The Watchers Destiny

Chapter 23- Durmstrang

It was two weeks before the battle and I was confident in my forces. They were well taught and they were strong. I had gone to the Fauns and collected Buck and his brothers and sisters that were ready to fight, including a defiant Thorn. As the weeks had gone by cats started to congregate in our midst. I went to the grand cat I had met in Romania with his forces, Pissica, and brought them back with me. Quia had come by once or twice, her head held high and her fires helping forge weapons.

Now there was only one place left to go to gather. I had thought long and hard about how I was going to get all of us to Hogwarts, but it eventually came to me.

So, as the sun rose I left my warriors, flying up into the air in my animagi form. I cast She to guide my path and away we went, through the first rays of light.

I touched down on the ground outside a grand castle, hidden in the sharp peaks of the mountains. Boldly I strode to the front doors, She inside of me and my form human. At my touch the doors swung open and I stepped inside. The pupils who had been going to class froze and stared at me as I entered the castle, the only female here.

"I demand to speak with your Head Master!" I said in a commanding tone.

A man stepped forwards, dressed in thick furs and suporting a desighner stubble beard. 

"That vould be me," he said in a deep voice, "Vicktor Krumb."

"We need to talk, Krumb," I said, stepping forwards and lowering my voice, "about the coming battle."

Krumb shoutted at the students, presumably telling them to get a move on, then gestured for me to follow him. We went up several flights of stairs, up into the chilled castle. He led me to an office and ushered me in. He sat behind the desk and I stood.

"Congratulations on making Head Master," I said to him.

"It is not vot I vant,"  he said with a sigh, "I vould rather be playink Quiditch. Vhy are you here and who are you?"

"I am Caramela Wincroft, I am the woman who has been gathering forces against the Dark Lord."

He sat up, looking interested.

"And I presume you vant my students to fight," he said, a fire in his eyes.

"No, I do not request this. Any who wish to join to help defend Hogwarts may, but I do not demand it."

"How do you know Hogwarts vill need defending?" 

"Because it has been written as such for many years. It is the place where the Dark Lord will finally fall and the Wizarding world will rise anew, hand in hand with the magical Beings it has shunned for centuries."

'How can I know zis is not a trick?" he asked me.

"I am the Powerful One, the Defendor, Protector, the Heir of Merlin and a Dragon Lord."

"Prove it," he demanded.

I changed my form to animagi before him, spreading my golden wings and tossing back my antlers.

"Is this proof enough for you?" I demanded.

He watched, stunned, as I changed back to my form.  

"You are truly powerful," said Krumb.

"Do you believe in my cause?"

"To defeat ze Dark Lord und restore peace? Yes, I do. I vill join you and your ranks. But ze students, zey vill not fight unless zey are of age. Und then zey will have a choice to fight with us, but zey vill not be forced."

"I don't ask for them to be forced to fight. If they wish to fight, then they may. But there is one more thing I need from you."

"Vot is it?" he said, leaning forwards in his chair.