Hogwarts: Through the Veil of Time

Having flown off my hand, the bird with a powerful flap of its wings flew out into one of the many openings in the wall, disappearing into the finally darkened sky.

"It's almost lights out," Justin said, looking up at the sky. "It's time to get back."

"Indeed. Let's go."

The descent was, like the ascent, uninteresting and unremarkable. But once we found ourselves in a rather dark corridor, the events became more and more exciting.

" Just look who we have here..."

I can recognize Malfoy's smug voice from many. Turning towards the voice, I saw Malfoy himself, his two eternal companions-huge men, and a quite decent brown-haired man, his co-faculty and part-time classmate.

"Mr. Malfoy, what an unpleasant surprise, I won't lie," the elf in me turned on again.

Well, I can't do it any other way when such obvious rich kids stand in front of me... And what a word it was that came to me by itself.

"It's mutual. And it's not scary for two... "Malfoy looked at us with obvious contempt, trying not to look me in the eyes because of my already "arrogant" elf mask, so unpleasant for anyone with even the beginnings of pride.

" …Mudbloods should walk around Hogwarts in the evening?"

" Afraid? Of you?"

I myself have already begun to create the simplest and most effective magic circuit, designed specifically for such encounters. The elf used it so often during his travels that the circuit almost began to form on the floor under my foot. And no, this is not some kind of powerful defense and it is not needed for attack. Cunning is the core of the elf-loner's tactics. Even if the clash comes to direct contact. You just need to anger him a little, distract him, and that's it...

"Even if it were us," Malfoy pulled out his wand, pointing it at me."

His comrades hesitated, and the brown-haired man looked at Malfoy with bewilderment, even though he had pulled out his wand. Slowly. Of course, I didn't even flinch, I looked straight at the boy. Justin began to fuss behind his back. No one was in a hurry to attack first.

"You insulted me recently. And you will pay for it. I didn't even have to look for you specifically."

"Hector, we're in obvious trouble," Justin said.

"I see," I interrupted my comrade's fearful speech, "that you know nothing of the likes of Mr. Malfoy. Their threats are like winter thunder carried by the wind. Rumbling in the distance, causing needless alarm. But sometimes thunder is just thunder.

My words really didn't please Malfoy, and even the previously perplexed brown-haired man showed his indignation with his facial expression. Now we need to distract him.

Looking behind the Slytherins, I smiled politely at the empty space, slightly bowing my head in greeting.

"Professor Snape..."

The boys immediately tried to hide their wands in the sleeves of their robes and turned around. Of course, there was no one there "only the darkness of the night corridors, dimly lit by the moonlight scattered in the clouds, penetrating through the high windows.

I chose that moment to activate the magic circuit under my foot. The air seemed to tremble for a moment, and I took a step back. Putting my hand on Justin's shoulder, who was frozen in anticipation of an attack, I said quietly.

" Let's move around the corner."

"But…"

The Slytherins turned back indignantly, but their gaze darted at each other. They immediately, as if in response, began to shower each other with spells, shouting loudly.

"Stupefy!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Everte Statum!"

And several more times, and several more. They were panicking and attacking each other, dodging, beams of spells flying around, but Justin and I stepped back into the opening to the stairs to the owlery, and were safe.

A few moments later, everything went quiet, and I was the first to stick my head out of the doorway, surveying the carnage. Well, nothing critical. Except that the brown-haired man was standing on his feet, swaying, and the next moment, he fell unconscious. The final chord of the contour's action. It seemed to the boys that I or Justin were standing where one of their colleagues was, starting to cast spells at them. No specifics, no illusions or deception "slight confusion, a mental message, and the brain will complete the necessary image. It always worked. But there was always a "last hero" "there is a simple sleeping pill in the contour especially for him."

"Let's go, Justin."

We walked out of the doorway and headed further down the corridor.

" What was that anyway?"

Hmm. Well, technically, the second-year textbooks have a similar single-target spell designed to throw off the aggression of various swamp spirits and ghosts.

"ZoTI, second year. You were supposed to take it."

"Mmm... That's unlikely... "Justin shook his head as we hurriedly left the scene of the skirmish. "Our teacher was terrible."

"Yes? Hmm... Come to think of it, I didn't see Defense Against the Dark Arts for the second year among Hermione's textbooks. But I did see a series of novels by a certain Lockhart. Not bad adventure novels. Except that there's too much self-admiration."

"That's right. He taught the DOT. A terrible teacher. Then it turned out that he was taking credit for the feats described."

"So what? "I was surprised. "These are just books."

"But he passed them off as real. He even received awards for them."

"In that case, it is truly an unworthy act. It is one thing for literature. It is another for personal glory and gain."

When we were almost to the living room, Justin asked:

"And will everything be okay with the Slytherins?"

"Don't know."

"E-e-e?"

Stopping at the barrels, one of which is the entrance to the faculty lounge, I looked at my comrade.

"Nothing from my actions. But someone can help them in damaging their own health. If they find it before they wake up."

"They're certainly not the best people…" Justin knocked on one of the barrels, and a passage opened. "But I don't wish them any harm either."

"And that's what they wish for you. And for me. And for those like us.

"It's a shame. By the way…" Justin stopped in the very aisle, lowering his voice to a whisper. "…what if they ask us?"

"Tell it like it is. The pure truth, but as if cutting out the unnecessary.

"Ah-ah-ah, I get it. My father told me about something similar."

We finally made it into the common room. I wish I could say it was business as usual, but no. There was clearly some sort of meeting going on. And our dean, Pomona Sprout, was there, too. It seemed that it wasn't only in class that she wore tight robes, a dark brown robe wrapped all the way around her, and a hat with curled, graying locks sticking out from underneath.

Support and read two weeks ahead of WN and Royalroad at:-patreon.com/FanficWorld