The Rising of the Dark Lord

[Jerred Boneman]

Jerred was deep inside the forest, inside a hidden cave only where he knew to reach. He always had known where it was, and now was the time to use it's secret powers. He kneeled infrot of a skeleton, the remains belonging to a powerfully ancient Dark Wizard.

"By the power... of the wizard... I grant you... use of my... BODY!!" He shouted, the skeletal frame suddenly erupting into a green haze, surrounding Jerred.

"Yessssssss........." Moaned a voice, before Jerred suddenly felt something creep inside of him. He felt his innards cram together, before moving themselves around. He felt a strange tingling in his throat. When the strangeness stopped, Jerred felt completely different.

He could see in the dark, no need for the Lumos spell now, he could walk quieter than any mouse, to his enhanced nose he could not even smell himself, or his robes. He embarced his new body. He felt it's powers. Soon he had to use it.

[Mandrake Black]

Mandrake was walking around the forest in his Animagus. It felt good to be a dragon again thought Mandrake. He went back to human form because he heard a noise. His fore arm started to burn. He looked at it. The skull and snake was as clear as ever. He drew his wand mutteres a spirit spell and saw a trace of green light. He followed the light wand ready. This time Voldemort will never return, He thought

[Ethelion Eriksson]

Professor Ethelion was taking his morning run inot the forest with his husky Angelo running besides him passing in and out of the shadows, when they both stopped short. Holding a finger to his lips for silence, Ethelion peered out into the gloom. Someone was there. Something was happening. Angelo whimpered. Ethelion caught ahold of him and crouched down. He tried to locate some presence of magic and sensed something deep in the woods far off. "Something is going down... the Headmistress needs to know about this." Speaking thus, he runs out to confide his suspicions with Angelo running in his wake. Their eyes glowed in the darkness. Ethelion morphed into his other form.

Two wolves ran in the woods, rapidly approaching the castle...

[Jerred Boneman]

"LORD VOLDEMORT SHALL NEVER RISE AGAIN!" Shouted a voice behind Jerred. He turned and saw Prof Black. Jerred sneared at the professor.

"Pity it's the wrong Dark Lord, fool." Jerred said, turning and continuing on.

"Remain still!" Black shouted. Jerred paused, put his hands up and slowly turned around. He smiled fiercely.

"You think that you can harm the rebirth of Sazzalar Sltyherin!?" Jerred said. Black's eyes suddenly went wide. "He's coming back, coming back to take a place amongst us today... he doesn't want to rule. He just wants to live." Jerred took out his wand. "Felinic Exdamentia!" He said, a large lion appearing before him. "My Lord... take it's body! Return to us!"

[Mandrake Black]

Mandrake was about to curse the tiger when he realized he shouldnt use an unforgivable curse. Instead he transformed into the Hungarian Horntail of his Animagus. He waited for the lion to move.

[Brian Chase]

Brian saw a lion. "Raptoric Exdamintia!" Then a hawk appeared, swooping down digging its tallons into the lions eyes.

[Apronia Silvanus]

Meanwhile, back at the Forest's edge, Apronia was approaching with Professor Ethelion.

"The first thing you must do is display your empty hands. As agitated as they are, I believe it would be wise to bow, demonstrate a submissive attitude unless it becomes necessary to fight. However, I believe they would be more helpful aiding you in finding this cave." she rummaged in her pocket, and pulled out a key on a chain. "This is the sign of the Gameskeeper. I am supposed to wear it. I...I believe there is an enchantment on it. I was going to analyze it. From the notes of the last Gamerkeeper, I believe it calls the Forest to help you." she shrugged. "Show it to them, and tell them I sent you. Maybe best not to put it on. I do not know yet what that would do."

[Ethelion Eriksson]

"WHAT!?!?!?!? You mean I have to go in and like back down from every single challenge? Submissive my ass, do they know who they are facing? I'm a warrior wizard trained by the highest order of Eastern warrior monks. Wandless or with a wand, I am trained in the martial arts and in enhancing them with magic. And furthermore, I haven't forgotten Cain and what they did. Turning out a 3 year OLD! HOW DARE THEY EH? I'm not going ot condone that!..." Ethelion took a deep breath. "This is going to be harder than I expected...." *SIGH* "Oh well, what else should I know?"

[Apronia Silvanus]

She looked at him slightly askance, reevaluating her opinion of his sanity. "You must understand, our relationship with the centaurs is already on shaky grounds. I understand you anger, but...Hogwarts is partially built on what legally is a centaur reserve. We need their good will." she waited to see how he absorbed that. "Do not make prolonged eye contact with the leader, and it is a grave insult to challenge their prophesies, particularly should the leader divulge any of his...obscure insights...to you. And how ever many centaurs you see, you are surrounded by twice as many. They are very skilled with their bows."

[Ethelion Eriksson]

"Very well, Apronia. Thank you." Professor Ethelion tried to control his temper and managed to keep it under a tight check. He closed his eyes and took a step into the Forest, leaving Apronia behind.

"Centaur preserve indeed. Hmph" He thought out loud to himself as his loyal puppy Angelo trotted along beside him, his silent foot falls remind Ethelion of the training both he and his puppy had received. The two headed deeper into the forest. "Angelo, track" whispered Ethelion. The gray n white husky put his nose to the forest floor, sniffed around and picked up a scent. He looked at his master and shook his head to give the sign that the scent was mixed.

"That's alright, Angelo, just do your best." said Ethelion. He concentrated on following his puppy, while he expanded his magic and attempted to keep his inner peace so that his magic when it is needed would come to his aid at once with force. The pair traveled deeper into the forest. They were reaching places where sunlight having been filtered through the leafy boughs of the oak trees gave barely any light in the gloom. Ethelion shivered. Angelo slowed down, puzzled. He gave his master a quizzical look...

PPPSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT THUNK

An arrow buried itself in the ground next to Ethelion's feet. Angelo leapt into the air and onto Ethelion's shoulders, shivering. "It's alright, Angelo, it's alright," said Ethelion calmly. In his mind he concentrated on one spell LUMOS AETHERIA. All of a sudden the entire grove blazed forth with the full glory of the sun. A light that was bright and yet not blinding originated above Ethelion's head and spread outwards. In its glare, Ethelion caught sight of the herd of centaurs that have surrounded him.

"What do you want, human? You are not welcome here" the Centaur leader said.

"My business is mine own. It concerns you not"

"This is our land, not yours, you will leave at once"

"I refuse"

The Centaur had just one second of pause of utter astonishment before he fitted an arrow to his crossbow and shot it straight at Ethelion's heart.

Ethelion calmly caught the arrow in midair, mere inches from piercing his chest. With his left index finger, he drew a bow and one appeared exactly as he drew. With that bow and the captured arrow, he sent it flying back at the centaur leader. The arrow cut across the bowstring of the centaur and landed beside him. "You will either allow me to proceed or you will face consequences. Others may be afraid of you, Centaurs, I respect you. And I shall not wish to harm you unless it is absolutely necessary. Therefore, depart, I have no wish nor time for this foolishness."

"You will pay later human for what you have done!" intoned the Centaur with the broken bow. With a shake of his head, the Centaurs withdrew...

[Apronia Silvanus]

Apronia strained her ears, hearing a rustling, the murmur of voices. Magic itched along her skin, and she hoped Ethelion wasn't destroying years and years of careful diplomacy with his pigheadedness. Sighing, she trudged back towards the castle.

[Ethelion Eriksson]

The pair of Ethelion and Angelo his puppy travelled deeper into the forest, now that the Centaurs had temporarily retreated. Ethelion breathed a sigh of relief. He had hoped not to battle the horsemen. That prospect was pretty grim. While the archery trick worked, it would not have aided him the least in trying to beat back a full assault.

Thinking these things, Ethelion didn't even notice the prone form of Brian Chase until he stumbled across it and tripped and fell. Angelo regarded his master with worry. "I'm ok, he's not though... I need to get him to safety, quickly." Turning to Brian, Professor Ethelion said "Brian, my boy, you always try to do too much. But I respect that. So do I. So do I. Well, it seems you're not injured badly, but you tried to use a spell more advanced than you are prepared to cast in your weakened condition."

*SIGH* "I'll apparate you out of here and back to the castle grounds." CRACK. Brian disappeared.

And then Ethelion heard a rustling in the underbrush. Angelo gave a warning bark. Ethelion whipped himself around and only got up his magic barrier just in time as a huge lion with only one eye attacked him.

Everytime Ethelion would send a spell, the lion would dodge it. Ethelion knew that he couldn't keep this up forever. He was beginning to tire. Getting desperate, he gathered himself inwards, and waited for the next charge.

The lion roared and leapt at him. At that precise moment, Ethelion let fly every ounce of magic in the form of a giant shard of white light. It flew straight at the lion and pierced him in midair.

The tawny lion's carcass crumpled to the ground. A black cloud lifted, and an unearthly voice was heard saying, "DAMN YOU, I MUST WAIT FOR MY DISCIPLE TO WAIT ANOTHER MONTH BEFORE RISING ONCE MORE! WHEN THE TIME COMES, YOU WILL PAY A HEAVY PRICE! DEATH WILL BE BETTER COMPARED TO WHAT YOU WILL GET!"

With that, the spirit dissipated. Ethelion crumpled onto the ground black with the gore of the lion. "At least we have a month to find the culprit behind these attacks... a month's time..." whispered Ethelion. Angelo came over and licked the face of his master, hoping to revive him. Ethelion, with eyes fading and darkness closing fast, whispered to his dog, "go, Angelo, and get help. Go to the staff room. Get their attention. Go find Eithne.... Eithne.... Eithne...:

With that Ethelion passed into unconsciousness and knew no more.


Angelo torn between his love for his master and the last command of Ethelion, nuzzled his master's face one last time and then ran in the direction of the staff room in the castle.

[Prof. Eithne l'Keitha]

Feeling a cold rushig feeling and sudden warmth, Ethelion began to regain consciouness. He opened his eyes and stared at the sky, or, rather, the darkness of the canopies, shrouded in ageless branches and countless watching eyes. He closed his own, listening to his own heartbeat and waiting for Eithne - for anyone.
Suddenly, he heard a soft rustle and the soft crack of a twig. When he opened his eyes, he gasped, trying not to startle the creature staring back at him. It sniffed at him and... smirked? The professor scrambled to sit upright and realized that it was another lion - no, a maneless lioness. As he tried to draw his wand, the animal appeared to roll its - her - eyes. Her very blue eyes.

"Eithne?"

As swiftly as she came, Prof. l'Keitha transfigured back into her human form. "What? Were you going to hex me? Then we'd both be screwed," she grinned, kneeling down. She ran a finger across the gore of the slain lion. "Black blood and insides? I'm guessing it was... super evil?"

Ethelion groaned a 'yes'. "... Wait, did you heal me? Why did you transfigure back into a lioness?"
"To scare you," she replied distractedly, wiping her finger on her cloak. Then she pressed the back of her hand on his cheek. "Fighting evil got you all worn out? Come on, let's get you back to the castle."

"And unlike everyone else around here who seem to be defying Hogwart's charms [ooc: and canon stipulations], we're not apparating out of here. Let's just transfigure and get out of here. Apronia's waiting for us."

Standing up, she transfigured back into a lion and began to run towards the outskirts of the forest, her tail beckoning the professor to follow.

[Ethelion Eriksson]

"Damn Eithne, scaring me half to death when I'm already half dead..." he muttered to himself. He wouldn't admit that it's part of her charm...

*SIGH* He transformed into a wolf with the last of his strength and followed his lioness out of the forest.

[Prof. Rainer Freundschaft]

"Distractions, distractions," he murmurs pityingly at the sight of the slain lion, its most essential organs seeping lazily in to the dark loam. The apparition of Erich Aubry stood as twilight, eyes open and distant as the prophetic moon the Centaur's studied by night. He watched them go, the Professor Ethelion staggering after the sleek and assured gait of Eithene's lioness form. The grass souring beneath his feet, Aubry stretched the measure of his senses to the other end of the forest, a half mile away. There the centaurs stamped and howled in a bitter static, focusing the collective force of their sight upon the overhead sky and the disturbance seeking to cloud their vision. Watch his teeth glow in the dark, his mouth opening in crescents and closing again decisively. At midnight the centaurs are taught by a false prophecy that human meat is the only answer for the trespasses of man.

He presses himself to the ground then, calls to the remains his dear Langley dispersed more than eighty years prior, calls out through the root systems of the earth, drinks from its secret oceans and subterranean aquifers. The trees feed, helplessly, on whatever is left of the long dead body of Erich Aubry, sate themselves on his fury and grow stronger for it. Their eyes too, unfurling as new leaves and green antennae, open to the sky above. The forest wakes.

Turning towards the school, his mind sieves and stretches. The thoughts of students nestled in their common rooms aroused and settled blur through him, loud chattering and snores; Professors scurry like mice through the halls in uproar and anxiety. A girl, laying out her robes for the next day's classes, wonders briefly if she is worthless. Someone in a high tower decides they are going to plagiarize the next potions homework assigned. A sixth year in the infirmary considers the burned and sleeping man beside him, wants to grin again. A stout woman dances to herself, a good cup of whiskey in her hand and thinks of all the things a kangaroo could really do for wizarding kind and of course- There is Langley, staring out a window, posing as a hero though he does not realize it yet, arms folded severely and wondering what in the world any of them will do. 'It is too late for absolution!' Erich wants almost to howl, knowing it would echo through every cognizant mind and spirit in an eleven mile radius. Instead birds erupt from their roosts, tearing from the poisoned trees and discarding their feathers for air and exposed bone white and distant as the centaur's prophetic moon.

Erich holds his tongue for now. The forest is waking and soon it will heave in geographic upheaval- Soon the forest will walk. 'Well you know what they say...' he intones with a suppressed tremor of mirth, 'the bigger they are...' The birds drop from the sky like stones.