FicWad

Chapter 98 - The Element Of Air

FLASHBACK

Dimension: 563 - Earth
Date: Unknown
Country: Unknown
Location: Unknown
Time: An Eternity In A Second

"I am not liking the look of those cliffs Adam." Stated Harry "Isn't there somewhere a little

more flat that we could study air? And possibly a bit cooler as well."

They were standing on a long stone cliff in the middle of nowhere, all that was around then were

brownish rocks, a few shrubs, a termite mound, lots and lots of dust and dirt and one odd

looking lizard standing on a rock watching them curiously.

The cliff itself was actually part of a valley but the other side of it was several dozen feet

away and about two thirds of the height, at the bottom of the valley out of the direct sunlight

was a trickle of a stream, around which a little more plant life existed, but not much.

"We need thermals and we need wind and here there are both." Adam replied before looking skyward

"You see those birds."

Harry, looking away from the cliff face that he had been very carefully looking down (he didn't

mind heights as long as there was a broom or Hippogriph to keep him there), he cautiously took a

few steps back from the edge then looked up, in the sky several dark shapes were spiralling

upwards.

"Yeah."

"All of those are predators or scavengers and they are using the thermals. These thermals are

generated by the cool air that blows along the valley being sucked out by lower air pressure

around the cliffs where hotter air has risen; they use the lift to soar higher and higher to

allow them to scout for food."

"Right."

"Notice how they don't flap their wings, even when taking off they simply jump off the cliff or

wherever they are roosting and the warm air lifts them up."

Harry was still watching the birds when he heard the sound of running feet. He looked down just

in time to see Adam jump off the edge of the cliff.

"ADAM!!" he shouted before he realised that he was not falling and that the wind had just

increased in speed, forcing him to shade his eyes to avoid dirt collecting in them.

Through the new clouds of dust being stirred up by the wind he could see that the two edges of

Adam's cloak had become fixed in to straight lines as if a metal rod had been sown into them and

that the end of his cloak was somehow attached to one of his ankles. His arms were gripping the

leading edges and were adjusted them in the stronger winds, angling them for maximum lift to the

extend that he was literally hovering in mid air; in this position he bore quite a resemblance

to Batman.

In a carefully executed move he re-angled his make shift wings, gaining a few meters in height

before leaning forward and gliding across the canyon, half closing his wings and diving towards

the edge as he got closer.

As he reached the edge Adam opened his wings wide once more, stopping his forward momentum

before releasing his cloak back to its normal state allowing him to drop to the ground.

Turning he called back to Harry.

"When you have good control of the Air Element with just the smallest surface area to catch the

wind and some amount of skill you will be able to do as they do and more."

END FLASHBACK
________________________________________________________________________

Dimension: 1375 - Earth
Date: 13th October 2001 AD
Country: Britain - Scotland
Location: Hogwarts - Quidditch Pitch
Time: Afternoon

The Bludger smashed hard into the tail of his broom sending him and his broom into a vertical

spin.

The force was so great he lost his grip on his broom, sending him falling through the air,

during his spin he caught sight of his broom responding to the magic's programmed into it

stabilising itself and hovering in the air exactly where he had fallen from it now many meters

away and getting more distant by the second.

He saw Draco who had recovered from his escape manoeuvre and was diving down after the snitch,

not aware that Harry was in freefall behind him.

And then he saw the ground many hundred feet below him.

This was going to hurt.
________________________________________________________________________

"Oh God, look!!" shouted Tara, being the first to notice Harry's freefall as he emerged from the

glare of the sun.

There were cries of alarm from all around the stadium as people spotted the accelerating shape

of Harry Potter.

"Arry!!" Fleur cried dashing to the front of the box and beginning to transform.

"Stop!!" order Adam who unlike most of the rest of the boxes occupants was still sitting down.

"What do you mean stop!!" shouted Buffy "He's going to be killed if we don't stop him."

"Wait!!" he added, calmly standing and walking to the front of the box, grabbing Fleur's arm

just as she tried to take off.

"Let me go!!" she screeched, trying to wrestle herself free, but Adam's grip was just too

strong.

"What on earth is Harry doing?" exclaimed Xander, who was the only one with a pair of

binoculars.
________________________________________________________________________

Harry was thinking as fast as he could, spinning over in the air with a well positioned arm he

cast a wandless Accio on his broom.

Spinning over again he began altering his robes, extending their reach and straightening the

leading edges so that he could form a wing.

Completing his alteration he looked for Malfoy and the Snitch, he caught sight of them engaged

in a high speed chase as the ball led Draco around and between the hoops at one end of the

pitch.

Smiling he worked out his descent before pulling his arms and legs in and diving like a missile

towards the ground.
________________________________________________________________________

"Spread out you suicidal idiot!!" bellowed Anne "Are you trying to impale the ground with your

head!!"

All the while people were shouting around the stands.

"LET ME GO!!" screamed Fleur, completely transformed, fighting Adam to go to her beloved as he

shot towards the ground.

"We've got to do something!!" shouted Dawn.

"We can stop him." Announced Willow as she and Tara stood and began to gather their magic.

"No, do nothing." Corrected Adam.

"We can not do nothing!!" shouted Anne.

"Very well," Adam sighed in slight defeat, acting as though Harry was not plummeting through the

air towards certain death.

Turning to the pitch where the players were just figuring out why the crowd were shouting and

screaming he called to the player with the fastest broom.

"GINNY!!" he shouted, getting her attention as she and the rest of the Gryffindor team surged

towards their falling comrade in an attempt to catch him "Get Harry's broom to him!!"

She nodded, altering course towards the broom which was already obeying the summoning charm

Harry had cast at it.

"Is that all you're going to do!!" shouted a panicking Dawn.

"Yes." He nodded, still restraining Fleur "That's all I need do."

"But she won't reach...."

"Oh my God!!" Tara exclaimed interrupting her "Look!!"
________________________________________________________________________

Harry was watching Draco and the Snitch very carefully, he was aware of his team mates flying

towards him but he already knew what to do.

The snitch started to climb back into the sky, Draco immediately altering his course to

intercept, still right on its tail.

Picking his moment he swirled in mid air, generating as much wind as he could, enhancing it with

his Elemental abilities before levelling out and straightening his arms.

The entire pitch fell silent as they watched the bat shape that they knew as Harry Potter stop

falling and instead entered a slow rising glide across the pitch. His team stopped dead almost

creating a mid air pile up, floating on the currents of air he moved above and just behind

Malfoy's position before closing his makeshift wing and diving once again.
________________________________________________________________________

Draco was ecstatic, at last he was going to do it, the Snitch was right in front of him and

Potter was no where to be seen.

He was going to beat Potter, for the first time EVER he was going to beat Potter to the Snitch.

It was less than a meter away, nothing could stop him now.

Fifty centimetres, thirty, twe....

Something big and red blasted past him, before spiralling off.

"What the...." he never got the chance to finish as the distraction caused by the object kept

his attention averted just long enough for him to forget that he was heading straight for the

hoops at the Gryffindor end of the pitch.
________________________________________________________________________

Harry grinned in triumph as he redeployed his wings, bringing himself about he reduced the wind

pressure on his wings, slowing his descend towards the pitch where the shocked and ecstatic

students were already charging towards him.

Slowly reaching the grass he collapsed his wing and ran himself to a stop just before he got

tackled to the ground by a fully transformed and very relieved Veela.

"Oh Arry." She sobbed engulfing him in a tight hug "I thought you were going to die."

He chuckled lightly hugging her back, trying to ignore how sharp fingernails currently were.

"Didn't you know....I'm virtually indestructible."

They never got the chance to say any more as his team landed around him and hauled them to their

feet.

"That was incredible Harry."

"How did you do it?"

"That Bludger at Crabbe."

"You were flying without a broom."

"How did you...."

Fortunately the next person to arrive was Ginny who threw his broom to him as she approached,

giving him and Fleur the chance to dodge most of the questions by taking off and doing a victory

lap around the pitch holding the Snitch triumphantly.

As he approached the hoops at one end of the pitch he caught sight of Draco; hanging from the

ring of the tallest hoop while his legs attempted to wrap around the pole.

"You alright there Malfoy?" he asked stopping beside him.

"Oh yes, I'm just dandy," he replied, his voice thick with sarcasm "I enjoy hanging onto wooden

poles many meters above the ground with no other means of suspension except my rapidly slipping

hands after just loosing at Quidditch to the Boy-Who-Lived AGAIN."

"Oh well," nodded Harry grinning "In that case, I will leave you to your hanging."

"Oh for Merlin's sake Potter!" he shouted at them "Get me down!"

Trying to hold in her laughter Fleur summoned Draco's broom from where it had impaled itself in

the ground before floating it over to him.

"Thank you." He reluctantly added as he climbed aboard before darting off towards the Changing

Rooms.
________________________________________________________________________

Dimension: 1375 - Earth
Date: 13th October 2001 AD
Country: Britain - Scotland
Location: Hogwarts - Corridors
Time: Evening

Ginny had just left the Gryffindor Common Room, the celebration party was in full swing but she

knew that if she did not get out of there for a few minutes her head would explode.

Heading down a flight of stairs that as usual was refusing to cooperate in allowing her to go

the way she wanted to she had the fortune to end up bumping into Draco.

"Oh....hi."

"Hello Ginny." he replied, seeming rather down.

"Still upset about the match?" she asked.

"Yeah, the whole team is rather unpopular at the moment and being the most singled out member of

the team, I take the most unpopularity."

"Mind if I walk with you?"

"I'd like that."

They walked in silence down several corridors, not actually speaking until an odd noise echoed

down the hall they were in.

"Did you hear that?"

Draco nodded.

There was a slow grunt from behind them.

Slowly they turned around....then looked up.

"Oh....shit."
________________________________________________________________________

Harry, Hermione and Ron had been feeling the same as Ginny had about the party, there was a

certain point where most people forgot what the party was in aid of and just started going mad,

that moment had just occurred.

"I swear each party gets worse than the last." Sighed Hermione as the portal closed behind them.

"Who was it that brought the Fire Whisky?" gasped Ron, still trying to recover from when he had

taken a long swig of what he thought at the time was Butterbeer but soon discovered was not.

"Spike I think," Harry replied "He's not really the Butterbeer type is he."

"It's definitely more entertaining with Anne's lot as well," smiled Hermione "Xander doing that

silly dance of his. I had a great talk to Willow and Tara about Wiccan Magic."

"How can you have a discussion in the middle of all that partying?" asked Ron.

"I think the answer to that is with great difficulty." Replied Harry with a chuckle "But only

Tara, Willow and Hermione cou....ARRRGH."

Harry fell to the floor clutching his head.

"Harry!!" Hermione exclaimed moving to his side.

Harry's eyes were screwed shut in pain. The paintings around them were staring in shock, Harry

had been on the floor for a good ten seconds before his eyes flew open and he launched himself

to his feet and down the corridor, Hermione and Ron in hot pursuit.
________________________________________________________________________

Ginny and Draco ducked as the club swung around barely missing their heads.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT!!" Draco repeated pulling her backwards avoiding getting hit

by the club on its return swing.

"Don't swear!!" Ginny managed to get out as Draco again threw her out the way of the club.

"Of all the times to swear," duck "This is most defiantly one of them!!" the club missed yet

again....but the fist didn't; catching Draco in the chest.

They were both thrown back over ten feet in a tangle of robes.

Draco started struggling to extract his wand from the depths of his clothes while still trying

to recover from the impact as the troll ambled towards them.

Ginny looked up in time to see Harry, Hermione and Ron charge round the corner only to have

Harry come to a dead stop so fast that Ron collided with him, or to be more precise their heads

collided throwing them both into the wall knocking them out and somehow managing to rebound and

fall back on top of Hermione causing all three to fall to the ground with Hermione conscious but

totally pinned to the ground under their combined weight of her friends.

"It's not fair, it's just not fair!!" Ginny complained dodging another swing "The rescue party

is NOT supposed to knock itself out!!"

"So much for the bloody cavalry!!" Draco yelled as he got picked off the floor by his leg.

Draco was still struggling with his robes, his wand dropped to the floor with a clatter.

"Oh Balls." he exclaimed still hanging in the trolls fist

"Don't sw...." she began.

"This is not the bloody time to tell me not to bloody swear!!" the other fist mist him by inches

"Pick up the BLOODY WAND!!"

She grabbed the wand as the other hand came around knocking her to the ground again.

Think, think, think, how would Harry or Hermione solve this? How would Ron?

Oh....Of course!!

"Wingardium Leviosa!!" the club hung in the air just as the troll was about to bring it crashing

down on Draco.

The troll looked up to see where its club had gone.

"Finite Incantatem!!"

The club dropped.

The troll over balanced slightly, losing its grip on Draco and staggering back.

The club missed the troll and collided with Draco where he had fallen after being dropped.

Or more specifically it collided with Draco's head.

"Oh....Sorry."

He fell to the floor unconscious.

The club then bounced off the stone floor and collided with Ginny, knocked her to the ground.

She heard a scuffling behind her.

"Incarcerous!!" Hermione shouted as cords shot out of the end of her wand, she had finally

managed to partially excavate herself so that her wand arm was free.

The cords flew from her wand, wrapped around the trolls legs and arms binding them to its body.

The troll started to topple forward directly towards Draco and Ginny.

"GINNY!!" Hermione shouted as male voice called out something uninterruptible.

The troll was hit by a wave of blue magic and was sent falling in the opposite direction.

Ginny rolled over in time to see Adam lowering his staff.

Dumbledore, Snape, Anne and the younger Scoobies came charging round the corner as Harry and Ron

groaned and started to regain consciousness.

"Thanks for that one Ron," Harry groaned steadying himself on the wall and helping Hermione to

her feet "I really needed another headache after that vision."

"Sorry mate, just don't stop so fast next time." Ron managed climbing to his feet "Why were you

running anyway, because whatever it was it...."

Ron had just looked up in time to see Ginny move Malfoy's head into her lap

"Ginny. What the hell are you doing?" he asked dumbstruck, obviously not quite ready to see any

man's head in her lap, though he quickly calmed his expression when he remembered he wasn't

supposed to be interfering.

"Don't swear." Hermione chimed in, looking a little annoyed that neither of the boys had

actually asked if she was alright after having both of them fall on her.

Snape moved to Malfoy and checked his pulse ignoring Ginny.

"He's still alive." he said standing and drawing his wand.

"Mobilicorpus."

Draco's body levitated of the floor.

"What happened?" asked Buffy confused.

"Draco and I were attacked by that troll." said Ginny pointing back to where the troll was.

Hermione turned back to where the troll had fallen.

"Errr....what troll?"

Everyone turned to where the troll had been laying; all that was left was the cords from

Hermione's spell.

Ginny started starring and gaping at the cords that had held the beast not moments before.

"It was....there was....it....I...."

Ginny then cut herself off by passing out, Harry's lightning reflexes (although not up to their

usual standard due to the knock out) were enough to catch her before she hit the ground.

"I suggest we remove Miss. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy to the Hospital Wing so that Poppy can examine

them," Dumbledore stated taking charge "As well as having a look at Harry's and Mr. Weasley's

heads."
________________________________________________________________________

A few minutes later in the Hospital Wing Harry, Ron, Draco and Ginny were in beds, the former

two are conscious as was the last, Harry and Ron have had their heads treated and Ginny had had

to take a Pepper-Up Potion. Adam and Dumbledore were standing by one of the beds; Hermione and

Fleur are perched on the edges of Ron's and Harry's beds, while Snape paces the room, much to

the annoyance of Madam Pomfrey who is tending to Draco's head. Adam is holding his staff in his

left hand while he twirls his silver disk in his right, his expression thoughtful.

Hagrid walks in to the room followed by Filch, Dumbledore turns to face them.

"There is no sign of it Professor Dumbledore sir, Mr. Filch has checked the school with the aid

of the ghosts and I've checked the grounds and the forest, it's not on the premises sir."

"Thank you both." Dumbledore nodded before turning back to the assembled group as Hagrid and

Filch left.

"Where did the troll go?" Hermione asked to no one in particular.

"Good question Miss Granger and one that definitely needs answering." Dumbledore replied "This

is the second time that people or monsters have just disappeared from the school and its

grounds."

"Second?" Ron asked

"The Death Eaters." Dumbledore elaborated "They vanished shortly after the attack during the

summer."

"I don't think the two events are connected," theorised Adam "The former of the two

disappearances I believe to be the result of James's magic, he could have pulled them out to

avoid capture....that's why he teleported them out of the grounds."

Harry sat forward "Does that mean that he can just teleport troops straight into the grounds."

"What about the Apparation Wards." Hermione reminded them.

"Apparation Wards would not affect Teleporting, and Wards are only affective if the person

trying to get around them is less powerful than they are....James is not."

"So he could just Teleport straight in here right now." Ron said drawing his wand.

"Not anymore." Dumbledore informed them "Adam and myself have added extra wards and layers

protections to Hogwarts since that attack, Teleporting is now just as impossible as Apparation."

"And even before the additional protections were added, he still couldn't send people into

Hogwarts itself or he would have sent them so that they were surrounding you, he can only pull

people out with that amount of skill, the wards are strongest against those trying to get in."

Ron nodded his understanding and Adam continued.

"His magic was strong enough to lower the wards over a specific area to let them walk in and to

disguise their approach, pulling them out is simple in comparison or at least it was, now that

we have added additional protections it is impossible without us knowing about it."

"Oh." Ron replied "What do you mean disguise their approach?"

Adam turned to Dumbledore who nodded his permission.

"The Headmaster of Hogwarts is fully aware of anyone who enters the grounds and if he is not in

a position to be told the castle lets him know."

"What do you mean the castle lets him know?" asked Ginny

"When the castle was made it wasn't just constructed it was made magically," Hermione explained

"Which means it's alive, honestly am I the only one who has ever read Hogwarts: A History."

"Yes." Ron replied earning him a glare from Hermione.

"Very good Miss Granger," Congratulated the Headmaster "Ten points to Gryffindor."

Hermione blushed; Ron rolled his eyes at her while Harry rolled his eyes at both of them.

"Anyway," the Headmaster continued "Their presence was hidden from myself and the castle, it was

only thanks to Adam that I knew they were even here."

"But how if more protections have been added, how could that troll get in and get out without

you knowing?" asked Hermione

"We don't know?" answered Adam "But we are going to find out?"

"We can help!!" Hermione said jumping up excited at the prospect of solving the mystery or more

importantly the research involved.

The Headmaster chuckled.

"Very well Miss Granger, I suggest we all meet tomorrow in the Library immediately after

dinner."

"Headmaster." Snape interrupted "Are you sure this is a good idea, the research involved would

no doubt mean access to the Restricted Section, is it wise to allow them open access."

Ron almost growled.

"I am sure Severus that Professor Potter and his friends are not going to start dabbling in dark

magic's." Dumbledore finished with a smile.

"Very well Headmaster." Finished with a sigh.
________________________________________________________________________

AUTHORS NOTE: The second half of this chapter I was a little unsure about, when I got around to

rereading this part of my original draft (which I wrote years ago) it seemed similar to another

chapter I had read in another story (the name of which I cannot remember) and I honestly don't

know if I wrote this first and then read the other story, if I read the other story first then

forgot about it until just the idea of this chapter remained or any other variation thereof, but

encase when I originally wrote this chapter I did base the idea of someone else's idea I feel it

is only right to says so.