Albus Potter and the Healing Springs

Everyone’s favorite time around the castle was during the last months before The New Year. Halloween was always a fun time, and, with Christmas holidays drawing near, excitement was surely taking its course.
 
However, even with the jolly atmosphere, Albus couldn’t help but worry about what happened when he went to the Forbidden Forest. Ever since the experience, Ronnie and Albus had an unspoken agreement that the arguing was over.
 
On top of that, Albus was still trying to recover from this discovery he’s making of his father. It brought him and James a little closer, but they haven’t talked about it at all. Although everyone else was getting excited to go home for the Christmas holidays, it was nerve-wrecking for the brothers.
 
He received a letter from his father telling him that Luna and her family were coming to stay with them for the Christmas holidays. He didn’t share it with James yet, mostly because he didn’t want to be put in the position where he would have to talk about their family. He didn’t want to talk about his father.
 
From what Professor McGonagall had told him over the past few weeks, Dad defeated a dark lord, saved the world, and became a well known hero. Yet, all his life, he failed to tell his children about it.
 
It was likely that even though Albus and James now knew, his parents probably haven’t told Lily. That just makes everything a whole lot more awkward. Albus truly missed his family but he was afraid things would never be the same between them.
 
The days that followed consisted of trying to figure out what exactly happened at the forest. Even after telling Alex, the pieces just didn’t fit together.
 
“Well, Hagrid told me this morning that the Blast-Ended Skrewt wasn’t dead. It woke up last night but it’s very weak. It can’t do anything but at least it’s alive,” said Albus.
 
“But what could have attacked that big of an animal and keep it unconscious for so long?!” inquired Alex.
 
At that, everyone around them in the Great Hall began to stare.
 
“What are you guys talking about?” asked Ana Cooper wide-eyed having overheard them from next to Albus.
 
“Maybe we should go to the common room. It’d be a bit more private,” whispered Ronnie, and the three left evading the stares they were receiving.
 
When they reached the common room, it was completely empty. Everyone seemed to be out at Hogsmeade, or simply around the castle.
 
“I think the thing that bothers me the most is the burnt Gryffindor cloak we found. Why was someone in the forest?” questioned Ronnie.
 
“Well, who do we know that is out every night,” said Alex and looked at Albus.
 
“You think Webster is behind this?” said Albus.
 
“I’m not saying he did it, but he isn’t very trustworthy, is he?”
 
“He’s just a first-year. I doubt he’s capable of knocking out a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Would you be able to do that? Plus, around the Skrewt was a variety of animal prints.”
 
Alex nodded. Ronnie then added “Maybe he just made a bunch of animals angry and made them want to jump him.”
 
A few students entered through the portrait hole, so the trio had to continue their discussion in a hushed manner. They didn’t want anyone else to overhear their conversation.
 
“Are we going to tell anyone about this?” asked Alex.
 
“No, I don’t think we can. They will think we’re making things up. We’re only first-years. Plus, McGonagall already has a lot on her plate without having to worry about this. She still hasn’t even found Professor Slughorn,” said Ronnie.
 
It didn’t occur to Albus just how much McGonagall had going on. She has to find Slughorn, find out what happened to Taylor Jones, and take care of the rest of the students. He really didn’t want to worry her with something that was probably actually just nothing. It could have just been a herd of angry animals, nothing more.
 
“Well, we at least need to tell Johnny about it. Just so he can keep an eye out,” Alex suggested.
 
“Okay, that’s fine. I’m going to go visit Hagrid and see how the Skrewt is doing. Maybe he knows what’s happened to it by now,” said Albus, and he left the common room to go to Hagrid’s hut.
 
Albus was just leaving the castle and heading down the hill to the hut when he saw Jake Webster running out of the Forbidden forest. He didn’t even stop. He just kept running into the castle.
 
So it was true, then! Jake Webster was the cause of the Skrewt being beat up! Maybe, Webster learned to control animals and forced them to attack the Skrewt, Albus assumed.
 
He admitted to himself that he was going out of control with his thoughts, but Jake Webster surely wasn’t someone to trust and he was just too suspicious. He wanted to turn back and go to Ronnie and Alex, but he needed to check on Hagrid and the Skrewt first.
 
“Who’s ‘ere?” asked Hagrid when Albus knocked the door.
 
“It’s me, Albus. Hagrid, open up,” he called.
 
“Sorry, Albus. It’s jus’ I don’ want any unwanted guests seein’ the Skrewt,” said Hagrid as he opened the door and rushed him in.
 
“Has it been getting any better?” asked Albus.
 
“Unfortunately, no. It seems t’ be getting worse actually,” answered Hagrid sorrowfully.
 
 “I think Jake Webster is the reason for all of this!” Albus blurted out.
 
“Who is that?” asked Hagrid. “I don’ think a student would be capable of doin’ such things.”
 
“He’s one of my roommates. He’s always out late, he’s rude, and I just saw him running out of the Forbidden Forest! He’s a bad kid. He’s evil!”
 
“So he’s a trouble-maker, doesn’ mean he’s evil. Listen to y’self, Albus. I don’ think he could ‘ave done this to my Skrewt,” said Hagrid as he led Albus to where he was keeping the Skrewt.
 
Fang was sitting next to it, and the Skrewt was barely moving. Its eyes were closed, but the subtle rise and fall of its chest indicated life. It was lying on Hagrid’s bed, covering the entire thing, with its sting hanging off the side.
 
It looked like a vicious creature. It was hard to believe any regular animal could have done this to it, even if it was a herd of animals. It was eerie to see a creature like this look so vulnerable, so drained.
 
“There’s just no other explanation, Hagrid. We also found a Gryffindor cloak in the forest. It just all fits together,” said Albus.
 
“Just like yer father,” Hagrid chuckled. “I know you aren’ goin’ to give this up easy. Please just try t’ stay out of trouble.”
 
“I’m not trying to get into trouble. I don’t even want to be involved in this mess. I’m just letting you know what I think.”
 
“Here, come have some tea. I bought some at Hogsmeade today.”
 
“Okay,” said Albus. Since it was bought, he knew it was safe to drink. Albus never did like Hagrid’s cooking. Not that he would tell him that, though.
 
When they sat down Albus couldn’t help but ask, “Hagrid, do you know how the search for Professor Slughorn’s going?”
 
“Yes, I’m a part of tha’ search. There hasn’ been much progress and it’s already been a few months. It’s terrifying, really. But there haven’ been many signs of dark wizards or witches around. This disappearance is really causing mayhem, not only here, but at the Ministry of Magic.”
 
“What’s going on at the Ministry?”
 
“You see Albus, this disappearance is causing assumptions that dark witches and wizards are beginning to grow in power again. Every time there has been a wizarding war, it all begins like this. Disappearances, killings, attacks, it’s happening again. Tha’ attack on Taylor Jones din’ make things better either, I can tell you tha’.”
 
That’s when it all clicked in Albus’ head. The attack on Taylor Jones, he saw the monster. It left him all scratched up and weak, but not dead. The attack on the Skrewt, it was attacked but not dead. There truly was a monster at Hogwarts.
 
“Hagrid, I’ve seen a monster here before!” screamed Albus without thinking.
 
“Wha’ did ye say? A monster? Impossible!”
 
“But it’s true, Hagrid. I saw a monster the night that Taylor Jones was attacked. It must have been the thing that attacked the Skrewt!”
 
“Now Albus-“
 
“Now that I come to think of it, Jake Webster wouldn’t like Taylor Jones. He’s a prefect, and he could catch him breaking the rules. Of course he’d want to take him out! It all makes sense now.”
 
“Albus, please stop getting out of hand. Don’t blame tha’ poor boy for all of this. An’ this talk abou’ a monster, don’t go around telling people tha’. It’s just going to make matters worse.”
 
“I’m not trying to make things worse, but you can’t tell me these pieces don’t match up!”
 
“You might ‘ave seen wrong. There are many explanations for what’s been going on. Don’t become one of those people who start to go crazy an’ come up with wacko ideas, eh? Yer just going to be scaring everybody. There’s no way a dark wizard could be lurking abou’ without the auror office knowing.”
 
“And why is that? Because my father is an auror and he is some hero?! So much of a hero that he couldn’t even tell his own children!” screamed Albus.
 
Albus got up, and stormed out of Hagrid’s hut. He didn’t think about what he was doing, but he just ran out. He could hear Hagrid yelling at him to wait, but he just kept running. He never intended to tell anyone what he’d seen, and now that he shares it with Hagrid, he treats him like he’s crazy. The mention of the auror office just enraged Albus even more.
 
“Shouldn’t have said tha’,” Hagrid sighed, back in the hut.
 
As he ran, he let his feet take him to security, but he ended up in an unknown corridor. He stopped immediately when he realized he was lost.
 
There was no one around, and it made him feel like he wasn’t supposed to be there. He looked around and there it was, the unusual statue he’d seen back when he was with McGonagall going to her office. He never did come back to check it out, and now was a good time. He needed to be alone, and he needed to cool down.
 
As he approached the statue, he realized it was in a separate room of its own. He walked down the corridor into the entrance of where the statue was, and he entered a huge circular room.
 
The walls of the room were engraved with flames all around. Along with the flames were musical notes. The statue itself was a lot bigger than Albus originally thought it was. The statue was at least 10 times taller than him. It was in the middle of the room, a huge bird with its wings spread out as if about to take flight.
 
The statue was on top of a huge block. On it, it said, “In Memory Of Fawkes, The Phoenix”.
 
So it wasn’t just a bird. It was a phoenix. Had the phoenix died so tragically that it needed a memorial? That couldn’t be it, because phoenixes are immortal. Since Albus didn’t know who this Fawkes was, he didn’t pay much mind to it. Regardless, the room was beautiful, the statue was beautiful, and it all put Albus in a very pleasant mood.
 
The room had torches all around the wall, but all of them were off. This room seemed deserted, and there was a lot of dirt around the statue.
 
As he walked out from the room, he found his way to a corridor that he recognized. After a few minutes of walking, he heard a deafening noise and began to run.
 
He spat the password at the fat lady and nearly jumped through the portrait hole into the common room. He was scared that the monster was back, and he didn’t want to be its next victim.
 
He walked over to Alex and Ronnie panting, and before they could ask him what happened, he saw Taylor Jones.
 
Without even discussing it with his friends, Albus walked over to ask Taylor Jones if he had any recollection of what happened to him, and what his symptoms were. Maybe he could get some proof of the monster and get Hagrid to believe him. More importantly, so he could have a reason to report it and keep everyone in the castle safe.
 
But right then, Taylor Jones collapsed.