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Tengu and Ninja's Daughter By StarFeather
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Category: Magical Creatures Challenge (2017-3), Magical Creatures Challenge (2017-3)
Characters:Draco Malfoy, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, James Potter, Lily Potter, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Other, Ron Weasley
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Comedy, Crossover, Drama, Fluff, General, Humor, Poetry, Romance
Warnings: Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Mild Sexual Situations
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 21
Summary: Someone will go hunting Kappa's eggs.
Hitcount: Story Total: 34935; Chapter Total: 3124
Author's Notes: I added some spots mainly about Harry/Ginny ship after great beta by Pixi.
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MacNeil came back to the DM. He reported that the unidentified new species of Magical Creature was the same kind of kelpie as the largest one found in Loch Ness. McSherry seemed to be disappointed at the news. He muttered in his mind, “You can find the new one, if you go to the river of Hogsmeade.” He chuckled to himself while imagining Kappa Lybeck.
When he tried to enter Room 55, Bob Henry stood in his way.
“I’m sorry, Mr. MacNeil. You can’t enter.”
“Why? I’m the head of this room.” He raised his voice in anger and stared at the young officer.
“But you can’t. Mr. Potter’s orders.” Bob repeated firmly.
While he gnashed his teeth, he heard footsteps behind him. Before MacNeil could react, Harry and Ron came out of the back room and had their wands pointed at him,
“MacNeil, give me your wand,” Harry demanded.
Surrounded by Hit Wizards, pressed by Aurors, he gave up and held out his wand to Harry.
Harry took it and said, “Take him to Headquarters. I need to ask you about Professor Lybeck’s disappearance.”
In an interview room, they tested whether MacNeil reacted against Veritaserum. When the results came back negative, they had him drink the potion. He confessed to every crime that he had ever committed.
With the new information, Harry and Ron went to the river bank of Hogsmeade to search for Professor Lybeck. After twelve grueling hours, a Water Demon, Kappa was located near the upper stream. He wasn’t aggressive, but he was very thin and extremely hungry. Ron gave him a can of kipper that he ate ravenously.
“Professor Lybeck?” Ron asked gingerly.
Kappa Lybeck didn’t seem to understand what he said. He had a little bit of hair and a hollow in his head that looked like a small basin surrounded by weeds. He was round-shouldered and had a turtle shell on the back. His hands and feet were transformed into webs. His skin was greenish like a frog.
“Poor Lybeck.” Ron muttered. “What should we do with him?” “Take him to Newt Scamander’s. He’ll be shocked, but it was him who brought in the Kappa’s eggs. He knows about the Water Demons very well. He’ll take care of him for a while ‘till we find the solution.”
Ron and a team of Aurors accommodated Lybek in a big cage and took him to Scamander’s home.
The old Magizoologist heaved a big sigh when he saw Kappa Lybeck. ‘I am responsible for your tragedy, Mr. Lybeck. I will help you to regain your former body at any cost.’
‘How long will it be before we can take him to the spot?’ Ron asked Scamander.
‘We need two weeks. He must regain his physical strength before he is able to travel.’
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Harry went back to Hogwarts to check about Dogen’s essay. He reckoned that Malfoy knew something about him. When he arrived at the hearth of McGonagall’s office, she welcomed him and said,
“Harry, I have a favor to ask you.”
“What can I do for you?”
“With Professor Lybeck in his present state, there isn’t a DADA teacher so I’m wondering if you could step in as a substitute teacher.”
“Me?” Harry was about to refuse the offer, but he quickly rethought it. “I have to research something related to the transformation of Professor Lybeck. So I think I can teach the students while I stay.” Harry remembered the time when he taught DA members in his fifth year and became excited about the thought of being a real teacher this time, if only for a short while.
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When Albus entered the Great Hall in the morning, he noticed his brothers and friends were gathering around the platform where the professors were sitting. James found him and beckoned him closer.
“Hey, Albus! Big news! Dad’s going to teach us DADA!”
Albus became jealous. First years wouldn’t learn DADA yet. Next to his father, Professor Malfoy sat scowling. Professor Longbottom was smiling as usual. McGonagall looked very satisfied and stood up. She clapped her hands three times and said,
“Attention, boys and girls! It is my pleasure to introduce your substitute DADA teacher. Mr. Harry Potter will be taking over for Professor Lybeck while he recovers from an unexpected illness. Mr. Potter has offered not only to teach classes but also have a demonstration DADA lesson for all years. If you’re interested in the subject, gather around in the Great Hall after school tomorrow.”
The students broke into loud cheers. Albus felt like jumping up and down. He grinned at Rose. She looked very happy to hear the news, too. They glanced back to the Slytherin tables. Scorpius looked delighted and waved towards them. After the introduction, McGonagall urged the students to sit down and eat breakfast. Neville spoke to Harry,
“The students aren’t the only ones who are excited. I’m glad you’re here too, Harry.” He had been cheerful until he spoke in small voice, “I heard from Luna about Professor Lybeck.”
Feeling Malfoy’s attention, Harry cut in, “Do you exchange owls with each other?”
“Yes, we do. Her knowledge of Magical Creatures helps my research in Herbology.” Neville answered and got serious. “Rolf sent an owl to Priest Dogen. Kingsley had visited him since Mr. Haas was forced to transform to the Kappa. You’ll soon get a reply from Rolf.”
“Is he the priest who wrote the essay, ‘The Counter-Curse against the Water Demon’?”
“Oh, have you heard from Professor Lybeck about it before?”
“No, I got the information from MacNeil who drank Veritaserum.” Harry answered and watched Malfoy flinch. He continued, “If Luna’s husband finds the answer, we can save Professor Lybeck. But if he can’t, Malfoy,” Harry stared at Malfoy.
Malfoy tried to stand up and said, “Excuse me, I have to prepare for the lesson.”
“Sit down Malfoy, I haven’t finished. Harry had unknowingly raised his voice, and some of the students nearby gave him surprised stares. Malfoy reluctantly sat down. “What do you want?”
“Tell me what you know. You must have got some information in Aomori.”
Malfoy kept silent for a while and said, “Yes, I did. If I tell you the information, what will you do for me?”
Harry stared at him. He was dumbfounded by Malfoy’s insatiable demand.
“You don’t give us the information without repayment? Okay, we’ll do patrol around your Manor House regularly.” He conceded by promising Malfoy his family’s safety.
“Good. Your son has already known the information. I had them write an essay about the Kappa. Ask him.” Malfoy stood up and left.
“Wha..?” Harry stared at the back of Malfoy like he was bewitched by a dwarf.
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Albus hurried to Hagrid’s hut. When he entered, he found his father talking with Hagrid merrily.
“Hey, Albus, how’s Potions class?” Harry asked his son in a relaxed mood.
“Not bad. Professor Malfoy hasn’t said any sarcastic things to me recently. I feel weird though.”
“Because I saved Professor Malfoy again. He has to behave properly. Study hard, Albus. Whether you like Potions or not, what you learn will be useful in the future.”
“Yes, I will.”
Then Rose came in with Scorpius.
“Uncle Harry, I brought Scorpius. What do you want to know?” Her face was flushed with excitement.
Scorpius was surprisingly calm in spite of the recent events. Albus and Rose seemed to be his best mates now.
His face seemed brighter than the last time Harry saw him.
“Rose, Scorpius, I need your help. I heard from Professor Malfoy that you received good marks for your Potions essay. I need to know what you researched.”
Rose climbed into a big wooden chair while Hagrid poured tea into mugs and started slicing the rock cake, delighted to be serving guests.
“Scorpius, tell him why you got an Outstanding.” Rose urged Scorpius to talk.
Scorpius started explaining brightly, feeling he would be useful to Rose’s uncle. “I found out that the Kappa’s egg has the power of transformation while I was reading the thick classic book in the library.”
Harry felt disappointed. He had already known the fact. But Scorpius had more to say.
“My father wrote some interesting notes on my assignment. . Actually I got this after lunch today.”
“After lunch today?”
“Yes. Here.” Scorpius held out his essay.
Harry started reading Malfoy’s scribbles,
You did good research, Scorp. I’ll add some more useful information I got during a trip to Japan. If you want to go back to the original appearance after the transformation, go to the Muggle World and breathe its fresh air for a day to the maximum.
Harry smiled at Scorpius,
“Thank you, Scorp. I have what I need.”
Harry decided that Malfoy had given up supporting the Pure-Blood political parties. He reckoned the decision was hard for Malfoy. Malfoy had tried a last-ditch resistance, but the attempt was illegal and contaminated with Dark Magic from the first place. Harry pulled out his wand and cast the Copying Charm on a blank sheet of parchment. He rolled it up and stood up,
“I’ll send this to Newt Scamander. If everything goes well, Mr. Lybeck will be back with us soon.”
Harry entered Lybeck’s study and smiled at a large picture of a dark green Troll above the wooden desk. He remembered his first year’s adventure with Ron and Hermione in the basement on the Halloween evening. He sat at the desk and picked out the file with a label of the third year. Remembering what James said, he checked what the third years had learned. They seemed to have learned the Bubble-Head Charm. There was a note that the practice should be postponed for summer when the Great Lake would be warmer. So they had learned only the theory. As he contemplated what he should teach them, the school owl pecked the window. He opened the window and let the owl in.
“Good girl. Did you come from Luna’s?” He gave her owl nuts from a jar on the desk and spread the letter.
Mr. Potter, I apologize for my family’s careless work. We shouldn’t have brought the eggs back. The secret should’ve been kept forever. We had not covered the Department of Mysteries. We washed our dirty linen in public. I’ll confess that my father and grandfather were on bad terms with each other. My grandfather did a great job and became famous in the Wizarding World. Under pressure, my father was too eager for success. Not knowing what disaster would be waiting, he stole the eggs from my grandfather’s secret room and donated them for his own promotion. He was also a victim of MacNeil. Please don’t blame my father. I’ve attached a letter from Priest Dogen. Luna will bring his picture book to Hogwarts later.
Rolf Scamander
As Rolf wrote, there was a copy of Dogen’s reply written in Indian ink. It took more time for Harry to read them, they were written in a unique style.
Mr. Rolf Scamander
The incidents in your country saddened us. The Kappa’s eggs should not be used for such an evil aim. We had used it for protection from enemies during the battle. There remains some folklore related to the transformation. I’ll send a picture book so please donate it to Hogwarts library. To regain the original appearance after the transformation, you’d better go to the river which flows between the magical area and the Muggle world. Please don’t forget the fact the Kappa can’t live without water. The victims have to keep swimming to return to their original appearance. It’s dangerous in the dark. Mr. Haas and Mr. Lybeck have to swim for an entire day. If they are not in good condition, your friends had better support them in the water.
Dogen
Harry folded the two letters and shoved them inside his pocket. He took a step closer to the hearth and grabbed the Floo powder. Landing in front of the hearth of the Headquarters, He looked for Robards. His boss was staring at the old map of Britain.
“Sir, I got a clue to the case.”
Robards turned to Harry. Harry handed him the letters. Reading them, Robards became spirited,
“Well done, Potter. I’ll form teams for Mr. Haas and Professor Lybeck.”
“I’d like to join the team but the Headmistress asked me to teach DADA at Hogwarts. How long will it take for Professor Lybeck to be back to Hogwarts?”
“I suppose at least three days. After he regains his original appearance, he’ll need a checkup.”
“After Professor Lybeck comes back to us, I’ll ask him to interpret Mermish. The merpeople, Dolores must have witnessed MacNeil’s crime scene at the DM. We need evidence for the coming trial.”
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Albus got up earlier than usual. He even enjoyed the Potions class when Malfoy taught them how to make digestive medicine in which they needed knowledge of measurement. Malfoy spoke in his drawling voice,
“If you give a wrong dose of potion, your responsibility will be immeasurable.Do you understand, Potter?””
Called like that, Albus felt offended a little and thought of throwing out a hint that Malfoy was responsible for Professor Lybek’s absence in the middle of class, but he stopped mid-thought, realizing what that would do to Scorpius. Malfoy’s attitude towards his son had improved greatly. It was no good to bring up the matter again. He answered obediently, “Yes, Professor.”
Most of the class succeeded in making the digestive medicine except Flint and his gang. They were scattering white turmeric around the cauldron. To Albus’s surprise, Malfoy reprimanded them.
“I’m willing to send your parents a bill for the wasted white turmeric. This is rare and very expensive.”
Albus felt completely satisfied to see them shrink and noticed Scorpius felt in the same way from his facial expression. After class, on their way to the Great Hall, he talked to Scorpius,
“Did you talk with your father since then?”
“Yes, we did. I confessed I was bullied ever since I got on the train.”
“Oh, were you? I didn’t know that.” Albus felt guilty that he had been harsh against him before.
“Don’t feel pity for me. I just wanted to be treated normally. I hate to be under the spotlight.”
“I feel in the same way.”
Scorpius was surprised and asked, “I always thought you were proud of your father’s power.”
“I’m proud of my father, of course. But we’ve been chased by Rita Skeeter since I was a baby. Would you want to live like that?”
“No.”
They came up to the Entrance Hall. Rose was running from behind and caught up with them. Albus asked her,
“What were you doing?”
“When I went to the library to take back the book, I saw Luna at the desk so I talked with her. Big news. She brought some picture books from Japan.”
Albus and Scorpius exchanged glances. Scorpius shrugged.
“The fairy tale of Shota and Saki! Don’t you want to read it?” Rose added.
“I do!” they answered at the same time and grinned.
“You have to wait till Madam Pince marks the Hogwarts emblem on them,” said Rose.
The Great Hall was crowded with students. All the long tables were removed and on the platform, Albus saw his father surrounded by seventh years in earnest discussion.
“But Mr. Potter, what do you think about Pure-Blood superiority? Though the system have caused many tragedies, I think the benefits that Pure-Blood wizards achieved in the past is enormous.” The tall golden haired boy threw a question.
“Goldstein, what’s your first name?” Harry asked.
“Please call me Tim.”
“Okay, Tim, are your parents from Pure-Blood, right? I suppose your family has reaped many benefits for generations. It may need much courage to give up most of the benefits. But what if you’re born a poor Muggle or poor Pure-Blood? What if you’re not treated properly by your family? You may feel desperate for everything if nobody loves you. There was a man whose mother was born in a declining Pure-Blood family. He didn’t know love. He was constrained by the radical thought of Pure-Blood superiority. He tried to build a society which insulted Muggle-Borns. Why did he try to eliminate Muggle-Borns? He hated his Muggle father who ditched his mother. Hate produced evil thoughts. Hate sought for evil power. He knew he could pervert his talent and the wrong ideology, the Pure-Blood superiority for his evil aim. If you want to master DADA, you have to understand the background of our world, Tim.”
Hushed silence reigned over the Great Hall. Harry nodded towards Neville who was waiting near the platform. Neville climbed it and stood next to him. Harry pulled out his holly wand and rubbed it with his left thumb. He spoke,
“You have a wand. You have to appreciate it. We have responsibility for own magic. A long time ago, our ancestors used magic to make our lives convenient. But before we knew, magic was used against each other. Magic shouldn’t be used for fighting. The day that we don’t need to learn about DADA, is the day that our world is finally at peace. So what you learn today from me is one skill, Disarming Charm.”
“No way! Again, Dad?” James muttered.
Harry smiled at his son,
“My first son has already learned it during summer holidays. But if he fights with a skillful wizard, I doubt James can win against him. James, come here. Neville is your opponent.”
James climbed the platform nervously. Neville pulled out his wand and got set to duel. James had never seen Neville’s so serious look. He pulled out his wand, too. The students and professors including McGonagall and Hagrid watched with breathless interest. Harry shouted, “Ready, set go!”
“Expelliarmus!” they bellowed at the same time.
Albus caught his brother’s wand that hurtled into Rose with his Seeker’s moves. He handed it to James who trotted down. James looked sullen with chagrin.
“Who’s next?” Harry asked.
Soon, Harry called Scorpius. Albus noticed Malfoy was observing near the entrance door. The spot was dark so that he couldn’t see his facial expression. Scorpius climbed gingerly and pulled his wand and held it to his waist level. Neville’s face got softer. Albus predicted that Professor Longbottom would be easy on him. As he foresaw, Scorpius was faster than the professor. There was a clapping sound from behind the crowd. Malfoy was praising his son. Harry said,
“Well, done, Scorpius.” He clapped his hands, too.
All the students started clapping. Scorpius jumped off the platform and came to the spot where Albus and Rose were smiling at him.
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Madam Pince examined the oriental cover of the fairy tale book. She had never seen such a unique cover. She could feel the texture of the handmade paper by the touch. The coloring materials must have been far different from any paints used for European and Celtic books. Making sure whether the emblem was flat enough not to damage the other books if she stacked the on top, she stacked the three books on the other books carefully. Then she heard the girl’s voice, a bookworm. Rose Weasley spoke timidly,
“Madam Pince, are these ready for lending?”
Madam Pince stared at her over her spectacles,
“Yes, they’re ready. If you tear, bend, fold, smear, drop...” her words were cut in by two other boys,
“Yes, we will promise to take care of them.” Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy grabbed the book each and opened the cover and wrote down their names on the column.
Then they held the book in each arm and left for their favorite place to read, in the back room. The three students sat around the small table and soon started reading voraciously.
Swimming in the Kappa’s state, Shota remembered his younger days. He used to go fishing crawfishes at the river in the summer and pond smelts in the winter with childhood friends. Saki was always there with him. He had a vivid memory her wearing Chinese milk vetch flower necklaces. He remembered the early morning sounds outside of his room. He could still see the pricked up his ears and stared at the paper slide doors. two silhouettes reflected on the screen of the paper slide doors and the crow men who entered the room. He had tried to call for help, but he couldn’t. In spite of his resistance, he was forced to drink a potion and went to sleep. When he woke up again, he was wrapped in cotton clothes, lying on the floor. An old man in white clothes was laid next to him. He sensed the man was dead. Some of the crow men chanted songs he couldn’t understand at all. Small pieces of holly wood were burned and the scent of smoke filled the air. The elder crow man spoke,
“Our leader was found. I declare the transferring ceremony was successful.”
The elder crow bowed deeply to Shota and said,
“My boy, I’ll take care of you from today. My son Saburo will take care of you as well.” He introduced his young crow son.
Shota knew that he was abducted from somewhere. He knew that he and the dead old man weren’t crow men. He reckoned the old man was also abducted in his younger days. He wanted to see his village again but most of his memories had already gone and couldn’t remember the past well. All he could do was accept his destiny.
When he reached the age, he was forced to be the leader of their army. The Tengu tribe had supported Heike Samurai. He knew the fact that the village where he was born was located in the border of Heike territory and Genji territory later. It was the time when he realized that he was abducted from the Kouga Ninja’s village which supported the Genji tribe.
He stood on the top of the cliff and stared at the river meandering down through the mountain. Houses were dotted all along the banks. He wondered which one was where he had grown up. He couldn’t remember her name, but he missed the girl. Temporarily, he remembered that they were supposed to be together. Then Saburo approached him.
“Sir, it’s time to drink the potion.”
“I’m coming.” Shota went back to the nest.
He didn’t like Saburo. His attitude was cool, but he took care of Shota earnestly. It could just be loyalty to the top of his tribe. Shota would rather have the respect come from his heart.
He knew the Tengu tribe supported Heike in secret. Shota’s army was just one of them. He went to the battlefield many times. Exhausted, he sometimes visited his village. Though Saburo checked to see if Shota drank the potion, sometimes Shota would secretly not drink it since he wanted to remember the girl. That was how he had met Saki near the tree after he had been exhausted by a night scouting mission. Once she had seen him when he was in his Tengu state. He had predicted that she would find out what he really was sooner or later. As he had thought, she found out his hiding place and slipped into his nest. On that day, everything from his past had come back to his memory. When he saw her under the moonlight, he was perfectly mesmerized by her beauty. She had grown up a woman. He fell in love with her on that night. She seemed to feel in the same way. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He pulled her in his arms and kissed her. When he wanted more, Saburo’s voice was heard outside. He reluctantly let her go. He had to protect her. If she was seen by his Tengu tribe, she would be killed instantly. He showed her his secret exit to the outside and she ran away to the darkness.
Heike had the other supporters were like pirates in the western sea. They reached their political peak at Kyoto but soon after their short reign, the Genji regained their strength with support from Ninjas and the other Samurai warriors. The Heike warriors ran away with their ladies and children to the western sea. They took the little Emperor and three magical tools : a sword, a mirror and a jewel with them. The battle came to unexpected sad ending. The noble ladies and the little Emperor threw themselves into the sea, along with the three magical tools.
The hunting didn’t end there. Genji warriors went hunting for the warriors of the Tengu tribe. Many of them were caught and killed. Desperately, Shota and Saki married secretly and decided to run away together. On their escape, they were found by the Genji warriors. Shota was determined to have Saki get away first. He chose to transform into a Kappa. They arranged that they would meet again at their village. He knew that the place was the border between the magical world and the Muggle world, the border between the Tengu tribe residence and the Ninja tribe residence. He knew that he had to transform from Tengu to Kappa to break the Curse cast by the elder crow man in his younger days. After making sure Saki ran away, he transformed into a Kappa.
He had to endure a different pain from the time when he transformed into Tengu. He bore the pain for Saki, and for his own freedom. When he finished transforming, he saw his image on the surface of the water. The water mirror reflected his scales and webs and green skin color. He touched his head which had a plate where no hair existed. When a mellow wild pear fell into the water, Shota jumped into the river. As he transformed into a Kappa, his memory went blurry. He felt like he had been a Kappa for a long time. But the memory of his younger days still remained and he kept swimming forward. The recollection that he and his friend ran through the bridge over the river revived. ‘To the bridge…’, he determined to swim forward. His goal was the bridge. How many miles he swam, he did not know. He was hungry and tired. But he kept swimming and swimming. Day and night, he swam on. His limbs were numb and he was nearly giving up. But the image of the girl in his mind made him continue the trip. Suddenly the scent of wild pear wafted in the water. The familiar scent made his memory come back to him. He realized his limbs had no webs. He was changing back to a human being. The realization gave him the strength to keep swimming. He exerted his last strength, and finally reached the bridge. He stretched his arms and held a bridge post. He climbed up and grabbed the bar of the bridge. He hoisted himself up to the top of the bar. When he fell down on the bridge, Saki ran towards him. She took off her kimono jacket and wrapped naked Shota with it. Supported by her, he came back to his village from years ago. He seemed to be very tired out after long swimming. Even so, she thought he was very beautiful. She fell in love with him again.
Shota’s family shed tears and welcomed him. The village feasted for seven days. After that, the young couple went to the old big oak tree. Under the tree, Shota knelt down and proposed to her following the traditional rules.
Cold winter had left with the northern wind. Spring visited the village with the east wind again. Women boiled rice and made rice cakes for celebration. Men carried barrels of sake. Villagers sang and played instruments. Strong drums vibrated through the valley, mountain and river. Among the blooming cherry blossoms, Saki and Shota marriage was celebrated by the people’s blessings.
Finished with the fairy tale, Rose said,
“I learned the meaning of what priest Dogen wrote in his letter to Uncle Harry. They used the Kappa’s eggs for their protection from their enemies. We shouldn’t use them for other things.”
“You’re right, Rose. I remembered what my father said at the DADA lesson at the Great Hall. We have wands. We have a responsibility for our magic. Magic should be used to make our lives convenient. Magic shouldn’t be used for fighting.” said Albus.
“Why have we fought each other? We’ve learned Magic history and how stupidly we’ve killed each other. Father still suffers from nightmares about his friend who died at Hogwarts.” said Scorpius.
They stayed there, rereading the picture book until Madam Pince urged them to go back to their dorms.
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On the day of MacNeil’s trial, Professor Lybeck entered the witness box. He turned to MacNeil sternly. Chained to the arms of the chair, MacNeil’s face was expressionless. Lybeck started reading the translation of the mermaid, Doroles.
“I, Doroles of the Great Lake, witnessed the wizard from the magical photo in the newspaper break the case and steal the four Kappa’s eggs. I saw him use his wand to replace them with fake ones. After that, he put the fake eggs in the case again.”
MacNeil closed his eyes. Until he was arrested, everything had gone well. Rabastan Lestrange’s idea was perfect. He had hope. After Voldemort fell, their fervent wish was to reconstruct the society of Pure-Bloods. When MacNeil found the Japanese Magical Water Demon’s secret, Lestrange was excited and delighted. They planned using Scamander and Malfoy. Lestrange threatened Malfoy. It was MacNeil’s job to steal the Kappa’s eggs in Newt Scamander’s possession. He skillfully got information about the eggs from his son, Xavier Scamander and took advantage of their long-term feud. He talked him into stealing the classified Water Demon’s eggs from Newt’s room and let him donate them to Room 55 of the DM. It was easy for him to cheat the head of DM, Joanne McSherry. Though she was a smart boss, she had a weak point, her daughter. He cunningly let her believe her daughter was sick and gave her a reason to leave, which made his dirty job easier. But he had not noticed he also had a blind spot. He had no idea about the merpeople, Dolores witnessed all his evil acts from the tank in the same room.
The Chief Justice read out the judgment after Lybeck’s testimony.
“Given evidences were the used Kappa’s eggs and two syringes of their essence extracted. They were tagged with the names of Head of the Auror, Robards and Auror Potter. It is obvious that MacNeil would target on them the next after he committed the crimes against Mr. Haas and Professor Lybeck. He conspired with Rabastan Lestrange and committed crimes. He’ll be indicted on the five counts of misusing of the Kappa’s eggs for one Muggle, two wizards and attempted misusing of them for two wizards. For these crimes, he will be sent to Azkaban.”
After court, Professor Lybeck approached Harry. He said brightly,
“I wish I could see your DADA lesson. I heard the lesson was welcomed by all houses. I’m planning the second dueling lesson after yours, Mr. Potter.”
Harry tried to ask what it was like when the professor had been a Kappa, but he rethought and changed his mind. He was shocked to know MacNeil had a plan to make him the third victim by stabbing him with the syringe of Kappa’s essence. Sensing his thought, Lybeck spoke,
“I remember the memory when I was a Kappa, Mr. Potter. It was shameful to be forced to the Water Demon but it was a valuable experience as a DADA teacher. I wanted to go back to Hogwarts. The strong feeling kept me swimming up the river to the Great Lake.”
“Oh, then does the Great Lake have a Muggle area?”
“Yes, it does. If you’re changed to a Kappa, you could swim it better than me, Mr.Potter.” Lybeck grinned wide.
Harry made a forced smile but he had no confidence about it.
Harry went back to the Burrow where Ginny and Lily were waiting. Luna visited them with Lorcan and Lysander. Hugo and Lily jumped into them to get together and soon they started the game ascending and descending the stairs vigorously.
“Grandpa and dad had worked together for the first time to save professor Lybeck and Mr. Haas. We helped them, too. Rolf and dad joined the team for Mr. Haas and grandpa and I helped professor. This incident made bonds between parent-child tied firmly. All is well that ends well.” Luna said in her dreamy voice seeing the children play.
Arthur was observing Harry’s spectacles and asked,
“I heard from Ron that this spectacles were made good use of. I’m proud of it, Harry. It took much time for me and George to develop this product.” He looked very satisfied.
“I wanted to show you the lights trace on the bar counter at the Three Broomsticks.” Harry smiled at him.
“What the hex did you say?”
“The Obliterating Charm.”
“Ah, the typical!” shouted Arthur.
“Don’t forget Hermione’s advice, Dad.” Ron entered the sitting room. He showed the owl letter to Harry, “Hey, professor Lybeck became your fan, Harry.”
“Oh, I know.” He took it and unfolded it.
“What does he say?”
“He is eager to teach me Mermish and I’ll teach him the dueling skill instead.”
“Wow, will you learn Mermish?”
“Yeah. After the incident, I recognized the importance to learn the other language. If I knew Mermish, I could have prevented more crimes.”
“Oh, you don’t have to blame yourself, Harry.” Ginny entered the room with Lily. “You work so hard. As your wife, I worry about your health.” She frowned.
Holding Lily in his arms, he said, “Thank you Ginny. But I’d like to learn Mermish. Years passed, I realize what a great wizard Dumbledore was. I want to be closer to him as possible.” He kissed Lily on the cheek. “Are you taking our children and Scorp to Christmas Gathering for Puddlemere United fans?”
“Yes, I am. I’m happy to know our kids and Scorp became good friends.”
“I expect Scorp will have more confidence after you take him to the gathering.” Harry smiled.
They sat together on the sofa. Lily jumped off it and ran out the room to play with Hugo. Ginny sat down next to him and they kissed. Arthur coughed lightly and was leaving the sitting room. But he noticed Ron was still there, approached him. He patted him on the shoulder and urged to leave together.
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