It happened in slow motion, like it did every time.
A blinding flash encompassing every colour she had ever known heading straight for her, millions of minute charges in one glorious action. She tipped her head back to feel its full force coursing through her body that acted like a lupine lightning conductor. It was a moment that lasted for hours and she basked in its raw energy – its unrefined power surging through her until her heart pounded fit to burst. It was in these split seconds that she teetered on the brink between life and death, to stray but an inch would mean certain fatality. But a Thor's rith was nothing if not the master of its element and she held onto her life with the will of one who knows only too well how precious the gift is.
In return for her determination to survive the storm gave its namesake part of its strength before it dissipated into the earth through her leathery padded feet, if only for a time.
After the lightning had gone Storm felt it still crackling through her blood. It seared some of the ache from around her heart and there was a new light in her eyes knowing that she would learn to live again. She had never felt more like singing in all her life, and so she did in the only way she knew how.
As she howled softly to the brightening skies, the Raq in Diana could not help but want to howl with her, but she did not. She looked to the Forest and saw on its edge a great white king watching her, and Storm, with his sharp golden eyes before he melted back into the trees to see how his pack had fared through the tempest.
Since the striking Storm had been making herself a nuisance to Dumbledore, she now had endless energy and when extra pent up or excited she let off small blue sparks of trapped electricity. More than once he'd had to dodge a particularly large one. Fawkes the phoenix was also looking rather ruffled at his roommate's idiotic behaviour, especially when she was playing with her adopted family.
But it had been rather entertaining to tell Severus not to collect some of his potion ingredients from his office.
The tall, saturnine teacher was looking rather more drawn than usual, and only Dumbledore knew why. Voldemort was gaining strength, but keeping his actions secret until he chose to make a spectacular re-entry into the world – and that was going to be bloody. It was hard on Snape to keep all the dark happenings that went on in those meetings to himself. And it was his own thoughts that frightened him far more. Dumbledore was trying his level best to keep his spirits up, but the Headmaster already had so much on his plate that it wasn't fair to burden him with his own problems.
'Ah, Severus, come in. Sit down. Tea?'
'No thank you, Albus. I am rather busy at the moment...'
'I know, Severus, it's just a little matter. A favour really.'
Snape rolled his eyes, how could Albus put more on his plate knowing what he was going through already. A slight humming behind him made him turn around. The rith was laying flat on her back, her head rolled right back and her hind legs crossed over each other. Her finely white-furred throat vibrated with the hums and her white-tipped tail swished aggravatingly across the floor. Her eyes seemed fixed on a small hole in the base of a bookcase. As he watched a set of whiskers the thickness of spider silk twitched from the opening and cautiously emerged. Bright black eyes twinkled intelligently from a mainly white head. Its tiny, lithe body was covered in tortoiseshell coloured splashes. The little rodent climbed on Storm's muzzle until it sat on her quivering voice-box. Standing on its hind legs it surveyed as much as its limited field of vision would allow before letting out a low squeak. Eight noses immediately crowded the opening and not even half-sized versions of their mother tumbled out and began climbing all over the rith to her obvious delight.
Snape turned back in disgust, 'You have a rodent problem, Albus. Perhaps I should call Filch?'
Dumbledore looked indulgently at the rith and her tiny companions, 'Don't worry, Severus. I just wanted to ask you not to collect any of your more anatomical potion ingredients from this office. Storm has become rather attached to these little creatures.'
'So you're going to let your office get overrun with mice because your rith has befriended them.'
'I thought you might understand, Severus.' Snape looked at him quizzically, 'Neither you nor this rith have had a fair trial in life, and few allies to trust in. So if she has found a little happiness by befriending a family of mice then what harm can come of it?'
One of the young mice clambered up Dumbledore's robes and started tugging at the biscuit in his hand. Its outraged squeaks when it could not remove it attracted Storm's immediate attention and she watched the proceedings with the watchful eye of a surrogate mother. Dumbledore placed both biscuit and infant mouse on the floor and watched the large marble sized creature valiantly tug the biscuit across the floor when all of his brothers and sisters could have sat easily on it.
'In fact, one of these little chaps has become something of a chum of mine. You see the mother? She was one of Minerva's escapees from a few months ago. She decided to set up home in that little crevice and regularly comes out to watch me at work. It's been a positive delight watching her raise a family.'
'Is that all, Albus?'
'Unless you have something to discuss with me, Severus?'
'Not at the moment.'
'Don't hesitate to come to me if you do need anything. I am always here.'
Snape nodded his approval and left without a word, scattering baby mice in his wake. Only the pied mother seemed undisturbed from her perch on the top of Storm's head.
* * * * *
Remus didn't mind having Storm in his classes. It gave Dumbledore a break and was a change of scenery for the rith. He also quite liked having the companionship of a fellow wolf when he taught, and she was less disruptive than most of his students. She generally found the warmest spot in the classroom and settled down, but occasionally he was sure she was listening in to what he was saying.
It wasn't until one morning with fifth years that everything changed.
All the students were really fatigued, Lupin could see it in their eyes. All the pressure of the OWL's was getting them down and, besides, this lesson never went well being just after Binn's History of Magic bore-fest. The day was hot and he always found the best way of teaching was filling in the gaps of what they already knew. He sat on the front of his desk and scanned the tired faces in front of him.
'Right, people, today we're going to take a bit of a break,' a ragged cheer went up from several faces who were already flat on the desks in front of them, 'All I want you to do is ask me about anything you don't understand and I'll try to explain as best I can.'
The lesson played along quietly, most appreciating the rest and filling in the gaps in their knowledge. However, it wasn't until nearly the end of the lesson that it all kicked off. 'Boot?'
'Professor, what's the Versipellis curse?'
Versipellis? That's a pretty rare one. It's as close to an Unforgivable as you can get without actually assuming that name. It's not generally used due to the unpredictable nature of the curse, and its reversibility. Versipellis means to change shape, but by the very quality of the curse you don't know what you have just hexed will change into. Say you use it on a stool, it could become a bookcase, a train or even a dragon. Same thing when used on people so that's why it's so dangerous. But Versipellis victims usually resume their normal shape within a few hours, maximum a few days. It takes a skilled witch or wizard to perform the curse so don't go trying it out as it can easily backfire.'
No one noticed the change in Storm during this speech, the covering of her eyes, the swallowing of the bile that rose up in her throat and the increasing panic that made her flee the classroom. Dashing out like a furry whirlwind, she skidded on the worn stones and crashed into walls in her mad flight. Not even looking where she was going, she tumbled down a flight of stairs and ran on trying to outrun the images that crept up on her like thieves in the night.
That one word had unblocked the dam of hidden memories. Lightning had weakened the charms by the word had broken them. She felt like she'd been watching through frosted glass for years, but now it was gone and she was faced with the truth for the first time in over fifteen years.
She stumbled and tripped, grazing her knees and leathery pads on her hands and for the first time she felt like they didn't belong to her. She sobbed and pounded the solid stone at the bitter memories of what truly happened that fateful night before retching from all the unshed tears fighting to be released at once.
Versipellis. Why of all the curses did they have to use that one? Why couldn't they have let her be and left her to live in blissful ignorance or die with her family?
Snape heard the commotion from his office. Peering outside he witnessed the cobalt-blue rith crawling brokenly along the corridor, shouting incomprehensibly at the bare stone and attacking it with claws and teeth. His immediate reaction was that Storm had lost her mind and when she turned to face him it just deepened his suspicions.
Her eyes narrowed evilly and a growl rose from deep in her throat whereas before she'd been indifferent to his presence. As quick as thought he drew his wand and stunned the rith with a curse before locking her in her old dungeon and fetching Albus.
'It's turned, Albus. It would have attacked me if I hadn't stopped it in time and I don't want any of the students injured.'
Dumbledore looked through the grate in the door and saw Storm trying to look at something on her back.
If it was still there then it would prove everything, prove that the memories were real. That was when she saw it. A black marking in the shape of a hawk's foot just above the root of her tail and slightly to the left. She nodded as if gesturing to herself that she was ready to take on whatever challenges this new revelation presented.
When Dumbledore looked at her he saw not a mad wolf but rather one with a steely look of determination in her eyes but decided to say nothing more on the matter and left her to compose herself, and put Severus's worries to rest.
A blinding flash encompassing every colour she had ever known heading straight for her, millions of minute charges in one glorious action. She tipped her head back to feel its full force coursing through her body that acted like a lupine lightning conductor. It was a moment that lasted for hours and she basked in its raw energy – its unrefined power surging through her until her heart pounded fit to burst. It was in these split seconds that she teetered on the brink between life and death, to stray but an inch would mean certain fatality. But a Thor's rith was nothing if not the master of its element and she held onto her life with the will of one who knows only too well how precious the gift is.
In return for her determination to survive the storm gave its namesake part of its strength before it dissipated into the earth through her leathery padded feet, if only for a time.
After the lightning had gone Storm felt it still crackling through her blood. It seared some of the ache from around her heart and there was a new light in her eyes knowing that she would learn to live again. She had never felt more like singing in all her life, and so she did in the only way she knew how.
As she howled softly to the brightening skies, the Raq in Diana could not help but want to howl with her, but she did not. She looked to the Forest and saw on its edge a great white king watching her, and Storm, with his sharp golden eyes before he melted back into the trees to see how his pack had fared through the tempest.
Since the striking Storm had been making herself a nuisance to Dumbledore, she now had endless energy and when extra pent up or excited she let off small blue sparks of trapped electricity. More than once he'd had to dodge a particularly large one. Fawkes the phoenix was also looking rather ruffled at his roommate's idiotic behaviour, especially when she was playing with her adopted family.
But it had been rather entertaining to tell Severus not to collect some of his potion ingredients from his office.
The tall, saturnine teacher was looking rather more drawn than usual, and only Dumbledore knew why. Voldemort was gaining strength, but keeping his actions secret until he chose to make a spectacular re-entry into the world – and that was going to be bloody. It was hard on Snape to keep all the dark happenings that went on in those meetings to himself. And it was his own thoughts that frightened him far more. Dumbledore was trying his level best to keep his spirits up, but the Headmaster already had so much on his plate that it wasn't fair to burden him with his own problems.
'Ah, Severus, come in. Sit down. Tea?'
'No thank you, Albus. I am rather busy at the moment...'
'I know, Severus, it's just a little matter. A favour really.'
Snape rolled his eyes, how could Albus put more on his plate knowing what he was going through already. A slight humming behind him made him turn around. The rith was laying flat on her back, her head rolled right back and her hind legs crossed over each other. Her finely white-furred throat vibrated with the hums and her white-tipped tail swished aggravatingly across the floor. Her eyes seemed fixed on a small hole in the base of a bookcase. As he watched a set of whiskers the thickness of spider silk twitched from the opening and cautiously emerged. Bright black eyes twinkled intelligently from a mainly white head. Its tiny, lithe body was covered in tortoiseshell coloured splashes. The little rodent climbed on Storm's muzzle until it sat on her quivering voice-box. Standing on its hind legs it surveyed as much as its limited field of vision would allow before letting out a low squeak. Eight noses immediately crowded the opening and not even half-sized versions of their mother tumbled out and began climbing all over the rith to her obvious delight.
Snape turned back in disgust, 'You have a rodent problem, Albus. Perhaps I should call Filch?'
Dumbledore looked indulgently at the rith and her tiny companions, 'Don't worry, Severus. I just wanted to ask you not to collect any of your more anatomical potion ingredients from this office. Storm has become rather attached to these little creatures.'
'So you're going to let your office get overrun with mice because your rith has befriended them.'
'I thought you might understand, Severus.' Snape looked at him quizzically, 'Neither you nor this rith have had a fair trial in life, and few allies to trust in. So if she has found a little happiness by befriending a family of mice then what harm can come of it?'
One of the young mice clambered up Dumbledore's robes and started tugging at the biscuit in his hand. Its outraged squeaks when it could not remove it attracted Storm's immediate attention and she watched the proceedings with the watchful eye of a surrogate mother. Dumbledore placed both biscuit and infant mouse on the floor and watched the large marble sized creature valiantly tug the biscuit across the floor when all of his brothers and sisters could have sat easily on it.
'In fact, one of these little chaps has become something of a chum of mine. You see the mother? She was one of Minerva's escapees from a few months ago. She decided to set up home in that little crevice and regularly comes out to watch me at work. It's been a positive delight watching her raise a family.'
'Is that all, Albus?'
'Unless you have something to discuss with me, Severus?'
'Not at the moment.'
'Don't hesitate to come to me if you do need anything. I am always here.'
Snape nodded his approval and left without a word, scattering baby mice in his wake. Only the pied mother seemed undisturbed from her perch on the top of Storm's head.
* * * * *
Remus didn't mind having Storm in his classes. It gave Dumbledore a break and was a change of scenery for the rith. He also quite liked having the companionship of a fellow wolf when he taught, and she was less disruptive than most of his students. She generally found the warmest spot in the classroom and settled down, but occasionally he was sure she was listening in to what he was saying.
It wasn't until one morning with fifth years that everything changed.
All the students were really fatigued, Lupin could see it in their eyes. All the pressure of the OWL's was getting them down and, besides, this lesson never went well being just after Binn's History of Magic bore-fest. The day was hot and he always found the best way of teaching was filling in the gaps of what they already knew. He sat on the front of his desk and scanned the tired faces in front of him.
'Right, people, today we're going to take a bit of a break,' a ragged cheer went up from several faces who were already flat on the desks in front of them, 'All I want you to do is ask me about anything you don't understand and I'll try to explain as best I can.'
The lesson played along quietly, most appreciating the rest and filling in the gaps in their knowledge. However, it wasn't until nearly the end of the lesson that it all kicked off. 'Boot?'
'Professor, what's the Versipellis curse?'
Versipellis? That's a pretty rare one. It's as close to an Unforgivable as you can get without actually assuming that name. It's not generally used due to the unpredictable nature of the curse, and its reversibility. Versipellis means to change shape, but by the very quality of the curse you don't know what you have just hexed will change into. Say you use it on a stool, it could become a bookcase, a train or even a dragon. Same thing when used on people so that's why it's so dangerous. But Versipellis victims usually resume their normal shape within a few hours, maximum a few days. It takes a skilled witch or wizard to perform the curse so don't go trying it out as it can easily backfire.'
No one noticed the change in Storm during this speech, the covering of her eyes, the swallowing of the bile that rose up in her throat and the increasing panic that made her flee the classroom. Dashing out like a furry whirlwind, she skidded on the worn stones and crashed into walls in her mad flight. Not even looking where she was going, she tumbled down a flight of stairs and ran on trying to outrun the images that crept up on her like thieves in the night.
That one word had unblocked the dam of hidden memories. Lightning had weakened the charms by the word had broken them. She felt like she'd been watching through frosted glass for years, but now it was gone and she was faced with the truth for the first time in over fifteen years.
She stumbled and tripped, grazing her knees and leathery pads on her hands and for the first time she felt like they didn't belong to her. She sobbed and pounded the solid stone at the bitter memories of what truly happened that fateful night before retching from all the unshed tears fighting to be released at once.
Versipellis. Why of all the curses did they have to use that one? Why couldn't they have let her be and left her to live in blissful ignorance or die with her family?
Snape heard the commotion from his office. Peering outside he witnessed the cobalt-blue rith crawling brokenly along the corridor, shouting incomprehensibly at the bare stone and attacking it with claws and teeth. His immediate reaction was that Storm had lost her mind and when she turned to face him it just deepened his suspicions.
Her eyes narrowed evilly and a growl rose from deep in her throat whereas before she'd been indifferent to his presence. As quick as thought he drew his wand and stunned the rith with a curse before locking her in her old dungeon and fetching Albus.
'It's turned, Albus. It would have attacked me if I hadn't stopped it in time and I don't want any of the students injured.'
Dumbledore looked through the grate in the door and saw Storm trying to look at something on her back.
If it was still there then it would prove everything, prove that the memories were real. That was when she saw it. A black marking in the shape of a hawk's foot just above the root of her tail and slightly to the left. She nodded as if gesturing to herself that she was ready to take on whatever challenges this new revelation presented.
When Dumbledore looked at her he saw not a mad wolf but rather one with a steely look of determination in her eyes but decided to say nothing more on the matter and left her to compose herself, and put Severus's worries to rest.