The Wizard's Guide to Timelords and Other Demons Book 1: The Forgotten War

Beasts On The Move

Professor Dumbledore stopped just short of the stone gargoyle guarding the steps to his office, where he stood waiting for Professor Sprout who was calling to him from down the hall as she shuffled as fast as she could to catch up with him. The headmaster gestured for Professor McGonagall, Elise and Professor Snape to go on ahead, which they did. By the time Professor Sprout had arrived, completely out of breath, Professor McGonagall had already spoken the password and the gargoyle was sliding to the side to reveal the moving stone staircase.

"What can I do for you, Professor Sprout?" he asked cordially, but she was puffing too heavily to form a response.

"Ah," Dumbledore said as he nodded his head in understanding. "Perhaps you're curious about how I was able to dispatch those...Jawbellies? I believe that is what Miss Nott had taken to calling them."

"Yes," she replied, then took a few moments to catch her breath. "Kendra had told us how to stop them using the old stone from the castle walls, but we were quickly running out of ammunition, what with the Great Hall beginning to collapse on us."

"Of course," he replied. "The Doctor also informed us of the affect that old objects had on the creatures, but it never really occurred to me that we should begin disassembling the castle. I believe that particular tactic was more a reflection of Miss Nott's approach to life in general. By the way, I have heard rumors that some damage was suffered by the Grand Staircase earlier. Would you happen to be aware if any of those would be true?"

Professor Sprout was reluctant to reveal too much to the headmaster with regards to the sheer magnitude of the destruction wrought by Kendra upon the hallowed stairwells.

"Just a scratch or two, Professor," she lied. "But we'll have it fixed up right in no time at all." Professor Sprout was really very fond of Kendra and delighted to see that she had taken a liking to Lee Jordan. At least she wouldn't have to worry about finding him blown to smithereens like so many of the stairs and landings in the tower. "Now, about that spell you used, Professor?"

"It was an aging charm, Professor Sprout," he replied proudly. "Very much like the one I placed on the Goblet of Fire during the Tri-Wizard Tournament last year."

Sprout chuckled to herself as she recalled the amusing consequences that followed when two underage students had attempted to insert their names into the Goblet. "So, you aged the creatures by a few thousand years?"

"I did attempt that at first, but was unsuccessful," Dumbledore explained, "Then I elected to try the same spell, not on the beast itself, but rather on the air around it. As you could see, it was quite effective."

"That's amazing, Professor Dumbledore!" Sprout said. "I was unaware that one could use an aging charm on the air itself."

"Well, I can," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. Then he winked at her before glancing over at Professors Snape and McGonagall standing at the base of the stairs with Elise.

Professor Snape was looking very impatient. He was about to join them when he noticed Hagrid trudging up the hall in his direction, and he also seemed eager to speak with them.

"Yes, Hagrid," he said, "what can I help you with?" Perhaps he had not yet fully recovered from his experience of having been eaten by a Reaper, because the giant's his face betrayed that he was unquestionably worried about something.

"Professor Dumbledore sir," he started, "I jus ran inter professor Sinistra on her way down from the astronomy tower hoping ter speak ter yeh. I told her i was on the way ter see yeh an' tha' I'd pass on the message."

"Very good, Hagrid. Thank you," Dumbledore said, "what is the message?"

"It's the giants, Professor," Hagrid replied, "She says they're on the move now."

"Oh, my," Dumbledore said, "it appears our time is nearly up." Then he looked up at Hagrid with great concern in his eyes. "Did she happen to say which direction they were heading?"

"She did," Hagrid replied soberly. "She says tha' they're definitely comin' this direction—to Hogwarts."