Chapter 5: Umbridge's Hulk Busters
Hermione's eyes burned with tears as she dashed up the stairs toward the boy's dorm, her voice already growing hoarse from her screaming Harry's name. She almost jerked the door from its hinges as she almost literally threw herself into Harry and Ron's dormitory. "HARRY!! HARRY, WHERE ARE YOU!?" She cried, looking around the destroyed room frantically.
"Harry!" Ron cried equally concerned upon seeing the destruction of the room.
She then spotted the torn shirt and broken glasses on the floor and dropped to her knees. She clung the broken glasses to her chest as a sob escaped her throat. "I … I defended that … that beast to him …" Hermione whispered dangerously, "This … this is unforgivable … It hurt him … I … I'll … I want it to pay for this …"
"Mr. Potter is in no danger and is completely fine, Ms. Granger," Professor Dumbledore said from the doorway, "He was … not here at the time, but I feel he will want me to bring his glasses to him."
"He was here, Professor," Ron said staring at the headmaster, "I saw him come up here, he WAS in here!"
"You are mistaken Mr. Weasley."
"Then where is he?" Hermione asked glaring at the elder.
"I … I am afraid … I cannot tell you this information," Dumbledore said looking for the right words, "When the time is right for you to know, you will find out. But the time is not now."
"But Professor," Hermione started, but was cut off when Dumbledore reached down and took the broken glasses from her.
"Please ask me no questions," he sighed, "I must go, and check on Professor Snape."
--
The Hulk bellowed into the Forbidden Forest, not stopping for any tree. Any in his path was instantly reduced to splinters. He roared and raged as he took a massive punch at a thicker three breaking it in half.
" Easy there, 'Arry," Hagrid said, walking slowly toward the raging green behemoth, "Dumbledore sent me to fetch ye, so calm yourself on down."
The Hulk turned his rage filled green eyes on the half giant, and stormed toward him. "Oy not again …" Hagrid sighed as the Hulk brought his fist toward Hagrid's face. Hagrid caught the punch with both hands, but slid backwards a good foot. "Goodness, 'Arry, somethin must've really ruffled ye feathers this time te get ye this strong!"
The Hulk came around again with his free arm, and punched Hagrid heard in the side, sending him spinning into the air, and into a tree. "Aw," Hagrid moaned, rubbing his side, "Ah shoulde brought Fluffy …"
"Now what de Dumbledore say to get ye to calm down?" Hagrid asked as the beast was glaring at him ready to attack again, "Oh ye, ah remember now. What would Hermione think of ye behavin' like this?" Hulk's eyes softened a moment but then rage returned, "That's new …"
The Hulk ran at him at full speed at the half giant, "Oh dear," Hagrid gulped, but then the Hulk stopped dead in his tracks and collapsed on his face, snoring lightly. "Dumbledore?" Hagrid asked as the old wizard stood a short distance away with his wand drawn.
"A simple sleeping charm, Hagrid," Dumbledore said walking toward the beast, "Perhaps he will sleep it off."
--
"Ah believe he's wakin up, Professor," Harry heard Hagrid's voice, and slowly opened his eyes.
"This is a unfamiliar ceiling …" Harry groaned, he then looked to the side and seen Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid looking at him expectantly, "What hit me?"
"Just a simple sleeping charm you will probably learn next term, dear boy," Dumbledore said with a warm smile, "You have caused quite a ruckus lately."
"Um what do you mean?" Harry asked nervously.
"Oh, I know all about your green skinned alter ego, Harry," Dumbledore smiled, "I've known about it for some time now."
"You're not going to send me to Azkaban are you?" Harry asked nervously.
"There is no real reason to, 'The Hulk' has only killed recruits and low level Deatheaters so far," Dumbledore explained, "every body examined had the mark on their arm. While its methods are a bit … messy, it has systematically eliminated Voldemort's presence in this school."
"Deatheaters in the school?" Harry asked, his eyes widening, "How did they get in?"
"While I can keep stronger more powerful Deatheaters out, weaker ones uneducated in magic, have been able to slip in under my defenses. Dumbledore explained, "They are others, but the Hulk has done a lot of good in keeping them from harming the students. Because the origin of the beast is unknown, what is known is that it is targeting them; and most are afraid."
"Did it hurt Ron or Hermione?" Harry asked, and worry twinkled in Dumbledore's eyes.
"No, though I believe it wanted to harm Mr. Weasley, and upon hearing the circumstances from Ms. Weasley, I can understand the meaning behind its rage last night," Dumbledore stated, "Though I can not say the same for Professor Snape,"
"What happened to Snape … err Professor Snape?" Harry asked eyes widening.
"He is alive, only a bruised collar bone and he lost all his teeth save his right canine." Dumbledore said, an uncharacteristic mischievous expression cross his face, "Though his pride was most injured I'm afraid. Understandably though. He woke up with his head in a toilet in the Gryffindor ladies lavatory. His hair was tangled in the drain and it took four painstaking hours to get his hair cut out of there, awful mess getting it stuck there. And we must speak to your housemates, seems some need to learn to flush the toiletries."
"Ouch," Harry groaned, trying not to laugh at the thoughts of Snape's head stuck in a used and unflushed toilet. "What's wrong with me, Professor, why am I like this? I believe it has something to do with the Trigalicerium in potions class. Am I correct?"
"You are partially correct, Harry," Dumbledore smiled, "Perhaps Hermione's cleverness has worn off on you. You see, Harry, within all of us, we have the ability to create or to destroy, to hate or to love, to embrace life or to rage against it. You have a special gift Harry, one few have ever had. You have a great inner power, one that has only been recorded twice: once belonging to Merlin, and the other to Voldemort. When you were a child, Voldemort tried to take that power, but instead you took a large portion of his own. You didn't take all of it. Voldemort still has a great deal of that power. But now you have more than you would have had initially. The exchange is what left the scar upon your forehead. And when the mineral made contact with your scar it awakened your power. Because the majority of your power once belong to Voldemort and was tainted with his evil, whenever you feel intense rage, the power erupts and changes you into, what has come to be called, The Hulk."
"So the Hulk's evil?" Harry asked, looking away worriedly.
"No Harry, I do not believe that is the case," Dumbledore said placing his hand on the teenager's shoulder, "You see Harry, the Hulk can only be as evil or as good as you are. No more or no less. It will protect your friends, and wage war against those you despise. I can say this much, I fear for Voldemort, the day he brings you to anger."
"Is it that bad?" Harry asked sitting up.
"It threw me bloody across the way," Hagrid chuckled, "Ah bloody well would think so!"
"You must be careful, Harry," Dumbledore advised, "Most do not understand as I do, such as Professor Umbridge. She has come with a large Auror force and is just waiting for the Hulk to show itself."
"Don't worry, Professor, I'll be fine," Harry said sheepishly.
"It is not you I worry about," Dumbledore smiled, "I do not know of any Auror that can match the Hulk's power."
"I'll do my best to keep it under control, Professor," Harry said sadly, "its difficult …"
"I know, son," Dumbledore said affectionately, "I believe all this is for a reason, and if anyone can bring good from this situation, it is you, Harry."
Dumbledore then stood up, "Come along, Harry, we must return to the castle, I know of a young lady who was in tears over the thoughts of you being in danger."
Harry stood up and realized he was once again dressed, "So it was you and Hagrid who kept me from being spotted half naked in various places?"
"Aye, t'was 'Arry," Hagrid said as Dumbledore led him out of the hut. "Come back any time, 'Arry."
"Though I had a hard time getting your glasses from Hermione this time," Dumbledore said as the two walked along the path toward Hogwarts Castle, "She was quite distraught over the thought of you being hurt, or worse. She assumed the Hulk had attacked you and was making its escape last night. I assured her the Hulk had not harmed you, though I believe seeing you today will reassure her confidence."
"I'm sure Ron was there to comfort her," Harry said angrily.
"Remember your temper, dear boy," Dumbledore said rubbing his shoulder soothingly, "And a battle lost does not lose a war. The heart is a fickle thing, you see? Sometimes it must go down the wrong path before it finds the correct one."
"So exactly what are you saying?" Harry asked looking up at the older gentleman.
"Oh some things you think won't happen can still happen none the less, and most of the time catch you in the blind spot," He said still looking forward, "For example:" He nodded forward, and Harry turned just in time to see Hermione leaping at him to give him a tackle hug.
Harry, caught off guard, fell backwards from the impact, and Hermione went with him. Harry gasped from hitting the ground, and Hermione's knee landing in a certain area, but he could vaguely make out "do you know how worried I was for you," and "where the bloody hell did you go?" from her hyper ramblings.
"Hermione … move … your knee …" Harry grunted.
"Oh I'm sorry Harry," Hermione said blushing brightly getting up off him.
"There you are, Mate," Ron said walking up to stand beside Hermione (A little too close for Harry's liking) and smiling brightly, "I'm glad to see you in one piece."
Harry's eyes narrowed when Ron took Hermione's hand in his, but forced down the anger, so not to release his other half if he could. "Yeah, I'm fine, Ron, Hermione,"
Dumbledore sensing the tension, and seeing that Harry might not be able to keep his anger away much longer, intervened, "Come along Harry, we must continue our conversation."
Dumbledore lead Harry, into the castle, leaving Ron and especially Hermione slightly confused.
--
The next week went by with little or no sightings of the Hulk, thanks to Professor Dumbledore giving Harry a few private anger management classes.
It was the Saturday of the Gryffindor, Slytherin Quidditch match, and Ginny, Gryffindor's seeker sat by herself at the breakfast table. Not that she didn't have friends, but she usually preferred to be alone to relax and prepare her self for the matches. Usually to question whether or not she's successfully filling the shoes Harry left when Umbridge banned him from playing the previous year.
"I can't take this anymore," Ron complained sitting down beside his younger sister. Ginny just continued eating, as if he hadn't said a word. "You still angry with me? Harry isn't. He said it himself he was happy for us!"
"Yeah, well Fudge said Voldemort really hasn't returned but did that mean it was the truth?" Ginny responded hatefully. "Honestly Ron, when was the last time you and Harry had a conversation that lasted more then two replies before he walked off?"
Ron looked for a moment, "about a week ago," Ron replied, "But that doesn't mean … bloody hell, it doesn't matter now anyway, I'm going to break up with her when we go to Hogsmeade after the game this afternoon."
"What? Why?" Ginny asked, in shock at what her brother had just said. She reached over and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, "You haven't a fever, are you feeling ill? Should I take you to Madam Pomfrey?"
"No I'm fine physically, but I am sick," Ron said sighing, "I'm sick of hearing about Harry. Harry this, Harry that, I swear I think she worships the bloke!"
Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "I'm serious, Sis," Ron sighed, "I swear she's probably got a shrine somewhere in her room with pictures of Harry and a place for sacrificing small animals to him."
"I told you she liked him, but did you listen to me? No," Ginny said smacking him in the head with an empty plate, "You never listen to me!"
"I thought if I put on the Weasley charm, I could turn her over," Ron sulked.
"You idiot," Ginny all but yelled, "The Weasley Charm was something dad made up to get Fred and George to go to Hogsmeade and not contemplating how many of their nitro snap sticks it would take to blow up the bloody house!"
"I didn't know …" Ron sulked even more.
"Merlin, I just hope Harry doesn't smash you now," Ginny sighed shaking her head.
"Smash?" Ron asked, chuckling a little, "He's smaller than me, how is that even possible?"
"Remember how he got banned from Quidditch?" Ginny responded quickly, cocking an eyebrow, and smiling when she saw the color fade from her brother's face. "Come on, Git, we've got to start preparing for the game."
--
"You ready," Professor Umbridge asked two men in black cloaks, "This Hulk seems to not like Deatheaters, Hem-Hem, so I'll give him some Deatheaters. As soon as tall green and ugly shows up fall back, I don't want to fill out paper work concerning your deaths."
"Yes, ma'am," one of the two men said as they both disappeared into the shadows.
"Hem-hem, this should get me back in proper graces with the Ministry," She chuckled walking out to watch the game and the events to transpire.
--
Harry sat between Hermione and Luna and watched the players zoom around in the air. Hermione looked over at him, "You'll get to play again," she said placing her hand on his arm comfortingly. Harry looked back and smiled at her, then turned back to the game.
Harry then caught sight of something under the bleachers on the other side. "Are those …" Harry asked out loud, seeing two men in black cloaks moving in the shadows under the spectators. "Hermione, you and Luna stay here, I'll be right back."
"Is something the matter, Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"No, don't think so," Harry smiled, "I just have to check on something, that's all."
"If you say so, Harry," Hermione said unsurely, "Do be careful."
Harry nodded, and began making his way to the base of the stands. He climbed down to the bridge that leads to the paths that go under the Quidditch Pitch, and saw that the two figures were still wondering around under the opposite stands.
In the air Draco Malfoy, whom Madam Pomfrey has recently cleared to play, soared around looking for the Snitch when he spotted Harry moving at the base of the field. "The Snitch can wait …" He said with a sinister smile on his lips. "Time for some fun."
Harry climbed down and was crossing one of the bridges, when Draco shot past him, knocking him off the bridge and on to the bottom of the deep crevice around the Pitch.
Harry hit the floor with a sickening crunch, and felt intense pain running up and down his arm. If not for the rage he was feeling toward Draco who was now flying away laughing, he would've realized his shoulder was broken.
---
"Do you see it, Peter?" One of the two cloaked me said looking around the pitch for any big green monsters.
"No Marcus," the other replied, "Do you think Mrs. Umbridge would be upset with us?"
"Heavens I hope not," the first said shaking his head, "I do not believe anything could be scarier than that …" he said watching Draco zoom down across the field, but then a large green fist reached up from the ditch and gripped the front of his broom, yet Draco continued forward. Bouncing along the grassy ground. "Maybe … that …"
The Hulk stomped out in the middle of the pitch roaring angrily, and causing players and spectators to panic.
Then several spells were shot around him causing bright blinding light. "ATTACK, HULK BUSTERS!" Umbridge screamed from the stands, "Kill it! Kill it! KILL IT NOW!"
Then around a hundred Aurors appeared on the field and began firing restraint spells on the Hulk, while others threw magically enhanced steel restraints on him. "Making Hulk mad …" Hulk growled as they drug him to the ground. "Madder Hulk get … Stronger Hulk get … and Hulk is …"
"ANGRY!!!" It cried breaking the supposedly indestructible bindings, and magical spells. He grabbed four Aurors at once throwing them high in the air and punched them all before they even hit the ground.
The Aurors tried spell after spell, but everything they threw at him made him angrier. "HULK SMASH!!!" He yelled bring his giant fist down on the lower part of a knocked down Auror.
In the stands it was insanity, but Hermione fought her way to a good spot to look over the field, to look to see if Harry was out of harm's way. She looked into her binoculars and held them on the Hulk for a moment, but then she saw something that made her heart drop. The wind blew the Hulk's bangs, and for a split second she could've sworn she saw a lightening bolt scar at the same spot on the Hulk's forehead as Harry's. "No … I must be seeing things," Hermione said back stepping, her face pale from fear, "But … where's Harry …"
"SMASH! SMASH! SMASH!" The Hulk roared as he used two lifeless bodies of Aurors as whips on a large pile of knocked out Aurors.
After less then four minutes, one hundred and fifteen Aurors were all killed or injured, and Umbridge stood speechless at the untouched Hulk. "Incredible … simply Incredible …" she muttered as the Hulk leaped the entire stands and made a dash away from the Pitch. Umbridge then grabbed a mirror from her purse, "Hulkbusters Unit 2, it's on the move, heading east. Stop it now!"
Hulk ran at incredible speed, tripped when a spell hit him in the hip. It looked up growling at twenty-five Aurors riding brooms. "Leave alone!" Hulk screamed, grabbing a passing Auror and using him and his broom as a bat, knocking down four others with one swipe.
He then looked and spotted the Whompping Willow, and grabbed it. The Hulk jerked the tree and its roots out of the ground and used it to knock the other Aurors possibly into orbit with two swings.
The Hulk roared in victory, and then disappeared into the Forbidden Forest, leaving Umbridge fuming. "Damn you … you Savage Hulk!" She screamed stomping her foot, then sighing, "Maybe a few more Aurors will do the trick …"
---
An hour later Hagrid and Harry walked toward the castle, and Harry spotted Ron and Hermione at the carriages.
"Going to Hogsmeade, Mates?" Harry asked, with a smile. For some reason he felt really refreshed.
"Yeah, but do you mind us going alone, this time, Harry?" Ron asked. This might have angered Harry, but the strange look Hermione was giving him made him more worried than anything. She looked almost afraid of him.
"Oh … ok … that's fine," Harry said, though not angered, he had a harder time hiding the hurt.
"Sorry, Mate," Ron smiled weakly, "I just have something very important to speak with Hermione about … but Harry … I really, really am sorry …"
"What?" Harry asked tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"You know …" Ron nodded toward Hermione, who was still staring at Harry like he had grown a second head, "I'm just sorry, Harry, I hope you can forgive me …"
Ron and Hermione then climbed into the carriage, and it when off down the road. "Harry, we must speak, I feel there may be trouble," Dumbledore said walking up to the boy.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Harry, ninety-eight Aurors are dead, and forty-two are injured severely," Dumbledore said worriedly, but spoke up when the shocked look crossed Harry's face, "No, Harry, the Hulk was provoked, it only fought to protect itself."
"It doesn't change the fact it … I killed all of those …" Harry said, looking as if he'd be ill.
"Come on inside, son," Dumbledore said, leading him inside the castle, "I'll prepare you some hot chocolate, and we'll talk."
---
"What did you want to talk about, Ron" Hermione asked, as the two walked down the streets of Hogsmeade.
"Hermione, I wanted … to talk about … well us … and Harry," Ron stated as they walked, unaware of the figures approaching behind them.
---
Around two hours later, Harry sat in the common room, with Ginny sitting across from him, watching him worriedly. "Harry, it wasn't your fault they attacked it," She said trying to make him feel better.
"If I didn't start changing into it," Harry stated coldly, "Then they wouldn't have needed to attack it, and they would be home with their families now. It's … I'm no better than Voldemort."
"Harry!" Ginny cried, grabbing his collar and shaking him slightly, "Don't say that! You're nothing like you-know-who. You're not evil, everyone knows that, Harry, you're not!"
"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said walking into the commons room, "Professor Dumbledore sent me to fetch you, I'm afraid something has happened to Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger."
To Be Continued …
C. Cowboy: sorry it took so long to get this out, I've been neglecting one of my other fics for months now, and most of my readers were getting hostile ^^; anyway I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and a bit about the next chapter, Voldemort and his Deatheaters have a really, really bad day.
Next Chapter: The Gift That Has Been Given To Me