his teacher with such a frightened look. "Curse? What curse-?"

"Take your friend and leave immediately, Mister Overland. Take him to the Hospital Wing and pray we all make it through the night."

Hiccup found Astrid, Azel and Merida descending the Astronomy tower staircase. "Where were you?!" Astrid cried, hurrying to the boy and pulling him into a crushing hug, which Hiccup received emotionlessly. He was as immovable as a rock, his face impassively hardened. "I was so scared!" She said, and soon, Merida and Azel also hugged the duo – and to that hug of the survivors, Hiccup felt crushed, unable to savour the same feeling of relief.

"I really thought we had it now! Where did that dragon come from?"

"Do any of you taste metal?" Astrid asked, and the others nodded.

"They entered the castle through the Room of Requirements," Azel began. "We were so stupid letting that passage open, they blew up the tower the moment they stepped in…"

"Have you seen Jack?" Hiccup asked finally the one thing lingering in his mind.

"He left right after you, I thought you two had gone together." Said Astrid.

"There's one more thing I did," Azel continued, now with tears welling up her eyes. "Someone broke into my common room… I ran over there to retrieve that horrible book… And it was missing. They stole the book, they stole the curses from Sotanath Grim."

The news sank in like a punch to the stomach. The shock and total horror of what that could mean never reached Hiccup, who's blood drained away from his face completely. Before anyone could say anything, he turned on his heels, first walking, and then running towards the Great Hall, the soundless steps taking in all the weight of the atmosphere.

The Order of the Phoenix stood defeated at the Entrance Courtyard – blood and bruises stamped on their faces as the teachers and students began shooting questions at them, but no one seemed to have the answers. They saw Jack carrying Aster by his shoulders in front of them. At their sight, Astrid nearly screamed in shock – Aster's face was covered in blood, and his blistening skin seemed to be peeling off. "Oh my God!" Astrid cried as she launched herself towards the boy, grabbing his face with her hands. "What happened?!" She asked Jack – which to Hiccup's relief seemed unharmed, if not a little bruised.

"Don't touch him, Astrid." Jack said, "He needs Madam Pomfrey."

"Jack…" Hiccup began, but Jack walked past him, dragging Aster's failing body next to his.

"Hiccup," Azel's voice called him. "Look at the Order…"

Behind them, Professor Flitwick had collapsed onto the floor; a huge puddle of blood beginning to form at the place his hands had hit the ground. For a moment they thought they were under attack again, until more cries began to escape the members of the Order. The red headed man called Weasley held his nose which began bleeding uncontrollably. Professor McGonagall apparently had all the colour wiped from her face, her skin ghostly white. Another lightningless thunder echoed in the air.

"Stay away from us, do you hear me?" She said, but her voice was a hundred times weaker than anyone ever remembered. "Don't attempt to help us…"

And then she fell onto the ground, her body shaking to the grip of the sinister curse.

A greyish light broke that dawn. The students carried the weakened bodies of the Order and the teachers into the Hospital Wing with levitating spells. Madam Pomfrey rushed from bed to bed as she tried to care for everyone, quickly expelling everyone from her wing. "This is bad, this is really bad…" She muttered as the doors closed. Hiccup could not exactly tell what it was, but he had a strange feeling towards the castle, like he was stepping on glass barefoot, or intently drinking poisonous juice.

It took half an hour before the door opened again. Madam Pomfrey had a look of complete and total devastation – and Jack's heart sank. "You may talk to them… But their wounds…" She could not go on before bursting into tears.

Jack was the first to enter the Hospital Wing.

The Members of the Order were awake, but their faces were screwed in pain. What began as bruises and cuts had now escalated into lengthy wounds, red shining flesh aching against the dim daylight. McGonagall refused to lay down, although her face was now completely void of colour.

"The dungeons are sealed..." She struggled. "Leave while there is time."

Hiccup stared in shock, unsure if he had heard correctly. On the next bed, the Weasley man had Potter and Granger on both sides of him, holding his hands while he released sharp breaths. The woman cried, bringing his hand to her cheeks, while Potter had this lost look in his eyes, the kind of dread that preceded death.

Aster had the worst appearance of all. He lay nearly naked on his bed. The skin on his arms seemed to have completely vanished, exposing the shining flesh that covered his muscles. His face had extensive wounds as well, blood escaping his nostrils in a continuous pace. Astrid gave a cry of terror by seeing him, but even in his bloody mess, she still went to his side, where she collapsed on her knees.

"Hey, ya." He whispered so weakly...

"Hi," She cried back, and for the first time that night, Hiccup had to fight back his own tears.

"...ya need to leave." He muttered painfully, raising his hand to reach hers. "Leave the Castle; while ya still okay." He said.

From the outside, a new sound coming from the grounds brought their attention: the wizards began disapparating from the grounds, loud snaps echoing throughout the castle as they left. The other students had gathered their broomsticks, joining two, sometimes three colleagues on a single broom – and then raising flight like migrating birds.

"They're leaving," Merida whispered in a broken sound.

"Ya have to go too." Aster said. "We lost this one."

"Aster…" Jack began, also crying. "I'm so sorry…" He reached for his friend's free hand, but the boy only shook his head.

"Don't… blame yourself for this, mate." He said. "Take them away, please… Don't look back."

"Don't... don't do this-" Astrid's sobs had escaped her control. "Don't talk as if you're…"

"I won't make it past this evenin', love,'' More blood escaped his pores. "I'm sorry we didn't have longer." Aster was too weak, but still pulled Astrid's hand to his lips, kissing her fingers.

Madam Pomfrey suddenly returned through the doors, her composure somewhat regained. "They're all leaving," There was a tone of resignation to her voice. "You can't stay no more. There's a portkey in the shape of a teaspoon on my desk, it should bring you back to London." She said. "Don't take any chances, leave the country if you can."

"You should… go too, Madam" Professor Flitwick said from his bed, his face's consistency now horribly reminding Hiccup of melting wax. Madam Pomfrey only shook her head.

"I'm not leaving… I might as well be as contaminated as you all." She said stubbornly, adjusting her apron. "I've also been exposed to the curse, I should use whatever time I've got left to seal the rest of the school. These are wounds I cannot fix… Cursed wounds."

It still had not dawned on any person in that room what had just happened; the magnitude of what they had lived through. Of what was yet to happen.

"What about the rest of the school?" Azel asked, and for a moment, Jack felt anger at her question, as if the girl still hoped that there would be regular classes the next morning and they'd still do their O.W.L.s exams. Madam Pomfrey stared at her shoes. Professor Flitwick struggled to speak again:

"We had to shut down the dungeons and we've sealed the corridors, but these curses are meant to penetrate further than walls and stones. Most of us who have been in the chamber will be dead by dusk. In a few weeks, some of you might show signs of the curse as well… that's why you need to hurry. By then, the magic will have spread further from Hogwarts to the rest of the country… and if we are lucky, we'll have nearly a year until the continent is cursed... Until then, Madam Pomfrey will seal the rest of the entrances for now, give you a chance to flee… And that will be it, there will be no more school... Hogwarts will end."

"Abandon your things…" Flitwick's final instructions would haunt them like ghosts. Jack would never walk up the staircases to the Gryffindor Tower again. "Use the Portkey..." Merida and Azel were the only ones who followed this instruction, both Hiccup and Jack merely stared as the tea spoon began counting down its final seconds, the girls hugging both of them hurriedly, with a grieving goodbye, before the Portkey glowed and shook, and the girls grabbed it right before it disappeared with a deafening crack, evaporating into spacetime. It took Hiccup a moment of staring into the void where the girls had just been, and when he looked up for Jack's eyes, he instead found the boy walking down the corridor, the windows broken and the shatters cracking under his feet.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his voice echoing in the corridors in a way he had never heard before. Jack stopped walking, but didn't turn to look at him.

"I don't know." Said the boy, and Hiccup admired his form, framed by the greyish sunlight that pierced the broken windows. It was a horribly beautiful image, something out of a dream; hauntingly sad.

There was a long silence. "You're not staying, are you?"

"No," He said, for a moment considering to look back at Hiccup… he wanted so badly to tell him everything that had happened, the truth about himself, in the possibility that neither would survive the fate he found himself guilty of setting, and maybe to kiss him goodbye, but he wasn't strong enough for that. So he resumed his walk, disappearing at the corridor's turn, leaving Hiccup and every last promise behind.

"We will lock down the school… Hold back the curse's wave… Then stay the far away as possible from here. Never return."

Hiccup walked out to the Entrance Courtyard, and he tried to feel the chilling breeze gracing his face with icy fingers, almost imagining it, but there was no wind. On the horizon, he saw the smoke from the army he had levelled with Toothless; and the black clouds twirled ever upwards, not wavering north nor south. Two of the castle's towers had collapsed from the attack. The sky was a phantom shade of grey. It was a horrible view, so familiar yet so strange, the painting of a nightmare.

"Mister Haddock," A voice called him from inside the doors. He looked back to see Madam Pomfrey holding the wooden door, and he saw how her own skin was growing pale. "This is the last door." She warned, and the world was so quiet she needed only to whisper. "Leave now, while you still have time."

He nodded once, and they locked eyes while she closed the door, forever bathing the school into darkness, and the boy had the strange realisation that he was the last person ever to walk out through that entrance. Then he took Toothless out of his pocket, casting the magnifying spell on the dragon. Toothless had both ears twisted up, trying desperately to hear anything. Hiccup palmed his scales soothingly, and the dragon bowed its neck, allowing him to climb over his back, and he gave the castle no last looks before Toothless opened his wings, flying away into the vast unknown.

Chapter Text

Book Two:

Ascendant

We all love after-the-bomb stories. If we didn't, why would there be so many of them? There's something attractive about all those people being gone, about wandering in a depopulated world, scrounging cans of Campbell's pork and beans, defending one's family from marauders. But some secret part of us thinks it would be good to survive. All those other folks will die. That's what after-the-bomb stories are all about.

― John Varley

There can be no rebirth without a dark night of the soul, a total annihilation of all that you believed in and thought that you were.

― Vilayat Khan

Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.

― Friedrich W. Nietzsche

“… Good evening, London. We bring breaking news from the Scotland borders, where a training exercise has led to the disappearance of over twelve hundred British soldiers…”

“The Ministry of Magic has confirmed that an unknown curse of unknown limit has been cast in the past 24 hours - a mandatory evacuation of Hogsmeade Village is now in vigour…”

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been shut down after the disappearance of most members of the Order of the Phoenix and several Aurors…”

“ …more bodies are retrieved from the village of Dufftown, where entire families have been reported missing, in what seems to be a brutal terrorist attack…”

“... The rescue parties for the Prime Minister are still working on their leads as the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed to the office…”

“Over one thousand people have reported severely ill after what seems to be a radioactive-like fallout from Northern Scotland…”

“We have gone through this before, Brian, there are extremists everywhere, you can’t simply accuse one incident with a sinister cult of witchcraft and expect that suddenly there is… what, a whole community of wizards? That’s insane…”

“Millions stay in their homes, people are too scared of what they have called the Draconian Flu…”

“Witch-hunting has become a sport for many British families, they walk with their weapons and guns and they target what they claim to be wizards…”

“…emergency rooms have been overwhelmed with patients showing signs of what’s been dubbed the Draconian Flu…”

“...the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy has reported nearly 74 breaches in the past six months…”

“The source of the illness has been traced to a highly toxic breach from the Scottish Highlands; the levels of toxicity have caused the British Government to order an emergency evacuation…”

“The Ministry of Magic highly recommends that, if seen by muggles, do not hesitate in apparating to a safe place, grab your loved ones, your wands…”

 “…stay with your families, know your evacuation routes…”

“Containment… is not very likely…”

“Would muggles be truly more subjective to the curse than wizards, then?”

“The CDC is projecting a fatality toll ranging from five million to as many as a hundred and fifty million in the next months…”

“Over a hundred wizarding families have disappeared in the midst of the Witch-Hunting seasons…”

“...martial law has been declared in twenty-eight nations, including the U.S. and Canada…”

“…we see millions marching the main avenues in London, chanting for what they claim to be Witch-Hunting…”

“They’re burning those children in broad daylight! We can still hear their cries from here, they’re catching fire...”

“…we see the total collapse of anything resembling civilian order…!”

“…and the congress is down, I repeat, there is no regular government function…”

“...starting tonight, the parliament declares war against the wizarding kind. May God be with you all.”

Prelude:

The Boneyard

An endless pitch black colour painted the sky, so raw and starless; the boy could not tell whether it was a cavernous ceiling or if he was staring at the infinite nothingness. In front of him, a female statue glowed in the empty horizon, so contrasting and so uniquely lit like a candle. She had this faded grey tone, so fleshy and inhumane, void of any life. Still and perfectly frozen, into this endless blackness. It felt like nothing would ever happen in that limbo-like space.

The boy’s curious hand neared the one female statue closest to him, this body of marble once beautiful and life-filled. And when his finger touched the cold surface of her cheekbones, the statue collapsed. A cascade of ashes and particles, falling to the ground like a glacier calving.

And behind her, another statue was made visible, as if revealed behind this black mist. Just like the previous statue, this one of a man, it was so immortalised by their perfect stillness; the boy wondered if they were really only statues.

And then it crumbled. Another curtain of dust and ashes, revealing another statue behind. The boy chased it, and the one behind it. One by one, they glowed against the darkness of that place, only to collapse at the first touch, and as if a blanket had been pulled from the stage, suddenly the world expanded into infinity - a sea of marble statues surrounding the boy. They were everywhere he looked, a crowd of stone people, because he was sure that not even the most skilled hand on earth could recreate the human figure with such perfection and resemblance. And then they crumbled. From a middle point where he stood, the statues began cascading to the ground in a domino effect, a row of falling ashes stretching to the horizon and disappearing into the end of the world.

Hiccup landed on a deserted Berk.

A grey and blue sunset painted the landscape of the town in deep, sinister cerulean shades. Although he could still make out the familiar train tracks that led to the upper hills of the town, he could barely recognise the scenery. It was like the village had been struck by a tornado. Parts of the buildings had missing chunks of wood here and there; smoke spiralled up the old department store that used to be Berk’s only source of supplies. The empty streets were a sad reminder of the former busy market place where the villagers would mind their everyday routines. The trees which used to brighten up the entrance to the village with shades of green and yellow were now dead and dry.

Tears formed on Hiccup’s eyes.

Clenching his fists, he walked up, adamant to reach his house. His home . Where his father was certainly waiting for him to arrive. Safe. Shaken. But alive. He had to be alive. He had to. First he walked, and then he ran, faster the more he saw the empty houses with open doors, broken windows and empty rooms.

It was the second time that year that Hiccup rushed into his empty home. An eerie feeling found him instead of comfort. The first time, he had collapsed into tears. Back then, on what he had thought to be the worst day of his life.

He rushed towards his room — every last item he possessed still remained untouched, exactly the way he had left them. The ink he had used to write Astrid’s letter was still unscrewed on his desk. His books remained carelessly thrown in piles surrounding his bed.

Gulping drily, he walked slowly towards his father’s room. A strange smell seeped from the door when he neared it, and that was when the tears truly escaped his control. He swallowed hard, closing his eyes tightly as he resolved to this reality, his lips pressing into a thin line as he opened the door.

When Aster died, a strange but unmistakable smell of putrefaction and burnt flesh covered his bed in the Hospital Wing. That had been only a day before. Now, the same smell struck his nostrils with such grief that the boy collapsed on his knees, sinking to the floor. He expected to find Stoick’s body, however, laying on the bed.

Instead, he found nothing but blood marks.

Outside, Toothless sang a mournful howl, a single note whistle of agonising loneliness, a serenade to the blue twilight painting the sky. The world had fallen silent.

Chapter Thirty-Two:

Kenopsia

ONE YEAR LATER

A grey sunrise greeted the spectral buildings of London. As the young wizard walked, he kept his head low, his chin sinking through the collar of his muggle coat. He still hadn’t gotten used to the empty scenario that was Oxford Street. A huge tarp hung over the shuttered circular square.

The wizard kept walking ahead, aware of any other presence. The streets were ghostly empty. It used to be that over eight million people crowded the city. But as he wandered past the closed stores, he could barely remember seeing that many people in his lifetime, like reminiscing a dream. Some signs hung loosely on the walls and poles. BEWARE OF WITCHCRAFT! Some said. Others went ‘WITCH HUNTING ON THE CHILTERN HILLS – MONDAY AT DUSK’. A huge stripe crossed the street: SOUND THE ALARM AT CONFIRMED SIGHT OF WIZARDS - Minor suspicions must be further investigated. The man remembered when the last alarm had been blasted four months ago. The longest time silent yet, when Hannah Abbot had been captured by witch hunters near Candem. Every now and then he would see a car parked on the street, most of which had been standing there for so long that the smashed windows gave way to growing mould and vines; Today he had seen only one moving car, which had a tag displayed on the back ‘I SURVIVED THE APOCALYPSE — NEVER KISSED YOUR LIPS’. The inside of his coat squirmed. The wizard placed a hand over his chest, carefully patting it. “Easy, Toothless.” He muttered.

Soon, he neared a small abandoned store building to which muggles paid no mind. He opened a narrow black door swiftly, entering what turned out to be a small dark sitting room; one of the walls was covered with bookshelves going from floor to ceiling. The other walls held at least ten different doors, all with different sizes – all of them enchanted with expansion charms. An old and ripped leather sofa, a coffee table and a couple comfortable armchairs grouped together over a dusted carpet. Although old-looking, the place was quite cosy. The boy placed the small dragon over the table, walking further into the small kitchen, this one lit by small windows that peered high on the wall.

“ Hiccup? ” A female voice spoke from the room. Looking behind himself, the boy found the curvy figure of Astrid – it still shocked him at times how her skin had turned whiter, as if it thirsted for sunlight. Her long golden hair now reached her waist in soft waves, but it had lost some of its former shine. Astrid had always been beautiful, but now her undeniable beauty seemed broken.

“Hey you,” He said softly, and the girl walked into the kitchen, stopping in front of him. “Everything all right here?” He asked as she pulled off his hood, revealing a much matured Hiccup. His face had become longer, more angular; his jaw was now much sharper, covered by a thin layer of facial hair. Astrid pulled him into an embrace. He had also become taller than her.

“What is it?” He asked, worried. Astrid only shook her head, and he embraced her tighter. “Afraid I wasn’t gonna make it back?” He half-joked, half-meant it. He caressed her face with his thumb. “I was just out to get us some food. I’m not going to disappear.”

“I know,” She replied, and he leaned down to kiss her squarely on the lips. “I was just afraid… I don’t know; I’ve been listening to the radio this morning.”

They untangled from each other, Astrid staring at the floor. “Anyone we know?” He asked, to which she shook her head again.

“No.” She said, “They just executed a girl. She was playing with sticks, I think.” 

This sort of news no longer shocked Hiccup. He merely nodded.

“Was it here in London?”

“Yes, in Farringdon... It’s the first in weeks, though; we haven’t heard the alarm for so long...”

“Because no proven wizard has been seen for so long. We’re gonna be fine.” He replied, and she tilted her head. “I promise you, these hunters are no match to us.” He said, pulling her into another kiss.

“Why doesn’t that make me feel any better?” She looked at him with tired eyes, and he knew better than to distract her with jokes.

“Come on, Astrid, we’ve been here for what, three months? And another month before just running until we settled in this place. I think we can say we’re pretty safe here.” The girl nodded again, closing her eyes.

“I just don’t like being so settled…” She said. “I feel like I should be outside, with you… doing something, anything.”

“You are always welcome to come with me,” He assured her. “But just because you’re inside doesn’t mean you’re doing nothing. You keep me updated, you listen to the radio, you let me know what’s going on from here…”

“It’s not enough.” She sighed, now with a defeated tone, walking away.

“Astrid…” He tried, but she did not stop, disappearing into her bedroom. The boy stared blankly, defeated. Then he eyed the small radio standing at the table. He walked towards it suspiciously, hitting it with the tip of his wand once, filling the air with static noise.

‘...comes to us this evening from the north of England, where a wizard family by the name of Westinburgh were found dead in their cellar. While not a member of the now extinct Order of the Phoenix, Mr. Westinburgh and his wife had, on numerous occasions, provided shelter for its members...’

Disgusted, the boy turned it back off. It was much later, though, that he decided to peek into the little room he often shared with Astrid to talk to the girl. He found her hugging her own knees, sitting on the bed, her wand illuminating her features in soft tones of blue and silver. Laid in front of her, another radio echoed only the static, sometimes wandering to muggle stations in its poor signal – the few remaining muggle radio stations had no better news. She heard him entering, and again, Hiccup’s heart broke at seeing her holding on so sadly.

He coughed. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She whispered back. He sat down on the bed next to her, but he didn’t look at her, choosing to stare at the floor instead. They remained quiet for a moment.

“I want you to go out with me tomorrow.” He said, and the girl remained expressionless.

“Why?”

“To see the world,” He tried. “Fresh air… break the routine.”

“Hiccup… as much as I’d love your company, there isn’t much out there which I would like to see.”

The boy took a deep breath. “I thought you felt trapped here.” He explained.

“It’s not trapped…” She turned away. “I don’t know… I don’t like being in one place… but I also don’t like seeing the world. I dunno, it’s too much. I thought I was strong enough.”

“You are strong.” Hiccup said, now looking at her. “You are strong. Don’t ever let yourself believe otherwise.”

“But Hiccup… I can’t even leave the house without breaking into tears. I don’t move, I don’t fight— I don’t even help you enough, what does that make me?” Her voice broke at the end, choking.

“It makes you human.” The boy said, and she moved closer to him, promptly welcomed into another hug. “This is the world now, Astrid. Nothing we do can change that.”

She nodded. “Where do you want to go tomorrow?”

Hiccup pondered for a second. “They have this witch hunting thing tomorrow night…  I figured we could have some fun.”

“Seriously… we were just talking about keeping things safe and you want to go witch hunting?”

The boy shrugged. “I thought it would be entertaining.”

Astrid smiled. With a quick motion, Hiccup kicked off his boots, climbing further into bed, shutting off the girl’s radio and diving into the covers. “But if you want we could play-pretend for today.”

The girl rolled her eyes, but the boy saw the little smirk she gave. “Here we go again. What’s going on today, Mister?”

“Well… you name it. What’s beyond these walls today? A crowded King’s Cross station? Or maybe we could be floating miles above the French alps…”

“I kinda like this last one better.” She let herself curl against the boy’s torso comfortably. “The house is floating. So that’s why we can’t even open the doors, the cold would freeze us up.”

“Right,” He continued. “And also, who knows, if we open the door, perhaps we end up falling over and dying…”

“Yeah, Toothless is sound asleep in the other room, he’s letting you fall big time.”

They both laughed, lost in their own minds. “So in this case we are really trapped in here for the better.” He said, and Astrid sunk her head into his chest, her hand clutching his shirt in her fingers.

#

The next day brought an air of adventure. Although nervous, it was the first time in months Astrid felt something close to excitement. Part of her still wanted to stay in the house, but she had agreed to Hiccup’s invitation. He was going whether she would keep him company or not. In the end, she decided to dress up on her black travelling coat, her leather boots hugging her legs tightly under her knees. She stared at herself in the mirror, pulling her hair up in a ponytail, and she found herself looking at a ghost.

Hiccup waited for her at the door. He had his brown leather jacket above his multiple layers of sweaters, his dark jeans clutching to his legs. He hid his wand up his sleeves, ready for the taking in case he needed it. When Astrid walked out of the room, wearing her dark travel coat and her leather boots, Hiccup smiled. “Oh, look at you; can I ask who’s your companion tonight, Milady?”

Astrid smiled, “Oh, you know, this goody-two-shoes from school thinks he can swoon me; I’ve decided to let him try.”

“Poor guy, then. Should have stayed home.” He opened the door, and the cold air outside sought no refreshment to their pale faces. Their hands gripped together, and so they strolled into the dark afternoon. The sky was painted deep blue. A few stores had reopened their doors, and although only a few people busied themselves to go out, it was a refreshing scene, to find anyone less than lost wandering through a lifeless city. The buildings surrounding them had some ivies covering some of the walls, most windows had darkened with dust and snow; some were broken. Filling the streets, a deep fog seemed to immerse the city in the cold; it was hard to see the buildings further than a couple blocks. Hiccup and Astrid could barely remember what London looked like before the killing curse.

“Where did you say the hunting was?” Astrid asked.

“There’s one in the woods… and one going underground. You got your wand?”

“Always.” She motioned to the middle of her coat, where her wand hid securely inside. “I vote for the underground. It’s easier to scare them off there.”

When they approached the Covent Garden Station, they found a group of roughly five young men, all sporting miscellaneous weapons from bows and arrows to knives and pistol guns. Every entrance to the Station displayed several yellow stripes written KEEP OUT – some of them cut in sections where the muggles would still sneak into the station; not unlike the ones they saw gathered in front of the building. Hiccup pulled Astrid to the edge of an alley, and they watched from afar.

“…is that everyone, Marcus?” They heard. The man named Marcus nodded once.

“Vince couldn’t come tonight… Said he was sick or something.”

“Sick my ass. He’s prolly gon’ scared.” Another said, and they all laughed. “Bloody wizards… Maybe we ge’ a head or two ter show off tonight.”

“I heard there’s also the biggest party going on in the woods right now,” Another one spoke. “I think they might have already caught one.”

“Where do ya get all this news? How come I never know what’s goin’ on?”

“We should go,” Marcus said. “It’s five to seven,” They all nodded and branded their weapons, rushing towards the underground entrance, shutting the railing gates behind them.

When the last muggles were out of sight, Hiccup’s fingers gave a light squeeze on Astrid’s. “Let’s go.” He muttered, and they launched themselves towards the station.

Flicking her wand, Astrid gestured to the closed gate, “ Aperio Sectum!” She muttered, grabbing Hiccup by his wrist and pulling him into the gate – and the boy imagined they would clash the iron with a deafening clank when he realised they had not felt the gates at all, rather as if they had walked through smoke.

“Nice.” He said.

Inside the building, they saw how the place was covered with dead leaves, crystals and shards – entire displays of glass were shattered by angry protesters who stormed into the station; entire sections of the ceiling had collapsed due to the mustiness. For a moment, Hiccup thought that would be the perfect scenario for a gory horror movie. As the two neared the platform, the boy took his wand from his sleeve silently, holding it tightly. “ Homenum Revellium.” He whispered, and in a second, every last man present on the station became visible – their blurry shapes highlighted in red colours. It was as if Hiccup and Astrid could feel them through the walls, walking through the platform one level beneath, wielding their weapons. They still hadn’t seen the duo.

“ Abbafiato!” Astrid casted, and soon she could see the confused movements from the witch-hunters.

“ Watch out! I think they’re here!” They heard, but soon stifled their laughter as the hunters kept on screaming:

“ I can’t hear you!”

“I said they’re here!” They tried screaming louder, and soon enough they were in a choir of shouts and yells, trying to listen and be heard simultaneously.

The two wizards descended the stairs with lowered heads, watching for any movement they could perceive. Astrid pointed her wand to the nearing lamps which blinked on and off with the low-running electricity. “ Reducto!” The lamp exploded metres above the hunter’s heads, setting them off on a terrified frenzy. That’s when a man rushed in front of them, missing the boys in his poor aim with his pistol when Hiccup aimed a jinx, “ Tarantallegra!”

The man’s legs began shaking uncontrollably until his body began forcefully twisting into a twisted dance. “WHAT THE DEVILS ARE YOU DOING?!” Another man shouted walking up to his dancing companion, slapping his face with his fists – which did not at all diminish his dancing.

“ Immobilus!” Astrid casted, and the second man became as immovable, a breathing statue.

“What-happened to ya?!” The dancing one cried. Hiccup and Astrid muffled their laughter with their hands.

“Let’s get out,” She whispered in the mid of her laughing fit. As they sneaked back up, Hiccup made one final effort to scare the men senseless by jinxing the staircase – so when the first hunter tried rushing it upwards, the steps flattened and skipped around his feet, merging into a slide. As a final addition, Astrid hexed whatever light was left in the platform, immersing the hunters in darkness.

Skipping and snickering, the pair ran back to the entrance, the goofiest smiles plastered on their faces as they looked down to the highlighted shapes of the hunters, the revelio charm showing they still tried to escape the jinxed station. “Oh, that was great.” Hiccup laughed joyfully as they stepped back out onto the street.

“It was…” Astrid smiled, wiping a tear. “Thank you.” She said, her hand never leaving Hiccup’s grip.

“You’re welcome.” He replied, stopping in front of her, leaning in for a feather-light kiss. It was in moments like these when both teens really admired each other’s presence. And for a moment, they had forgotten everything else; the adrenaline of their adventure pushing away every depressing thought, as if the nature of what they had done wasn’t at all noteworthy.

And then came the ruffling - the echoing sound of steps on concrete. “Look what we have here,” An old voice said, belonging to an old man. “Still got their wands, boys.”

Soon, there weren’t just one, but ten different men surrounding them on the corner; their hands carrying all types of weapons. Hunters, Hiccup assumed.

There was a loud crack and the chilling sound of a bullet cutting the air in two; Hiccup had just yanked Astrid’s hand, pulling her into the twisting portal of their apparition when his vision sank in red.

Watching from high above in the tower, a male wizards stood completely silent, immersed in the shadows with his long dark coat, his face hidden from light under the large hood on his head. His eyes scanned the street several metres below - Oxford Street stending kilometres further so he could see the roof of the abandoned Covent Garden station. He scanned even further - to the witch hunters who stepped into the station, and then to the amateurs who gathered at the gate up front, and to the pair of wizards who followed them. And his curiosity peaked, his wand tightly gripped in his hands, when not five minutes later - and what he assumed what had been both terrifying and amusing minutes, the two wizards returned, hands linked, conspiring smiles on their faces.

For a moment, the vigilante felt a strange sense of familiarity. He was about to apparate to them when the unexpected occured: all around their block, ten men stepped out of the alleys and corners surrounding the pair of wizards; there were guns and arms raised, the beginning of a scream, and then a loud crack - an explosion of smoke shaking the street, and when it faded into the wind, the wizards were gone - a mark of blood on the floor they stood.

“It’s no use,” He heard the hunters. “We keep losing them.”

“But now we know we can hurt them.” Another spoke, bending over the scarlett puddle. “Sound the alarm… Let everyone know… The hunt begins.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Oppugnant

The world twisted and turned until Hiccup’s vision managed to focus on the small table in his dark living room. He heard Astrid cry in pain. “You were hit?” He threw himself over her, her hand grasping the side of her hips where her coat began to soak in hot blood.

“Damn it…” She yelped with clenched teeth as the boy gathered her up in his arms, laying her in the bed. His wand lit the room in blue as he cut the girl’s shirt with a sharp spell. “It hurts…”

“I know.” He replied, his free hand briefly running her cheek before focusing on her wounds. “Accio dittany!” He commanded, and a small silver vial zoomed in through the door. Astrid hissed harder when he summoned the small bluish bullet from inside her belly, the blood coating his hands before he spilled the potion in the wound. That’s when the girl screamed again, grabbing his free hand for dear life. “I’m sorry, I should-I should have warned you, I’m sorry…” He pleaded repeatedly as he watched her skin smoke and boil, then revealing a smooth and new layer over what had just been a bleeding wound. “You’re okay.”

But the girl had fainted in pain, her eyes barely two slits revealing white ocular globes as she muttered incomprehensible things in her delusions. Then, reverberating over every rooftop in London, massive sounds that reminded of gigantic horns, the bone-chilling warning that echoed through the city. His own blood stopped pulsing when he realised that alarm was meant for them.

Astrid woke up to a candle-lit room. Although the pain was much fainter than she remembered, she still winced as she sat up in bed, her stomach covered in bandages. She tried moving, but water seemed to have replaced her blood and cotton had replaced her bones. Too weak, she called for the man outside the room. He walked in in featherly steps, crouching next to her.

“How are you feeling?” He whispered.

“Like crap,” She muttered, adjusting herself in the bed. “Hiccup, those men…”

“They’re far behind, don’t you worry.”

“The alarm…?” Her eyes sank in apprehension, and when Hiccup closed his eyes in defeat, she closed hers in anger.

“We were so stupid…”

“They can’t find us in here-”

“I told you I had no business going outside. I told you, damn it.” She cut his words, and through the deep bags around her eyes, the smoky blue eyes still pierced the green ones.

“I’m sorry.” He said, standing back up. “I just wanted you-”

“I know what you wanted.” She hissed. “It’s not worth it. I said it’s too dangerous. I can’t leave now for at least another week, and you shouldn’t either.”

The boy lowered his head, nodding. “I’ll be in the living room if you need me.” He said as he walked out, shutting the door, not at all inclined to returning to Astrid’s bed.

His wand tapped the radio over the table;

“... it is confirmed now that two young looking wizards were spotted at Oxford Street tonight; wizard-hunter Michael Duncan - who was credited for not only seeing but also apparently harming them has more information to share with us, Duncan?’

“Hello James, and everyone out there listenin’ -’ The voice in the radio scattered Hiccup’s composure as he recognised hearing its owner only hours ago. ‘These were trained wizards, apparently. Unlike most of the ones we catch on urban runs, these we saw today not only managed to attack six of our men, but also disappeared out of nowhere. A couple, one of them a blonde girl and a brunette guy, all freckled… they didn’t even seem too menacing, they carried wands, they looked like us, they dressed like us… Maybe that’s why it’s so impossible to trace them.”

“Those are really scary news, Duncan, what sort of detail do you have to give us regarding how to approach if we ever have the misfortune to encounter such creatures? I mean, are they even human, do we stand a chance against this… this species? I mean, what even are they?”

“That’s a good question, James. I don’t think a lonely human with a single gun can match these things… I don’t personally consider them human, although they are so similar to us in appearance - which also makes them so dangerous, you might even cross with one of them and not even know it… if you ever happen to cross with anyone who’s left; the streets are way more empty than I like… I recommend you to run, hide… and if you can confirm it’s them, then by all means, do blast the alarm.”

“That’s a dreadful scenario, to bump into one of them? Even today there are people who would rather think that the two species should co-exist, like there could be some sort of deal or perhaps a conciliation between us and them… What do you have to say about that?”

“In my opinion? I think anyone who sympathises with those demons should be put in the fire as well as they all. My suggestion is that we hunt them all, kill every last one of them. We are at war, James, there’s no room for sympathy here. I wish I could talk directly to these people who pray on peace or whatever - have you forgotten all the lives they took? The millions dead on the curse they cast on this land? Your children, your parents? Every last family had their share of losses, they were cut in two, that was a slaughter-”

“We remember that, Michael…”

“Do you even remember the numbers? It didn’t stop at hundreds, it  didn’t stop at thousands. The counter only stopped at millions. Four million to be exact. Have you people freaking forgotten?”

“We got your point, Michael, we remember… There’s no forgetting what’s happened-”

“Bloody right there isn’t.”

“But that’s also exactly the point, don’t you think that there has been enough killing? Too many are dead already, perhaps the killing should stop-”

“To hell with your sentimentalism! To hell with the numbers - this isn’t about peace, no, this is pure old fashion revenge. This is a war they started - and by God, we will finish.”

“Thank you, Michael, this has been quite an enlightening visit - and I am sure our citizens will share your perspective. Now, for all you people hearing from the comfort of your homes, remember to hug your loved ones, the people surrounding you and stay tuned for our next talk-show, from Linda Barton, ‘Where do we go now that they’re gone-”

Hiccup turned off the radio, his heart tightening inside his ribcage. Slumping on the couch, he felt Toothless petit form climbing over his robes, resting on his shoulder.

The wind wiped the streets of London, the tall grass that had overgrown throughout the concrete waved above the broken ground. Above the roofs of the decadent buildings, a hooded figure watched the street, the black robes helping its talk and slim figure disappear in darkness. The same person who had watched above the Convent Garden, who now crouched down over the empty street – watching carefully as a group of muggles approached in a black Combi, a huge antenna spiking up from the roof. "Emergo Vox!" He flicked his wand.

" ...Yes, I've heard what that idiot said on the radio.” A horrible male voice said, the sound amplified in the vigilante’s ears.

“ So why the devils are we still coming here?” Another man spoke, his voice much younger and scared. “ You saw what happened to Marcus and Dimitri…”

“Listen here, you fag-” The other man interrupted. “If a few witches scare you then you should have stayed home with your mommy. Man up and let’s kill those bastards. The signal ended somewhere here. I think they might have already found the tracer I shot them with.”

The man on the roof raised his wand, metres above them.

“We have to go now,” Hiccup said hurriedly as he stuffed his enchanted saddle bag with all the books and food cans his fingers could reach. He had heard the noise from the outside, the sudden rumble of cars and angry voices. He rushed to wake Astrid, who now winced painfully as she tried to keep herself on her feet, her face still void of any colour. “They’ll have to blast through these walls… we can’t apparate with your injuries…”

“...I can try…” She started, but Hiccup raised his hand.

“Toothless,” He decided. “Stay behind his back. If we can’t apparate, we’ll go flying-”

“I can do this-”

“Like hell I’ll let you even try, Astrid! Stay behind Toothless, now! ” Although his voice was steady, the pleading firmness and undertone of anger was enough for Astrid to admit defeat. The boy grabbed his wand, pointing at the dragon that coughed smoke on the floor. “ Essentio! ”

As Toothless grew to its true size, the sound coming from the streets grew into a sickening orchestra of unintelligible shouts. The two wizards went still. Toothless tilted his head in curiosity as suddenly, the street went quiet.

And then the explosion.

Safe under the dragon’s wing, Hiccup kept Astrid’s body clenched to his as the world obliterated itself over their heads, the heat of the fire courting their skin closely, but held back by the dragon’s scales. Once the dust thinned enough and the light stormed into the room from the hole in the wall, Toothless blasted his jet of fire to the outside.

A choir of screams echoed from the street, and in the Muggles’ distraction, Hiccup dragged Astrid as swiftly and carefully as possible over Toothless’ wing, dragging their bodies towards the dragon’s back. As men approached the hole on the wall, Toothless spilled its fire mercilessly, soon the smell of burnt flesh invading their noses as they pierced out of the house.

A grotesque witch-hunter’s makeshift tank rolled on the street, lit by the surrounding fire. A cannon blasted from its crooked top, and the projectile missed the dragon by a couple feet, proving its complete inefficiency. “ Bombarda!” Hiccup shouted towards the cannon, and the blast from his wand added to the bombs inside the vehicle, exploding the tank into a mess of chirmed and twisted metal. “Go higher, Toothless!”

The dragon roared once before lifting its wings, spitting its fire once into the street, spiralling smoke and sparks flying everywhere. Hiccup released a loud cry as he felt a sharp and burning heat slice his left shoulder, and he bent himself lower over Toothless’ back, now leaning in the vertical as the dragon half climbed, half jumbled its way up the building.

A sudden gust of bullets erupted from the street. Toothless retracted his wings over Hiccup and Astrid, most of the rounds bouncing on his scales, not penetrating. In his line of sight, Hiccup could barely make out the street, hidden under Toothless’ wing, but he did see the blast coming from the building next to them. A red lightning bolt, the unmistakable mark of a wizard’s spell, and then a flash blew up the street, a massive roar levelling their field.

In the short window, Toothless struggled his way to the top of the building, first shuffling through the roof, dropping several tiles on the street, before expanding his wings, leaping upwards, and then skyrocketing into the night.

As the muggles scrambled away from the inferno, panicking, the wizard in long black vests apparated into the mayhem of smoke and wrecks. Watching the entire conflict from above, he had prepared himself to join the wizards, ready to blast any muggle vehicle from his superior position in the rooftops. Instead, he stared in amazement.

He could not believe his eyes. He could not have imagined Toothless , from every possible situation in his mind. And he was sure the two wizards had escaped on the dragon’s back. He couldn’t make out their faces, but he was sure there was only one wizard who could ride a dragon the way one would ride a trained stallion.

“ Revellio, ” He kneeled over the sidewalk, where small droplets of blood glowed scarlett against the concrete.

“So you’ve seen it all, haven’t you?” A horribly cruel voice found Jack’s ears, and the boy turned on his heels to stare at McNair, smiling as evilly as his tone suggested while he walked towards him.

“The dragon rider disappeared,” Jack stated coldly. “You’ve lost him again.”

“Pity,” McNair responded. “I wish I had been able to see all this in action. Must be a sight to behold…”

“The Resistance should be here in a matter of minutes,” Jack interrupted. “Gothel must have already been caught by now. Unless you want to be taken yourself, I suggest you leave now.”

The other obscurial smirked even more sinisterly. “Spirituous much?” He teased. “Shame we can’t kick each other’s asses, I would love to have my go with your perfect teeth.”

“I’m not fighting you tonight, McNair.”

“Of course you are not,” he retorted. “You are not fighting nobody tonight. Like you said yourself, the ministry shall be here any minute now,” Jack merely stared, immovable, as the other wizard gave him his new instructions. “They’ll need an eye witness. Whatever happens next, you are to let them. Let us submit to fate once more. It’ll lead you further.”

McNair made to leave, and he was about to disapparate when Jack called him again. “How will I know I’m on the right path?”

“Faith, boy,” he retorted loudly from where he stood. “Like it always has been. It’ll bring you to the dragon rider.”

And with that he spun in the air, with a loud crack echoing through the inferno, disappearing into the void.

Chapter Text

Toothless shot through the air like an arrow over the rooftops. Hiccup wondered if they had ever flown so fast; he had to clutch to the base of the creature’s neck to avoid sliding backward on its rump, the dragon’s wings barely beating as they soared the night, immersed in the blackness. There were barely any lights from the city, but in the fog they could make out the rough outline of the abandoned buildings.

After what felt like hours with nothing but the slicing wind battering their faces, Toothless slowed down its streak, enough so that Hiccup and Astrid could relax their grips on the dragon’s body.

“I could have disapparated, I could have!”

“Don’t start now, Astrid,” Hiccup scolded, still unwilling to look back at the girl. “I told you there’s no way I’d allow you.”

“You are bleeding,” The girl said, her hand holding around the thin but long cut the bullet had pierced on the boy’s shoulder.

“It’s fine, it’s only superficial.” He spoke, shaking her fingers off. “I’ll take care of it once we’re on the ground.”

The girl groaned frustrated, but remained quiet for the rest of the trip, until Toothless began hovering lower in the darkness. There were fewer constructions as far as they could see, and they could not make out whether they had gone North or South. The dragon landed on a soft patch of grass, and Hiccup stubbornly slid off from his back, patting the scales as he aided Astrid off the hump. “Where are we?” She said, and as both looked around, Hiccup noticed the silhouette of small houses peppering the horizon. They were in a large field, pine trees covered by a thick fog that surrounded most of his view. A streetlamp stood several metres from where they stood, signalling a street in the distance. He drew his wand off his robes.

“Let’s go,” he took her hand as he marched forwards through the night. “ Escuro Revelio ,” he commanded, and Astrid noticed as even in the gloomy scene, his eyes seemed to sparkle a green ring in his irises.

They neared the first house in brooding silence, watchful of every sound other than their breaths - nothing but the soothing peep of an owl, or rustling of the wind. The doors were closed, but the windows had collected dust and dirt throughout the years. Hiccup tapped the door with the tip of his wand, and it unlocked with a smooth click. Astrid stepped forwards, lightly pushing him aside.

“ Homenum Revelio! ” She shushed. There was nothing but the eerie creak of their own steps. “We’re alone.”

Two wizards ventured into the devastated street, black muggle clothes covering their bodies as they held each other’s hands; their wands aimed at their surroundings. The smoke still dispersed in the air, the small fires being the only source of light in the night.

“I don’t know about this, love, a dragon here after three years?”

“It has to be, look a’the street, Dean!” The other one said in a thick irish accent.

“There are no dragons anywhere near London, not even Gringotts has been using dragons for years-”

“We can thank Potter fer that one,” The other wizard replied, still clutching at the other’s hand. “Besides, look at ‘oll these wrecks… it’s a bloody rampage. A couple of wizerds couldn’t have possibly won a fight against ‘oll these muggles, specially with ‘oll this machinery-”

“Oh, be real, we both know wizards who could walk this one out...”

“No, they did not walk out;” A third voice emerged from the shadows. “They flew it out.”

 “Who are you?” The tallest one spoke, stepping in front of the other. “Say it now or we’ll jinx you.”

“I’m Ether,” Jack lied, raising his hands with his wand in his pocket. “I am a wizard, I’m one of you.”

“Step into the light ‘den.” Seamus commanded. “Let us see yer face.”

The wizard in the black coat stepped near the fire, allowing his black pointy hat to slide down his head, revealing a massive crown of night black hair. The blue eyes still shone in the night, but no wizard seemed to recognize him.

“I saw what happened here,” Jack spoke. “I was here.”

“Then it will be easy to decide whether to curse you or not.” Said Dean. “Did you see the dragon?”

Jack nodded once, and the two wizards looked at one another, considering, frightened. “Then you’ll come with us. The resistance will want to see you.”

Once Hiccup put the protective charms into place, Astrid slumped on the couch, pampered by cushions and blankets Hiccup had drawn from their travel bag. As much as their sore mood had damaged their conversational status, for an instant he was thankful she was so skilled at intricate spells such as the expansive charm. In the short leverage he had to know the hunters had found their location, he had managed to sack up all their belongings into their bag. The books had been shuffled inside in careless manner and were now scattered in the bottom of their items, but he could rearrange them later. With a wriggle of his wand, he drew their old radio to his open palm, laying it on the small coffee table.

“ ...it is confirmed, two wizards escaped the onslaught in London earlier this evening, and it is said they escaped while riding the back of a what?”

“It was a dragon, Steve, I saw it with my own eyes!”

“No, Caesar, I seriously doubt it…”

“They’re dangerous people, Al, I’m telling you…”

“They can throw fire from their hands!”

“They can freeze you with their eyes!”

“One of them punched me in the face!”

Hiccup shook his head, disgusted. “Do you hear this bud? It’s like they’re underestimating your firepower.”

Toothless threw a look of complete indignation back, growling through his teeth. Hiccup had decided to let him stand on his natural size, and the dragon seemed more than happy to mount guard, staring through the dirty window.

“I know, you did burn their asses tonight. Not your fault they didn’t get the message.” Toothless nozzled his face with his nostrils, and Hiccup brought his hands to scratch on his head. “Happy to fly for a change?” He asked, and like a domesticated puppy, the dragon wriggled its tail in excitement, leaning further into the boy’s hands. 

“Hiccup,” Astrid called out, and as Hiccup turned at her, his expression frozen in the amusement of petting Toothless and the inquisitive look he shot at her – the dragon grumped dissatisfied at his interrupted scratching session. Astrid was still working her fingers on the radio’s buttons, twisting the settings. “Listen to this.”

A static signal distorted and wavered until a familiar voice spoke.

“ ...it’s the first time in three years since the fall of Hogwarts, right in the streets of London, the dragon rider is back, I repeat, the dragon rider is back-”

Static signal cut the transmission. Toothless stared wide-eyed.

“ ...we will continue to broadcast this transmission to every last wizarding soul” the static twisted and distorted the voice “-if you are the dragon rider, the resistance awaits-” more static. “ ‒ we’ve been waiting for long enough-”

The signal disappeared, and Astrid desperately twitched the buttons again. Hiccup remained as still as a statue, eyeing the way Astrid worked the radio as if the world was ending again. Then the radio snapped, the button perked up by itself, and a shiver ran across the two wizards when a familiar Australian voice boomed from the radio.

“ ...Hiccup… ” 

A piercing ring interrupted the transmission, and Astrid gave out a silent cry of recognition before everything got quiet. They’d recognize that voice anywhere.

That voice belonged to Aster.

“So, Ether, ye’ fled from Hogwarts at Doomsday, wasn’ it?”

The three wizards paced their way through the darkness of the undergrounds of London, a maze of dark grey concrete, lit only by the incandescent tips of their wands. Trying not to trip on the metal tracks, Jack looked around himself, feeling increasingly more anxious as he imagined himself trapped into a labyrinth of stone. The subterrain wasn’t his favourite location.

“Yes,” He answered simply, being followed by the two wizards, who did not trust him enough to allow him in the rear position of their strutle. “Haven’t dared to return to the castle yet.”

“No one dares to do so,” The brown-skinned wizard added. “The place is now the Ground Zero for all the evil in the world. It’s safe to say that it is the single most deadly place on the planet, currently.”

“Bloody hell, I never thought’ I’d get to hear ‘dat,” The shorter one spoke. “I thought’ I had seen bad’enough when the Carrows took ‘deir place as teachers. Now I kinda miss ‘dem.”

“Don’t remind me,” His companion said, who Jack remembered to be named Dean. “I still remember what they did to you when I got there, a bloody mess of beaten meat you were.”

Seamus laughed. “Eh? I wasn’t as bad as ye were when the snatchers took ye, tho’,” And Dean laughed along.

“Wizards who get beat up together…”

“Stay togedah’.” Seamus concluded, and Jack heard their hands clasping back together. A rush of jealousy burst through him, the image of their joined hands causing him to wander back to his memories, reminiscing ever so terribly. “We’re almost there,” He signalled with the light of his wand so that Jack could turn on a shadowy corner where the tracks seemed to descend further into the Earth.

“So, you said you had heard of the Resistance before, Ether?” Dean inquired.

“Yes, months ago…” Jack replied, trying not to lose balance as his foot got caught in the metal of the tracks. “There wasn’t much of a formation back then, though.”

“How long ago?”

“Right after the Ministry got shut down;” The underground path seemed to grow further in distance and blackness, the harder it was to notice anything past a couple metres in front of their light’s reach.

“No one really knew what to do back then.” Dean explained. “Nobody had faced such a threat of exposure with such violence… We had the rugs pulled from beneath our feet.”

“Back then, most of the Resistance was formed by what was left of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army… and what was that other thing again they had?”

“The Black Army.” Jack replied.

Dean and Seamus stared at him through the shadows. “Ye knew about that one too?” Jack remained silent, his head bent down as he focused on the tracks.The two wizards remained silent until they reached a final curve on the underground, the tracks suddenly disappearing near a wall that enclosed the tunnels. A dead end. “We’re here.”

Jack looked at the wall in front of them with curious eyes, until Dean and Seamus swissed a metallic sound. Looking back, he saw Dean pulling a small blade to his palm.

“No, Dean, ye’ve already done it last time…” Seamus tried taking his hands, but the other man quickly shushed him with a chaste kiss to his lips.

“You can pay me back later tonight,” He muttered in a manner that made Jack stare at the ground, uncomfortable. His mind wandered to the last time he felt such affection.

A sudden slice from the blade later, and he could smell the blood as Dean took the steps towards the wall, pressing his hand flat against the stone surface. With the light from their wands, Jack noticed how several other tiny red streaks marked the wall. As he observed further, though, a deep rumble shook the ground. A thin curtain of dust rained on them, and then a warped sound of contorting metal twisted the train tracks, stretching them into the wall - which had now collapsed into what seemed like a long cavernous corridor. Unlike the human-built path of the underground, the new walls were naturally flawed, rocks and soil extending their way into the earth.

“Ye go first.” Seamus said, flicking his wand over Dean’s palm to close his wound.

Jack trekked forwards, venturing deep into the cave. “What is this place?”

Dean flicked his wand, the light from the Lumus charm floating ahead of them. “This is the old Gringotts underground. After the Ministry was shut down, the enemies mounted a tight guard on the Diagon Alley. There was nothing left we could scavenge.”

“ Enemies? ” Jack asked. “I thought Muggles were our fight.”

“We wish,” He scoffed back. “Muggles only found our spots after the real enemies exposed them. Someone had been giving the secrecy of the wizards for too long.”

“...It’s how the muggles found-”

“Hogwarts, yes.” Dean concluded. “And whoever they are, they’ve been wanting this war.”

“And ‘dey got’it.” Seamus concluded, marching angrily through the tunnel.

“So, after everything went to hell, we had to find other ways to hide from the muggles. So we went underground.”

They reached an old lift, so spiked into the earth that it seemed to blend into the stone. Jack walked into the cabin first, followed by the two wizards. Seamus drew the rusted metal gate with a shrieking sound, closing it before pulling a heavy lever before they shot down so abruptly that the boy was almost yanked towards the ceiling of the lift.

“Yer get used to it,” Seamus cracked him a smile.

“How deep this thing go?”

Dean grimaced to shadows. “As far down as the old Gringotts tunnels. We’ve established camp there, you’ll see.”

Then just as abruptly as they began their descent, they stopped, and Jack nearly crashed on the floor. The stones and earth suddenly lit up with flickering lights, and noise, more human noise than he had heard in years filled his ears.

A smile split Seamus’ face. “Welcome to the Resistance headquarters.”

Chapter Text

A small crowd gathered in what seemed like a huge hall made of stones. Torches surrounded the perimeter of their cavernous room, and as far as Jack could see, many wizards wandered seemingly aimlessly through the cave. Dean and Seamus guided him forwards, and as the wizards began noticing them, the gathering formed around the trio.

“Dean! Is it true then? Y’all got to see the dragon?”

“We have broadcast the signal, we’re still waiting for a response...”

“The muggles intercepted our transmission, we’re being shushed all around…”

The questions were shot at such a speed Jack had to shut his eyes and his ears from all the commotion.

“Who is this?” A deeper and broader voice reached them.

“We found this one wanderin’ off Saint Chapersbole avenue;” Seamus replied with a proud smirk. “Not much of a talker, but he says it’s true.”

The wow’s and amazed faces ran the small gathering like a wave that overwhelmed Jack with fear. Soon the questions were shot like mad bludgers. “How was it like?” “How did it look like?” “Did you see the rider?”

“Okay, errybody stop,” Dean stepped forwards again, pulling Jack by his shoulder as he pierced through the gaping wizards. “We’ll give you answers as soon as we have any, now we need Granger.”

“She should be coming down any minute now,” Said another wizard with platinum blonde hair that gave Jack a familiar feeling, “Says there’s a conference we should all attend.”

“I’m gettin’ tired of those conferences, Malfoy” Another one said. “Too much talking for too little doing.”

A strong feminine voice surged from the depths of the torch-lit caves. “ Attention, everyone. ”

Even more wizards and witches from all over crammed into the grand cavernous hall. The woman Jack recognised from all those years ago stood on a hastily made stage. Around Jack, the crowd seemed to squeeze him until he disappeared behind everyone’s shoulders. She raised her hand, and immediately the conversation died out - she seemed surprised at the lack of effort it took.

“Thank you everyone for attending this Extraordinary Meeting.” She said, and her voice was not as welcoming as he remembered it being, but instead filled with a mixture of drive and grief. “I’ve got some things to say. And I am sure there will be questions - which will be answered after I am done speaking.”

“ I have sent a small search party to the location of the supposed dragon sighting today, and I expect an answer, can we confirm the sight of the Dragon Rider tonight? ”

Next to Jack, the wizard Dean took one step ahead. “We have just returned from the hot-spot. We found the destroyed site and an eyewitness who confirmed the dragon rider was there tonight.”

A great cheer erupted from the wizards.

“Thank you, Dean,” Hermione spoke from the top of the platform. “But until we have confirmed contact from the Dragon Rider, there is no confirmation that they will be joining us tonight.”

“ Now, I have gathered you here for a more urgent topic. Earlier tonight, I sent a secret selection of Aurors to investigate a raid south of the country. You all know why these searches have continued. I have been looking for the authors of the Raptum.” The murmurs crossed the crowd like a swarm of bees.  “ And this time we have found something. An attack in the village of Godric’s Hollow by what we have confirmed to be an obscurial parasite.” The news reverberated around the room. “ We have managed to subdue the Obscurial, and we have for a fact experimented its sensitivity towards Dementors. It looks like the Obscurial Parasyte is incredibly vulnerable to the draining nature of the Dementor. We have brought her in. Keep your wands ready.”

From the back of the hall, four figures materialised behind Hermione. Two big Aurors walked in, their wands conjuring what reminded a huge bubble, holding a witch with wild, curly ebony hair, her black robes torn and ripped as if there had been a terrible fight. Jack recognised her immediately. She was contorted in a strange angle, her skin visibly pale and sweating, and her eyes were fixed on the hovering cloaked figure of the dementor next to her. A thin wall of silver magic held the creature inches away from her skin, the Patronus Charm holding back the dementor. What surprised Jack the most, however, was the cold. It felt like someone had opened a gate to a glacial storm, a strange frost spreading against the walls. A sinking feeling took hold of the boy’s heart

“I thought the Ministry had banned the use of Dementors, Granger.” A blonde wizard hissed from his position as gasps and cries raised up in the hall.

“It was a necessary break of rules, it seems to repel the parasite-”

A horrible shriek escaped the Obscurial witch, whose terrified eyes wandered around the room until they met the boy’s. And for a moment, a flash of recognition crossed both their faces.

The Dementor hit the shield.

“Minister, the Dementor feels another threat here in this room.”

The Obscurial-witch converted inside her bubble, exploding into her obscurial form and then back into human, earning screams from the crowd of wizards beneath. But that small distraction was enough to unleash the Dementor, who lept off the weakened Patronus charm, straight into Jack’s aim.

There was a massive roar, and the boy felt cold bony fingers latching to his skin, before everything went dark.

“We can’t just not go, Astrid!”

“Oh, I see plenty of reasons we should not go.”

“Like what?”

“We nearly just died, Hiccup!” She yelled. “It was a miracle we’ve found this place, already, and now you want to... what, go look for ‘whoever they might be’?” Hiccup frowned at her, shaking his head. “Your words, not mine.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t hear what I did, Astrid, we know damn well who that voice belongs to. We can’t ignore a call like this.”

“I beg to differ, what if it was a trap?” The boy sighed at her words. “What if you get lost, what if we get caught with witch-hunters again?”

“What if they’re waiting for us?”

“Them who?”

“You know that was Aster’s voice. What if he’s not alone? What if he’s with Azel? Or Merida?” The girl swallowed drily. “People who cared about us, who we are not even sure if they’re still alive; people we left behind, Astrid.”

“Hiccup…” She tried.

“We can’t turn our backs on that!”

“Please…” She shut her eyes, but Hiccup ignored Astrid’s denying expression, he knew she could not run from the truth.

“We both know who that was.” He said. “We heard Aster, you and I, don’t act like we didn’t.”

The girl looked down, defeated. A heavy silence fell over them. To the window, Toothless still watched the night sky alert to any disturbance.

“I can’t dare to hope he’s alive.” She spoke finally.

“I know.”

“And the idea that he might still be there somehow, it thrills me. Except the truth is, we saw him dying. He won’t be there, I can’t dare to hope. And even though-” Her voice failed. “...we might end up seeing Merida, Azel, or Jack… We don’t know where they are, or if they’re still alive… but Aster might not. And that is what kills me. And if we go out there, and I lose you, I don’t know what I am going to do.” 

Hiccup remained silent, suddenly too filled with emotion. A distant lightning illuminated the room, the low rumble of the thunder following after.

“You will fight.” He said at last. “If I go down, you will move on. Like we moved on from Aster, and from Jack, and you will keep fighting. Because I can’t promise you won’t lose anyone anymore, and that’s what we do. We fight, you hear me?”

A tear drew a line down Astrid’s cheek. She nodded, defeated.

“Rest now.” Said Hiccup. “Tomorrow, we’ll leave with Toothless. I’ll hold on to the radio, you go get some sleep.”

Jack woke up with Flee’s screams in his mind. The black-haired boy opened his eyes to blackness. It was so dark where he lay, safe for the tiny luminance that seemed to penetrate the wall by his feet. He realised he was inside one of the vaults. He vaguely remembered the hideous face of the Dementor that had attacked him, but even more vividly he remembered his little sister’s final scream. The street, the sky, the black smoking figures of the Death Eaters. He tapped around himself for his wand, but found nothing before he heard a booming knock on the vault’s door.

“ Keep yer parasite in, Ether, we’re coming in with a Dementor. ” He recognised the thick Irish accent from yesterday’s wizard.

The door swung open, and a pair of wands aimed at his chest. He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m stable.”

“On yer feet, we’re going fer a walk.” Seamus's pale face focused on his vision.

The boy yanked Jack by the collar of his robes, dragging him out of the vault, into the cavernous corridors. “Ye seemed to keep yerself togetha’ just fine last night,” He said harshly. “If only I knew the danger ye’ve put us in…” The cold air from the Dementor had finally made noticed. Jack gave it a worried look, and Seamus shook his head. “Don’t ye worry, me Patronus is excellent.”

And indeed, the monstrous creature seemed trapped into the silver smoke. “Lovely,” Jack mused.

A small cart hurtled its way towards them, and the boy stepped in next to Seamus, who remained silent for the whole turbulent trip, watchful of the Dementor he repelled. Every now and then, a curious pair of eyes peeked outside to watch the passing wizards.

“Enjoy it, yer’ famous.” Seamus nearly screamed above the roaring wind.

Soon they stopped in front of a huge vault, with a black metal door trapped with countless different locks on the outside. Seamus knocked them with the tip of his wand, and with a loud clang, the door dematerialised before Jack’s eyes.

That must have been the brightest and the whitest room Jack had ever stepped into. This vault was much, much larger than any of the previous ones. The natural earthy textures were exchanged for white marble walls, plain clear floors. It was so clear that he actually felt nauseous with the contrasting difference. A woman with a wild mane of curly black hair sat cross-legged in the very middle of the room, eyes closed in peaceful meditation. Jack recognized her immediately.

“The vault has been magically hedged, there’s no way either of ye tryin’ to flee  here.” Seamus spoke as he gestured for the boy to step in. “There’s a shield between yer both, so stay within yer half. We have eyes and ears here. Yer have five minutes before we pull yer out. No funny tricks.”

The boy gave a short nod, before the door behind him was shut again. It was just him and Gothel now.

“I am very pleased to see you again, Jackson .” Gothel greeted him in such an elegant tone that seemed to age her wisdom much further than her looks. Jack moved closer to her. She remained unmovable, the wild dark hair framing her beautiful slender face, all the blackness in the room seeping from her in a white ocean. “Or should I say Ether? You have chosen a terrific name for yourself, I couldn’t have come up with something better myself.” She played with the words so eloquently it was hard not to imagine a crowd sitting on the top of her head. “Ether… Æther...”

“Close. But not quite.” Jack answered, sitting in an equal manner in front of Gothel, crossing his legs.

“Then why was it?”

“Aster.” He stated, and a look of understanding ghosted her face.

“Ah, the pretty boy… It wasn’t our intention to harm him, you know. He just stood there in the wrong place, you know how it goes.”

“I do know how it goes. Doesn’t make you less guilty either way.”

Gothel smirked. “Look, dear, none of us were supposed to have made it out. At least you had your final words.”

Jack gritted his teeth. “You would never have let them simply take you down this easily. You wanted to come and see me.” Her smile stretched wider. “Why?”

“To think you’d be so clever… Richard was right to be proud of you. First let me take in your hair, black does suit you. Makes you tragic.”

“Don’t stall.”

“Do you truly believe you are safe here? Do you think anyone near you is safe when you carry our curse in your blood? Let me ask you, has the venom of the Obscurial already appeared on your skin yet?”

Jack eyed her suspiciously. Then slowly, brought his hands to his shirt’s collar, unbuttoning the top ones and exposing his chest, where small black veins marked his pale skin, like tree roots. Gothel examined with knowing interest, as if she had been right all along.

“I’m dying, ain’t I?” Jack said ever so casually, not at all phased by his words. The witch nodded again, her smirk unfailing.

“We don’t make it too far, that’s the curse of our kind.” She exposed her inner wrists, where similar lines displayed, although hers were darker, angrier veins than Jacks.

“You made it quite far.”

“How old do you think I am?” She feigned offence. “Erebos made his choice when he jumped into the Æther.”

“What was the Æther, Gothel?”

“Oh, the golden question, I thought you’d have this one figured out.”

“Tell me.” He demanded.

“The Æther is… just magnificent. Every known civilization had their own particular set of ‘Holy’ relics. A gift from the Gods to set their prophecies right, to place the world order. Many of them happen to be right. Call it magic, myth, science, the list goes on. For us, it was the Hidden Ark. Or Æther, it’s one and the same. Though, there are too many names for it, Ambrosia, Amrita, you choose.”

“Where does it come from?”

“We don’t get to track the source of an Elemental relic, my boy, they taught you nothing in that school of  yours?” She scolded. “They have been found again and again in every last myth, a huge prophecy that sets a whole… cataclysm in motion, that’s natural law. The Greek had their deluge, the Vikings had their Ragnarök. Nowadays some people have, what do they call it? Apocalypse?”

“So the Black Order is like what, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse?”

“That’s a catchy name, isn’t it? Regardless of what you call it. Every myth holds some version of the truth. It’s up to us to find the parts of the missing puzzle.”

Jack took in her words with an awful silence. “And I helped you open Pandora’s Box.”

Gothel smiled sadly. “You can’t dodge from the path of fate. We all tried, we have all been there. We all failed.”

“You forced me to it.”

“You would have landed in the path of the Æther either way. There’s no escaping this. You are part of the Order of the Seven from your birth. The curse that you have run from is also what has kept you alive for so long. Do you think a simple Obscurial child lives that much carrying our parasite, our disease?” Jack could not bear to look at her. “This is what you have been living for your whole pathetic life. Be glad you got to reach the purpose of your fate. Most people don’t.”

There was a long silence.

“You should be thankful.” She said.

“This is madness.” He whispered.

“This was the work of fate. We are merely instruments.” She concluded.

After a minute of silence, heavy steps echoed outside. His time was running out. “You haven’t brought me in here just to point out that I’m dying, now, did you?” He asked.

“No. There’s one more thing. Your work with the Order isn’t done yet.” The steps sounded louder, closer. “But you have to be alive for that. Fate has kept you alive for a reason. Now find a way to keep it that way.”

“How?”

The doors opened. “Let’s go, time’s up.” Seamus ordered from the entrance.

“Let Fate take its course. You’ll find the answers soon enough. Just run with it.” She warned one last time, before a pair of hands pulled Jack by his shoulders. He allowed himself to be dragged away, feeling Gothel’s stare penetrate deep into his skull.

Chapter Text

Hiccup spent the best part of the night working on their radio, not daring to touch the buttons nor change the channels, but instead tapping as many enhancement spells he could muster. It had to be Aster’s voice he heard. He was convinced of it. While Astrid slept tightly on the small couch, Toothless guarded the window attentively, his large green eyes locked on the street - and often Hiccup would nudge the dragon so it would give itself some sleep, but the stubborn creature refused to move.

The last thing he heard on the radio, however, was a strange combination of random words, terribly shattered through the poor signal. But that time it didn’t feel like Aster’s voice, however. It was a childish sound, a kid’s voice. Those seemed urgent, and as wrote them down, he realised they were directions. Angry splashes of ink marked the parchment:

~ Hackfall Woods

~ Castle of Rocks

And then came the parts he took only words of broken sentences:

~ Ruins

~ Dead man - walking?

From his small backpack, Hiccup drew a small knife, concealing the sharp blade into his vests.

Hiccup stared at the radio uselessly for another three hours, before deciding it was a fruitless effort. Eventually he gave up waiting for another message from the dead, regretfully switching the channels until he found the last Muggle Broadcast.

“ ...the last seven hours have been stormed with the sight of a dragon flying out of the Centre of London tonight. The existence of a wizarding community is no longer news, but it seems like there is more to this wicked society than obscure men and women; now we see mythological creatures that escape God’s plan of existence…”

At some point, he tried laying down on the carpet, adjusting himself as comfortably as he could with the dusty cushions. However, he never found sleep. Instead, his mind wandered to places he often tried to ignore in his waking hours. For some reason, it insisted on drifting towards Jack Overland. Hiccup tossed on his pillows, but as much as he avoided going there, the face of the other man was so sharply embedded in his mind, so tightly tied to his heart; it was impossible to ignore. He imagined his white hair, his mischievous smile that so often had brought one from Hiccup. His scent of mint and snow...

And then the painful memories resurfaced. How they had duelled - how Jack had duelled for him, to keep Hiccup from joining the fight, and how he was unable to turn around the last time they had seen. How unforgivable their actions were.

How he had walked away in the end of the world.

Seamus escorted Jack all the way back through the caves of Gringotts, the ride on the cart turbulent and shaky until they stopped in front of another vault. This time, Jack made no intentions to assume what was expecting him beyond the door. Seamus gave him an encouraging nod.

This vault was by far the neatest, not too bright like Gothel’s, nor too dorm-looking like Merida and Azel’s. He found himself at what he could describe as an office, piles of parchments, quills, ink, owls and charts shuffled and filled the space. There was a single large desk in the end of the room, and behind which a woman sat, her nose sunk into a heavy-looking document. When she looked up, Jack noticed the brown bushy hair of Hermione Granger.

“You must be Ether,” She said. “I think we have met before, please sit.”

Jack liked the tone of her voice, although it sounded deeper, heavier than he remembered. He pulled the chair across the witch.

“I remember you,” He said, sitting down. “You were with the Order of the Phoenix, weren’t you?”

“That would be correct,” Hermione placed the file on the desk, adjusting herself. “It was exciting news, finding you in London. You’ve caused quite the noise here after that Dementor revealed you as an Obscurial. And when you confirmed seeing the Dragon Rider…”

“Now I’m the circus freak; the Obscurial on the loose, sleeping in a cage.” He cut her mid-sentence. Hermione flinched. “Let’s cut the crap. I know none of you want me here-”

“-that’s not true-”

“-and I can’t track down your Dragon Rider. Unless you are simply hunting Obscurials, which is my next guess. So tell me, before I break my way out of this place,  what am I here for?”

Hermione adjusted herself again. She was not used to someone quite like him. “As I understand it, we believe we’ve found a way to bring them back.”

Jack stared at her in confusion. “Bring them back?”

She nodded. “Bring them all back.”

The sky was bleeding into light again. The blue hour warned him that he should be preparing to leave. He woke up Astrid as gingerly as he could, but none felt keen on being sweet nor talkative to each other. Hiccup would stay quiet, there was enough noise in his thoughts for both of them. When he left the dark but cosy house, the cold wind battered his face, that auspicious smell of the breaking dawn filling his nostrils.

Toothless remained still on the porch. Although the morning started to peek through, the dragon still almost disappeared in the remaining darkness. Even the bluish shades of the dawn seemed to absorb into his hard skin. They had at most half an hour to remain invisible on air.

“Are you ready to fly, bud?” Hiccup asked the dragon, patting the black scales on Toothless’ neck. He replied with a heartfelt nod, his huge head diving into Hiccup’s chest. Hiccup took his wand from his black cloak, placing it flatly on his palm. “ Guide me. ” He ordered, and the wand spun until it pointed straight ahead. “You took us South,” He muttered to the dragon, which gave a low growl in response. “It’ll be a long trip… but we can make it before sunrise if we’re fast.” Astrid walked out of the house, already dressed in her long black travel cloak. Hiccup gave her a nod. “Let’s go.”

He grabbed his own robes, pulling the pointy hood over his head before the three marched towards the small yard in front of the house. Hiccup helped Astrid climb onto Toothless’ navel, and although she flinched a little with the effort, she made no complaints, nor allowed any vocal sign of pain. The boy knew better than to comment on it.

As the dragon jolted into the air, and the wind started to roar in their ears, the city began to shrink beneath them. From the height, and aided with the faint ghostly light, Hiccup could see how far from London they had flown, nearly at the edge of the surrounding woods. Around them, indigo clouds still hovered the city, and Toothless shot himself into them, concealed from any observer from beneath. As they soared the skies, more used to the deafening wind, Hiccup started to appreciate their silence. Astrid had grabbed the sides of his cloak for the simple necessity of holding on to anything.

After what felt like an hour, the sun finally peaking above the horizon in a grey sunrise, Toothless finally began descending towards the ground. Soon, Hiccup saw themselves surrounded by a large forest which seemed to stretch to the ends of the earth.

Climbing off the dragon, the young wizards grabbed their wands, eyeing their surroundings. The trees rose darkly above them, the green so faint, blent in greyness; a thin fog crossed every path of the forest. “I’ve been here before,” Hiccup mentioned, and Astrid sent him a questioning look. “Dad brought me here as a kid, he wanted to show me ruins… but it was much brighter back in the day.”

“Well, ruins might be a good starting point. We’re looking for wizards, after all.” She said her first words in hours, and although they held no emotion, Hiccup found he liked it better than the silence.

“Keep your wand ready.” He muttered. They pulled their hoods over their heads again.

As they ventured deeper into the woods, a faint but persistent sound was noticeable, a liquid texture. A couple hundred yards from their location, they found themselves on the riverbank, small waterfalls crashing coldly against the concrete. It would have been a beautiful sight, the river descending in a succession of cataracts, but the landscape was so sinister, misty and gloomy, like all colour had been drained from the forest.

Toothless peered towards the water, lowering his head to the edge of the river to drink. Hiccup mentally scolded himself for not remembering the last time Toothless had drank any water. “I think the ruins are over that section. We need to get higher.” He said.

“Hiccup,” Astrid’s voice sounded eerily calm, and Hiccup gave a strange look before nearing the girl. Once he got close enough, he saw it, hidden between the stones of the lake, what looked like a rock at first, with two eye sockets carved into the surface. A crack divided the head of the skull.

“This was here long before the broadcast was made...” Hiccup muttered. “Is that the work of an animal or a human?”

“Or a wizard.” Astrid suggested. “Let’s just keep going.”

They struggled their way up the forest, following the river bank contrary to the stream. Toothless at least seemed to enjoy the freedom the woods gave, taking every now and then to dive into the freezing water. Eventually, they found small ruins of what could have been castles in past centuries. A stone dome big enough to fit a car, but with chunks of its ceiling missing.

Suddenly, Toothless gave a low but menacing growl. Hiccup and Astrid had their wands ready at the surrounding sections of the ruin, and that was when they saw them: three stunningly beautiful children, a black girl and two blonde twin brothers, all hooded and dressed in black wizard robes. Hiccup realised how young they were, maybe first years if there were any students left at Hogwarts. But none of them seemed scared. Not even with the dragon in front of them. In fact, their faces were completely devoid of emotion.

The girl spoke first; “Are you the Guardian of Shadows?”

Even through the hood shadowing most of his face, Astrid noticed the shock in Hiccup’s semblant. With an audible gulp, he lowered his wand.

“No.” He answered. Toothless growled again, louder. “It’s okay, Toothless. They’re not a threat.”

The girl gazed at the wizards coldly. “We cannot harm. But you cannot leave.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Jack asked the witch.

“I’ve heard your conversation with the Obscurial. And I think she might be right.” Hermione replied simply. “But I can’t tell you more without your promise that you’ll help me.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” He retorted. “So far, you have brought a dementor, an old enemy, and oh, that’s right, locked me up in that prison-vault of yours…”

“We hardly know much about you either. As far as I’m concerned, I can’t even trust Ether is your real name, which only makes me guess you might be running from something, or someone . And from what I heard, I don’t think you have much time left.” Her words were carefully measured to jab him just the right amount, and he stared at her coldly. “I know you are dying. And I don’t know what role you had when the Hidden Arc was opened, but I don’t think you are to blame. Even when the only person blaming you here is yourself. And I don’t think you’d miss the chance to help.”

There was a long silence, the weight of her speech sinking on Jack. “I’ll have to hear the rest of the plan.”

“I need your word.” She insisted. Jack gave an annoyed grunt, shaking his head as he weighed his options thoroughly.

“Do it, Jack.” Another sweet and feminine voice said, but not from Hermione. At the entrance of their room, a new, however familiar figure appeared by the doorframe. A girl with short pixie brown hair. But what Jack recognised most immediately were her eyes; the unmistakable shade of olive green that emanated warmth into any room, and then he could tell who that was.

“Azel?” Jack found himself shocked to see his friend, still alive after all those years…

“You can trust her,” She said, slightly breathless. “She means it.”

Seamus appeared behind her, panting heavily. “I’m sorry, Granger, she insisted.”

But neither seemed to mind his input. Jack sighed again.

“If…” He started. “you find a way to bring everyone back - and that’s one very big if … I need some guarantee.”

“Of course,” Said Hermione. “I promise we’ll keep you safe-”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Then what?”

Jack took a deep breath. “The Dragon Rider. We find him first.”

Hermione seemed taken aback by his bargain. “ Him ?” She said. “You saw his face?”

“I know who he is.” Jack replied. “And I know you need him as much as you say you need me. We are not the only ones searching for him, therefore we need to find him before they do. No more questions on that.”

“Wait, who's they… ?”

“That’s my bargain, Granger.”

The witch considered it carefully.

“Alright, we can arrange that.” She concluded.

“Okay…” He took a deep breath. “So, how do you plan on waking the dead?”

“That’s Azel’s theory.” Azel gave a meaningful bow as she entered the room, standing next to Jack. “Apparently Miss Crowne has more information on D-Day than we have ever had.”

Jack grimaced. “Crowne?” He asked, and the girl nodded in confirmation. “How come I didn't know your last name?”

“It’s my mother’s name… either way, I think I found a way to understand how the curse took place… and the ‘ how’ allowed me to form a pretty solid theory to reverse it.”

“Why you, though?”

Azel took a deep breath. “Because I think part of what happened was my fault.”

Jack’s expression froze, and Hermione leaned forward. “We’ve discussed this, Azel, no one blames you…”

“He still should know how it happened.” The girl explained. “You remember the book, the Rituals of Sotanaht Grim?” Jack nodded, confused. “It was stolen during the riot against White… I noticed after the curse was cast…”

“Azel…” Jack started, but the girl resumed her speech.

“I know you’ve all told me to get rid of the book… but I couldn’t find a place good enough to do it… and I tried destroying it, Jack, I really, really tried…”

Azel’s voice cracked, yet she didn’t allow a single tear to escape. Jack only stared at her, all the hurt over her earlier avoidance now forgotten.

“Either way… I still had time to study it, to understand the rituals. Grim called it a Raptum, or the life-stealing curse. I suppose a dark wizard like You-Know-Who must have tried finding it on his own time… But it’s more than just a killing curse. In fact, as I understood it, it might not even be a killing curse at all.”

“So you’re saying everyone is still alive?” As much as he wanted, Jack didn’t allow himself to hope.

“Also, not quite. It’s a theory. It’s far more complicated than you think… I believe they’re in some sort of Limbo, like a bridge between two worlds?”

Jack stared at her, dumbfounded.

“So they’re not dead, but for all effects, still dead.” He said, his hand running through his hair as he stood up from his seat. “It makes no sense, Erebos said when he cast the curse himself, I was there, I saw it…”

“What did he say, exactly?” Hermione asked. “All the people who went into the Chamber when the Raptum occurred are now dead, including my husband. It would be nice to have a report from someone who’s... not dead.” She gave Jack a piercing look. “I hope you understand what it means to be the only person who has walked out of that cave alive .”

Jack sighed again, sitting back on his chair before he recounted for the first time everything he had done and witnessed in that chamber, three years ago. From the Sphinx, to Aster, to the Order of the Seven, to Erebos sacrifice in the ritual… When he was done, Azel and Hermione were in tears, but Jack remained impassive.

“No one could have predicted what would have happened after the ritual…” Said Azel.

“He knew what he was doing.” Jack stated. “He knew the spells he would use, he knew what the Aether, or Arc, I don’t know how to call it anymore… but he knew what he wanted it to do.”

“Sotanaht Grim describes the Arc as a gateway,” Azel spoke again. “It’s like a powerful network, encircling all the world. Grim found a way to use it to enhance the effect of a spell, but it’s been found in other forms throughout history.”

“So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying that the dais you’ve found at Hogwarts could be part of a much more complex system. There could be many more of them.”

“More Arcs?” Jack asked.

“Possibly.” Hermione spoke. “Old rituals in magic describe stone dais as a place of sacrifice, offering… some Norse myths define them as bridges between worlds.”

The boy swallowed hard at the mention of the Norse.

“None of that explains how we can bring anybody back.”

“I believe there is another source of the Æther hidden somewhere in the Ministry of Magic.” Hermione explained. “I’ve only seen it once before, when I was younger than you are, but like you described, others heard voices from the device… We’d need closer inspection, but it might be a way to reach between the two worlds.”

“That’s where you come in.” Azel resumed. “These rituals require dark magic to be completed. Only a wizard with extraordinary dark magic could reach past the Æther.”

“Gothel mentioned the Æther in other cultures… I already forgot the names.”

“So we've heard,” Said Hermione. “ You were the only one to escape that room and live afterwards. Only you can help us see what’s beyond to where the Æther can take us.”

Before Jack could answer, however, the doors of the vault opened again. Seamus walked in backwards, his hands clutching to the chest of Dean, who pushed his way in ruthlessly.

“Step back, Seamus, or I’ll force you to.” He growled.

“What is going on?” Hermione rose from her desk, but Dean had his wand aimed at Jack’s head.

“You heard what the Obscurus woman said. He’s one of them.”

Outside, a strange commotion had formed. Jack lifted his hands slowly, Azel shouted at Dean in defiant anger, Hermione pleaded for Dean’s explanation, but all fell silent when a sudden horrible cold broke into the room, ice crystals spreading from the door like misty fingers. A Dementor hovered into the room, its long cloak floating motionlessly - and Jack’s body pulsed horribly against itself.

The silver Patronus charmed against the Dementor, repelling it just enough to keep its icy fingers off Jack before Dean spoke. “You better come with us, or I’ll unleash this thing and I couldn’t care less if you’ll survive this or not.”

Chapter Text

“I’m Accalia.” The girl said first, and Astrid opened her mouth in shock at the deathly beauty of this girl, who had stepped further into the sunlight. Her brown skin was rich, as if made of ebony, but what sparked more indignation were her eyes, of an electric blue shade. Hiccup couldn’t help but think about Jack’s eyes paling in comparison to this devastatingly beautiful girl.

The other two boys were her sharp contrast, equally beautiful, however their skin was pale and golden locks framed their angelical faces. Twins. “I’m Leo,” Said one boy, the other following close. “This is Lonza.”

Hiccup and Astrid stared at them, dumbstruck. “I’m Hiccup.” he said.

“We know.” Lion said. “You must come with us.”

Astrid nudged Hiccup’s ribs quietly. “Let’s go!” she hissed.

“You can’t leave.” The girl Accalia said simply, and Toothless emitted a menacing growl, to which the girl remained impassive. “And you can’t fight.”

As she said it, Toothless body began to shrink. Hiccup snapped to him in fear, but uselessly, as the dragon diminished until he was the miniature size of the boy’s palm. “What are you doing?!” He yelled, and Astrid waved her wand — no spell came out.

“Essentio!” Hiccup cried, but his wand had been rendered useless.

“Let us out of here!” Astrid yelled, braving her wand against the children, which remained still as if made of rocks; ineluctable. They stared at their magical wands, now two pieces of wood, as powerless as any other stick from that forest.

Hiccup got back on his feet, placing Toothless over his shoulder. “You called us here…” He spoke, and the children only stared, coldly.

“We are all instruments.” Leo said. “Your reason awaits further down your path. What you seek lies not ahead, but under.”

“We need to get out of this place.” Astrid insisted, sprinting towards the open section of the dome, but her hands got caught up in the invisible wall that shaped in her path; trapped.

“How do we leave?” She asked angrily, but with a resigned tone.

“Your path is not forward, but down. Descend deeper into the abyss, and you’ll find your way out.”

Hiccup gazed at Accalia darkly, but there was a light of understanding. “You’re not… one of the living.” He said. “Are you?”

“We neither live, nor die.” Leo responded.

“Therefore we cannot be killed.” Accalia concluded.

“How do we go down?” Asked Hiccup.

It was Lonza who stepped ahead, not bothering to eye either of the wizards, before he stepped on the platform at the centre of the dome, and a small opening gave way in the rocks. A dark pit caved way into the ground, neither Hiccup nor Astrid could tell how deep it went.

“Why did you bring us here?”

“You’ll find out.” Accalia replied.

Astrid and Hiccup shared a dreadful look, the girl silently pleading him not to, and the boy resigning to his fate.

“You want to try fighting them?” Hiccup asked, and with a sigh, Astrid was forced to accept the trap. There was no other way out.

Hiccup leaned towards the hole in the floor, swinging his legs into the dark pit, giving one last look to the children, who still gazed at him emotionlessly, before he leaped into the abyss.

His fall lasted for five roaring seconds before he got caught by an angular surface of earth, landing painfully on a dark cave. The light coming from the hole he had fallen through was not enough to show him further than a couple of feet. Astrid dived in a few seconds after, landing much more gracefully than him as she rolled on her back, jumping back to her feet.

“Show off.” Hiccup muttered under his breath.

“What is this place?” The girl drew her wand from her cloak, giving it a questioning look before casting “Lumus!”, and finally, the wand blinked in an incandescent light.

“Now you decide to work?” Hiccup gave a betrayed look to the wand, before pulling his own. In the dim light, he glanced at his wrist watch, noticing how something curious happened as suddenly, the pointer that marked the seconds seemed to struggle to move clockwise. “How strange,” He said, tapping the glass of the watch with the tip of his wand. “Reparo! ”

But apart from the small crack on the glass, nothing else changed the setting, instead only moving slower, perhaps five or even six seconds for every small twitch on the pointer’s movement.

“You don’t think maybe it can…” Astrid looked at the entrance again, perhaps wondering if their magic would still fail them if they attempted to return, but she immediately knew it would. “Nevermind…”

Hiccup pulled Toothless out of his cloak, and he realised the small dragon was terrified of his size, of his powerlessness. “Essentio! ” Back to its regular size, Toothless gave an annoyed growl, shaking his head incredulously. “I know, they did make you look pathetic.” The boy snubbed at his dragon, which smacked the back of his head with the tip of his tail.

The girl huffed impatiently, shooting a look of contempt for both the boy and the dragon before taking the lead, walking into the darkness. The more they walked, the more the cave seemed to merge into something structured. The walls were made of stone, but it was so thoroughly carved, darkly and sinisterly beautiful.

As they ventured deeper into the corridor, the more bizarre things appeared to be. The pointer in Hiccup’s watch would struggle even further against his time, six seconds drifting into ten, then twenty seconds. Blackness surrounded them ahead and behind, not a single sound from the upper world.

Eventually they found themselves at a strange dead-end, the cavernous corridor trapping them.

“Amazing, all this so we get to stare at walls…” Astrid muttered, but Hiccup took one step ahead. His hand glided over the stone surface, where strange letters were carved into it.

“Astrid look at these markings…” He whispered, and the girl brought her wand closer, the light bringing out the rest of the words. Runes.

“This is definitely older than the thirteenth century;” She said. “Is this ‘hope’?”

Hiccup examined the word. “It looks like it… and this says ‘abandon’…”

“Is this ‘gates’ or ‘doors’?”

“No, I think it’s ‘entry’…”

Then Hiccup’s curious face fell, his mouth open in shock. Both wizards froze, eyes glued to the carvings.

Astrid spoke first. “Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

“Abandon all hope… ye who enter here.”

Dean Thomas held Jack trapped in a cold and shadowy vault inside one of Gringotts’ many corridors. The wizard had his wand still aimed at the boy’s face, which although he tried not to show it, deeply annoyed him.

“It would be better if you just finished me,” Jack said. “Instead of throwing me around.”

“How long did you plan on lying about yourself?” Dean asked coldly. “Hiding this parasite in you, associating with that monster…”

“Bold of you to assume I associate with Gothel.” Jack retorted, and Dean scoffed.

“Yeah, you knew her name; she asked for you. I don’t trust you.”

“Seamus does.” Jack said before he could stop himself, and Dean nearly punched his wand to Jack's chets. A glint of anger shot through Dean’s eyes.

“You might as well have put him in danger tonight. Don’t you dare think I am ignoring that fact.” Jack remained silent as Dean scolded him. “Seamus only trusts you because so does Granger. You are lucky he will be in your hearing. Most wizards are voting for your execution right now.”

A heavy silence fell between the two of them, Jack breathing deeply as Dean pierced him with his eyes, as if trying to convince himself not to kill the boy with his bare hands.

“I didn't mean to put anyone in danger...”

“Save that for your hearing.” Dean cut him, gazing instead to the wall in front of them. Then he shot back at the boy, grabbing him by his cloak. “I also heard what Granger said about you being her ‘only hope’. I call the bulls on that, but there’s too much at stake; so you better tell me now, are you what she is looking for?” Jack stared at him perhaps even more scared than he had ever done in the past. Dean shook him again. “Are you?!”

Jack breathed out again. “I don’t know.” He said with as much honesty he could gather in himself, and for a second, he could have sworn he saw hope in Dean’s face. But then it faded, his semblant falling back into his angry scowl.

“If there is anything you are not telling me then you better spill it to the Wizengamot.”

The doors to the hall opened, and Jack was relieved for stepping away from Dean. Then his mouth fell open. He was in a large dungeon, torches lighting the dark walls with a dim cerulean glow. Empty benches rose on either side of him, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were many shadowy figures. They were whispering hurriedly, but as Jack entered the room, followed by Dean who shut the door behind himself, a sinistrous silence fell.

From the benches, a cold male voice boomed.

“Have a seat, mister… There is no name?”

Five steps from where Jack stood, the unmistakable curly black locks of Gothel stood out from a metal chair, however the witch did not bother to look back at him, instead gazing ahead with a determined look.

High above on the ceiling, the boy saw the dementor drifting in circles, held by a solid Patronus charm. The spell seemed to block any frost the boy imagined that would appear along with the creature. Jack then noticed the other metal chair standing next to Gothel’s in the middle of the Hall, cold looking chains hanging from its arms. He gulped before carefully sitting on it, and before he could protest, the chains gained life, loosely holding him in place by his wrists and ankles.

“Hey-!”

“Comfortable enough? Alright, then let us begin…” He realised that the man in front of the Wizengamot was the blonde wizard who had spoken out against Hermione only a couple nights before. Jack had the vague feeling of recognizing him, the same facial structure and same grey-ish eyes... “Accusatory Extraordinary Hearing of the thirteenth of September, into offences committed under the Decree of Illegal Dark Sorcery and Sinister Beings and the Registration of Magical Creatures by Mister so called Ether and Dame Charlotte Gothel.’

‘As an extraordinary measure to keep the impartiality of the hearing, I will take the place of the Minister of Magic as interrogator; Lucius Malfoy, of the Wizengamot society; Hermione Jean Granger, Minister of Magic in the Second Hearing position...” He spoke this name with an unmistakable disdain. “Dean Thomas, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…”

“Oh, please, spare us from this formality crap,” Gothel spat from her seat, and a few wizards gave small gasps of shock. “I’ll be dead before you finish…”

“The defendant is only allowed to speak when spoken to by a member of the court!” Malfoy barked, leaning over the edge. Jack noticed the Dementors’ shook a little. Then Malfoy resumed his reading. “I suppose none of you bring Witnesses for defence…”

“Why would I need someone to defend me?” Dame Gothel spoke again audaciously.

“Witness of Defense,” suddenly a loud feminine voice boomed from behind Jack. “Azelia Barbara Crowne, here to defend the word of Ether.”

Jack’s heart could have burst out through his mouth at seeing Azel, walking fearlessly towards him, wearing splendid purple robes and a lethal expression which Jack had only seen once in his lifetime. Again, Lucius Malfoy shifted and fidgeted uncomfortably through his papers.

“Miss Crowne, I- I was not aware that we’d have… Defence…”

“Last minute calling,” Azel explained, politeness and venom dripping from her words. From her seat, Hermione bent her head, her hand over her mouth as if trying to muffle a laughter. “The defendant has the right to have a Witness of Defense, am I correct?”

Lucius cleared his throat. “Yes, that would be correct.”

Azel simply nodded, staring at an obviously flustered Malfoy through her lashes.

“Right… To the, uh… to the charges, yes...” he fidgeted with his papers some more. “The accusations against entity Ether is that he has, secretly, been under the service of the society of dark Obscurial Wizards named the Order of the Seven, to perpetuate a world levelling curse, and to associate with another infamous dark witch of the Order to attack the New Headquarters of the Ministry of Magic… and of hiding an Obscurial parasite, endangering the lives of fellow peers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as our own in the past twenty-four hours.”

“You are… just Ether , of… there is no known address.” Malfoy said, glaring at Jack from above his parchments.

“No.” Said Jack. “My name is Jackson Overland. You can write that down.”

“Right… Overland… There are no records of another Overland, are there?” A witch sitting several benches from Lucius Malfoy shook her head. “Very well. Do you carry an Obscurial parasite, Mister Overland?”

“Yes, I do.”

The whispers crossed through the benches of the Wizengamot with an alarming shiver, and Jack felt more exposed than he had ever felt in his life.

“Were you aware of the existence of such ‘Order of the Seven’ prior to today’s meeting with Dame Gothel de la Force?”

“Yes, but I…”

“And still you have willingly come to the Ministry of Magic even though you knew you carried a potentially deadly parasite and that you would meet another Obscurial here?”

“No, I did not.” Said Jack.

“You did not?” Repeated Malfoy.

“No, you moron, he did not.” Gothel spoke loudly with a roll of her eyes. Laughter and shrieks raised from the Wizengamot as Malfoy tapped his hammer against his desk, shushing them out.

“What are you doing?!” Jack hissed to her.

“The word has not been given to you, Miss Gothel.” Malfoy barked.

“I was caught here by accident—” 

“—And I am warning you—”

“—just as much as this boy—”

“—that you have no permission to talk—”

“—had no intentions of finding me here.—”

“—NOT ANOTHER WORD!” Boomed Malfoy. The silence fell awkwardly. Gothel smirked . Then Malfoy regained what was left of his posture. “Very well, then, if the defendant was not seeking for Dame Gothel here, which I find highly unlikely, then what was your reason for coming in here?”

Before Jack could answer, however, another wizard stood from the Wizengamot benches, and he beamed when Dean Thomas spoke for him.

“I brought him in, Mister Malfoy.” Said Dean. “My husband and I found him at the scene of the Dragon Rider’s attack last night. Ether was the one who saw him.”

Again the whispering crossed the hall, and Jack saw Dean nodding once, his face impassive, but Jack nodded at him trustingly.

“Silence, please…” It was obvious by that point that Lucius Malfoy had no control over the Wizengamot. “The sight of the ‘Dragon Rider’ is completely irrelevant here...”

Then Hermione Granger stood up. “I disagree. I was the one to send a search party to the incident that night, and I asked them personally to bring any possible witness of the incident.”

Lucius Malfoy turned beet red, shrinking further into his chair. He coughed. “And was Mister Ether- I mean, Mister Overland an eye witness then?”

All eyes turned to Jack. The boy cleared his throat.

“Yes. I’ve seen him.”

The murmurs started yet again. “I am also concerned about the nature of your name… When intercepted by Mister Finnigan you’ve claimed your name to be Ether, now tell us why.”

“That’s personal.” Jack said, but Malfoy grinned.

“Not to the Wizengamot.”

Azel stepped forward, however. “I don’t see why his name change means any difference for today’s hearing.” She said. “Today is about figuring out whether Jack is a threat to us or not.”

Gothel muttered from her seat, “Thank you for acknowledging me.”

“Oh, shut it.” Azel snapped at her.

“And why the chosen name… Ether, I ask?” Said Malfoy, leaning towards the defendant.

“For my friend, Aster Weiss, killed in the battle at ground zero.”

A morbid wave of whisperings and cries crossed through the benches of the Wizengamot again. Azel swallowed drily, blinking away her tears. Malfoy coughed uncomfortably.

“Very well…” He said coldly. “And what concerns about the Dragon Rider… You claim to know who he is?”

Jack nodded in deep sorrow.

“I used to know him as Hiccup Haddock… He was my friend.”

“Hiccup Haddock… Son of Stoick the Vast?” Jack nodded silently. “And of Valka Haddock, the Auror? Killed in October of 2018?”

“Precisely.” Said Jack.

“Oh, that’s just perfect.” Said Malfoy, and Jack raised his brows in confusion. “The entire family has been reported dead following the events of the Raptum in 2019. So unless you expect to chase a ghost to keep your side of this bargain…”

“He’s not dead, I’ve seen him.” All eyes were glued on Jack.

“And how can we trust your magnificent observation skills, Ether-Jack- I mean Overland, Mister Overland?”

“I would recognize that face anywhere.” The boy stated simply, his face now reddening.

“And you knew he possessed a dragon in his… arsenal?”

“Toothless is not a weapon.” Jack stated, and another confused murmur raised.

“Toothless?” Malfoy repeated. “What is toothless?”

“His dragon, your honour.” The boy said. “I was there when Hiccup took him.”

Malfoy eyed him sceptically. “ Took him? ” Jack nodded. More murmurs ghosted through the benches like a wave. “A full grown dragon… and a fifteen year-old boy just took it?”

“Stoick the Vast was a known dragon conqueror. His deeds in draconology in Norway and Iceland were outstanding.” Jack ran his eyes through the crowd. “I suppose you can count two plus two.”

A sickened grimace flashed on Malfoy’s face, forcing himself into calm. His arrogance still leaked in his questioning. “Was the dragon put under torture?”

“No, sir.”

“Abused or mistreated into submission?”

“No, sir.”

“How do you expect me to believe that a fifteen year-old wizard could simply tame a dragon, much less ride it?”

“Hiccup has his ways with creatures.” Jack said simply, again not wanting to dwell on the boy.

“Make yourself clear, boy, we do not work with half-statements.”

Jack adjusted his feet in annoyance. He felt uncomfortable. “Hiccup was passionate… Fairies, hippogriffs, bowtruckles… even Firecrabs. Once Hiccup fell in love with a creature, there wasn’t a thing in the world he wouldn’t do for them. He’d protect them with his teeth. That’s just who he is.”

“You sound a bit too passionate in your description, Eth- Mister Overland.”

Jack gave out a tired sigh.

“I've been in love with him.”

For the first time that night, silence took place amongst the Wizengamot. A falling feather could be heard from the speechless crowd. Jack’s heart sank in his chest. “I know who he is. It’s like I said, I’d recognize that face anywhere.”

It took a while for Malfoy to resume his questioning, fidgeting with his feathers and parchments, his eyes and focus reaching anything but Jack. He coughed once before asking. “Have you kept contact with Mister Haddock,  Mister Overland?”

Jack swallowed angrily before looking up. “No, sir. I have not. But I know how I can find him.”

When Jack was allowed out of the Hall, Dean personally escorted him towards the door, and the boy began wondering if they would ever talk in a friendly note when Dean pulled him towards the wall, his wand again aimed at his face.

“What are you-?!”

“Don’t think it is over yet just because you’ve got the Wizengamot’s sympathy now, Overland.” Dean hissed. “They still haven’t given you your sentence.”

Jack stared at him, breathing deeply. “So I might still get…”

“Unlikely, but it’s unknowable without Gothel’s testimony. Right now, they’ll trial Gothel. Chances are she won’t make it out so easily.”

Jack pondered on his words. “I only had a bargain;” He muttered. Dean lowered his wand, stepping away from the boy.

“Your bargain with Granger saved your ass tonight. That and this pathetic in-love bollocks. But there are no guarantees it’ll remain that way much longer. You better find that Dragon Rider, before they reconsider the suspension of your sentence.”

And then Dean turned to the door again, ready to join the Wizengamot when Jack called again.

“Why did you help me?” Jack asked, and Dean didn't bother to look back.

“Seamus seems to like you.” He said. “I can’t spend another night sleeping on the couch.” And with that, he disappeared behind the door.

The dark stones raised in front of Hiccup, Astrid and Toothless, surrounding them in blackness. Hiccup’s watch still had not returned to normal, instead it looked like the seconds pointer was now on a sprint to finish the minutes, rounding the numbers like a carousel.

“I can’t believe I agreed to come in here…” Hiccup muttered as they strode down the seemingly endless corridors.

“You’ve been saying that for the past five minutes.” Astrid replied. “We agreed there was no return from that point.”

“You should have knocked me out, never listen to me again.”

“Yup, I’ll remind you that you said that.”

“Oh, go to hell.” He shot, and then both wizards stared at one another through the dim light of their Lumus charms. And then both began laughing like maniacs.

But when their laughter died, and their sense of hearing kicked back in, a new sound took place. Just like it had once they entered the Hacksaw Woods, the sound of a peaceful stream.

“Do you hear this?” Hiccup asked, his wand pointing to the depths of the cave.

“Yes… but I still can’t see anything…” Astrid said, squinting her eyes as it seemed that blackness surrounded them from both sides of the cavernous corridor. Until her eyes drifted forwards. “Look up.” She murmured.

And then Hiccup saw it, the light from his wand wavered where there should be the ceiling of the cave, as if reflected on a mirror. He realised then it looked like water, like a river suspended above their heads, running neither forwards or backwards, but to every direction their eyes looked. The water was as black as both shadowy ends of the cave, but Hiccup could swear he saw both his and Astrid’s reflection on the surface of the river-ceiling.

“What… the actual hell?” Hiccup muttered lowly, and Astrid held her hand tightly.

“Should we follow it?”

“I don’t even know where it is headed to…”

And then Toothless growled impatiently. A loud gurgling sound that sang to the ceiling above.

“Do you know what this is, bud?” Hiccup asked, but the dragon didn’t react, instead it began jumping on his paws, as if the sound of the stream pained his ears.

“Toothless?” Astrid neared the Dragon, trying to hold his head with her hands, but the dragon shook even more uncontrollably. “What’s going on?!”

And then it all happened at once, so sudden that neither of the wizards could tell what came first: a chorus of scattered voices broke out in the corridor, moans of pain that seemed to last for an eternity; they came from above, as if from deep inside the water. Then a strange shift in gravity, and Hiccup, Astrid and Toothless lost their footing, suddenly yanked from the ground - to the point they could not tell where was above nor below; and the stream of the river broke upon them, the water suddenly splashing and raging violently, and they all let out a piercing scream before they were swallowed into a sickening roar.

Chapter Text

He lay on a cold hard floor, absolutely dry. For a second, he imagined himself dead, but as he examined himself, his senses, he started to question otherwise.

“Astrid!” He called out, but no sound ever responded to him. There was no echo, nor response, like sound had never left the inside of his mind… For the first time he noticed his surroundings. It was so horribly dark, to every direction he looked. Above him there was such an indiscernible blackness that he wondered if there was even a ceiling several metres above, or was it a starless sky he was staring at? There was so much room, so much empty space, and absolutely nothing was happening. A perfect void. Absolutely, perfectly, nothing. Existential Inexistence. A hopeless feeling sank in.

He had forgotten he even had a body. But he could tell with quite a degree of certainty that he lay against some sort of surface. His fingers tatted up to his face, finding an overwhelming sense of relief at meeting his cheeks, rubbing his eyes — which open or closed, they made no difference; his vision allowed him to see everything, but there was nothing to be seen.

His brain finally clicked to him that he could retrieve his wand. He found it — again with great relief — and drew it to his chest, and then he noticed how fast his heart was beating. Taking it as a good sign, a sign of persistent life in him, he whispered, “ Lumus! ”.

The light nearly blinded him. It was so much stronger than he had anticipated, in the complete darkness it could have been the sun he had just stared at. As he adjusted to that stellar beckon of light, he examined where he was. Standing up slowly, he saw a strange path of soling ground surrounding his feet. It was rocky, uneven, and he couldn’t tell how far it went.

“Lumus Maxima!” He ordered, and a warm glow levitated from his wand. But although it was incredibly bright, there wasn’t much to illuminate. He began feeling a horrible sense of despair forming in his guts. He wasn’ t even aware of time any more. It could be minutes or hours he had been standing under the light he’d casted, time had lost all meaning.

An eternity later, or perhaps not a second past, he saw a strange agitation on the ground. What he had first assumed to be a plain black floor suddenly revealed a rippling glimmer under the lumus charm, and he realised it wasn’t solid ground, but water. A dreadful mixture of hope and anxiety built up in Hiccup. And then a huge mass jumped out of the water, hovering in the air for a couple seconds before landing with a heavy thump; and the gurgling sound it gave let Hiccup know it was Toothless.

Even greater relief, like he had never felt before, filled the boy, like a breath of pure oxygen after nearly drowning. “Are you alright, bud?” He hurried to the dragon, grabbing Toothless’ head with the utmost care. Toothless stirred himself up slowly, struggling to his paws before taking a look around. Toothless gave a low cry. “It’s okay, I’m with you...”

Another figure materialised from the water, the blonde locks of hair urging Hiccup to rush towards Astrid, who after coughing horribly the dark water, lay on the floor and stared above in wonder. Boy and dragon rushed to her, cradling and hugging, all as much relieved as they were terrified.

“Are we dead?” She asked. Hiccup considered for a while, before standing on his feet again. Any movement felt too strange, like the world didn’t move along with his sight...

“I don’t think so… we need to get out of here.” He spoke.

“What is this place?” Astrid got on her elbows, and immediately shut her eyes, also sensing the strangeness of that insurmountable void.

Toothless, now standing almost firmly, shook his wings, and took a strange look at his surroundings before emitting a toot-like growl ahead, where the floor seemed to extend forever.

“That’s where we go?” Hiccup asked the dragon, who kept staring unchangeably into the blackness. “Come on,” he helped Astrid on her feet and both of them climbed atop of Toothless, adjusting behind his wings. As Toothless carefully bestrided forwards, the floating light Hiccup had casted began following their trail.

Before they had noticed, small white dots sparked from the end of the world, approaching in less than seconds, so quickly the dots grew into figures, human-shaped figures that stood so undeniably immovable. Statues, Hiccup thought. It was strange how their vision seemed to be distorted as they approached the standing figures — things seemed to twist at the edges, expand and contract all at once; it was beyond dizzying.

At first they neared what seemed to be a few dozen statues, all of them very human, very greyish in colour as if life had been stolen from them, but the resemblances ended there. They all had such remarkable differences, the people carved seemed and felt so very real. And then their faces held such strange expressions, not a bit angelic and ethereal like the famous greek sculptures, but those faces were filled with an agonising expression of pure horror and torture. They were faces neither Hiccup nor Astrid were ever bound to forget.

Toothless slowed his steps as they crossed through the little crowd made of stone. Whenever they moved, the shifting in their vision distorted sickeningly, cursing their stomachs to churn. “I don’t like this…” She muttered. “What are these statues?”

Toothless stepped closer to the nearest one. That woman could not be older than her thirties. Her eyes were open but vague, gazing hopelessly into the black sky above… The grey shade erased any sort of pigment she might have ever had, the full and meaty lips with the coily afro-hair; surely she had rich black skin in life…

In life. Hiccup gasped.

“These are not statues, Astrid…” Hiccup gave a haunted look, as if he had seen a ghost.

Toothless leaned down for them to slide down his back. Sick as they felt, Hiccup and Astrid neared the next statue, the urgent sense of wonder taking over any other feeling. They inspected the statue of a young boy, but unlike the others who showed pure pain of distress, his eyes were rather unfocused, his expression empty, as if he was waiting for something.

Hiccup swallowed a cry. “All these people… they’re dead.” 

Astrid examined them closer with Hiccup, looking at the boy, and then shaking her head. “No, I think you’re missing the point… His expression is too lively for that…” She took another look around, and then yanked her wand, aiming it to the ground. "Homenum Revelio!” She ordered, and suddenly a yellow path glowed across the floor, illuminating the frozen bodies in warm light, and it was like the horizon had flicked a light on.

There weren’t dozens, nor hundreds of bodies: they looked at thousands of standing bodies, lining up to the ends of that strange world.

Hiccup understood immediately. “The Revealing charm doesn’t work on corpses…” He muttered, his face paling visibly as the light from the incantation faded back to black.

“I don’t know what they are.” Astrid said, holding her own stomach to hold back the sickness she felt. “But they’re absolutely not dead either, otherwise my charm would’ve been useless here…”

“We have to get out of here.” And then they looked back at Toothless. “You brought us all the way here, bud…” Hiccup patted the dragon’s rough scales, but Toothless remained stiff, his eyes still glaring to the same distant point in the horizon. “Take us further.”

The deeper they sped through the hollow, cavernous blackness, the sea of people stretched along, endlessly; but such a curious place that was, distance seemed to mean everything and nothing simultaneously - the world expanded and contracted, shrank and grew, and both wizards felt sick beyond their stomachs, dizziness striking them immensely, and they lowered their heads, closing their eyes and gritting their teeth before Toothless once again came to a halt, and the world seemed to regain some of its balance. It took endless minutes until Hiccup managed to regain his composure - puking his guts out before being able to stand back to a less pitiful position - only to find Astrid already several feet ahead, walking warily over what looked like an elevated platform on the ground.

“What is this place?” Astrid asked, her braid for long untied, and her hair had now fallen to frame her face in wild curves. It was then that Hiccup realised the silvery and wavering light on the ground.

Jack remained in his vault/room, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the sentence of his hearing. His mind wandered back and forth between Flee and Hiccup - or should he say now, the Dragon Rider - what if he hadn’t seen Hiccup? What if someone else had taken control of Toothless and began flying in his place? No, he knew Toothless, the dragon was too loyal to the boy, he could never be replaced…

And then the biggest worry of all sank in - he would have to see Hiccup eventually. If everything went right, he’d have to chase the boy he had left alone all this time. Jack felt like a coward, a completely despicable coward. Hiccup would hate him, he was sure of it. But  then, he himself had managed to find room for hatred in his heart when it came to Hiccup. The boy had thrown himself into the fight against Jack’s pleading and begging. The boy had said he'd wait for him… Brave, stubborn Hiccup who would allow himself to die. Now that was something Jack could not bear. Adding that to losing all he had ever known as family, losing Hiccup was a price he'd never afford to pay.

The door to his vault opened with a heavy noise, and through the familiar cold shiver of the Dementor who was certainly guarding his door, Azel shot herself through the opening, and before the boy could protest, she tackled him into a tight embrace.

“I can’t believe you’re alive!” She cried into his neck, and the boy carefully placed his hands around her tiny frame, comforting her.

“I can’t believe you’re alive;” He muttered. “Azel, what are you doing, though, this is not safe…”

“You could never hurt me, Jack.” She spoke, distancing herself from him only enough to look him in the eye. “I know who and what you are, and I trust you still .”

He was at a loss for words, settling only for allowing the girl to embrace him again. “Thank you.” Was all he could whisper, his voice cracking on the verge of tears.

“Listen, we don’t have much time,” She let him go, adjusting his dark cloak from any wrinkles. “Your sentence should be out at any moment. They don’t know we’ve been friends yet, and we have to keep it this way.”

From the entrance of his vault, he could see Dean and Seamus had their backs to him, keeping the dementor at bay. He knew he had to trust them for whatever happened next. “How do you think it’ll be?” He asked.

“I don’t know, Gothel is done with her hearing by now. They’ll probably execute her, all things considered.” Jack gulped visibly, his eyes opening wider.

“Don’t sweat it yet, you still have support from the majority of the Wizengamot, but I can’t promise you anything. You’ll have to hold on a little longer.”

Jack stared at her in panic. “Azel, I…”

“Time to go.” Dean spoke from the door, and without ceremonies, the boy was escorted back out to the corridors.

They reentered the trolley, the dizzying trip accompanied by the dementor all the way until they landed next to the huge platform in the caves where the Wizengamot was assembled. One last cavernous corridor led to the door of the court. From outside, Jack could hear Lucius Malfoy reading his final lines to Gothel.

“... And I hereby sentence you to the dementors' kiss; for conspiracy, murder and plot.”

Jack’s stomach sank. Not out of pity for Gothel, but out of dread for his own sentence. Every ounce of fear he had not allowed himself to feel had now condensed into this massive terror, shaking his bones and washing his face from all colour.

“It’ll be okay;” Azel said, but Jack knew that was a vain promise. He knew that whatever the Wizengamot decided, it was completely out of control of any of them.

“You have to go in, now.” Dean spoke, and for the first time, Jack felt a new tone of solidarity directed to him in his voice. The boy nodded, clenching his teeth, his dark hair now covering his forehead in a messy way.

He stepped into that room for the second time that day. The wizards seemed tired, but their faces also reflected the morbid feeling of that evening. Jack once again sat on his chair, the strings automatically chaining his body to the seat. And then Lucius Malfoy began his speech.

“What concerns Jackson Overland, no known address, under the supervision of Dean Thomas Finnigan, I now carry your sentence.”

“For the bargain agreed on with the Minister of Magic, Hermione Granger, and by vote of the majority, we have granted you one chance in the case against you. Shall you bring the Dragon Rider to the Wizengamot, and convince him to join our cause in the Wizarding War, you shall escape the Dementors's Kiss and you'll have earned a right to another hearing. You shall be accompanied at all times by a team of wizards selected for you. Any and every contact with a fellow obscurial is strictly forbidden. Failure to accomplish your mission will lead to incarceration and resume of your sentence; now have our terms been made clear?”

Jack gulped in both relief and anger. All he could hold on to was the fact that he wouldn’t die.

“Yes, sir, you have.”

Malfoy slammed his hammer.

A large circular glow ghosted from the ground, big enough to conceal Toothless comfortably within its diameter. The light seemed to twirl in itself, but after a closer inspection, Hiccup and Astrid realised that it was not a twirl, but a strange combination of symbols.

“Runes…” Hiccup muttered, but in that silence, any small noise echoed like a canon. The runes he mentioned waved through the circular light, following its shape like a serpent. “Just like the ones on the entrance.”

“I can’t read this so easily… I think it says ‘shadowy’ or ‘dark’…” Then Astrid’s mind clicked. “What was that thing Accalia asked you when we got there?”

Hiccup struggled to remember. “I think she said something about a Guardian?” He pondered. “A Guardian of…”

“Shadows.” She concluded. And then eyed the glowing circle again. “They need a Guardian of Shadows… but why?”

Then Hiccup eyed the infinite sea of statues that surrounded the platform where they stood. “We’re in the realm of Hel right now…” Hiccup said. “Abandon all hope-”

“-ye who enter…” Astrid concluded his sentence again. “And they’re not dead.”

“Neither are we.”

“How can you tell?” Astrid asked. Hiccup’s eyes scanned the space for Toothless. The dragon sniffed a statue’s face curiously. “Hey bud?” Toothless glowing green eyes flashed towards Hiccup. “Do we look dead to you?”

The dragon grunted, turning its attention back to the statue. Astrid eyed him without any hint of amusement.

“Can you take this seriously for one goddamn minute?!”

“The point is we’re not meant to be here, and neither are they.” Hiccup turned back to the glowing circle of runes, desperately scanning them with his eyes, searching for anything meaningful. “Accalia asked if I was the Guardian of Shadows… Anything in myths that ring any bells?”

“No…” Astrid furrowed her brows in deep thought. “Hiccup all these people… are here because of the Raptum, aren’t they?”

Hiccup nodded slowly, gathering the facts. “Yes, none of them died gloriously in battle, much for Odin’s disapproval… If that’s the case, then dark magic has placed them here;” The boy suggested. “So, it stands to logic that…”

“-dark magic will bring them back.”

“Will you stop concluding my sentences?”

“We need to get out of here, Hiccup. And we’re not Dark Arts wizards, we can’t perform dark magic, as much as we’d like to.” Astrid grew impatient, turning her attention back to the glowing circle, still levitating in a spinning motion. “Maybe something here can give us a clue.”

“We can’t fully translate Norse, though…” Hiccup walked towards the circle as well, his face faintly illuminated by the glowing disk. Several little symbols waved on the luminous disk. “I know those three mean either gift, key or life… But I can’t make out all of those…” The runes were of a dim spec of white, but Hiccup and Astrid could pick up their shapes, carefully eyeing every last one of them until… “Hello…”

Astrid examined the rune he had just seen. “I know this one too…”

“Yggdrasil.” He spoke. “Astrid, if we actually are in Helheim… None of those died in battle…” Both wizards eyed the frozen crowd. “Do you think we could bring them back?”

“No… not us, not we wouldn’t know how…” Astrid looked at him curiously. “It takes dark magic we can’t perform… And even if we could, that’s not how one escapes this place in the myths. These are places for trials, for tests.”

“Astrid, you remember the story of how the gods would escape this place… by trading gifts.”

“They hardly ever managed to escape Hel, however.” Astrid pointed.

“Not unscathed, anyways…”

Hiccup walked towards the runes again, the circle of light still shimmering when he pulled his wand, pointing to his arm.

“What are you doing?” Astrid asked anxiously, watching in horror as Hiccup grimaced at the skin on the inside of his elbows before ordering:

“ Diffindo!”

A sharp hiss of pain pierced the darkness when Hiccup hexed his own arm, a gust of warm, scarlet blood spilled over the stone. The pain was searing, like a thin blade ripping his skin, all the way to the muscle.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Astrid shouted, covering her mouth in agony.

“We must prove Hel that we’re not fully dead yet.” Said Hiccup. “We give her blood, life ; that’s our gift.”

The blood dripped over the runes. And then it happened.

A bright flash exploded from around the circle. Suddenly the two wizards were surrounded by the beacon of blinding, incandescent light. They felt their weight diminishing, their feet losing contact with the ground, and then they were both floating. Beneath then, the stone dais gave a thunderous rumble before spinning in a circle. 

“Toothless!” Hiccup yelled, and the dragon roared before hopping up to the dais, also being lifted by the stone circle. And there they remained; nothing else happened.

“Something isn’t right!” Astrid screamed, and they both noticed how the light around them seemed to shift in colour, the white slowly giving way to pink and then red.

“We gave it blood, what else does it need?” Hiccup shouted from where he floated, feeling the weight returning to his body, but instead of pulling him to the ground, it seemed to tighten his chest, and slowly crush his ribs.

“It takes a life to escape the realm of death, Hiccup!” Astrid’s mind sparked again, suddenly understanding what both seemed to have missed. It seemed she too was being crushed by the light. But as soon as Hiccup understood what that meant, Astrid had her wand aimed at him.

“I’m sorry!” She cried, and Hiccup was about to scream when Astrid shouted “ Incarcerous!”

Ropes flashed from her wand, binding Hiccup tightly into an immovable position. “DON’T DO THIS, ASTRID!”

“You’re the one who has to go. I’ll stay here so you’ll be set free.”

As if swimming in a pool, she floated graciously towards him, and both teens realised they were crying. Astrid lifted her hand to Hiccup’s cheek, soothing him. “You go; I’ll find Aster.” She removed his wand from him, concealing it in his pocket, where he wouldn’t be able to retrieve until she was done, and then she struggled her way toward the edge of the light, falling back to the floor.

“No, no, no…” Despair and panic rose into Hiccup, and he struggled and fought, but it was no use. The pressure on his chest grew stronger, and he felt like he could explode.

“I’ll stay for you.” She spoke, before the light pitched from red into white again, and it burst into a deafening thunder, and everything was gone.

Chapter Text

Jack leaned against the cavernous wall of the vault-room, illuminated softly by floating candles. His black hair seemed to nearly blend in with the shadowy corners of the room. In the centre of the vault, Azel, Hermione Granger, Seamus and Dean Thomas-Finnigan twitched a rather curious looking radio device, a strange sight considering they were several metres beneath the ground — such a fact had not impacted the signal on their end in the slightest.

Only a day before, a strange signal had burst into their radar, with a voice that caused shivers on both Jack and Azel. The ghost-like sound of Aster’s echoing tone had been more than enough to keep both teens awake for the entirety of the night. It could not have been Aster — and also it couldn’t not be.

“What are we lookin’ fer again?” Asked Seamus while Hermione tapped the radio with her wand incessantly.

“Anything else appealing for the Dragon Rider,” Azel replied as she examined an old crumbled chart sprawled on the table. “Hunting grounds, burning woods, muggle ambushes specially…”

“You did say he interrupted a Witch-Hunt, didn’t you Jack?” Hermione asked from her seat, her wand still calibrating the multiple sensors on the radio. Jack nodded silently.

“It’s ben ’ two days already…” Seamus protested again. “We better not have risked our necks ter the Wizengamot fer nothing…”

Jack gave out an exhausted sigh. For the past two days he had answered question after question surrounding the Dragon Rider. Digging up his past with Hiccup had been less than fun, to say the least. He tried to keep it as impersonal as possible, omitting most (if not all) details from their disastrous affair, but some memories insisted on rising to the surface.

Azel stepped closer to Jack, having given up on her chart.

“Anything?” Jack asked.

“Some sort of gathering at Delamere, I think… muggles have been raiding that region for months now.”

“That’s still far from the Hackfall Woods,” he pointed.

Azel merely shrugged. A strange silence loomed over the two teens. Although Jack’s reception had been rather warm on Azel’s side, after the hearing their interaction grew more aloof. At first, Jack judged it due to the overwhelmingly serious nature of their mission, but he soon began questioning otherwise. It was then when Jack decided to say something, rumbling through his mind for a conversation starter - and so did Azel, for both blurted out awkward broken sentences out of the blue; both wanted to break the ice at the same time.

“You go first,” Said Jack, bracing her arms self-soothingly.

“I’m sorry, I just…” Azel’s idea of conversation had been thrown out of the window. “I’m still trying to get it together in my head, you’re here and all… Obscurial ..? Is that even a word?” Jack shrugged awkwardly. “Two years ago, Professor Longbottom wanted us to perform a Patronus charm… I remember everyone’s…” Jack gave a curious look, to which she further added: “Truly, Astrid had a bird-like beast; Merida had this huge bear, it was the biggest one.”

“What was yours?” Jack asked, tremendously curious.

“It was a lizard.” The girl said simply, but from the corner of her eyes, she could see Jack’s judgmental smirk. “Don’t hate on my small Patronus,” she sensored. “Besides, it makes no difference against a horde of dementors, even a small creature can be helpful. I remember Hiccup’s too.”

That stopped Jack’s chuckling in a beat.

“It was this massive dragon, it had everyone speechless… he had trouble getting the spell right at first, but… when he finally did it, it was so impressive… ”

Jack contemplated her words, once again dumbstruck by Hiccup’s doings. “He is impressive.”

Azel’s eyes drifted to his, but he was staring at the other end of the room, filled with emotion. “That was how I knew you weren’t lying.” He looked back at her. “If anyone is the Dragon Rider it has to be him.” They allowed silence to take place a little longer before she furrowed her eyebrows, remembering: “How come you disappeared?” Jack gave her a confused look. “When Professor Longbottom taught us about Patronus charms and dementors, you simply walked out - none of us even saw you leaving.”

Jack eyed the floor. “A strong happy memory is required… right?” Their eyes met again. “All of my memories are tainted… blood splashed… trying to reach the happiest of them always goes terribly wrong… I feared it would have triggered me… the same way Dementors can erupt the parasyte within me; Hiccup had helped me so much, I guess he didn’t even know that… but when I was with him, it felt like I was almost normal… I couldn’t risk letting it out; it’d just put everyone in danger.”

Azel allowed that to sink in. Then, very quietly, she took his hand so softly, squeezing it.

“I think I ’ve got som’thing…” Seamus spoke up from his chair, and a small relief filled Jack; no more Hiccup-talk for a while. The other occupants of the room gathered in closer. “It’s an emergency signal from muggle hunters, they said they’ve run from an’ambush gone wrong?”

“Yeah, we’ve got those daily, what’s new?” Asked Azel.

“They described one big black… bat?” Said Seamus, her head tilted to the side of the radio.

Jack’s smile drew itself across his face. “That’s him.”

Hiccup woke up with a sickening gasp of air. Dried red leaves surrounded the boy, and the smell of dead grass and woods invaded his nostrils. There was so much light, and having come straight from the absolute blackness of Hell, his eyes pained to adjust to the new environment of the illuminated forest. Where was Astrid? His rational mind clashed with the dreadful terror, the horror of not having the girl with him. Astrid could not have stayed behind. He had to find her, he had to go back to her… wherever she was.

‘Where the hell even am I?’ he thought. All around him, tall pine trees surrounded him, the light of day seeping through the trees with a deadly shade of grey. He had no idea what forest that was. Where was Toothless even?

There were three new physical sensations, however: the crushing weight of the portal had disappeared, the cut on his arm still bled profusely, and the strings Astrid had conjured on him had loosened their grip. Hiccup immediately snatched them off, his hands yanking his wand from the pockets in his vest, and then he made himself stand.

“Toothless?!” His dry voice boomed across the forest, and when no sound reached him back. The sharp pain in his arm reminded him again that he was injured. Rummaging through his pack, he summoned the dittany vial and with a yelp, he applied the substance into his fleshy wound. Blood drenched the side of his clothes, and there was a small puddle where he lay only a moment ago. And then he began walking, his steps miscalculated. The fog in his mind shook the world out of balance, and he tried not to trip at every step. “Toothless!”

Perhaps he was still in the same forest he had followed up the river with Astrid, perhaps the monstrous figures of Accalia and Leon and Lonza - had they even been real? They had to be, otherwise Astrid would be with him. It felt like a hundred lifetimes ago that he had met the three children. Or whatever they were.

It took him minutes of wandering until he heard a noise. A distant, booming sound that echoed throughout the woods. A pack of birds raised flights, and Hiccup observed as they beat their wings, away from that place. The boy raised his wand, aiming it to the horizon. The boom appeared again, a small tremor shook the earth, and the boy hoped for a moment that it was Toothless as he watched leaves falling like rain on the ground.

Another tremor happened, and then from above the trees, he could see the smoke, dense and active spiralling up to the sky, and that’s when he began running towards it. It had to be Toothless, throwing his jet of flames against anything that dared to harm him ‒ Hiccup couldn’t think of losing anyone else that day.

Hiccup’s foot hooked against something massive on the ground, and he was brought to the ground. He fell on something soft, and immediately the smell of burnt flesh and death spiralled up his nostrils. He lay on a burnt corpse, a man with blind open eyes -  half of his face blackened, emanating smoke.

Hiccup dragged himself away from the charred body.

Was that Toothless' doing? Hiccup looked back to the deep ends of the forest, and forced his wobbling legs to function again. As much as he wanted to, he forbade himself from screaming. Attracting any more attention to himself suddenly felt too dangerous. The smoke became denser, and he brought up the collar of his shirt to cover his nose. And then, running towards his direction, he saw a man. And he screamed profanities as he neared him. They were almost colliding when the earth shook again, and the man tripped, crawling on his fours before standing back up and resuming his race. Hiccup gripped his wand.

“YOU FILTH, DEGENERATE WIZARDS, YOU’VE CURSED US!” He screamed against Hiccup’s ears before running off in the opposite direction. Hiccup stared at his vanishing form, and right as he eyed back to where the man had come from, he saw them.

Half horses, half men, the mixed and strong bodies of centaurs galloping towards him. The boy jumped out of one blonde centaur’s path, rolling on his back as the centaur ran fiercely, circling the boy. In his hand, a wooden bow aimed towards his heart.

“Wizard?!” The centaur spoke with a deep velvet voice, and Hiccup only raised his wand, nodding. “Then run, they have found us.”

Another sound made itself notice, like a bumblebee’s buzz, flying in the air, and nearing. From the tree-tops, he caught a glimpse of it: a muggle air-craft, those self-driving drones, hovering above the canopies with its strange weapons.

“ Bombarda!” The wizard ordered, and the drone exploded metres ahead of him, crashing into the ground, lifting a curtain of smoke, leaves and stones. The centaur, however, turned back to him with the most urgent, desperate face.

“Get down!” The centaur ordered one second too late, before the fallen drone erupted in a rain of bullets. Hiccup flung himself to the ground, taking cover behind a tree while sparks exploded all around his sight. Peeking from the edge of the tree, he aimed poorly at the drone.

“ Reducto! ” He yelled, and with a final blast, the machine went silent.

“You fool boy!” The creature scolded him, “The humans shall find us now!”

Hiccup noticed a small bullet-hole in the centaur’s back leg. “I am so sorry…” He pleaded, but the creature merely threw him a look of disgust.

More buzzing noises came from the sky, and the boy knew more drones were approaching. “Run, fool!” The centaur commanded him, and Hiccup did not hesitate to follow his instruction. The boy ran until his legs burned. More centaurs had caught up to them, but then so had the drones. And the firing began.

Bullets and nets rained on them, some catching the centaurs as they galloped away through the woods. Hiccup evaded the horses, conjuring as many protego charms as he could, but everything was moving, and the world rolled beneath his feet and bullets popped the ground and the air burst with strings and chains. He wanted to disapparate, but he could never leave without Toothless. He needed his dragon, he needed him … He wasn’t sure whether hell was truly Helheim or the woods he was sent to, but every thought faded when a heavy string-net clawed on his ankles, and the boy was yanked face-first to the ground.

An electric chain ran through his body, rendering him immovable, and in between pain and confusion, he thought that maybe he had died and this has been hell all along. Or perhaps he was still alive and stuck in hell all along. He could not tell. Everything came towards him in slow-motion, the running centaurs that jumped over his trapped body, the bullets lifting the dust on the ground. At some point there weren’t centaurs running over his useless body, but muggles. Dressed in black jackets, carrying big guns. The boy struggled to think of any spell that could take him out of there, but nothing ever came to his mind. He was immovable, pathetically vulnerable, lying on the ground waiting for the slaughter.

This is it , he thought. So much for Astrid’s sacrifice… Only to be caught by muggles all over again. Fate certainly had a sense of humour.

“We’ve got one, lads, he even got his wand…” said a strong, malicious voice from an approaching hunter. The metallic sound of a gun clicked above his face, and he struggled to eye to the tunnel of the weapon. “Nighty-night.” The voice said, and Hiccup closed his eyes…

A gruesome piercing sound took place, but it wasn’t from Hiccup. A heavy weight collapsed next to him, and the boy saw the muggle’s body falling next to his. The boy was unsure whether he imagined it, but a red arrow was sunken into the man’s head.

“Incoming!” The witch-hunters screamed again, and before the boy could do anything, chaos restarted, but this time, more galloping centaurs appeared, their bows aimed at every head they could target, and their arrows pierced the air with a swift sound, bloody once it penetrated the flesh and bones. Red splashed on Hiccup’s sight, and he could not tell whether he was relieved or even more terrified by now. As the hunters fell, the weight of the chains was lifted from his body, but the electric current took its time to allow the boy to regain his mobility.

“Get down!” A female voice shouted, and Hiccup ducked his head when an arrow came spinning above him, sinking into a muggle’s shoulder only metres away. When Hiccup looked back to the centaur, he saw a black skinned creature, with white flocks of hair on the male, chiselled features; but what struck him was the girl mounted on the centaur, a red mane of hair flashing as the creature turned to him… Oh, no way, it cannot be…?

“Merida?!” Hiccup spoke, shakingly. And as if in a dream, the girl aimed her bow cautiously, examining the boy. The same vivid blue eyes, the same bold and daring expression, and the untamable thread of wild red curls, framing her face in what Hiccup had always resembled as flames.

“ Heccup ?” She lowered her bow, jumping off the centaur and running the few metres towards the boy, tackling him into a tight hug. “Yer’ alive?!”

“ You’re alive!” Hiccup exclaimed back, his shaking fingers clutched to the girl’s back. 

“We’re fine , Angus, he’s not a threat,” She sang in her Scottish accent which Hiccup never thought he would be so happy to hear. “Are you with any of the others? Jack, Astrid?”

Hiccup’s heart nearly shattered. “I’m alone,” he said. “But I don’t think we’re in the clear yet…”

“We’re not, ” Merida stated, and they both turned back to the woods. “Those bloody machines… Found us minutes ago; we’ve ben running everywhere like roaches!”

“More approach, boy…” Said the centaur, and immediately, more buzzing aircrafts appeared, their wing-blades slicing the air above them. “Wands ready.”

Hiccup fought the shaking in his muscles enough to lift his wand; Merida had her next arrow in place, her eyes alert to any movement. When the drones became visible, Hiccup cursed his blasting charms. “I don’t see how you plan on making things easier by not using your wand,” Hiccup said, pointing to Merida’s bow, and as soon as she shot her first arrow, he wished he hadn’t; Her arrow flew straight up and struck the machine with a deadly clunk, and an emerald flash exploded from the metal. The drone fell in a spiral of green fire and sparks.

“Yer were sayin’?” She said, a smirk of defiance on her face.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Hiccup gathered whatever dignity he had left.

“Are there more, Angus?” She asked the centaur, and the creature held his gaze to the sky.

“They have assembled up North,” Spoke Angus, eyeing the clouds. “They have a beast… a big fighter...”

“ Toothless! ” Hiccup exclaimed, a new sense of urgency taking over him. “They have my… They have Toothless! We need to get to them now!”

He thought it was better to keep from them just what Toothless was for now, despite their quick questioning. Angus kneeled for Merida to hop to his back, and then extended his hand to Hiccup with a look that spoke all but trust. With the two wizards mounted on him, the centaur galloped through the woods so quickly — he was nothing like Toothless’ fluid motion; riding on the back of a centaur was much more rough, bouncier and uncomfortable. Much of the trip was hidden behind Merida’s scarlet mane of curls,  All that mattered was reaching Toothless. Eventually they neared a large clearing in the forest.

Hiccup hopped off Angus, followed by Merida, who held her bow firmly in her hands, another arrow ready to kill. Silently, they approached the line of trees before the open field of grass, and that’s how they saw it: Toothless had been tied down right in the middle of the clearing, ropes and chains held his body to the ground… The men surrounded the creature visibly scared, but the dragon didn’t move a single muscle. Toothless’s eyes were wide open, the green irises locked on the nearest muggle, who stared back with a frightened look.

Hiccup was about to break into the clearing, running all the curses and hexes in his mind to save Toothless when an impossibly strong hand closed around his arm and yanked him back, pushing him violently against a tree trunk. Leaning down from his tall height, Angus levelled his face until it was an inch away from Hiccup’s.

“What is that thing?!” Angus's voice was so deep and fear mongering that Hiccup had to focus very hard on not shaking in front of the centaur.

“That’s my… that’s Toothless,” Hiccup breathed out. “He’s mine.”

Angus gave out a dry, humourless laughter. “Yours?” He eyes back to the clearing, where the men, still oblivious to them, approached the dragon ever so slowly. “You are the one they refer to as the Dragon Rider?”

The boy remained immovable; he knew they were running out of time. “I need your help.”

Angus laughed ever more cruelly than before. “Our deal lies with the dead now.” He spoke. “Humans tame no dragons, and there are no songs in the stars for dragons and centaurs.”

Hiccup eyed both him and Merida in despair. “Please…” But the girl only watched, speechless, as the dragon stood still, waiting for the attack. “Merida, please!”

The man nearest to Toothless wielded his spear. With one flung motion, he attacked - but to no avail; Toothless was far too quick, much too strong; his teeth clenched around the shaft of the spear, tearing it apart from the man’s grip. With a terrified scream, the surrounding men pulled on their weapons.

“I can’t change Angus’s mind, Heccup …” Merida had the most sorrowful look in her eyes. “We can’t handle ‘dem all… it’d be suicide.”

Realising what her words meant, the boy swallowed drily, staring back to the centre of the clearing. “Fine,” he said, reaching for the end of his hood and pulling it over his head, his face shadowed. “I’ll go alone.”

Merida screamed Hiccup’s name, but the boy had already lunged out towards the clearing, running in a straight line towards the dragon.

It took a moment until the muggles noticed him. When Toothless eyed Hiccup’s form speeding up from the line of trees, he gave a loud, vicious roar. He had gotten the hunters’ attention, and soon the shooting restarted. With his wand in hand, Hiccup jumped into the air and spun around, disappearing before any projectile could reach his body. 

It became a game of shadows. Loud cracks echoed through the clearing, men would scream, and before they knew it, the young wizard had their bodies trapped with incarcerous charms, apparating and disapparating in a lethal dance. Fear and adrenaline rose up into every man’s chest, and one by one, they began falling, chains and strings latching to their writhing bodies.

“ Relashio! ” Hiccup yelled towards Toothless, and the dragon’s chains were blasted loose. With new found freedom, the dragon unleashed his flames, and the very familiar choir of screams ascended in the forest.

It was a sight of gore, fire and blood. A doomed battle. Toothless displayed no mercy, scorching the clearing into absolute ash. Hiccup apparated one more time on the dragon’s back, shooting the last cutting spells on the ropes that held the creature, his very best friend, releasing him entirely. From the end of the field, Hiccup stole another distant glance from the figures of Merida and Angus. The girl had stepped only a bit further out into the meadow, but the centaur remained warily still, hidden behind the trees. Coward , Hiccup thought, and then dragon and rider lifted flight. Hiccup was making a new plan already, now with Toothless he could fly over the forest, find the Hacksaw Forest and recommence his search for Astrid - for Accalia and Lyon and what was the other’s name again…

Dragon and rider were barely making over the canopies when they found themselves surrounded by a flying army.

Chapter Text

The dragon flew right into the middle of the ring of wizards, hovering on their brooms, stopping exactly to the same height Jack was. 

Although the other boy never noticed him, Jack felt an immediate heartache at seeing him. It was Hiccup, not further than twenty metres from him. He thought his broken and calloused heart would behave more maturely at the reunion, however it crushed so intensely that Jack felt like he was fifteen again.

What a curious thing it was to watch fate unfold. The green eyes had once memorised every part of the blue ones; they had adored and worshipped and esteemed them more than anything else there was to behold in his life. And now they held each other's gaze like strangers. Jack then had the terrible realisation that the other boy hadn’t recognised him.

“Dragon Rider,” one of the wizards' voices boomed across the field. “We call you.”

Hiccup merely stared in confusion. It was either fight or flight.

Fighting a small and unprepared muggle army was one thing. Beating a party of wizards on brooms was something else entirely. However, it was never meant to be a fight, and as soon as the nearest wizard on a broom conjured a white light from the tip of his wand, it became clear to both dragon and rider that no enmity was destined to either of them. Surrounded by a line of wizards on brooms, the dragon made no attempt to attack.

Once all wizards had descended to the ground, the Wizards approached Toothless and Hiccup with tremendous caution. Granger gave wary steps toward the dragon, being the only person with previous experiences with dragons.

What no one had seen coming were the ones hiding behind the line of trees. Merida and Angus stepped out carefully, the fierce red curls unmistakably standing out from the green meadow. Now you cowards show up? Hiccup thought. However, Merida's showing up sparked a new event – surrounding the clearing, all sorts of wizards appeared, too shaken, to mesmerised, too scared to venture much further than a few steps, at first tens, then dozens to a couple of hundreds of wizards - and then Hiccup also spotted centaurs, goblins, and even elves. Too many magical beings in one place.

“It’s the Dragon Rider!” Some exclaimed, some in shock, some in awe; but all in wonder.

Hiccup soon realised he was in the centre of what could very soon become a conflict - the wizards that had hid in the forest showed deep hostility against the ministerial wizards that began to land in front of Hiccup and Toothless.

“We don’t want a fight.” Said Granger to Merida as the girl neared the centre of the clearing. “We come in peace.”

“Ah, I can see the peace ol’right ,” Merida retorted. “Hidden in the underground fer us ter fend fer ourselves. Now y’all appear fer the dragon rider.”

“I think we can come to an arrangement.” Insisted Granger.

“I’m taking part in no arrangement.” Hiccup pronounced loud and clear from Toothless’ back, but Merida only eyed him with a smirk.

“I think yer’ about to change yer mind.” She spoke. “Look around yeh. Recognise anythin’?”  The boy looked at the wizards and centaurs surrounding the field. “Yer home, Heccup. This is the Black Army.”

As soon as she said that, the large clearing suspended the delusionment charms, and like a huge blanket being stripped off the land, hundreds of little tents appeared on the field, a huge camp yard, much resembling the arrangements of the former Quidditch games… Soon, even more creatures began crawling out of their camps, more elves, goblins, witches and wizards until where the eye could see.

Hiccup was still too stunned to function properly. From there on, he began moving on autopilot. Thoughts of Astrid occupied all of his mind. The fact that Toothless was out in open for Wizards to see, the survival of the Black Army, those were too far in the back of his mind. The questions that stormed his mind, how the hell would he find Astrid? And how had he been teleported exactly to that place, where he would so luckily find not only Merida, but an entire party of Ministry Wizards? The boy had thought those had been extinct… His mind shut down completely, and instead he became a dysfunctional wandering body that merely nodded to every word that reached his ears, their meanings lost beyond the walls of his skull.

No fight exploded in the field that night. Merida and some of her Black Army wizards cast a magnificent revealing spell on the clearing that transformed the blank area into a massive camp - tents, bonfires, floating candles littered across the land in a magnificently warm way that made Hiccup immediately feel like home. It could not be that the Black Army was still standing, active and functioning like a living organism… it was too unreal, too much of good news when the boy had no capacity to even process anything as remarkably good as that. Merida told him that they had become the safest anti-muggle resistance, aside from the Ministry’s hideout, which the girl politely regarded as a burrow of rats, cowardly hiding from the real world outside, barely giving help to any wizard or magical creature in need.

Meanwhile, Jack very, very stealthily, snuck away from Azel, disappearing into the forest outline. Hiccup, it seemed, was not the only one overwhelmed with the sudden turn of events. Meeting the green eyed boy turned out to be an overbearing panic-inducing situation. Jack merely, and as he himself thought, cowardly hid in the shadows of a tall pine tree, hugging his torso as if trying to crush his own rib cage. And there he’d stay for hours.

The reunions were much less warm than they were expected to be. Although Azel launched herself into Merida’s arms as soon as she saw her long lost friend, there was an undeniable reaction of shock from the red haired at the revelation that Azel had stayed with the Ministry. It was much later that the girls joined Hiccup, now in a more sensible state, to share their story:

“We were ambushed by witch-hunters several months ago,” Azel explained later that night, once Hiccup, Merida and Azel found themselves sitting by a fire in the heart of the camp (Jack had told Azel he was not yet ready to get face-to-face with Hiccup, and the latter knew nothing about him quite just yet). “They were ready to throw us to the fire, but Merida managed to retrieve her wand, and got us out.”

“I did get quite the burns fer that,” Merida added, extending her arm to reveal a small, however nasty scar on the side of her elbows. Azel looked ready to cry.

“I told you to run while you could…” Azel started, but Merida dismissed it with a hand-wave.

“Argh, I wouldn’t be able ter live with mah-self if Ah had,” She concluded. “We really got separated afterwards , when thes daft knitwit thought it’d be a good idea to join her precious Ministry -quorters…” 

“Hey!” Azel protested, but Merida shushed her with a frustrated yell.

“They’re oll only in here for thes stupid conquest, ter go back ter obscurity, innit ? Because fer us, burnin’ in there, we could oll go ter hell if it was up ter them,” she spat so poisonously that it was nearly impossible for Azel not to feel both hurt and guilt simultaneously. “Yeh’ve picked yer side. Ah’ve picked mine. The thing is, I’m not only here fer thes stupid dragon,” and then Merida turned towards Hiccup, eyes wide open- “no offence.”

“None taken,” The boy frowned. “Merida, I still haven’t caught up, what do they want with me?”

The  girl gave him the most incredulous look, like the boy had asked something absurdly stupid. “Don’t yer know it, lad? Yer the dragon rider! ” She exclaimed. “Yer what everyone talks about! The one who levelled an army of muggles, burned muggle streets ter the ground…  yer- Merlin’s beard, yer legendary ! And ter find out that it was yeh this whole time? Goodness me!” Excitement began to take hold of the girl’s words as she began gesticulating frantically. “And ya don’t even know it, that’s so… yer !”

Hiccup frowned in even more confusion. “Something tells me you want to recruit me and Toothless just as badly as the Ministry, Mer.” He said.

“Firstly, that’s an awful name fer a dragon,” She raised a finger. “And secondly, Ah don’t really need ter recruit yeh. The Black Army has always been yers fer the takin’.”

“How did you even find all these people?” Hiccup finally stood up, taking in for the eleventh time the massive camp trickling with magical beings of so many shapes. A few yards away, Toothless lay on the floor warily as a dozen of small children swayed and played with the dragon, too excited to keep much distance and too terrified to simply throw themselves at him. Toothless only seemed scary. But better than anyone, Hiccup knew of his tremendous serenity with others.

“We’ve been recruitin’ everyone we could save, really .” Merida replied proudly. “Most of them were rescued from witch-huntin’s, but some had been held captive, others were simply comin’ alon’ the way. In whatever way they came, we’ve made room fer more. We don’t really stay in the same place fer too long, it could become too suspicious fer these muggle devices, but we’ve had surprisingly low incidents thus far.”

“It’s incredible,” Hiccup breathed out. Merida only smiled proudly. All around them, hundreds of tents stood proudly throughout the clearing, lit warmly by bonfires and torches, the starry sky above splashed with the milky way. Despite the survival nature of those meek structures, there was such a warm, cosy sensation to it. Not to mention the magic coming from all sorts of creatures. Floating knitting needles worked by themselves on countless blankets and sweaters for their refugees. A few tents down, a huge  brass caldron brewed steamy soup with game and gathered roots and vegetables. Some Irish songs played by violins and flutes echoed in the centre of the clearing, where, surrounding the bonfire, elves, witches and even some fairies danced the old folk to the upbeat rhythm…

 Hiccup felt such a strange sense of belonging that his heart ached in bittersweet joy. He felt tears coming to his eyes. It was both the happiest and the saddest he felt in years. Everything was beyond beautiful. Out in the open, with Toothless, surrounded by his own kind, Hiccup only wished he could properly enjoy that feeling without the nagging guilt…

The thoughts of Astrid were still storming his mind in such devastating fashion it was impossible to revel in anything else.

“Merida, there’s something I need to tell you…” He started, his brain scanning for the right words to tell his story of the past few hours of his life. However, as soon as he had said anything, something else stole his gaze.

A jovial face stared at him from the other end of the clearing. He was tall and lean, dressed in deeply black vests that would nearly blend in with the shadows. Volcanic black hair framed his face, and if it weren’t for his ocean eyes, he would have never recognised Jack’s features. The boy’s heart gave out an uneven thump.

The other wizard had a strange look, a mixture of guilt and hope…

Next to Hiccup, Azel watched the scene unfold. She had it all pictured in her head. The destined encounter, the desperate run and the longing hug, the breathtaking kiss…

Hiccup pulled out his wand. Jack’s eyes widened in terror, and then the first curse came out.

A massive uproar of screams erupted from the people in the camp. Jack threw himself out of harm’s way before the blasting spell could reach him, but soon another green jet came up, flying right above his shoulder and blasting against a tree trunk several yards away.

The girls shot up to hold Hiccup down. Toothless’s ears raised in alert, and his large curious eyes turned into menacing slits. Hiccup managed to wriggle himself out of the girls’ hands, freeing himself to cast yet another round of hexes at the despicable, worthless, disgraceful being in front of him. Jack did not fight back, however; instead he dodged whatever spell Hiccup aimed at him -

“ Expulso! ” Hiccup roared, and Jack was thrown away, flying several metres to the air before he collapsed painfully on the ground. Another collective gasp exploded from the surrounding wizards. Hermione, Dean and Seamus stormed out of their tents to check the commotion.

Azel hurried to Hiccup’s side, her eyes wide open and her skin paler than ever. “Hiccup, please! You’ll- ”

“Get off my way, Azel.” The boy commanded so coldly and deeply that the girl paled even further, but did not stop trying to hold on to his free arm.

“He came here for you! ” She screeched. That made Hiccup stop dead in his tracks. “You’re the reason he’s here as well.”

That had caused Hiccup to stop - Jack’s eyes met Hiccup’s, and for a while, everything froze, suspended in the air. Both boys stared at each other with such poisonous hatred - one feeling neither of them expected at their reunion. So much anger was exchanged in that stare… and yet neither could look away…

Rushed steps interrupted broke them away from their trance. “What the devils is happening out here?” Barked Dean Finnigan.

Hiccup contemplated the image of Jack, fallen and struggling to breathe before him, and then he said “He seems to have a death wish.”

“I’m dying already, why not.” Jack hissed, putting himself in a less-pitiful sitting position, his hair dishevelled. “It’s great to see you too, Hiccup.”

“Dying, aren’t you?” Hiccup spat coldly. “Spares me the effort of killing you myself.”

“ Hiccup! ” Azel intervened again, finding the boy had gone too far. “Just listen, please,” she all but begged.

“They’re coming for you, Hiccup.” Jack raised himself, standing painfully. “The Order of the Seven hunts for the Dragon Rider. They’ve nearly caught you in Covent Garden; they’ve been on your track ever since.”

Hiccup’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know of Covent Garden?”

“I’ve been following you for weeks now,” He answered. “I thought Astrid would be with you.”

That was it. Him mentioning her name, Jack , of all people, pushed Hiccup further into the edge he did not want to cross; A tear escaped his eyes. “I lost her.” He spoke so low he was barely heard, but Jack’s heart gave a painful beat.

“What do you mean you’ve ‘ lost’ her?”

“I lost her in Helheim. Before Merida found me.” Hiccup couldn’t form that many words before that choking sensation began taking hold of his throat… he swallowed his feelings up, however; he’d never allow himself to break down like that. “If that’s all you came for, you should have left me alone.” He said finally. “I don’t need you.”

Something broke in Jack’s heart, now beating more painfully than it should be. He simply stood pathetically on his spot as he watched Azel approaching Hiccup’s side, reaching his shoulders with her small and delicate hands. Hiccup’s legs failed to move properly as he mostly stumbled away from the centre of the torch-lit clearing, into the edges of the forest.

It was out there, surrounded in darkness, away from every other living thing that Hiccup found his voice again.

“Thank you,” he muttered weakly.

“Figured you'd need some quiet.” Azel responded wisely. Not far from the edge of the camp, they found rocks big enough to sit on. Hiccup all but collapsed on one of them.

“How dares he speak to me…” Hiccup muttered darkly. “After leaving me the way he did…”

“He has told me everything, Hiccup.” They stayed like that for a while, sitting in the dark in quiet contemplation… “He really did come here for you; he said he wants to fix things.”

“I don’t need you here if you’re going to defend him.”

“Hey, now you listen to me, Hiccup Haddock.” Azel spoke so fiercely that Hiccup was shocked to hear such a strong tone from sweet, innocent Azel. “I get it that you’re heartbroken beyond repair, but Jack had his fair share of heartbreak too. I've lost too many friends already, Haddock, so you better stop being this insufferable brat or I’ll make you stop. I’m not choosing sides amongst my friends here.”

Shocked at her outburst, Hiccup merely stared at her through the shadowy night. He could see now how weathered Azel’s once pristine face had become: that glint, the one only survivors were fit to wear, was now overly present in her eyes.

“I know you’re in pain,” She spoke quietly. “But believe me, he’s in pain as well. And regardless of his pain, of his curse… trust me, Jack is still a good person, and he is still trying to do the right thing… I don’t know many people who can do that… It’s so easy to go on passing our pain forward to others… When I met you, you were just as good; in fact you were so impossibly good, so impossibly kind.. . And I’ve seen some of that still. So please, please , don’t let that fade away too. It would break my heart too much to see you lose that.”

The boy had to swallow the lump in his throat. Azel had said the one thing that could set his strings loose right then, and that’s when the boy allowed himself to cry. Within a moment, Azel embraced him by his shoulders as the boy wept, like an infant.

“I don’t think I’m good still…” He sobbed. “I’ve killed, I’ve hurt…”

“We all have.” She spoke softly, caressing his hair. “My dear, we’ve all become monsters.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty-One:

Temenos

Under the littered sky and darkened canopies, Hiccup told Azel everything. As Toothless lay alert next to them, he told her of his and Astrid's wanderings, Aster's radio calling, Accalia, Leo and Lonza (which now seemed to have happened one lifetime ago). Astrid's sacrifice drove the boy yet to another round of tears, and Azel offered her shoulder with such tremendous kindness… When the boy mentioned Helheim, Azel's eyes glowed in voracious interest.

"Helheim is real after all…" she muttered mysteriously. "It all makes sense now…"

"What makes sense?" Asked Hiccup. Azel then rummaged through the small sack she carried strapped to her belt, until she pulled an old and rather torn parchment roll.

"This, here…" she unfolded the paper so Hiccup could see a complex, if not confusing, grimoire. "When the Raptum occurred, do you remember the book of Sotanaht Grim? The one with the dark curses?"

"The one that got stolen the night of the attack?"

The girl affirmed more enthusiastically. "Precisely… you see, I've had plenty of time to study it while I had it. Turns out there were tons of rituals there which referred to a path to the underworld, a bridge of the gods, so to speak. What we had thought to be the Killing Curse, the grimoire called the Raptum – in translation, it was more of a life stealing curse, not necessarily killing."

The boy followed her line of thought. "So you believe the place me and Astrid found…"

"Could be the place all the cursed souls went… For months I've been discussing this with the Minister; only Granger ever listened to me… these dais and portals have appeared everywhere for millennia! You have just been transported from the underworld yourself!"

Hiccup held his head in his hands, as if compressing his skull into sense. "None of that explains how Aster could've ever sent me a message… all those people in there, I couldn't talk to them, they were so… frozen into place," he shook his head in concentration.

"Stealing a soul, killing a soul, it hasn't stopped wizards and even muggles from trying to rip through the fabric between life and death… We see that all the time; dreams with lost loved ones, we love people who have died; even muggles are constantly sharing supernatural tales of their own. And that's for dead souls, the ones we can't bring back. Now stolen souls? The ones trapped in the netherworld? The rules might as well apply differently to how we navigate those dimensions, it's an entirely new field, I'm not even sure there are laws of magic regarding that sort of death…"

"So if we can find a way back into Helheim… we could do what, some reverse ritual?"

Azel shook her head negatively. "We need something else first; we need a dark… more than dark, a powerfully dark and sinister wizard to perform the curse."

Hiccup gave a humourless laugh. "Great, any idea where we can find one of those? Let's visit Azkaban, I'm sure there's someone left, maybe an old Death Eater…" He grimaced at his own brooding humour, but Azel eyed him cautiously.

"I'm not sure you've still caught up on all the news…"

The sky had golden stripes on the horizon, dawn coming inevitably. Eventually, Merida's unmistakable mane made itself seen.

"There's a meeting startin' now. I don't think yer want ter miss this one out." She spoke, noticeably more stern and distant. The two friends recollected themselves. Toothless shook itself free of the leaves and earth, and the three marched back to the camp.

The clearing had undergone a complete rearrangement. They found a huge gathering of all the Black Army and the Ministry. A makeshift court had been installed at the slope in the heart of the clearing; several benches made of woodchucks and stones were set in circular fashion, surrounding a central pulpit with the bonfire still cindering its contents. All the creatures, wizards and centaurs, goblins and elves, sat precariously around her. Her speech, however, was cut short when Hiccup appeared with Azel and Toothless, the shadow of the dragon distinguishing from the greyish-purple sunrise behind them.

"She'll expect an answer, Hiccup." Azel whispered only for the boy to hear. "You've got to make up your mind, now."

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Stay with me."

"Of course."

Dragon, boy and girl strutted towards the witch, who eyed them warily curious. Hiccup could feel every pair of eyes glued on him and Toothless. The Minister would want his allegiance. The Black Army would demand his loyalty. But he had his own personal agenda to look into. It was his time to bargain.

As he neared the witch, it became clear there was a division in interests. The Wizards from the ministry sat behind Granger, as in a supportive stand, meanwhile the creatures from Merida's camp were facing the witch directly; to be persuaded into joining her numbers, an ultimatum. Black Army against the Ministry. Fighting against hiding. Time had come to stop running, he had been running this whole time…

"Mister Haddock," Granger greeted him, nervousness palpable in her voice.

The boy stared at her and then turned back to the crowd of the Black Army. "So this is the deal; I can be persuaded to perform as an ally to the Ministry," he gave some time for the small celebratory cheers to erupt from the Wizengamot in front of him, and Granger gave out an expectant smile, but then Hiccup raised his hand. "But I've got some conditions;"

The boy turned to the creatures opposite to the Ministry, from who different expressions were noticed: the centaurs frowned at the dragon, but nodded at the boy; the elves gave out squeals of adoration, and all the goblins wore the same impassive look on their faces 'My allegiance pledges on with the Black Army. We might have not stood together for the time being, but I'd be betraying myself to turn my back on you right now."

Some of the elves seemed about to faint. Merida, sitting next to the unimpressed Angus, smiled at him encouragingly. The goblins nodded faithfully. Hiccup turned back to the Minister. "If we are to work together, the Black Army receives the full ministry support;" The other wizards shifted uncomfortably on their improvised benches. "You'll grant them help, supplies and shelter to those in need. Otherwise, all deals are off."

Granger looked cautious. "We might-"

"—The same applies to all magical creatures in need." Hiccup interrupted. "No help will be denied from them, no effort is too great. And I'm not done..." He looked at the dragon standing proudly next to him. Toothless eyes met his, and he knew his next demand. "Secondly, Toothless shall not be turned into a weapon. We are not to be separated, and should anything happen to me and he's left behind, he shall be set free. No one shall tame him." There were no objections. "And thirdly, we must search for Astrid Hofferson."

There was a second of silence. "Your friend?" Asked Granger. "The one you've… lost?"

"Yes. I know where she is… I just don't know how to get there. As far as I understand, this is where our interests converge, Minister. I can get you in the Underworld, but my mission is Astrid Hofferson. Nothing more."

Azel approached the Minister. "This is our bridge, Granger. He was exactly where we wanted to go." Hermione had her mouth open in wondrous shock. Azel eyed back to him. "I guess you've got your bargain game, after all."

Jack observed the small mug of tea heating his fingers, still fuming faintly. In the woods surrounding a small pond, the boy had found a rock big enough to sit on. The sky had gone from golden and purple to dusky blue again. A short walk away from the Black Army's camp, it was silent enough for him to hear his own thoughts. He could never go much further anyways, the Ministry had casted a tracking spell on his sorry self; should he attempt to go beyond a five hundred metres radius, there would be an entire squad of wizards ready to curse him into oblivion. Luckily for him, he didn't plan on going anywhere.

No one could see what a war was raging inside his head. Jack held his curse the way a fire consumed the walls of a home, silently and in agony. He checked the black veins trailing down from the inner side of his wrists, the spreading of death. Hiccup hated him, that much had been answered. There was a vengeful part in Jack's mind that begged him to abandon his quest, to leave Hiccup to his odds. But there was also this other side, much greater and far more fiery, the one which since seeing the boy again had resurfaced proudly like a lion's roar, and it drove him to protect Hiccup at all costs. His survival was far more important.

However, knowing that he hated him was much too painful, much too unbearable to sustain… Jack's mind shifted between allowing the other boy to have his space and bursting into his bubble altogether. He needed to know how much he meant, how much he still meant to him. That leaving had been the worst, the most agonising, the most regretful thing he had ever done in his life.

A repetitive cracking sound neared behind him. It was both weighty and soothing. Jack turned his neck just enough to see the massive black figure of Toothless, in full blown dragon size, stepping towards the lake. If the dragon had seen him or not, Jack didn't know. For a moment, he thought he'd see Hiccup, and his heart skipped another beat; however he soon noticed that Toothless was alone. It didn't do much to calm his nerves, until Toothless' eyes locked on his.

The deathly slits of his pupils dilated into black circles of pure adoration, and suddenly there it was, that familiar grinny face Jack had never thought possible to see in a dragon; Toothless opened a gummy smile allowing his lizard-like tongue to slip down to his draconian jaw. The dragon tapped its paws against the earth excitedly, and with a heavy earthshake, plunged towards Jack. Boy and dragon crashed to the ground, the dragon pushing his huge scaly head into the boy's chest, a gurgling sound echoing deeply. Both pain and an unbearable amount of bittersweet happiness filled the boy's heart – he'd hit his head on the fall.

"I've missed you too, bud…" Jack said in between a choked laughter, his hands petting Toothless scales too fondly as the dragon licked his face rather disgustingly – he could barely bring himself to care. This had been the most joyful he had felt in so long… "How have you been? All big and mighty now, huh?" He coed, and he found Toothless' coed back with a deep throaty sound. "Yeah, I've missed you too…" He coed again and again as Toothless practically melted over his chest like a gigantic dog. "At least one of you still loves me, huh?" Toothless rested his chin on Jack's stomach, eyeing him so innocently, such adoration displayed in his big features. The boy caught himself crying. "I love you too… I haven't said these words in so long… and God, I'm saying them to a dragon." He smiled sadly and lovingly to Toothless's bright green eyes. "Your human hates me now, doesn't he?" He spoke. "I guess that's my fault too… I guess a lot of things are my fault… but you still love me, don't you? You little fool… that's alright, I love you too."

He didn't see Hiccup nearly sobbing from behind a tree, watching the scene from afar. He never got to witness the devastation seeping through the boy's tears.

When Hiccup tried to leave, however, he stepped on a dry twig, the sound of snapping wood drawing the attention of both Jack and Toothless. The dragon jumped up off Jack, and the boy's blue eyes opened in fear and hope.

"Hiccup!" he cried out. And for his wonder, Hiccup stopped moving away. Unable to step any further or to turn back to look at him. Hiccup didn't trust himself to answer, nor to move. He simply stood still. "Please, wait."

Jack rose up to his feet, wondering whether he should go towards the boy or remain in his place.

"We need to talk." He stared at Hiccup's back. "Regardless of you hating me or not, we need to… I need to talk. And I need you to listen."

The other boy swallowed the lump in his throat enough to release his voice. "You said you were dying." Hiccup started.

"I am." Jack answered, and the sentence had barely bothered him, but the possibility that Hiccup was affected by that in any way had made him beyond hopeful.

"What…" Hiccup pondered on his words, focusing deeply on not showing just how torn he was. "How long do you have?"

"I don't know. Not long," He replied.

"Azel told me of your curse."

That caught Jack's breath. "Yeah, I suppose she did… I assume that makes you happy?"

Hiccup didn't turn back. But he shook his head visibly. "I'm sorry to hear that." Was all he muttered. There was a long silence. And then Hiccup turned around, angrily. "Has that been your plan all along?" He spat. Jack stared at him, dumbstruck by his matured face.

"I'm not following…"

"You show up, dying and pitiful, just to get me to pity you into forgiveness— is that why you're here?"

Jack looked hurt, but did not answer. "I have no plan, Hiccup. I'm not here to get you back." An unreadable expression formed on the boy's features. "The others are hunting you." There were more urgent things to be said, Jack decided. "The other Obscurials hunt for the dragon rider. That's why I'm here… Before they could."

Hiccup displayed indifference. "Why?"

"I don't know," He said honestly. "I believe they're convinced you're the Guardian of Shadows."

Hiccup finally displayed a reaction. "What do you know about the Guardian of Shadows?"

Jack stared at him as if mesmerised for a second, before putting himself back together. "So you've heard of them?"

"That's who they called for before I entered Helheim with Astrid." He spoke. "In Hell, they want a Guardian of Shadows."

"Who's they?" Asked Jack. Hiccup shook his head.

"I wouldn't know either." It was the first non-hostile look Hiccup had sent Jack since they had met. "I believe that whoever they are, they're meant to bring everyone back."

Jack's eyes widened. "Back from Limbo?"

Hiccup nodded. "The place I found with Astrid was filled with statue-like people; we thought they were dead at first, but as we found out... I believe a Guardian of Shadows could perform a magic powerful and sinister enough to return them."

Jack furrowed his brows in deep concentration. "And you're sure it couldn't be you?"

Hiccup laughed humorlessly. "Do I look like a Dark Arts wizard to you?"

Jack nearly laughed. Hiccup had not been unkind… that sarcastic remark was much more like the Hiccup he had known… He decided to try his luck.

"Hiccup, I…" there was so much he wanted to say, but the words were too many to pick. "Can I apologise?" Hiccup's frown had returned. He knew he had made a mistake. "Please!" Jack took a step forward. "Please, you don't have to forgive me, but let me apologise… for whatever I've done to you, just let me, please-"

"Whatever you have done?!" Hiccup snapped. "Whatever— after all this time, this is what you have to say to me?"

"I had my reasons for leaving then, you should know that." Jack took his ground, but Hiccup's face started to redden in anger.

"Oh, I'm sure they were just as spectacular," He spat.

"Hiccup, please…." Jack pleaded again, it was so much he began feeling quite pathetic. "Just listen for once, what you're doing to me… as much as I deserve it, please… This is torture…"

Hiccup eyed the skies in annoyance, not at Jack, but at the veracity of his words. He knew it wasn't fair to punish the boy further, but he did not like to be on the wrong side of the spectrum.

"I'm sorry I left." Jack's heart was beating so strongly inside his ribcage, it was like it was attempting to flee its own body. "I'm sorry I've never given you a choice."

The green eyes found the ground, the leaves much more bearable to stare than the blue irises before him. "Okay." He said at last.

Then he eyed Jack, but some small shine caught his attention — resting over his chest, in between the collar of his cloak: the silver moon charm, still wrapped around Jack's neck. That Christmas felt like a million deaths ago, but there it was; Jack still wore his gift proudly.

Jack saw where his eyes were, and looked down to his own chest. He then held the charm between his two fingers.

"I thought you'd have thrown that away by now." Hiccup admitted, now a little flustered.

Jack merely shook his head. "I don't think I've ever taken it off."

Hiccup had a curious expression, and Jack didn't know if he was safe being face to face with him. Jack pulled out his wand, letting it fall on the ground.

"If you're still angry, you can hex me. I can take it." He extended his arms.

But another voice answered from deep into the woods, and it wasn't Hiccup's.

"Oh Jackie, don't make it so easy for me to kill you."

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty-Two: Bellicostic

That voice belonged to McNair.

They were aligned perfectly, Hiccup behind Jack, who faced his Obscurial foe with absolute disgust. The sky had gone from dusky purple and lilac to black in minutes.

“How did you find us?!” Jack hissed, suddenly hyper-aware that he had let his wand fall to the ground, and now he felt utterly defenceless.

McNair smirked wickedly. “We're all so damn arrogant, we believe some delusionment charms will make us untraceable… You see, Muggles have these magic tracking tools… I used to despise them, but seeing how they've been kicking our asses this year… I gotta say, I'm about to take their side…”

“Jack, who’s this?” Hiccup asked, so shocked at McNair's menacing appearance that he had forgotten to be cold to Jack. Toothless growled menacingly towards McNair.

“Ah, see you've found the Dragon Rider, outstanding work, boy…”

“What are you doing here?” Jack hissed again, confident McNair could do little harm when it was against him, Hiccup and Toothless.

“I’m just making sure fate goes on untroubled.” He said. “I can't allow the Guardian of Shadows to spoil our good work, now, can I? Not when we’re so close to finding the next gateway, aren’t we?” McNair raised his wand at Hiccup. Unknown to him, Hiccup was silently pointing his wand at Jack's wand, which had been lying on the ground, quietly levitating it back to the boy's hand.

“Where are the others?” Asked Jack, gripping his wand slowly as it lifted to his palm. “You wouldn't have come alone just for a visit.”

“Clever boy,” McNair took a step forward, and Jack took one back. “They've told me not to trust you — You see, they knew that like your father you'd be just as weak, just as… traitorous. When those rats refused to release Gothel from their hole, we tried sending a message to the Ministry, but they wouldn't respond… They've warned me, yet here you are, with the dragon rider, all to yourself…”

“You’re not having him.” The boy gritted his teeth. “What do you want?”

“You’ve abandoned Gothel, now we can’t allow that, can we? I thought we were family… The rituals take Seven to work… if we can’t have you by will, then we’ll have you by force. But don’t you worry, we’re not here for you, nor for your little friend.” McNair smiled sinisterly.  

“What for, then?” Jack's eyes began glowing red, the blood in his veins pulsing black. McNair's eyes mirrored his, also flashing in incandescent scarlet…

“Sending a message.”

A gust of wind broke through the Black Army's camp. Three Obscurial forms flew straight into the tents, like fire arrows piercing the fabric, and a fireball erupted from the edge of the woods.

Jack and McNair exploded into their Obscurials before storming against one another, colliding like a train crash. A deafening impact echoed throughout the woods — the shockwave from their clash had been enough to whip Hiccup from his feet, crashing to the ground.

Above him, two indistinguishable black forms stormed violently, enraged like demons in agony — it was the darkest magic he had ever seen. He couldn’t tell what part of it was Jack, what was McNair. His heart raced against his ribs as he watched the two Obscurials tear each other apart. Toothless jumped above Hiccup, either protecting him or pushing him, until he heard another booming sound from behind — an orange glow illuminated the woods, and thoughts of the tents in the clearing catching fire sparked Hiccup back into action.

Standing up shakenly, he took a last look at the clash of Jack and McNair, who now more resembled two cumulus nimbus battling. Seeing his chance to leave, Hiccup jumped to Toothless' back, riding back to the camp through the dark woods.

Mayhem and fire painted the scenery of the clearing. Wizards and centaurs were running and galloping away from the burning tents, trying to find shelter in the woods. Some of the centaurs had pulled out their bows and arrows and began firing against the Obscurials that flew like bullets through the clearing, leaving devastation in their trail, but in the night, it was almost impossible to see who they were fighting against.

“Hiccup!” Merida's voice screamed behind him, and he turned to see a formation of wizards and centaurs aiming wands and arrows to the sky. “We need ter lure them away from the camp!”

Hiccup nodded, Toothless gave an encouraging roar. The dragon spread his wings, and they jumped into flight. “ Homenum Revelio! ” Hiccup casted to the black night sky, and three red glowing forms appeared over the glade. “Now, Toothless!”

The fire jets illuminated the clearing like the dawn, gold and red raining over the nearest Obscurial. The horrific piercing screams were distorted by the monstrous creature's rage, but he knew they had hit the target. The Obscurus was thrown off of its path, crashing against the ground in a curtain of smoke and sparks.

Then another one found their location – there was a sharp pain striking their sides as they were hit by the Obscurial, as if they'd been pierced by a storm of knives. Hiccup and Toothless let out a loud scream.

“Don't let them touch you!” Hiccup screamed to whoever was lucky enough to hear it. Several metres beneath them, Azel led a line of wizards, goblins and elves towards the edge of the woods, a hidden location Hiccup knew they'd be safer. All around them, shield charms were lifted, like impenetrable glass windows.

Jack and McNair still clawed to each other's monsters with a piercing roar. Eventually, McNair's form was thrown to a tree, breaking the trunk with a loud crash, the tree collapsing against the others at the margin of the pond, lifting a cloud of dust and earth. The pain that seared through McNair also seared through Jack. In that moment, he remembered what McNair had said; ‘ too bad we can't hurt each other.’

McNair's body had re-emerged from his Obscurial, fallen in sprawled fashion against a pile of broken wood and stones. “Oh, Erebos taught you just right, didn't he?” He hissed in pain, but still cracked a smile through an agonising dislocated shoulder. Jack’s shoulder also flared in pain, and it spiked into an acute agony when McNair snapped it back into place. Hiccup, several metres away, saw as a strange twitch seemed to run over the flying Obscurials like a wave — they all let out identical shrieks of pain.

Jack's form shifted back into human. The boy resurfaced through the black smoke, and the expression of anger would've caused shivers to anyone watching, as he turned to McNair. “Tell them to call off the attack.” He commanded.

McNair spat blood. “Or what, you'll kill me, Jackie boy?”

“I’m considering it.” Jack spat back. “You've said we can't hurt each other. But for you, I’ll pay the price if it means I get to kill you myself.”

McNair laughed evilly. “Oh, I've been dying to have a one-on-one with you…” Jack approached intimidatingly, and his eyes began to glow scarlett red. McNair dragged himself back, for the first time now showing fear.

“Call. It. Off.” He ordered.

A loud roar of pain echoed in the night, and he recognised it belonged to Toothless. Fury intensified in him, and his Obscurial inflamed again, his body half skin, half rage. The boy erupted a massive shockwave towards McNair, pushing the man another several feet back, like he was a rag doll.

“I said call it OFF! NOW!” He barked, and even though he could feel every blow he struck McNair with, it only propelled his fury further into destroying the former Death Eater. Pain was as much his agony as it was his thirst, like burning fuel…

An explosion erupted loudly from the clearing, and in the short distraction it brought, McNair managed to dissipate again, the Obscurial vanishing into the woods. Cursing to himself, Jack jumped at McNair's trail, shifting himself into black matter and chasing him into the shadows. Jack thought of his restraining spell, but he chose to ignore it. If his tracker would put more ministerial wizards behind him, that'd also mean more wizards chasing McNair, he concluded.

Now how to destroy McNair without destroying himself in the process? Jack's mind kept searching for an answer, but he was running out of time… flying through the sharp tree branches, snapping twigs and disturbing the canopies, they flew in the dark, black magic and black starless night. 

Jack then heard an enraged roar. Bright red ignited on the shadowed forest. He heard McNair scream monstrously in agony. And then he felt it:

A burning pain seared through the side of his body. Jack let out a hurling scream as he began falling, the pain was enough to shoot him off his flight. The boy crashed against the trees, descending through branches and pines like a rag doll until he landed on the ground. Shaking the stars away from his mind, he saw them: only a few metres away were McNair's contorting form and the massive shadow of Toothless, hovering above his Obscurial foe. The dragon was beyond frightening; it was death staring at the man in the eyes. 

“Where did they go?” He heard Hiccup’s voice, so grave and clear that Jack barely recognized it. Suddenly Jack felt a terrible weight crushing his chest, and the air stopped filling his lungs.

McNair cried under the dragon’s claws: “They’re gone now,” He barely choked under the weight of Toothless' huge paws.

“ Tell me where, ” The weight on Jack’s chest grew heavier; it had become impossible to breathe… McNair hurt, Jack hurt; McNair stopped breathing, Jack stopped breathing…

“ Hiccup…” Jack coughed out, the air barely leaving his mouth. The boy collapsed on the floor, holding on to his chest for dear life. It was enough for Toothless to listen, however.

“What the-?” Hiccup exclaimed as his dragon eased his weight over McNair’s body. Both Obscurials began breathing again.

“If you hurt me…” McNair gritted his teeth, “...you hurt your friend over there.”

Hiccup’s eyes widened for a moment, before narrowing back into slits. “Liar.”

The dragon lowered his paw again, this time over McNair’s hand, and both heard a snapping sound — Jack’s screams pierced the nightly forest. If once Hiccup had hoped he’d feel no sympathy for Jack’s suffering, his heart had just now betrayed him, for the boy’s screams ripped the boy’s heart like knives…

“I could kill you,” Hiccup said. “I could tear you all apart…” His mind rushed for rationality, but Jack’s screams made it nearly impossible to proceed.

McNair barked in pain. “Brave boy,” He gasped and fought, but his eyes flared in anger at the boy above him; he seemed to burst in and out into his Obscurial monster, but now he felt far too weak to transform entirely. “Go on, shred us all. Shred Jack apart.”

Jack now breathed in and out sharply, rolling on his fours as he grabbed his hand and agonised sinisterly, like a wild animal, like a beast… Hiccup’s heart tightened like a fist in his chest, and in his hesitation, the dragon made the choice that the boy couldn’t.

Toothless hopped off McNair, and Hiccup was unceremoniously thrown off of his lump, falling down gracelessly. Toothless jumped over to Jack, who had now collapsed on his side, the crushing weight now completely gone from his hand - and then the dragon shoved his gigantic nose on the boy’s face, sniffing and licking away his porcelain skin, trying to love away his pain...

But also freed from Toothless, McNair rolled off to the side. Jack heard it, but barely saw it, the short spell casting between the two - Obscurial and Dragon Rider - until he heard the unmistakable crack of the transformation, and he knew then that McNair had shifted back into his monstrous form, violently crashing against trees until he was at a safe distance from Hiccup’s spells, flying away towards freedom…

Even in the shadows, he could hear that Hiccup’s breathing was filled with anger and frustration. He could sense the rage seeping in the air like smoke, like something he could smell and taste. But he was immovable, his hand — although immaculate — still flared in pain, the memory of McNair’s crushed fingers still very fresh, very present…

Eventually, Hiccup steadied his breathing just enough to summon Toothless. However, the dragon did not move.

Hiccup frowned, his anger now rising again. “Toothless, let’s go.”

The dragon shot him a devious look of anger, a deep growl of indignation seeped from his throat. The dragon turned back to Jack, and there he stayed.

“Toothless you- you’ve got to be kidding.” He snapped at the dragon. “I said leave him-!”

With a jump, Toothless turned on Hiccup, letting out a roar of fury to his Rider that finally managed to scare Hiccup away - the boy tumbled back, falling hard to the ground, and there the dragon remained, at Hiccup’s face, staring deeply into the terrified green eyes of his rider — and then it happened, like something had cracked between them: boy and dragon finally saw themselves as they really were.

“Toothless?” Hiccup gave out a low cry. The dragon shot him a final look of disgust, before turning back to Jack. Toothless half pushed, half lifted the boy in the most delicate manner a dragon could muster, and Jack wobbled his way out of the woods, supported by Toothless wings on his back. He walked out unable to mutter a word, too pained, too disgusted, to look at Hiccup in the eye as they got away from the boy.

Hiccup felt numb. It was like he had been slapped in the face. He simply remained there, planted on the ground like an unwanted insect, humiliated, listening to the distant fire cracking in the night.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty-Three

Ignicolist

Sparks and ashes seeped through the woods, a ghostly vision of red and black, like walking through a nightmare. Whenever Jack looked up to the sky, he could see the dense smoke spiralling up into the blackness. Toothless escorted Jack all the way to the clearing. The dragon had snuck his head under Jack's arm, and this way he supported the boy's weakened body as they slowly crossed their tortuous path.

"He'll hate you for it, you know." Jack murmured to the dragon's ears, but Toothless only growled back in return. "What, you don't care?"

Toothless growled again. He gave out a few sniffs in the air, as if nothing mattered to the dragon other than bringing Jack back up — which Jack supposed it did. "I love you too, you fool."

When they finally reached the edge of the clearing, he could finally assess the toll that night would take on the Black Army: Some tents had been completely burnt, their stakes and rags completely chirmed by the fire. Everyone he walked past could barely give the boy a caring look, either too tired, too shocked or too empty to express any reaction or emotion. Near the trees on the other end of the glade, several emaciated bodies lay still — some still gladly breathing, some being attended by wizards and elves.

As he neared the fallen bodies, he distinguished a girl running up his way — his heart gave a stronger, warmer thud as Merida ran towards him, latching him with her arms outstretched, a mane of red hair taking up most of his vision. She spoke so many words so quickly, her accent even more affected by her distress that Jack barely caught her words.

"I'm fine," He muttered, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"We were about to send a search party after yer!" She let him go, afflicted "Where's Heccup?"

Jack pretended not to hear. "Where's Azel?"

"Takin' care of the injured." She pointed to the other girl, the pixie cut of brunette hair distinguishable amongst the lined up bodies on the ground. It was a horrific sight that caused churns in Jack's stomach.

"...how many-?"

"Nobody's dead," Merida cut his words. "They've got injured pretty badly, tho', too many of 'dem got stuck in the fire, but thank the gods they're 'oll still breathin'."

"Where's Dean and Seamus?" Jack asked, and then he saw Merida's hopeful glint fail into concern. "oh, no..."

"Seamus got a nasty blow," she puffed, putting her hands on her waist. "Dean is takin' care of him. Granger is furious, Ah' don't think she'll want ter talk ter anyone."

"Where's Dean?" Merida pointed to one of the few tents still standing against a sea of scorched stalls. "You stay here, Toothless." Jack whispered to the dragon, patting the top of the scaly head as Toothless cooed back at him lovingly.

Burnt sticks cracked under his feet as he walked towards the tent Merida had pointed to. He wasn't sure if Dean would want to see him, but he felt it'd be worse to disappear now. What if Dean assumed he had taken part with the Order of the Seven? He needed to prove he had no ties with the other Obscurials — at least none other than their blood tied curse.

When he reached the tent, Seamus lay unconscious in a bed, unclothed if not by the light sheets thrown over his torso. A nasty burn spread from the side of his neck all the way to his left arm, and a smell of herbs and burnt meat took his nostrils — a familiar, however distant memory flashed in his mind, and he stood there, planted like a tree until he heard Dean's voice speaking calmly from the side of the bed:

"You can save your sorries, they'll do him no good."

Jack snapped back to where he was. There sat Dean, looking tired and defeated on an improvised chair he had assembled next to Seamus's bed. From Dean's statement alone, Jack began to reconsider if coming here had been a good idea.

"How is he doing?"

"He's alive."

"How did this…"

"Look, this ain't really the best time for you to show up all butt hurt here when it was your people who did this." Dean stared at Jack with such intensity, but there was some vulnerability there that Jack had not quite seen before. "I've had your back because of him, and look where it brought him."

Jack stared at the ground, breathing deeply as he figured out what to say next.

"I need to know what they wanted with all this." He decided to cut to the chase. "I know little about the Order, but they don't attack without a purpose. They wanted something, and I need to know what it is."

Dean eyed him, too tired to fight, too tired to comply. "The Goblins' treasure has been raided."

Jack stared at him. "What has been taken?"

"We don't know yet." Dean's baggy red eyes gave out how tired he was. "Granger's listing all items in there. They've burned it all."

"I bet the Goblins will start rioting any minute now." Jack muttered, which had Dean slowly nod in accordance.

"They've been complaining non-stop. One does not mess with Goblins' treasure."

"I thought Granger would be smarter than that…"

"Oh, she is. She's handling the listing herself for a reason — the Wizengamot's been pressuring her into taking hold of that loot since we stepped foot here, but the Goblins don't trust anyone but her to get anywhere near their treasure. She's the best option."

"It won't prevent them from rioting," Jack commented, to which Dean nodded tiredly.

"No, but it'll buy her some time at least… and maybe convince the Wizengamot to leave them alone for a change…"

Sensing it was less anger, and more exhaustion that drove Dean's hostility, Jack tested his waters stepping further into the tent. "How did he end up this way?"

"Being an idiot, that's how he did it." Dean all but spat the words venomously. "Bloody things are shooting fire from the sky, and he thinks it's a good idea to stand in front of a Centaur." Dean wiped his face furiously, either it was a tear or sand, Jack couldn't tell as he found himself an empty chair next to the other Wizard. "He saved the Centaur alright, got a shield charm to protect the damn beast. The blast hit him instead."

Jack's mind rummaged for the right thing to say. "Sounds very brave."

"Or very stupid." Dean retorted. "Always putting himself at risk, he is. It was the same back at Hogwarts, with the Carrows, or with explosives... Always blowing things up. Never gave me one minute of peace, I always thought he was gonna end up exploding himself 'on accident', as he always says," He mimicked Seamus's accent as he said the final bit, which had Jack chuckling.

"He reminds me of Hiccup." Jack said before he could stop himself. "I can never rest at ease knowing he's out there, training dragons, looking for beasts, throwing himself in harm's way… He thinks that's brave… he has no idea what he does to me, how it feels like to think I could lose him any moment…"

He realised then that Dean was focused on him in a way he had never done before. Then he realised they had finally found some common ground.

"The last time we were together, he wanted to go to war… nobody had asked him to do anything, he could have just gone home and hide like the others… Instead, he thinks it's his job to protect everyone else… And I was stupid enough to try holding him back, that was my mistake…" Jack rolled his eyes, his fingers instinctively reaching for the moon charm on his neck. "You can't hold fire with your own hands. You can't dream of putting out their fire… And he's got more than fire, he's got this… inferno… It's maddening… And it's maddening cause it could get them killed one day… but this fire is what defines them, so you can't put it out because that's also what you love most about them, isn't it? They're fighters, they have no idea what it means to lose… They don't know what it's like to lose them…"

A knot had formed in his throat, and he found himself unable to say another word… he had said it all just then to Dean, and he began to feel like a loser for crying out his feelings like that to a man who barely tolerated him…

"You do love him, don't you?" Dean asked, and for once, Jack felt like he held no distrust in his voice towards him. Jack's fingers were still fidgeting with the moon necklace when he agreed, not trusting his voice yet, nodding instead. "Then don't be stupid for a second time."

Readjusting into his chair, Dean leaned towards Seamus's bed as comfortably as he could.

"I trust you're more awake than me." He all but grunted.

Jack understood it immediately. "I'll keep guard, you can get yourself some sleep." It wasn't long until Dean began snoring lightly, but Jack found the sound rather soothing. His fingers never left his moon charm… He took in the image of Dean bending over Seamus's bed, even unconsciously seeking for that warmth only his lover could bring him, and he wondered if he could ever mimic such a moment next to Hiccup… Outside, the sound of crackling fire chirped away through the night.

Azel thoroughly examined a nasty wound from one of the elves, enchanting all the healing incantations she knew. As the elf whimpered silently under her care, she stroked the elf's bony back. She was such a small creature, with huge bat ears and even bigger eyes which reminded her of muggle tennis balls.

"Winky is in pain…" Weeped the elf in such a thin, screechy voice, as Azel cleaned the nasty cut in the elf's arm, which still bled profusely.

"Shh, I know…" She had the most comforting, the softest velvet voice to calm even the most agonising demon. "I know, but it'll heal soon."

However, Winky only sniffed further. "No, Miss, you does not understand… Winky has no master… no purpose… Winky prefers this pain."

Azel's cleaning stopped for a while as her heart sank for the pitiful creature. She resumed her care on the elf's arm silently. It was then that Winky's ears shot up, as if surprised, and the elf crooked her head towards the horizon. "Is it a ghost Winky sees? Winky knows the boy… he is a good wizard… he treats Winky kindly…"

Azel stopped her cleaning again, and saw Hiccup marching from the line of trees. It was still black night, but the light from the torches was enough to distinguish his face. As Hiccup neared Azel, he took in the line of injured bodies surrounding them. His tired face acquired a resolute expression.

"How can I help?" He breathed out. Hiccup and Azel found themselves exchanging a look, and there was an unspoken understanding between them… She looked around for someone to assign him, and he strangely thought that, even though she had traded her long golden locks for that spiky brown hair, and even covered in dirt and soot and ashes, she had never looked more beautiful than now, tired and sweaty, working to her bones into helping others.

"Him," She gestured with her head to a grumpy looking goblin just a few steps away. "You can start with him."

Hiccup nodded, and kneeled next to the goblin. The creature had a disagreeable face, serious and mistrusting. Very dark eyes matching very dark hair that began to thin. A line of blood trailed down from the goblin's temper. Hiccup reached for a small pocket in his robes, from which he retrieved a tiny dittany vial.

"What happened to you?" He asked the Goblin, hoping — and most certainly failing — to sound as kind as Azel did. However, the Goblin merely shot him a look of disgust before replying with a grunt.

"Y'all wizards… come crawling from whatever hole y'all been hiding… take our stuff… try to force us into submission…"

Hiccup had started applying the essence of dittany, which began to work its painful, although effective magic in the goblin's wound. The boy took his words carefully. He'd had enough anger to deal with for an evening, if not for a lifetime.

"What makes you say that?" He let his voice rasp as he eyed the wound.

"Your Minister is now inspecting items which have belonged to us goblins from the very beginning… And now they're selling you, as our… headboy, right? To stand for us against despotism… You may be the Dragon Rider we speak of… but you're not fighting this war for me, are you, boy?"

Hiccup took a good look at the goblin, an empty feeling of dread washed over him. "Is there anywhere else you're hurt?"

The goblin never replied, choosing instead to hold his deadly stare into Hiccup's soul. Feeling beyond uncomfortable and exposed, Hiccup gestured for him to leave. As the goblin wobbled his way out back to the tents, the boy watched, puzzled.

"That was intense." Azel spoke from her spot, where she finished patching the elf's arm. Hiccup's eyes, however, remained on the tiny, fragile elf for a bit longer.

"Hey, I know you." He stated, and the elf raised her ears auspiciously. "Winky, isn't it?"

The elf's eyes glowed in overwhelming emotion. "You is too kind, Mister Haddock… Winky remembers your generosity for poor Winky…" She sang in her thin voice.

"How've you been doing?" He took her small hands in his and held them gently.

"Winky is just fine, Sir… Mister Haddock must not be bothered by mean Glitork, no sir… he is a mean goblin, he is ungrateful… very very ungrateful, indeed…" The elf had her hands fidgeting endlessly on the thin rags she wore, twisting and snapping the fabric. "But Winky hears the same from every goblin, they are all very ungrateful… they want mutiny… Winky hears very mean things from everyone…"

"I'll leave this one to you," Azel apparently had had enough from the elf, and even though Hiccup could barely judge the girl, he found himself paying attention to every word Winky said.

"What have you heard, Winky?"

The elf seemed more afflicted, suddenly unsure if she should proceed. "Winky fears for her safety, sir… Elves like Winky… we do not know much kindness from your kind, sir… My dear Master Barty, oh sir, he was the most kindest… he was in the Wizengamot, you must know his good name… but Winky distrusts this new Wizengamot. My poor Master is to find shame in this race… Bad wizards… want nothing more than control, sir… Wizards want the gold and the silver, and goblins own the gold and the silver… We elves do not possess any gold nor silver, we elves clean the goods… but it's all stolen now… it is why Glitork is so very bitter… Winky remembers Miss Granger, very kind, she is indeed… but she is alone… what is a good leader when the sheep are rotten, still? Oh, sir, Winky is scared, sir… Winky does not know who to trust…"

"It's okay, Winky," Hiccup patted the creature's back. He was sleep deprived, with a throbbing headache waiting to burst at any minute, still he listened to every word of that high pitched elf's voice.

It was way beyond Winky in Hiccup's line of vision, although in the nightly shadows, laying next to one of the few remaining tents in the clearing, that Hiccup found the watchful form of Toothless, his wings retracted to his sides as the dragon remained, alert and awake, as if guarding whoever was inside the makeshift home. He knew immediately where Jack was, and, when Toothless green eyes met his, the dragon turned his head away — and Hiccup also figured that it was better not to try his luck with the dragon just yet.

"Should I be concerned that Toothless is chaperoning Jack instead of you?" Azel's sweet but inquisitive voice did not improve Hiccup's nerves.

"Quite possibly." Hiccup mumbled.

"You seem like you're losing custody of your kids in divorce… Oh, please, Kreature, it's barely a scratch, it's not even bleeding anymore." She noted as she inspected another smaller wound in another whimpering elf. "You may go now." The elf's pathetic crying ceased immediately, and he sent the girl a scornful look.

As the elf grunted in his departure, dragging his disproportionately big feet, Azel leaned towards Hiccup's side. "He's always complaining about something, thinks he'll get more treats if we think he's suffering more than the other elves."

To that, Winky's bat-like ears raised higher. "Kreature always been a bad elf…" She gave an ugly look to her colleague. "He complains but he does not work… He's half the elf my friend Dobby was…"

Hiccup finished patching up the elf, letting her go as gracelessly as his sleep-deprived and pitiful body allowed him to. Azel eyed her friend with a regained sympathy, watching as Hiccup's shoulders slumped as he took yet another creature to care for. "You've spoken to Jack, haven't you?"

The boy shrugged. "I thought you'd want that."

"I want you to stop being an ass to him... Doesn't mean I want to see you in pain-"

"I'm not in pain." He retorted, but her knowing smirk never faded.

"You don't fool me, Hiccup Haddock." She rolled up several stripes of bandages, magically enchanting them along a mix of herbs. He watched her magic, desperately searching for the words to fill the endless void in his chest…

"I thought it'd be easier… confronting him… but it'd be easier if he hadn't hurt me so much… I think what I hate the most is the fact that seeing him still hurts so much. I thought I had put it behind me… I hate him… yet when I had the chance to hurt him, I couldn't… I hate him even more for this."

"No, you don't."

"Don't word it out for me— don't tell me how I feel—"

"—I don't have to. You can't hurt so much for something you hate… and even if you do, true hatred is born from love."

"I don't love him." He snapped.

"Then say it." The sharp tone had returned to her, all sweetness forgotten and converged into pure assertiveness. Azel held such a power Hiccup had never noticed before… "Tell me you hate him, like you believe it. Mean it, go on."

"Heaven's sake… I mean it, I hate him."

"I don't buy it." The girl had a knowing smirk that Hiccup wanted to brush off her face; it was impossible to stand up to Azel. Around them, even the Goblins perched up to listen to their conversation. "Then why didn't you kill him? What held you back?"

"I don't know… I…" Hiccup realised he'd been cleaning the wrong wound on the goblin he was attending, which was currently writhing away from his grasp, muttering annoyed to himself.

"...these bloody wizards…"

"Stop fighting yourself, Hiccup Haddock, that's being beyond stupid. You keep taking straight out simple feelings and painting them like they're something else when they're not." He turned his back on the girl, avoiding her unendurable gaze. "They're not as complex as you put them, nor as unnatural as you'd like them to be. You're afraid of the simple truth, and the truth is that you love him."

Hiccup swallowed the lump in his throat. He finally stopped searching for words, unarmed and left to listen to Azel for once. She resumed much more softly.

"You love him. And that's beautiful, there's nothing wrong with that… You may not want to, because you're hurt, because he left you… And okay, those things are true. You might hate what he's done… but you don't hate him." Her words floated in the air, frozen in the night sky. "You can still love someone who's hurt you… Tell me I'm wrong."

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, shaking his feelings back down to the back of his brain. There were always more urgent matters at hand. "There's something more to Jack's curse… something I think will make things much harder for us all…"

Azel was ready to slap his face for avoiding such an emotional response, yet she never had time to out her mind. Looking up, what she first had thought to be a bright star suddenly brightened up, like a comet. It grew in size and shape, a silvery wisp that fell from the sky and into the clearing. Gracious and glowing, the silver mouse caused everyone in the glade to stop walking, moving and breathing. Hermione Granger and Dean Thomas emerged from different tents, the Minister followed by most of the Wizengamot, and the latter followed by Jack, who seemed much more awake. Then, a whispery and panicking voice echoed from the patronus:

"They have stormed into Gringotts; Malfoy has betrayed us… The woman Obscurial is free… they're on the move."

The majority of the refugees gathered under a beige, dome-shaped tent, conjured to float in the centre of the clearing, lit from underneath by torches and a massive bonfire. They were all sitting on wooden benches. Wizards, witches, elves, goblins — the most sour looking of the lot — and centaurs, the latter who stood impassive in the edges of the clearing. In front of the bonfire, Granger stood in her long, black cloak, reciting the worn and known procedures of the Wizengamot.

"Just tell us what happened to our bank," The Goblins had started to complain.

"And our loot," Another one, with a scratching and ear piercing voice, eyed her furiously. "We trust the few treasures we have left with your lot, our legacy… and this is how our trust is rewarded."

"Please, if you just listen…" Granger pleaded again, visibly distressed, her control over the situation long gone, if she ever had any. "I know there is a way to get your treasure back, but right now there are more important matters-"

"There are always more important matters, aren't there, Minister?" The same goblin said again. "You are no minister of mine."

The other goblins began to chant in chorus. It was absolute chaos, and Granger's voice was all but inaudible. Behind her, the Wizengamot shook their heads in disappointment.

Hiccup sat next to Merida, several benches away from where Jack — distinguishable now only by his raven black hair — and Azel were, next to the dark skinned wizard — Dean, if he well remembered. Jack's and Hiccup's eyes met briefly, it felt like dodging bullets. Azel leaned to Jack's ear and whispered:

"We've got to find a way to the underworld now, before the Dark Order does so."

"We can't get there without Hiccup." Jack looked down.

"Nor without Granger." Azel eyed the woman, who still tried to regain control of the Goblins, who began throwing rocks to the Wizengamot. It was almost amusing, laughable even, if it weren't so chaotic. "She's the only one who knows what to search for."

"She'll want to get to Gringotts first," Jack noted. "She'll want to rescue the hostages they've made there."

But Azel shook her head. "I think she'll split once she understands what's at stake here. It's the Wizengamot we've got to look out for;" And then she made Jack notice how much control the surviving Ministry still held on their politics. "They'll want to go back to Gringotts before anything else. But they'll want Hiccup."

"Hiccup will go after Astrid." Jack stated, shaking his head. "He doesn't give a damn about what's going on in Gringotts."

"Jack, you know the Order, you know how they operate… do you really believe they'll hurt the ones we got there?"

Jack shook his head again, vehemently. "I don't know… Gothel wouldn't waste life like that, but I can't speak for the others… They want to find the underworld just as much as we do, and if the relic they stole from the Goblins gives them any clue at all, then they'll go for it. It's a matter of hours, and we're already behind."

"Have Ah' heard of plottin' and scheemin'?" Merida's thick and familiar accent made itself heard only for the two pairs of ears. "Count us in, please."

Jack turned back to see Merida crouched behind him and Azel, her striking red curls as always ready for rebelion, and Hiccup sat right next to her; although they didn't exchange a word, the other boy nodded at him to proceed.

Jack began rubbing his palms in anticipation, a strong sense of urgency and excitement roaring in his chest.

"Right," Jack started, looking back to Azel, to Merida, and Hiccup. "Right. Let's draw a plan then. We need to get out of here. But I'm jinxed, we need Granger, the Wizengamot is on our asses and you need to get Toothless back." He pointed at Hiccup as he finished.

"Alright, that's four things." Merida stated. "We can use this distraction," she discreetly gestured to the infuriated Goblins, which at every word from the others in the Wizengamot — who had now stood to help Granger, unsuccessfully — had more stones chucked their way. It was the most bizarre scene. "Wizengamot problem solved."

Jack blinked twice. "...okay, three more to go… How can we get her out?" Jack pointed to the Minster, still trying to argue as bigger rocks were thrown her way. "I don't suppose we can all just apparate to London, can we?

"I have something," Azel said as she leaned down to retrieve something from a worn, leather sack she kept hidden in her robes. She drew a small silver tea spoon from it.

"...you want to have a tea party?"

"It's a portkey." Azel rolled her eyes.

Merida widened her blue eyes as she recognized, "Merlin's bread, Ah' can't believe yer still kept that!"

"We used that when the Raptum happened, it felt wrong to just ditch it…" the girl explained to Jack, who still looked puzzled. She shoved it in his hands, now pulling out her wand: "Here, look: geminio!"

And just like that, another tea spoon seemed to pop from Jack's hands, and he grabbed it awkwardly when it materialised. "That's brilliant."

"Remember, only activate it when you reach the gates to… well, Hell." Azel seemed disgusted at the idea. "We'll keep our copy, waiting. As soon as you get there, we'll be ready."

But Jack found another flaw to that plan. "...Azel, I don't know how to-"

"I do," Hiccup interjected, snatching the spoon from Jack's hands. "I'll activate it once we've reached the old Ministry headquarters."

The black haired boy only nodded frantically, rolling his eyes and trying to go on with the plan. "Right. Perfect. Now, how to get this bloody tracker out of me?"

"We can torture Dean and Seamus into cooperatin'," Merida suggested so naturally that Jack was unsure if she was joking or not. Around them, the chaos was escalating, the Goblins now chanting and hurling against the Wizards, the elves running off to cover behind the centaurs, those who merely walked away in annoyance, leaving the creatures again unprotected.

"We're not torturing anyone." Hiccup said firmly.

"Especially not Dean," Jack concluded, then stopping briefly to acknowledge what Hiccup had just said. He soon shook his head though, he had more important things to focus on. "Anyways, I'll handle that. Azel, if you can help me, though, he knows you a bit more…"

"We can try." She nodded with a face that promised too little.

"Then that's enough," Jack said. "And someone could talk to the Goblins too… add some more fire to this circus… This riot is a nice distraction… perhaps they won't notice we're leaving when everyone's too busy fighting them off… it wouldn't hurt if they had our backs."

"I'm on it," Hiccup said, eyeing the revolted crowd of small goblins. "They'll want the Dragon Rider, though, not just me… I need to get Toothless back first."

Merida gave him a weird look. "What happened…"

"Don't ask." He muttered depressingly.

Jack gave them one last look before smiling deviously, the excitement of mischief bubbling in him. "Let's do this."

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty-Four:
Exodus

Making a deal with Glitork was like trying to bend an iron bar with your bare hands, or so Hiccup found.

Before reaching for his dragon, Hiccup made sure to speak to the Goblin. Glitork had been at the back of the goblins' mutiny, and although the shouting campaign had not ceased, neither had the Wizengamot's disastrous attempt to reach a peaceful 'understanding' — which, as Hiccup saw it, more resembled a proper 'shut up' to the crowd of yelling Goblins.

"I need you on this, Glitork." Both man and goblin stood behind the line of trees, Glitork far less interested in his peers' riot, even though he had been the one to start it. "Only one thing has been stolen, and I can get it for you. You and the others can have all the Wizengamot, I don't care… but I need you to leave Granger to me."

Glitork gave him a cold, calculating look. "Tell me who's making me bargains, Hiccup Haddock or the Dragon Rider? For the way I see it, you seem out of one very precious dragon."

"He…" Hiccup raced his mind for an excuse to give the goblin, but none reached his mouth. "Look, it's complicated, I'm still…"

"You seem a bit off your depth, making promises you cannot sustain, bargaining things you cannot control… Am I wrong, Mister Haddock?" Glitork then drew a sinister grin, and Hiccup realised then that he took pleasure in his helplessness. There was no bending with Glitork.

He snapped out of it just then, raising his hands and walking away from the Goblin. "Alright, forget I asked." He said, more frustrated than ever when his bargain finally lit up in his mind. He didn't stop walking as he smiled. "When I get Toothless and hijack Granger out of here, I'll remember this, though." He spoke out, not bothering to look back, testing his next steps decidedly until Glitork finally called back:

"One resorts to threats when one finds themselves out of trades." He heard his horribly cold voice cut above the chanting goblins.

Hiccup stopped walking. "I have proposed a trade. You chose to ignore it."

"You had hope, and one poorly calculated plan." Glitork snapped at him. "Like a child throwing a tantrum, you've got nothing for me, boy."

"Then you'll have to trust either one of my options." Hiccup turned at last. "Because one way or another, you won't want to have me as your enemy." Glitork stood silently, listening. "Once I'm back on Toothless, and I will get there, you'll look back at this and remember which option you took."

Glitork's eyes glistened like waves under moonlight, a speck of white into complete blackness. And then the goblin gave a nearly indistinct nod. Glitork had bent at last.

"Alright, Dragon Rider." He drew the words venomously. "We have a deal."

"You want me to do what?" Dean's tone, which not an hour prior had been calm and understanding, now held unmistakable incredulity.

"I know what I'm asking, Dean…" Jack began explaining, but was cut sharply by Dean's retort.

"No, I don't think you do;" the older wizard began pacing in circles in the tent.

Seamus still slept soundly, still bandaged to his shoulders, but his skin seemed less red, the nasty bubbles of the burns almost faded. Outside, the Goblins kept their campaign of roars and insults. It was loud enough for Jack and Dean to maintain a high tone as they spoke — Azel was making sure that nobody outside would hear their conversation. Inside, however, their discussion roared fiercely. Jack had his hands raised as Dean eyed him furiously.

"Dean, I know you've already risked much, way too much on this–"

"—You don't—"

"—and I know what I'm asking you." Jack shook his head at the interjection, not at all willing to hear Dean's input. "I know this could mean you'd lose your trust with the Wizengamot. I know this would mean perhaps Granger would never trust you again. I know this would be betrayal on a major level, I know… I wouldn't ask this unless this was important. Because they'll come back. Whatever they stole here tonight will have them coming back either for me, or for the others, and I nearly lost the fight tonight. This is the only chance we've got."

Dean turned his back to Jack then, holding his head so hard it looked like he wanted to crush his own skull.

"Even if I could go with you…"

"No, you can't leave Seamus." Jack snapped. "Whatever happens, you can't leave him." Their eyes met at last, and everything was suspended in this fine line they'd been balancing on since the very beginning, between mutual despising and understanding: "I look at Seamus and I see Hiccup. I look at the risks, I see Hiccup… everywhere I look, he's…"

Jack's eyes watered then, and Dean could see them clearly despite those late night hours, for the torches and bonfires outside bathed the tent in a warm orange glow, and Jack himself looked as if he had been submerged in gold.

"I need to do this." Jack resumed. "I need to go and make sure that they won't hurt him. With me here, I'm just one more reason for them to return. But no matter what I do, Hiccup's going after them. He's made up his mind. I tried to stop him once, and I failed… I won't try that again, and I can't lose him for a second time; so all I'm left with is to follow him. And you've got to stay here with Seamus, you'll promise me that. So please, Dean… let me go…"

Dean remained immovable, breathing deeply, and Jack's eyes never left his. He nodded then. "Alright, kid." He said then. "But you need to promise me—"

"—I'll make them pay for it," Jack concluded.

But Dean shook his head. "That you'll follow that kid to the end of the world. You will not fail. You won't hesitate. Even if it kills you. You understand me?"

Jack's voice came out deeper than before. "You have my word."

Dean drew out his wand, waving it once before a golden net suddenly formed, linking Jack and the end of his wand in a glowing thread.

"Desisto Sectari," He sang, and Jack felt as if a strange weight, which he had not even realised he'd been feeling, were lifted from his very centre, extracted from his blood.

The entrance to the tent ruffled, and Azel's head popped up from behind the tent's flaps. "It's time to go, did you get it?"

Jack nodded at her, and then looked back at Dean. "Thank you." And he made to leave, walking toward the exit when Dean's hand rested on his shoulder. They exchanged one last look, and although they didn't speak, it was like they could finally see themselves behind the other's eyes. Dean released Jack, and the boy followed the girl into the dark night.

"Toothless, not now!" Hiccup cried to the dragon as the creature remained impassive, swiftly — if not comically — preventing his attempts to climb to his back. The night was still dark and starry, but the glowing strokes of the sunrise had begun painting the eastern skies when the boy found Toothless at the edge of the woods, far from people's view, but still close enough to hear the ongoing complaints of the goblins.

"What do you want me to say, I'm sorry?" The boy tried again, but Toothless did nothing more than remain in his untamable position, his back turned to his rider, and his eyes closed in stubborn annoyance. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you hurt Jack."

Toothless growled deeply, now rolling his eyes.

"Okay, look…" Hiccup stepped away from Toothless, running a hand to his forehead to dry the sweat. "I'm sorry I made you hurt him, and… I-I know you missed him, but come on, we had one of them in our hands, we had McNair, we needed to make sure—"

Toothless growled again, louder this time, and Hiccup shut up.

"Okay, fine." The boy crossed his arms stubbornly, kicking a stone he found close enough to his foot, and after looking around and finding no better solution, he sank to the ground, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. And pouting. "This is so stupid…"

Hiccup observed the forest. It wasn't silent in his surroundings and it definitely wasn't silent in his mind. "Look, I didn't want to hurt Jack… I think…" Another growl seeped from Toothless, but this one lower, more dragged. "I mean, it's not like I…" He began again, but it was hard finding the words. "I just wish he weren't here… things would be so much easier if he wasn't here…"

Toothless remained quiet. Hiccup wasn't sure whether the dragon was even listening.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore, bud…" The boy's eyelids felt heavy, nearly closing in. He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure of anything anymore, I don't know who I can trust… I'm not sure I can trust anyone, much less him… He's hurt me too much… I know you missed him…" Toothless now gave a new sound, a thin whistle that seemed to sing from deep within his throat. "I missed him too… but you're all I have bud… I need you with me… please…"

A soundwave of screams and gasps rose up from the clearing. But it was not from the goblins this time.

Both Hiccup and Toothless turned their heads to the far ends of the Black Army's camp, and they noticed how some people had excited their tents in a frenzy, running with their wands raised. They began shouting in the distance:

"The Obscurial!"

"He's getting away"

Hiccup squinted his eyes to the dark field. "Jack?" He whispered as the other boy half ran, half flew towards them in a black, smokey mess. When he was near enough, he saw Azel right on Jack's step, running after Jack like there was no tomorrow.

"Protego!" He heard Jack cast behind himself, and a bright red blast exploded on his shield.

"What's going on?!" Hiccup jumped to his feet, but Jack was panting and gasping, mumbling so quickly it was hard to follow. He then saw that the boy smirked. "Azel?!"

But Jack interjected. "No time to explain, we've got to go now. I need you and Toothless to chase me, fight me, even. Lightly, though." More blasts hit Jack's shield, and Hiccup noticed that Azel had managed to crack his protective charm.

"Just trust me, Hiccup, please!" Jack grabbed Hiccup's shoulders, giving him a 'wake-up' shake. "Follow me, will you?" Then Jack eyed the dragon. "Will you do this for me pal?" Jack pleaded to the black creature, who had now stood proudly, and smiled at the black haired boy in that awful Toothless's-only-way, ready to lick his face when the boy shushed him.

"Pretend to be mad at me." He told the creature. "Then I'll be all yours."

And just like that, Toothless gave out his worst menacing growl, roaring in what should be either the most pathetic or the most adorable sound ever made by a dragon.

"You'll listen to him, then?" Hiccup complained, starting to climb over Toothless' back. The dragon seemed to pay him no mind, enamoured by Jack's presence.

"Guys, they're near and I'm almost breaking your shield." Azel's voice echoed above the invisible wall Jack had conjured, and they saw how thin it had become, for her weakest spells now seemed to penetrate deep into his protego charm. Behind her, a horde of wizards was closing in on the trio, some of them picking up their brooms. More blasts began hitting the shield, and it was a matter of seconds until it shattered. "You've got to go, now!"

Hiccup understood what he had to do.

"Expulso!" He aimed at a tree somewhat near Jack, but the spell blasted so far from the boy that he'd be amazed if anyone actually believed that scam.

It all happened too fast. Jack exploded into the Obscurial; Toothless opened his wings proudly, raising dust and earth like a shockwave; Azel shattered Jack's Protego charm; the wizards gathered just then at the point they had just taken off from, and Dragon, Rider and Obscurial flew freely into the breaking dawn.

Nobody noticed as Merida's fiery-red curls and Angus half-man, half-stallion form passed undisturbed through the clearing. All the wizards were too busy chasing the Obscurial, on the Dragon Rider's trail, but she knew it'd be pointless. She had seen Toothless flying. There was no match to his speed and evasiveness. Taking the distraction they had provided, she swiftly galloped on the Centaur's back towards Granger's tent. Once they were close enough, they could distinguish a heated discussion inside, a thick, raspy voice she recognised that belonged to a goblin and the sharp tone of the Minister.

Granger sounded both exhaustive and defensive. "...so you expect me to forsake the lives of the ones held hostage at Gringotts? That's absurd! I…"

"Gringotts won't fail to protect them, Minister, you should not fail to forget it was my race who kept it running to keep your business secure…" Glitork sounded relentless, but cold.

"I wouldn't dare to forget so…" She replied. "But how can you expect me to let all those people at the Black Order's mercy? I have no guarantees…"

"I believe you have more than enough people to split into… plus I reckon you're needed elsewhere, the Arrow-girl and her traitor Centaur shall explain to you better…"

Merida froze where she was, but Angus acted before her, shaking her off his back, so she gracelessly descended his hump. Giving the Centaur one last scared look, she took her wand and murmured "Muffliato!", before all but storming into the tent.

It was a strange sight, it was only Granger, with her wild brown and bushy locks and yet impeccable vests cornered to her desk by short and repulsive Glitork, who still proudly wore his dirty Gringotts' tux as he made his obstinate demands. Merida swallowed dry at the Minister's effulgent expression. She tried greeting, "Minister—"

"Don't tell me this was your idea." Granger accused, exasperated, in a way Merida raised her hands in peace.

"It wasn't… all of it," She began. "But we need you on this."

"We?" The Minister eyed sceptically at Glitork. "You put her into this?"

"Your Dragon Rider has persuaded me into this, ma'am." He explained in his dragging, yet cold tone. "Perhaps you should beware that your allegiances own their own agendas, and those differ greatly from yours."

"I'm perfectly aware of their agendas. They seek the Black Order."

"Precisely," Merida started, but Granger was about to snap.

"You're not welcome here—"

"I don't care." The red haired spat then. "You will listen to me if you want any chance of saving any of them." She raised her voice, enough to cause Granger to cease talking. Glitork's thin lips pulled into a sinister grin. "The Black Order stole only one thing fer one reason, and we know what 'dey can do. Whatever it is, it'll help 'dem reach the next underworld; and last time 'dey reached it, the Raptum happened. The Dragon Rider is not chasin' the Obscurials right now; instead, he's preventin' 'deir next move. We all should be doin' just that right' now."

There was a moment of silence when Granger held Merida's eyes, contemplating, her face hard and unreadable.

Glitork gave a short cough. "The Dragon Rider had agreed to retrieve the loot if I promised to keep you safe from the other goblins' ambush. And you said you have listed all the remaining pieces, Minister… I'd like to look into the list, so I could tell you what's gone missing. And in return, you'll have the Goblins escorting the rest of the Wizengamot down the caves of Gringotts… we'll have them running from there. I can promise you that."

"I haven't had the best experience making agreements with goblins." Said Granger drily.

"We, goblins, have an adamant sense of negotiation. We keep our promises the way we described them. It's your business to read amongst the lines."

"It should be a betrayal to your kind to share this secret with me." Granger's voice was more soothing, but still wary. Glitork gave a disgusted grimace.

"The only betrayal on my part would be not to recover Gringotts… I believe we're both out of options."

The Minister eyed him again, weighing his words. She then turned to Merida. "How do you plan on reaching them?"

"We've got a portkey. 'Dey'll activate it as soon as 'dey find the next gate."

"And if I agree to your terms, Glitork, you'll personally lead the Goblins and the Wizengamot safely, in and out of Gringotts, save the hostages they've made there? And you'll keep them safe and alive?"

Glitork bowed his disproportionately huge head. "We have an agreement."

The Minister then nodded, her lips pursed, uneasy. She then turned to her pile of parchments, pulling a long, dirty looking one. "Here," she offered it to the goblin who took it eagerly, for the first time his impassive expression giving way to an intense curiosity. His black eyes glimmered as they ran through the delicate lines scribbled on the list. Outside, the tent seemed to clear, the skies starting to gain a light silvery glow. Merida and Granger remained silent, apprehensively waiting as the goblin read. Finally, Glitork raised his eyes from the parchment.

"Nexus Sanguinis…" He murmured.

"The what?" Merida and Granger asked simultaneously.

"The stolen item seems to be a silver piece, a locket, which when given to the legitimate blood carrier, could hold the lineage of one's blood. In a way, it could show you where you came from. Your family, your descendants and your ascendants. It's an extremely rare piece."

"If it's so rare, yer could know who it belonged to?" Merida asked.

"There are few wizarding families requiring such items, the ones who still carry them have been either cast off from their ancestry or got lost after years of diluting their blood to non-wizarding kind. The last one ever made over a decade ago belonged to the Crowne family."

"Crowne?" Granger asked again.

"That's Azel…" Merida said, her voice nearly dying down in her throat. "The Locket holds Azel's family name."

The goblin gave no answer. Merida's face paled visibly as more questions flooded her mind. "Does she have any idea that it relates to her? Does that mean they'll target her next?"

"It'd be best to keep her in the dark, for the time being." The goblin suggested, the razor-sharp coldness on his voice now dimming to a more objective, yet careful tone.

"If she's in trouble, they don't know it's her yet. She came out unscathed." Granger reminded her with an encouraging nod. "We've got time."

"Would you at least tell me what just happened?" Hiccup asked once they found themselves kilometres away from the clearing, the Black Army camp far, far behind them. The sky had been set ablaze in what had to be the most auspicious golden aurora Hiccup remembered in years.

Jack had shifted back into his human form, collapsing over Toothless, keeping a wary distance behind Hiccup's back, but the insides of his knees still kept contact with the other's legs. "Azel and I got Dean to remove my tracking spell… But we've been ambushed by that bloody man from the Wizengamot, he screamed bloody murder when he saw we were about to escape."

"...so?" Hiccup asked, not fully getting where Jack was at.

"So Azel pretended to be chasing me, Merida and Angus went after Granger, and I started to run after you. I only hoped you and Toothless would be on speaking terms." He attempted laughing.

Hiccup tilted his head a bit, looking at the top of the head of his best friend — at least he hoped he could still call Toothless that… "Well…"

Toothless's flapping ear smacked the side of Hiccup's face so hard that a red mark immediately began forming on his cheek.

"I take it as a yes…" Jack tried, but Hiccup did not respond. The cold wind was cutting their faces in a rushed manner, so harshly, yet so comforting… It was hard to breathe through their nostrils only… Hiccup hadn't realised that he missed this, being so freely in the air. Beneath then, the world seemed to run in a blur above canopies of shadowed pine trees.

Toothless growled again.

"What, do you want—?!" Another loud smack was heard, this time on Hiccup's other cheek. "Ouch, would you stop this, you useless thing…" Another louder smack, this one filled with petty fury. "Ugh, quit it, you idiot!"

"What's he doing?" Jack leaned over to the side, and he caught Toothless's head turning towards him, the most provocative expression plastered on the dragon's face.

Hiccup grunted in annoyance. "He wants me to apologise."

Jack's eyes widened, most definitely not expecting that. "I beg your pardon?"

"He wants me to tell you I'm sorry!" Yelled Hiccup, shooting at Jack an angry look before seeing the innocent expression painted on his face. He sighed back at Toothless, which only threw one demanding shake of his head before looking forwards to the horizon again.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup started, his mind rushing for the words, Jack's heart searching for its beat. "I shouldn't have tortured McNair, knowing it'd hurt you… I didn't want to do that… I didn't want to make Toothless do that either…"

Jack shook his head, not sure of how he felt about Hiccup's meek apology, "Hey, it's okay…"

"No, it's not." Hiccup's tone now was weaker. "I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have let that go for so long, I should've stopped the moment I saw it was hurting you…"

Toothless flapped yet another smack of his ear towards Hiccup, but the boy now managed to dodge, leaning back to avoid being hit.

"Ugh, damn you," He hissed to the dragon, before taking another deep breath. "Alright… I'm sorry about… fighting you before… I didn't mean to say what I said, it was wrong and… I'm…"

Jack didn't dare drift his gaze elsewhere. Hiccup didn't face him as he apologised, but his straining voice told him more he could fathom. A small part of him found some satisfaction, basking in this glorious moment: Hiccup, who had been so inconsiderate to his feelings, weeping and apologising so meekly… However, the main and better part of him just wanted the other boy to heal that one wound, so the tears would finally cease and all the red would be made clean... Instead, they held onto that treacherously heavy silence until the boy's breathing went back to normal.

"Hiccup," Jack squeezed the boy's shoulder, and he realised that he had not yet seen how this new Hiccup reminded him so much of the boy he had known years before… "I already forgave you. It's fine..."

The boy in front of him never turned back, hiding the tears he had been holding. "Okay." He said at last. Some disappointment stung in Jack's chest.

"Thank you, though." Jack added, unsure whether to keep his hand on Hiccup's shoulder, opting to let him go. "For apologising..."

The boy's apologies still tried escaping his lips. He swallowed them dry. Jack attempted his luck further:

"I have a question, though… And I'd like you to answer as honestly as you can, no shortcuts, no roundabouts..." To that, Hiccup found no nerve in himself to say no. "About Astrid… Rescuing her is my priority as well, nothing will change that, but I need to know… were you… together?"

A cold feeling washed over Hiccup, talking about Astrid was hard, but talking about the nature of their relationship with Jack, of all people, seemed harder.

"I don't…" He tried with his words. "I don't think I know how to answer your question."

"It's a simple question, Hiccup," Jack's patience was wearing off, though. "Was she your girlfriend, yes or no?"

"It's not a simple answer, I don't know." Hiccup breathed out in agony. "I don't know what Astrid and I were any more than I know what we… oh, nevermind…" He held himself then, fearing he'd gone too far. However, Jack was having none of that.

"What we were?" He concluded for him, yet Hiccup remained silent. "What would you say we were?"

Hiccup looked everywhere in the horizon, hoping to find the answer in between the clouds. "I don't know. Best friends, maybe."

"Oh no, we were more than best friends."

"Best friends don't leave each other the way we did." Hiccup retorted over the deafening wind. "Best friends ought to be the next best thing after brothers; brothers don't do what we've done..."

"Even siblings have worse fights." Jack snapped. "I ought to know, I've had one."

Hiccup had no answer to that. "I've forgotten about Flee…" He said before he could hold himself back, immediately apologising, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"It's fine," Jack had returned to his normal tone, somewhat enjoying his black hair flailing in the wind, loving the air. "Just for the records, though… We were something, you and I… I know that much."

Hiccup swallowed dry, looking down, yet he could not hold the smallest smile from pulling the corners of his lips.

"Yeah…" He muttered. Toothless rolled his eyes before smacking his ear on Hiccup's face one more time.

Chapter Text

From the misty grey clouds, after hours of awkward silence, the top of the buildings became visible amongst the foggy city.  London, lovely and huge and grey as they ever remembered it, the glimmering streets and wide sidewalks still held that erudite atmosphere despite the utter devastation… Jack, Hiccup and Toothless reached the city before the sun peaked at noon. Once they were close enough to the imposing buildings in Westminster, the trio disappeared into a hidden alley behind some rather shabby looking offices. Much to Toothless’s displeasure, they cast him the concealing charm and began changing into their muggle clothes; Jack fetched a nice pair of jeans and a dark jacket, while Hiccup slipped into his dark combat pants and brown leather vest. Sneaking Toothless into his chest pocket, the boys strolled off the alley conspicuously.

The sidewalk and pavement were taken over by untamable weed, a decadent look splashed from the dusty window displays to the cracked concrete. Still, Hiccup noted that more people dared to sneak out to the streets — far less than the massive crowd he remembered roaming around London regularly, yet more than he had gotten used to in his many months of hiding with Astrid.

“I don’t assume we can use the old visitor’s way in, can we?” Hiccup whispered, yet Jack didn’t look his way.

“Wouldn’t be the brightest idea, no…” He replied as they stepped towards some spiked black railings flanking two flights of steps, one leading to an old door labelled Gentlemen, the other, Ladies. They sped off down the steps to the Gentlemen’ until they entered what appeared to be an ordinary underground public toilet — the grimy black and white tiles were now taken by graffiti and vines. “There are always some knackers around here…” Jack mumbled, and then his face contorted into a nasty grimace. “Gods, this stinks…”

The putrid smell of urine had both boys closing their nostrils. Inside the bathrooms, a group of teenage punks startled up with the sudden invasion. “Oi! What ye doin’ down here?” One rather unpleasant adolescent voice harshed their ears. “This is—”

There was a swoosh and a flash, and like someone had flicked a switch, every other boy in that place froze, as if struck by a sudden blizzard. Hiccup turned to Jack next to him, dumbstruck, while the other boy merely shrugged.

“Hell, did I miss doing that…” Jack said, finally letting out a smirk.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, shaking his head before stepping towards the toilet cubicle. “Wouldn’t it be easier just disapparating here?” He asked as Jack locked the door to their cubicle, shutting them in.

“That’s something I’ve always wanted to try,” Jack had a new, vivid expression, looking around himself in wonder as though he were seeing something Hiccup could not. His hand found the chain string dangling from the flush, and he let out a winning grin. “Here, we’ll go together.”

And much to Hiccup’s dismay, the boy stepped up to the toilet seat, sinking his feet squarely in the water. “Ugh…” Hiccup grimaced in disgust…

“Come on, Azel and Merida are waiting!” Jack snapped, waking Hiccup out of his stupor and yanking the boy by the collar of his jacket to the top of the toilet bowl with him. “Astrid once told me how these can get us to the Ministry; I kinda hoped she was kidding, though.”

Hiccup supported himself strangely in the cubicle, both his and Jack’s feet bundled together into the toilet bowl — yet he did not feel an inch of his skin wet. Looking up at the boy’s face, he noticed a glint he did not remember being there, that youthful Jack seemed to resurface on his adventurous features…

“Ready?” Jack asked, but not giving him any chance to reply as he reached for the rusted metal chain, his other hand reaching for Hiccup’s, before flushing the toilet. Hiccup barely had time to acknowledge the unwelcome electricity of Jack’s hand in his, for the next thing he knew, they were zooming out of the dark, tiled toilet cubicle and spinning aimlessly towards a blacker, darker path, emerging out of a fireplace into the Ministry of Magic.

Jack and Hiccup got up clumsily; Toothless gave out tiny draconian puffs from inside Hiccup’s pocket. The boy, however, was gazing in wonder at the place they had entered. It must have been a rather splendid hall while active — the once polished wooden floor was now black and dusty, rocks and sand seemed to scatter around the corridors. Looking up, the peacock blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that kept moving and changing, like some enormous heavenly noticeboard, but their pathways were all broken, and the pictograms apparently did not know where to go, bumping against each other repeatedly. 

Further down the atrium, there was a circular pool where whatever remained of golden wizard statues, far bigger than human size, were now collapsed into a pile of rocks. The windows on the many offices surrounding the atrium had been blown off, chunks of the walls missing as though raided by cannons and bombs — which was more likely the truth… What scared Hiccup the most, however, were the several marks of blood around the floor…

“The few followers of the Dark Order raided the Ministry only weeks after the Raptum… Muggles couldn’t really find this place, even though Drago Bloodvist tried giving them their location…” Said Jack, eyeing the broken statues. “I was still on the run from the Order, back then…” He looked down to his shoes. “Had I known what would happen…”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Hiccup said stoic, but it offered little solace. Jack nodded silently, the heaviness of the moment began to feel suffocating… Hiccup distracted himself by pulling Toothless from his chest pocket, resting the tiny dragon on his palm. “I know you’re scared, pal…” Hiccup said soothingly, Toothless big green eyes were wide open at the scenery.

“Keep him small,” Jack added. “If anyone comes, they won’t be expecting Toothless — he’s our element of surprise.”

Toothless gave an indignant puff from his rider’s freckled hand, but Hiccup only petted the dragon cautiously. “He’s right bud, I can’t risk getting you exposed now…”

“Let’s get the portkey,” said Jack, frowning heavily in concentration. He picked the silver spoon, setting it on the ground as Hiccup retrieved his wand.

They cast the spell silently, and the spoon shook and flashed once with a thin, whistle-like sound. Then it began floating, spinning and before them, three figures materialised, two of them women, and one half-man, half-horse.

“We’re never doin’ this again,” Stated Merida in her thick accent as she pulled herself off the floor. “I did not like ‘dis ther first time already!”

Angus, the centaur, shook his head a few times to gather his senses again. “Indeed a rather terrible form of transportation… I’d much rather gallop…”

“There’s no time for galloping,” Jack said as he helped the centaur to return to a less compromising positing, tossing until he was no longer sprawled on the floor.

He then turned to help the brown mop of hair he thought to be Azel…

Hermione Granger had already wandered towards the middle of the atrium, contemplating the circular pool before her. Jack stared in shock, watching as the Minister gazed at the ruins of the old Ministry.

“The gate we’re looking for is at the bottom of the last department,” She said. “In the Department of Mysteries… a place I’d sworn I’d never go back to…”

“Where’s Azel?”

The witch then turned back to face Jack. “How was it that you arrived here without any Aurors tracking you down?” Jack was ready to retort, but she resumed before he could answer, “What did you tell Dean to make him release you from the tracking-spell? You didn’t hurt him, did you—”

“I’m asking you, where is Azel.” It was not a question, but a command.

“She could not come. Not to where we’re going, and I can’t tell you why just yet. Dean, Jack, on the other hand; only the caster can revoke the tracking spell,” Said Granger. “But you already knew it, didn’t you?”

Merida’s face grew scarlet in rage: “There’s no need ter go after Jack like tha’ , woman—ugh!” Merida was stopped by Jack, who gently pulled her to his side.

“I didn’t torture Dean. He’s had his reasons to trust me and so do you; I brought you to Hiccup. I fought the Order last night.” said Jack, holding a fuming Merida by her elbow. “So before you make any more assumptions whether I’ve tortured people or betrayed our deal, I suggest you keep in mind that I am, for all effects, dying here, Granger, and I’ve got no time for your scepticism.”

She nodded at last, convinced. “Your friend is fine. I guess we’ll both only have each other’s words to go for…”

“You know Gothel will be waiting for us, she’s had an advantage.”

Granger nodded, determined. “Let’s go. The Department of Mysteries is this way.”

The group ventured towards the corridors, and all the time, Granger’s strong face seemed to give off, as if she was keeping herself from having a breakdown. It was rather unnerving, as Angus and Merida exchanged conspiratory glances to each other.

 Hiccup sped up to Jack’s pace: “So you had a deal with Granger…” He whispered, and Jack could not tell whether he expressed disappointment or indifference.

“It was the only way to get to you,” Jack replied simply.

“Get a room yer two, wont’ya?” Boomed Merida behind them.

They reached a smaller hall with at least twenty lifts behind wrought golden grilles, still waiting to be used after all this time, lit dimly by small torches whose fire danced weakly.

“Choose me!” Said one of the lifts, shaking lightly with a heavy metallic sound, like an engine long deprived of usage.

“No, not him, choose me, I’m faster.” Said another one, with a more feminine — although far from pleasing — voice.

“How dare she, you were the last one used not two years ago…”

“And for a very good reason, I dare say.” The lift kept on arguing until, done waiting, they all sort of packed themselves inside the more welcoming, feminine one, Angus trying to make himself as small as possible into the cubicle — it was a rather claustrophobic arrangement.

“Department of Mysteries, please,” ordered Hermione Granger, and the grills slid shut with a rattle.

Except perhaps for Granger, all the others were taken aback when the lift began moving, juddering sideways first instead of down. “It’s been such a long time, it feels nice to stretch my chains…” Said a pleasant feminine voice, so present with them it was like an invisible woman stood in the lift with them. Granger’s expression showed no changes whatsoever. “Level Seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, deactivated .”

“This still hurts to hear,” Muttered Granger grievingly.

“Level Six, Department of Magical Transportation, Deactivated… Level Five, Department of International Magical C0-operation, deactivated… Level Four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, deactivated… ” As they descended, squashed into that tiny lift, short gaps of light were visible, corridors of former functioning sectors… It was hard to imagine them all bustling with life once. “Level Three, Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, deactivated… Level Two, Department Magical Law Enforcement, Deactivated… Level One, Department of Mysteries.”

The lift stopped with a sudden, unwarned halt. 

Next to them, the other lift came rattling down after its companion. “I couldn't help myself, I’m too emotional… it’s been too long with no use, I had to at least follow you up close...” Cried the machine.

“Wands ready,” warned Granger, although it was unnecessary: everyone gripped their wands tightly in preparation. “If the Department of Mysteries is not deactivated, then that means someone else is here.”

Then she walked out of the lift, into the dark corridors. The walls were bare, mostly resembling the ones in the dungeons back at Hogwarts. Jack stepped out after the Minister, followed by Hiccup. Merida was at the rear with Angus, who still wobbled on his horse-legs, unadjusted to the strange sort of travelling. They descended the cavernous place until they found a grim looking black door.

They were in a large circular room, so sinisterly dark, yet blue torches faintly illuminated the place. As soon as Angus finished wobbling through, lowering his torso to the maximum of his ability not to hit the top of the door frame, all the doors began spinning in a blur. Like a sinister carousel all doors circled the room until they stopped with a halt again, for the lack of a more smooth break. Hiccup counted at least twelve doors.

“Great,” muttered Jack. “Now how do we know which one?”

“Assertively,” Replied Granger simply. “We’ll have to try each and every single one of them.”

To each of the twelve doors they tried, they marked the wrong ones with a spell, drawing a red X on the wood, and the doors would spin again. The doors led to rooms filled with the most absurd sceneries — a dark chamber with glass tanks holding several brains; an endless pitch-black corridor with shelves of blue crystal balls… At last, Hermione gave an ‘ah-ha’ at one at what must have been the seventh door.

This was a courtroom of fairly large size, dimly lit and rectangular, and its centre was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet deep. They were standing on the highest tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in teep steps like an amphitheatre. There was a raised stone dais in the centre of the pit, on which stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked and crumbling that they were amazed the thing was still standing. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black curtain or veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had just been touched… the group exchanged a glance, checking whether they were all there, breathing, safe…

And they found they weren’t alone.

“Very well, Jackson…” Gothel’s seductive velvet voice made itself heard, like a sly cat purring to its prey.

All eyes turned to the centre of the pit where, as if emerging from the shadows, two figures surfaced — the woman’s wild black curls framing her slender and curvy body. On the other side, the monstrous figure of the Obscurial Jack recognised, the one he feared worst than all others: Drago Bloodvist, sporting his heavy leather cloak, his face horribly covered in scars and cuts, as if he had won dozens of violently bloody battles, which was probably the truth…

Hermione had her wand trained at Gothel. “How did you—?”

“Escape Gringotts?” Gothel laughed. “I apologise, your honour, but you’ve failed to see I’ve been right where I needed to be this whole time…”

“Oh, Merlin’s sake, here we go again…” Jack mumbled, dropping his head as he massaged his forehead. “You’re gonna call it fate, I’ll call it a dragon, or a teaspoon… We’re here now, just where we’re meant to be, and I just can’t stress how unpleasant it is to see you two.”

The casualty in which he spoke to the other Obscurials did little to help calming down Hiccup’s nerves.

“Ye’ve brought the Dragon Rider…” Bloodvist sounded much darker, infinitely more sinister, and his voice alone brought shivers of fear onto Merida and Hiccup. He stepped forward into the light, revealing his horribly scarred face. “It ends to-night.”

“ Jay-zus! ” Exclaimed Jack, rolling his eyes. “Not that I don’t admire the theatre, but could we skip the part y’all explain why fate is driving us here and how my attempts are futile and all—”

“You dare frolick with fate, boy?” Barked Bloodvist;

To which Jack snorted. “When you say frolick you make it sound much more weird.”

“You understand it now, Jackson…” Began Gothel, drawing out the words with malicious pleasure. “You can avoid fate, deny it all you want… It’ll always bring you here, back to where you need to be…”

Jack saw it then, resting above her collar bones was something he’d never seen before: a silver locket with a beautiful, intricate pattern, something he was sure only a Goblin’s craft could design — he’d found the stolen loot at last.

“Fancy necklace you’ve found,” he started. “Stolen straight from the Goblins’ tent, what do you need that for?”

Gothel smiled. “Stalling won’t prevent us from crossing through to the Underworld.”

“We’re not lettin’ yer go alone.” Merida had her wand aimed at Dagur. “If we have ter fight yer through, we will.”

“You’ve destroyed the Black Army’s camp for it,” Jack pointed to the locket on Gothel’s neck. “You’ve stormed into Gringotts; y’all nearly killed Seamus. I don’t know what it holds but it means something.”

Gothel studied his face for a moment, and even in darkness, he noticed she held cruel yet beautiful features…

“What this holds allows me to pierce the veil.” She said at last. “This dais is built upon the weakest point between our world and the world of the dead. It used to be that God’s favourites were enabled to cross back and forth between worlds, but I’m not so lucky… This charm will attach me to life when I step through it…”

“Just you?” Said Jack. “Not a very smart plan, what will you do in Hell all by yourself?”

“Me and those I desire.” She added simply. “And currently, none of you have a place on my list.”

“You know what’ll happen if you try to enter the veil,” said Hermione now in wonder. The other three Obscurials looked at her questioningly. “It’ll kill you if you cross it…”

“To enter the domains of death with a living body, of course it’ll kill you, silly girl...” Replied Gothel viciously. “To enter a place of death, you must cease to live first.”

From the corner of her eye, Gothel caught Merida raising her wand ever so higher. She smiled even broader, a mocking tone completely breaking Merida’s resolution. “Cast your best to curse, girl, hurt either of us.”

“Don’t do it,” Hiccup’s hand lowered Merida’s. “You’ll hurt Jack.”

As Merida eyed from the boy to the Obscurials before her, puzzled, the lady Obscurial gave an even more satisfied laughter. “You’ve figured it out then. We can’t hurt each other. Unless you don’t care about hurting poor Jackson here.”

“I’d let them,” Hissed Jack, but he grew silent when he felt calloused fingers wrapping around his wrist, and his heart beat warmly as he realised they were Hiccup’s. “Honour our deal then.” Jack said then. “They won’t hesitate to curse either of us to hell, I’ve made sure of that. They’re not letting you enter hell alone. We’re looking for one person only, so let us all in.” 

Gothel seemed to ponder on his terms. “And what guarantees do I have that you won’t turn on us as we all dive into hell?” She held no sense of fear whatsoever. For Gothel, it was like one hugely entertaining game. It was Granger who answered, however, her voice shaking:

“Because we still have something you don't; we know the price that must be paid to cross through the portal.”

Gothel’s eyes lingered on Granger’s. “If it is a price of blood, then you have brought blood to spare.”

One of the Obscurials exploded then — and it wasn’t Gothel’s.

Jack realised he had never fought Drago before, and he thanked his luck: his Obscurial was so sinisterly dark and dense, a storm of fury and chaos. There was no spell that could hold back the unsurmountable blackness of his curse: when it was done, Merida, Angus and Hiccup were pinned down to the ground, held under what looked like burning black strings of charring magic. Granger and Jack were thrown to the floor, right before the stone archway. As they scattered for their wands, gasping for air, Gothel walked to them in heavy steps.

“Do you really believe your numbers can overpower us? That you and your plans and this little magic you're unworthy of casting… do you really think it will save you?” She began, grabbing Hermione's wand and throwing it over her shoulder. “You’re so desperate to control, to lead… yet, you're reminded of how powerless you are; what makes you think you can control us? What makes you think you can control them?” She gestured to Hiccup, Merida and Angus, who still struggled to escape the burning ropes cast by Drago’s obscurial.

Jack's mind rushed for an exit… there was no use fighting Gothel, much less fighting Drago… he looked all around him, half of him listening to the woman and half of him waiting for a window of opportunity to get them all out of there alive…

“You still need the Guardian of Shadows.” Jack said, trying to hold Gothel's gaze. She eyed him half amused, half suspicious.

“You've brought him to us already,” questioned Gothel, intrigued – every second Jack managed to stall her was precious… His mind was sharply clear. “What is your play?”

“You’ve said he didn't know it yet. You said he didn’t know he was the Guardian of Shadows. That’s where you’re wrong.”

Hiccup eyed Jack sceptical then. “What are you…?”

“His arm,” Jack didn’t let Hiccup interrupt him, his plan nearly perfectly formulated, if only with a tiny bit of luck… “Check his arm and you’ll see.”

With a menacing look, Gothel walked towards the Dragon Rider, her eyes squinted into slits as she yanked the boy’s wrists, sliding his sleeves upwards — the thick mark of the cut Hiccup had inflicted in himself was still red and infected, and in a moment Gothel understood.

“He’s been to Sheol...” She whispered, eyes widened now in wonder.

“And he came out of it. Unlike Erebos, who never did. So if you plan on getting in and out of there alive, you take us all, or no deal.” Jack said finally.

He had finally caught her attention. Bloodvist remained impassive. “You bow down to the boy’s demands, foolish woman…”

Gothel raised her hand to Bloodvist, silencing him. Too quickly then, she stormed towards Hiccup, her long fingers holding his face:

“What was the offering? When you entered Hell for the first time, what did you have to leave behind?”

Hiccup stared at her confused at first, and then enlightenment filled his features. “Abandon all hope.” He answered.

Gothel’s eyes trained back to the dais, the archway still waiting for them.

“Release them.” Said Gothel then, letting Go of Hiccup’s face. She walked up towards Jack with murder in her eyes, “Should you step out of line, we’ll start killing each of your little friends here.”

At once, Hiccup, Merida and Angus were released from their charring strings, their arms stinging from the burning ties. Gothel pointed her wand to Hiccup, there was a sharp flash and a hiss: A deep cut had formed in the inner side of his elbow.

“You, to the portal, now! ” She hissed, her wand ready at Hiccup as the wizard held his own arm, walking to the stone archway with a determined face. Hiccup’s blood dripped on the stone floor, and when he finally made it to the veil, his face lit up in a hazed expression.

“I can hear them…” He barely whispered, suddenly entranced by the veil. What it was that he heard, nobody could tell.

“What do they say?” Inquired Gothel when Hiccup’s expression did not change; if anything he gave an even more mesmerised look to the wall…

“This one wants a trade…” He whispered dreamingly. “A life for a life…”

“What is this?” Gothel questioned, increasingly more annoyed. Seeing her focus had shifted, Jack silently bent to yank Hermione’s wand from the ground, nudging it back to its owner. His own wand wasn’t much further away…

A small weight pressed on Jack’s shoulder, and it took him two seconds to see him there: Toothless , miniature sized, innocently waiting next to his face, his big green eyes staring at him in wonder. Merida and Angus grouped together, watching the scene before them as it unfolded... “Hurry,” Jack whispered. 

“Legilimens!” Said Hermione.

And then Bloodvist screamed.

It was a horrible roar, filled with pain and agony, and everyone jumped where they stood. The Obscurial had his hands on his head, crushing his eardrums so tightly that it looked like he wanted to crush his own skull.

“Hiccup, get down!” Hermione roared next to Jack, and all heads turned to her as she aimed a hex at Gothel, missing only by the witch’s expertise. Gothel dodged the spell, ready to cast another counter curse at Hermione when Jack finally saw his window off opportunity: Now!

Jack lept forwards, snatching his wand from the ground — Gothel had seen him too late, for he already had it pointed at Toothless:

“Essentio!” Jack roared, and before anyone could prepare for what came next, Toothless emerged from the shadows, magnificent and vicious, the guttural sound that preceded the fire echoing in the amphitheatre. Gothel had only enough time to throw herself out of harm’s way, before Bloodvist was engulfed in the flames.

The agony filled Jack the same way it had before, that burning pain stunning him completely like he was catching fire instead of Bloodvist — there was only this fire, flaring his mind into madness…

Something warm took hold of Jack’s hand: Hiccup’s calloused fingers returned to Jack’s, and that was the only thing that could yank the boy back to reality — a touch from Hiccup’s skin, pulling him out of his agony and back into the mayhem in the amphitheatre. Hiccup dragged him towards the archway.

Drago screamed again — the putrid smell of burnt flesh and death filling his nostrils. Another strike of pain flared his skin, engulfing him — he did see Bloodvist erupting into the Obscurial once more, Gothel cowering away from danger, screaming in pain as both her and Jack felt Drago’s skin burning off its flesh... A deafening rumble shook the place, and through his flaring pain, Jack knew it was Drago’s blinded monster hitting the walls and the ceiling. Huge chunks of rock and earth collapsed all around them, hitting the dais and missing them by mere inches. He knew he had to move, but how when there was so much pain…

Hiccup lifted Jack by his torso, half carrying, half dragging them through the veil — it was like watching the world ending in slow motion, for Jack had time to see Gothel disappearing into the archway before the ceiling collapsed, hurling over the dais: Drago’s last roar echoed in his ears as they crossed to the afterlife.

Chapter Text

Jack woke up to a phantom sense of agony. Although the fire no longer burned, he could still so viscerally remember the feeling of the flames consuming him, feeding off his flesh, turning his skin to wax… It was through the ceasing of his searing pain that it dawned on him: Toothless had set Bloodvist on fire, a life for a life, the key to that underworld…

Which meant Bloodvist was now dead.

The ceiling had given way, burying his most feared foe into earth and stone — he knew that his body would never be found.

“What have you done?” Gothel’s voice shrieked not far from where he lay, and her piercing voice was what struck him alert.

As soon as opened his eyes, orange and red bathed his sight. Maybe the sky was on fire — maybe there was no sky and their trip through the dais had worked and they were sent straight to the realms of hell; he could not tell. Dark, blood-red clouds paced ragingly on that infernal atmosphere. Most curiously, he realised he did not feel heat, in fact his fingers felt like he had just submerged them in ice. His mouth breathed out foggy gasps as he struggled to his feet.

“Hiccup? ” He examined his surroundings.

The group was not far — all trying to stand, still beyond dizzy and bonkers by the sudden trip. The stone archway stood proudly above them, immaculate even through the bizarre landscape of that place. However, there was no veil anymore.

Merida’s fiery ginger hair nearly blended in with the sky, the curls waving in the windy air like flames. The girl looked around herself, turning her head sideways until she finally spotted Gothel. The girl’s blue eyes narrowed into slits:

“Don’t yer dare move a muscle!” She had her wand trained on the Obscurial witch. Gothel, with similar, yet pitch black curls, had a venomous stare of betrayal; her eyes turned to Granger like a snake staring at its prey:

“Whatever you’ve done to Bloodvist…”

“A life for a life, that’s what Haddock said.” Hermione Granger had  her wand aimed at her opponent’s head; her chin up, fearlessly staring her down like her equal: “I’ve known that place; I’ve been to the Department of Mysteries ages ago… Someone has to die in order to cross through the veil; it’s a monstrous act that pierces through the fabric of the living world. It was the only way to get us here.”

“I had you in my aim the entire time, how—”

“You got distracted.” Granger stepped closer towards Gothel. “You were so focused on Hiccup that you missed Jack’s legilimens charm.”

Gothel was beyond enraged. “You’ve got the girl out.”

Granger gave a small nod, still staring the witch down. “I had a good guess; we’re here now.”

“Here’s the deal, yer nutcase,” Merida’s voice had never sounded stronger than now, as she rounded the witch with a calculating semblant. “We can take care of one Obscurial. There are five of us, and a dragon. Should you do anything, we’ll have ye killed then and there. Have ‘Ah made myself clear?”

Surrounded by more wands than even an experienced dueller would coward against, Gothel had no other option but to oblige. “You’ll need my Dark Magic if you plan to return to the upper world.”

“The only reason we haven’t killed yer sorry ass. If…” Merida rethought her next words, “No, when you step out of line, we will not hesitate.”

Angus, the centaur, stood taller than all the others. Looking at the bare landscape around himself, the creature gave one sight of fright. “ These stars are cursed… no man nor centaur should be walking these streets…”

They stood on a rocky, uneven ground. Scattered throughout the ground, several long sticks — or were those branches? He could not tell. Beyond the red and orange glow, he could see wrecks of old structures in the distance, now hazed and faded under that foggy scenario. Jack’s eyes wandered from the harsh features on Angus’s face to Granger’s inquisitive expression, still looking for Hiccup, now more desperately than before…

A bat-like shape shadowed them from the burning sky. Although its sight caused fright on most of the others, Jack stared at it in wonder:

“Toothless?” He muttered to himself.

It was a majestic sight, Toothless’s wings seemed to grow as he neared, pitch black into that endless fire. The dragon landed heavily next to them, Hiccup proudly mounted on the dragon’s back, so magnificently that Jack felt a sudden sense of inferiority. When he jumped off Toothless, Jack bathed in the feeling of relief that took over his stomach, his heart beating a little easier until he noticed Hiccup’s troubled expression, his face scrunched up in annoyance.

“This is not the place I was sent to,” he began, pacing back and forth between them. “This is not Helheim, this is…”

“Muspelheim.” Said Gothel with an elongated tone. Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks, eyeing the witch for more answers. “This portal did not lead us to Helheim, or Sheol. Look around you, what can you see?”

Confused, the boys eyed their surroundings again, trying to figure out within that red ocean what Gothel wanted them to see — until Jack’s eyes focused on the sticks sprawled all around the grounds, the little holes carved into the ends of each… and then he understood.

“Serpents,” Said Hiccup, puzzled. “Like the Naga.”

“Quite likely.” Replied Gothel.

“This is Pandemonium.” Hiccup now had his eyes wide open while Gothel gave him a curious smirk.

“Where the demons were turned into snakes, much like Boghavati was inhabited by snake-people, or the Midgard Serpent. Either way, myths always grasp some portion of the truth… these sorry folks have been dead for far too long now.”

“If we’re in Pandemonium,” Hermione had already put her brilliant mind to recall every last mythological history book she had ever read. “Then all we need to look for is a bridge…” the girl's face lit up in desperate understanding. “The myths say that the devil himself could escape Hell through a portal.”

Everyone stared at each other in silence, waiting for a plan, anything that promised they would leave that wasteland…

“Find the palace for the king of darkness, find your bridge. By all means, you’ll need to sacrifice me again if you intend to leave this place.” As Gothel elongated her bargain, Jack began to feel that familiar weight of the incoming trap that came with every compromise. The group threw glances at each other, knowing too well what their options were – Gothel’s navigation could lead them forward, but they'd be foolish to forget she acted according to her own agenda.

With a decisive nod, Merida took a step towards the witch, aiming at Gothel with her wand. “Lead the way.”

They all turned to the scarlet horizon, putting on their bravest façades as Merida climbed Angus's back, Hermione collected Gothel's wand, and Hiccup and Jack found their way up Toothless hump before beginning their steady march towards the tallest of the structures they saw in the distance. Every last one of them knew they thought the same, they all shared the hope that they would find their way out of that goddamned place. It was the most desolating feeling, such a strange and hollow taste of existential terror…

Yet, Jack cursed himself for finding such excitement in riding with Hiccup on Toothless's back under those circumstances, so far away into the unknown, exploring what could well be the World's End. Yet he couldn't help but bask in that feeling that was having the brunette's body so close to his, his hand resting on the side of Hiccup's torso. It was rather pathetic, he then figured, choosing to focus on the rocky path.

They finally approached what could have been an old stone palace centuries past. This gigantic structure had massive columns that seemed to shoot up from the earth into the sky, this strange yet sophisticated architecture proudly standing, now ruined by the unmeasurable time left behind…

“Abandon all hope…” Hiccup muttered gloomy, his green eyes fixated on the ginormous structure.

“Don't be afraid.” Jack muttered against his ears, giving the boy one reassuring squeeze on his sides. For a moment, he feared he had gone too far in his touch, and even when Hiccup seemingly took no notice of that gesture, he decided not to push his luck much further.

The entrance to the palace was one descending slope of earth into an underground tunnel. The idea of entering that place was as terrifying as the thought of staying where they were, under that red, lifeless sky. Hiccup turned to the rest of the group.

“I'll go first with Jack. Mer, Angus, you take the rear: in case anything follows us, you let us know.” Then his gaze turned to Gothel. “You'll go in the middle. Try anything and we'll have you dead before you know it.”

“Oh, darling, we may not live to reach the other side of this trip, I'd like to hear something more amiable than that.” Said Gothel.

“And I'd like to hear the gift of your silence.” Hermione poked hard on Gothel with the end of her wand, pushing the witch to the entrance.

The path down the destroyed palace was flanked by tall columns shooting up to high stone ceilings, cracked and burnt and weathered by years of hellish abandon. They were on a dark stone path, moving forwards with equal amounts of hope and fear in their sweating skin, their gritting teeth and their wide eyes. There was this ominous, horrible looming sensation of everlasting loneliness that no one would ever forget…

The group advanced slowly through the dark corridor, eyes wide and alert. Merida and Angus both had their bows and arrows ready. Granger walked behind the Obscurial witch, her wand locked on her skull the entire time.

In front, Jack and Hiccup remained mounted on Toothless, both boys too close for comfort, yet none made any effort to separate their bodies: Hiccup’s back pressing against Jack’s chest, the inside of Jack’s thighs burning sweetly as they braced Hiccup’s hips. Both boys let their minds play one hundred possible scenarios where their conversations would release all they had to say, their hearts beating violently in their chests…

The darkness suddenly gave a thump and a flicker: everyone jumped in fright as a line of torches lit in succession, snapping and bursting into a lonely shade of blue — they had reached a huge antichamber with exactly six arched entryways, all showing one dark cavernous path behind them…

“Which one do we choose?” Asked Granger, her eyes studying the many doors in desperate search of a hint. Gothel’s lips pulled in her signature smirk:

“I’d say Hell wants us to separate.”

“Not a chance.” Said Granger, her wand again trained at the Obscurial, yet Gothel seemed less than concerned by her words, more thrilled by the test, to dare and cheat the devil himself. “We’re not splitting.”

“Let’s see just how long your plans will serve you.” Gothel concluded, her green eyes evaluating the nearest door before raising her chin to the one in the very middle.

As the group restarted its march, slowly penetrating the entryways of those forsaken corridors, another unsettling feeling took hold of their guts — that terrifying loneliness that carried existential dread... Hiccup was the first to cross the pathway atop of Toothless, slowly entering the dark, abandoned corridor.

“Steady bud, we won't be able to see much here… Lumus! ” Said Hiccup, turning his head, ready to see Jack behind him…

His eyes found nothing but the stone wall, the entryway through which he had just passed now inexistent.

The moment Hiccup’s body slipped in the portal, something that felt like a giant fist wooshed Jack off Toothless hump, throwing the boy backwards until he landed heavily on the floor. One second later, the entryway had disappeared from their view.

“HICCUP!” Jack screamed, the flickering light of the torches further fueling his terror as he punched the stone with his bare fists…

Merida tried approaching him, tears glimmering in her eyes. “Stop it, Jack, we can’t reach him–”

“HICCUP!” The boy half sobbed, his irises glowing red as the Obscurial within threatened to escape.

“Please! ” The girl cried out, but for once, it was Gothel’s voice who managed to pierce through the beast to make Jack listen:

“You understand now. There’s no way around the will of Fate.” She spoke softly, and it was the final trigger as they stared each other down, before Jack flung into the Obscurial, exploding into the black matter towards her with savage fury — Gothel’s monster, however, was much quicker, evaporating swiftly to the side, taking the quick second of that distraction to dodge Hermione’s and Merida’s aim, slipping through the nearest archdoor only a few metres away… the stones shook and turned, closing in a second until there was only solid wall where there once was an entryway.

Jack’s body resurfaced then, the obscure smoke dissipating in wisps around him with an echoing ring that seemed to last for several minutes. Then came a moment of absolute silence: Merida, Angus and Granger had their eyes locked on Jack’s sulking form sitting on the ground.

Hiccup’s on the other side, he thought, the image of the boy waiting for him on the other side of those walls driving him to stand again, a new urgent sense of purpose that had his heart racing. These places are meant to test your heart, he acknowledged, taking one deep breath before staring at the very next door, his icy blue eyes examining it thoroughly.

“I’ll see you on the other side.” He said, not eyeing back before he disappeared behind the next passageway.

“Where are you—?” Merida’s inquiry was interrupted by Jack’s door closing in on itself.

“We need to reach the bridge before Gothel.” Said Granger finally, taking uncertain — although determined steps toward the next door. “Whatever happens in there, don’t lose yourselves.” She gave a final warning to the girl and the centaur. They exchanged one final nod of encouragement, before together, leaping into their entrances.

“Jack?!” Hiccup called out loud, mounted atop Toothless’s back, completely alone. “Damnit!”

An echoing rumble took place. The corners between the walls and the ceiling snapped alive, and very slowly, Hiccup noticed, the ceiling began to shrink. His eyes frantically roamed his surroundings, the corridor shrinking in on itself so slowly, but the stone ceiling had nearly reached his head. Toothless crouched, giving him a few extra inches of space — which were soon consumed by the lowering ceiling.

Screaming, Hiccup jumped off the dragon’s back, the dragon giving off one draconian squeak of terror as the ceiling lowered enough to force his head down. “Toothless, stop fighting!” He jumped over to the dragon, holding on to the creature for dear life, his very best hope of ever surviving, the ceiling now lowering far enough to force both him and Toothless to crouch.

“Toothless, stop!” He pleaded, tears escaping his eyes as the dragon kept thrashing under the ceiling, which now began pressing him further into the floor. Hiccup’s mind raced, the boy barely in control of his decisions as he struggled for his wand, the space to move his arm increasingly smaller — he only had enough time to aim his wand at the dragon as both he and Toothless began to be squashed into one another: “ OCULTATUM!” He roared, closing his eyes…

Two things happened at once: the weight of Toothless disappeared completely, and he opened his eyes to see that the ceiling had returned to its original size.

He quickly got back to his feet, holding the small, terrified dragon gingerly in one hand, the other gripping the wand, illuminating the hollow stone corridors. He gave one resigned sigh. “I guess I ought to do this alone, bud…”

Jack wandered through his own maze with his heart pumping blood, fear and fire… Wand in hands he ran these dark corridors desperately, the blinding light of his wand doing little to light the fear that shook his bones… Every corner he turned at seemed to lead him nowhere but further away from the other side… 

“These places are meant to test your heart…” He muttered to himself again, his voice so low, yet it was the only sound in that abandoned place, his only source of any solace… He marched on, his patience wearing off as he chose between pathways, trying to keep in his mind the one that would lead him further down the end of that torment… How had Hiccup made it out? He thought, soon enough remembering that Hiccup had gone with Astrid and Toothless, while he was miserably and desperately alone…

As if sang by the wind, one sweet melodic laughter reached his ears. It was feminine and childish, and its joyous tone pierced Jack’s chest like a burning dagger. His blue eyes widened in a mixture of hope and horror:

“Flee?” His voice echoed through the dark corridors in a ghostly cry.

The soft, innocent laughter happened again, and his heart gave a heavy, tight pump. He could never forget the voice of the one thing he loved more than life itself… 

Through the harsh light from his wand, he saw the ghost of the reflection of her hair, flowing after young Flee as she ran, almost as if in slow motion, through death itself…

The laughter rang again, and suddenly, it was not fear, but desperation that fuelled his steps, and he dashed into a frenetic run through the endless twists and turns of that bloody maze, chasing for his little sister…

“Jack!”

That voice, so loving, struck his memory with a painful blow — a memory he could never dream to forget… How could he forget his sister’s voice, the one that would always wield half of his heart, sounding like a lullaby written by the most treacherous angel and sung by the most virtuous demon… He chased the voice with the most agonising desperation, the shadow of his sister ever so unreachable, like trying to grab smoke with his bare hands…

Hiccup had put Toothless over his shoulder, which the creature clinged to for dear life… if it weren’t for the light coming from Hiccup’s wand, the only visible thing keeping the hollow feeling in his soul at bay… His mind was desperately analysing that place, tracing back all he knew to this point: it was a test, he knew it had to be. Hellheim  had them give life in exchange for freedom. This place felt more like he had walked into a trap; like falling straight into the lion’s den. Hell was a place for judgement, he thought, still running, trying to memorise every last turn he took…

The floor around his feet suddenly wavered, the stones cracking and bustling like effervescent bubbles. Hiccup gave a sharp scream as the stones gained a different and terrifying shape: gruesome wax-looking faces formed in the rocks — his heart sank to his stomach, his eyes widened in terror:

“Kill us, please…” cried one through a tremendously pained voice.

“Show us mercy at last…” Whimpered another one.

The smell hit him like a punch to the face —  burnt, melted flesh, the stench no human was supposed to experience in their lifetimes…

“I’m sorry…” Said Hiccup, his voice cracking as he tried to walk away from that tormentous floor, however his boot stepped on a disgusting looking head.

“You’ve killed us, boy…” Said the face. “You’ve ended us all…”

Hiccup’s eyes glowed with tears; he gave out small screams of terror as he stepped on even more faces rising from the floor. “Murderer!” They began chanting, the light from his wand so sharp it gave the faces a disgustingly monstrous feel… He’d never felt that scared in his life, looking away from the burnt faces carved in the stones… “ Murderer! ”

“I’m sorry!” His sharp mind had now gone dull, too overcome with fear to make sense of his surroundings, trying to escape aimlessly and failing to remember what was it that kept him going… Astrid , he tried thinking, you’re here for Astrid! But her face seemed so distant, escaping his memory as if it were years instead of days since he had last seen her…

“You bring death , boy…” A face said right next to his, so close that he could smell its breath of ashes, or count every last scar burnt to the skin… yet Hiccup could not look away.

“I had to…” He replied, so entranced by that horrible face, his mind slipping between where he was and where he’d been, unsure whether he lay in the cavernous floors of hell or in the scorched forbidden forest amidst his fallen foes…

“You had to.” Mimicked the face, the stone mouth in front of him so terrifyingly real… “Don’t look away, boy! Look me in the eye! Tell me what haunts you, Dragon Rider, our death or our pain? Do our voices haunt you still?”

Hiccup’s eyes were locked on the stone head, the ugliest, most gruesome thing he had ever seen, yet he could not dare looking away, deep into those hollow eyes he’d killed…

“Every night.” He cried weakly. “I remember everything…”

The face melted further, the stone skin blistering and giving way to the bones beneath, the skull flashing in full view as its jaw widened and gave a penetrating shriek, howling like a wolf tearing its own flesh off the bones... Hiccup’s heart raced in his chest, beating so ferociously, like a wild crow clankering its wings to break free — Hiccup tapped his ears, crushing his own skull to muffle the sound…

There was a loud crack, echoing inside his mind, and it was like the edges of his vision were ripped apart and something incandescently hot blazed into his chest.

The noise echoed and ceased, and the pressure in his chest disappeared.

It was so silent at last, and giving what felt like the first gasp of air in his life, he stood up painfully… His heart ached to beat, but that very pain reminded him he was still breathing: it hurt to live — it was agony, he concluded, but it was so real… He could barely remember or care the reason why he’d agreed to endure such hellish torment before he heard the distant footsteps echoing from deeper in the maze:

“... Flee! ” He caught that familiar voice, so desperately…

Jack! His heart gave another heavy beat, this one however filled with a different taste of desperation — a purpose filled thirst , something to run to instead of from…

Hiccup began moving again, his feet absolutely unsure of their next steps, however taking each one increasingly more confidently than the last… the hole in his chest was the pain he noticed the most…

The corridors looked increasingly more equal, to the point he had lost complete notion of how had he even made it to that point, but nothing mattered other than finding Jack, his ears completely in tune to the other’s cries — those piercing, heartbreaking cries as he called out, again and again; “ Flee! Flee! ”

There was one very rational part of him that called for his self-preservation, that said that chasing Jack would mean completely losing himself and where he had come from… perhaps two nights prior, he’d have gladly listened to that thought. However, his aching feet ran faster towards Jack, for it felt impossible to abandon him; he suddenly felt like he was all that was worth chasing, when Jack’s pained screams began hurting on Hiccup’s heart…

With the dim light of his wand, he almost didn’t see Jack running across the next corridor, the black hair so blended in the . “Jack!” Hiccup shouted, sprinting faster after him. Jack had been running aimlessly, his robes floating behind his steps, his hands tatting the walls at every turn to keep himself standing. “Jack!” Hiccup called out again, but he did not hear, too frantic, too absorbed in what he was chasing… Hiccup made his legs work faster, so impossibly faster, finally reaching to catch the other boy by his shoulders: they collided with a painful crash, collapsing to the ground.

“Let me go, I need to find her!” Jack cried, thrashing around to get back on his feet, but Hiccup only held him in place.

“Jack, what are you—”

“Flee! Come back!” Jack screamed over him, his mind still entranced by whatever it was he was seeing, or hearing. It took Hiccup a moment to remember the person behind the name, the story behind such a painful quest, and when it did, things snapped into place in Hiccup’s mind.

Hiccup’s hands found their way to Jack’s, unsure whether he even was the real Jack, or another twisted game to play with his mind, but as hard as it was to hold Jack into place, it was more painful to ignore the gaping hole in his chest… this was his Jack, in agony for the one thing he had lost that could never, ever be replaced. This would be more painful than anything he'd ever done to Jack, breaking McNair’s hand, casting any hex or jinx he could on his way, those things were nothing; this was the ultimate test.

“Jack, please, listen to me…” Hiccup started, taking a stronger hold on the boy’s wrist.

“I need to find her, Hiccup, I need to…” Jack’s cries pierced Hiccup’s heart, yet he didn’t let go, the blue eyes focused on something beyond that Hiccup could not dream to see;

“She’s not here, Jack…”

“She’s is, look, she’s right there!” He cried like a child, so heartbreakingly; his cracking voice made Hiccup stronger, however, trying to keep his sanity when Jack was falling apart... What was it that Azel had told him, why didn’t it seem so impossible now to be so kind? But Jack was still thrashing wildly to break free, trying to reach the ghost of Flee…

“You need to let go, please!” His arms had now found their way around Jack’s torso, holding him more strongly, cradling him against his own chest. He could not see her like Jack could, but he could imagine her: he’d heard Jack talking endlessly about Flee times and times before, her long brown locks, their identical smiles, full of mischief and wonder, and above all, her eyes, wide and brown, the same shape as his, so beautiful… “You’ve got to come with me… she’s not real, Jack…” He pleaded again, and he’d noticed Jack had stopped fighting his grasp, instead placing his hand on Hiccup’s arms, still snaking around his middle.

“She is real…” Jack cried, and  it took all Hiccup had not to give away and let Jack chase the ghost of his sister...

“Her love for you is real, Jack… this I know…” He whispered, for his voice threatened to abandon him any time. “But you’re real and you’re alive — you’re here with me... If I let you go, I might never find you again.” Hiccup surprised himself with the veracity of his words, he found that he never wanted to lose the grip on Jack’s body. “You need to let her go.”

He imagined Flee’s smile fading into the depths of the cave, deciding to hold on tighter on Jack before he tugged him again, pulling the boy who now barely resisted his arms, and then turning the other way, stepping into the last corner before they caught the first glimpse of light — together, they exited the maze, the final corridor bathing them in so much light it was blinding, the ghost of Flee’s last laughter haunting their every step.

Chapter Text

They stumbled into a new room, but it was so bright it took ages until their eyes readjusted from the absolute blackness of the maze's corridors...

Hiccup didn’t let go of Jack’s middle for a long time, both breathing heavily as this looming sense of empty achievement washed over them… They had made it to the other side at last, but it was as if they had pierced through a tornado. Something had changed, or perhaps the world had shifted…

“You’re real,” Jack said once his breath had regained a more steady pace. He was still supported by Hiccup’s arm around his torso.

“Yeah, I’m real… So are you.” Hiccup answered, looking down to their feet. He knew his body was real — how else could he be feeling such exhaustion and pain?

Finally, they examined the place they had reached:

They stood on a huge stone platform that seemed to stretch on for several yards, as large as a football field. Judging by the curved walls, they saw the platform led to a massive cylindrical chamber, so tall that they could barely see the top. Right in the centre of the room, one magnificently huge pillar connected the floor to the ceiling, it seemed so old and sophisticated, something either built for gods, or built from gods.

“This place is massive…” Hiccup breathed out.

“They’re here.” Jack seemed to slowly wake from his stupor, eyeing as next to them, Merida, Angus, Hermione Granger and Gothel seemed to emerge from their own respective doors. For a second, he found relief in seeing all of them, only for the feeling to be shredded by the expression of haunting horror they all sported…

Gothel was the least phased by her ordeal, strutting into the chamber along with the others who were all too stunned and too exhausted to pull out their own wands.

“Milton certainly was on to something when he imagined a bridge between Hell and Earth… I wouldn’t have put it better myself…”

“What is this place?” Asked Jack to the witch, but it was Hiccup, standing still behind him, who answered:

“If what Gothel said is any clue, then according to the myth, this is the bridge the devil’s children built to reach Earth.” Hiccup examined the intricate carvings on the stone pillar. They seemed so ancient, yet so immaculate, so sophisticated in design… it possessed one terrible beauty, he thought. “That’s the bridge through chaos.”

“Precisely.” Gothel eyed him with devious pride. “But that’s only one version amongst the many within the monomyth.”

“Mono-what now?” Asked Merida sceptically. “Yer better start makin’ sense, woman, yer harder to comprehend than me!”

“The monomyth,” Clarified Granger. “It’s the understanding that most stories abide by the same structural parallels in every myth.”

Hiccup walked towards the cylindrical pillar, eyeing its carvings like they held the answers to his every last question. “People must have found these places over and over again for millenia…” He whispered, and that was when they saw it:

Hundreds of bones piled up on the corners, some still reminiscing of the skeleton they belonged to, others completely shredded apart… Jack's skin went even paler, his blue eyes glued to the bones.

“How’s that for encouragement, huh?” He turned to Hiccup with a sheepish expression. “Okay, I don't plan on dying here, so I leave it to you to save our asses.”

“How would your ancestors put it, Guardian of Shadows?” Gothel had her watery green eyes locked on Hiccup.

The boy gritted his teeth: “I’m not the Guardian of Shadows. I don’t even know how we got here, I— this is not fate nor destiny, like you name it, only chance — an accident, that’s all! I’m not your Guardian of Shadows.”

Gothel only laughed. “Chance, you call it? When I allowed you all to enter here?” She pointed at the silver charm still hanging from her neck. “Chance, when you managed to venture the Underworld without it for the first time and come back alive?”

“You’ve chosen to let us in.” Said Jack, defiantly.

Gothel gave one knowing smile before she turned on her heels, walking theatrically towards the centre of the chamber, where the huge pillar loomed over them. Hermione and Merida had their wands aimed at the witch again (Angus raising his bow and arrow), however the Obscurial paid no mind as she strutted towards the pillar, turning back to face them daringly.

“So we’ve made it past the Devil’s Trials, and I’m glad to see all your faces again. However, I don’t believe any of us plans on dying here. If you’re really not the Guardian of Shadows, then I don't suppose you'll know how to escape hell a second time, would you?”

“I don't believe one rule applies to all underworlds, does it?” Hiccup eyed her, puzzled.

“This is only one remnant of the underworld.” As she spoke, Gothel’s hand turned into a black, smokey form — the angry wisp of the Obscurial parasyte twirling up in a graceful spiral, reaching the stone pillar ever so slowly…

And then it happened at once:

The gigantic pillar snapped with a frightening bang. The structure juddered into sections with a thunderous mechanical roar, gears clicking loudly into motion, and with a sudden jerk sideways, the sections spun like a rubik's cube. There came another loud spin, and with that, the carvings on the stone surface lined up, and that's when Hiccup saw them, runes and drawings telling endless tales of every last myth, many of which he could barely recognise, yet they all seemed to feed and darken from the black Obscurial mass seeping from Gothel's hand…

“So you know the story: in order to spoil God’s plan and corrupt mankind, the devil tries to escape Pandemonium, and at the edge of the world he finds his offsprings, Sin and Death.” Gothel had that mysterious tone, like she took pleasure in seeing them trying to catch up with her. “In order to cross between worlds, they build the devil a bridge. Can you tell what the "in between worlds” is made of?”

“...Chaos.” Hiccup understood at last. “The devil found chaos… that’s where the bridge is built through…”

“That’s how the bridge is built.” Corrected Gothel.

“Chaos magic, you say?” Asked Hermione. “There wasn’t a wizard powerful enough to master chaos magic, Haddock.”

“No, they’ve all died trying.” Hiccup eyed the piles of bones and skeletons scattered across the floor. His eyes then found Jack, and it was as though realisation washed over both of them. “And some are dying still.”

Jack understood then what he meant — his eyes largened in fright.

“Grand time to be cheery, Hic. So you’re saying my obscurial…”

“Is the purest form of chaos, exactly.” Hiccup concluded, his hands now waving wildly at Jack. “You’re like a catalyst for Chaos magic, you can channel it, you can control it, you can...”

“Hiccup, dear, as much as I appreciate you making me feel like an industrial asset, I’m sorry to remind you, I'm hardly the best at controlling it.” Said Jack, utterly frustrated.

“No, Hiccup, you must have got that all wrong…” Hermione’s utterly sceptical voice annoyed Hiccup’s reasoning. “Obscurials are formed by repression — repressing their magical form from a young age, that’s how they’re made, not Chaos...”

“Chaos exists within every form of life, Granger; wizards channel magic from all things dual, it’s the nature of duality that everything comes in pairs… death and life, shadows and light, even repression and chaos… for what’s repressed can’t be contained forever. Not even hatred, or love… not even magic.” As Hiccup spoke, Jack examined his face, studying his working mind as the mechanics inside his brain worked into sense. “Chaos is the only channel through which repressed magic could perform itself, for it knows no order!”

“You.. are… brilliant, Hiccup, truly…” Jack trailed, eyeing the carvings on the pillar. “There’s only one thing…”

“It doesn’t tell us how to escape this place.” Merida dead-panned.

Hiccup looked around himself, his hands reaching for his messy hair. It seemed so clear to him, how could they not see it yet… it was all there… Jack stepped forward, reaching for Hiccup’s arms, his rands rubbing them from shoulder to elbow. “You’ve entered Hell before, Hic, you can do this. Think! What was the key to enter here? What did you say you had to give up?”

Hiccup’s eyes locked on Jack’s: he knew exactly how to work his mind. “Hope. To enter the first gateway, we abandoned all hope.”

Jack nodded, encouraging. “Good, and for this one, what was the price?”

“Life,” They were talking back and forth so fast; “We killed the Obscurial.”

“We killed Drago Bloodvist, yes — so that's how we got in, how about getting out?”

“Astrid stayed behind.” Said Hiccup, his tone an octave lower. “She was the key to leaving the first underworld… She sacrificed herself… Abandon hope, leave a life.” Hiccup’s eyes scanned the intricate markings on the pillar again… life and death and chaos and night and magic and death again…

“She’s not dead, Hiccup,” Said Granger. “Stolen life is not lost forever.”

“You’re right, she’s not… So we don’t leave a life, we leave a soul…” Hiccup shut his eyes tightly… “How many bodies have been left here?”

Jack grimaced, trying not to gaze at the piles of bones in the distance. “Could have been… thousands.”

“Someone stayed behind, every time…” Hiccup concluded. “Someone had to stay...”

All faces turned to Gothel.

“Obviously me.” She barely seemed bothered.

“You before any of us.” Jack retorted.

“Is it, now?” She cocked her brow, before drawing the cruellest smirk. “I beg to differ.” Gothel raised her hand, the black mass of her Obscurial reaching for the pillar — Granger and Merida casted all of their curses at the witch but it was too late:

All around the platform, from deep within the unexplored entry archways, distant hissings echoed in the chambers, a rumbling shiver that slithered towards the wizards, dragon and centaur.

“I smell death…” Said Angus, drawing another arrow into his bow.

The floor quaked and shook, and that was when they came: thousands upon thousands of serpents burst into the chamber, like a wave of twisting branches, their dark eyes glowing in the chamber as they descended towards the group, ready to kill.

Granger sprinted to the front of the teens, aiming her spell to the towering pile of serpents: with a blinding flash, the wave of serpents cracked and solidified, turning into stone.

“We don’t have much time!” She shouted, her wand still trained on the solidified wall of snakes.

“Does anyone see Gothel?!” Asked Jack.

“Hiccup, yer need ter get this thing workin’, now!” Merida ran after Granger to help hold the serpents. “ Duro!”

“Jack, I need you here,” Hiccup turned back to the pillar, his eyes desperately searching in the markings and carvings for anything that could give him a clue. “Stolen life, like Azel said: we needed a dark wizard to complete the rituals.”

“We need the Guardian of Shadows for this.” Said Jack, and then it occurred to them, both boys understood it at the same time: Hiccup’s eyes met Jack’s:

“You have to do it.”

Jack staggered. “I-I don’t know how.”

Hiccup clung to Jack, reaching for his shoulders like the other boy had just done to him. “This is chaos magic, Jack, this is your gift here. You can’t shape chaos, you can only unleash it.”

The solidified snakes began cracking their prison — Granger and Merida’s spells had begun failing, soon it would crumble and the snakes would break free.

“You don’t have to control it, just channel it.” Hiccup’s voice trembled as he tried to both encourage and urge Jack, trying not to slap the boy into working immediately. “No pressure, but we’ll die if you don’t do it.”

“That’s helpful–”

“JACK, AITHER YE DO IT OR AH’LL FEED YER ARSE TER THE SNAKES!” Merida struggled to keep the integrity of her spell — more snakes were breaking free, threatening to collapse and spill over her in what’d be a rain of serpents...

Jack let the cold mist seep through the palm of his hands, the way he’d seen Gothel doing: it was like a magnet, he found, the way the black mist pulled towards the pillar, on its own finding a way to the runes carved on the stone, filling them with black and magic: the walls of the pillar juddered again, jerking to the sides before they heard a loud ‘CLUNK’.

The wall of snakes finally snapped and burst, but the snakes never fell upon them: in a second the serpents were yanked upwards, as if snatched by a huge suction tube, and far above they flew, twirling around the pillar several metres above.

Jack was still fixated on the pillar, marvelling at what he’d done, and he didn’t see it — behind him, Hiccup, Granger and Angus all were lifted off the ground, quickly losing foot as their bodies grew weightless.

“Jack!” Merida screamed, and when he looked back, his heart gave a frightened beat as he thought he was left alone…

“Up here!”

Looking up he saw them, floating high up above: Merida was trying to swim towards Angus in a graceless dance, kicking her legs behind herself; Angus struggled to unflip himself, for he’d been lifted and turned upside down, his human torso trying to untwist his horse-like body and paws; Hermione tried to hold her balance steady, her bushy hair floating messily around herself; Hiccup had pulled Toothless from his pocket, casting his magnifying spell on the dragon — which seemed to materialise out of thin air in midst of the others.

Jack stepped towards them, and felt himself being pulled up to the air, weightless as gravity disappeared. He ascended till he floated near Hiccup.

“What did yeh do?” Asked Merida, clutching to Angus for dear life.

“I don’t know,” Jack answered. “It felt like an awakening… Like I just ignited something…”

“Look at this,” Said Hiccup, finally managing to swing his legs over Toothless' back, mounting on the dragon again. “Runes again.”

“What do they say?” Asked Granger, nearing the wall.

“This is Midgard.” Hiccup said, but his eyes were still scanning the other runes. “That’s Niffleheim...”

“We’ve got to go home, Hiccup,” Jack called out, floating towards the dragon, but Hiccup kept looking through the carvings, leaning over Toothless’ back to read the runes. “We’ve got to go now!”

“Gotcha!” Hiccup said at last over one sinisterly dark marking that Jack couldn’t understand. “Jack, help me activate this.”

Jack eyed him darkly. “We’re going home , Hiccup.”

Hiccup’s green eyes met blue in a fierce stare. “You said you wouldn’t change your quest.”

“We can’t let Gothel escape this place.” Jack raised his voice. “We need to leave her here to cross through to the next world — our world… What happens when we get to Helheim? Who do we sacrifice then?”

Hiccup was silent, holding his stare on Jack for one long second until they heard a sinister shriek from below: Gothel had returned, her hair wildly floating behind her, framing her face threateningly… She was flying towards the group with a deathly howl.

“We gotta go now !” Jack yelled out, letting his Obscurial reach out to the runes again when a thunderous roar reached them again: the storm of serpents awakened with a vengeful hiss. Like a wave, one by one they turned their narrowed reptilian eyes to the wizards.

“A LIFE FOR A LIFE, WASN'T IT?” Gothel barked beneath them before shifting into the Obscurial.

At once, Hermione and Merida waved their wands, trying not to float away as they began blasting curses against the witch, but it was no use: Gothel was much too quick, flying away from every hex like it was a dance. She was fluid even through her monstrous anger, something Jack had never truly witnessed — graceful, vengeful, explosive. Gothel’s assault was only interrupted by the snakes that had finally reached the wizards, twirling and hissing around the pillar, some rattling as they aimed their bites, missing merely by the weak shields they could conjure to defend themselves. 

Gothel hurled her obscurial against the girls, nearly squashing Merida with a blast that caused pebbles and dust to rain into that gravity-free air — the dust only floated shapelessly — that’s when Jack shifted into his own monster, his black mass shooting towards Gothel with a rattling screech.

They slammed against the pillar with such force that the entire structure trembled violently — the pillar gave another sign of life, juddering sideways one more time, and then something new happened: the runes began spinning around the stone, slowly at first, but then speeding up so that Hiccup could barely figure out what they meant; he had lost the one rune for Helheim again. Toothless growled and spit small fireballs against the snakes that flew too near like errant bullets…

“Hiccup, fire! ” Jack screamed as he pinned Gothel against the stone pillar, the witch thrashing and blasting her dark matter to break free. Hiccup could feel Toothless ready to release his fire jets beneath him, but he watched the scene instead: he observed the spinning pillar, the way gravity had lost all meaning, how everything twirled around that cylindrical structure… He saw the one rune that could only mean Yggdrasil, and his mind flared to the stupidest thing he could muster:

“CONFRINGO!” He roared, covering his eyes as his spell swooshed not towards Jack, nor Gothel, but to the rune of Yggdrasil.

And everything was catapulted into weightless air.

They all screamed as they were thrown around the pillar in a whirling mayhem, wizards, dragon, centaur, snakes and dust and pebbles flying in circles aimlessly — there was no longer a sense of up nor down, all directions were obliterated as they kept spinning around the bridge: Angus the centaur had managed to pull Merida by her hand, and the girl screamed as she waved her wand against a new attack of snakes; Granger aimed every spell she could to disperse the serpents, gripping on the surface of the pillar to stop her spinning; Hiccup and Toothless followed Gothel and Jack, who clawed to each other’s necks like two furious lions fighting till death, obscurial matter trailing behind them like black flames.

“In here!” Hermione screamed as she finally managed to reach a rune, Midgard , which began to glow with a bluish lightning. “We’ve got to disapparate!”

“Hiccup!” Merida screamed out as she and Angus struggled against the mayhem, casting off the last snakes as they reached the same rune, where with a deafening bang, Hermione disappeared through. Merida’s eyes opened wider in fear.

“Go! I’m right behind you!” Hiccup roared above the deafening attack of the snakes and the blasts of Jack and Gothel below. Merida gave him one final teary look before following Hermione and Angus, disappearing with a loud snap.

Gothel and Jack battled still, struggling to break free from his grip, but Jack had the witch trapped against the pillar, his hand closed on her neck, dragging her further down from the rune — the shining portal of the rune had now emitted a bloody-scarlet glow, and Hiccup felt again that familiar sensation of being squeezed from all directions, like a huge fist closing in on his body... He knew then what that meant: one had to stay behind.

“Hiccup, you need to go now!” Jack yelled as Gothel’s fingers clenched around his own throat as well, choking him, her other hand pulling out a silver knife… 

Hiccup stirred Toothless towards the witch, and the dragon needed no command before aiming his sharpest fireball towards Gothel: they exploded as if hit by a cannon blast. She let go of Jack with a painful scream, the blow causing the boy to reemerge from his obscurial, his human form floating unconscious…

The dragon rushed towards Jack, clutching the boy against himself, the dragon hopped towards the rune, the hisses of the snakes threatening to split their skulls above Gothel’s muffled screams. The rune gave one last red glow, and as he turned into darkness, Hiccup caught a final glimpse of the chamber, the snakes flying furiously, the red glow of the portal, and a trace of flying silver, as Gothel’s knife flew towards the place they were vanishing…

Then it was like diving into a compressor — his body was being pulled apart from every direction, the pressure so violent it threatened to break his bones…

They hit solid ground, Toothless crashing against a pile of sticks and leaves, trying to lay Jack’s limp body gently on the ground: the purple sky above giving them little clue whether it was dusk or dawn.

Chapter Text

“Hiccup?” Was the first thing Jack muttered as he opened his eyes. He soon noticed that he was lying on soft cushions, and a burning pain pierced his stomach.

He winced as he sat up straight: he was in what seemed to be a big tent, the sun probably high over noon as the light pierced through the fabric of the tent's roof — he realised he was alone. “Hiccup?” He called again, removing the blanket off his body as he swung his legs off the bed, wincing: a small bandage was placed near his navel, and when he tried touching it, a sharp pain shot through him.

His mind began spinning: how had he even got to that tent? A cold sinking feeling descended his stomach as he wondered if he had even left hell in the first place – he feared Gothel would appear at any moment, or McNair, barely registering Bloodvist's death as a hollow realisation… He shook his head enough to disperse his spiralling thoughts, proceeding to take experimental steps towards the entrance of the tent…

He found Hiccup sitting outside the tent, his legs crossed on a heap of grass and leaves, his nose buried in a heavy book. They were in a thick forest area, several tall trees surrounding him as far as he could see. A few metres away, Toothless lay on the grass, sleeping soundly. He noticed the sudden scent of water and the distant sound of what should be a river stream. Jack barely rejoiced at seeing Hiccup there, his mind so unsure of where he stood that he still debated whether Hiccup was even real or not, fearing he'd be just another trick from Pandemonium to test him…

“Hey,” tried Jack, and Hiccup jerked with a fright before looking up to where he stood.

“Hi,” He stood up, letting his book fall to the ground. Hiccup examined Jack for an awkward moment, before remembering to speak.  “How are you feeling?” Hiccup’s eyes were red and baggy, and although it was obvious he’d been crying, Jack decided not to mention it.

“Terrible,” Jack replied, staring at Hiccup as though he were seeing a ghost.  “What happened?”

“Well… I got us out,” Hiccup’s eyes drifted to the ground, avoiding Jack's gaze. “After Granger found the rune back to Midgard, or here, I mean… Everyone got out, so we were the last ones…”  He struggled to form the next sentences, as if wondering how to word it out. “Gothel caught us when we were leaving… she threw a knife at us, and it hit you.”

Jack remained silent. That explained the bandage on his stomach at least, yet somehow he felt much more apathetic than he imagined he should be. Not a knife wound, nor sharing a tent with Hiccup; nothing gave him much of an impression. He shrugged off the seriousness of Hiccup's words: “She must have felt it herself, at least.” Hiccup nodded at that, still unsure where to look.

“I removed the knife, applied some dittany… you’ve been unconscious ever since.” Hiccup finished, his arms dangling awkwardly on his sides.

“Where are the others?” Jack asked, and Hiccup only shook his head. “You don’t know?”

“I believe Midgard's rune meant different places for everyone,” Hiccup said too quickly. “I believe we’re back in Hackfall woods… I must’ve affected the portal somehow, and you were unconscious… I have looked for Merida and Granger and I couldn’t find them, and I didn’t want to leave you here alone for long… They could be anywhere…”

Jack took in what he said, nodding as he processed each word. Then Hiccup reached for his own pocket. “I also found something on you when we got here,” Hiccup pulled out a silver locket with a broken string. “You were holding this.”

Jack’s heart gave a relieved jolt, reaching for the locket. “That’s what Gothel stole from the Goblin’s treasure…” He examined the intricately carved piece: there was a small C encrusted with tiny diamonds on the surface. “Hiccup, do you know what this is?”

“I believe it’s a Blood Link.”

“A bloody what?”

“A Blood Link,” Hiccup said simply, taking the medallion back, and as he studied it, for some reason Jack realised they were the same height. “It’s like a protective charm, of sorts… it safeguards your blood, so to speak; protecting those in your bloodline. So in a way, even if you try to, you can’t necessarily cause harm to someone who shares your blood.”

Jack furrowed his brows. “But Gothel and I– we share a blood curse…”

“Oh no, not that kind of blood sharing — whatever curse that was cast amongst you in the Order only makes it harder for y’all to harm one another. No, this is different, this blood link only works for your bloodline, your family tree, you see? It served to prevent bloodshed during wars amongst wizarding families in the past… Ancient wizarding families would turn to Goblins and ask them to make these, so in case there was a family dispute, say for example, between siblings, they could prevent major harm to their children. But I believe none has been made in ages…”

Jack examined the silver locket suspiciously. “And there’s no way we can see whose bloodline it is? I mean, assuming it is Gothel’s.”

Hiccup shrugged. “I see no reason she’d steal the blood link of any other family.” He gave a sad grimace. “Either way, I think only the owner can gain access to it.”

Jack remained in silent thought for a moment. “...So there’s a chance Gothel and I are…?”

Hiccup widened his eyes, shaking his head. “Absolutely not, she wouldn’t have been able to harm you with that knife if you were. There’s no way you’re related by blood, that’s for sure.”

“How do you know all this?” Jack asked, and Hiccup gave an uncomfortable grimace, sighing.

“I uh, I read about it in an old index about ancient wizarding families… I used to want one of those a few years back; the thing was, I thought if I found one about my family, perhaps it’d show I wasn’t really related to my father…” The way Jack eyed him made him feel strangely uncomfortable; Hiccup rubbed his elbow incessantly. “It sounds so stupid now when I think of it…”

“They mourned your dad in the Wizengamot, you know?” Said Jack, and Hiccup’s gaze lost its focus.

“I made it there too late.” Hiccup swallowed dry, trying to make his voice sound stronger. “After the Raptum, I took Toothless and we flew home. He was already gone by the time I got there… When Astrid and I made it to Helheim, I was hoping I’d get to find him… I guess I missed my chance again.”

Jack had no words to comfort him. “Say Azel’s plan does work out…”

“That’s one very big If.” Hiccup’s tone had gone sour.

“What happens then?” Jack asked. “All these souls come back to life…”

“I’m not even sure I believe there is a soul.” Said Hiccup, looking away towards the woods.

“You’ve always been the sceptical one, Hic.”

“And yet we got in and out of hell in the last twelve hours.” Green eyes met blue again, holding that gaze. “I don’t know how we made it out of there… I still can’t… Every time we dive into any realm of Hell, someone gets left behind; that much is clear to me now.” Said Hiccup. “I lost Astrid; we entrapped Gothel.”

“So you want to return to Hell?”

“I need to find Astrid.” Hiccup didn’t dare look at Jack, crossing his arms.

“And who are you sacrificing next time?” Jack asked. “You’re not planning on staying behind either, are you?”

“I don’t know.”

“She wouldn’t want that…”

“Don’t tell me what she’d want.” Hiccup snapped, looking at Jack with sudden fury that Jack took one step back. What was it that Jack had hoped would change after their trip to Hell, it was long gone now. Hiccup was still as unyielding as he was before.

“You’d let me stay behind, wouldn’t you?” Jack said then, and Hiccup’s hard stare failed. “Gothel was two seconds from slaughtering all of us, we all needed to come back home; yet you'd forsake it all in your quest to find Astrid… you'd have sacrificed me back there.”

“...I wouldn’t…”

“Yes, you would.” Jack finished. “Tell me something, and don’t lie to me: when you stopped me from running after Flee, did you do it for me or because you were afraid of being alone?”

Hiccup stared speechless at Jack, suddenly torn with the hot and heavy ache that pierced his heart. “I…” He started, but didn’t finish as Jack grabbed Hiccup’s arm, not hard enough to hurt, yet firm enough to give him a shake:

“You said I was real and you were with me. I left my sister’s ghost for you, so you tell me: was that real as well? Or was it another trick of yours?”

“Jack, don’t…” Hiccup’s eyes glowed with tears.

“No, you don’t, Hiccup, I’m tired of begging for your forgiveness.” Jack stepped away, letting go of the other boy’s arm. “I’m tired of you acting like you can dispose of me — like I don’t mean anything to you. You don’t fool me anymore.”

One tear trickled down Hiccup’s freckled cheek, and although Jack expected to find satisfaction at Hiccup’s tears, he found nothing but an empty pain. He turned away then, collecting his heavy coat.

“Thank you for the Dittany,” Jack added as he exited the tent, into the cold air. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be back,” He said before Hiccup could protest, heading towards the woods, followed by a very excited Toothless, who had gladly awakened from his slumber.

Hiccup spent the worst portion of the afternoon retracing his steps in Hackfall woods. He was devoid of any emotion or reaction, moving with robotic, automatic steps as he processed the trauma of having just returned from fiery Muspelheim, the recent memory foggy and lost in time, either a day ago or a lifetime past… It was the most bizarre feeling, drifting through memories, experiencing time as a broken stream, a torrential flood…

Casting a tracking spell towards the tent, he ventured alone in the woods, Jack’s words replaying in his mind as he descended towards the river bank, reexamined the ruins, revisiting the broken dome — there was no path on the ground, not even a trace of Accalia, Leon or Lonza, neither of his nor Astrid’s presence. It felt like it had been ages since he had last stepped foot on that place. It remained exactly as it was, however he felt like the ghost of the man he had been, like he’d woken up in the wrong body.

Yet, as frustrated as he was, he could not trace his anger towards Jack anymore… what a paradox he felt, to hate Jack’s words, but not the man, as much as he wished to. It had been much easier when he believed his hatred towards Jack was all that remained. But he could not bring himself to honestly answer Jack’s question, the ultimatum that split his head in two. It hurt his heart too much to face the depth of his reasoning: why couldn’t he admit to Jack, and much less to himself, the reason why he would never let Jack go and lose himself in that limbo? The reason that had him hold on to Jack so tightly? The cowardice in himself that he could not kill…

He realised the sun was already setting between the faraway mountains as he gazed away from the ruins — the dome, unchanged, indifferent to his turmoil. He cursed to himself as he also realised that he’d spent more time worrying about his feelings towards Jack than actively searching for Astrid… He did find some solace, however, at the truth that he had searched. No one could tell him he hadn’t tried. Not to mention, it was a fruitless attempt to find the path to Hell without the three — deities, children, angels, he couldn’t classify what they were… it barely mattered, they were gone as well.

“Guide me,” he whispered to his wand, and his path back to the tent glowed like the setting sun. He made his way piercing through the dense and darkening forest. He imagined whether Jack would have already returned with Toothless by then, partly hoping they wouldn’t, and partly wishing they were already waiting for him, whichever mood that welcomed him — he found his solitude was, for once, unbearable. He looked up at the full moon above, casting its bluish glow over the night sky and he took comfort in its loneliness…

He had placed the tent next to a small lake deviated from the river, and he followed the river bank down the rocky path until he found him:

Jack bathed in the lake, the water going up to his hips, concealing his nude waist. His naked back glowed under the moonlight, reflecting the final purple and indigo shades of the dusk… Hiccup’s eyes traced the other man’s back, admiring his curves, the soft yet strong shape of his muscles…

Jack turned then, displaying his chest and stomach, and Hiccup’s heart gave out a jump as he was caught staring:

“Hey—”

“I’m sorry…” Hiccup turned around, his cheeks burning as he stared at the grassy ground.

“It’s alright;” He heard Jack say from the water. “It’s not like I’m in a private bathroom nor anything…”

 Hiccup shook his head, trying to stop the blush from forming on his cheeks… “How is your wound?”

Jack kept his gaze over Hiccup’s darkened form. “You don’t have to do this.” He said.

“This what?”

“Act like you care.” Jack shrugged, watching as then, Hiccup turned just so slightly that Jack could see the side of his face:

“I do care.”

There was a long silence, filled only by Hiccup’s heavy breathing and Jack’s very slight movements in the water. Hiccup cleared his throat: “I wouldn’t have.” 

“Wouldn’t have what?”

“Left you there.” Hiccup spoke up, still with his back turned to Jack.

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it? Astrid is still trapped, regardless of what you’ve done.”

“Because she’s sacrificed herself for me.”

“And the least you could do is honour that.” Said Jack. “Astrid was my friend first, don’t you forget that, Hic. I know why she did what she’s done.”

Hiccup finally turned to Jack, his anger resurfacing: “Don’t you dare—”

“No, Hiccup, don’t you dare.” Jack’s anger outmatched Hiccup’s. “How can you dishonour her sacrifice like that? Losing yourself like that, like her sacrifice meant nothing!”

“She’s waiting for me—”

“Astrid would never wait for you, you imbecile, she loved you!”

And with that, Hiccup’s anger was shattered into tears.

“She loved you, Hiccup.” Jack repeated. “Enough for her to put down her life in Limbo for you. She didn’t do that because she owed you, or because she expected you to save her; she chose to. And you think this reckless quest after Underworlds is going to bring her back? She stayed for you the same way I’d have, and the same way Aster went with me into that cave, and why I abandoned my sister’s ghost to go back here with you, she loved you.”

As he spoke, Hiccup only let his tears trickle silently down his freckled cheeks, listening with this weighty grief in his chest.

“I can’t just leave her like that, Jack…” Hiccup said at last.

“I know.” Jack replied much more softly. “But what will happen once you find her? Getting yourself stuck in hell won’t do either. She wanted you to live.”

“I don’t know…” He admitted, looking at his shoes. He felt it again, the hollow weight in his heart…

“You know, it’s funny…” Jack muttered after a while, but when Hiccup’s eyes met him, he did not see Jack smiling at all.

“What is?” He sounded much more bitter than he meant to.

“The symmetry in all this…” Jack continued as Hiccup only tilted his head. “I mean, there is a sense of irony in how fitting it is… I had to lose Aster, you had to lose Astrid, for both sacrificed themselves for us… they loved each other as well, you know?”

“Better than anyone.” Said Hiccup.

“I’m not saying she’s dead… I’m just saying she knew what she was doing. That even if you failed, she’d forgive you. I know that.”

Hiccup couldn’t hold his gaze, trying to find his voice, which came much deeper and hoarse. “I don’t quite think I can live with that.”

“I know.” Said Jack. “But I still haven’t lost all hope either.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but the tears made his façade break in two. “You once said that there was still hope… my mother was missing, and you told me so.” A sharp guilt jabbed Jack’s chest. “What good did hope bring in that case?”

Something ached in Jack’s heart with the same hollow weight, like their hearts were reflections of one another. Jack furrowed his brows as he continued: “And I remember you said there was nothing to hope for anymore… I’m sorry, but you were wrong. There is still a lot to hope for.”

The water surrounding Jack rippled under the moonlight, stark white and black waving around the boy’s pale waist — it seemed that darkness became Jack, as though he emerged from the shadows.

“How can you not lose faith, Jack?” Hiccup asked so weakly Jack had to give slow steps towards the boy to hear him clearly. “You’ve lost your sister… how can you not feel absolutely hopeless?”

Jack only caught Hiccup’s gaze like he’d been asked the most obvious question. “You said it yourself, Hic: her love for me is real.” He said so simply. “I can’t waste her love like that.”

Hiccup stepped towards the water. Jack was looking at the auburn haired boy as though Hiccup were standing naked before him, and not the other way around. He did not find it weird when Hiccup’s boots sank in the water, nor when he stepped in further with his clothes still on, his shirt clutching to his skin the further it got wet. He noticed the water was surprisingly warm.

“How is this not freezing?” He asked, incredulous.

“Aster taught me a spell years ago, it took me a while to master it right — I’m better at freezing things than warming them up, but I actually managed it this time.” Jack explained calmly.

“What spell was that?” Hiccup tried to keep control of his voice.

“Fervere.” Jack answered, and Hiccup was not sure whether he imagined it or not, but he did feel a sudden warmth enveloping his chest… “I have to keep casting it every few minutes, though… Otherwise it starts chilling again.”

Hiccup stopped walking when the water went as high as his navel. “Want me to try it?”

Jack gave an encouraging nod. “You’re the Dragon Rider, you’ll have more luck with it than I do.”

Hiccup drew his wand from his vests, pointing to the water. “Fervere!”

Nothing happened.

“That was surprising…” Jack muttered to himself as the water remained nothing but lukewarm...

“I don’t think it’s a very good spell…”

“Oh, it’s a fantastic spell,” Jack retorted. “It’s just complicated to match the right feeling.”

Hiccup furrowed his brows.

Jack sighed. “Well, it’s a warming spell. Therefore you must imagine warmth;” He explained as if to a toddler. “Aster once said it doesn’t work well with cold hearted ones.”

Jack said that, and immediately regretted it when he saw Hiccup’s eyes narrow. “I beg your pardon—?”

“Try again.” Jack said, shushing Hiccup. How infuriating it was, Hiccup thought: Jack had the power to tease and disarm him at his wish, for Hiccup had no more will to argue…

Fury was warm, he thought. Perhaps it’d work: “Fervere!”

Jack yelped as the water seemed to bustle with bubbles and vapour, suddenly much too hot.

“I’m sorry,” Hiccup said.

“You’re enjoying this,” Jack replied, but Hiccup noticed he had a mischievous smile. “You enjoy torturing me.”

Hiccup took a deep breath. “It’s not true…”

“It is.” Jack shook his head. “You can’t admit it, but you do like to make me suffer, and I don’t know why.”

Hiccup again had no answer. His gaze was lost in the water… “You always forgive me, though.” A strange silence fell over them. “I’ve tortured you, haven’t I? I’ve put you through hell, quite literally… and still you prove you’re the better one between the two of us… I don’t know how you do it.”

Jack stared at Hiccup as if waiting for something even more extraordinary to happen. There was only a metre distance from both, in an endless silence, only staring at each other’s faces like they were seeing who they really were for the first time…

“I know why I do it.” Jack spoke so softly, it was like his voice belonged to the night… “And I think you know it as well.”

Hiccup kept his gaze on Jack’s features, observing how his lips moved as he spoke. “I do,” He admitted.

“But I don’t know why you won’t let me.” Jack added, taking one tentative step towards the other man…

Hiccup’s eyes glanced at the faint black veins displayed under the pearly white skin on Jack’s wet chest. “You’re still dying…” He said, and his voice was no longer as strong as it was before. “If I let you love me… I feel like I’ll lose you a second time.”

“Loving you feels like that too…” Jack’s hand found Hiccup’s over the surface of the water, leaving a tingling sensation on the skin they touched. “I left you because I couldn’t stand the thought of having something worth losing. It scared me too much.”

“You made it seem so easy,” Hiccup glanced at their linked hands, a look of dark contemplation over his features as he did not yet allow his fingers to intertwine with Jack’s. “You broke my heart when you just left like that…”

Jack squeezed his hand. “I couldn’t be the person you needed me to be back then. I had to leave, and you? You’ve put yourself at risk so many times… ever imagined how I felt, knowing I could never protect you? And the feeling never goes away — loving you has got me scared all the time… yet I want to let you in because soon enough what difference will it make? For all we know, I’m dying here, Hiccup. So please, let me. Because I don’t wanna die alone and I don’t wanna die knowing you hated me.”

Hiccup finally shivered, but not from the cold — he felt Jack’s hand slip further into his palm, fitting into each other like a puzzle piece.

Jack eyed those rosy lips, how inviting and fleshy they seemed, and how beautiful that boy was even when he cried… It was like this invisible force pulled one towards the other so slowly: they gravitated towards each other like whirling stars, and their lips met with such necessity that the rest of their bodies clutched to each other in a tight embrace, and Jack held on to Hiccup’s torso so tightly and with such enthusiasm that he swept him above the water.

They felt that old warmth from that lonely New Year’s Eve, this old fire within their chests, stronger than any dragon’s flame, and as Jack tasted of Hiccup’s mouth, they kept breathing the fire back into each other until there was no longer a division between one and the other; they melded like day kissing night into dawn.

Jack never once broke the kiss as he brought Hiccup out of the lake, carrying him in his arms all the way into the tent. They crashed onto the bed, devouring each other’s mouths as their flaming cores raged on like a wildfire. Jack’s fingers hurried to remove Hiccup’s clothes, eager to see more of his freckled skin, ravaging his thin lips, his sharp jaw and soft cheeks with a craving that thirsted for longer than their lifetimes, as though they were remembering something long forgotten…

Completely naked and lost in each other’s lust, they thrusted against each other like waves on the seashore, waves drawing back to the shallows for more water till their breaking point, ocean and earth clashing in this infinite moment where nothing lives nor dies—

Percy Shelley once wrote, ‘the wave that died the death which lovers love’.

And not long later, he died in the sea.

Lying in bed under the warm candle lights, the afterglow covering them like an ethereal blanket, Jack’s blue eyes studied Hiccup’s green ones so intensely, his arm outstretched beneath the other’s head. Both men gazed at each other in peaceful silence — the moment too sacred for them to speak. Hiccup’s hand hovered towards Jack’s face, his fingers tracing the outline of his features; his sharp chiselled jaw, the black strands of hair covering his forehead, the angular tip of his nose, the soft skin of his mouth…

“Your hair,” Hiccup said so lowly, his vocal chords rasping in that deep rich tone. “I still haven't gotten used to the black.”

His eyes were swimming in the oceanic blue of Jack’s eyes, while Jack ventured into the forest green of his… “You are so beautiful,” Jack said in equal tone, his fingers reaching for Hiccup’s hand and pulling it to his lips so he could kiss his knuckles. He breathed in that warm scent of skin and grapes… there was this fiery scent, and it felt so Hiccup’s, so fitting… “I need to hear you say it, please.”

“I love you,” Hiccup said so readily. “I do…” He buried his face under the muscles of Jack’s arm, kissing any skin his lips could touch. “I’m so sorry—”

“All is forgiven, now.”

“I mean it.” Hiccup stared into Jack’s blue eyes.

Jack pulled Hiccup into a tighter embrace, his hand holding the back of Hiccup’s head so he'd lay it in the crook of his neck, running his fingers through his hair and blissfully basking with that scent, so addictive, so his... “You’ve just made up for that now,” He said, burying his face into Hiccup’s cheek, dotting his freckles with soft kisses.

“I don’t deserve you.” Said Hiccup.

“Indeed you don’t.”

Hiccup laughed, aiming a soft punch against Jack’s chest… He let his head rest on Jack’s arm again, his fingers now playing with the naked skin of his torso, tracing the small freckles and moles here and there, the brown of his nipple...

“I want to live in this moment forever,” He muttered as he felt his eyelids grow heavier, tiredly…

“We will,” Jack vowed then, brushing the hair off Hiccup’s face. “This moment lives on forever.”