Chapter 16 – Care Prevents a Number of Mistakes

Part 61 – Be Careful What You Wish For

Meega woke slowly, feeling oddly uncomfortable. She was laying on her side; as her arm was asleep, she felt it safe to deduce that she had been laying on her side for quite some time. Groaning faintly, she pulled her arm out from under her body. Then she opened her eyes.

With a yelp, Meega shut her eyes faster than she ever had before, pulling her pillow over her head. She'd always had photosensitive eyes, but the whole room seemed to shine. It was brighter than anything she'd ever experienced before.

"Are you all right, Miss Kyl-Derc?"

"Professor Snape? I'm fine, mostly. It's just very, very bright in here."

"Poppy thought that might be your reaction." He snapped, the sound followed by momentary hissing and rustling. "Is that better?"

Meega peaked out from under her pillow. The room was now reasonably lighted, though still brighter than she would have chosen herself. "Much, thank you." She shifted, propping herself up on one elbow as she attempted to work some feeling back into the other arm. "What happened? Last thing I remember, I'd just finished my last paper crane, and I hurt all of a sudden."

Professor Snape gave her an odd look. "There were no paper cranes when I arrived. We—Albus, Poppy, and I—were sent for by a portrait of Salazar Slytherin."

"What?"

His face shifted slightly into what could have been a smile or a grimace. "You know him as Therin."

"Therin is—" her eyes widened. "But then Ric must be Godric Gryffindor! And Wena and El . . .."

"Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, yes."

Meega shook her head in shock and disbelief. "He would flirt with me every time we went down there. And he's Salazar Slytherin? I was under the impression he was kind of old and ugly."

"I believe he was—when he got old. As a young man, he was as you know him." He cleared his throat, obviously less-than-comfortable with the subject. "Poppy says that, as near as she can tell, your condition is a result of an attempted Animagus transformation and wish-magic reacting poorly with each other."

"My . . . condition?" Meega reached tentatively to feel her back; she remembered the burning pain all too well. "Professor, do I have . . . wings? And . . . and a tail?" He nodded shortly. "Is this . . . permanent?"

"I'm afraid so. However, Poppy believes the wings and tail are retractable. Your eyes, she said, should adjust with time."

Meega nodded. "I have to learn control."

"It appears so. I don't suppose you would be inclined to enlighten me as to how you managed to get yourself into this predicament?"

Despite the state she was in, Meega couldn't help but smile at the perturbed look on the Professor's face, so unlike any expression she'd seen there before. "We—I was trying to become an Animagus. Except something wasn't right and I couldn't transform. It's a very delicate process that takes a lot of meditation and the correct mental and physical state to allow the change to occur. I was trying to meditate, but I couldn't concentrate and I so decided to finish my thousand paper cranes, as I only had twenty-six to go. Do you know the legend about them granting wishes?" Professor Snape nodded, and she launched into an explanation of what had happened, the Professor occasionally interrupting with questions. Mostly, he just let her talk, disbelief etched on his face.

Part 62 – O.W.L.s

A week later the O.W.L.s had arrived. Meega still had wings and a tail, and she had to wear very strong sunglasses to be able to stand 'normal' lighting, but Madam Pomfrey grudgingly let her leave the Hospital Wing for her exams. Even with the sunglasses, when Meega entered the Great hall for her Charms written exam the first morning it was almost uncomfortably bright. The written exam was much like those she had taken in class; that afternoon was the Charms practical.

"I say, my dear, what happened?"

Meega shrugged irritably, already annoyed by the light and her year mates ogling her wings. "I found out first hand what sort of thing can happen if you accidentally mix magics."

The old witch nodded sympathetically. "Accidents do happen. Now, take this lovely little goblet and have it do somersaults. That's a good girl."

The next day, in her Transfiguration practical, she was very tempted to just stick her wand behind her ear and do without it. But she used it, and she was quite sure she'd done well enough to pass.

Herbology was shockingly easy. She liked plants well enough, and she'd spent a great deal of time partnered with Neville. He may have been clumsy and unconfident to the point of incompetence in most classes, but he was an absolute genius in Herbology.

Thursday brought Defense Against the Dark Arts. The written exam was nothing to worry about, and the practical was shockingly basic. She started when Harry produced a Patronous—apparently he'd been asked to do in for bonus—but as her examiner had stopped to watch the stag, it made no difference.

"Now, Miss Kyl-Derc, I think that's it," ancient Professor Tofty said when Meega had faced her boggart. "Unless . . . I'll give you the same chance as was given Miss Green, eh? I heard you studied Wandless Magic in the States before transferring to Hogwarts. I could give you a bonus, if you can demonstrate its use defensively."

Meega grinned. Wandless Magic was a gift from her 'trip' to the world she now resided in. "I believe I can, sir." She placed her wand on the desk in front of him and spread her arms, forming a shield-dome over herself. "Shielding is one of the most important skills in Wandless defense. The other is . . . this." She snapped, and her wand leapt to her hand. "At my old school, we weren't allowed our own wands until our final year, but we practiced with school wands. It's important to know when to use a wand and when not to."

"Well done Miss Kyl-Derc! Go on, you're done."

Meega's next exam wasn't until the next Monday, when they had Potions. Since that was Meega's favorite subject, it proved to be the easiest exam yet. She breezed through her written exam, and then made her potion that afternoon with no problem. Neville had a slight mishap, but thanks to Morrigan's lesson he was able to correct it in time.

Tuesday brought Care of Magical Creatures, which was simple enough. Wednesday brought the Astronomy written exam in the morning, the Divination practical in the afternoon as well as the Arithmancy written exam Meega was taking by choice, and the Astronomy practical that night. Meega felt that she had passed Astronomy—though by how much was questionable. In Divination, however, she was fairly certain her examiner had caught her bluffs. The extensive Numerology unit dragged from her 'memories' of lessons from her old school was sufficient to (in her opinion) to gain her a passing score on her Arithmancy exam.

On Thursday they had their last exam, History of Magic. Meega was almost positive she had mixed all the goblin rebellions together, though she thought she had managed to keep the rest of it straight. Though she was fairly certain that a Welsh Green had nothing to do with Liechtenstein, whatever she'd said . . ..

And, finally, they were free—all except Meega, who was still living in the Hospital Wing. No more O.W.L.s, and they didn't have to think about them again until their results came in July.

Part 63 – A Trip to Hogsmeade

"Hey, Mia."

"Long time no see, Mione."

"O.W.L.s, and you were in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey keeping everyone out."

"I know."

The two friends walked in silence, not sure what to say any more. They'd both changed over the past year. The three weeks since taking their O.W.L.s, Meega had managed to get control of her newly-changed body. Her wings and tail were, indeed, retractable. Her eyes had three 'settings,' including her human eyes, though she no longer needed glasses, and diurnal and nocturnal settings of her gold eyes with their cat-like slit pupils—they glowed an eerie gold in night vision better than an owl's.

"Harry finally transformed," Mione said, more to have something to say than anything. "Just after we finished our O.W.L.s"

"What is he?"

"A Kestrel."

"Huh. Why'd we decided to come up to Hogsmeade together?"

"Something about us not spending enough time together, especially since you're staying at Malfoy Manor this summer and I've been invited to stay at the Burrow."

"Ah. That would be it."

"Yep."

They fell silent again. A year ago, they would have been chattering non-stop. The difference was painfully evident.

"Hey, how about we go up to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Let me stop and pick something up on the way."

"What?"

"Draco's birthday present. It's late because of my extended stay in the Hospital Wing."

"Ah."

They were silent the rest of the way to the shop, and Meega ducked in to pick up her present for her boyfriend. When she rejoined her friend, her package tucked neatly away, she tipped her head to the side, grinning at Mione. "You know, we haven't really talked in months."

"I suppose that's because you live in the dungeons and I live in the tower."

"And we wonder why Slytherins and Gryffindors never become friends."

"Besides the fact that most Slytherins are gits?"

"Well, most Gryffindors are self-righteous prats, so we're even. I was referring to the fact that they'd almost never see each other."

Mione grinned. "Yeah, that might be it."

"Which part?"

"Either."

The two Americans topped the hill and froze. Standing in front of the Shrieking Shack as though they had been waiting for the girls were six Death Eaters.

"Oh, look, the wee babies are surprised to see us!" cooed a sickeningly sweet female voice.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Meega hissed. If she had possessed hackles, they would have been rising. Draco's aunt, the only female Death Eater, had a distinct feeling of wrongness about her.

"Oh, it recognizes me! Do I sound that much like my dear sister, little baby girl?"

Meega hissed again, and this time there were no words involved. She was reacting to Bellatrix like a wild animal would have a rabid predator. Before she knew what was happening, Meega was sprouting wings and a tail, her eyes turning gold and her pupils constricting for a second before relaxing into the slit shape of a cat's pupil. "Run, Mione!"

Mione didn't need to be told twice. She ran, collapsing into her smaller, fleeter, and more dangerous Animagus form mid-stride. Meega ignored the Death Eaters chasing Mione, ignored her fleeing friend, and faced the four focused on her. Four—that meant Mione only had to deal with two.

As the Death Eaters advanced, Meega flapped once. Powerful wings combined with now-hollow bones allowed that single motion to take her above the Death Eaters' heads.

"Look, the bity baby thinks she's a bird! We know how to deal with birds, don't we?"

"Naturally," one of the others said, his voice too smooth for comfort. "You just clip their wings."

And inexplicable terror rose in Meega at that statement. Suddenly panicking, she flapped frantically in an attempt to escape, her tail lashing wildly. She was darting around like a trapped bird, unable to think past the fact that a well-placed severing charm could ground her permanently.

Flee! Flee! Flee!

Suddenly, cords wrapped around her, pinning her wings painfully to her body.

TRAPPED!

Meega screeched, the noise completely inhuman as she flailed against her bonds.

FEAR! TRAPPED!

Then something connected with the back of her head, and Meega was thrust into blackness.

Part 64 – In the Dungeon of Lord Voldemort

Meega came to slowly, registering first that what ever she was lying on was very hard and she was in a highly uncomfortable position. She tried to move and felt cords. Fear threatened to overtake her again as memory came crashing back.

She blinked, and her eyes instantly adjusted to the total darkness of her cell. She was laying on a stone floor, facing a featureless stone wall. She still wore her bag, from the feel of things, and she doubted they had bothered to search it. So, she still had her wand as well. Of course, she couldn't reach it—but she didn't really need to.

A moment's concentration sliced the cords binding her like butter, and Meega stood. She was stiff and sore from being in the same painful position for so long, but a moment later she had retracted her wings and tail and repaired her clothing where they had broken through. Then she went for the lock.

The door wouldn't open, even under the most insistent magical urgings. Meega pursed her lips in frustration, then turned to the wall she had woken facing. If she couldn't get the door open, she'd go out through the wall. It would probably take them longer to notice than if she used the door, anyway, as long as she didn't make too much noise. With a bit of magic and concentration, the mortar between the stones crumbled and the stones themselves rearranged themselves into a neat doorway. Meega hurried through, replacing the stones behind her as to not leave as obvious a trail. Then she got a good look at the torch lit chamber she had entered and froze.

Staring at her from a huge marble throne was Lord Voldemort.