A Young Wizard's Journey - The Chamber of Secrets

Mounting Concerns

Y/N awoke early the next morning as he usually did and made his way down into the common room. It was still dark outside, but he felt wide awake. He wasn't sure why, maybe it was still left-over adrenaline, but he felt like he had to be up and doing something. He opened his Bedazzling Charms book and flicked through to one of the spells he was slightly better at.

'Protego!'

He watched as the small silvery shield formed in front of him and shimmered lightly before vanishing. He'd made a point to perfect this spell having seen its effect the year previously when he hadn't even been able to touch Quirrell. The book also spoke of stronger versions, but he wasn't prepared to even try risking those right now.

He hadn't had a proper chance to test the spell though. He knew it made a shimmer but not much else, and he didn't feel brave enough to ask Hermione to hex him. He had a feeling that her spells would overpower his shield anyway.

He instead turned to the page for Stupefy. He'd been watching this spell carefully ever since he'd discovered the person in his dream use it. It was also a spell Quirrell had used against him, the red stunning spell he'd used to knock Y/N out, and any spell Quirrell or Voldemort knew was worth knowing. Even if only to know what it could do.

Growing up with McGonagall had made him immune to certain things. One of which was saying Voldemort's name. His mum had told him that on the night she had adopted him, Dumbledore had told her something.

'Fear of a name, only increases fear of the thing itself.'

And she had raised Y/N much the same. But she had also refused to raise him with the image that Voldemort would never return. She was hopeful, much as everyone else was, but too many rumours still existed of his existence. And after last year...

'I have to be ready,' Y/N growled as he attempted the stunning spell again. His wand let off a small red flash but nothing else. Heir of Slytherin, Slytherin's monster, Voldemort. He had to stop them.

He tried again, his wand flashed brighter this time, but still no spell. On and on his thoughts climbed. Mrs Norris hanging from the bracket. His mind saw Ves hanging there by her tail, still and lifeless. Then onto Hermione, her face, body, arms frozen.

'STUPEFY!' he was pretty sure his yell could have woken half of Gryffindor house, but he didn't care as the jet of red light soared out of his wand and impacted the wall across from him. He stared, his emotions calming, and for some reason he felt drained, as if he'd just run a marathon. He breathed out heavily, missing as the chair that had been hovering next to him landed back on the floor.

A moment later and something collided with his side.

'You did it! You did it!' came an excited voice from next to him as Y/N tried to regain his bearings. Hermione gazed up at him, her arms around his waist as she beamed. 'That's really advanced magic, Y/N!'

'Don't know how I did it to be honest,' said Y/N, looking at the small impact mark where his spell had hit. 'I didn't do that much different to usual apart from...' but he trailed off as he remembered his previous train of thought.

'Apart from...?' Hermione prompted.

'Nothing, not yet at least. Let me talk to mum first.' She looked like she wanted to argue, but instead dragged Y/N over to one of the sofas, pushing him down onto it before sitting next to him and opening one of their textbooks. She placed her head on his shoulder and together, they read.

Before long, Ron and Neville came down to join them and together they made their way down towards the Great Hall. Y/N took a slight detour heading towards McGonagall's classroom, wanting to stop in and see her first. Hermione followed him, subtly at first until he sighed and beckoned her to catch up.