26 Halloween Part 4

*********************************

One Hour Earlier

*********************************

Nova stood up from the forge. The bonding process of the Sorting Hat's soul to the new vessel was a success. As he pulled it out of the fire, the hat had a silver glow to it. As the light faded, you could see the different patterns in the leather of the hat and in certain areas you could see it form a face for where the hat would be looking and seeing from. Nova sat the hat down on a stool and stood across from it.

"Sorting Hat are you awake?"

"Yes I am awake . . . Wait a minute it's you? Why am I here? What is going on?" the Sorting Hat started talking.

"Ok good you can speak. Do you feel like you can still do your sorting?"

"You're not going to answer my question are you? Sigh. . . yes I can still do my sorting, it what I was made for."

"Well you look fine and seem to be acting normal. Now lets get out of here." Nova said while picking up the hat and placing it on his head.

As Nova walked out of the room, he saw himself in the reflection. He looked terrible. Do to working in the lower conditions non stop, he had gotten a very haggard look to himself. But that wasn't Nova's main concern. He had used a lot of energy to craft the Sorting Hat and add the soul, if he had to do it anymore he would need to sleep for a while. Nova then spat out a weak set of flames into his palm as he walked. The once bluish white flame was now a ruddy rust color. Show to Nova how weak he had gotten.

"It will take at least a month if not longer regain my energy." Nova said as he snuffed out the flames. As Nova walked into the Great Hall, with the Sorting Hat on his head, it garnished many gazes. Nova looked around and saw a thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. He then proceeded to walk up to the headmaster's seat and stood in front of Dumbledore on the opposite side of the table.

"Mr. Void, I see that you have finished your little project. And it seems to have been successful."

"Little? I would like to see who else can reforge a hat that has been around 10 centuries in under a month." Nova complained. "But yes the Sorting Hat is now fixed and better than ever. Though its attitude seems to have stayed the same."

"Yes, good good. May I see?" Dumbledore asked.

"Certainly Professor." Nova then proceeded to take off the hat and handed it to him. Dumbledore then took off his current hat and place the Sorting Hat on top of his head of white hair.

A few seconds later the Sorting Hat cried, "Gryffindor!" To which Dumbledore let out a soft laugh. "It is good to see that the Sorting Hat is back to its usual self. 50 points to Gryffindor for doing the repairs. Thank you."

When Dumbledore finished speaking, the entire hall erupted into applause. Even the Slytherin students clapped though not as enthusiastic as the rest of the school. Then while Nova was walking back to the Gryffindor table, Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll -- in the dungeons -- thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element. "Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

As Nova followed along with the group, he looked around uncaringly. He did notice that there was a few people missing from the tables, but figured they must have already turned in for the night or maybe pursuing other extracurricular activities.

Nova turned and saw Harry and Ron trailing behind everyone, as he was near them Nova heard, "How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."

At this point the group was about to start climbing the stairs, Harry speak in a panicked voice, ""I've just thought -- Hermione."

"What about her?" Ron said with disgust in his voice.

"She doesn't know about the troll." Harry replied.

When Nova heard this, he got felt himself lose control and release his pressure around the area immobilizing everyone in there place. Nova walked up and grabbed the two by the collar and lifted them up.

"Why would Hermione need to know about the troll?" He asked calmly. Harry and Ron had trouble speaking, under the pressure. They quickly told Nova about what had happened during the day, and how no one had seen Hermione since this morning's Charms class.

"Why are you so concerned it's just a troll. They are dumb brutes who can't do anything but grunt." Ron forced out of his mouth.

Then suddenly a loud yell was heard, "UAHHHHH!" When everyone heard that their eyes widened, not only because that didn't sound like a normal troll, but because they started to see the pressure from Nova's rage.

"Does that sound like a regular troll to you? I am going to ask this once, where is she?" Nova said calmly trying to contain his rage.

"We don't know," Harry said, "But we do know it is in one of the bathrooms."

"Who told you this?"

"Parvarti was telling Lavender about how she was in a bathroom" Ron said quickly, as Nova had lifted them up higher when Harry said they didn't know.

Nova then dropped the two of them down, and appeared in front of Parvarti and Lavender. "Which bathroom did you find Hermione in?

The two girls were having trouble speaking as Nova just seemed to teleport to where they were at.

"Nova there is no need for questioning them. The teachers will take care of it." Percy Weasley said, "Now as Prefect, I am ordering you to stop whatever it is you are doing and follow us up to the common room."

"Be quiet. You are merely a figurehead. Not even that. Now don't interrupt me again or you will really need a professor to help you." Nova spoke not even turning to look at Percy.

"Now girls could you please tell me where Hermione is?"

"First floor bathroom near the dungeons." They both said at once. Nova immediately released his pressure. And started to walk away.

"Hold up. You are not going anywhere." Percy suddenly put his hand on Nova's shoulder to stop him. "I am a Prefect. I am ordering you to stop this at once and go back to the common room. Or else."

Nova released his pressure just on Percy this time, "Are you threatening me, Weasley?"

The force of the pressure was so strong, it forced Percy to his knees. "You wish to continue holding me up shall be granted as punishment." The anger from Nova was starting to get hotter causing the glasses that were around his eyes to melt down and fall off his face, instantly knocking out the people who saw his eyes.

Nova then made the pressure even stronger causing the stone stairs to tremble and Percy coughed up blood, "You call yourself a Prefect like it means something, instead of a leader all I see is a weasel kissing ass to the teachers. So since that is what you wish to be so be it. You are now a weasel."

Then in front of everyone's view Percy Weasley, the Prefect, became Percy Weasley the Weasel. Nova then turned around and left running down the halls. Harry and Ron looked at each other and quickly followed leaving the rest of the Gryffindors half stunned and fainted.

Nova soon reached the bathroom in which the girls from before had mentioned. As he arrived, he saw the troll was in the process of swinging and then saw the trajectory was going to hit Hermione. Nova release his wings causing his robe to tear and jumped in front of Hermione wrapping the wings around her as he hugged her close.

Then next thing, Nova did was harden his back with dragon scales as the weapon made contact. When the morning star made contact, Nova felt it dig into his body some and ripping into his wings as the force of impact sent him and Hermione through the castle wall out into the corridor.

Nova slowly stood up, while making sure Hermione was ok. After seeing she was fine, he let her go and said, "Get around the corner and stay out of sight. I will be fine."

Hermione wanted to argue, he didn't look fine, in fact, it didn't look like Nova could even stand. But looking at the determination in Nova's eyes, Hermione nodded.

Nova then turned to face the troll. It stood 24 feet tall almost double a normal troll and in its hand was a white bone morning star.

"Forger! So you have finally appeared. Lord Samuel wishes me to bring your head on a platter." the troll said.

"Who are you, Lackey of Samuel?"

"I am Urg the Troll King. I am the strongest troll in existence. Even you the Dragon God can not beat me in your weakened state!!" Urg boasted loudly, "And with this Divine Weapon given to me by Lord Samuel, I shall crush you in your tiny form."

"Yes I do see that you are using one of the lower level weapons that I have created. But I don't think you can crush me. For I do not fight in a tiny form."

And with that statement, Nova started to change into a dragon. His form started to get much bigger and black scales to match his wings soon covered him. Nova's face and head soon elongated itself and formed a dragon's head with sharp dragon teeth. Around his waist there was a tearing sound as a tail grew from his back side. Nova's arms and legs bulked up and his hands and feet turned into claws. As Nova finished changing, he let out a large roar that shook the castle and surrounding land.

"Hahaha! Impressive form Forger. But you are still too weak."

"How do you know if I am or not until you have tried." Nova said with a deep rumble.

"Lord Samuel boasted at how you have grown weak over the eons, falling for phoenix trash. He even spoke of how the Barrier Master from the lower realms sealed your ability over souls. I know this is true as even now you haven't noticed that three of Lady Phoenix's soul fragments are within these walls, one of which is standing near you already." Urg continued boasting.

"So Samuel messed with the laws of the world did he? I had a feeling something was wrong. It seems I must fix it."Nova thought.

"What has Samuel promised you?"

"Lord Samuel has promised me that I could enjoy the fragments of Lady Phoenix, all he required was at least one fragment, the rest I could turn into breeding farms for me and my children." Urg laughed.

When Nova heard this his anger came out full force and he release his presence as the Dragon God. "You dare!!" He roared and jumped on the troll, sinking his claws deep into its flesh. As he did Nova ripped Urg's arm clean from his body. When he did so, Nova watched as the arm regenerated almost immediately.

"Hahahaha. I will tell you my other name Forger, I am Urg the Immortal." Urg said as he swung the morning star hard into Nova sending him out into courtyard.

'This is going to be troublesome' Nova thought as he recovered. 'I may have to break some of the rules myself. I hope the world can handle it.' Nova then saw Harry and Ron looking around the corner, at the same time motioning to Hermione to go where they were at. Seeing them gave Nova an idea.

Nova breathed out a large ball of fire. But instead of doing damage it just burned Urg slightly. "Pathetic. Is that really the flames of the Dragon God used to make even creation itself?"

Urg then stepped into the courtyard as well. And then swung at Nova again. This time instead of getting hit. Nova caught the blow in his hand, only for him to take a fist to the chest. The blow caused Nova to cough up blood.

Nova then cast his thoughts to the three of them.

"Before you panic, just listen."

"Nova why can I hear you in my head?" Ron said outloud.

When Ron said this not only did Harry and Hermione look at him for being stupid, it also was heard by Nova causing him to be hit hard once more with the morning star while he was slightly distracted.

"You idiot! Just shut up and listen! Or all three of you will die." Nova voice roared in their heads.

"I need you to stop the morning star." Nova said.

"Whats that?" Harry and Ron said together.

"It's the giant stick I keep getting hit with." "Oh."

"I don't care how you do it, but I think the levitating spell should do it."

"Your joking," All three said at once.

"Do I look like I am joking. If you can't do it go find someone who can."

Hearing this the three looked at each other, and seem to have a understanding. "OK we will try."

Nova then breathed fire in Urg's face blinding him, while Nova rushed up and grabbed the hand with the morning star while it was in the air.

"Now would be a good time guys." Nova said to them. Then Nova heard, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Come out of all three of there mouths. As it turned out Ron's spell was the only one that actually worked as the other two's just narrowly missed the target.

When the morning star flew out of Urg's hand, he looked up and saw the morning star fly high, high up into the air, turned slowly over -- and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head.

"What the . . ." was all Urg had a chance to say as the business end of the morning star crashed into his head splitting it open. The sudden loss of a working head made the trolls body freeze temporarily. This opening was just long enough to allow Nova to gather the magic in the air and fuse it with his spilt blood on the ground. While Nova quickly worked, Urg was just about done recovering. Seeing this Nova grew in size once more and grabbed the troll and threw it into the air.

"Blood Rite: Sacrifice" Nova said. When he said this the air trembled as his split blood started to glow bright red before flying into the air forming a crimson formation. Nova then used some of the energy to strengthen his flames to their prime before breathing it out. The formation then absorbed the flames and shot them out as a large white column of flames that engulfed the Urg burning him down to the last atom.

When the flames stopped, Nova saw the damage around him that they had cause. The courtyard was a mess the surround walls were damaged or broken, the roof of one of the towers was caught in the blast and melted away as was the other building structures that was in the flames path. High in the air, Nova then witnessed a tear form in the sky. Nova just sighed. Seeing the damage, he just knew that he was going to be punished by the World Laws for tearing space and using a Forbidden Rite.

Nova then started to change back, he had used up too much energy and was going to have to sleep for awhile. He had multiple broken bones, his wings were a broken shredded mess. Nova then felt a wave of vertigo hit him and he collapsed letting the exhaustion force him to sleep.