the aftermath

After undergoing a life threatening experience, regular people feel a myriad of emotions. Terror, grief, anxiety, emptiness. But for me, I felt... Shame. I took one look at professor flitwick's face, and all my fear of the acromantula's and rage at having nearly eaten disappeared, and got replaced by humiliation. I had let down the man, who was willing stick his neck out for me, in front of three house heads. Why couldn't he just be an asshole and scold me?

I kept my head down, flustered not even daring to look at his face. I would rather take a thousand acromantula's again than daring to look at his face. I kept fiddling a toothpick between my fingers looking at my hospital sandals with new-found interest.

But, I knew deep down, that I was only delaying the inevitable. This talk was gonna happen no matter how ashamed I was. I finally stuttered out:"p-professor,... I-"

"Harry, it's alright." Flitwick said interrupting me smiling serenely.

I looked at him with eyes of regret and retorted:"but it's not. I broke house rules. I sneaked out. I almost DIED! "

flitwick sighed:"Harry I'm not saying you are not in the wrong here." Flitwick said causing me flinch and bow down.:"but I understand you."

I looked at Flitwick with a confused expression.

Flitwick smiled and continued:"Harry, I too was a prodigy when I was your age. Not getting a spell, that the entire class was getting easily must have been hard for you. If anything it's my fault as a teacher for not recognizing it."

I looked from him my eyes turning to the toothpick in my hand. I fumbled it around my fingers frowning.

"but more than that we are in no position to blame you after the trauma you must have went through. Harry my boy, are you really fine though? "

That's when I finally realized it. I'm supposed to be a first year. I cannot imagine how traumatizing that experience must have been for a child. Heck a technical adult like me almost shit his pants at that encounter. I wasn't just the culprit in this scenario. I was also the victim. I sighed and looked back at him:"I... Will be professor. I will be."

Flitwick smiled and patted my shoulders.

Suddenly my eyes widened with worry and I asked:"does my friends... " I trailed off not knowing how to complete that question.

"...know that you broke curfew and nearly got yourselves killed?." Flitwick said raising an eyebrow, causing me, to shrink back into the medical bed.

"no. They don't."said flitwick causing a smile to bloom on my face. :"didn't want anyone outside of the house heads knowing about this... incident."

I asked him confused:"I missed all the classes today. Whats the official excuse."

Flitwick replied a sly smile spreading on his case:"oh, we just told your friends, you couldn't make it.... Because of that TERRIBLE case of constipation you had."

...

My entire brain went blank for a second. The world went out of focus as my face went blank and my breath went stale.

"WHY? "

Flitwick rose an eyebrow and replied:"why? You need reasons? Well how about sneaking out of the castle after hours...? "

I inwardly groaned and slumped down. I guess that's proportionate punishment.:"alright I get it."

"or going to the forbidden forest...? "

"YES! I get it professor."

"or how about destroying a portion of the forbidden forest."

"I GET IT...professor." I shouted finally. Professor Flitwick chuckled in reply.:"madam pomfrey will fix you up in no time. You will be up and running by tomorrow. So you better not be late to my class. Got It? "

I chuckled back:"yes professor."

Flitwick patted my shoulder and smiled. He then slowly turned around to leave. Suddenly he stopped and turned his entire demeanor changed. His smile was replaced by a neutral expression as he asked:"Harry.... You WERE just practicing spells in that forest, weren't you? "

I looked at the professor with an unreadable expression. The toothpick in my hand moved to, between my middle and index fingers. Uncomfortable silence fell upon us. Suddenly I smiled back:"of course professor, what else would it be."

Professor flitwick chuckled and replied:"of course Harry, silly me." he turned around and left the infirmary chucking.

Suddenly my smile faded my lips. My expression turned neutral as I looked around. I ensured there wasn't a single soul around me. Finally I opened up my Hogwarts cloak. I took the toothpick from my fingers and closed my eyes. I summoned the arcane from within me, as the toothpick shined, turning silver.

Within seconds in place of the wooden toothpick was a silver beautifully carved needle. I plunged that needle into my cloak. I took a deep breath and dragged the toothpick downwards. The fabric was torn apart. Inside it a roughly sewn pocket could be seen. Threads were randomly sewn in by an unprofessional barely doing the task of holding the pocket together.

My hands went into the pocket to reach for...emptyness. I took a deep breath, as I, once again, summoned the mystical aura from within me, passing it on to the pocket.

The pocket shined suddenly becoming bottomless. That's right. I had taken a spatial pouch from the room of requirements and sewn it into my Hogwarts robe. Then I had covered said pocket with a cloth piece I had transfigured. I had hidden the unicorn powder as the chase started, in there.

I tore through all my defenses and finally my hands went down my pocket grasping something. A smirk bloomed on my face. In my hand was a vial shining with a silver hue. The grinded horn of a unicorn.