Author's Note: Another day, another update. Here we learn a bit more about Leiko's inner workings, and discover one of Rave's secrets.
Admissions: HP chars belong to J. K. Rowling, Leiko to me, and Ravindra to my soul-sister Rave.
Section 23: Screams in the Night
Leiko sighed as she lay on the bed, eyes closed and mind left to roam. She'd not slept well, between wondering what Rave was up to and her own troubles. The gryffin opened her eyes and wondered what Snape was doing at that moment. Sleeping, probably, as it was approaching the hour of dawn. Somehow she'd managed to alienate the Potions Master and she honestly didn't know why. She wanted to, for she missed Snape's company. It wasn't often that Leiko allowed someone to get so close to her. She was, by nature, a solitary bird and rarely sought the company of anyone save a few close friends. So why was she losing sleep worrying about her strained relationship with the Potions Master?
Leiko closed her eyes again, sighing as she allowed herself to admit the reason. She'd come as close to loving the wizard as one of her kind could. She smirked at the thought that raced through her tired mind; a mental image of herself proclaiming her undying love for Snape in front of the whole student body. How many students would faint from the shock? She'd never do such a ridiculous thing. Her emotions weren't like true human feeling, so she'd never be so overcome as to go all melodramatic in front of a crowd of children.
Still, she did care for Snape. She'd known that from early on in her stay at Hogwarts. But, until that moment, Leiko had not allowed herself to admit just how much she cared. Love was weakness in her experience. Could she have unconsciously realized her feelings were growing too strong and angered the wizard in an attempt to drive him away? It was possible. She often let her subconscious mind act on perceptions that were too subtle for her to have consciously noticed. Perhaps, Leiko though, she should take more care in how she interacted with others. Rave was always telling her that she was too forward, too blunt. Maybe that red feather duster had a point.
But none of that mattered. Her feelings for Snape, her lack of tact, it had no bearing on what she did once she changed back. When she regained her wings she would soar away from Hogwarts, soar into the 'morrow without a backward glance. Gryphonic feelings were different from human, and Leiko was confident that once back in feathers, she'd forget about the Potions Master and be content to live as she had before coming to Hogwarts.
Leiko's mind grew groggy with fatigue just as the sky outside her window brightened with the rising sun. Breakfast would be served in less than an hour. Should she attend? Leiko wasn't one for missing meals, but there were too many thoughts in her head to leave room for food. Those thoughts turned back to Professor Snape and Leiko gave up. She let the flow of her mind's wanderings take over.
Pain wracked through her body just as Leiko was drifting into the realm of sleep. She screamed as the electric jolt of agony spread to every inch of her human self. Green eyes glowed brightly as she fought for control of her mind. Those eyes turned a brilliant red as Leiko's body gave off a purple luminescence and shifted into something not quite human. Her fingernails grew long and sharp, resembling the eagle talons of her gryphonic self. Her teeth grew sharp and her hair turned black and feathery.
Leiko howled with combined pain and fury, leapt from the bed, and ran for the wooden door. She knocked aside two figures as she fled the room, but her mind barely registered their presence. Hissing like a wild beast, the woman ran for the dark of the dungeons. Her instincts had taken over, each one heightened as she gave in to the animal craze. The primal impulse in her head told Leiko to find what she'd last been thinking of. The gryffin was in hunt mode, searching for her mate.
Professor McGonagall allowed Filch to help her to her feet, then the two of them went chasing after Leiko. They'd both been nearby when the woman screamed, and had come running to see what the matter was. Leiko had shot out of the room and knocked them both to the floor, then fled without seeming to realize that they were there. McGonagall had glimpsed the glowing red eyes and was concerned, not only for the gryffin, but for anyone who got in her way.
Startled shouts guided the Transfigurations Professor in her search for Leiko. Students heading for breakfast had been knocked aside as the gryffin charged past, and it was not difficult to follow her trail. McGonagall's breath caught in her throat as a cry of pain echoed through the dungeon halls. She feared what lay ahead, but ran with Filch to see what transpired ahead. Turning a corner, they stopped dead in their tracks.
Leiko, who had a crazed look about her, was clawing furiously at something black that lay writhing on the floor. Looking closer, McGonagall saw that the struggling form was Professor Snape. The gryffin's claw-like nails were ripping into his robes, tearing away fabric and revealing the bleeding wounds beneath. Leiko snarled and growled like a ravenous wolf and bit the Potions Master savagely. Blood had begun to pool on the stone floor, and Snape seemed to be loosing his battle.
The stunned Transfigurations Professor recovered her senses and cast a stun spell on the crazed attacker. Leiko shuddered, but was otherwise unaffected. Instead of collapsing, she turned her glowing red eyes on McGonagall. Snarling like a mad dog, the gryffin lunged. The witch, certain that her blood would soon mingle with Snape's, watched in amazement as Leiko shrieked with surprise and crumpled to the floor halfway through her leap.
McGonagall noticed a pair of Slytherin third years standing over Snape's prone body. Both looked as if they were going to be sick, but the girl on the left was holding her wand at the ready. Leiko didn't move, and the Professor had Filch check the woman as she rushed to Snape's side to assess his condition. The student with the wand gave her friend a shove and orders to get Madam Pomfrey, then bent down to help McGonagall.
"That was quick thinking, and although you shouldn't know that particular spell yet I must say that I'm grateful you did. 20 points to Slytherin. Now step back, child, while I take a look at Severus."
The student stood and moved to the wall as McGonagall evaluated Snape's injuries. The man was bleeding from so many wounds it amazed her that he was still alive. Leiko hadn't been on him but for a minute at most, yet he appeared to have taken several hours' worth of abuse. The witch sighed with relief as Madam Pomfrey finally arrived, lead by the other Slytherin student.
"Thank goodness you're here, Poppy. Leiko attacked him and I'm afraid he's loosing too much blood."
"I'll take him from here, Minerva. You better tend to that gryffin before she has a chance to wake up. Bring her to the Infirmary once you've got her properly secured. I just can't believe she'd do a thing like this."
The mediwitch hurried off, keeping her eyes on the floating stretcher that held Snape. McGonagall sent the two students on their way after asking their names, then turned her attention to the Snape's attacker. Filch was keeping a close eye on Leiko, watching for any sign of movement. McGonagall checked the woman's pulse, then bound her in several spells to make sure she couldn't escape should she regain consciousness and levitated the woman to the Hospital Wing. Filch stayed behind to see to it that the blood was disposed of before any more students happened across the scene.
"Ah, Minerva, put her over there. I've managed to stabilize Severus but those gryffin wounds won't be healed by magic. Has something to do with Leiko herself. She's got a natural resistance to spells, and any injury she inflicts shares that resistance. Severus will recover in time, but he's going to be weak from the blood loss when he wakes, and I'm sure his sour temper will be even worse."
"I don't doubt it. I am glad to hear he'll recover, though."
"You know, Minerva, I've treated some love bites before, but they weren't near so deep as these. I can't imagine what came over that gryffin, to go savaging Severus so. What happened?"
"Wait, you've treated Severus for gryffin bites before this?"
Madam Pomfrey flushed. She hadn't meant to reveal that she was so familiar with the bite of the black gryffin.
"Well, yes. Apparently Leiko likes to bite. I won't say any more about that now, though. Now answer my question, what happened between them?"
McGonagall quirked an eyebrow at the mediwitch, then proceeded to tell her what had transpired beginning with hearing Leiko scream. She'd just finished relating the tale when the Infirmary doors opened with a bang, and a very upset Ravindra stomped in. Rave was in her gryffin form and so the two witches had to strain their necks to look up.
"What happened to my sister?! I felt pain…and then a blur of something I can't describe. If someone hurt her I'll shred them with my own talons…"
Professor McGonagall managed to calm Rave down enough to relate the chain of events once more. When she'd finished the red gryffin was staring, wide-eyed, with disbelief. She shook her golden mane and fluffed her feathers, then laid down on the floor. Madam Pomfrey had just gone to check on Snape again when the wooden doors opened yet again and a very worried Dumbledore entered the room. McGonagall retold her story for a third time before the Headmaster had a chance to ask.
"Albus, I don't know what came over Leiko but we can't risk her hurting anyone else. If she's dangerous we must deal with her before she has a chance to attack again."
"I can't believe she'd try to kill Snape. And there's something you wizards ought to know."
Three pairs of eyes turned to Ravindra, who seemed to be very uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"What you described, the red eyes and animal behavior, it sounds like the Guardian."
"And what is this guardian? Do we need to confine your sister for the sake of safety?"
"No, Headmaster. That won't do any good for Leiko. You have to understand that Leiko and the Guardian are two different entities. And before you start asking questions on how that's possible I'd like to say that I've never before seen the Guardian manifest when Leiko wasn't in gryffin form. I didn't know it was possible.
"You see, the Guardian personality is one with the power that resides within my sister. She can't actively use that power, but the Guardian can. This alter-ego, if you can call it that, surfaces when Leiko finds herself in a situation where normal gryffin abilities have no chance of succeeding. It's never for very long, and Leiko usually maintains at least some minute control over the beast. I just don't understand how the Guardian could take over Leiko's mind so completely, or how it could manifest itself at all when the body is in human form."
There was a pause as everyone considered Rave's words. Dumbledore especially was concerned at the implied threat this unexplained phenomenon posed. He motioned for Rave to continue, hoping the red gryffin might have a theory as to how such a thing could happen.
"I won't know why the Guardian surfaced until Leiko wakes up. Her claws are back to normal human fingernails, so I'm fairly certain that Leiko is herself again."
"Why did she attack Professor Snape? I was under the impression that the two of them got along quite well."
Rave sent a suspicious look at the mediwitch, wondering if there was anything behind that statement.
"Like I said before, I don't think Leiko would ever try to kill Snape. For some reason, and I shall never understand why, she's fond of his company. Maybe she just likes arguing with him, or maybe she's having fun annoying the man, but for whatever reason I know that Leiko wouldn't knowingly harm him."
"Then you've no idea what could have caused this attack?"
"Not really, Headmaster, though I've got a theory. I won't know for certain until I can question her myself, but I think perhaps Leiko, or the Guardian in this case, was acting on pure animal instinct. If Leiko was thinking about Snape before whatever awakened the Guardian happened, then it's possible that her thoughts were still on him after she'd changed. My sister likes to bite, as Snape can tell you when he wakes, and I think that maybe she ran off to find him and, in her crazed mental state, went a bit too far."
Four pairs of eyes came to rest on the Potion Master's sleeping figure. The man lay motionless under their watchful gaze, and the three humans turned their attention back to Rave, who had stood and walked over to Leiko's bedside. The woman had started to wake up and Ravindra wanted to be the first thing she saw. If the Guardian still had control, it wouldn't be as dangerous to a ten-foot gryffin. And if Leiko was back to normal it wouldn't hurt for her to see a friendly face.
"W-Where am I?"
Leiko opened her eyes and squinted up at Rave. She tried to move, but found that her body refused to obey. Magic restrained her. Leiko's mind was still clouded, and she didn't have the energy to be angery.
"You're in the Infirmary, you're not hurt, the wizards have a spell or two on you, and what's the last thing you remember?"
It took a minute for Leiko to sort out everything Rave told her. Finally, she gathered her thoughts enough to make a sensible reply.
"I was laying in bed thinking about feelings…and…pain! I was in pain. Something attacked me, I think, and I couldn't fight it off. I felt the power move…and then I can't remember much. Just a lot of confusing emotions. Mainly hate, a certain blood-lust, and I was searching for something. I can't remember any more than that. Tell me what happened, Rave. I wouldn't be here unless I did something major."
"The Guardian took you. It took full control of you, Leiko, and it went hunting Snape. He's been talon-slashed and savagely bitten, but Pomfrey says he'll live. Are you really you? Or is that entity still lurking on the edges?"
Leiko was stunned into silence for several minutes. She could hardly believe what Rave told her, and at the same instant knew it was true. She also knew without asking that Snape was lucky to be alive, and that she was solely responsible. The Guardian wouldn't care about one human. It had to be acting on her thoughts. Wouldn't be the first time that had happened, but this was certainly the worst thing she'd known that force to do to a non-enemy.
"I'm me. You can tell the witch to take off the spell now. I'm not going to try anything."
"Leiko…forgive me but I must ask. You said you were attacked and couldn't fight. Did the Guardian overpower you, or did it surface because you were overpowered?"
"I think…no, I'm certain it awoke after the attack hit. Whatever hurt me, it wasn't the Guardian."
Rave nodded and looked to Professor McGonagall, who shared a nervous glance with her coworkers before finally releasing Leiko from the spells that held her captive. The headmaster cleared his throat and spoke, his voice grim.
"It would seem Leiko suffered yet another mental assault. I can think of only one personage who would try such a thing, and I'm sure we all know of whom I speak. This greatly worries me. Leiko was able to fight him off the first time, but now he seems to have intensified his efforts."
"Excuse me, Headmaster, but I didn't fight him off that first time. The Guardian helped. I still had some control then. It was a true merging of our personalities. This last time, though…that was instinct and nothing more. Pure animal impulse with no reason to guide it. I've lost control like that only one before, and it was when my enemy was too powerful for anything but the Guardian alone. If Voldemort really was behind this, then he's more a threat than I'd given him credit for."
McGonagall and the Headmaster left to attend to the rumors that had no doubt been circulating since the two Slytherin students left the dungeon. No one wanted the student body thinking that Leiko was a homicidal maniac, or that Snape was dead, or any other misinformation that the Hogwarts rumor mill managed to produce. It had been decided that they would make an announcement saying Voldemort was the cause of Leiko's unusual behavior. A true enough statement, if lacking in detail.
Rave stayed by her sister. Madam Pomfrey had decided to keep Leiko for a while just to be sure that the black gryffin suffered no ill aftereffects. Leiko grumbled and curled up under her blanket, determined to get the sleep she'd missed the night before. Rave watched the heap of cloth for a while, then turned her attention to the bed holding Snape. Half an hour later, after Leiko had slipped into the land of dreams, Ravindra turned to Pomfrey with a question that completely surprised the witch.
"Madam Pomfrey, I have observed that your spells don't seem to do much for Snape's wounds. Do you think I could give it a try? Healing the injuries, I mean."
"You? I didn't know you could use magic."
"I have some minor magic of my own. It's not quite the same as yours, so I might be able to do something. Now go stand by Snape and watch. I've never done this with a wizard before, and I'm not sure of the outcome. At the very least it will do no harm."
The woman took a seat beside Snape's bed as Rave fluffed her feathers and stared intently at the still figure. Her golden eyes seemed to sparkle as she wove her healing spell. A faint golden light surrounded Snape's body, then faded into his wounds. Madame Pomfrey watched in amazement as the wounds began to heal. Within minutes every scratch and bite had disappeared and Snape began to move. Rave closed her eyes and propped her giant head an empty bed. The mediwitch quickly moved to check the Potions Master's vitals.
Madame Pomfrey made sure that Snape was healed and sleeping soundly. She noticed that Ravindra was also resting and decided to take stock of her various healing potions. She'd no idea that the red gryffin could cast spells, and had been even more impressed with the fact Rave had need of chants or wand. The golden eyed beast simply concentrated on her target and the spell wove its magic in a shimmer of gold. It had been fascinating to watch, and solved her problem of treating gryffin-inflicted injuries. The witch wondered what else Ravindra was capable of.