LAST TIME ON The Feel Of Feeling
"Well for Drey he coped a feel and Merle because she smacked me and ruined my fun. There is a 99.9 chance that something like this will happen again, just for future reference."
"Indeed. You may all go."
The four gathered their stuff and left the room.
"Parseltongue"
"Spell"
Chapter Three
The first two months went fairly quickly for the four friends. Now, at the end of the first two school months, they were getting ready for evaluations. The classes that weren't preparing for them were apparition and the one-year classes.
Zain let out a frustrated sigh.
"This is worse then studying for OWLS and I had an insane psycho mucking around in my head then."
Merle snorted and looked up at him.
"If you weren't taking the max amount of classes as well as me taking runes for you (she takes the class and gives him the notes and homework) it wouldn't be as bad. What do your classes want you to do anyway?"
"Well in potions we have to either make the hardest potion we can or make a new potion."
"That shouldn't be hard for you, you're good at potions and you have lots that you have created already."
"Ya, I just need to pick which to do, you can help with that if you want. In wandless we just have to do what they want, you being in this class with me you already know that."
"Yes, same with elements."
Zain nodded.
"In fighting we just have to fight, duh. In soul magic it's purely a paper test, and in blood magic I have to do a ritual. And on top of all that we have our apparition final, test, thing."
Zain let his head fall onto the table. Merle looked at him sympathetic.
"How about this, since all you really need to study or work on is soul and blood magic you do that and I'll go pick out a potion for you to make and then come quiz you using your notes."
"Thanks Merle, I don't know what I would do without you. And I mean that more then just with helping me study, I don't know what I would do if you betrayed me like Ron."
"But I didn't and I'm here, so get to work mister!"
"Yes, yes. Hey Merle, once our evaluations are done do you want to finish our animagus transformations? We'll finally have time…"
"Hmm, ya, that would be nice."
They smiled at each other and went to do what they planned.
Merle put away the bundle of paper with different potion recipes on them, leaving one out. She looked the left out one once more. Satisfied she walked over and plopped down beside Zain. She looked at what he was doing and saw drawings of arms.
"What's that for?"
Zain looked up from his drawings and blinked, only just noticing her.
"It's for my blood magic. See, what we learned in class is that we have to use solid, unbroken lines and we got a book that showed the general placements and designs. But while I was reading a book from the Black library on blood magic it used runes, randomly place on the body, well almost random, things for the arms were generally placed on the arms. So I decided to mix them. Instead of solid lines or randomly place runes I arranged the runes into broken lines, lines that I would use if I was using the line method."
"Interesting, let's hope it works and you don't die. Why your arms?"
"Nice vote of confidence." Zain mumbled before answering the question. "Well I've noticed that humans are weaker then the other species, no matter how much we try. So I thought that since I can't get strong enough by normal means then I'll use blood magic instead. The arms because they are the smallest area and/or the easiest. I'm eventually doing vision correcting, my back, and my legs, but those will be harder."
"Ok…why do I feel like you changed more then just the runes placement?"
Zain gave a nervous laugh.
"Uhh, 'cuse you're right?" Merle gave him a look that clearly said 'tell me and tell me now'. "Well, I also change the lines. The book gives these lines," Zain pointed to one of the drawings. "But that just doesn't feel right, so I changed them… My gut instincts tell me that mine are the right ones. And seeing as that instinct of mine has saved my life many times in the past, I trust it."
"It's usually what gets you into trouble too."
"No, that's my Gryffindor stupidity popping in to say hi."
Merle snorted but didn't disagree.
"So which one of these are you using?"
"This one," he grabbed a paper. "See, her on the outside of the wrist and bicep in small runes is the shape of, well a kinda cartoony wing. Then making a ring using that as the starting and ending point are larger runes. Connecting the runes on my wrist and bicep are the same larger runes making a line down my arm from the bottom and top of the wings."
Merle picked up the picture and looked at it.
"All the runes have something to do with strength or speed."
"Yup, cause that's what they're there for, to increase my speed and strength."
"Are you going to do both arms at the same time?"
"Ya, it would be kind of awkward to have one arm stronger and faster then the other."
"True, so now all you need to do is study for soul magic right?"
"Mhmm."
"Are you done your culture studies homework?"
"…Damn."
"Though so, I'll make a copy of mine for you."
"Thank you so much."
"Mhmm, now, what levels are there in summoning?"
Zain groaned and tried to grab his notes from Merle. She evaded the attempt and Zain sighed, giving up.
"There are…"
Zain yawned and looked around Aminari's arrival field (the one the landed in when they first arrived). Merle elbowed him in the stomach and he noticed that the teacher arrived, he gave Merle a grateful smile.
"Today is the last day of this class. I don't care if you pass, I don't care if you fail, I'm just glad to be done with you. You will first apparite across the field and back one at a time. Then one at a time you will apparite to the Cour Alley apparition point, get a signed paper from them and portkey back. If you pass I'll give you your license, if you fail you can try again on your own time. Ama Key, you're first."
Merle, Zain, Drey, and Kaeden breezed through the test and gathered in Zain's room to study before going to Culture Studies.
"Morning Prof Shanti."
"Good morning Zain, Miss Evans, Mr. Ryerson, Mr. LaVeen."
"No, no, it's not a good morning. It's just a morning."
"Ah yes, evaluation's start today, and, of course, it's morning." The professor's mouth twitched upwards. "Well then, morning Zain."
Zain smiled at her and followed the others to their seats.
"I still don't know how you did it. It's a known fact that Professor Shanti doesn't like any students and yet you somehow get her to like you."
"What can I say, I've never been normal."
"He hasn't, really he hasn't."
Zain let his head fall onto his coffee table groaning.
"That bad?" Merle asked sympathetically putting a mug of tea in front of him.
Zain didn't answer the question but grabbed the tea.
"Mmm, thanks Merle, I needed that."
"So how'd you do? Did you study enough?"
Zain sighed and put his tea down, giving it a longing look.
"Well I'm pretty sure I did ok but soul magic is complicated and if I got one thing wrong, the whole thing is screwed basically. You have runes tomorrow right?"
"Yes, thankfully you progressed fast and we're on the same level so I don't have to fake a different intelligence level. So I'll be doing that, you'll be fighting, and then we'll have elements."
"Yup."
"…humans will fight humans and so on. You will be evaluated on skill and skill alone, not if you win the match. To make this faster there are other teachers who will evaluate you so there will be more then one fight at a time. Those of you who have another evaluation this afternoon come forward, we'll do you first."
"I feel like a giant bruise."
"You probably are."
"Thanks Drey, you make me feel sooo loved."
"I could make you feel even more loved and kiss your bruise better all at the same time." Drey said suggestively.
"No."
Drey sat in a chair beside Kaeden and sulked. Kaeden rolled his eyes and looked at Zain and Merle.
"What do you have next?"
"Elements. Merle's better in them but we're both pretty good. Tomorrow is wandless magic for both of us. After that Merle has a one year class and I'm thinking of doing my blood magic then instead of Saturday. Then there's only potions on Sunday."
"First I would like you to cover yourself in your element until I tell you to stop which will only be after I have come by and evaluated it. Once I have told you to stop you are to create something, I don't care what, out of your element. Begin."
Merle was sitting cross legged off the ground being held up by a pillar of water and had a large ball of water at the top which is what she was sitting in. Zain also was off the ground, he was using his air element to float off the ground, he just also happened to be upside down and grinning.
Once the teacher evaluated them they sat down normally and though of what to make. Zain made little fairy's made of concentrated air that were flying around his head and Merle had a realistic land dragon made of water that was standing in front of her.
Zain saw the teacher coming, looked at his fairies, looked at Merle's dragon, and grinned. Wordlessly he made his fairy's fly over to Merle's dragon. The fairy's proceeded to grab any part of the dragon they could and lifted him up. Thus, when the teacher arrived she saw a struggling water dragon being flown around by air fairy's who were zooming around. She raised an eyebrow but evaluated and continued on.
"This is your wandless magic evaluation, it will be easy, and it will be fast. I will give you a task that you will continuously do until I am done. I will check to see if you can do the task and I will look at your magic."
The teacher walked around the class evaluating one at a time and once she finished with someone they would leave.
"Use a levitation spell on that bag."
Zain did as told and easily cast the spell, trying to ignore the fact she was looking at him very closely.
"Good, you can go." She walked to Merle. "Open and close the door."
Zain waited until the professor was done with Merle and they both left together.
"Wow, that was really easy."
"Ya."
"Going to do your blood magic now?"
"Ya," Zain didn't answer for a moment, just looked down the hallway leading to Merle's light arts class (aka healing). "I'm nervous. I talked to my professor yesterday and got the spot today so he'll be there to watch me. But I'm doing something different and I might die and-"
"Ok! Simmer Zain. Like you said Monday, your instincts have saved you many times before, you're going to be ok."
"You sure?"
"Yes! Now go!"
"But I'm walking you to your class…"
"Go!"
"Going!"
Zain ran away from the glaring Merle and kept running even out of her sight, better get there before he chickened out.
"Mr. Evans." Zain's teacher greeted. "I'll leave and give you half an hour to get ready. When I get back I expect you in there ready to start, if not you've just wasted your time."
Zain nodded and began his preparation. By the time the professor came back Zain was sitting cross legged, naked, in the middle of an elaborate ruin circle with his ritual dagger balancing on his knee.
"You may begin." The professors' voice came over the intercom into the room.
The professor was sitting in the observation room which was a warded room to keep watchers safe if something went wrong. Aminari had found a way to incorporate electronics so there was feed from cameras shown in there. The cameras were placed in every chamber in different places to get a 360 degree view that was also recorded for later use if needed.
Zain took a calming breath and picked up the dagger. Slowly but methodically he started carving runes into his skin. Two hours later Zain's arms were covered in runes and blood and were shaking slightly but he was finished, and still alive. He shakily stood up after a few tries and slowly made his way out of the chamber. The professor stood waiting with a blood replenishing potion.
"Take this and go shower."
The professor waited until Zain drank the potion before leaving. Zain sluggishly took a shower in the blood chamber's attached showering room before making his way to his dorm.
"-ain? It's Sunday, you have your potions evaluation."
Zain groaned and rolled away from the voice.
"Zain!"
The yell that originated beside his ear startled him enough for his eyes to snap open and fall out of bed. He rubbed his eyes and gave Merle a pointed look which sent her out so he could change.
He emerged from his room dressed to see Drey and Kaeden waiting to go and Merle holding out his bottomless bag which contained his needed materials. He smiled thanks to Merle and the three males headed to the potions lab.
"So what are you two making?"
"Veritaserum and The Draught of Life, you?"
"I'm doing one I made."
"What's it do?! What's it do?!"
"…It temporarily fully changes a person's gender." Zain asked casually watching Drey bounce around.
"So if a male took it they would be able to get prego? Ooooooh!"
Zain and Kaeden rolled their eyes.
"Figures he would think of that." Zain mumbled then talked louder to answer Drey. "Yes."
Zain didn't give Drey time to make a retort and grabbed his ear and dragged him to the potions lab with Kaeden following behind.
"You all should have brought your own ingredients and anything else you need. You may start your potions now. I will come around and inspect the quality of your ingredients. When you are done your potion bottle it up and write a small essay on what it does. You have today, and if the potion, not you, need it, tomorrow."
The professor did walk around but Zain, like many others, was to intent on his potion to notice.
"Finally! All done!"
Zain laughed like a maniac and ran into his room.
"Well, he's gone to play jungle man." Merle absently commented.
"Ooh, do you think he'll wear a loin cloth?"
The other two ignored the demon. Drey, being used to being ignored took this in stride, that is to say he sulked.
A little later Zain came out of his room. Drey was still sulking and Merle and Kaeden were reading.
"You guys are boring."
They looked at Zain then ignored him. Zain took it better then Drey and just shrugged.
"Well, I'm going to make a snack, you guys want anything?"
"No, in fact, me and Drey should probably go feed."
Zain nodded and watched them leave.
"You want anything Merle?"
"No, do you want to finish our animagus now?"
"Ya, but I'm getting that snack first."
Merle continued reading until Zain finished his snack.
"Ok, we know all there is to the theory, we know we have forms, we both know what to do if something goes wrong, and we both know the spell, all we need to do is drink these pain reliever potions so it doesn't hurt to change."
The two downed the potions, Merle grimacing at the flavor.
"Gross, you should stop making new potions and start making the ones that exists taste better."
"That's a good idea, but that's off topic. You wanna go first or should I?"
"I'll go first, I don't want to have this potion wear off and have to take another."
Merle pulled out her wand and preformed the spell on herself. Zain watched as she grew smaller and changed. When it was done he burst out laughing. Merle glared before he changed again. Zain stopped laughing and 'ooh'ed. Once more Merle changed shape, but this time back into her human self.
"So?"
"Well love, your first animal," a snort of held back laughter, "is an owl."
Merle got a horrified look on her face and Zain burst out laughing again.
"An owl? I have something that flies!" Merle practically screeched.
"If it's any constellation you're a very pretty and regal owl. No? Ok. Well, your second form is cool. You look kinda like a tiger, not one though, definitely something magical."
"At least one doesn't fly." Zain laughed at her. "Your turn. I hope you get something embarrassing." She mumbled the last part.
Zain pulled out his wand and performed the spell, going through the same thing as Merle only with three animals.
"So? So? What am I? What am I?"
"Well your first one was a golden hawk I think it might have been magical as it was larger then normal, your second was some kind of panther, and your third…was a mouse."
"Whaaaaat? I'm a mouse? Oh man, imagine what Ferret would do if he found out."
"I don't know how Malfoy could ever find out."
"Me neither, but with my luck, he probably will."
"True. Well, come on. Let's find each others animals so we don't need to use the spell every time we change."
"Yes! On ward!"
Zain ran out of his room and to Merle's library.
"What have you found so far?"
"Well your mouse is a mundane animal so that was easy to find," she passed him a book. "It is an Australian mouse. Your panther is a shadow panther," handed him another book. "And your hawk I can't find anything on."
"Well give me what you have and we'll go do some searching in the vaults later today kay?"
"Kay." Hermione handed him another book. "And what have you found?"
"Well like my mouse your owl was easy to find, but your tiger is, well, uhh, I just can't find it." He handed her a book on owls.
Merle sighed. "Well we should work on the ones we can and then go look at books to see if we can find anything on your hawk and my tiger."
"Ah, sweet, glorious Wednesday…I failed, I know I did."
"Shut up Zain, I'm nervous as it is and you're making it worse."
"Sorry Merle."
Merle sighed and started pacing, unable to sit any longer.
"How much longer do we have to wait? We were told our evaluation results would be here in the morning."
"Calm down Merle, they will be here soon."
"How can you be so calm?
1 And how can he sleep?!"
Everyone looked at the sleep Drey.
"One, Drey's an idiot. Two, I'm calm because I'm confident that I did well. Three you might want to calm down as well, there are others in here too."
Merle looked around to see quite a few glares aimed at her. She gave a nervous laugh and sat back down in a chair. Riley chose that moment to walk in.
"Line in front of me, last name first."
Everyone lined up in front of him and the four friends gathered in Zain's room when they got theirs.
"Did I fail? Did I fail? Did I? Did I? No! I didn't fail! Oh ya, go me! Uhuh, oh ya! …Ok, I'm done now." Zain smiled and look at his classes. "Let's see, I have Professor Manik for soul studies, Drey, Kaeden?" "Yup, both of us." "Woot. Professor Rain in Elements, Merle?" "Mhmm, me too." "Wooters. Fighting is Professor Javen, Kaeden, Drey?" "Nope, sorry." "Rats. Wandless is Professor Daniel, Merle?" "Nope." "Ratness. Potions is Professor Garon, guys?" "I do, Drey doesn't." "Not bad. Annnd in Blood, Professor Daimien."
Kaeden and Drey dropped their evaluations.
"Daimien? You got Daimien as your blood magic professor?"
"Maybe?"
"Don't you know who Daimien is?"
"Umm, no?"
Drey pounced on Zain.
"Daimien is only one of the oldest, maybe the oldest, vampire. He's a master of blood magic, practically created it, and is as shaggable as you, maybe more."
"Also like you he doesn't sleep with many."
Zain gave Kaeden a dry look. "I don't sleep with any."
Drey patted Zain on the shoulder.
"One day my dear shaggable friend, you will find someone who you find as shaggable as I find you."
Zain glared. "You know, I was planning on telling you my and Merle's illegal activity, but I don't know anymore."
"Whaaaaat?"
"Please Zain, share your illegal activity or I'll never get Drey to shut up."
"Welllll…"
Merle kicked Zain.
"We became animagus. Zain's…family, wrote a book on how to do it when they became them, illegally, of course. We were thinking that if you two wanted, we could teach you how."
"Yes! I claim Zain as my teacher!"
Zain groaned. "Why me?"
Kaeden sighed and looked at Merle.
"You said you two became animagus already, what animal are you?"
"Animals. I'm an owl and some kind of tiger. Zain is a hawk, shadow panther, and mouse."
"So you don't know what one of your forms is? Can we see it?"
"Yes, do you want just the unknown or all of our forms?"
"All please."
"Zain!"
Zain blinked from his position standing on his chair holding a lamp trying to fend off Drey.
"Yes?"
"Kaeden would like to see our forms, they might even know what my tiger and your hawk is."
"…Ok!"
Zain chucked the lamp at Drey's head and walked over to Merle's chair. He sat on the arm and tilted his head to look at her.
"Who's first?"
"I will, I have fewer forms."
Merle changed into her owl form. She was a great horned owl, the brown colouring being the either the colour of her hair or her eyes and of course the little white mixed in. Unlike a normal owl though, instead of yellow eyes she had a golden brown. She flapped her wings a few time to show the slightly less then two meter wing span.
Zain grinned and before Merle could change back to use the spell (as she couldn't transform into the tiger without it) did the spell himself on her. Kaeden jumped (as he was looking at Merle and didn't see Zain casting the spell) and Drey 'ooh'ed.
She looked like a normal tiger, with reddish brown, black, and white fur. The only difference, and the thing that clearly marked her as a magical creature, was that the stripes, just the fur, gave an illusion of ever moving fire, the fact that she radiated heat helped too.
She changed back into a human a blushed. She elbowed Zain lightly.
"Your turn."
Zain first changed into his hawk form. He looked like a normal hawk only a little larger then normal and with golden feathers with a pale golden on his head and a little in his wings and tail, and a golden beak.
He flew onto Drey's head and sat there.
"Hey! You're ruining my hair!"
Drey waved his arms around trying to knock Zain off his head. Zain squawked before changing into his mouse form and running down his shirt. Drey squealed and jumped around trying to get Zain out of his shirt. Zain did come out and ran over to the table in front of Kaeden and Merle.
He had brown fur and a white underbelly, pink nose and paws, and a tuff at the end of his tail. He chirped and swished his tail and then tilted his head and changed into the panther.
He looked like a normal panther except the shadows seemed to cling to him and they all had no doubt he could walk into a shadow and vanish. The last unusual thing was his eyes. Instead of yellow his green eyes from his human form transferred to it ('though Kaeden and Drey don't know that).
He changed back into his human form and fell off the table.
"Ouch."
Ignoring Zain Kaeden turned back to Merle.
"Your tiger form is very interesting but unfortunately I don't know what it is, neither his hawk." He looked at Merle apologetically.
"You should ask Daimien!"
The three by the table jumped having forgotten Drey.
"But we're illegal animagus and he's going to be my teacher."
"That's ok. I've met him before because Kaeden's mom is also an elder so they get together sometimes so I can tell you that delicious vampire won't get in you in trouble, he'll help instead."
"You know, I'm really starting to want to meet this guy, do I still have blood magic Wednesday and Saturday?"
"Yes, your classes keep the same schedule just with different rooms and teachers."
"Goody."
"Shut up!" The classroom went deadly silent. "Good. Now I know you have had a week off and gotten you're evaluation result thus you also know your new classes but that has nothing to do with this class so it will stay out of this class." Professor Shanti glared at the class as if daring them to do otherwise. "Good. Today we are going to start on vampires since they are one of the majority's here." The professor snapped her fingers and a thick book appeared in front of everybody. "Vampire's use what ever language the humans use in the area, the book in front of you, if you use it, will teach you all the human languages. This book is not yours to keep and when I take them back I expect them to be in good condition."
The professor went over the power structure for the rest of the class before stopping a couple minutes before the bell to allow the students to pack up. Zain packed up his stuff like the rest but kept the language book out and flipped through it.
Ding.
"Dismissed."
The students rushed out the door and left.
"See ya Prof Shanti." He waved as he went out the door. "Hey Drey, since you live with vampires, do you know all the languages in this book?"
"Nope, Kaeden doesn't either, we either learn the rest now or just at some point during our lives."
"Hmm. What do you two know about the soul magic teacher?"
"Not much, we know he's a demon and that he teaches most levels of soul magic, so you could be in a beginner, intermediate, or advance class for all we know."
"Great, that helps soo much Tonto."
"You're – wait what? Tonto?"
"Ya, I saw it in the language book. So professor Manik is a demon? What kind?" Zain really hoped Drey took the conversation change, he didn't want to tell him what Tonto meant…yet anyway.
"He's a void demon of course!"
Zain and Merle gave him blank looks.
"What?"
Kaeden rolled his eyes and decided to help them out.
"Drey, they wont know what a void demon is. A void demon is what you humans would probably call a soul demon. Void demons control the soul element like a fire demon would control the fire element."
Zain and Merle nodded with eager eyes soaking in the information.
"But what about Necromancy? That is also taught in soul studies and while that's soul magic, it has nothing to do with souls."
"Yes, but despite being a void demon, Manik Darkvoid is one of the best necromancers alive."
"Oh, cool. Hey, anyone know what time it is?"
"One forty (1:40)."
"Wow, we talked that long?"
"Yes." Answered Drey.
Zain gapped.
"Drey, being to the point and not using ya or something? The world has shifted."
"Yes, yes, that's nice and all but we need to get going. Come on Kaeden, Drey. Zain, I find out you're late, say your good-bye's before I find you." Merle said with a glare.
Kaeden and Drey said their good-bye's too and went after Merle. Zain blinked and did a tempus himself. He squeaked and jumped up. Rushing around he gathered his needed material and ran towards where his new class was located.
He arrived at the classroom with five minutes to spare and flopped rather ungracefully in the nearest chair and let out a relived sigh. Hearing a giggle he looked to the chair next to him where a girl sat. When she saw him looking she blushed and looked away. She had long red-ish brown hair put back into three braids, a petite figure, tanned skin, freckles, and from what he saw, pale gold-ish brown eyes.
"I know, I look funny." Zain sighed dramatically. "Go ahead, laugh."
The once again giggling girl turned back to Zain, still blushing.
"You're not funny looking." She said in a soft, shy voice.
Zain grinned at her.
"Thank you. I can look funny if you want me too though, I'm a metamorphous, 'm also human."
"Wow, I'm nothing special like that. I-I'm a werewolf."
Zain went to answer but the teacher came in and shut the door attracting his attention. He didn't want to leave the conversation at that though (as the girl looked like he was going to skin her alive and then dissect her) and leaned in near her.
"My honorary godfather is a werewolf." He quietly said with a smile.
The girl relaxed and they both turned their attention to the teacher who was paying attention to two werewolves who seemed to have not noticed the teacher (though Zain didn't miss the professors' glance and blushed). Zain saw Manik's spade tail swish behind him in irritation and his black eyes narrowing. Wow, was he ever glad those two where the ones with the attention, he didn't want to think of what would have happened to him if it was on him instead.
"Gentlemen, were you planning on teaching the class?"
It seemed like an ordinary question and the demon relaxed stance with one eyebrow raised was definitely contradicting the steel in his voice and the emotions Zain was seeing.
The two werewolves turned to the source of their interrupted only to pale at the sight of the teacher watching them with ice cold eyes.
"N-no s-sir."
"Then cease talking."
The threat was clearly audible and the two wolfs gulped and nodded. The teacher scanned the class before a sadist smile appeared on his lips. He went to his desk and took out slips of paper in blue and white. Each student was individually given a piece of paper by the professor.
"Those who have a blue paper, stand up."
Zain looked down at his white paper and shrugged. He looked over at his neighbor to see she too, had a white paper.
"All of you standing up, leave."
The class was silent before the two werewolves from before burst.
"What! Why would we leave?!"
"We got accepted into this class damnit!"
The classroom got cold and everyone shivered, not necessarily from the cold though. The two werewolves all of a sudden fell to the floor and two glowing grey balls flew from them to Manik's outstretched hand.
"These, students, are souls. Now, if I were to put these souls back into the bodies, hopefully for them the right bodies, they would return to life as their bodies haven't started decomposing. But if I were to do this," he clenched his hand into a fist and the souls exploded in a miniature shower of grey sparks. "Then they are dead with no chance of coming back."
Those who had blue cards pale (so did the others though) and rushed out of the classroom as fast as they could.
"Now…"