Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Fusion of Destinies ❯ The Plague ( Chapter 4 )
It was a typical Tuesday evening that night at Hogwarts, until an unexpected guest arrived....
Anime/Manga: Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Fantasy / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 09.23.2005 | Updated On: 09.23.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 745 | Status: Completed
a Harry Potter/??? crossover
Chapter 4: The Plague
9-23-2005
by Grey
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and all of its characters are the creation and property of J. K. Rowling.
This fic is dedicated to Razor Knight and CubedCinder128, whose support gave me the confidence I needed to write this thing.
Samantha had no idea how long she simply lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Though she still felt tired, she found herself unable to fall asleep again; the nightmare about the mirror had jarred her so much it was still fresh in her memory, filling her with an unexplainable terror. What's wrong with me? Why am I scared so much by a stupid dream? she thought irritably. I heard that one of the teachers here specializes in deciphering dreams. Maybe I can ask her about it in the morning and get some answers. Hopefully, it's some sort of clue....
That thought filled her with hope. For several months, she had simply lived from day to day, and each passing day had brought her no closer to discovering her true identity. Thankfully, working at Hogwarts wasn't all that bad. All the teachers treated her kindly - even Snape to a certain extent - and she hadn't had any trouble with the students since term began. However, she found herself unable to connect with any of them, always feeling timid and nervous whenever she was around other people. Why am I like that? How come I get along better with the house-elves than I do with my own kind? So far, the only ones I've felt comfortable around are Harry Potter and his friends.
Her thoughts then turned to Harry and what he had revealed to her about himself. He really is remarkable. He's had a miserable life, yet he's very easy-going and friendly, not a recluse like I seem to be. And he's just a kid, but he still comes out on top no matter what's thrown at him, Samantha thought, recalling all the difficult battles Harry had described to her. But I still can't figure out why all that sounds so familiar to me. Did I grow up like he did? Did I ever go through the type of things he did?
Samantha's thoughts then drifted to her time with Harry's friends in the library before Harry turned up. It had been so strange. Ron and Hermione had approached her, looking at nervous as she always felt, and they looked suspicious of her as well. They introduced themselves, saying that they were Harry's friends, and at once that made her nervousness subside. Then they began asking her questions, and to Samantha's surprise, she found herself answering them affably. She didn't quite remember how the conversation went after that, and before she realized it, they were talking like old friends and was helping them with their schoolwork, passing on knowledge she didn't even really know she possessed.
All that stuff about astronomy and physics and chemistry.... it just came out of nowhere, Samantha thought, remembering how easily she could expound such detailed scientific information. I guess I must be intelligent, maybe a scientist like Harry said. Where did I get all that knowledge, though? And what about my strength, speed and agility, not to mention my resistance to magic? Samantha wondered, once again vexed by the mystery surrounding herself. Even Hermione couldn't find any cases similar to mine. It's amazing that in a society of people with such vast, supernatural powers, abilities like mine are unheard of! And there are even unique, special abilities among these wizards, like people who transform into wolves during certain lunar conditions, and Metamorphmaguses, and....
All of a sudden, a deathly chill running down her spine interrupted her thoughts and made her sit upright in her bed. She couldn't explain it, but she knew something was wrong in the castle. After forcing herself to relax and concentrate, Samantha tried to figure out what her body was reacting to. After a moment, she came to the conclusion that somehow, in some way she didn't understand, she was sensing the presence of... something. There was something lurking within the castle that didn't belong there....
And whatever it was, it induced a sensation in her that felt oddly familiar, and filled her within a sudden, irresistable urge to go find it.... to hunt it down....
Without a second's hesitation, Samantha jumped off her bed and went through the door, letting her instincts guide her.
Dolores Umbridge strolled through the corridors, a look of determination on her face. Earlier that day, she had confronted Dumbledore about hiring Samantha and demanded answers. But as expected, Dumbledore had dodged the issue and evaded her queries in that infuriatingly polite manner of his. When she reminded him that, as Hogwarts High Inquisitor, she could have Samantha thrown out if she wished, Dumbledore had politely pointed out an error in her argument. She had the power to dismiss the TEACHERS; anyone else in the employ of Hogwarts was untouchable by her.
In addition, when Umbridge had mentioned Samantha to Cornelius Fudge the previous day after being summoned to the Ministry, he suggested that she keep an eye on her and learn all she could. Fudge thought that this Samantha could be, in fact, some part of one of Dumbledore's plans, possibly a living weapon being raised right at Hogwarts. After asking around, Umbridge found out the true extent of her outlandish abilities, and her suspicions grew.
Hmph. Filthy part-human slime. Once I find out where they're keeping you, we're going to have a little chat, Umbridge thought comtemptuously as she strode toward the lower levels. They say you're immune to curses? We'll see about that. A few hits with the Cruciatus Curse should be enough to break your will, and an Imperturbable Charm will ensure no one will hear you scream. Now let's see, I've heard that in the morning you're seen emerging from the dungeons....
Eventually, Umbridge found herself entering a long, broad corridor, lined with dimly-lit torches and colorful paintings, mostly of food. Even after spending over three weeks at Hogwarts, though, Umbridge still had no idea that within this corridor was a hidden entrance to the house-elves's kitchens....
Harry Potter slipped underneath his Invisibility Cloak and carefully checked the Marauder's Map again, then stepped out from behind the fruit bowl portrait that led to the kitchens. He hadn't encountered any trouble on his way down to the kitchens, and didn't aim to get caught on his way back to Gryffindor Tower. Checking the map again, he saw that Filch and Mrs. Norris were both patrolling the upper levels, and for now, they were not along the route back to Gryffindor Tower.
About an hour ago, Harry had awakened from yet another dream involving that corridor, and his scar ached more than usual afterward. He found himself unable to go back to sleep, and wasn't in any mood to get more schoolwork done, even though there was still plenty to do. So, he eventually chose to kill some time by sneaking out, going to the kitchens, and nicking some snacks for himself. Normally, he didn't wish to break any school rules unless it was necessary, but now, just like with the trips to Hogsmeade during his third year, it was quite a different story. Harry was willing to follow rules, but with the way people like Fudge and Umbridge were abusing their power and passing new laws to serve their own paranoid purposes, he didn't feel too guilty about one midnight jaunt. The injustice of the Ministry's smear campaign and Umbridge's foul methods served to egg him on.
If only I knew where Umbridge slept at night. That'd be a perfect way for Fred and George to test those time-release Dungbombs they plan on developing, Harry thought with a sly smile. Better yet, they should make two prototypes, for Umbridge AND Snape.
As he started down the corridor, Harry's thoughts drifted to Samantha. He was still amazed at how someone so reclusive had opened up to him, and they ended up talking as if they were old friends. He couldn't help but be reminded of his first meeting with Ron. Just like Ron, she seemed lost and confused, trying to find her place in a world in which she felt she didn't fit into. And if anyone understood what that was like, it was Harry. I hope, somehow, I can help her, the way Ron and I help each other out, thought Harry. Hopefully, there may be some way I can eventually help her find out who she really....
Harry's thoughts trailed off when he heard the faint sound of footsteps far ahead of him. He realized that he had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he'd neglected to keep checking the Marauder's Map. Looking down at the parchment, he checked his position and saw a dot clearly labeled as 'Dolores Umbridge' approaching the dot that indicated himself. Looking up, he could make out Umbridge in the dim torchlight, about forty feet away, but thankfully he had the Invisibility Cloak on. What's she doing? Harry thought warily as he backed up against a wall. Is she searching for me? How'd she know that....
Another sound abruptly interrupted his thoughts: a soft, scraping sound like that of a skittering bug, which briefly reminded him of Aragog's offspring. And it sounded as if it was coming from the other side of the corridor, approaching Umbridge and himself. Curious, Harry looked down at the map again, and saw another dot quickly advancing on his position. Harry stared incredulously at the name of this new arrival. The dot was labeled only with a single letter: X.
X? Harry thought, having no clue what it meant. He looked up from the map and peered down the hallway. However, he couldn't see anyone, or anything, drawing nearer. Harry looked at the Marauder's Map again, and saw that the dot labeled as 'X' was almost on top of him, and the skittering sound was more distinct than ever. He glanced around again, but saw no trace of anyone else.
Harry continued to look around nervously, and saw that about ten feet away, Umbridge had stopped in her tracks. Her wand was out and she was warily looking about as well; obviously she had heard the skittering noise too. Another glance at the map showed Harry that the dot indicating this 'X' had stopped moving, and was overlapping Umbridge's dot. What's going on? Where is this thing? thought Harry fearfully, realizing he was now breathing very rapidly.
As Harry was trying to make sense of the situation, Umbridge continued to look about nervously, trying to find the source of the strange noise. The sudden sensation of what felt like tiny bits of gravel lightly dropping on her head got her attention. She timidly reached up into her mousy hair and pulled out what looked like tiny, ground-up bits of stone. A second later, some more dust-like gravel fluttered to the floor near her....
Realization swept over both Harry and Umbridge at about the same time, hitting them like a splash of ice water. Slowly, timidly, Umbridge craned her neck upward....
And a massive creature dropped down from the ceiling a few feet in front of Umbridge, almost making her fall over backwards out of surprise. The creature's drop made Harry gasp in surprise as well, and for a moment he feared that he gave himself away. But the creature, whatever it was, continued to stare down Umbridge....
It had the shape of a man, looked sleek and wiry, but stood almost seven feet tall, easily dwarfing the diminutive witch. Its outer covering looked like an insect's chitinous exoskeleton, glistening in the dim glow of the torches; most of its exoskeleton was a violent, poisonous-looking purple, but its chest, neck and the ridged lining along the sides of its legs and underneath its upper arms were an almost golden yellow. It made Harry think of an oddly-colored, giant praying mantis.
But the two things that stood out the most were its head and forearms. The creature had what looked like a black, triangular beak for a mouth, two solid black eyes, a long, stretched-out oval plate atop its head (the front end began at the top of its beak and its eyes were directly underneath the plate) , and behind its head were several silvery, knife-like feathers. And its forearms.... they looked like long, strecthed-out crab pinchers, and looked as if they could easily crush metal beams, not to mention human bones....
Harry watched the creature called 'X' by the Marauder's Map silently stare down Umbridge, who was almost paralyzed with fear, shaking violently as she tried to slowly back away. Eventually, though, she aimed up at the creature with her wand with a trembling hand. She tried to jinx it, but when she tried to say an incantation, she stuttered. "Im.... Im.... Impedi-di-di...."
The creature swiftly knocked Umbridge's wand out of her hand with the tip of its pincher-like arm. Then, before Umbridge could even turn to run, the creature lashed out with its other arm, grasping Umbridge's neck with the end of its pincher. It effortlessly lifted Umbridge off the ground and slammed her against the wall; Harry swore he heard the stone wall give way behind her. Still holding on to Umbridge with a vise-like grip, the creature then spoke. Its voice was scratchy, high-pitched and hoarse. "Where is she?" demanded the creature, and sounded as if it had difficulty speaking a human language.
Umbridge, who had both hands grasping the pincher in a futile attempt to free herself, looked back at the insectoid creature, confusion mingling with her expression of pure terror. "I.... I d-don't know who you-you're talking ab-ab-about!" she spluttered.
The creature was silent for a second, then it spoke again. "The monster you call 'Samantha.' Where is she?"
Upon hearing this, Harry's mind went racing. This thing knew about Samantha, and was seeking her out? And it called her a monster? One thing's for sure: this.... 'X'.... has to know the truth about Samantha! Harry reasoned. If he could somehow capture it and force some information out of it....
As Harry was pondering this, he heard Umbridge speak up again in her terror-filled, stuttering voice. "I.... I-I d-don't k-k-know!!!"
"You are lying!" said the creature in its raspy voice.
"I-I'm telling you I don't k-know where that old fool is k-k-keeping h-her!!" pleaded Umbridge.
Harry heard what sounded like a snarl, and then the creature spun around and threw Umbridge at the opposite wall, only a few feet to Harry's right. Umbridge's backside slammed into the wall with a painful-sounding thud, then she slid down it. The creature slowly walked toward Umbridge with its arm outstretched, its pincher opened wide. "Worthless human garbage," it spat vehemently, and Harry noticed an odd glow building up within its pincher. It made Harry think that it was powering up some sort of weapon.
Harry made a split-second decision: as despicable as Umbridge was, he knew he couldn't stand by and watch her get slaughtered, otherwise he'd never be able to live with himself. Oh, being one of the good guys sucks sometimes, he thought dejectedly as he pulled out his wand and prepared to throw off his Invisibility Cloak.
But before Harry could throw off his cloak and attack, a resounding voice cried out, echoing throughout the corridor. "Hey, if you wanted a date with me so badly, all you had to do was ask me yourself." Both Harry and the creature turned in the direction of the voice; about ten feet to Harry's left stood Samantha, wearing what Harry guessed was the skimpy outfit she had on when found in the Forbidden Forest. Her fists were clenched, her eyes were narrowed, and she was gritting her teeth. No longer did she seem apprehensive, nervous and insecure. Now, she had an aura of strength about her, and a look of fanatical determination was etched on her face.
Wait, does she know what this thing is? Does she remember? Harry thought as he eyed Samantha. But his thoughts were interrupted when the creature let out a loud chirp. Turning back to look at it, Harry saw that it swung forward to face Samantha and had thrusted its arms out toward her, both of its pinchers open. Then, a sort of laser beam shot out from within both of the pinchers, and they rocketed toward Samantha.
But somehow, Samantha instinctively knew the creature would try something like this. She dashed forward, and a split-second before the beams would have struck her, she leaped forward and went into a spinning jump. She soared toward the insectoid creature, then lashed out with a vicious kick to its face. The impact made Samantha bounce off and land a few feet away. The force of her kick stunned it, and Samantha took advantage of that and delivered a powerful punch to its midsection, filling the corridor with a sound reminiscent of a metal sledgehammer smashing against a cinder block.
However, it didn't take long for the insectoid beast to recover, and lashed out with one forearm, trying to club Samantha with a closed pincher. But Samantha simply caught it, then twirled around and threw the creature into the wall opposite to the one Harry and Umbridge were beside. The creature quickly got back on its feet, but Samantha was already on the move again. She charged at it and rammed into it with her shoulder, smashing it against the wall.
But again, the beast recovered quickly, and sunk its knee into Samantha's midsection. The pain reflexively made Samantha hunch over and clutch her midsection, and the creature used that opportunity to strike her back with its forearm, making her sag to the floor. It then tried its laser blasts while she was down, but Samantha rolled out of the way just in time, then stood up again to face the insectoid beast.
Samantha didn't know why, but the mere sight of this creature made her blood boil with fury, and her every thought was focused on fighting it and bringing the beast down. And it wasn't just the sight of it that infuriated her; it was its smell, the raspy chirping sounds it made.... it was as if its mere presence was enough to fill her with seething rage, and awaken fighting instincts that still puzzled and mystified her. She didn't understand why, but in that instant, Samantha knew that her purpose in life, the sole reason for her existence, was to hunt down and destroy creatures like these.
The insectoid beast once again rashly lunged at her, attempting to bludgeon her with its closed pinchers. But Samantha sidestepped, then delivered a powerful kick to its shins. The creature didn't fall over, and instead lashed out with an open pincher and clamped onto her arm. As its grip tightened, Samantha knew that it would've easily crushed a normal human's bones instantly, and the pain for her was already becoming too intense.
Samantha looked into its obsidian, glistening eyes, felt another jolt of fury, and lashed out with a powerful left hook to its head. The creature loosened its grip just enough to let Samantha wriggle her arm free. Then she clasped her hands together and smashed them up into its face. It staggered slightly, then came at her with a downward swipe with its closed pincher, but Samantha brought up her forearm to block its blow.
Meanwhile, Harry stayed hidden underneath his Invisibility Cloak and watched the battle unfold, unsure of whether he should step in. Both of them were moving blindingly fast, and Harry was afraid if he tried to aim a curse at the insectoid creature, he'd wind up cursing Samantha instead. Sure, she was supposedly immune to curses, but Harry still didn't want to take the risk, especially when it seemed Samantha was doing well enough on her own.
Not to mention their battle had him transfixed. Samantha had told him about the powers she displayed that night the staff found her, but actually SEEING her fight was a completely different matter. Every attack and block was perfectly calculated, each of her moves blending seamlessly into the next as she continued to trade blows with the creature. I was wrong before, thought Harry. She's no scientist. She's a war machine.
Harry then heard Umbridge let out a little moan. Turning to look down at her, he decided the most useful thing he could do was get her to safety and let Samantha finish off the creature. He took off his cloak, folded it up, then got behind Umbridge and began to drag her out of the corridor. After a few seconds, Umbridge, who had been slipping in and out of consciousness, began muttering incoherently. "Wha... who.... what's going...."
"I'm hauling your worthless butt out of danger, that's what," spat Harry as he continued dragging Umbridge. "Damn, for such a short witch, you sure weigh a lot."
As Harry was dragging Umbridge away, Samantha continued her fight. She had landed dozens of blows, making many cracks and dents in its armored hide. But the creature had hit her several times as well, and she felt that her injuries were taking their toll and starting to slow her down. This isn't going very well, Samantha thought as she blocked another incoming blow by crossing her arms in front of her. I've got to end this soon, but....
It was then that Samantha noticed, for the first time, that Harry was in the corridor with them, dragging Umbridge to safety. A wave of surprise and dread washed over her, breaking her concentration. "Harry, what are doing here?" she cried out.
Seeing that Samantha's attention was now elsewhere, the creature lashed out with a spinning kick to her midsection, and she couldn't block it in time. The impact knocked her backward a few feet, and she painfully skidded to a halt after landing on her back. Samantha immediately got back up, but the creature had had enough time to prepare more energy blasts. One struck her in her midsection, and another hit her in her shoulder. The pain threatened to overwhelm her as her flesh began to char, and Samantha was certain she now sported two sickly-looking burns. But she refused to give in. She eyed her enemy hatefully, then charged at it again.
Harry had seen enough. Even though he was now thirty feet away, he could clearly see the spots of blackened flesh on Samantha's shoulder and midsection; she was tough, but clearly not invincible. He decided Umbridge could wait and pulled out his wand again.
But before he could even think of a curse to use, a snarling voice called out from behind him. "POTTER!! What is going on here?!!" Turning to look behind him, he saw Snape was standing there, along with Professor Sprout and Filch. Snape's face betrayed confusion as well as anger, and Filch was the same way.
"Never mind about me!" Harry said hotly. "Worry about Samantha. Stop whatever it is that she's fighting!" he demanded, pointing down the corridor.
Samantha caught a glimpse of the new arrivals as she kept on trading blows with the insectoid beast. For a brief instant, she felt a twinge of prideful indignation about how others were about to interfere. But rational thinking took over, and she came up with a plan. Samantha lashed out with another left, then spun the creature around. She then brought her arms up underneath its armpits, then, with all her strength, she tried to force it down. She succeeded in forcing it to get down on one knee. For the moment, it was helpless and wide open to attack from Harry and the others. "Shoot it!" she cried out.
For a few moments, they stared blankly back at the pair, unsure of what to do. "What are you all waiting for!?" demanded Samantha, her voice filled with venomous vehemence. "I can't hold onto it forever! Just shoot it! SHOOT!!!"
Jarred by Samantha's outburst, Sprout and Snape raised their wands, and Harry did the same. Harry looked at the creature's chitinous, armor-like exoskeleton, and bellowed "Reducto!" Sprout followed up by yelling "Stupefy!" and Snape cried "Incendio!"
All three spells hit the creature at about the same time. A resounding cracking sound echoed in the corridor as bits of its exoskeleton flew off, and its upper body burst into flames. However, Samantha could still feel the creature struggling to break free, despite the fire and all the injury it had suffered. "Not enough!" she cried as she held onto it, the fire starting to burn her skin. "Hit it again!"
Sprout started sending out more Stunning Spells at the creature, hoping it would be enough to stop it. But even after ten Stunners, it was still struggling. Letting out a sigh, Snape raised his wand again, and yelled "Avada Kedavra!"
The blast of green light struck the creature dead-center, and at last, it stopped struggling. Samantha let go, and its body slumped lifelessly onto the stone floor, its torso still ablaze. Stepping over it, she walked up to Harry and the others. "Samantha, I demand an explanation," said Snape. His voice sounded cold and steely, but both Samantha and Harry could tell he was trying to cover up his confusion.
"I was out patrolling, and I came across this.... whatever it is," said Samantha.
"But I gave you the night off," growled Filch.
"Yes, but.... I couldn't sleep," she said, half-lying. "So I decided to just patrol the corridors anyway. Eventually, I found Professor Umbridge being attacked by this creature, so I stepped in and tried to fight it." Samantha decided not to tell them that she had somehow sensed the presence of the insectoid creature, or that she recognized it on some instinctual level. At least, not until she could make some sense of it all....
"And what about you, Potter? Where do you fit into all of this?" sneered Snape, looking down at Harry malevolently.
"Leave him out of this," snapped Samantha. "I don't know what he's doing here, but he tried to drag Umbridge to safety. He deserves a little credit."
Especially since the bitch didn't deserve it, Harry thought acidly as he stared down at Umbridge, who had sat up and still looked dazed.
"Do any of you know what that thing was?" asked Samantha, trying to change the subject from Harry's flaunting of school rules.
"I'm afraid I don't," said Snape irritably.
"Nor do I," said Sprout. "The study of magical creatures was one of my favorite subjects besides Herbology, but.... I've never seen any creature like that!"
Snape and Sprout's cluelessness disturbed Samantha greatly. This creature claimed to know her, and she recognized it instinctually, but according to them, such a creature was unheard of in the magical world! Then where did it come from!? she wondered.
Suddenly, Filch's panicky voice cut in. "Err, Samantha, professors, I don't think it's quite dead yet!" Everyone else turned to look back at the creature's corpse, and immediately saw what Filch was talking about.
The smoldering remains of the insectoids creature looked as if they were melting, turning into a viscous, black liquid. An instant later, the liquid changed color, to a bright, shimmering yellow-green. The liquid formed two separate puddles, and then they rose up, floating a few feet above the ground, each gelatinous mass slightly bigger than a man's head.
"What.... the bloody hell!?" exclaimed Harry, flummoxed by this bizarre turn of events. Snape, Sprout and Filch were all speechless, perhaps struck dumb by their confusion.
But Samantha was fearful as well as confused. Again, her instincts were warning her of danger; that those yellow-green blobs meant trouble for anyone or anything they touched. The hairs on the back of her neck her standing on end, that every cell in her body was reacting to the presence of these blobs. She realized that it wasn't necessarily the creature her body had sensed earlier, it was these blobs its dead body had relinquished....
All of a sudden, the blobs shot forward, floating toward the group. Without thinking or even realizing what she was doing, Samantha flung herself in front of the group with her arms outstretched. One of the blobs collided with her midsection....
An electrifying sensation coursed through Samantha's body as the viscous blob touched her skin, and suddenly, she felt it being absorbed into her body. She could feel energy radiating through her, and her bruises and burns suddenly didn't hurt as much. It was as if her body had just consumed the blobs, and used the energy to heal her wounds. She looked down at herself, and saw her arms briefly give off a greenish glow, and small sparks crackled all over her body for a time.
However, only one of the blobs had touched her. The other had veered around her and lurched at Harry, spreading itself over his hand. "What the... what's...." he began to say. But then that blob became sucked into Harry as well. But his skin didn't glow green and energy didn't crackle around him. Harry stared at his hand, wondering what was going to happen....
Then he felt the viscous mass moving around INSIDE of him, flowing down through his arm, and eventually, he felt a creeping sensation within his spine. Then he tensed up and slumped to the floor, losing all control of his body and shaking as if he had been bit with the Cruciatus curse. Whatever it was, Harry knew that it was doing something to his nervous system. But even that thought eventually faded away, as he could no longer think, was no longer aware of where he was....
Samantha stared down at Harry, horror-struck. Why.... what are these things!? Why did my body react so differently!? What's it doing to him!? she wondered as Snape and the others stared down at Harry, at a loss for words or what to do next.
Without saying a word to any of them, Samantha picked Harry up and slung him over her shoulder. Then she ran, heading for the hospital wing.
And so, it's begun.
So long,
Grey