“Sleeping beauty”

Luna was sitting in the medical wing, wrapped in a blanket like a butterfly in a cocoon. The girl was on a chair next to Dan, whose bed was covered with curtains so that he could not be seen.

To be honest, Luna sometimes wondered what would happen if someone saw him. Of course, everything depends on the person who will reveal the secret of his existence, but it was difficult to imagine a face in which there would be no fear.

But she couldn't stop thinking… what if? What if someone would have seen his nature right away? Just maybe, someone would notice that there was a kind boy under the monster's skin? Luna could confirm that he was kind, she didn't like being friends with evil people. They could then see that Dan is a person who would protect his friends above all else.

There was not a scratch on her skin, her body was free from any wounds. Luna was so emotionally tired after everything that had happened that she would have been an ideal victim for the Nargles if not for her protection. But now she was more interested in protection from spiders.

Previously, she liked spiders, these cute and fluffy creatures with eight legs were great companions, and even better dancers. They were as incredible as all the other in her eyes. Now? Not so much.

Perhaps her discontent was limited to intelligent man-eating spiders, she still wasn't sure. Maybe she didn't like human-eating beings? Or she just didn't like those who wanted to kill her friend... 'Yes,' she decided, 'that sounds right.'

"Miss Lovegood?"

Luna raised her face and met Madam Pomfrey's gaze. The woman was holding a mug of hot tea, which the girl accepted without protest. It was a good cup o' tea. It helped her pass the time while she waited for her friend to wake up.

"Mr. Khromov is fine, now he just needs a rest. The venom was removed from his bloodstream, and his wounds were healed. Considering that this is only the second time he has come here, this is quite a good result." The healer said, without mentioning that the full list of his wounds took up an entire scroll of parchment. The fact that his bones didn't break under the blows of the spiders, was either an incredible stroke of luck or a feature of his race.

Luna knew how lucky Dan was, but she would have preferred that he did not get into the Medical Wing at all. She must have made a face, because Pomfrey patted her on the shoulder.

"You can stay here for a while longer, but do go to your room before curfew. As soon as he wakes up, you will be the first to know-"

Suddenly, Dan sat up straight, stiff as a metal pole, and immediately disappeared, leaving behind only a rain of purple sparks.

Madam Pomfrey and Luna both stared at the empty bed with wide eyes, not trusting their senses. One moment Dan was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing, and the next he was already gone. It all happened so fast, it was hard to process.

"... Did he wake up?" Luna asked, tilting her head towards the Healer.

The answer to her had very naughty words that she definitely wouldn't repeat until adulthood.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Dan – his body anyway – teleported straight to his room and immediately fell on the bed. The air became electrified and magic began to flow into the monster boy's body like a river, tightening his wounds and speeding up his recovery. The enchantments on the walls worked exactly as they were supposed to.

They forced his body to absorb magic and work one hundred percent, healing wounds and strengthening his bones, muscles and skin. Every hour, he was getting stronger, even if by one thousandth of a percent.

Batsheda was right in her theory that the Wards he weaved into the room were defense-oriented. What she didn't know was that this was just the first layer of many.

After all, everything could have been much better if Dan had the right materials.

Endermen, like many other species – even those of a magical variety – worried at first about their place of residence. Well, first there was food and security, but the house was also important. "Everything is according to the Maslow pyramid," as some would people say.

Dan had no idea how he had constructed these enchantments. He could only assume that he was walking in his sleep and without even knowing it, he was drawing random runes on the walls.

That was partly true.

{"Weak."} The rasp of the cursed tongue sounded from Dan's throat. His body was exhausted and right now whatever was keeping him conscious was doing it on pure willpower.

Mantis, finally hearing his friend's voice, woke up and turned around on a small branch of the bonsai tree. He looked at Dan, who was getting out of bed with an incredible effort, but just shrugged and continued to look at him without leaving his place under the sunlight. His friend was weird, he was used to it.

By the standards of his race, Dan was… practically useless in battle. He wasn't good enough at using his abilities to be called even a beginner. All he had were instincts and rage that helped him fight. Among the monstrous hauntings of Endermen, he couldn't be considered a warrior. Dan couldn't even be considered cannon fodder.

The Enderman stood up and leaned against the nearest wall, his violet eyes boring into the faintly glowing carved runes. Slowly, he turned his head to the stacks of books that were lying all over the room. {"But clever…"}

But what he could be considered, is a researcher. Wiz magic was not something that ordinary Endermen could use. Although it would be more correct to call him a new class or sorts. The way he used his magic was interesting, if a little pathetic.

Without proper training, he will never be able to discover his full potential.

Satisfied with his findings, Enderman laid back on the bed. His clawed fingers wrapped around his left wrist. {"A weapon won't be enough."}

Finally, Dan's body closed its eyes and went into the world of dreams once more.