Harry Potter and the Cataclysm

Quidditch matches were scheduled for November, during the transition between autumn and winter. The surrounding mountains were covered in a gray haze. Just two nights ago, a heavy snowfall blanketed the entire school in a thick layer of white.

It was now Friday, the day before the big match. Looking out from the dormitory window, Carnie could see Hagrid bundled up in a thick coat, clearing the Quidditch pitch of snow. Near the front gate, a group of students was outside, building snowmen and engaging in snowball fights.

Why were they outside the gates instead of on the school grounds? Because Hagrid had already cleared the snow inside Hogwarts early in the morning.

After finishing Snape's Potions class, the Gryffindors had the afternoon off. Many of them rushed outside to play in the snow.

Harry and Ron joined in on the fun downstairs, caught up in a spirited snowball fight. Harry, having not joined the Quidditch team, was unaware of Quirrell's plan against him. That also meant they had no reason to suspect Snape of trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. And without that suspicion, how would they even learn that the mysterious object being guarded was the Philosopher's Stone?

Because of the changes Carnie had made, events were beginning to shift.

Dumbledore must have made his own arrangements. The headmaster rarely appeared outside of dinnertime, always seemingly preoccupied with something else. Was he aware of Quirrell's situation? If so, had he already set plans in motion? And if he wasn't aware, then how was Carnie supposed to warn him?

Should he just barge into the headmaster's office and say, "Professor, Quirrell has something on the back of his head that seems to know you really well."

Simple, direct, and effective—but definitely not a good idea. How would he even explain knowing that?

As he was lost in thought, Carnie spotted Quirrell approaching Harry and striking up a conversation. He tensed up, thinking Quirrell was up to something. But just as quickly, Quirrell turned and left.

Then Snape emerged from a side corridor, following him.

Snape had been keeping an eye on Harry from the shadows for a while now. Carnie was almost certain that Snape was protecting him—whether Dumbledore had assigned him to or if he was doing it of his own volition.

Something about Quirrell today seemed… off.

"Harry, what did Professor Quirrell just say to you?" Carnie rushed downstairs and pulled Harry aside from the snow fight.

"He said he thinks I should learn some defensive spells. That they might come in handy, and that he could teach me. But I haven't decided yet. Why?" Harry looked puzzled. "I told him there's no real danger at Hogwarts, so what's the point?"

"Heh, yeah, I wouldn't bother," Carnie scoffed.

Quirrell teaching defensive magic? That was laughable.

"Right? The guy's a total coward!" Ron, who had just taken a few snowballs to the face, joined in. "He's scared of his own shadow, and he still won't take off that ridiculous purple turban. He says it's for protection against vampires he ran into once. He's scared to death all the time. You'd be better off learning whatever Carnie's doing!"

"Carnie, did you hear that? I should learn your methods!" Ron teased.

Carnie's eyes lit up. "You want to train with me? Fantastic! Finally, someone else to compare notes with. I've been feeling my way through this blind—this will make things way easier!"

Ron immediately regretted his words. "Hold on, hold on! You've been at this for nearly a whole semester and I still can't tell if it's working! Sure, you don't sleep, but you never look tired. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

"It's not that easy," Carnie sighed. His internal energy—or qi, as he had come to call it—was still about the size of a clenched fist. He had expelled impurities from his body seven or eight times already, but somehow there were still more. He was beginning to wonder if he should try fasting for a few days—something known in cultivation as bigu.

Maybe the food at Hogwarts wasn't good enough for his training. Or maybe he needed some kind of special ingredient to accelerate his progress. Right now, he lacked both techniques and martial arts. He was little more than a brute with a bit of extra strength.

At best, he could channel qi into his strikes, dealing internal damage—like hitting pressure points or shattering bones with a seemingly light touch.

And how did he know this?

Well… let's just say there was one less goat in Hagrid's hunting grounds.

Last month, while visiting Hagrid for tea, Carnie discovered a group of goats grazing on the slopes near the Black Lake. They looked huge from the towers—he had mistaken them for horses at first.

Cows were out of the question, but a goat? That seemed manageable.

He had chosen one at random—let's call it X-Goat. X-Goat didn't even notice him approaching because he had cast Disillusionment Charm on himself, an advanced invisibility spell he found buried in the library.

Then, he gathered his qi into his fist and threw a punch.

He had read that one should always hold back seventy percent of their strength, so he only used thirty percent.

X-Goat barely reacted. It just shuddered slightly.

Wow, tough little thing. Carnie had thought.

Then all the other goats panicked and bolted.

He assumed it was because he had suddenly appeared in front of them.

Until X-Goat flopped over—completely lifeless.

It took him a few seconds to realize what had happened.

Then he heard Hagrid's voice approaching.

He had no choice but to ghost his way out of there.

That night, Hagrid reported to the professors that some unknown creature had been attacking his goats.

"There was no external damage—no signs of magic either! Whatever got it must've been something real nasty," he had warned Harry.

After that, Hagrid spent a full month patrolling the school grounds looking for the "mysterious beast."

And what happened to X-Goat?

Hagrid roasted it.

Carnie still felt guilty about that one.

"Harry! Move!"

A loud voice snapped Carnie out of his thoughts.

Instinct kicked in. Without hesitation, he shoved Harry aside and rolled in the opposite direction.

An icy blast struck where they had just been standing.

Within seconds, the snow turned into solid ice.

"It's a Frostfang Hippogriff!" someone yelled.

…A what now?

Carnie pulled out his wand and crouched, scanning the sky.

A large, eagle-like creature circled above. Its head was unmistakably that of a white dog, its body that of a gray eagle, and its tail was an unnatural blue.

Its cold, piercing gaze was locked onto Harry.

Harry, completely frozen, stared back—his eyes locked onto the creature's.

"Get inside the gates!"

The students who had been playing in the snow scrambled toward the safety of Hogwarts' wards.

"HARRY!" Carnie shouted.

Harry snapped out of his daze, clutching his lightning-shaped scar. His forehead burned.

The only thing in his mind was those eerie, soulless eyes.

"Stupefy!"

The Frostfang Hippogriff dived toward Harry. Carnie fired a stunning spell.

The beast dodged, spinning mid-air before continuing its rapid descent.

Its beak opened, revealing jagged yellow teeth. A visible gust of frost shot toward them.

"Aguamenti!"

A water wall erupted in front of Carnie.

"Ron! Get Harry inside!"

The frost blast hit the water wall, instantly turning it into solid ice.

The creature struck the frozen wall with its talons, shattering it instantly.

Carnie barely rolled away in time.

"IMMOBULUS!"

The spell struck—but did nothing.

The beast lunged at Harry again.

Then—

BANG!

In the blink of an eye, the Frostfang Hippogriff transformed into a rabbit.

It smacked into Harry's back, sending him tumbling into the snow along with Ron.

"Get inside!"

Professor McGonagall had arrived, wand raised. She had used Transfiguration at the last second.

"Why are you still out here?! Inside! NOW!"

Carnie gulped and sprinted for the castle.

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