The makeshift arena was prepared with military precision. Gemini positioned herself directly before Banner, her expression mixing determination with barely concealed anxiety. "Are you ready?"
Even with the protective amulet's calming influence, Banner trembled with anticipation. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
Gemini carefully lifted the necklace from Banner's neck with the delicacy of someone defusing a bomb, then immediately spun and sprinted toward safety.
The moment the amulet's protection vanished, Banner collapsed with an agonized wail that echoed across the moonlit clearing. His body convulsed as the transformation began.
"Don't fight it! Let him out!" Harry caught the fleeing Gemini in his arms while shouting encouragement to their writhing subject.
Whether Banner heard the instruction was irrelevant—his form was already expanding with terrifying speed. Muscles bulged and tore through fabric as his skin shifted to an unmistakable emerald hue. Within seconds, the Hulk stood before them in all his magnificent fury, releasing a bone-rattling roar that sent birds fleeing from nearby trees.
Hagrid's eyes immediately welled with tears of pure delight. "Oh my stars! Look at this precious little baby!"
The collective silence that followed was deafening.
Tony's jaw dropped so far it nearly dislocated. Gemini stared in complete bewilderment. Harry fought heroically against the urge to deliver a scathing commentary on Hagrid's definition of "little." Even Newt, standing closest to the half-giant, instinctively retreated a step while reassessing his companion's mental state.
"He's terrified," Newt observed with professional calm, though his voice carried an edge of urgency. "And absolutely furious. We need to establish trust before attempting communication."
The Hulk had already begun his charge toward the Forbidden Forest, only to collide with Harry's protective barriers in a shower of magical sparks. Frustrated by the invisible wall, he uprooted several trees with casual ease, wielding them like clubs as he turned his attention to the conspicuous figures near Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid stepped forward without hesitation, arms spread wide in welcome. "What a thoughtful little angel! Bringing presents for the grown-ups!"
The other three observers retreated in perfect synchronization, watching in horrified fascination as Hagrid intercepted the Hulk's charge. The gamekeeper made soothing sounds while attempting to wrestle a massive oak from the creature's grip—a negotiation that lasted exactly three seconds.
"HULK!" The green giant's roar shook the ground as he delivered a haymaker that sent Hagrid flying through the air like a discarded ragdoll.
"Hagrid!" Gemini and Tony cried in unison, their voices cracking with alarm.
The Hulk appeared even more enraged by this display, fixing his burning gaze on the remaining humans while preparing for another charge.
"Completely fine!" Hagrid announced cheerfully, bouncing to his feet with disturbing resilience. "What tremendous strength! Such a good boy! He's just being playful!" Without missing a beat, he lunged forward and grabbed the Hulk's ankle in an iron grip, effectively anchoring the creature in place. "Easy there, sweetheart. Don't bother your Grandpa Newt—he's not built for roughhousing like we are."
Newt swallowed hard, his weathered hands retrieving a silvery leaf from his coat pocket. He raised it to his lips and began producing a haunting melody that seemed to drift on the night air like liquid moonlight.
Tony immediately felt his eyelids growing heavy, his consciousness beginning to blur around the edges.
Gemini delivered a vicious kick to Tony's shin, then removed an ornate brooch from her robes and thrust it into his hands. "Put this on immediately! You're supposed to be observing, not becoming the first casualty!"
Tony accepted the anti-sleep charm with watery eyes, pressing his free hand to his mouth to muffle any sounds that might disturb Newt's performance. He rubbed his abused shin with wounded dignity—the girl wore steel-toed boots and hadn't held back even slightly!
The Hulk swayed under the influence of Newt's Tranquil Tree melody, his massive frame beginning to shrink as drowsiness overcame rage.
"Is he reverting to Banner?" Gemini whispered urgently.
Harry moved with decisive precision, his wand painting complex patterns in the air as he began an incantation in what sounded like ancient Latin mixed with something far older. Syllables of power flowed from his lips as ethereal blue chains materialized around the Hulk's form, binding him in a web of magical restraint. The creature's size stabilized as he sank into enchanted sleep.
"Soul anchor established," Harry announced with professional satisfaction. "He won't revert to Banner until I release the binding. Now we can attempt proper communication."
Newt carefully tucked his leaf away, treating it like the precious artifact it was. "He's drowning in fear and rage—decades of accumulated trauma. Direct conversation would be counterproductive. We need to establish emotional safety first."
"How do we manage that?" Hagrid asked, positioning himself protectively beside the slumbering Hulk.
Newt surveyed their surroundings with the practiced eye of someone who'd spent a lifetime reading magical creatures. He set his battered leather case on the ground, opened it with reverent care, and disappeared inside. Moments later, he emerged cradling a creature that immediately captured everyone's attention.
The animal resembled a cat, but only in the most superficial sense. Its ears were disproportionately large and mobile, constantly swiveling to catch sounds beyond human perception. Distinctive spotted markings covered its sleek coat, while its tail bore the proud tuft of a lion rather than the delicate curve of a domestic feline.
"Merlin's beard!" Gemini breathed, her voice filled with genuine awe. "A purebred Kneazle! I've dreamed of owning one since I was seven!"
She wasn't exaggerating. Kneazle ownership required extensive Ministry certification—the creatures' intelligence and magical sensitivity made them invaluable but potentially dangerous companions. Underage wizards were categorically forbidden from ownership, and even half-Kneazle hybrids required registration and regular monitoring.
"Queenie, my dear," Newt murmured, his voice taking on the gentle cadence reserved for beloved companions. He stroked her spotted coat while whispering instructions directly into her oversized ears. "Go introduce yourself. Help him understand he's safe."
Queenie responded with a melodious trill that seemed to contain entire conversations, rubbed against Newt's leg with obvious affection, then padded toward the sleeping Hulk with fluid grace.
The Tranquil Tree leaf's influence was beginning to fade. The Hulk's eyes fluttered open just as Hagrid's massive arms enveloped him in what could generously be called an enthusiastic hug. The green giant tensed for another explosive outburst when Queenie approached and released a single, perfectly pitched call.
"Hulk?" The creature's entire demeanor shifted instantly. His expanding muscles relaxed, his clenched fists opened, and he carefully lowered himself to a crouch. For the first time since his transformation, curiosity replaced rage in his expression as he studied the Kneazle that barely filled his palm.
Queenie called again—a complex sound that somehow conveyed friendship, safety, and understanding all at once. The Hulk settled into a sitting position with surprising gentleness, and the two beings began what could only be described as a conversation. Trills and rumbles, chirps and growls—a dialogue between species that transcended language.
After several minutes of this exchange, Queenie turned to Newt and delivered what was clearly a status report. Newt approached slowly, telegraphing every movement to avoid triggering defensive responses.
The Hulk noticed Newt's approach and immediately tensed, but Queenie's reassuring chirp settled him back into watchful calm.
"Hello," Newt said, settling cross-legged on the grass with practiced ease. "I'm Newt. Queenie's told me your name is Hulk. She says you're her friend now."
"Hulk!" The green giant's face scrunched in concentration as he processed this information. "Queenie! Friend!" Understanding dawned like sunrise, and he broke into delighted laughter. "Hulk and Queenie friends!"
Newt smiled with genuine warmth. "Queenie has excellent judgment about people. If she likes you, then I like you too. Would Hulk like to be friends with Newt?"
The Hulk studied Newt carefully, his gaze shifting between the Magizoologist and the Kneazle who'd appointed herself his advocate. After a long moment, he nodded with childlike solemnity. "Newt is friend."
"Thank you," Newt replied, as if he'd just received the greatest honor imaginable. "Friends help each other, don't they? Can Hulk tell Newt what makes him afraid?"
The change was immediate and heartbreaking. Fear flickered across the Hulk's features like shadows of old pain. "Banner," he whispered, the name carrying the weight of accumulated suffering. "Banner hurt. Hulk hurt. Banner make Hulk hurt. Always dark. Hulk live in dark."
Tony felt understanding hit him like a physical blow. The gamma radiation experiments, the suicide attempts, the years of self-loathing—Banner had unconsciously pushed all that agony onto his alter ego. While Banner remained functional, the Hulk had absorbed every moment of pain, every instance of rejection, trapped in psychological darkness whenever Banner's consciousness dominated.
The genius inventor found himself blinking back unexpected tears. No wonder the Hulk was perpetually enraged—he'd been born into suffering and knew nothing else.
"Can Hulk talk to Banner?" Newt asked gently. "Maybe they can be friends too?"
The reaction was explosive. The Hulk's face contorted with fury as he struggled against Hagrid's restraining embrace. "NO!" he roared, his voice cracking with anguish. "Banner hate Hulk! Banner want Hulk gone! Hulk no like Banner! Hulk no want dark anymore!"
The raw pain in that declaration silenced everyone present. This wasn't just anger—it was the desperate cry of a consciousness that had never known acceptance, never experienced anything but rejection from the very person with whom he shared existence.
Newt exchanged a meaningful look with Hagrid, both men recognizing the magnitude of the challenge before them. Healing this level of psychological trauma would require more than magical intervention—it would demand genuine compassion, infinite patience, and perhaps most importantly, helping two fractured souls learn to coexist.
The first step toward that impossible goal had been taken. The Hulk had spoken, had expressed his pain, had accepted friendship from strangers who saw him as more than a monster.
It was a beginning.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
🔥 Want to read the next 60 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on Patreon - patreon.com/DarkGolds]