The classroom was pitch-black, curtains drawn to block out even starlight, and Nasrin knew where everyone was as if a light was flipped on.
Across from her was Harry, folded into the same meditative stance and forcing himself to be calm, and Hedwig to her left, standing on her right leg on a table, and Mulan to her right, sprawled across the back of a chair and waiting for the Potter to follow her earlier success.
"Stop that." Remus chided, standing at Harry's back and chuckling when he scowled. "There's no use in trying to hide anything, Harry. I'm not the one who's blind."
"I wouldn't be either if you'd let me have a pair of night-vision goggles."
"Or turned on the lights."
"Hush. Tune out everything else. And stop forcing it! Relax and let go!"
Taking deep, calming breaths, Harry focused all his energy on locating Hedwig, and Nasrin smiled as she felt that little tingle in the back of her mind, like a gear waiting to slot into place.
She had felt something similar when first meeting Luna, and something sharper when first Speaking after the disaster of their Second Year, so when Pokemagnus training caused it to emerge a third time, she knew they were on the right track.
"Focus, Harry. Come on, you know she's here. You have to pinpoint her."
Nasrin waited patiently as the feeling grew, a mirror to Harry's, and then bloomed as his hand rose to point straight at the Hoothoot.
"There. She's on a chair…No, a table. Standing on her right leg."
Hedwig hooted as she flew over, a signal for Mulan to close the gap and snuggle into Nasrin's lap as Remus clapped, carefully turning on the lights to keep from blinding them.
"Well done, Harry, well done! You still have some issues with beginning the exercise, but once you get into the rhythm, you're perfect! Oh!"
Remus paused, glancing at his watch.
"I have to take care of something real quick. You can cut the lesson short-"
"We'll just wait here." Nasrin assured, sensing his urgency.
"I'll practice some of the silent command exercises you had us running through last week." Harry agreed, rubbing Hedwig's head.
"Sounds good to me!" The man assured, rushing out.
"He sure left fast." He noted, Nasrin nodding along. "Hey!"
The half-Gem turned to see Hedwig poke at his mouth with her beak, startling out a laugh.
"None of that, okay girl?"
A hoot, and another poke.
"Come on, I said stop it!"
His good humor faded as the Hoothoot only repeated the action, insistent.
"What are you doing?"
"She wants to Speak with you." Nasrin realized, Mulan nodding as Hedwig hooted in delight.
"I'm sorry, girl, but Remus said-"
Hedwig apparently cared nothing for what Remus said, and Nasrin laughed as she bopped Harry on the mouth, sitting down knee-to-knee with Mulan in her lap.
"This is an argument you're not going to win."
"I see that." He drawled, before the pair slipped into the Speaker's Realm together. "There, happy?"
"Very much so!" Hedwig replied, voice tinged with a northern brogue like Professor McGonagall. "About time you got it through that ruddy head of yours to stop holding back!"
"I'm not holding back!" Harry argued. "I promised Remus not to Speak until he found me a teacher!"
"Otherwise known as holding back." The Hoothoot deadpanned. "You might buy into that excuse, but I see it for the rubbish it is! I've talked to the others, and they all agree you have a handle on Speaking. The only reason it hurt when you were doing it to Zygarde was because he was fighting you. That should prove you're both naturals. Only someone skilled at Speaking could force a Legendary to listen."
"It's still dangerous." Harry defended, earning a snort from Mulan.
"Nazz Speaks with us all the time, and she's never even gotten a twinge."
"Besides, you put yourself in danger every other bloody week!" Hedwig agreed. "Worse, it's hurting you when it comes to us bonding!"
Rolling her eyes, Hedwig gestured at Nasrin.
"You must have noticed how quick Nazz and Mulan have bonded, and it's not just because she's half-Gem. She's a Speaker and a Veela! Speaking, Pokemagnus, Veela, Elemental Bonding, Dream Walking…They're all playing the same song, but with different instruments. When you try to repress one, you repress them all!"
"You're saying if I Speak more, it'll help us with our exercises?"
"I'm saying if you and I actually talk, and you listen, we won't need the ruddy exercises!" She exclaimed. "The only reason why folks like Remus Lupin need those exercises is because they aren't as talented as you two! Bloody hell, you're savants! Stop putting leashes on yourselves!"
The pair shared a look, uncertain, and Hedwig clicked her beak.
"The next part is blending senses, right?" Mulan intervened calmly. "Keep focused on us as you pull out of Speaking."
Frowning, Nasrin did so, eyes locked on the Riolu as the world began to fade back in, latching onto the tugging sensation-
And stared up at herself, amazed.
"Whoa." She breathed, giggling at the weird echo as both her ears and Mulan's caught the sound.
"Bloody hell." Harry agreed with that same echo.
So cool! Mulan chirped in their shared minds, testing out the pinkette's fingers. Is this what it always feels like?
Pretty much, Nasrin replied, swaying a touch as she had the Riolu's body stand.
Luckily, with both of them being bipedal, there was only minimal adjustment, and both laughed as Hedwig swooped by.
Harry himself stood then, earning a peel of laughter from the Hoothoot, and opened the window.
"Alright, let's live dangerously."
With a smile, Mulan/Nasrin leaped out after Hedwig into the night, cool air ruffling thin fur and light reflecting off canine eyes as they hit the grass running, head tilted back to watch Hedwig/Harry spin and twist overhead.
This was freedom, stretching out their muscles and running for the sake of it, awash in colors and sensations superimposed over the world like a pulsing, living thing.
Mulan hummed, curious, and they glanced up to find Hedwig/Harry were no longer pulling aerial tricks, focused on something ahead and following on quiet wings.
Ear-sensors thrummed, and Nasrin realized it was Remus.
What's he doing out here?
I don't know, but we're about to find out.
Staying low and in Hedwig/Harry's shadow, Nasrin and Mulan stayed safely out of sight, hiding in the underbrush as Remus stopped at a large, rundown shack.
The Hoothoot settled overhead on a branch, equally confused.
The Shrieking Shack was a mystery amongst Hogwarts students, some claiming it was haunted and others that it was a hiding spot for Merlin's grave.
Nasrin preferred Luna's theory that it was a secret doorway to a magical world filled with talking Pyroar who give out magical weapons to children, though Nasrin's was that someone had opened a window to Cittagazze and was protecting them from an influx of Spectres waiting to devour their souls.
No one could be sure, however, because a massive Sudowoodo called Whomper tended to crack intruders on the head and throw them in the lake.
I could take him, Mulan claimed, a touch uneasy. But I don't want to.
Fine by me.
A second figure eventually joined Remus, and Nasrin felt a little hop-skip at realizing it was Professor Snape, scowling and waiting for the other man to begin.
"Did you look over the files I gave you?"
"Don't be a dunce, Lupin. I wouldn't have bothered coming if I hadn't."
"Then you have come to the same conclusion I have?"
Professor Snape paused, lips pursed.
"The records were shoddily written, and the detectives investigating were either stupid or in league with our mutual enemy."
"But you've come to the same conclusion?"
"Yes."
Mulan's ear-sensors vibrated at the Head of Slytherin's rage, and Nasrin forced them both to take a deep breath.
"Black is alive."
WHAT?
"That piece of filth…" Remus spat out, knuckles going white. "Should have killed him the moment I laid eyes on him."
"He cost us both much, but it does little good to wish we could change the past. Has he gotten to Potter?"
"No, not that I can tell. And Nazz would rip him apart first, ask questions later."
Nasrin was caught between concern and relief, glad there was still time to convince him of Sirius' innocence-
"We have to find him. We have to find him and slit his throat! He can't be allowed anywhere near Harry."
"Don't let your emotions for the boy cloud your judgement." Professor Snape chided. "It does us no good if you allow your love for the child to effect what we have worked so hard towards."
"That's funny, coming from you."
"I have done well to suppress my true desires, and you should do the same. I warned you it was unwise-"
"Yes, yes." Remus cut in, taking a deep breath. "You're right. The two of us have been working hard since that Halloween to fix things. It won't do me any good to get emotional now."
"We both keep an eye on the boy, and if Black looks to be getting too close to him, we do what we must to remove the threat."
We need to go, Mulan whispered, and Nasrin nodded numbly as the professors turned back towards Hogwarts.
What were they going to do?