Worthy Of Magic

Part 41 - The Battle

Out of Harry's hearing range, in the great hall, the inhabitants of Hogwarts had gathered to hear what the headmistress had to say.

Harry Potter's return had already begun to generate an excited buzz and everyone wanted to know what he had to say. Was it good news or bad?

There were thirty souls left in the castle. The rest had chosen to leave and had never returned.

Hermione, Tracey, Hitomi and Cedric, perched in the scenic spot that was the astronomy tower, were forming their own ideas and thoughts around the appearance of Harry.

"I had just about begun to get used the idea of living forever in Hogwarts," lamented Tracey with an amused sigh. Their group of friends had become detached from worry and paranoia behind the idea of being stuck at Hogwarts forever that infected the rest of the students and professors.

They were running wild and considered no one above them. Not even God.

Magic had become strong in Hogwarts and the power that seeped into them granted them the aura of invincibility.

Bellatrix Black's single handed assault had almost changed that and now Harry's reappearance was pulling at the seams of the delusion they had created for themselves.

Hitomi held centre stage. She was wearing her red school robes, tantalizingly split on both sides, and her dark hair was no longer neatly in a pony. It was left loose, long and combed with disinterest.

"The cage will not hold him for long," she said solemnly. Hitomi had gained utmost respect after her lightening magic managed to give them the chance to disarm and capture Bellatrix.

"Impossible," Hermione said immediately. She was seated on the floor cushions and holding Cedric's hand. "We derived that structure from his notes. He wrote it himself. The reflection rune structure is unparalleled in unpredictability of power."

The student from Mahoutokoro frowned. "You don't feel the strength of his spirit," she said. "His will is unimaginably strong."

Tracey sighed. "Explain it to me again. The whole spirit thing." She was smoking and leaning against the railing of the ledge.

Cedric responded, noticing Hitomi's scowl.

Hitomi had been irritable ever since the rest of her classmates and teacher had decided to leave Hogwarts. She had chosen to remain behind after Bellatrix Black had laid siege to Hogwarts. She would have left too but Hitomi had questions and Bellatrix was the key to getting them.

Justice was at stake for her clan.

However, the foul witch was proving difficult to break. Under the cover of secrecy, she had even resorted to torture but that only made Bellatrix scream and then laugh. No matter what she did, the witch refused to tell her why she assaulted Mahoutokoro all those years ago.

Hitomi's family above all had suffered the worst of her attack. Her clan lost grace and she was born amidst a gloom of failure and defeat.

When she was old enough to think for herself; getting answers and killing Bellatrix Black became her soul purpose in life. Nothing else mattered to her. All she cared about was vengeance.

Unfortunately, Bellatrix's amusement to her actions was not helping her.

"Mahoutokoro students don't use magic like we do," Cedric explained patiently. "They use the power of manifestation through the strength of their will power. A necessary skill in using such magic is measuring the strength of the spirit or will of things around them. Be it rocks or gods.

They match their will with the will of the object and then manipulate it's energy to bring in under their control. It's an incredible art form and unstoppable if the user's will is strong."