Shado of the Covenant
Chapter 22
Scheming
Shado liked that she could move with such grace, and ease. It was a plus to have enhanced her senses. It made her able to move like a dancer that could do EVERY dance ever invented, and somehow put some people on edge, which was amusing. She left Luna and Cassy with a kiss each, and though Cassy blushed as Shado didn't care who saw, (she kissed back, no matter how embarrassing), but Luna was happily eager to return Shado's affection before, Shado left the tower and down the spiral staircase, and out the bottom, once fully dressed.
It didn't take long to find the transfiguration classroom in the Gryffindor side of the school, but Shado couldn't sense her quarry, so she headed to Gryffindor tower because the teachers' chambers would be close. Shado wasn't sure her plan would go off perfectly, but it would work, hopefully. Shado was sure her sister had to leave the map in the Covenant's tower when Dumbledore surprisingly seemed to ask about it, which meant that James Potter told him that Rose had it, and that it existed. However, Shado couldn't be bothered to fetch it, as that was quite far from where she was, but the transfiguration class and Gryffindor tower were on her way to the Great Hall anyway, so Shado was bound to find the deputy head teacher somewhere on her journey.
Shado sighed, and gave the Fat Lady the password, and she reluctantly opened-up, eyeing Shado's Slytherin badge in suspicion. Shado wondered whether the Fat Lady ever thought that what everyone kept calling her was rude because Shado did, but then she wasn't one to talk about being rude. Shado would probably have to work on that. Shado entered Gryffindor tower, and it seemed someone was on ball to attack her, so maybe someone saw where she was going and ran back to tell them. Shado sidestepped left, and then right absent-mindedly dodging some spells that flew at her, and looked to see her attackers with a frown and mild look of reprimand.
It was that moron, Ronald, and some of his friends. Shado wished she could forget his existence, and maybe he would disappear. Though, she wondered whether she was missing something, as she didn't know he had minions. She thought it was Malfoy's thing to have minions, not that she cared much because she knew Ronald was too weak and cowardly to attack her alone, not that she knew what his or the others beefs with her were.
Shado shrugged as she moved again, as a spell flew by before she pointed at one of the boys and he went down in a yelp of blue light with just a click of her fingers, losing motor functionality as he flailed. His wand went flying away from him as he cried on the floor, as he twitched uncontrollably, but he would be fine in several minutes, as Shado was very merciful.
"Get out of here Potter!" Ronald yelled while they stopped firing because they were afraid of what Shado would do to them next if they kept up their uncalled-for attack. The rest of the common room stood around to watch, some of which were actually-looking at Ronald with a look that showed that he wasn't much liked, so they likely wanted him to get his arse kicked, or were hoping they could get their punches in. "You don't fool us, we know you're really just an evil Slytherin, and should stay away from my sister, and Rosette Potter! Look, you even wear their colours and patch!"
"I look good in green…" Shado said with a shrug, as she ran her left had coolly through her short red into blonde hair, and it flickered back as it grew out down her back, to end just above her butt, tied with a green ribbon at the base of her skull, and pitch black. "Green brings out the colour in my eyes, and goes nicely with my black hair," she replied with an amused shrug as so many people were staring in awe, many of which would love to learn that kind of magic. "Colour coding is cliché comic book stuff. I'm not a bloody Power Ranger… though, the Green Ranger did start out evil, didn't he?" she asked in amusement, but the question was mostly directed at herself, some muggle-born's did manage a few snickers as they got the reference, but Ronald just looked angry like a muggle reference was just to make fun of him.
"Anyway moron," Shado continued thoughtfully. "Isn't red kind of a good guy and bad guy colour? Ravenclaw blue would be the proper good guy colour – or even yellow, so Hufflepuff?!" she retorted rolling her eyes in amusement while he fumed.
"You going to attack the grass outside next?" Shado suggested, amused. "Is it too 'Slytherin' for you?" she asked. "Maybe you're going to throw some spells at bird shit in the Owlery because it reminds you of Malfoy?" She asked this and got quite a bit of laughter this time, which got Ronald red faced in more anger. "What next? Are you going to go around killing innocent and defenceless snakes because Slytherin spoke parseltongue? I've heard that that is how psychopaths and serial killers start out, murdering small animals to get their jollies off, and then they move on to bigger things, like humans!"
Shado was smirking as Ronald fumed while glaring around at anyone who laughed at him or looked like they agreed with her, as Ginny came out from the girls' stairs with Rose following her, and they brightened a little at seeing Shado.
Ronald was bright red with anger and embarrassment facing away from Ginny and the stairs. Ronald didn't stand a chance as Ginny slammed her right foot onto the back of Ronald's left calf, felling him to his knees in a cry of pain before she walked passed him nonchalant with Rose giggling as she followed. Rose shrugged as she snatched Ronald's wand from his slack hand and threw it out of an open window to his shock and horror before she wound up in her sisters welcoming arms with Ginny, for a hug.
"Looking good, sis!" Rose commented with a grin while Ginny nodded in agreement.
"Thanks; you're both looking good to," Shado replied as Ginny was wearing some tight black hipsters that Shado had bought her with a black belt hanging off her hips with some white trainers and a black top hugging her body with her hair tied back, and her Gryffindor school robe left open while Rose was wearing a black skirt, and matching tee with black boots that Shado happened to get her. "Anyway, girls, I was looking for McGonagall because I have something to talk to her about!"
"Well, I think her apartment or whatever teachers get is the next painting over," Ginny said with a thoughtful look before shrugging.
"Get her! Get her while she's not looking!" Ronald Weasley yelled out from where he got up to his feet looking to his friends.
"You do that, and your life is over!" They were interrupted by a cool and confident voice as some of the crowd moved to reveal a girl with short cut light brown hair, long on top, and down over her ears with a few neat and plain copper coloured hair clips, and kept rather neat. She was wearing her Gryffindor robes, and her whole uniform was neat and tidy, near perfect with a shiny golden prefect's badge on her robe just above her Gryffindor patch.
The girl was a little taller than Shado, and her robes were hiding her body away underneath, but she was rather pretty and stern, as her cold brown eyes narrowed at Ronald.
"Bullying is not something that Professor McGonagall would allow!" the new girl said coolly glaring at Ronald some more. "I'll be having words with her about this, and I'll be sure that you have detention! Now why don't you move along, and take your minions with you, or I may have to turn away at let Ivy Potter destroy you!"
Ronald ground his teeth in a hissy and then just stormed off back up the boy's staircase back to wherever he came from, and his 'friends' huffed and went their separate ways, pissed at being called minions, and more so as they realised, they were being minions.
The brown-haired girl glared around the common room. "You can all scatter too. I'm sure you all have better things to do on a Saturday morning," she said, and students quickly got back to their business before she walked straight to Shado as Rose and Ginny pulled from her arms, as the new girl stopped before Shado with her hand offered. "I'm Lucinda Longbottom, and Gryffindor's year six prefect."
Shado smiled slightly as she took the other girl's hand and shook. "I am Shado Umbra. I am Queen of the Covenant of Witches," she replied as Lucinda let her eyes flicker down to the magic she felt, and saw the pendant down Shado's blouse before her eyes flickered back to meet Shado's with a slight blush to her cheeks at Shado's attire.
"I see," Lucinda said with a nod as Shado let her take her hand back. "It is a pleasure to meet you… I would like to make my grandmother proud… how would I join the Covenant of Witches?" she asked rather straight to the point.
"Oh," Shado muttered in surprise before she smiled widely. "We're arranging a renewing of vows for the members of the Covenant this summer, along with an initiation ceremony for new witches. If you wish to vow your life to me and your sisters of the Covenant, I shall make sure you get an invitation?"
Lucinda gave a nervous nod. "Thank you, My Lady," she said with a slight bow of her head. "I shall not disappoint you; I can swear that now. Therefore, I shall not needlessly take up more of your time, as I do have a quick prefect meeting this morning, and I'm sure you have important tasks too. If you shall, excuse me, My Lady!?" she asked and waited for Shado to give her a nod of dismissal before she quickly hurried away from the common room with a nod of bye to Rose and Ginny.
"She seems like a rather sweet girl?" Shado asked as she turned to Ginny and Rose while they both rolled their eyes.
"Yeah, she's not bad," Rose agreed. "I've known, Lucy since we were kids, and she's always been rather prim and proper. She… I like her and all, but she's hard to get along with sometimes, as she's not good at playing. She is up, washed, and dressed before anyone, and always looks so neat, and she can be more of a study-holic than Hermione," she said gesturing in the far corner where a dark girl with hazel-brown eyes and long curly brown hair sat in the corner of the common room with books out. "Though, even Lucy doesn't start her homework first thing on a Saturday morning."
Shado looked the dark-skinned girl over and frowned. "She's fairly pretty, but she kind of looks like she should go back to sleep, and stay there all weekend."
Rose snorted while Ginny laughed. "Yeah," Rose agreed. "But that's never going to happen. She's always threating about grades and schooling and everything. I think she knows how hard it is for muggle-born's after school, and wants to work exclusively in the magical world, which is surprising as she does like school, and gets some of the top grades in school, so I would have thought she would have loved to go on to a muggle college or university after Hogwarts, maybe get a job with the ICW or something working both sides?
"I saved Hermione's life first year from a troll, and tried to befriend her, but after a little while I realised, she wanted me to hang around with Ron too for some reason, I figure has something to do with Dumbledore, and now I'm certain Ron bullies her into doing his homework for her, like they're friends or something, but he only looks at her as a homework machine.
"I told her to ditch Ron," Rose continued with a shrug. "I said for her to ignore people telling her what to do, and just hang out with me and have fun, or at least make friends with Lucy… those two," she rolled her eyes before continuing. "… but… I think, well, Hermione having been such a nerd at muggle school, and perfect target for bullies, she only had teachers to protect her, so if the Mighty Albus Dumbledore says he needs her to spy on me, or get me to be friends with the dipshit or something; that… well…?!" she gestured the girl as she worriedly did her homework, and likely Ronald's too.
Shado frowned thoughtfully. "I guess I'll have to save her… she seems like she has talents we would better utilise, and she could be happy with us too."
"And people say you're evil," Ginny said with a snicker.
"Yeah," Rose said while shaking her head. "Hermione is rather similar-to Lucy in the mornings, up before most, but unlike Lucy, Hermione goes to bed late as she spends time in bed reading. Though, they're both remarkably good at never flashing too much flesh, and I've never seen either of them nude, and they're both in my dorm. Look how they both manage to look like they thought they were going to a wedding or funeral or something, as they always look so prim and proper, and even tired, Hermione looks so smart."
"So, we have two prudes?" Shado said thoughtfully while looking over at Hermione in her corner while those dark cheeks lit up, as she tried so hard to pretend, she didn't know Shado, Rose, and Ginny were looking over at her because they were talking about her. "Well," Shado shrugged. "Anyway, I have to go and see, Professor McGonagall about something you girls will find fun, so I'll find you later," she said, hugging her girls before she slipped back out of the common room.
Shado came to another painting and knocked on the frame a few times, as it wasn't a person, but a giant cat that watched her with smiles. Shado was about to leave it as a bad job and look in the Great Hall when the door swung open, and the stern teacher stood in the doorway peering at Shado over her specs, and wearing her neat robes for the day, and her hair was up in a tight bun as usual.
"Miss. Umbra, isn't it?" the woman said and asked, surprising Shado as she nodded, and eyeing Shado's new uniform in distaste, and probably more because of how she was wearing it, but she didn't say anything about it, and waited for her to tell her what she wanted.
"I would like to speak with you in private, if I may come in for a moment," Shado answered with a polite and sweet, innocent smile that she was sure McGonagall didn't buy for a moment.
"Most unusual request, Miss. Umbra," McGonagall answered, frowning. "However, our rooms are warded to stop anyone under the age of eighteen from entering."
"Oh… ah, rune teacher. That explains how she gets all those detention girls to clean her chambers," Shado mumbled to herself, and McGonagall just didn't ask while Shado gave her teacher a sheepish grin. "It's really important that I speak with you in private, if I could, as I know you're not stupid..." she said as her eyes glowered into McGonagall's. 'I know you want to rescue the Potters, and see the old man's ruination!' she said flinching as she projected her words by thought, and rubbed her sore eyes.
McGonagall could only stare in awe while Shado looked uncomfortable. "My book makes that seem easier than it is, and it's a bit of a strain on my concentration, but highly useful if I could become somewhat proficient."
"Well, yes, I would say so," McGonagall agreed while exiting her chambers and closing the door after her before leading Shado away. "We can meet in my office," she said when she paused as Shado opened a secret passageway, McGonagall didn't know was there, and it always bugged her when students knew more secrets than her, especially a first year only a week into school, but she let it slide as Shado was Rosette's sister after all, and Shado gestured for her to be silent.
"Okay Professor," Shado agreed with a crafty grin while McGonagall walked into the secret passage and Shado closed it, the teacher looked to her, confused. "The walls have ears, eyes, and unfortunately mouths, so most of the halls aren't the greatest places to be," Shado answered her unasked question while clicking her right fingers three times, the first a white static pulled at the air, and the second was a blue flash of light, with the third being a grey flash.
"First," Shado began, "I know about his stupid little plan of Dumbledore's!" she told her coldly while her teachers' eyes widened, as Shado knew she would have likely heard about it. "To stop him I need solid dirt on him, proof of neglect, and gross incompetence, and maybe if he were to have been discovered having used forbidden magic… servitude magic on people… well?" she asked whimsically while McGonagall nodded slowly
"What makes you so sure I can be trusted?" McGonagall asked curiously.
Shado smiled while shrugging. "Because, you hate him," she answered. "You know what that bastard is like – what he has done to your students – what horrors he would inflict upon the students for his own ends. Though, we both know; that even that may not completely-destroy Dumbledore, as he has groomed so many people; they wouldn't be able to believe in his crimes, and they will blindly 'attack' me and Rose, even the Potter's if we can undo what has been done, and they testify against the old lunatic.
"However, there are other avenues too," Shado said thoughtfully while leaning back against a wall. "Lucinda Longbottom's parents for one," she said with a tilt to her head. "Dumbledore could easily keep Laurel Greengrass away because of people's ridiculous notion that Slytherins are evil; her word; her testimony that Lily Potter is being controlled would be ignored, but Frank and Alice Longbottom, well, two much loved and well to do Gryffindors?"
"We have to get them out of St. Mungo's?" McGonagall said in awe and disbelief.
Shado nodded sagely. "At the earliest opportunity, and that shouldn't be too much of a problem, as no one would suspect a thing about anyone being suspicious of that. However, there were two more obstacles that lay in Dumbledore's way… one has an issue with the moon, and the other…?"
"Oh gods, no, Sirius!" McGonagall said in horror as she placed her right hand over her chest, and she thought the thought of the Longbottom's was terrifying. "Fifteen years… set up to take the fall for something he didn't do?! While Dumbledore lets the real culprit get away with their crimes."
Smiling sadly, Shado shrugged. "We need to prove all Dumbledore has done in the name of 'his' Greater Good," Shado agreed. "We need to enlighten the world to the evil, spite, and selfishness brough upon these people, myself included, thrown away like trash because of Dumbledore. So many people have been victimised by Dumbledore, and its about time the world start hearing about it. Then the old man wants further control by giving away students like they're property, likely ready to take under the table offers for the 'prime' meat. If you haven't gone power hungry and insane thinking Dumbledore knows what is best for everyone, and that we have no right to fall in love and live our lives to our decrees, then you will help make destroying the old bastard easier!" she finished with an offhanded grin.
"Okay, you've made your point," McGonagall said with a thoughtful look, and more strength and determination than Shado knew the woman could hold, and she looked younger, and stronger than ever. "Okay, I'll agree, and if what you say is correct… there's no going back from what Dumbledore has already done, but how do you propose we damage his reputation, let alone prove all of his crimes enough to have the bill stopped, and him potentially sent to Azkaban?"
"First, we stitch up Snape!" Shado said with an evil grin while McGonagall's eyes widened as something so devious would have never crossed her thoughts, to get to Dumbledore you destroy a man he had so willingly stuck his neck out for, and a man who deserved to be punished finally, as McGonagall had never trusted him. He was a free Death Eater in her eyes, and should have been kept away from the school, and certainly not made a teacher. Then to top things off, Dumbledore hated on Slytherins, and allowed such status quos to continue enough that if McGonagall had not seen Shado with those first year Gryffindor girls, she would have continued to believe such nonsense. The reason so many of the older Slytherins were the way they were was because they didn't have options to turn from their dark paths.
"Come on, now, be honest, Professor," Shado continued after a pause to let her think, "how many student complaints have been made against Snape since his appointment?" she asked while McGonagall recognised the starting point of what this very clever and cunning girl was getting at. It was no wonder the green uniform seemed to suit her better than any other colour. She wasn't just gifted with magic, but had a very bright and quick mind, and give her resources and she would be incredibly dangerous, and she had them in abundance as the new leader of the Covenant, especially if she could damage Dumbledore's reputation enough, even more to get loyal supporters turning on him once they recognise his crimes.
"Then all we would need to do is piss Snape off," Shado said with a steel grin. "We piss him off, so bad that he attacks a student... and that needs to be a student who has power from a house not known for being the sweet little push overs. But also, someone who I believe from my snooping into things has an aunt who also heads the magical law enforcement, as well as a strong family name that I can give full support to, going against Snape and Dumbledore. It seems only right, as her niece is my close personal-friend, and others will follow our lead, seeing a chance to strike Dumbledore while others may have obligations to side with me. Even some of the Death Eaters still in power will strike against Snape if it means tumbling Dumbledore's tower of pawns."
"I see," McGonagall said in surprise. "It would give a well-liked figure, like Amelia Bones motivation to strike Dumbledore down for appointing Snape as a teacher, and nobody could blame her or her allies, or try to claim she wanted anything for attacking him. Then I could slip out all the complaints Albus has ignored over the years about Snape. But how would you convince the girl to rile up Snape, and how exactly could you get him to attack her in the first place without hurting her, but enough-."
"Snape has to go," Shado interrupted with a grin. "It will be easy to rile him up. We drug him, spell him, and give him his worst ever day! You'll have to be a part of spiking him, and when he gives out countless detentions to the people, I will get to mess with him; they will come to you complaining about how unfair the detention was. We'll make sure they were unfair since he is really that vindictive that he has been known to take house points for breathing, he'll give detentions if angry enough with no time to calm down. You'll bring him to Dumbledore, and make sure they know you're not going to back down this time, and that you'll stick up for everyone equally, and be the voice that Dumbledore has never let speak before.
"I'll have Slytherin girls get detention for stupid things like being friends with muggle-born girls so they can bring to you that Snape is promoting racism and segregation, and you can bring it up with him at lunch in front of the whole school, humiliating him. I can also arrange for Professor's Strife and Sinistra helping you with making complaints against Snape. Since I must go with year six to his classes now because he wouldn't let me stay in first year, I believe I will have that class on Wednesday after first years, last class of the day.
"You can take meetings with the other house heads about Snape's behaviour. I think you could get them to side with you for a while at least upon hearing about the new stream of complaints, and they can add in some harassment when their own students start going to them complaining about Snape's unfair biased racism. Dumbledore will be left with no choice but to have a talk with Snape, and though I think, he will be nice about it and say it will blow over. I think Dumbledore not making it blow over straight away will anger him further, and he'll stew on it."
"Okay, so you know a lot about Snape," McGonagall said in surprise. "How do you expect him to finally blow his top?"
Shado smirked, laughing. "That is where I come in for the final in the Entrance Hall if all goes to plan, otherwise we wing it. Snape seems to actually-like Draco Malfoy. I'll set up some first year Muggle-born's talking happily about how much of a twat Snape is and how he doesn't just bring dishonour to mage, but humanity. Draco Malfoy is pathetically arrogant. He will jump to the bait, like a fish to dynamite. This must happen while everyone is arriving for dinner, so we have our witnesses. I'll have a Slytherin run to fetch Snape and tell him that Malfoy picked a fight with me, and he'll come running to protect the twerp.
"I'll have our ace with me, and pick a fight with Snape. I have the perfect ammo to throw in his face, and he'll attack me. But our heir will take the hit for me in front of so many witnesses, most of which will come out and say he attacked her straight out and their voices will be the loudest and that will sway the memory of others, and they will believe Snape attacked her and not me.
"Then Professor, you and the other heads along with Strife and Sinistra come out from the back of the crowd and subdue, Snape, and call in for Law Enforcement while we get our bait to the infirmary. He's poisoned so many kids maliciously to 'test' potions that I think our kindly nurse would be willing to exaggerate our baits injury, so we can fill her up with potions and magic to protect her from his spell."
"What if he tries for something deadly?" McGonagall asked, starting to feel concerned.
"I'll make sure she isn't hurt," Shado replied with a nod. "The most dangerous would likely be a spell that I hear is on the edge of every Death Eaters lips to punish their enemies, which would put him in Azkaban, and he wouldn't get out."
McGonagall sighed as she rubbed her eyes, thinking. "Okay, but can you get her to agree to this?" she asked her, still worried and she could feel some small sparks of excitement. McGonagall really wanted rid of Snape or being a teacher was getting that boring it was nice to plot vengeance, and to fight back against their enemies, and Snape and Dumbledore were enemies.
"Of course, I can," Shado readily agreed, smirking. "We start now, and we finish this Wednesday by dinner, and with luck and brilliant play acting while using idiots we get rid of that incompetent piece of crap and put an end to Dumbledore's schemes for now, and bring ourselves that bit closer to freeing Lily and James Potter, and everyone else Dumbledore may be controlling!"
Later that Saturday, Tabitha was smiling with excitement as she was with her most favourite person, Miss. Shado. The goddess had found her, and her other best friends, and greeted them with a beautiful smile, and they were so excited that they were cuddling her happily before dragging Miss. Shado along after them. It was okay for her to wait as they had seen her fly without the need of a flying broomstick, which was cool, but the rest of the first years needed a broom each, or at least one giant one between them, or a magic carpet or something?
Miss. Shado was laughing as they finally got to the courtyard where the other first years were waiting with Madam Hooch. She seemed like a strict woman, about the same age as Tabitha's mummy, and she was thirty-five. Madam Hooch had short fair hair, which was probably a blonde tone, but Tabitha didn't know what else to call it. The teacher nodded to them and gestured for other girls to stand as she had lined out rows of old school brooms for them to use, and they stood by one each.
"Okay boys and girls!" Hooch barked out in a readying voice. "I want you to stand with your dominant hand over the broom, normally your wand or writing hand!" she instructed now smiling as they all got into place and readied themselves. "Then you place out your hand and say, up!" she said and the broom at her feet jumped into her hand. "Okay, begin, and no messing around with this or you could potentially hurt yourselves!"
They all nodded and then: "UP!" They all cried out and some brooms bounced around, and even a few people caught their brooms. But Miss. Shado didn't even try as Tabitha looked at her, curious as she looked her broom over, and then clicked her fingers with a spark of lime, and her broom shot into her hand like an overly clever and obedient doggo.
"Interesting," Shado muttered as she turned to her Slytherin girls with a large grin as they were staring in awe and total amazement. "Girls, be more forceful or you'll never get it… like I told you with your magic work," Shado said, "you have to command the broom."
"Up," they called out again, and whoosh. They happily caught their brooms. "Thanks Miss. Shado," they chimed out in a cute echo, looked to each other, and giggled.
"Okay girls and boys, since you've... gotten that," Madam Hooch said looking doubtful, she continued anyway. "First item is to learn to hover, so brooms between legs and when I tell you, push off gently, okay, so, push off on the count..." she trailed off as Garnet went shooting up and screaming out in terror.
"Oh no, Garnet!" Tabitha cried out in horror while they all watched her getting higher when she started as Shado had flown up trying to reach out for Garnet's broom as it was wobbling all over the place, and Tabitha noted that Miss. Shado hadn't even taken her broom with her.
However, Tabitha's poor friend was rocking all over the place and getting higher and higher before she slipped from her broom, and Tabitha knew she would be splattered if she hit the ground, and they all gasped in horror.
Miss. Shado shot down after her, weaving around Garnet's floating broom, and then in a flicker, Shado disappeared and reappeared underneath Garnet while the girl screamed, and wrapped her powerful and protective arms around the girl as they slowed to a stop just a few metres above the ground.
Garnet was whimpering as she held onto Miss. Shado tightly, and snuggled her face into her chest while Miss. Shado pampered Garnet with plenty of loving affection, and comfort. Miss. Shado cuddled Garnet, and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair while Tabitha rushed passed the teacher as she stared in awe, looking up and then back at Miss. Shado in disbelief. Tabitha reached Garnet with their other friends in quick time, and they quickly joined in the cuddling and pampering while other girls rushed over to see whether Garnet was okay.
It was later that evening, and dinner had finished that Rose was alone in the girls sixth year dorm in Gryffindor tower. She sat on her bed, cross-legged with her eyes closed as she was doing her meditations, which were useful for practicing to argument her powers, and for helping to build her magical reservoirs, as she felt the soft and careful tingle of magic beneath the surface of her skin.
However, she sensed someone had entered the dorm, and peeked open her right eye just enough to see that it was Lucinda Longbottom. Therefore, Rose closed her eye and concentrated on trying to feel Lucinda's magical presence. It wasn't too difficult, especially when Lucinda had walked over to her and stood waiting for something.
Rose opened her eyes and looked over the prim and proper girl in curiosity. "What can I do for you, Lucy?" she asked in curiosity.
"You know I don't like being called Lucy," Lucinda reprimanded, but didn't seem to have much heart in her reprimand, as she looked rather concerned. "I… I have a question about the ceremony for joining the Covenant. I have not been able to find much in the way of books at the school… none in fact, but that matters not, as it is knowledge that I seek, and if you know, please…?"
"Oh," Rose said while shrugging thoughtfully. "Its nothing too difficult. I was told that we will be given white robes with the Covenant crest, and take our vows of fealty to Shado, and our sisters of the Covenant, and if our vows are false, the robe will turn black and burn us alive," she said with a shrug while Lucinda looked horrified, but determined.
"You should not take vows you do not mean," Lucinda said while gulping. "What happens when we have taken our vows and proven honest, and what do our vows say?" she asked while burning with curiosity.
"The vows…" Rose said thoughtfully. "They are an oaf sworn on your knees before the symbol of the Covenant and Shado… a Covenant Priestess will recite them for you to repeat, but I'm sure that if you would like, once you arrive during the summer you could get a copy of the vows to read and memorise if it will make you feel better?" she asked while Lucinda nodded and looked more at ease.
"And when we're accepted?" Lucinda asked, as she nearly forgot.
Rose smirked. "You probably don't want to know."
"I really do," Lucinda disagreed quickly.
Rose shrugged. "Your robe will dissolve away leaving you naked before you get to take your place either side of the queen, and wait to watch your fellow initiates take their vows and place."
"I-I… naked, in front of everyone?" Lucinda asked while her pale cheeks were bright red and she looked faint.
"It is to show your devotion," Rose said while shrugging. "Joining the Covenant is like being married in a way. Don't worry too much, Lucy. I'll be there, just as naked as you and everyone else. Afterwards, we perform nature ceremonies with huge and amazing spells to lead all the girls to their elements and affinities. Shado has a quicker and easier way, but this will be fun, learning some big chanting spells with loads of other girls. Then after that, we get to party hardy…"
Lucinda gulped. "I-I can get dressed after the ceremony though?"
Rose smiled and shrugged. "During the party, yes, otherwise materials not natural to us can interfere with the magic… a little jewellery won't make a difference but your bra and knickers would. Apparently, the experience of flowing your magic through another person, and receiving magic from someone through you, in spells like this are amazing experiences, and need trust and kinship, so they likely wouldn't work without our vows. But don't worry, Shado will vow her power and protection to us, as our ruler and leader too."
Lucinda nodded and took a steadying breath. "I see… then for my future… I shall do as needed to be done no matter how embarrassing it shall be. Thank you, Rosette, you have been very helpful, and though embarrassing… I shall do my best, and this has put me more at ease, knowing what will be expected of me," she said before she walked to her bed and grabbed her shower supplies, towel, and change of clothes before pausing and gulping, she turned to Rose.
Rose smiled and hopped from her bed. "Okay, I'll shower with you, and help you get a bit of confidence… we can wash each other's hair…"
"T-thank you," Lucinda said while her cheeks were beat red as she watched Rose uncaringly fish out her towel and shower supplies.
To be continued…