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Chapter 279 - Returning To S—

The calm surface of the Great Lake was a sight to behold. When entirely still, it would reflect the mountains that landlocked it, and from the other side, it would reflect the glorious Hogwarts castle. The Great Lake was an integral part of Hogwarts. So much so that the Great Lake was legally a part of Hogwarts, and long ago, it was named as an aquatic-life habitat, housing multiple species living in their unique balance.

There weren\'t many things that would disturb the mirror known as the Great Lake. But there was a being living inside the waters that would occasionally turn the mirror back into a lake. The being was a significant reason why the Great Lake was termed an aquatic-life habitat.

A tiny bubble surfaced on the surface of the lake, sending ripples when it popped, which, when compared to the size of the lake, were minuscule. However, the very next moment, a shadow appeared beneath the surface of the lake — the dark shadow grew until it couldn\'t anymore and, a large squid-like tentacle broke through the surface and rose towards the sky, the tip wiggled in the air for a moment before the moments became sharp and the tentacle dove back into the water like an arrow shot from a bow.

Inside the lake, Quinn raised a hand over his hand, and the water bubbled violently. The tentacle above speared towards him, but Quinn\'s eyes followed the eight others swishing in the water. As the incoming tentacle got into range, the bubbling water burst into an aquatic explosion and sent it flying like a limp noodle.

He grinned. His eyes smiled as he gazed into the yellow orbs without sclera of his opponent. They seemed to say, \'Come on, you can do better.\'

In response, half a dozen more tentacles broke out of the lakebed and joined the eight of their kind. The Kraken\'s eyes shone with an excited vigor as it swished its appendages, sending dense waves of underwater waves towards Quinn.

Quinn swiped his hand into an arc, and the incoming wave fizzled out into bubbles, but those bubbles were parted and crushed as another wave followed, this one bigger and faster than before. Quinn raised his hand towards the waves, and once again, it fizzled away, but the next second he felt a jolt as another waved came crashing. . . then another, again, and again, and again. . . multiple underwater waves assaulted with all their aquatic brawn.

\'I just had to have such thoughts!\' thought Quinn, clicking his tongue as the water around him started to thrum. The gill flaps on his neck and chest spread open to let out carbon-dioxide rich air bubbles.

The waves had started to pile up at a point between Quinn and Kraken, and with every swish of Kraken\'s tentacles, the balance began to shift as the violent water inches towards Quinn. But then thin water streaks like those left behind by bullets when shot underwater manifested around the pile-up point.

The Kraken stopped its swishing movements, its eye observing the streaks with caution as they appeared everywhere — left, right, above, behind — hundreds of the tiny streaks appeared, all pointing towards the pile-up.

And then it happened.

As if the water streaks were ropes attached to the water — hundreds of directing pulling force all pulled at the water in the pile-up, and even the great water waves couldn\'t stick together, and a grand ripple surged in all directions, violently bubbling the water in its wake.

The Kraken\'s yellow eyes squinted at the bubbled mess, trying to look past at his tiny human opponent, though there was no need as the tiny human came shooting out the bubbles.

Quinn\'s entire vision filled with the Kraken and its looming tentacles. However, instead of cowering under the terrifying visage, Quinn grinned, and his hands which were pulled back, seeming to hold a massive weight, snapped forward.

Kraken\'s tentacles about to zoom in upon Quinn froze. Its eyes rose up to look ahead and found a ginormous wall of water rushing forward. The Kraken looked down and saw through his special eyes the special aura surrounding the tiny human — the aura only possessed by those loved by the water. The Kraken\'s entire set of tentacles rose from the lakebed to face the water — it was the might Kraken after all.

A bulge of water rose on the lake\'s surface and rushed to the shore at a blazing speed. The bulge disappeared at the shore, and Quinn dressed only in swimming trunks broke through the surface to step out on the land, water shedding around him. He breathed out of his mouth, and a plume of white escaped his mouth in the chilly air of mid-November.

A chilly dip and an intense physical and magical workout was just the thing he needed to kickstart his evening. While his thrice a week Muay Thai practice sessions inside the Room of Requirements got him ample exercise, they lacked the blood pumping and exhilaration factor of fighting against the Kraken, the event he reserved for only a couple times a year.

He shook his arms, and every drop of water on his body shot towards the ground — no need for a towel. Quinn turned back to where his clothes were, only to pause in the spot as he stared in front of him. He had an audience.

"Golden Squad," Quinn said to the Potter twins, Hermione, and Ron sitting under a tree near the shore. "What are you all doing outside in this much cold — go inside the castle, or you\'ll catch a cold — if that happens, you\'ll have to listen to Madam Pomfrey\'s lecture."

Quinn walked to the earthen dome a few steps from him and bent down to touch it for the earth to crumble to reveal a sling bag. The dirt on the bag jumped away from the fabric as Quinn picked it up to take out his clothes.

"We should be saying that to you, mate," said Ron, looking between the chilly waters and Quinn. "What are you doing going swimming in this weather?"

The two girls in the group eyed Quinn, who was only dressed in swimming trunks, leaving the rest of his body at full display for their eyes to gaze(feast) upon. They knew that Quinn worked out in the mornings before breakfast, and a couple years ago, they had chanced upon Quinn and Eddie during said workouts. But at that age, they didn\'t think of much of it — but now, at the sweet age of sixteen(and seventeen), both girls\' eyes could tell that all those years of early mornings had paid dividends. They tried to pull their eyes away but were helpless that their eyes didn\'t respond to their wishes.

Quinn shrugged as he retrieved his fake wand and conjured a changing curtain to change out of his swimming shorts in some privacy. From inside, he spoke, "I like the cold water; it feels good against the skin — refreshing if I may say."

Ivy and Hermione looked away from the changing curtain, but they could still hear the rustling of clothes. And while Hermione kept her gaze away, Ivy peeked at the curtain and felt disappointed at the opacity of the thin layer between them.

The conjured curtain vanished to reveal Quinn dressed in his Hogwarts robes with the Headboy pin shining on his lapel. "So, brings you here today?" Quinn asked, looking at the place — maybe it was time to change his shoreside spot to avoid encounters like this.

He turned to face the group and raised his brow at the varying expressions on the faces. Ivy was staring at him intently with a strange glint in her eyes. Hermoine had her face turned with redness on her cheeks which he thought was a winter blush. Harry\'s eyes were going between him and Hermione, with a displeased expression. And he could tell that Ron was eyeing his Headboy batch.

"We wanted to get out of the castle," said Hermione, finally looking at Quinn, "no one is out here these days, and well, a warming charm does the trick against the cold."

In the cold, the only time Hogwarts students went outside was to visit the Herbology greenhouses, or when it was snowing and people were in the mood of playing with snow — other than that, the only ones who regularly went out were Quidditch players for practice, flying in the biting cold.

"Ah, now that I remember," Quinn looked at Ivy, "didn\'t you get a vial of Luck Potion — Felix Felicis, from Professor Slughorn. Congratulations, that potion is a headache and a half to brew, plus a couple ingredients can get difficult to procure."

Daphne had been mighty miffed when Slughorn had chosen Ivy\'s potion to be the best out of her, Hermione, and Ivy.

"It was to be expected," said Harry, "she\'s brewing potions with mum since she was little. She would even get angry if mum brewed something without her," said the twin brother snickering.

"I didn\'t get angry!" said the twin sister snappily.

"So you say, but didn\'t you refuse to eat dinner once because mum started brewing the potion without telling you."

"Shut up!"

Quinn watched the twins bickering with a smile, and after enjoying the two siblings airing their embarrassing laundry in retaliation, Quinn spoke, "Half-blood prince."

The four looked at Quinn, and he studied their faces. . . they should no sign of recognition.

"What? Half-blood prince, what is that?" asked Hermione.

Quinn sighed a white cloud. The cold white mist didn\'t dissipate like usual; instead, it grew bigger in size, and the color deepened. The suspended cloud expanded, contracted, spun, and in a couple of seconds, it had taken the shape of a bird — a raven. The cloud bird flapped its wings and flew into the sky under the gaze of five sets of eyes.

"How did you do that?" asked Hermione, her words quick and brimming with curiosity.

"Drop by the office, and I\'ll tell you," said Quinn chuckling. He took out his pocket watch and flicked it open, "Now, lovely people, if you\'d excuse me, I\'d take my leave — I have my successor to train."

Quinn walked away from the Golden Squad; however, he only had taken a few steps when he recalled the time in the Great Hall when he had stood beside McGonagall as she checked the student\'s results and assigned timetables. He turned and looked at the redhead puffing out white breaths and pointing her wand at them. He recalled her career goal and sighed.

Quinn opened his mouth and mouthed out some words before turning away and walking away. Not waiting to see Ivy turn to him look at him with a startled and surprised look.

". . . Look for Half-blood Price\'s book in the Potion classroom\'s cupboard?" Ivy repeated the words whispered into her ears.

- (Scene Break) -

The night\'s moon hung shining in the sky.

In the empty Hogwarts halls, Quinn walked unseen by all, under the guise of invisibility. He arrived at the head of a certain corridor of the sixth-floor of Hogwarts and took a deep breath before walking into the corridor. His steps silenced with magic didn\'t make noise, but if they did, they would be as heavy as hammers banging onto anvils.

Quinn stopped in front of a magical portrait of a man with a neat beard and mustache dressed in nightclothes, sleeping in his frame.

Quinn stared at the sleeping man for a few seconds before speaking up, "Wake up." The man in the portrait didn\'t open his eyes, so Quinn said again, this time with magic in his voice, "Vindictus Viridian. . . wake up!"

Vindictus Viridian, Potioneer, Author, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the early eighteenth century. The man who wrote the book that transcended generations — Curses and Counter-Curses: Bewitch Your Friend and Befuddle Your Enemies With Revenges.

The man in the portrait finally opened his eyes and looked at Quinn standing in front of him. "What do you want?" he asked, grumbling.

"Adversus Timorem," said Quinn, speaking the password to the portrait.

"Come back tomorrow," said Portrait-Vindictus and was about to close his eyes when Quinn spoke up again, his voice this time firmer, "Adversus Timorem."

"Why do you kids are so annoying!" said Portrait-Vindictus as the portrait swung open on its hinges.

Quinn ignored the man and stepped inside the room, but his steps came to a halt just after stepping through the threshold. He stared at the rows and columns of shelves from one end to another. The shelves were filled with black binders with standard gold letters in gold on the binder spines.

Room of Rewards.

He hadn\'t stepped into this room since his third year and had avoided walking anywhere near the corridor leading to it for the years since then. Things hadn\'t gone well the last time he had entered the room after all.

He slowly walked in a straight line and reached the center of the room. He looked down at his feet, and there it was. . . a shield seal of Hogwarts — H in the middle with a Lion, Badger, Eagle, and Snake with school\'s motto on a wreath.

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

He knelt on the floor and touched the seal with his hand. Quinn didn\'t do anything and simply stared at the seal for a moment. Thoughts passed through his mind, the memories flashing by.

Quinn shook his head — no, he had decided to face it; he was ready for it. Quinn\'s other hand went to his neck and pulled out the chain with the Hallows pendant piece hanging from it. He had prepared for it.

"Aperio." Latin for open, reveal, uncover, and in this case. . . unseal.

A slight rumble shook the floor beneath Quinn\'s feet as the letters on the seal turned into a familiar cipher of the past. When the rumbling stopped. . . . the seal had disappeared, leaving behind a hole in the floor.

It was a dark hole.

It was the path to the Sin vault.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - ". . . let\'s do it, shall we?"

Ivy Potter - Winner of Felix Felicis - . . . Half-Blood Price?

FictionOnlyReader - Author - Want it or not. . . are you guys ready?