A/N: new chapter, not terribly happy with this one, but I figured it was better than no chapter at all. Many thanks to gamingbookworm and sugar-high pixie for reviewing the last chapter.
Disclaimer: don't own
Of Blood and Magic
Chapter 18: Water Weeds
"Tevelle." Xeven called and it was not a question.
Closing her charms text, Tevelle answered his summons.
It was her longest free period of the day, although on paper it was officially study hall. She had been hoping to get some of her charms homework done. The banishing charm they had been working on in class was giving her more than a little trouble. Understanding the theory behind difficult subjects had been quite helpful to her in the past, unfortunately Achievements in Charming, Magical Theory, and Charms: What Are They had all been equally unhelpful in this particular case. Advanced Magical Theory, The Science of Magic and Magic or Muggle Physics were still waiting in a shorter stack to the side. The first was a thick tome brown with age. The latter two, relatively recently published, were most likely going to be more interesting.
Her things should be safe at the Slytherin table while she went to where Xeven waited at the great doors that flanked the Great Hall's entrance.
"Were the explanations in the assigned text not satisfactory?" Xeven inquired once she had reached him.
"Same problem as usual. It all comes down to them finding a new way to say 'it's magic' and they dance around what 'magic' actually is or what exactly it is doing. They must believe that our brains will explode if we try to think to hard about it so they dumb it down for us students. Then most of the time they don't explain how or why it works without breaking the laws of physics. Half these silly wizards don't know what physics is!"
"I suggest you discuss this with Professor Flitwick. I have been told he has done extensive research on the relationship between magic and muggle sciences. Rather, I should say wizard and muggle sciences. Magic can be considered simply another branch of science, and often is by those more adept at their craft."
Tevelle nodded at the suggestion. Why didn't I think of that before? Now that she thought about it, the last book she had picked out, Magic or Muggle Physics, had been written by an F. Flitwick. Originally she had thought the name a coincidence since the title overtly did not imply charms. Flitwick, of the professors, was also the easiest to approach and there was never the underlying tension and mistrust. As a not-quite full human himself, he was slightly more…. open-minded.
Making a mental note to decide specifics later, Tevelle returned her attention to the reason for this conversation.
"Need something?"
"Use complete sentences, please," Xeven scolded, but there was no real heat behind it. "The Headmaster has made a request." Xeven continued, his tone critical.
The phrasing brought Tevelle to attention. Xeven only referred to Dumbledore with anything but the man's first name when it was official Coven business. "The Headmaster" implied Tevelle's involvement quite strongly as well as permission for her to input her own opinion on the matter before Xeven made a final decision. If he had already come to a decision on his own he would have simply told Tevelle what he required of her.
"What was it about?"
"The third Triwizard Task is approaching. The task has been determined and all preparations for it made before the start of the Tournament. However, the safety measures put in place were made with the intention of every Champion being of proper age and skill level."
"Which Harry Potter is not."
Xeven nodded. "Correct. As an extra precaution, the Headmaster has asked that I assist in bolstering the safety measures further. The merpeople of the lake, it has been agreed, are to watch the progress of the Champions, but they are not to interfere to lend assistance under any circumstances to ensure impartiality. This leaves a window in which an unprepared Champion may be injured with no chance of a rescue in time. The Judges are in agreement that it would be prudent to have another set of eyes with the ability to act in the event of such an occurrence."
Tevelle had a feeling where this was going.
"Due to our..." Xeven paused as if looking for a word, but a subtle sweep of his eyes indicated that he was scanning for eavesdroppers. "… Circumstances and the particular skills that come with it, Headmaster Dumbledore has requested one of us to lend them our services discreetly."
"That leaves you out. You disappear and fail to watch the task with the judges, and people will know something is up."
"Correct. You, however, have made your indifference to the tournament quite clear. Many noticed at the last Task that you quite obviously preferred to be elsewhere."
Blushing, Tevelle felt the need to defend herself, "It wasn't that I didn't want to be there exactly…."
Xeven held up a hand. "I am aware. I am merely stating how others have viewed it. My point, Tevelle, is that you would not be missed if you were to not be in the audience."
"Oh, so you want me in the lake. I can help out if one of the Champions is in immediate danger and will have to be pulled from the Task."
"Precisely."
Tevelle shrugged. It certainly sounded like a better way to spend her morning than grumbling in the stands staring at the lake's surface. "Alright, I'll do it."
Xeven nodded.
"Have you done anything about what I discussed with you a few weeks ago?" She continued. The first thing Tevelle had done the morning after her nocturnal encounter with one Harry Potter and Mad-eye Moody had been to inform Xeven of what she had seen. That had been the last she heard about the matter, but with the knowledge that Xeven was handling in, she had not thought about it much either.
"I have been investigating it, but as of now, I do not have any conclusive findings." Xeven's tone was firm, making it clear the matter was to be dropped.
"Fair enough. Was that all you wanted to discuss? I still have a lot of work to do and my free period is almost over."
"That was all. I will let you return to your studies."
With a good-humor grimace, Tevelle gave Xeven a swift hug, which Xeven returned stiffly, and walked back to her table.
Tevelle glanced at her watch and bit back a curse. Flipping the pocket watch cover closed with a snap, she began hurriedly gathering her books, stacking the ones that would not fit in her bag. Her next class would begin in only ten minutes; just barely enough time to transverse the crowded hallways, provided the stairways were in a cooperative mood.
Conveniently enough, Charms was the class she was headed to. And with luck, Flitwick would have enough time after class to discuss theory.
One frustrating hour later, Tevelle was no closer to making the banishing charm work for her. To either side, other students were sending cushions zooming across the room to land neatly along the shelves cleared precisely for this purpose. Her own target, a slightly dusty, plush, red-velour, and blue-tasseled cushion sat mockingly immobile on the desk in front of her.
Modulating her tone had not worked, and neither had changing her pitch. To the best of her knowledge the wrist movements she had been executing was textbook accurate. What am I doing wrong? Am I not concentrating enough? That could be the problem. While half of her mind focused on the task at hand, the other half occupied itself with trying to figure out how exactly the spell was supposed to work. How could it happen without breaking the laws of physics? Or did it break the laws of physics? If the later was the case, that opened up a whole slew of further questions and problems.
Distracted by her musings, Tevelle barely noticed the end of class. She would not have noticed at all, if not for the movement of those around her as they packed up their things. Instead of following their example, Tevelle wove through the desks to the front of the classroom.
"Professor Flitwick? I have been having trouble with the banishing charm. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind explaining the theory behind it."
For a second Flitwick looked surprised that a student would go out of their way to understand theory. A small smile replaced the look of incredulity soon enough, and Flitwick nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course, Miss Nightshade. I would be happy to help." The diminutive professor squeaked.
Obviously the sharing of knowledge was more important than whether or not the recipient was a vampire. Tevelle smiled.
"I understand that amongst vampire Covens it is expected to be educated in both magical and muggle ways?"
Tevelle nodded in response, but Flitwick was already continuing, having expected an affirmative answer.
"Might I assume that at some point during your studies you have grasped at the least a basic knowledge of muggle physics?"
Again, Tevelle nodded.
"Very good! Now, if you remember, for any work to be done a force must be applied. Forces come in a variety of forms but for the most part fall into two main categories: contact and non-contact." Flitwick paused to ensure Tevelle was following and Tevelle reassured him with a smile. "Think of magic as just another non-contact force. A banishing charm is functionally the same as a summoning charm. The only difference is the direction in which the magical force is applied. When you summon an object, a force due to magic pushes up on the object to counter gravity and another force due to magic pushes the object toward you."
"So when you are banishing it there is the force due to magic countering gravity still, but the other force, instead of pushing it toward you pushes the object away?"
"Precisely." Flitwick beamed.
"Alright, I think I get that." Tevelle said, thoughts finally knitting together properly. "But what do the words and want movements do then?"
"The words are simply to help your mind focus on what want done. In your sixth year, you will begin learning nonverbal spells. This simply means you no longer need spoken words to aid in your concentration. The wand movements direct the magical force you are exerting and determine the direction in which that force is applied."
"Ah. I think I get it now. Do you mind if I try the spell?"
"Of course."
Pulling out her wand, Tevelle pointed it at the cushion that was still sitting on her desk.
"Depulso." As she spoke, Tevelle envisioned her magic pushing upward on the bottom of the cushion and against the far side pushing toward the shelves lining the side of the room. Without a wobble, the cushion zoomed at a steady place toward its target.
"Excellent!" Squeaked Flitwick excitedly. "Now, be aware that the explanation I gave you is at the basic level. However, it seems to have solved your difficulty. If you have any more questions or wish to discuss this in more detail, feel free to ask. Now is not the time, though, as we are missing lunch."
Tevelle grinned as she moved to pack up her things. "Thank you for the help, Professor!"
"I am glad I could be of assistance."
The morning of February the twenty-fourth was crisp with cold and the sky clear. The stands flanking the shore stood empty, waiting for the spectators of the second Triwizard task. Madame Pomfrey had appropriated one of the two tents, the closest to water, as her own to serve as the medical tent. The tent slightly further back and closer to the stands was no doubt reserved for the Judges' comfort. A relatively newly constructed dock reached out into the lake. This was where the Champions would begin their Task.
It was on this dock that Tevelle sat, dangling her legs into the water. A merman poked his head up near her right foot, his weed-like hair nearly tangling around her ankle. A scaly arm reached up to grasp the edge of the dock.
Haiii-leep, Tevelle's mermish companion, was one of the younger adult males in his village. Roughly his name translated to Current-in-the-Water-Weeds, Current for short, but both he and Tevelle preferred the mermish translation.
Haiii-leep had been assigned to play courier between Tevelle and the mermish village. This would ensure both parties were on the same page if something disastrous happened. It would also mean Tevelle would not have to abandon her post just to double check something with the merpeople. The two of them had been waiting since Dumbledore had made the formalities of the arrangement concrete for everyone involved. That had been nearly an hour before and they still had another hour till spectators began claiming their seats. Another half hour longer than that remained until the Task began at 9:30. Tevelle would be in the water under the dock and out of sight by nine.
Haiii-leep trilled and shrieked, the sound shrill in Tevelle's sensitive ears. "Do you want a snack? I can go fetch something from the village. We have time." Tevelle's brain translated.
"No, thank you," Tevelle responded, "but if you want something, feel free."
Haiii-leep screeched a thank you and vanished beneath the water.
With a sigh, Tevelle lay on her back, pillowing her head on her arms. That sun is far too bright. The lovely potion that helped sunlight-adverse vampires function in sunlight without pain was marvelous, but Tevelle still found herself squinting against the glare. I wish the Task would just start already. Tevelle thoughts were fuzzy, the sunlight making her feel drowsy.
"Wake up!" She scolded herself aloud as she sat up. It would not do to fall asleep and be found by anyone who was not to know of this extra safety measure.
"This will help you stay awake." Haiii-leep shrilled. Tevelle hadn't even noticed his arrival. That alone made her try and shake off the sedative effects of the sun. The merman continued, "Liel-kaile is good for alertness."
Smiling in thanks, Tevelle took the small bundle of green. Several different water plants had been shredded and woven together to create a small envelope. Stuffed in the tiny pocket was a glob of green-white paste that smelled of some sort of root.
"Liel-kaile is the paste. The plant-pocket is also edible though. They taste good together," explained Haiii-leep.
Tevelle took a bite. The plants were salty and bitter, but the Liel-kaile balanced them out with a surprisingly sweet flavor.
"This is good, thank you."
Must be the mermish version of coffee, Tevelle mused, feeling a familiar rush of energy.
The remaining time before the task passed quickly as Tevelle asked about various mermish foods. Apparently the merpeople farmed a wide variety of water plants, some of which humans would no doubt find quite distasteful. Grindylows were also domesticated as well as fish. Both grindylows and fish provided meat and eggs. Amphibians and several small reptiles were also hunted for meat, but were not nearly as intrinsic to recipes.
"Grindylows are also good for guarding things. We'll have a pack or so in the fields to chase fish away and keep them from eating the harvest. They can also be trained to call an alarm for intruders." Heiii-leep was explaining. He also taught her the correct whistle to call off a pack of grindylows, just in case.
Tevelle glanced at her waterproof watch. 8:59 am, it read.
"We had better get under the dock. People will be here soon."
The water was achingly cold, but with a vampire's insensitivity to any temperature changes, barring the most extreme; Tevelle needed no wetsuit or warming charm. The simple one-piece suit she wore for her normal swimming excursions was quite adequate.
The half-hour leading up to the start of the task was much more dull than the previous hour. The steady tromp of feet could be heard and felt through the wood of the dock. Unable to chat without being overheard, the two waited in silence, but for the lap of water and the cacophony of the human throng above.
Eventually, the final announcements were made and the starting whistle was blown. There were three nearly simultaneous splashes, and the fourth several moments later.
Here we go, Tevelle sighed silently, filled her lungs with air one last time, and dove.
"How do you think we should do this?" Tevelle signed in mermish hand-talk.
Sound carries further in water than air and the spoken mermish language did not lend itself well to whispering. So the merpeople had developed two languages. One based on sound and another for when sound would be a problem, hand-talk. This hand-talk came in handy now. Merpeople were able to create sounds with water they drew in through their gills. Vampires lack gills and air is necessary to create sounds with vocal chords. To create the whistle to call of grindylows, Tevelle would need air. She would not be surfacing for the next hour, so the air she held now in her lungs was all she would get. This limiting factor would have been a problem if not for the hand-talk.
"Follow at a distance and keep alert for smells or sounds?" Haiii-leep suggested. Unlike Tevelle, he was not limited to hand-talk.
"You pay close attention to those," Tevelle responded, "The water deadens my senses and your nose is better for this than mine. Let me know if you smell human blood. The water is clear enough that I should be able to see well enough to keep an eye on the humans."
Haiii-leep nodded, a purely human gesture that he must have picked up from watching the students at some point.
As they swam in the general direction of the mermish village, Tevelle tried to broaden and bring her vampiric senses into play. The prana, life energy, of thousands of surrounding life forms shone in her mind. The larger the creature, the brighter their energy seemed. The prana of each form pulsed in time with a heartbeat. She narrowed her focus until she was primarily aware of four human-bright forms and the area immediately surrounding each. If one of the Champions panicked, their heartbeat would increase the pulse of their pranic signature.
"I smell human blood," Haiii-leep announced after nearly half an hour.
"I see." Tevelle answered. The prana that was flickering erratically was closer to the village than the others. It was a slightly different overall intensity as well.
"That must be Fleur," Tevelle said, already swimming at her top speed. "The half-veela," she added for Haiii-leep's benefit.
They were close enough now that Tevelle could smell the blood as well.
"This is our main hornwort field, the grindylow pack guarding it must have thought she was trying to steal some."
"Well, she's not, and now she needs rescuing. For some reason she isn't fighting them off." Tevelle wanted to sign, but she needed her arms for swimming. Instead she just shrugged her shoulders to show she understood him.
Fleur was fading by the time they made it to her. Tevelle whistled sharply, and the well-trained grindylows disappeared back into the weeds.
"Go tell the other merpeople what is going on. I'll bring her to the surface." Tevelle ordered and Haiii-leep sped off.
That taken care of, Tevelle pulled Fleur's unresisting and most likely unconscious form around her shoulders and began her journey upward. Vampire strength became quite useful as Tevelle kicked with her legs, her arms too occupied with holding Fleur. Fleur started thrashing as they neared the surface, and Tevelle, recognizing it correctly as an attempt to swim, let the Champion go. She let herself sink slightly, so as not to be seen, but Fleur was far too interested in making it to the surface to notice. Fleur surfaced, spluttering.
She'll be fine, Tevelle thought, just some scratches and maybe some water in her lungs. Nothing Madame Pomfrey can't fix.
As Tevelle swam away to catch up with the other Champions, she hoped that the remainder of the Task was as boring as the beginning.
Prana: sanskrit for "vital life". In Vedantic philosophy, prana is the notion of a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy.
Vampires who feed off of psychic energy are also called pranic vampires.
A/N: sorry about the short chapter, this chapter just did not want to be written. thank you for reading. please review.