Digging Deeper
Michelangelo is, in all honesty, not the sharpest tool in the shed.
He's a screwed up, a dummy, a goof, he's all and that and more, but he's also another thing. Observant. He may not be able to pick up subtle details like Leo, or little niche topics like Donnie, but he does know people.
It honestly all started with their first ever Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
The classroom smelled a lot lile garlic, making Donnie refuse to even go inside sometimes. It was a miracle how Leo even survived in there for so long. Raph hated the class because of how boring it was, he was really hoping it was a cool class where rhey can learn spells to fling at each other, but no, it was mostly Professor Quirrell stuttering out the book material.
The Professor is the focus of Mikey's suspicions.
Now he wasn't the type to judge someone right away, but the way the man stutters and shies away from little noises seemed... Odd. It was almlst like it's forced. Whenever Mikey was near him he just gets the vibes (the same one with April's "mom") he was a big mess of contradictions and the youngest Hamato hated that.
Most importantly...
Whenever the man turns around, Mimey can feel his turban staring at him.
Which spiraled intona paranoid frenzy to the point he doesn't want to go near the man. But he has to anyways, for his grades since he can't afford to fail.
So when the twins offered to do some pranking with snow, Mikey offered they bewitch the snowballs to hit the man's turban, in hopes of knocking the turban off and reveal something.
The turban remained stubbornly on and he made his discovery.
Just as the twins were sent out to detentions (he was stealthy and snuck out of there) he heard Professor Quirrell apologizing to his turban...
"Those uncivilized wretches... Their blood is tainted."
And he hears it reply.
That had him up and running away from his position in the rafters.
He had to tell Leo, immediately. His heart was pounding so hard he swears it was about to break through his ribcage. He knew the guy was trouble the first time he laid his eyes on him, but he was afraid to tell hisbbrithers because he didn't have proof. They didn't believe him the first time when it came to the Kraang...
The kraang!
Is this a kraang situation?! But the kraangs are in the stomachs and Quirrell looked pretty much fleshy to him! And he's not about to go up to the guy and just rip his shirt off! Plus he doesn't speak funny, unless you count that fake stuttering of his, and he seemed sane enough! Or maybe this is a new type of magical creature that attaches themselves to people's head!
What... What would that even be like?!
[insert drawing here]
NO! NO STOP! BAD IMAGINATION! BAD!
He bursts into the Great Hall. People learned not to react to one of the Hamato brother's sudden outbursts, although some people do turn around. His eyes scanned the room, looking for his brothers and immediately spots them at the Hufflepuff table. Raph was distancing himself from the Gryffindor Trio after the Harry's first Quidditch match because they were hiding something from him, and most importantly, they were shying away from Leo and the hothead took offense to that. Mikey could see the three at their table, close together and talking in hush tones, he sees Harry look at him curiously before diving bacm to his conversation.
"MAMA LEO!" Mikey shouts, diving towards the Hufflepuff table immediately and clinging to his brother.
Leo's cheeks were dusted with pink at the nickname, some girls giggled while Malfoy at rhe Slytherin table howled with laughter.
"Well aren't you just energetic." Donnie says from behind his daily prophet news paper. Raph raised an eyebrow at his younger brother's actions.
"What is it, Mikey?" Leo asks.
"I need to talk to all of you!" He hisses to them. "Like— outside the Great Hall, where people won't see or hear us."
That got his brothers' attention.
Leo suddenly stands up, Mikey gets pushed off of him accidentally. Before he lands on his butt, Raph grabbed him and dragged him to his feet, the four brothers immediately walked out the Hall with purpose.
Donnie and Raph made sure to give the golden trio a glare that says "Don't follow us".
They ran through the halls, finding an empty classroom. Mikey immediately shoves his brothers inside without hesitation and shut the door.
"PEEVES GET OUT!" Mikey snaps at nothing
Peeves the Poltergeist flipped them odd as he stuck his tongue out at him. He learned not to bother the Hamato brothers because all of them seem to always know where he is even if he was invisible. Raph crossed his arms and nods to the door. "You heard the guy. Out."
"You wee children are no fun." He huffs before zooming away, of course scattering the chalk near the blackboard in the process.
"Now what is it, Mikey?" Leo asked once more. "You're usually not this distressed ever since you—"
"First found out about the Kraang? Which by the way, i am still a bit mad ylu didn't believe me that time." Mikey continues for him. "And i want you to believe me this time too... Please."
He knew his brothers were getting better at listening to him. After alk they've been stuck in this place for what, eleven years? They onlt hsve each other now and they've started to grow even closer. He's still scared about them brushing him aside before, but he was glad they were putting the effort to listen to him now.
"Of course we'll believe you, Mikey." Donnie reassures.
It's all or nothing then.
"I... Uh... I was hanging out with Ron's bros, ya know, George and Fred. We were havin some fun with the snow balls and they magicked them to hit Professor Quirrell's turban."
"We know how much you dislike the guy." Raph interrupts him. "But do yku really got to prank a teacher."
Mikey frowns deeply.
"Let him finish, Raph." Leo sxolds gently before an argument can even break out.
"As i was saying before i was rudely interrupted... Raph." Mikey sticks his tongue out at him, his brother rolling his eyes. "Mr. Filch caught the twins and i hightailed out of there... Then i heard Professor Quirrell talk to himself, dudes!"
"Now... That seems a bit likely." Donnie says. "I mean, honestly he looks like he doesn't have any friends."
"Don..."
"Shutting up now, Leo, i know."
"Exactly!" Mikey finger guns at Donnie. "But it was so creepy! And he didn't stutter! And i always told you he was faking it!"
"So what, the man is probably jjst crazy." Raph reasons.
"Yeah, but did you hear his turban talk?! Hm?!"
His three older brothers blinked at him.
"Turbans don't talk, Mikey." Leo says.
"You're doing it again! You're treating like i'm some dumb kid! I'm not!" Mikey shouts. "I heard it loud and clear! He was talking to himself and then replied to him! It was all raspy and scary and i dont think Quirrell is a vent... Vento... Vent— I don't think he does puppets!"
"Ventriloquist." Donnie corrects.
"Yeah! That!"
"Look, Mikey..." Leo starts.
"No! No you look! I'm not gking crazy! I bet whatever is in that stupid turban of his is the reason we're stuck here in the first place! Why Dumbledore even personally went for us!"
Ah... Yes, that man...
The brothers don't particularly like him.
He arrived at the doorstep to their apartment (which Donnie hacked into a bank to get) and was suddenly spewing out nonsense about magic. He even knew the magical accidents the brothers had through the years. They didn't trust him from the get go because of the feeling that he was watching them, that he had an ulterior motive. He offered them all the wizarding money they need for school supplies, like a weird sudden scholarship and he always seemed to imply how special they were, stroking their egos. They acted like it did something but they decided not to play his little mind game.
And they now realized what that mind game was.
"He's using us as some... Canon fodder." Raph spats. "I believe Mikey. Safest place in the world my ass, that thing in Quirrell's head is probably after Harry. They think i dont know but i saw him and Snape do this weird mumble and staring fest thing. Him and his friends are hiding things from me and i know they'll end up in the lion's den if they continue."
"Dumbledore wanted us to... To protect Harry." Donnie says bitterly. "We all know what he did as a baby. Survived the killing curse, vanquished the dark lord. He's using kids to do his bidding! Using us to make sure nothing bad happens!"
"But we're obviously messing up his plans by not doing anything." Leo says. "I know i said we should hang low... But i think this actually requires our interference... But i dont want tk play that old man's games. As much as i dont like the idea of Harry, Ron and Hermione being used, they also need to do their own battles."
"So what do we do, Fearless Leader?" Mikey says, relieved that his brothers saw his side.
"That's my line." Raph grumbles.
Leo grins at his brothers.
"Well ninjas..." Now that was a word they have never heard in a long time. "Let's undress this mystery—"
"You did not just do that." Donnie groans.
"What, it's a good joke."
"I liked it, Leo!"
"Mikey liked it."
"Because he's Mikey."
"Let me have my moment again, Raph."
"Sure."
Laying low wasn't an option now... Knowing full well that someone was going after their new friends.
They weren't meant to interfere this early.