The Wizards and Witches of Voltron - Harry Potter/Voltron AU

7. Professor Sven?

The Gryffindor table was closest to the doors, so Keith was pretty close to the man. Already, there were students crowding around trying to see who he was. Keith wasn't able to see much, but he saw a flash of the man's hair and had his suspicions.

After recovering from the shock of an intruder in Hogwarts, the professors jumped to move the students away from the man. Pidge noted that Dumbledore stayed seated and Professor Lotor maintained his distance from the crowd. Lance, at the table furthest from the doors, could see nothing and had no idea what was going on. Hunk was just sitting at his table with a couple other Hufflepuffs that were just trying to avoid the crowd and the yelling professors.

Eventually, everyone but a few Gryffindors went back to their tables, though some stood on their benches to try and still see. Keith finally got a good view of the man and immediately got up, to the protests of Hermione.

Professor McGonagall held him back.

"Sit down, child. He could be dangerous."

"He's hurt! He's the closest thing I have to a dad and I need to see him! His name is Takashi  Shirogane. He wouldn't hurt anyone here, I promise." He craned his head around the professor's body, trying to get the man's attention. "Shiro! Shiro, please!"

Miraculously, he was still conscious. The man tried to sit up.

"Keith? Keith, where's Dumbledore? I need to talk to Dumbled-ah!" He doubled over, coughing.

"Oh, for pity's sake, Minerva," Professor Flitwick said, putting a hand on her arm, "the damage has already been done. Let the boy see him." He turned to Keith. "And his name is Professor Sven here." He gave Keith a pointed look and then moved Professor McGonagall out of the way.

"Albus, could you please come handle this situation?!" Pidge could tell that Professor McGonagall was flustered, even though she couldn't hear any of the rest of the conversation that had just occurred. She still couldn't see the person well, but she did recognize the boy who got up as the one who disarmed Professor Lotor first earlier that day.

Professor Dumbledore finally stood, walked past the wall of professors, put one hand on Keith's shoulder and one on Shiro's, and disappeared.

Disapparation, Pidge heard people calling it.

-

Keith felt sick and disoriented as he looked around and found himself in the Hospital Wing. Disapparation. Professor Dumbledore sat him down on a chair and helped Madam Pomfrey lift Shiro onto a bed.

"Shiro," Dumbledore said with concern lacing his voice, "what happened? I haven't heard from you in almost a year."

"The Galra. They are more powerful than we suspected. I barely escaped alive. I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner."

"Shiro, you disappeared." Keith couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Where have you been? I've been alone." Keith had noticed something else, too. "And your hand. What happened to your hand?" It was made of metal, alive and yet not his flesh.

The man coughed and tried to look reassuring.

"My hand's fine, Keith. Don't worry. I promise, I'll explain, but I need to talk to Albus."

Madam Pomfrey cut in with the sharp tone of a concerned medical professional.

"You need to heal, that's what you need to do. Albus, what were you thinking, trying to talk to him while he's in this state? He's clearly been to hell and back!"

The more Keith looked, the more he agreed with her. When he had last seen Shiro, the man had been muscular and healthy, with tidy black hair and a full, handsome face. Now he sported a scar across his nose and a white patch of hair at the front of his head, and he looked injured and weak, or at least tired and thin. His clothes were torn and his right arm was metal and yet worked just fine.

"Of course, please do begin treating him, Poppy. My apologies for delaying you. Shiro, how time-sensitive is your information?"

Shiro glanced between the three people looking at him and sighed.

"It can wait until tomorrow. Keith would probably murder me if I nearly die now for a report."

Shiro looked at Keith for confirmation, and the boy nodded with a half-smile on his face. With that, Dumbledore nodded as well and gestured for Madam Pomfrey to commence. 

-

Meanwhile, in the Great Hall, rumors and gossip were beginning to spread.

"Was that Professor Sven?"

"It couldn't be. He hasn't been gone that long."

"It looked like him, though."

"How did he get here?"

"Is he a Galra spy?"

"That Gryffindor kid. He's the cursed one. I bet he's a spy too."

Hunk was not partaking in the rumors. He preferred to enjoy dessert and hope that nothing bad would come of this strange intrusion on dinner.

Pidge was listening intently but taking all of the information she was hearing with a grain of salt, because rumors aren't always trustworthy.

Lance was learning about Professor Sven, but avoiding speaking badly of Keith since he seemed nice. He really wanted to learn more about this kid.

-

With Professor Dumbledore's permission, Keith stayed in the Hospital Wing overnight. Shiro was unconscious by then, but Keith felt better knowing he was nearby.

What had happened? Where had he been for all of this time?

In the morning, he got some answers.

When he woke up, Shiro was sitting up and eating a plate of breakfast. There was one on Keith's bedside table as well, lukewarm but still good. Just as he was finishing, Professor Dumbledore came back into the Hospital Wing to hear Shiro's story.

"There's a lot I need to tell you," Shiro began, "and I need you to believe me. I thought the task you gave me was simple enough, but before I knew it everything I knew or thought I knew disappeared before my eyes. Here we go. Mission report."