Chapter 93: "The Unseen Attack"

Over two weeks had passed, and a lot had changed at Hogwarts. Fletcher's sneak attacks were still happening, but not as much as before. In the first week, because loads of students decided it wasn't safe to be out after dark, Fletcher didn't have as many chances to do his attacks.

Realizing he was running out of time to find the special blood he was after, Fletcher started trying to catch people off guard in the morning or between classes, in hallways where not many people walked. This made the attacks start up more often again, and everyone at school began to feel scared.

One morning, just like any other, Harry got up early to do his exercises. He wasn't too worried about Fletcher's attacks at that moment. He figured if Fletcher didn't end up finding what he was looking for, Harry would try to get the old key from him towards the year's end. After getting the key, Harry would try to figure out the mystery of what was hidden behind the library walls himself.

As Harry was about to leave the castle to head outside, he suddenly felt a sharp push against his back that made him stumble slightly, along with seeing some red flashes around him. Harry understood right away that these were signs someone was trying to use the Stupefy spell on him.

Right then, Harry figured out there was someone he couldn't see right behind him, trying to knock him out. Without wasting a second to think twice, Harry quickly spun around and sent a strong roundhouse kick into the air, aiming at where he guessed his hidden attacker was. Feeling his kick land and hearing a groan of pain confirmed his hit.

Suddenly, the attacker was visible again, and there stood Professor Fletcher, hand clutched to his chest, looking utterly surprised that his spell had failed and even more so when Harry's kick had made direct contact.

Without pausing, Harry's wand was already out, and he quickly launched a combination of spells at Fletcher - "Expelliarmus!" to disarm him and "Stupefy!" to stun him. Fletcher, caught off guard and still trying to regain his balance, had no chance to react before the spells hit him.

Fletcher's wand flew from his grasp, and before he could even think of what to do next, he was enveloped by the red light of the stun spell and fell unconscious.

Harry looked down at Fletcher, who was now unconscious on the ground, and took a moment to calm himself down from the unexpected attack. His heart was still pounding from the adrenaline rush.

Everything had unfolded in mere moments. From the second Harry sensed the attack to the moment Fletcher was taken down, only a few seconds had whizzed by. Harry had always been quick to react, a skill he'd sharpened since he was little. He wasn't the type to freeze up or waste time questioning what just happened; his response was immediate, leaving Fletcher, who hadn't expected Harry to be so formidable, no chance to even wonder why his attempt to stun Harry hadn't worked.

Harry was silently grateful for his habit of always being prepared, especially at Hogwarts, a place he knew was full of unexpected dangers. He had spent a good amount of his money on protective gear, including a dragon hide vest he wore all the time, even during his morning exercise routines. Harry had actually hoped to get a vest made from basilisk hide, but those were extremely rare and he hadn't been able to find one.

The dragon hide vest, though, proved to be just what he needed against a simple stunning spell. The spell did hit him, but it only caused a slight pushback thanks to the magical resistance of the vest.

Looking down at Fletcher, now still and silent on the floor, Harry began to think about his next steps. Fletcher had obviously targeted him, likely wanting Harry's blood to unlock the ancient key's secret. Now Harry needed to consider what to do with the Professor given that he himself had become one of the victims.

Harry hadn't expected Fletcher to target anyone so early in the morning; it was a time when Harry, unlike most students and even the Quidditch team, would be out and about. It seemed Fletcher had specifically gotten up early with the intent of going after Harry.

Given Fletcher's direct attack on him, Harry saw no point in simply leaving him be to terrorize the school. He levitated Fletcher's unconscious body and carried him to an empty classroom nearby, making sure to grab Fletcher's wand along the way. Harry was relieved to find no enchanted portraits along their path that could observe and report what he was doing. Once they were in the classroom, Harry secured the door behind them, ready to figure out what to do about Fletcher.

First off, Harry went through Fletcher's pockets to see what he was carrying. There wasn't much on him. Harry did find a wand, which turned out to be Fletcher's main wand that he used for teaching. The wand Fletcher had tried to use on Harry was just a spare one, picked specifically for wrongdoing. It was similar to how Harry had a separate wand for playing pranks on bullies.

Besides that, Harry found the old round key on Fletcher.

As he held the ancient key for the first time and examined it closely, he noticed that the design was dominated by the Gryffindor emblem, making the key resemble more of a badge than a traditional key. Nevertheless, the presence of the Gryffindor emblem was a significant clue, indicating that Fletcher's quest had something to do with the Gryffindor legacy, suggesting that Gryffindor family blood might be necessary to make the key work as intended.

The reason behind Fletcher's attacks on the students became clearer; he was probably trying to find someone of Gryffindor's lineage. Godric Gryffindor, unlike Salazar Slytherin, had many descendants. Over the years, those descendants mixed and mingled with other witches and wizards, so there were quite a few people in the wizarding world who could trace their roots back to the Hogwarts founder. This meant Fletcher had a fair chance of finding a student at Hogwarts who could meet the key's requirements.

Being a descendant of Gryffindor wasn't considered a big deal these days. The Gryffindor family's direct line had vanished long before the Ministry of Magic was established, so there wasn't even a dedicated seat for the Gryffindors in the Wizengamot. Among those who could claim a connection to Gryffindor were the Potters, making them part of this extended family tree.

Harry figured his own blood might just work with the key, considering his family background. Plus, the purification ritual he'd undergone might increase his chances of activating the key.

However, figuring out the key's secrets was not the main thing on his mind at that moment.

Dealing with Fletcher was Harry's immediate concern. Fletcher had made the first move by attacking Harry, which really got under Harry's skin. Harry wasn't the type to let such things slide. He believed in giving back as good as he got, if not better. Yet, he had to be cautious. Fletcher wasn't just anyone; he was a professor. And Harry didn't want to end up in trouble with Dumbledore this soon. So, he knew he needed to tread carefully and ensure nothing could be traced back to him.