Meditation.
Say what you will, but meditating is not fun - useful, sure, calming, definitely, but fun, not so much. The stories and movies make it seems so dignified and spiritual, with the aged graying master sitting court and dispensing ancient knowledge to his dedicated students. Amusing anecdotes optional. The reality though, well let us just say it's much less glorious for one I didn't manage to meditate sitting up until fairly recently, preferring the more comfortable option of just laying down in bed. I highly recommend it, much easier on the ass and knees, and only a minor risk of falling asleep. And honestly, that's not all that bad. Who doesn't like a little nap?
However, it's not conducive if you want to play around with magic when you do it, which was why I was currently floating off the floor in the middle of my living room with three baseball-sized spheres of wood drifting around me slowly in different and opposing orbits. This was not the result of any spell but instead an example of direct manipulation of magic in a manner that resembled telekinesis. It wasn't a very impressive showing, to be frank, since it had taken me six years of regular practice to get to this point. And I still couldn't lift anything heavier than maybe a kilo of weight, exempting myself. It was essentially a waste of time outside of training my ability to focus on multiple things at once. And even that was a bit iffy in stressful situations.
Still, I was floating five feet of the floor and moving shit around me. SO. FUCKING. COOL!
Worth it!
It might not be useful and it was unlikely that I'll ever have any real practical use for it, but I could do it. And that was all that mattered.
With a content sigh I lowered myself down to the floor and sent the balls floating towards the container I stored them in before whipping away the sweat that had built up on my brow. It took a lot of concentration to channel magic like that, it wasn't what wizards were really built for after all. Quick short bursts of magic were more our speed.
I lifted my arm and took a sniff of my pit and wrinkled my nose at the sour smell and quickly cast a few spells to both cool me down a bit and freshen me up. Another spell cleared the air of any lingering smell as well. Magic, so useful. Then, before I could come up with something else to do with my copious free time, my trusty manservant silently faded into view, standing on a workbench to my left. The house elf appearing without me calling on him was a bit unusual and generally indicated that he wanted something, or something of interest had occurred.
"Paddy? Did you want something?"
"Indeed, sir. The chrysalis you had stored in the miniature arboretum appears to have hatched." He informed me dryly.
I grinned, pleased. That was excellent news, I'd been waiting on that damn thing for months! I immediately started to move towards the Room of Requirements. "That's awesome!"
"A moment sir." Paddy piped up again before I could get very far. "I believe that it would behoove you to know that our new guest appears to be somewhat... belligerent."
I stopped and gave my friend a questioning look. "Belligerent? In what way?"
"Once it hatched and founds itself contained in the arboretum it proceeded to shatter one of the glass panels and escaping. It tried to do the same with one of the windows in the room but was less successful in that attempt. That appears to have angered it and it is now in the process of destroying things in the room."
"Oh." I said, "That's not good... Did he try the door?"
"No, I don't believe he has found it as of yet," Paddy informed me before continuing. "I think it might be a good idea to keep him contained within the room until you can get him under control. Losing him into the school would likely cause no end of chaos, and bring down the ire of the teachers on your head."
I winced, true enough. What I'd done to that fairy chrysalis was not exactly legal. I probably wouldn't be tossed in Azkaban for it, but I would likely be levied with a stiff fine. Damnit, I knew I should have moved the damn thing into something more secure, and sturdy. I just didn't think a teeny tiny fairy would be able to do much of anything. I suppose I should have kept Gilderoy's first class in mind, just because it's small doesn't mean it's not dangerous.
I sighed and squared my shoulders before continuing my walk to the room. After I manifested the doorway to the Room of Hidden Things I carefully opened the door, mindful of making any noise, before quickly slipping into the room and shutting the door behind me. Even as I entered I could hear the sound of wood splintering and glass shattering accompanying by flashes of blue light. Someone was in a gnarly mood. After a moment's deliberation, I decided to just take to the air. I quickly flew up to the rafters above to get a better look at what I was dealing with.
Bad idea!
Even before I reached the ceiling the noise and light stopped abruptly and an oppressive silence fell over the room. I didn't have long to contemplate my life choices before I was distracted by a sound that reminded me of a high voltage arc grounding out from behind me. I had just enough time to turn around see a flash of blue light and then I felt like I'd just been kicked in the chest by Topsy the Roid Raged Horse. The blast flung me into one of the piles of trash. Fortunately, the pile was soft enough to break my fall without knocking me out. Unfortunately, I could see a little blue comet streaking towards me.
I jerked to the side as it smashed into the pile just where my head had just been even as I tried to get some air back into my lungs. As it passed I got a brief glimpse of it through the blue glare surrounding it. No tits and bigger than a normal fairy. Definitely male. Cool, now I just had to convince him not to blast me to a pulp.The damn thing didn't feel like give me that time as another blast sent me flying back out of the pile and almost had me crashing into another one that was made up of stacked furniture but I managed to avoid it and make an unsteady landing on the floor before performing an unimpressive stagger behind some cover to dodge another blast aimed for my back.
I saw the little blighter zip past overhead and do a U-turn towards me for another attack run. Damn that bugger was fast, was the only thing I could think as blue death descended on me. Only to veer off as a blast of red light almost nailed it full on. Moments later Paddy appeared beside me and threw up a shield that tanked a series of blasts that would likely have done me in. Or at least knocked me out cold. The momentary respite allowed me to get some air and get my head back on.
"Agh...Haah, thanks Pad." I panted out and flinched as a barrage of blasts pelted us. The shield went down and we were off. Paddy vanished and I took to the air, and this time I didn't make the mistake of standing around gawping like a retard. Even that almost wasn't enough as the damn thing almost nailed me again, only Paddy flanking the bug allowed me to turn and go on the attack.
I dodged the bolt of blue light that whizzed past my head and sent out a blast of force to try to knock the little buggerer out of the air, but the pesky thing veered off in another direction nimbly dodging the attack. I needed to slow the little blighter down if I wanted to get a hit in.
"Immobulus!" I roared and released the spell, causing the air to shimmer faintly with a faint rainbow of colors.
That doesn't seem to slow him down any!
"Magic resistance!? Come on!" I complained as I dodge away, sending on a series of stunners to keep the little shit occupied and hopefully give Paddy an opening. No such luck.
I have a feeling this is payback for a crime committed in some past life. Not the one before this one, I was a fucking angel there. Didn't even step on ants. I know it's punishment though because it shouldn't be possible for something that's only three inches high to completely trash this room and avoiding both me AND Paddy trying to subdue him. I sent a dresser flying only for it to be blasted apart. Paddy showed up in the air above him and rained ice down on the fairy, but to no avail.
"Keep the damn thing occupied I need a moment!" I yelled out to Paddy before I started to cast the same charms that were placed on bludgers and then taking a page from Dobby and adding a homing charm into the mix. If I couldn't pin him down I'd overwhelm him instead. Within moments the little fairy had all manner of heavy objects streaking after him through the room. The fairy tried to blast the trash but once I got to the cauldrons it stopped being effective. Then the evil little shit changed tactics and came at me again, even faster this time, not even trying to blast me.
"Fuck!" As I realize that the little shit was going to try to use all the crap after him as a weapon. I veered away sharply as the bastard flashed past me, making all the crap following him almost smash into me. I growled and considered stopping but dismissed it just as quick, it was working, I just needed to keep it up and we'd win. I noticed that Paddy was riding in one of the large cauldrons, taking shots as he could. The fairies dodging and weaving was getting more and more frantic as more and more stuff was sent his way and he took to fly through things to slow down the onslaught, with me and Paddy taking potshots at him.
The next few moments were utter chaos as the air was filled with shit flying every which way, blasts of magic strafing the walls, floor, and ceiling with impunity, stuff exploding all over the place. It was pandemonium. But the little blighter finally wasn't quite fast enough as Paddy managed to clip him with a banisher, causing the blue aura wink out him to spin out of control, finally allowing me a clear shot.
"Petrificus Totalus!" I shouted and watched with glees as the small from stiffed and straightened out before hitting some trash and disappearing from view.
"Finite Incantatem!" I hear Paddy shout with an accompanying flash of gold through the air, causing all the shit that was homing in on the now immobilized fairy to either burst apart or fall to the floor. He reappeared at my side moments later even as the cauldron he had been riding in smashed into the floor off to the side.
"Are you alright sir?" He asked of me immediately.
I barked a small laugh. "Yeah, a bit winded. How about you?"
"I'll be fine, sir. Thank you for asking." Paddy replied just as dryly as he always did.
"Well! That was... bracing." I commented.
"Indeed, sir. Quite an event. Not something I'd care to try again, however. Next time you feel the urge to... experiment... might I suggest a sturdier cage?"
I laughed wryly. "I'll get right on that. So, shall we go collects the day's catch?"
"I suppose we must. I do hope it was worth the effort."
I snorted. "Yeah, me too." I commiserated. "You mind taking a look around, see if we accidentally started any fires or such, and put them out if we did? it would be a shame if this place when up in flames just after we saved it."
"Right away, sir." He responded before fading away.
"Thank you. Okay, let's see if there is anything we can salvage from this debacle." I muttered to myself as I made my way over to where the fairy had disappeared to.