Disclaimer: I own Aweina and the phrase "Dumbledore's Army, Doofus Amigos!" You steal Aweina, she'll hex you into oblivion, you steal the phrase, both of us will curse you into oblivion, though in my case I'll curse you into next Tuesday. I don't own Harry Potter or Happy Bunny.
Muse responsible: Rrissa!
Aweina's thoughts and "-0o0-" will denote the beginning and end of a dream or flashback.
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The second and third DA meetings had passed-both in one week, strangely enough, and it was the third Thursday in the school year. For once, Aweina had beaten the students to the Room of Requirement and actually had a few moments to herself before class started.
The past two meetings had been more team-building games, and they had worked beautifully-and very quickly. Again, Aweina had been astonished at the level they had shown-
But then, the students were younger and more flexible than the adults in Auror training, who tended to be extremely stubborn. Aweina's own training group had been a prime example-even after the first few weeks of team-training, which was incredibly intensive, it had still taken Alastor weeks to beat his five trainees into shape.
Aweina turned away from her musings and looked down at the box beside her. Several students had asked about using the Patronus charm, and Aweina had given in-they were to practice it today. And since she had remembered that Harry's worst fear was a dementor…
Well, she had a boggart in the box beside her, locked in securely. Aweina certainly didn't want the thing to get out of control, and she was passing the time by remembering and re-remembering the day she had regained her sight, in case things got out of hand.
The students drifted in at last, several at a time, and seemed rather surprised to see Aweina standing calmly where she was. "At last, I'm earlier than you," she quipped, to a few smiles.
It didn't take long for the rest of the group to gather, and Aweina waited patiently for a few moments. Silence fell after a short bit of chatter.
"We will be practicing Patronus charms today," she announced, and paused for the applause. "Does everyone remember how?"
Nods.
"Good. Today will be practical. Go practice them on your own a few times, and return when you're warmed up. Potter, I need to speak with you."
Harry came forward as the rest of the DA scattered to practice. "Yes, Professor?" he said, patiently.
"I've brought a boggart," said Aweina, getting directly to the point. "And I need to know…will it still turn into a dementor?"
Harry thought for a moment, then nodded. "Good," said Aweina, briskly, "If things get out of hand, I'll expect you to help me subdue it. But only use the Patronus if it's still a dementor."
Harry nodded again. Aweina rolled her eyes around and saw that several students had conjured corporeal Patronuses. "All right, that's enough, come back," she said at last, and the spellcasting ceased.
"I've brought a boggart," she said to the DA, "It will turn into a dementor. If things get out of hand-all of you know the Riddikulus charm, don't you?"
"Yes," chorused the class. "Good," said Aweina, "Then if it turns into something else, kindly fire Riddikulus charms at it until I can get it back into the box. Everyone, back-no, Potter, stay right there-"
Taking several steps away, so Harry was closest to the box, Aweina flicked her wand at the box. The lid flew open, and-
A dementor rose from the box, turning its hood this way and that. The room darkened, and Aweina felt the cold pull of the dementor's despair. She did her best to overrule it, holding fiercely to the moment of regaining her sight. "Potter, back!" shouted Aweina, "Granger, forward, then Weasley, then Chang-go!"
Hermione, her face ashen, shot a Patronus. Her silvery otter appeared, but it was weak and pale…
Then Ron Weasley, and Ginny at the same time, since Aweina had forgotten to specify which of the siblings should go first. Cho Chang followed, her face pale and her swan misty, and Aweina shouted out names as the boggart halted, confused-
Neville Longbottom was next, and he quailed in front of the dementor. Seeing its chance, the boggart swooped forward, began to shape-shift-
"Expecto Patronum!" Aweina roared, whirling her wand at the dementor and concentrating on the delirious joy of the moment she had regained her sight. A brilliant silver eagle shot from her wand, between Neville and the dementor, battling it back-
And a bright silver stag was fighting alongside it.
"Riddikulus!" said Aweina as the dementor faltered.
With a whip-crack, the dementor's robes turned bright red, with sequins on it. There was a chorus of laughter from the students, and the boggart went still farther backward…
And into range of Aweina, at last too far from Harry to sense his fear. With another whip-crack-Aweina was impressed for a split second, since the students had been battling it so much-it transformed.
Alastor Moody's mangled body lay on the ground, wand snapped just out of reach of his right hand, eyes glazed in death. The laughter stopped abruptly. Aweina's lips tightened, and she shot another Riddikulus charm at it-
ADeath Eater rose before her, tall-much taller than she, not that that was hard, face merely a suggestion beneath the hood-but the lips were smiling. And it rose the wand to aim at Aweina's eyes-
"Riddikulus!" shouted Aweina again, and the Death Eater's robes turned sequined and bright red, as the dementor's had. "Riddikulus!" she shouted again, stepping forward and forcing it back.
The boggart was obviously weakening. The glittery Death Eater stumbled backwards, and with a final "Riddikulus!" it vanished.
Aweina drew a deep breath, then another, steadying herself. Calmly, she placed her wand inside of her robes and turned to the students, who were watching her carefully. Most of their expressions wavered between sympathy and the last vestiges of amusement at the sequined Death Eater.
"If any of you plan to go into Auror training, be prepared for intensive work with boggarts," said Aweina, as steadily as she could manage, "Many times, your worst fears will appear on the battlefield, and you cannot enchant them away as I did just now. You must learn to work past your fears, or they will claim you. Good work, everyone-if you wish to remain and practice the Patronus Charm some more, feel free to do so. Class dismissed."
Before anyone could say anything, Aweina left the room, walking steadily, extremely glad that her scarf hid her expression. Stupid, bloody boggart, she thought to herself, turning her walk into a stalk down the stairs. That was a good run of Patronuses, though.
Aweina paused at the bottom of the stairs and drew a few deep breaths, leaning against a nearby wall. Like it or not, the image of Alastor's mangled body had scared her…so she tried to turn her fear into anger at the stupid thing.
At least I didn't lose control that time…like I did my first session after I got my sight back, she thought, somberly, shivering a little as the remembered images flickered in her mind's eye.
Paul…down and screaming, obviously fatally injured…Kali and Lucy's bodies, without a mark upon them but stark terror on their faces…Wesley, neck broken…Alastor's mangled body once again…and as always, the Death Eater, rising to take her sight one more time…
Aweina shook off the memories of that particular boggart, which Paul had finally had to step in and banish for her. "I'll go for a walk," she muttered to herself, striding firmly down the stairs. "And I'll patrol extra-late. If I'm tired enough, the dreams won't come…"
Yet even after patrolling the halls and grading papers, still they ventured into Aweina's mind…
-0o0-
The battlefield was covered with bodies, spattered with blood. The remaining Aurors-Alastor's team and Roxanne Bone's, sped into formation on their broomsticks, bearing down on the Death Eaters…
But they were picked off, one by one. Wesley fell from his broken broomstick, screaming…Lucy slid to the side and landed on the ground like a broken doll…
And then they were on the ground, pressing grimly forward, for what else could they do?
But there was a new addition-Aweina's students were among the dead as she fired spells and spun her eyes…
Until Alastor went down, wand snapping as he fell forward and the Death Eaters peppered his body with spells…
And just to the side was Harry's body, and Hermione's, and the Weasleys', Remus, McGonagall, Severus-
And she was all alone, and the Death Eaters were advancing…
-0o0-
This time, Aweina did not scream, but when she awoke, the sunlight barely touching her window, she closed her eyes-inasmuch as she could-clutched the blankets to herself, and shivered.
The next few weeks passed quietly, DA meetings the only lively points in Aweina's life. They practiced Patronus Charms again, and moved on to singular and team dueling. Aweina was drawing heavily on her half-remembered Auror training-it had been quite a long time ago, after all-and relying on her own creativity for the rest.
I'm not able to teach them any of the prohibited spells…they're underage, most of them, and I'd get arrested, she thought to herself as two groups of students advanced upon one another in the Room of Requirement while the rest looked on, But still, they're doing a bloody good job. Especially on offense…hmm, I'll have to spend a bit more time on defense, then.
The short, pitched duel in front of her-three students on two-ended with one down on the latter team and all three on the former. Aweina revived the downed members of the DA as cheers from the other students arose and Ginny Weasley was hoisted onto the shoulders of a Ravenclaw and her brother Ron, who carried her around the room before setting her down.
They gathered around Aweina as she cleared her throat, as usual. "Good job on team-dueling," she said, briskly, "Can you spare next Saturday? I'd like to take you outside, but if it's raining, we won't do anything."
Eager nods and murmurs of assent and excitement. "This one's the eighteenth, isn't it?" said Hermione. Aweina nodded. "October eighteenth," she replied, "Two days from now."
"It's a Hogsmeade weekend," said Hermione. Aweina shrugged. "Weekend after that," she said, "Today's the sixteenth…"
"Then your birthday is today!" interrupted Harry with a grin as the Auror tried to figure out the date, stunning Aweina into silence. "One, two, three!" said someone else, and the "Happy Birthday" song rose into the air as the Room of Requirement shifted, creating a table and a cake in front of Aweina-not to mention a party hat on every head.
Aweina just barely remembered to keep her mouth closed, and was glad for the scarf over her eyes, since it covered most of her shocked expression. The song ended-very out of key-and the students cheered as the candles on the cake flared with light.
What could she do but blow out the candles? Aweina tried-but they kept dancing back to life as soon as she stopped blowing. At last, grinning in spite of herself, she extinguished them with a wave of her wand. Picking up the knife she suddenly found in her hand, Aweina cut the cake carefully, looking inside it to make sure there wasn't anything nasty in there.
The cake was empty of all but more cake, and Aweina passed around slices. "So how old are you?" said Ginny, and blushed bright red when she realized what she'd just said.
Aweina turned her head in the girl's direction and said, dryly, "When you're my age, you'll know."
There was a confused silence, but someone broke it with a chuckle, then a laugh. Aweina hopped up to sit on the table, taking her own slice of cake and digging in with a fork.
"A few of us brought presents," said Hermione, "And Ron got the cake and hid it in here."
Aweina stopped chewing for a moment to stare at Hermione, though her head wasn't facing them. Realizing that after a moment, she swallowed. "Ah…thank you," she said, off-balance, "Do you normally do this for professors?"
"Well, you're the only one we know the birthday of," said Harry, with a shrug. "Here."
He passed forward a small package, which Aweina took. Setting her cake aside, she opened it, and drew out…
A silk scarf, much like the ones she wore around her eyes, but this one was bright red and patterned with Snitches.
Aweina laughed. "Thank you! For a moment there, I thought they were going to be Gryffindor lions-and seeing as I was a Ravenclaw, that could have been awkward."
Another package was tossed forward, and Aweina opened it, to find a long, dark green scarf.
A very long, dark green scarf, she found, after trying to get it all out of the package and simply pulling out more and more material. Swiveling an eye up, Aweina saw that several of the students were holding back grins.
"Very funny," she said, dryly, giving the lie to a smile she was failing to hold back herself.
Ginny Weasley tapped the package with her wand, and now Aweina held a card that said, "Happy Birthday, Professor Aquila, from us here at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"
In quite a loud voice, too, so loud that Aweina nearly dropped it. Now there was good-natured laughter coming from the students, and the professor couldn't help but join in.
She walked away from the Room of Requirement with a stomach full of cake, a now-silent card, and draped with six scarves-most of them wildly patterned, one of them striped, and one of them in Ravenclaw blue. As Aweina entered her office, she set the card on her desk and sent the scarves into her room.
Persephone was sitting on the desk, a package tied to her leg, as were two other owls. "I did leave my window open, didn't I?" said Aweina, more amused than exasperated at her own absentmindedness. "Well, let's see what you've got, then I'll take you back to the Owlery."
Persephone had a package from Paul, Wesley, and Kali, along with a card that sang the Happy Birthday song shrilly until Aweina Silenced it. Inside the package was a set of bright red dress robes, scarf, and cloak. Wesley's doing, decided Aweina, holding the robes up against herself, Only he would ever pick something in this color.
After a few moments, however, the bright color faded to a shade of blue-green, far more suited to Aweina's taste. She chuckled to herself, imagining the scene-Wesley insisting on the robes staying red, and Wesley and Kali simply glaring at him with their arms folded until he gave in.
There was an unfamiliar owl, but the present was from Lucy-surprisingly enough, from America. The card offered no explanation, simply saying, "These are popular among American Muggle teenagers today-Lucy." When Aweina opened the package, mystified, she found pajamas-the shirt printed with a large, cartoon rabbit, smiling, with the caption, "You suck." The pants were printed with more rabbits and more sayings, but Aweina gave up on reading the miniscule writing. Deciding she didn't get it, Aweina set Lucy's gift aside.
The third owl was familiar-Alastor Moody's gray barn owl. Aweina detached the letter-simply a letter-from his leg and opened it.
Aweina Aquila,
Best wishes on your birthday. Meet me for drinks this weekend at the Three Broomsticks, side room. There is something we need to talk about.
-Alastor Moody
Aweina read over the letter-well, note really-a few times before it caught fire and fell from her hands. Aweina shook her head at Alastor's paranoia, though she understood it only too well, and offered her arms to the owls.
Lucy's owl took off and fluttered away through the window, but Moody's owl and Persephone stepped onto Aweina's forearms. Turning, Aweina edged out of the door and carried them up to the Owlery.
Friday passed too slowly for either Aweina's or the student's comfort-the students were looking forward to a Hogsmeade weekend, and Aweina was wondering about Moody's letter.
At last, Saturday came, and Aweina dressed in black robes and the red scarf with Snitches. Ignoring the quizzical looks of the students lined up by the door, waiting for Filch to check their permission slips, Aweina stepped outside.
She walked about halfway down the lawn towards the gates, when she realized that it would probably take her half an hour today-seeing as the stretch of road was very long. Well, the students might have to put up with it, but Aweina was a teacher…
Pulling out her wand, Aweina tried to remember if she'd left her window open. Recalling that she had, she said in a firm voice, "Accio broomstick!"
Her Cleansweep, a sturdy broom that had survived many a friendly Quidditch match, aerial duels, and no few battles, came to her side after a few moments. Swinging her leg over, Aweina took off, avoiding a thestral or two absentmindedly.
She touched down in front of The Three Broomsticks after a few minutes, entered, and set her broom in the broom rack, warding it against thieves: anyone who tried to take it away would be victim of a Stinging Hex and a Tickling Charm simultaneously. Turning to Rosemerta, Aweina asked if Alastor was in yet.
"He Flooed in a few minutes ago," said Rosemerta, "Side room. Can I bring you anything?"
"Butterbeer for me today," Aweina replied, cheerfully, and flipped a Sickle at the witch. Taking the butterbeer, she went into the side room, whistling.
"You really cannot whistle," said Alastor's gravelly voice as he shut the door.
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Well, there's another chapter done! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it. Reviews are muchly loved!
-Fireblade K'Chona