Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 156: Portkey

Harry hissed as the wind generated by his shield charm stung the cut that lanced his cheek. He put a hand protectively over the lump of Nio nestled at his belly. Professor McGonagall's fingers dug into his shoulders as she dragged him back toward the door. The thing that had struck his cheek collided with the entryway wall and ricocheted off Harry's shoulder to hit the floor. He wiped the trickle of blood running down his cheek with the back of his wrist.

"What's going on?" Nio hissed sleepily from Harry's navel.

"That was a scroll!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

"What?"

"Merlin's toenails! Someone enchanted the Post to attack us!" the Professor exclaimed as she stomped on the fluttering piece of parchment under her hard-heeled boots effectively eclipsing its pitiful wail as she crunched it in the most satisfying way.

"Oi! That's too sharp for a scroll!" Harry wiped at his cheek again. He tried to fill Nio in, but more objects struck his shield, shrieking in frustration as they landed, interrupting Harry.

"Potter! I can't see around your shield!" Professor McGonagall griped.

"Me neither," he muttered under his breath.

There was a splash of water from Mei's side of the room.

"Mei! Are you here?" Harry shouted.

"Harry? What's going on? Are you behind that brick wall? What's it doing there? Why is your fan mail attacking you?"

"I don't think it is fan mail," Harry grumped.

"As I thought! I think I can resolve this situation. I'll be right back," Professor McGonagall said, her hands making the stiff fabric whisper as she ran them over her robes.

Nio was squirming around in Harry's shirt, trying to find a way out, but making Harry convulse as the snake tickled him. He thought he should have run into Professor McGonagall as there wasn't much space behind the shield, but she didn't seem to be there.

Perplexed, Harry reached behind him with his left hand, while his right hand kept his staff's tip steady against the base of the shield, but he found only empty space. Then the shield rocked slightly as something substantial landed on top of it, hissed, and suddenly Professor McGonagall was on the other side of the shield shouting enchantments. Nio had managed to work his head out of a spot along Harry's waist where his shirt had pulled out of his trousers.

"I thought I smelled a cat!" Nio hissed in alarm.

"You can end your shield, Harry!" Professor McGonagall said, satisfaction lacing her voice.

Harry ended the charm, crouched as he put his arm protectively around Nio, and braced for another onslaught, but Professor McGonagall's spell seemed to have worked and the air was suddenly choked with ash and smoke as the projectiles went up in flame.

"Oi, Professor McGonagall! That was spectacular! And what are you doing here?" Mei asked as they splashed in their tank.

"I'm here precisely for this reason. Clearly, Harry is not safe. Not even in his dormitory," Professor McGonagall huffed. Her staccato footsteps made a beeline to Harry's area. She said an incantation under her breath and there was a pop of magic.

Harry took a moment to help Nio transfer to his wrist, then followed her, his staff sending the fragments of fried parchment skittering across the floor while others crunched under his trainers, asking, "What did you just do?"

"Vanished the lot of it."

"Oh," Harry sighed as he felt for his bed and sat down on the edge. "My mail? I didn't have a chance to read it yet."