Muggle Meets Magic (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

TWENTY SIX St Mungos

Over the next few weeks, Hogwarts was buzzing with talk of the victory and our team had become famous throughout the school. Exams were fast approaching, but people could hardly focus. Many students had started betting on who was going to win the championships.

The teachers were desperately trying to discourage the hype and get students to focus on their studies with the exams so close. Will was running off to the library every time he had a spare moment, his bag packed with books and spare quills and study notes.

I was finding it incredibly difficult to focus on exams, but not because of the championships— because of what Lucas had said to me. What had he been on about? Why did I have such a bad feeling?

On top of everything, I was missing Callie badly and worrying about her. My parents had yet to find out she'd been hurt, but when they did, they'd fret and probably demand I come home. And I couldn't do that. Not now! Not when I was in so deep!

One morning an idea struck me, and I decided to visit the headmaster once more to ask him about it. Thankfully, his password hadn't changed since my last visit. Though he did seem a little shocked to see me turn up all the sudden.

"Miss Castilian? To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, as I meekly stepped into his office.

"Sorry to intrude," I apologized. "I just had a favor to ask and I wasn't sure if it could be granted... but I'd really like to pay a visit to Callie if I could."

The Professor's face fell.

"Hmmm... I really shouldn't allow such a visit Miss Castilian. It's terribly dangerous, and Callie needs time alone to recover. The nurses are working very hard to find a way to undo the curses controlling them."

"Professor, please. I need to see her. She's my friend from the muggle world! She's... she's so important to me."

For a brief moment, I considered spilling everything I knew. Showing the Professor the necklace, explaining how I obtained it and how it unlocked my powers, and admitting that it had been controlling the students... but I feared not being believed. I feared looking guilty. I feared getting my friends into trouble. But what if it convinced him? Or better yet, what if it was all they needed to figure out a counter spell?

"Fine," the Professor announced suddenly, making me snap out of my thoughts before I could say anything. "One quick visit. Come back this evening— I'll arrange for us to leave the premises. But this cannot be spoken of to anybody. Imagine how many students would ask the same request if they knew I'd let you visit."

I thanked the Professor profusely before racing back to my dormitory to prepare. Maybe they didn't know about the necklace. But I did, and I could control it, so maybe... just maybe... I could perform a counter spell!

***

The Professor did a thing called disapperating with me. It was the same thing he'd done when he'd come to rescue Callie in the Owlery, I soon realized, and I also realized it truly wasn't my favorite form of transportation. It left me feeling dizzy and nauseous.

In fact, only a few moments after arriving in a rundown alley way, I threw up in a nearby trashcan. The Professor seemed to have been expecting it.

Once the world had stopped spinning, we both headed out into the street and he led me to a building called Purge and Dowse, Ltd. He gestured for me to follow him as he stepped through a window, which confused me a little at first but I soon realized it was similar to the magical gateway at King's Cross Station.

We entered a reception area, and a witch was there to direct us but the Professor seemed to already know where to go, and the witch seemed to have already been expecting us as she just waved us through to the stairs. The Professor took me up to the fourth level of the building.

The forth level was packed with patients, and I recognized a lot of them as Hogwarts students and staff. It seemed that anyone else had an issue that wasn't related to the controlling curse. Many students had been enchanted to stay in their beds, but they still thrashed and fought regardless. It was easily the loudest wing, filled with wailing and desperate screaming as the patients tried to escape. I felt so bad seeing everybody there.

After walking about hallway down the wing, I spotted Callie and rushed over to her. She mumbled incoherent nonsense, not seeming to notice me at all.

"Callie," I greeted softly, resting a hand over hers. She tried to shrug it off but she could barely move. I removed my hand anyway, not wanting to upset her further. My heart broke seeing her this way.

"I'll give you two sometime to speak. I'll be out in the hall when you're done," the Professor informed me, before heading back the way we'd came.

I sat by Callie and talked to her about everything she'd missed, but I wasn't sure if she heard me. She continued to gaze aimlessly anywhere but at me.

I took a subtle look around and noticed many of the healers had their backs turned or were far enough away that they wouldn't notice me casting spells. I quickly removed the necklace from around my neck and held it in my hands, focusing on it. I tried to find some source of power, some sign of a counter spell. It was hard when I didn't know how everyone had been cursed to begin with. After a few moments of nothing happening, a healer passed by and I stopped, pretending to be talking to Callie again. The healer came over to me.

"Visiting hours will be over in five minutes. I need you to head to the exit, dear," she informed me. I politely obliged, feeling a little let down that I hadn't been able to achieve anything. I bid Callie goodbye and began to head back to the Professor.

And then I spotted something strange.

Gathered in the corner were a number of people. One of them was Professor Meria. Why was she here? Had something happened to one of her students perhaps?

I didn't notice the person beside her straight away because his back was turned towards me, but when he stepped aside I realized it was Lucas. How did Lucas get here? And why was he talking to Professor Meria?

I remembered back to the night at Mahoutokoro, where they'd been speaking to each other. Could it be that they knew each other better than I'd originally realized?

As I got closer and closer to the end of the hall, I did my best to tune into them.

"...almost have complete numbers," one was saying to them. "There are two healers left. We have adequate students. This year's Spellmaster Championships will be the most spectacular yet!"

"This is the beginning of everything we've been fighting for since Voldermort's defeat," another added.

Professor Meria turned to Lucas and also spoke,

"You have single handedly given us a worthy army. The powerful wizarding families will be no more."

My blood began to grow cold as I listened to what they said. Was I hearing this correctly? What exactly did they mean? Whatever Lucas had been warning me about was bigger than I ever anticipated! How was this all connected?

I was quick to exit the corridor and find Professor Plumble. I had important information and I had to make it out of here with it. I had to tell someone! Will, Veronica, Albus— I had to tell the Wonder Warriors, or we'd all be in danger! I didn't know how yet. I just knew that something was going to go down in the final round, and whatever it was... it was deadly.