Author's Note: I'm going on holiday soon, so there won't be a chapter next week, and possibly the week after as well depending on flights and jetlag.
Friday September 24th, 1993
It was four o'clock when Melissa arrived for her final occlumency clean-up appointment. She and Luisa exchanged pleasantries and made themselves comfortable for the session. One moment, Luisa pointed her wand and uttered the word legilimens. The next, it was six o'clock.
The lost time floated into awareness like a dream. She recalled a hole, leading to an expanse of colour. Then fear, a refusal to enter the space. Choosing instead to remain among the orbs and unbridled memories while the woman before her had gone ahead into the gaping dimension. She wasn't sure what else occurred in those hours. All she knew, for certain, was that little good could come from the wide-eyed and shaken expression now coming from Torrero-Ramirez.
The witch's words came like a hushed wind. "How is this possible?"
"You'll have to be specific."
"Your life. Those stories. Your world!"
Her eyes pinched closed briefly. "I'm not sure, to be honest; but I'm here now, and this is the life I'm living, so…"
A war raged across Luisa's face. "Who else knows?"
"Well," Melissa clicked her tongue, "in the Venn diagram between 'life' and 'story', there are three in life, a nation with a half-truth of story, then there's just you and me in the middle."
Realization dawned on her. "Your visions aren't… Marcello doesn't know?"
"He's closer to the truth than others, but no. Only Snape, Dumbledore, and his phoenix know anything about my old life." She watched patiently as Luisa stood up. The witch paced about the room. In her pacing, she said nothing, though clearly there was much to be said. "It doesn't change anything. I am who I am."
The woman paused, her hands bracing on a desk as her head shook. "Yes, yet this changes everything I know about my own life. My own world! How much of this life is real? Are we real? Or just the imaginations of some being beyond our control?!"
"It's more likely that the writer had the ability to glimpse into this world," Melissa offered. "Magic isn't known there. The writer was a poor woman, initially, writing what she believed to be a fantasy about an orphaned hero. She didn't have the power to make all of this into a reality. After all, there's more to this world, your life, than one boy. Right?"
Silent contemplation fell, broken by a muttered, "Of course." More time trickled by before Luisa collected herself. "I see now why Marcello was adamant that you learn occlumency. Yes, these are secrets that cannot be found out." She checked her watch and clicked her tongue. "I will give you one hour. Go. Have supper, then return here. Your lessons start tonight!"
Sunday September 26th, 1993
"Hello, everyone, and welcome back to VATIC." Standing at the head of the table, Stephanie gave a somewhat strained smile. "It's good to see you all again. I'm sure most of you are eager to get started planning this school year's event. First, however, we need to address a rather big erumpent in the room…"
Stephanie met Melissa's eyes, bringing a chill down her back even as Stephanie's eyes continued around the table. Oh, she thought, it's happening, isn't it? I'm getting thrown out. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, what with how things went last-
"...For most of us, this is our OWL year." Wait, what? "Not only that, but a couple of us are now prefects. So we need to know who would like to stay this year, and who plans on leaving. Then we can work on scheduling interviews for potential members."
Both Melissa and Domonkos let out a breath at Stephanie's statement. Evidently for entirely different reasons as the wizard spoke, "That is a good point. This month alone we've gotten so much homework. I hope to manage it, but my family expects good marks so that I can continue my studies next year. It's best that I leave VATIC this year."
"Same here," Eloise added. "Mind you, I think there's a benefit to the younger years staying. We've learned plenty of fun and complicated spellwork that we might not have considered without being here."
"But it's also about scheduling," Kenneth added. "I've been wondering if I should drop out of the school orchestra, maybe the Frog Choir, too. Though I do plan on staying here. After all, once we reach Valentine's Day we're done for the year. We'll still have a few months to prepare for exams. It's just a matter of finding a time to meet up since I also have Prefect duties to consider."
"Not to mention emergency situations," Eloise added. "Last year was nearly a disaster."
"In some ways it was," Domonkos muttered. Melissa offered a hum at the comment. Hearing it, he turned to Melissa. "What do you think about all this?"
What, indeed. Melissa sat back in her chair, thinking it over despite her initial fears. "My schedule is absolute hell. …But being here is a bright light, so I'm staying." She glanced over at Merton and gave an apologetic shrug. "Though I'll have to cut down on songwriting sessions, if that's alright with you?"
"It's fine, the others have it covered anyways." Merton then looked over to Stephanie. "I'm staying, too. I'm leaving Hogwarts after this year, so it's not like it matters. Not to mention my only electives are Creatures and Divination. It's not like my workload is that hard."
The older members chuckled at that. The younger ones smiled as well. Most of them felt bolstered as they, too, picked Creatures and Divination this year. Harry and Luna were the only exceptions, but both voiced an interest in staying.
Stephanie gave a shallow nod as the answers finished coming in. "Alright, so that's me, Eloise, and Dom leaving after the new members are picked. Which leads us to leadership roles. Melissa, I take it you don't want to be the sole President of the group?"
"Ha! Not a chance!" Melissa gestured over to two of the boys. "One of you honey badgers has to take Steph's spot."
"What?" Both boys gaped. Merton added. "I'm not a 'honey badger', Giggles."
"Whatever, I'm still nominating you, Merton."
"Well I'm nominating Dean," Merton fired back.
"Wait. Me?"
"Seconded," Harry added.
Melissa huffed at him. "Traitor."
Luna softly drifted in. "There's nothing wrong with changing tradition, Melissa."
"I suppose you're volunteering for my spot, then?" She asked playfully.
"Hmm? No, thank you. Though if you'd like to step down, I'll nominate Tracey in your stead."
Tracey looked surprised, but then smiled. "I'm fine with that."
"Sorry, did I say I was volunteering my spot?!"
The group continued to fire off nominations and good-natured insults against each other. Despite the resulting laughter, Stephanie had to call the group to order so that they could run a proper vote. Of those that were genuinely interested in a co-president seat, Dean and Tracey ended up the victors. Once that settled, the group finally moved on to the third part of the night, advertising and arranging interviews for new members. The musicians offered to seek out Ravenclaws in the orchestra and music club. Then it would only be a matter of asking for Slytherins and Hufflepuffs interested in joining the group. With that decision reached, the group adjourned for the night.
On leaving the room, Luna shifted to walk at Melissa's side. "I hope you're not upset about losing. I suppose I should have asked, first, before nominating Tracey."
"No, it's alright," Melissa answered. "To be honest, it's probably a good thing. Gotta let the young blood take over to make sure this group keeps running. Besides, I've got a lot to work on this year. I don't think I'll even have time to learn more parseltongue. Not that I really need it. Oh, how is Scales-like-a-Magpie, anyways? I figured he'd still be with you."
"He's doing well. He was very helpful this summer on our expedition to Croatia. Though Scales-like-a-Magpie hasn't spent much time with me this week. He's been spending time with other snakes in the school."
"Other snakes?"
"Yes. It's good that he's found friends. I was worried he'd be lonely during the day, so I'm glad that he's making friends. They're lovely to have."
Melissa smiled. "That they are, Luna. That they are."
Friday October 1st, lunch-time
The stage was set.
The props, gathered.
The school, assembled.
The Guests of Honour, in the know.
The Host and Master of Ceremonies…
…dogged after by well meaning, but overprotective friends.
"Melissa," Jacqueline huffed after her down the stairs, "I don't care what you're planning, you can NOT make a spectacle of yourself!"
Melissa slid down the bannister. Bounding onto and off the final step with a giggle. Heedless of the cautions called out to her.
"She's getting away!"
"I'll get her!" Cedric said as he raced passed Jacqueline down the stairs. They were getting close to the great hall. The destination for whatever mischief the little Slytherin was planning. "Melissa! Stop! Can you just wait?!"
"I DID MY WAITING!" Melissa shouted, never breaking stride. "TWELVE WEEKS! IN AZKABAN!"
That sounds ominous.
They turned into the main corridor. The last turn before the great hall. Cedric felt a moment of relief as he spotted Kenneth leaning on a nearby wall. "KENNETH! STOP HER!"
The Gryffindor snapped at attention, spotting Melissa's approach. He raised an arm in her path. They collided- wait- into a twirl?
"You ready?" he heard Kenneth say. Is that a trumpet in his other hand?!
"Might need to catch my breath," Melissa said with a heave. "They're in? Good. Let's start."
Cedric slowed as he made it to the door, feeling bewildered as the boy blared his trumpet and marched into the great hall. Still in the hall, Melissa pulled out the shrunken chest that she had earlier described as a 'Special Surprise', then followed after the boy in a matching march.
Steps slowed as Jacqueline came up from behind. "Why aren't you stopping her?!"
"A bit too late for that," said Cedric. "Besides, Kenneth's with her. Whatever she's doing can't be that bad, can it?"
Jacqueline groaned, "That's not the point!"
"Well, let's go in to be sure."
Ahead of them, Melissa marched along with a fixed smile. It was meant to be solemn, but the glee was just too much to contain. She followed Kenneth down to the aisle between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Once they passed it, they turned about face to the head of Gryffindor's table. With a final blast, the trumpeter went still. Melissa took a deep breath.
"Gentlefolk! Ferals! Domesticated Cryptids! I stand before you today, humbly and in awe, to invoke a promise needing fulfilled. Messrs George and Fred Weasley, please rise!"
The Twins rose from the bench, their faces a similar haughty, passive smile as they approached. As they walked over, Melissa unshrunk the chest. Beyond the quartet, people whispered in confusion, yet made no move to interrupt, and others peered at the opened chest, trying to see what was inside.
At the front of the table, the twin brothers knelt. "Six months ago, these wizards made a wager that they required only three days to pull off a feat to surpass the Merry Men battle of '92. True to form, on April 1st -a most auspicious day- they did exact that! Transforming Hogwarts in a way that both defied imagination and honoured our school's spirit. For their accomplishments, I will now honour my end of the wager."
At this point she dipped her hands into the chest. What came out were golden crowns, sparkling in each hand. They were odd looking crowns. Two segments of the ornamentation were higher than the others. Even their shape was different: long, narrow ellipses ending on a point. The shapes were distanced by one smaller, normal-looking segment. So the entire thing looked uneven.
Their presenter didn't think so. In fact, each crown was laid in a careful precision. With the smaller point landing directly at the backs of their heads. "Fred Weasley, George Weasley, in the shadow of the Trickster I crown thee the Chucklebunny Kings of Pranksters! Long may you reign." Now crowned, the twins stood up, turning toward the rest of the students bearing grins (and what Cedric realized were bunny-eared crowns.) "All hail the Chucklebunny Kings!"
"All hail the Prankster Kings!" Lee called out.
Others started joining in by laughing, shouting, or clapping to the coronation. Arguably, about half of those present remained confused, though some lightly clapped out of peer pressure.
Back at the quartet, he spotted Melissa taking a pair of plates and conjuring thrones out of them. Then both she and Kenneth pulled them aside and offered them to the twins.
"Now hold on," Fred raised one hand high. His voice was unusually loud, coming from a sonorus. "There's one thing we're missing."
"After all," George gave a sly grin, "what's a king without a court jester?"
From seemingly nowhere, a jiggly jester's cap appeared in Fred's hand. The green and silver hat was offered to Melissa. The girl looked confused, but didn't seem to mind the offer. She knelt down, herself, as the hat was placed on her head.
POOF!
A puff of orange smoke enveloped around the girl. The upper-most part of smoke started to disperse, waved off as she stood back up. With the smoke partially unobscured, Cedric noticed something… off about Melissa. Her face seemed darker, yet brighter. Which didn't exactly make sense but he wasn't sure how else to explain it. Whatever it was, it was bringing laughter to those seated around her. Cedric walked down the rows. With it, the smokescreen and his sight got clearer.
Her skin wasn't different, it was covered in fur! A yellow-orange fuzz covered her completely! Only her eyes and a protrusion of white buck teeth was the exception. Melissa looked down at her hands (paws?), so surprised at the change that her ears went up, also in rabbit fashion.
The ears brought in a roar of laughter across the hall. Even Cedric couldn't help but chuckle at the odd sight. Next to her, the Twins grinned wide.
"That's a good look for you, Bennett."
"Don't you agree?"
The girl's nose gave a rabbit-like twitch, eliciting more laughter. Even Melissa started to join in. "Never thought I'd inhabit- the skin of a rabbit. But I have to salute- that I sure look cute!"
She started to frown, throwing an accusatory look at the twins. "You've made it so that I'm- forced to speak in rhyme." She gave a huff, one that looked oddly cute with her rabbit-like qualities. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised- since this wasn't improvised."
"Well we couldn't have a jester that just looks the part."
"You have to play it, too."
"I suppose you two have a point- even if it's a furry anoint. But I give you a warning- so you don't go mourning. Against you I will play jester- for the entire semester!" That last sentence was said with a sly grin. A grin, and an odd twitch from the back of her robe.
"What was that?"
"What was what?" Jacqueline asked him. Those in earshot, the trio included, turned to face Cedric.
He pointed at Melissa's back as he answered. "There's something in your robe."
The girl swept a paw along the back of her robe, her face changing the second she felt the oddity. She took off the outer robe and turned her head to look at her back. Well, backside, Cedric thought with embarrassment, as Melissa adjusted her skirt so that a furry tail popped out.
A couple boys wolf-whistled at the sight. Cedric, the Twins, and several others were naturally confused. Melissa, meanwhile, facepalmed with an embarrassed laugh. "Clearly you two didn't realize- that this is something people fantasize."
They looked even more confused. "Seeing you like this?"
She gave a long, slow nod. "Bunnies aren't top of the list- but that kink does exist." She batted a paw against one of the bells on her hat. "That said, I suppose it could have been worse- if I were dressed like a maid or a nurse. …Whatever, I'll just avoid acting coquettish- so I don't give anyone a new fetish."
Cedric stopped paying attention around that point. He, like several others in hearing range, made the mistake of picturing a bunny-girl as a nurse or a maid. Initially it was to wonder why it would be worse …only to find that 'worse' isn't really the word he'd use.
Red-faced, Cedric left the great hall soon after that.
