Minerva stands from her seat at the head table while dinner is in full swing and fires a cannon blast into the air, "Attention all students, there are a couple of announcements that I need to get through tonight. Firstly, the DMCC, or Department of Magical Creature Control for those who are unfamiliar with the government, have confirmed the presence of a large colony of acromantula in the Forbidden Forest. Do be aware of the fact that they are only a class four x beast when encountered on their own. In a colony they are a class five x beast. Over the weekend, the DMCC will be bringing in some specialists to ward off the part of the forest they have claimed to prevent them from further interfering with the centaur tribe, and the other species of the forest. These protections will only stop the acromantula from crossing, they will not stop any of you. So remember, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students for a very good reason. Anyone who survives going into the forest will be given a detention with Professor Kettleburn and Madam Pomphrey, where they will explain in graphic detail just what an acromantula will do to you, and the effects their venom will have on you."
Glancing down at her notes she continues, "It has come to our attention that some enterprising students have been selling talismans that are purported to protect you from petrification. Those students have now been found and given a warning. Anyone else we catch trying to sell these, or similar items, will be suspended and investigated by the Auror's office for attempting to defraud the students. You have been warned."
Turning the sheet of parchment over, she looks at the last two announcements, "For those who wish to go home over Christmas, see your head of house to sign your name down. Gryffindor, please see Professor Babbling, as she is standing in as head of house in the absence of the headmaster. The last announcement is that Professor Harris has kindly agreed to officially teach 1st year Defence as well as take over for 2nd year Defence as well."
As she takes her seat again, the hall explodes in conversation. As it does, Lockhart looks around furtively trying to work out how he can blunt the impact that losing two years of classes is going to have on his reputation. Abruptly he stands up, "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. As I have some newly freed up time, I will be starting up a duelling club in a week's time."
As he sits back down, he smiles to himself at a well done save.
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Skye wanders around the library at Hogwarts, decidedly not avoiding Liz, looking for a book that takes her fancy. As she's wandering around she hears he whispered chatter of students working together, causing her to smile. Only, when she rounds the next bookcase, her smile drops away as she spots 10 students crowded around a long table, with books and bags piled on the end chairs. Sitting at a table on her own is one of her more insightful students, Luna Lovegood. It doesn't take long to recognise the glances that Luna sends to the other table, and the filled chairs. Grabbing a random book, apparently a Middle English tome on magical baking, she takes a seat at the same table as Luna.
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Sam giggles as she runs into the mist ahead of a fuming Rosie, "Sam, get back here right now, or you'll get no dessert!"
It takes her an embarrassingly long time to get into the mist compared to her daughter, but she eventually makes it before heading to see if 'Unca Nary' has just received a Sam Surprise, if not then maybe he can help track her down.
As she steps out of the Otherside, Rosie blushes and turns her back to face the door of Amelia's office, "I am so sorry, I haven't got the hang of checking before I leave the mist yet."
Amelia laughs merrily as she pulls back from the kiss she was sharing with Mannan, "The oaf here decided to surprise me. A pleasant surprise admittedly, but surprise none the less."
Mannan growls, "Woman, I am not an oaf."
Amelia punches his chest gently, "With language like that, yes you are. Would you have used that sort of language with Airmed or Morgana? No? Then don't use it around me either, or any other woman for that matter."
Rosie sighs, "Look, I get that you're both feeling out stuff right now, but Sam's just run off into the mist, and I'm not good enough to follow her. So would you help me find her please?"
Amelia laughs and picks up a stack of books, before shoving them into Mannan's hands, "Go on, and don't forget your homework. Morgana will be most upset if she has to replace the books yet again."
Whatever he was going to do, at the mention of Morgana, Mannan instead takes the books and places them in the mist. Rosie has just enough time to see that the top one is a book about parenting before they're gone.
Grumbling, Mannan grabs Rosie's hand before pulling her into the mist. Unexpectedly, rather than picking up Sam right away, Mannan takes her to a land in the mist. There Rosie sees a solitary wattle and daub cottage, with a thatched roof. Inside the woven fence there is a small garden filled with ancient plants she doesn't recognise.
"Here," Mannan rumbles, "this was once Bodhmall's domain. She wasn't really one of the Tuath Dé, as she never really had any followers. However, she had enough people invoking her name for this to happen. Mainly because she was the foster mother to Fionn mac Cumhaill, a Hero that became of the Tuath Dé Dannan due to his exploits. And a cursed existence that turned out to be, as he and his followers are in a belief driven sleep in his own domain.
"Anyway, one of the books I've been given says that people should be given the tools they need in order to succeed. In the cottage is one such tool, it was a necklace that Fionn made for Bodhmall when he was a child. …I'm just going to find Sam while you put a little blood on the necklace, and then push a little magic into it. While you're doing that, I'll bring Sam here."
Suddenly, Rosie found herself alone there in the middle of a lovely forest meadow with its cottage. Looking around she can't see the mist through the trees, though she can still feel that it's close enough for her to get into if she wanted to. Curiously, she walks around the outside of the house, and finds a well situated behind the building, along with a wide circle of packed dirt. Once she finishes her circuit of the building, and only finding the one door, she makes her way into the home.
Once inside, it's almost like someone's just left, with everything tidy and in its place, with three curtains tied up to the edges of the single room in order to provide privacy when the home is being used for different purposes. In one section are three beds, only one of which is padded with ferns and straw, the other two look as though they're still laid out for people who are long gone. A large loom dominates another section, even though it's packed away against the wall, a low table nearby holds some jewellery in a basket. Lying on the table next to the basket is a woven necklace threaded with wooden beads and feathers.
Making her way over to the low table, she looks around for a chair and frowns when she doesn't even see a stool anywhere. With a slight huff, she kneels down in front of the table and touches the innocuous looking necklace.
A giggle from the entrance alerts her to how much time has passed since she arrived, and she looks over to see Mannan leaning against a post while Sam plays with his beard.
"This is a domain inheritance, isn't it."
Mannan nods, "It is, and it will solve your problems with this diabhal beag."
"But what other problems will it bring?"
"You will take on her name, and won't be able to help using it if someone asks you your name, and you don't use the Celtic response."
Rosie thinks about it for a moment, "Is that why you never say 'I am Mannan'?"
"Indeed, there are many ways to respond to that question. You have an advantage in gaining this name so late in life, as you can also answer that you were born with the name Rosie."
"Do I have to decide now?"
"That's up to you. You're my student, so I've made sure you're equipped for the choice."
"You've changed a lot since I first met you."
Mannan shrugs, "Not really, like The Morrigan, I'm still who I am. I just have a glamour to protect others from me. I'm also learning about how the world has changed. Neither of you are ready for me to remove my glamour, though Sam will be ready long before you would be."
"What do you mean?"
Mannan sighs, "I've explained about magical maturity before haven't I. Sam's magic will grow to be anchored in her faster than yours will be."
Rosie opens her eyes in surprise, "Oh yes, I remember now. I think I'm going to think on this, as it's a big decision."
Mannan smiles, "We'll make a druid of you some day."
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"Chief Warlock, can you hear me?"
Albus tries to open his eyes, but they're so crusted with gunk that he can't.
"Captain, this man needs to be carried to the infirmary, do not use magical transportation. Guards, I want the guard responsible for looking after the chief warlock arrested for oath breaking."
Albus is barely aware as someone roughly picks him up, "Gently, or do you want to be responsible for his death? The chief warlock is near total magical exhaustion, and suffering from dehydration."
Albus comes round on a bed, when he tries to open his eyes, they are only slightly sticky and his vision is blurry, "Oh good, you're awake. Your dehydration is on the mend, and we have arrested your magical exhaustion. However, you need to be asleep." His vision goes dark again.
Albus wakes again, his lips are dry, but his eyes are clear as he opens them, "Water."
From the side of the room a young man walks over in healers robes, "Not yet, we're still spelling nutrients into you. The good news is that you're over the worst of it."
"Guard?" he croaks.
"Already dismissed, you killed his grandfather in the Grindlewald war. We couldn't charge him as he didn't technically break the rules, or his oaths. It's a good thing you collapsed when you did, otherwise you'd have been subject to the worst sanctions, and there's nothing we could have done to discover the problem."
"Keys."
"Yes, the keys were the issue, even though they couldn't have helped you escape. But he could have called in another guard to watch you eat. And then taken the keys again, but he wanted to avenge his grandfather."
"Secrecy?"
"You have a hearing to attend once you're healthy. It's time to go back to sleep now."
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Padma jumps as Kali steps out of the mist into her transfiguration class.
"Where were you for the festival of light?"
"Um, here? Parvati and I had our own celebrations in the evenings."
Minerva finally overcomes her surprise and rallies herself, "Excuse me Madam, but I am teaching a class here."
Kali spins around, her sword pointing towards Minerva, "I am talking to my chosen about her religious obligations."
"I don't care if you're Merlin himself, this is my class, and you will wait."
Padma nervously looks at Minerva, even as the song rises inside her with the presence of her goddess, "Er, Professor McGonagall, this is Sura Kali. She's a goddess."
"I, don't, care, she could be The Morrigan… herself. Why did I say that?"
Morgana steps out of the mist, "You called? Oh, hey Kali, what are you here for?"
Kali looks Morgana up and down, "You look smaller like this."
Morgana nods, "It's a glamour to keep the worst of my instincts under control, and protect the mortals."
Kali stabs her sword into the flagstone floor, "I see, it might be nice to wander the earth without care occasionally. I was here to enquire after my chosen's absence during Diwali last month."
Morgana nods seriously, "I see, matters of religious observance are of great importance. Did you remember to inform her…"
Minerva raises her wand, "Out, out, both of you out of my classroom. I do not have time for you to interrupt my…"
Minerva's voice is cut off when Morgana shoves her into the mist, "Sorry about that. Most of the witches and wizards in this country don't believe in us. It's not like Minerva has an excuse, as she's met me unglamoured before."
Hesitantly, Theodore Nott raises his hand, "Professor Danann, what do you mean by that?"
Morgana turns to the Slytherin boy, "It's The Morrigan at the moment. And I am a member of the Tuath Dé Danann. Kali, if we all go to my domain, is it going to end up in another weeklong battle?"
Kali shrugs, "Probably, there is a lot of darkness there."
Morgana turns to Harry, "I'm sorry to ask this, but it would make things easier to explain."
Harry recoils at the idea of bringing people he's not friends with to his domain, so it takes him a while to answer. When he does, it's in a tight voice, "One time, that's it, and only because we're sisters."
With a sharp nod, Morgana raises her hand and opens a portal to Harry's domain, "Well? Are you all coming or not?"
The Slytherins all scramble to follow, while the Hufflepuffs are all markedly all more reluctant, and only going to support Padma.
Just before she steps through, Padma looks over at Kali, "Um, could we talk about this here?"
Kali just laughs, "No child, I am curious to see another domain."
Harry frowns, "No violence while you're there, it is a place of healing."
"It's not just a place of healing though is it, I can see the lines of darkness running through you, no matter how faint they become. And those are separate from the mass of darkness in your forehead."
Harry looks her in the eyes, "Sometimes violence is the only way you have left to protect people. So being willing to use it is a necessity. We saw my mothers wisdom in that. However, my soul doesn't call for the thrill of battle the way yours does. We only seek to test ourselves against willing opponents."
"But you are willing to kill."
"I am, and I have."
Kali looks at Harry for a long moment before she nods, "I will abide by your rule while I am there." With that she steps through the portal, and recoils before gritting her teeth and moving further in.
As Padma steps through, she yelps in pain as her feet touch the grass. Hearing that, Harry darts in after her and takes her hands, "Padma, Padma! Look at me." When Padma looks up at Harry, fear on her face, Harry continues, "I [Brigid/Harry] grant you guest rights in my realm for as long as you remain. For as long as you bring no harm to those who reside here, none here shall bring harm to you."
As the pain subsides, followed by the memory of the pain, Padma starts to cry as Harry pulls her into a hug, "Why does it hurt?"
Kali looks back, "As your companion said, this is a place of light and healing. We are creatures of darkness by necessity, for we follow those who stain their souls so dark there is no longer any light to be seen, and send them into the cycle of rebirth. When you learn to hear the primal song, the song of creation, then you will find a different form of darkness that is not burned by the light. That doesn't mean it's not painful though. Come, we shouldn't keep The Morrigan waiting."
Seeing how nervous those who have been around Morgana, when she's not shielding, are (with the exception of Harry), the rest of the Hufflepuff 2nd years nervously approach the group of Slytherins who are chattering excitedly. As they get closer they can here Morgana laying down some ground rules.
"…and if any of you dare to take anything from this place that hasn't been given to you personally by Harry, I will find you, kill you, and then pin your still cooling corpse over the entrance to the school as a warning. Do I make myself clear?"
It's clear that the Slytherins are not taking her warnings seriously until Morgana suddenly drops all of her glamours at once, and seems to transform instantly from Professor Danann into the Great Queen of the Tuath Dé. In response, Kali's power rises to match the threat, leading Harry to step between them, and release her own power. As they do, Draco Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson both collapse in a faint from the magical pressure, with the exception of Daphne and Padma, everyone else is left somewhere between having bowed shoulders, to struggling to do anything more than lie on the ground.
Harry's voice rings out across the domain, "Enough! You are not in a competition here, so both of you back down otherwise I will revoke your invitations."
Morgana's presence almost winks out, as she takes it down to a manageable level in shock, "My apologies Brigid, I should have known better."
Kali grits out, "We will talk about your religious obligations later my chosen. Until then I must find somewhere safe to dance." With that said, she disappears into the mist.
While not much transfiguration gets done, the Slytherin students get an arguably more valuable lesson about how big the pool is, and just how big some of the fish are.