The ancestral abode of the Mcgonagall clan stood on the side of a rocky hill, overlooking a bay with pebble beaches smoothed by the ebb and flow of centuries of waves.
It was a thick, tall, grey stone building. A survivor of winds and storms, winter frosts and summer fires. Standing solidly on its foundations, its walls slit with slender windows reminiscent of arrow slits.
The smoke rising in grey curls from the chimney protruding from the thick thatched roof was the only sign that someone was occupying the old fortified farmhouse.
The sky was grey and dull, the wind chilly despite the hesitant heat of early summer. He tucked his long black coat tighter around him and pulled his hat down over his head.
With long strides, he made his way along the dirt track, up the slope, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. To his right, in one of the fields surrounding the house, a wooden automaton covered in runes was spading the earth with perfect regularity. Severus raised an eyebrow when it stopped in its task and bowed its smooth wooden face towards him...
Surely one of Minerva's little additions... this kind of creation mixing runes and transfiguration was not supposed to behave like this as far as he knew.
He soon arrived at the large carriage gate closing the courtyard of the fortified farmhouse, and knocked on the small door built into it.
He only had to wait a few seconds before it opened without a sound.
The interior garden reminded him of the monastic cloisters of the few abbeys he had visited in his youth. A wide courtyard sheltered from the wind and surrounded by a covered passageway, opening onto the garden by a series of colonnades overhung by ancient Romanesque arches.
The garden itself was a surprising mix of vegetables, flowers and herbs. In the outer walls of the covered passageway opened a series of doors leading to the barn, the house, the dovecote and other buildings whose function he could only guess at.
This was the first time Severus had gone directly to his colleague's house, preferring to cut himself off from Hogwarts altogether during the blessed school summer holidays, accepting only the occasional correspondence as a link to his colleagues.
But today, he had judged the situation sufficiently worrying to stoop to seeking Minerva's advice. It was painful for him, but he saw no other solution, but this situation could not go on. He could only hope that the witch didn't laugh in his face before throwing him out of the house and calling him paranoid.
But that was not his immediate problem. He stood on the porch, not really knowing what to do. The courtyard was deserted, except for two red hens pecking in the grass. He felt uncomfortable, as if he were an unwelcome intruder... so much so that he even hesitated for a moment to turn back and try to solve his problem alone, no matter how desperate and short of solutions he was.
A long, high-pitched meow drew him out of his thoughts.
A big grey cat with black stripes was watching him with its two big amber eyes. Its tail wagged from left to right behind it. The cat gave him another authoritative meow before trotting off towards one of the doors. Stopping after a few steps to stare at him in exasperation.
Severus sighed... of course, he should have known, he thought, before following the big cat.
It led him to one of the doors on his right and began to scrape the wood, staring at him with its intense gaze. He raised an eyebrow and opened the door, to the great satisfaction of the animal, who ran into a narrow corridor dimly lit by a few white wax candles. He passed several doors, the cat ignoring them, preferring to guide him towards a spiral staircase.
A good twenty steps and a creaky corridor later, the cat stopped at a door and stood watching Severus in silence.
He didn't have time to knock before the door opened of its own accord, letting the tomcat slip inside before trotting over and jumping onto his mistress's lap, purring loudly.
"Hello Severus, seeing you is the last thing I expected." Minerva said as she arranged the papers on the table facing her.
The study was a small square room, with a single window opening out to the sea. A deep hearth in which a crackling fire flooded the room with orange light. It was a simple but welcoming place, with a thick carpet covering the floor and two comfortable old armchairs awaiting potential visitors. On the walls hung a few old photos of what he assumed to be Minerva, her family and also former pupils. Other, stranger things also caught his eye, pencilled landscape drawings, various dried plants under glass, and the answer to a beautifully decorated letter of application to Hogwarts.
"Hello Minerva," he said as he sat down in one of the armchairs. Facing his desk. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything. " he sighed.
"No, don't worry Severus, this bad weather is forcing me to stay cooped up here, and I'm taking advantage of it to prepare my lessons for next year, nothing too pressing. That said, this is the first time I've seen you outside of Hogwarts, so what brings you here, Severus?" She said, her eyebrows furrowed, her fingers tracing lines in the fur of the cat in her lap.
The sight would have made him smile, had his survival instinct not prevented him from potentially offending the formidable witch facing him. Instead, he replied, "For several weeks now, at irregular intervals, I've been finding dead animals outside my door."
Minerva gave him a disillusioned look. "And that's the only reason you break your hitherto unbroken habit of disappearing from the face of the earth all summer? the mischief of a stray cat?"
"If it were only that Minerva, I should be well pleased. You don't seem to understand... When I first found a hare with a broken neck lying on my garden door mat, I too considered that a cat or a dog was to blame. But the absence of any fang marks soon made me abandon this hypothesis."
He then noticed a twinkle in Minerva's eye, her strange expression. At last she was beginning to take him seriously.
"It looked very similar to some of the warnings used by groups I've had the misfortune to know, but I haven't been in contact with them for years, and what's more, my wards haven't detected any intrusion! So I decided to wait, and try all the techniques at my disposal to capture or at least discover the identity of the culprits, to no avail..." He buried his face in his hands for a brief moment before continuing. "Since then, my doormat has been the receptacle of two other hares, a young wild boar, a small roe deer and more recently, a tuna! A live tuna!" he finished, his voice growing louder with each new example. So much so that he ended his tirade standing with his arms in the air in a mixture of despair and madness.
Seeing Minerva's dumbfounded gaze trained on him, as if he had just spontaneously transformed into one, he let himself fall back heavily into his armchair... "You see Minerva? I don't know what to do any more, my capture and detection spells are ineffective, my wards show neither threats nor breaches. I've run out of things to do. Do you have any idea how to stop this? What could be causing it? I've been hanging around with the underworld and other less-than-stellar wizarding circles again, but there are no rumours of action concerning me..."
"A live... tuna..." repeated Minerva in a low voice, a shiver running down her spine.
Severus nodded. "Yes, a live tuna, struggling on my doormat."
Minerva turned her gaze to the window, staring out at the grey ocean.
"Severus, what have you done with these... animals?" she asked finally.
"After examining them for poisons or curses, I cooked them, not to leave them to rot, why?" He said intrigued.
Minerva then began to laugh, softly at first, then out loud for several long minutes. Severus could only watch, dumbfounded. When she finally managed to breathe normally again, she said, wiping a tear from the corner of one of her eyes. "Oh Severus, my good man."
He clenched his jaw, his eyebrows furrowed, a dull anger beginning to rumble in the hollow of his chest. "Minerva, if the best you can come up with in this situation is to take the piss out of me then I..."
He was unable to finish his sentence as the witch told him to be quiet with a wave of her hand. "Severus, I think I know what's going on," she managed to say between laughs.
"Really?" he said, surprised, how? What deduction had she drawn from his monologue that he hadn't been able to see despite having the clues on his plate himself?
"You'll see in time. I suppose there's a spare room at your place?" She said, setting the cat down on the floor before standing up.
"Yes, of course, what the ..."
"Well, in that case, you're going to put up with me while I catch the evil-doer. Wait here, I'll get my things." she said as she left the room, the big grey cat at her heels.
Severus found himself alone in the study, dumbstruck... He pinched the bridge of his nose, a long sigh escaping him. He had prepared himself for many eventualities by going to his colleague for help, but not this one. At least, from her reaction, the culprit couldn't be that dangerous, at least, he hoped not. Nothing could be less certain with Minerva.
oOOOo
Today, Myo was buzzing with happiness as she hopped along humming in unison with Luna on a small path in the forest near the Rook. What had started out as a small outing to pick summer boletus and Oiselle berries on Luna's initiative had quickly grown into something much bigger. Myo wanted to invite Nym, Elvetia and Hermione. But the fact that Hermione couldn't walk long distances and that her parents were too worried to leave her alone only increased the number of participants. The procession now included Hermione's parents, Xeno, Pandora, Mélusine, Ted and Andromeda, as well as Elvetia's parents and Fleur and Isabelle, who had originally come for their French lessons.
So what was supposed to be a duo turned into a motley crew of over fifteen people walking leisurely through the pretty undergrowth on a carpet of fallen leaves from last autumn. Enjoying the fine weather and the gentle summer heat in the light-spotted shade, the few holes in the foliage allowing the sun's rays to speckle the ground with a multitude of golden dots.
Hermione had been worried at first that she wouldn't be able to join the adventure because of her wheelchair, but Pandora had found a quick solution. Myo had felt her heart swell with affection to the point where she could almost feel a tear welling up when Hermione had settled into the comfortable seat that Pandora had attached to a flying broom. Hermione was just behind them, talking to Elvetia about the runic creation class mentioned in one of the Beauxbatons pamphlets. Eldur was on Hermione's lap, his head under its wing, chirping from time to time for more petting, Hermione having insisted on having the one she called her little saviour with her.
At the start of the walk, Latina, Elvetia's little sister, had been overly excited to meet her, showering her with questions such as, "Isn't it weird to be half owl?" or "What's your favourite rodent?" This question had strangely shocked Hermione and her parents to her incomprehension. Her response of "Big fat field mice, obviously!" As well as arousing excitement in the little girl, who voiced her agreement vivaciously, the shock on some adults' faces seemed as strange as it was amusing. Since then, Hermione's mum had been deep in discussion with Elvetia's mum about the subtleties of hunting. A very timely discussion, she thought, before turning her attention back to the little ball of energy.
By dint of running around, Latina had quickly become exhausted and was now in her owl form, asleep on her big sister's shoulder, hidden behind a curtain of hair. Myo couldn't help but comment on how cute she thought it was.
Meanwhile, Nym was walking alongside Fleur and Isabelle, busy showing them the two large wings she had managed to grow on her back. The two veelas were visibly impressed, with Isabelle explaining to Nym how to make her wings more effective, and how to shape the rest of her body for flight.
The few snatches of this conversation that Myo overheard made her observe the leading edge of her wings and the very large, long feathers on them. The leading edge of her wing feathers were in fact very finely serrated, so was this what enabled her to fly silently? In any case, poor Nym was frustrated at not being able to easily shape her feathers...
At the back of the group, Hermione's father, Xenophilius and Ted were discussing adult matters of which she saw no point and understood less than half, while Mélusine, Pandora and Andromeda were discussing magical research far too advanced for her. But then, it wasn't as if the boring discussions of the adults were more important than the three large stalks of summer porcini that Luna had just found not far from the path.
As Luna pulled her by the hand towards their future dinner, her eyes fell on the iridescent black feathers adorning the brooch that contrasted with Luna's blonde hair, framing her radiant face. And today too, Myo was happy.
oOOOo
Myo was on the hunt, the little creature she was chasing flying low over the waves, the silvery sheen of its fur captivating her attention. With a powerful flap of her wings, she accelerated again, swooping down on the beast, but it managed to twist its long, supple body at the last second to avoid being caught in her sharp talons. It feigned displeasure as it skimmed the surface of the water once more. She would capture the little beast!
Earlier today, to take advantage of the big blue sky, Myo had flown west towards the ocean, hoping perhaps to catch a nice fish. Emboldened by the invigorating sea breeze, the gentle sun reflecting off the immense blue expanse and her flames ablaze with excitement at the prospect of a new adventure, she set off further from the coast than ever before.
She flew over several pretty islands, hid from a few fishing boats and even avoided the bite of a gigantic sea serpent. Several large fish had found their way into her clutches, but none was big enough, fat enough or beautiful enough to do the trick. In a few days' time it would be her birthday, and she wanted to bring the biggest, most beautiful fish possible to the table to impress Luna. She would be twelve then, after all, and at twelve, the usual small fish would no longer be enough to make Luna's big blue eyes shine with excitement, she was sure. To mark the occasion, she needed something special, to prove to Luna that she would be the best hunter, fisher and protector. That their nest would never lack for anything!
For several hours she had been flying westwards, towards the open sea, the Scottish coast having long since disappeared behind her. And that's when she spotted her prey. A long, silvery-grey creature with a vague resemblance to a fox flying over the waves. She had never seen anything like it. Luna would be happy to discover a new creature! No sooner had she thought that, than her decision was made: she would capture the beast and bring it alive to Luna!
From that moment on, she flew after it as fast as her wings and flames would allow. Unfortunately, her first surprise attack had failed, giving the beast time to realise what was happening and start fleeing. More than once now it had feinted, trying to hide in the hollow of a wave, to lose Myo in the mists of a cloud or to make sudden changes of direction.
But Myo would have none of it, and the chase soon became a game! Myo laughed every time her fingers brushed the beast's soft fur. The animal let out little frightened yelps, which only served to make the chase even more exhilarating! The animal was intelligent, climbing straight towards the sun in the hope of blinding Myo, or dropping down in a dive before bending its course in a random direction.
She was out of breath, her wing muscles aching from flying so fast, but her prey continued to flee, and she wasn't about to admit defeat! She was going to bring the beast back to Luna, whatever it took! At least she was starting to show signs of fatigue too, her movements less agile, her reaction time slower.
They'd been flying at full speed for hours, but Myo didn't care about exhaustion or the passage of time, she was obsessed with one thing: the little creature flying in front of her, managing to escape her again and again, she'd become obsessed, unable to turn away from the idea of having it in her clutches. Its flames warmed her, pushing her to new speeds that she was too focused on her prey to notice. The thrill of the chase was exhilarating in the best sense of the word, the wind rushing against her feathers, her flames turning her into a bluish shooting star flying between sea and sky at breathtaking speed. But all that mattered was her prey.
The fluttering duo approached a sandy beach lined with high dunes topped with tall, sharp grass, but Myo barely noticed, too focused on her prey, trying everything she could to grab hold of it, but the little beast managed to evade her again and again.
It was heading for a small wooden house on a pine-forested promontory overlooking the salt marshes on the other side of the dunes, slaloming between the trees to try and lose Myo. But she was no pushover, dodging the trunks with agility! He was now just a few metres from the house, with her right behind. The animal slipped through a small trapdoor at the bottom of the door to take refuge inside. Myo, not wanting to lose any speed, drew her wand in a circle, throwing herself a targeo, less than a second before she in turn entered the house, smashing one of the large windows opening onto the sea, her shield of bluish energy protecting her from the shards of glass.
She quickly put her wand away and immediately began to search. It was a comfortably furnished living room, with a large red and yellow carpet on the floor, armchairs and sofas covered with cushions, a large fireplace above which were family photos... drawings on the walls, a large broom leaning against the corner of one wall... There! hidden behind a piece of wooden furniture, she could see the tip of the animal's tail sticking out! She pounced on it, her talons tearing the upholstery of the armchair she was perched on and knocking it over. She slammed into the furniture, shattering one of its doors, but the beast escaped her again, wrapping itself around a candlestick in the air.
With a sweep of her wings that sent all the papers, books and magazines in the room flying, she propelled herself into the air, her talons leaving deep gashes in the wood of the furniture. But the beast was already gone... She let out a squeak of annoyance and made the mistake of clinging to the chandelier, her weight sending it tumbling from the ceiling in a shower of wood and plaster.
Myo saw red, this had to stop, the creature wouldn't escape her much longer! It only took a few more seconds for what had once been a cosy, tidy living room to be transformed into the anathema of order and reason. All the furnishings were overturned, the paper torn away, the vases smashed in Myo's fruitless attempts to capture her prey. All in a chaos of shrieks and yelps.
When the creature fled into the kitchen and dining room, things went from bad to worse, stacks of plates falling to the floor and shattering with a frightful crash as cupboard doors were ripped off, the plumbing in the tap broken, flooding the house and adding to the infernal din. The library, the cellar, the bedrooms, every room suffered the same fate, as the poor frightened animal tried desperately to escape from Myo, who was in a hunting frenzy. None of the furniture stood upright any more, scattered across the floor in unspeakable chaos.
Finally, the animal made a mistake, catching its hind leg in one of the sheets of what was once a large four-poster bed. Myo took advantage of this and grabbed the animal, pulling it against her chest and burying her face in its soft fur. She lifted it victoriously into the air and began to dance on what was left of the mattress, gazing happily at her hold. At last! Maybe Luna would be able to tell her what kind of beast it was!
The adrenalin of the hunt left her in one fell swoop and she collapsed onto the ruins of the bed, before sitting cross-legged as best she could. Her breath was ragged and she was sweating, it had been a long time since she had exerted herself so much.
The little beast in her hands was soft, warm, long and squishy, and she wasn't going to let it go any time soon. Oh, those soft paw pads, ... Luna would love it;
"Let go of my familiar!" came a voice with a strong accent that she didn't recognise.
Myo stiffened and looked up shyly. A tall, stern-looking witch with long, curly black hair, wearing a long, burgundy-red dress, had her wand pointed at her, her thick eyebrows furrowed, her lips tight, her face impassive, if only for the regular twitching of her jaw. What did this lady want with her?
"Let go, my, familiar." she repeated. Myo looked down at the poor, terrified beast in her arms. oh... she reluctantly released it, and the animal immediately flew off to wrap itself around the witch's neck and hide behind her hair.
Myo started to stand up, but was interrupted by the witch's voice: "You don't move an inch until the police arrive, little one!"
The police? What's that got to do with her? She vaguely remembered what Hermione had said about them, a group of people trained to arrest the wrong people. But then why call the police against her? Then she looked around for clues, there must be some mistake... but her eyes fell on the rest of what used to be a room, the walls scratched, the furniture overturned, the window broken... Oh... Andromeda was going to scold her...
"It's their fault!" she cried, pointing at the witch's familiar.
oOOOo
It was a summer evening like any other, and Pandora was sitting with her husband in the living room, drinking their evening tea and reading in pleasant silence, Luna having long since gone to bed. Today was a day off for the two little ones, and as well as giving her time to reply to her academic correspondence and continue her experiments and spell creations, it was an opportunity for her young protégée to spend the day flying and stretching her mind. Which was more than necessary, given that she had noticed that trying to teach Myo when she wanted to go flying was a waste of time, as the little girl couldn't help looking out of the window as she wobbled around on her stool.
More than once Pandora had interrupted a lesson, Myo being far too dissipated to continue... The poor little girl was so fed up that she preferred to jump out of the window to get some fresh air rather than go through the door like any civilised person... But she couldn't hold it against her. She was all too aware that, with her particular childhood, Myo would never understand or follow the norms of civilisation, being more like a wild child than anything else. It was incredible enough that she was sociable enough to mix with magical society.
These thoughts tightened her throat; she was so proud of her little Luna for having formed such a deep friendship with Myo, without which... she would probably no longer be alive and would never have had the chance to see her adorable little Moon grow up, as well as leaving a terrible scar on her childhood. If Myo wasn't so fiercely independent, she would have adopted her a long time ago... even if knowing she was alone in this tower far from everything displeased her terribly, she forced herself not to say anything, because deep down, she was well aware that this was the best compromise.
Pandora gasped as something tapped on the window pane. She glanced at Xeno, but he had apparently heard nothing and was deep in his reading. She sighed and stood up. To her surprise, on the other side of the glass was a mechanical bird made of iron and silver, its little beak tapping mechanically against the glass.
She opened the window and let the little automaton in, landing on the table and dropping a roll of parchment from a capsule beneath its mechanisms. Intrigued, Pandora picked it up. On top was a blue wax seal depicting an eagle with wings spread before a circle of stars, its head framed by two crossed wands. Why on earth was she receiving a missive from the militia frateris of Maine?
She broke the seal and began to read, her eyebrows rising with each new words.
Mrs Pandora Lovegood, Mr Xenophilius Lovegood.
You are receiving this letter as the legal guardian of Miss Myosotis Potter.
You are invited to go to the magus-arrest-puerulus in Rockland to collect your child and learn about the damage and offences committed. Enclosed is an emergency international portkey issued exceptionally due to the particular status of the offender.
As Miss Potter's psychological state is a cause for concern, we would ask you to bring everything you think is necessary to stabilise her condition and to arrive as soon as possible.
The letter is the portkey, the activation code is "lettuce".
With kind regards.
Mr David Darwood, head of the 'accidental magic' section.
Ms Martha Juvielle, head of the "juvenile delinquency" section.
Madame Juliette Golimart, head of the "relations with magical beings" section.
"Xeno, listen to this", she said in a trembling voice before reading the letter aloud.
He stood up, looking wary. "Is it really official?" he asked with unusual seriousness.
Pandora took out her wand and cast every kind of forgery detection spell she knew, down to the most esoteric, in an attempt to glean as much information as possible about the senders and their intentions. She sighed with relief. "The letter is genuine. Frustration, worry and... a feeling difficult to define, are linked to it... but no malice."
"I'll get Luna." Xeno declared as he climbed the stairs.
"Wait, are you sure you want to take her?" She asked.
"Do you know anyone better placed to calm a frightened Myo?" he retorted.
Pandora's mouth snapped shut and she nodded. She didn't like having to take her daughter to America in the middle of the night for portkey's sake, but Xeno was right... and if she didn't do it, Luna would resent her... And as much as Pandora had only found herself the victim of Luna's sulkiness an insignificant number of times, she didn't want to have to go through such an ordeal again for anything in the world.
A few seconds later, Xeno came down the stairs, Luna in her arms, her eyes puffy with sleep, dressed in her Nessy onesie and... was that one of her shirts that Luna was wearing on top? And to think that for months she'd been wondering where some of her clothes had disappeared to... plus it was far too big for her... This wasn't the time for that. She ignored the revelation and said. "Luna, did Dad explain what's going on?"
Xeno shook his head no, but Luna replied, "Myo needs me... shall we go?"
Pandora was taken aback for a quarter of a second before pulling herself together. "Yes, of course." She said, taking the mechanical bird and stuffing the letter into her pocket.
She took her husband and daughter in her arms, uttered the code, and in a flash of light, the trio disappeared.
oOOOo
Myo trembled with fear, huddled in the corner of this strange, brightly lit room. Everything was very colourful, the walls, the ceiling, the floor... There were carpets, tables with pencils and sheets of paper, strange coloured wooden blocks on the floor... There was a large window looking out, but she was too scared of these strange wizards in uniform to try and escape. What kind of awful things would they do to her if she tried? She just didn't want to think about it.
All because she had wanted to capture the strange animal to show Luna. The witch had threatened her with her wand and ordered her not to move, she had then pointed the finger at the culprit for the small amount of damage the chase had caused, but this had not calmed the witch down, on the contrary. Despite her fatigue, she tried to escape through the window, but found herself conscious but paralysed, unable to move or speak when a number of strangers entered the house. She hadn't understood much of the discussion, just a few snippets, such as: destruction, madness, ill-educated, familiar attack, bird girl, identity. Then she was put in a net and carried there by wizards all wearing long blue robes.
A net! It was horrible, the terror she had felt, these people fortunately did not seem to be poachers, this telling her things like. "It's going to be alright,." Or, "We'll contact your parents..." Which did little to reassure her. She'd then been put in this room where one of the wizards had asked her name, the name of her flock and other things she couldn't remember, too preoccupied with trying not to hyperventilate. She could only vaguely remember the man's surprised expression when she told him her name. Did he know another Myosotis? urgently... her head ached.
Her flames had appeared around her to protect her without her being able to control it and she had fled to a corner of the room before starting to hiss at the sorcerer, hoping to scare him off! She didn't want to see them, she didn't want them to... to... to eat her!. or worse! she didn't know... but worse!
The wizard had then gone out backwards, leaving her alone at last, in this strange place. What on earth was going on? Couldn't they just let her go? She'd done just a tiny bit of damage to the lady's house! She hadn't even taken anything! So nothing serious! Right?
Just then, another wizard dressed in blue entered, holding a tray full of food. He placed it on the table and approached her. Her reaction was immediate. She puffed up her feathers, spread her wings to look as imposing as possible and began to squawk, her flames dancing between her feathers and around her arms.
The sorcerer stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide. He raised his hands and backed away slowly, without turning his back. Myo never took her eyes off him. He was a danger! Dangerous! She didn't know these people, what did they want with her? He finally left the room, closing the door without turning round.
Myo waited for several minutes, listening intently, and only relaxed a little when she was sure she was alone again, her plumage returning to its normal volume and her flames ceasing to burn so brightly.
Her stomach rumbled. She had completely forgotten her initial objective of catching the biggest and most beautiful fish! She glanced at the food on the table but made no move towards it, despite the delicious smell of the stew. She categorically refused to eat anything from someone she didn't trust, who knows what kind of potions might have been slipped into the sauce!
She felt a large tear form at the corner of one of her eyes, which immediately evaporated in her flames. She felt desperate, abandoned, too scared to run away or even move. Were these people Vernons? She hoped not... but she had no way of knowing without exposing herself beyond reason.
It was then that she heard voices in the corridor, people approaching. She couldn't understand what was being said. She sniffed, tried to control her tears without success and puffed up her feathers in preparation for her next bluff.
When the door opened, she let out a strangled cry, Luna! Luna was standing right in the doorway! Myo let out a long cry of joy mixed with a wail reflecting all her anguish and exhaustion of the last few hours. In the blink of an eye, Luna was in her arms, and Myo buried her face in her friend's chest, hugging her as tightly as she could. Luna immediately returned the favour. She could feel Luna placing a kiss on her forehead and whispering reassuring words in the hollow of her ear. Pandora and Xeno were also there to fetch her, and everything was going to be fine, with Pandora just chatting a little with the man.
After that, everything seemed more or less blurred to her, Pandora and Xeno trying to talk to her, her reflex firing at naughty people who dared to get too close... The only thing certain was that she hadn't let go of Luna, who was holding her close. Myo vaguely remembered Pandora trying to scold her for something, something about furniture and familiars, but Myo was too busy crying in Luna's pyjamas to understand anything. She heard the words "punished enough", before she was pulled through a straw and landed heavily against Luna in a living room she knew well.
The familiar smell of the Lovegoods' living room made her relax enough for her flames to disappear and her feathers to return to their normal volume. A few words were exchanged, but she was more interested in snuggling up to Luna than anything else.
She felt Luna lift her off the floor and up the stairs before entering her room and placing her on her bed. She refused to let go, so Luna was forced to lie half on top of her, and Myo couldn't have been more grateful - she needed that physical contact now more than anything.
When the light finally went out, Myo snuggled even closer to Luna, and cried with exhaustion, joy, fear and relief, until a dreamless slumber overtook her.
oOOOo
On the morning of 31st July, Myo landed in the Lovegoods' garden, and it would be a lie to say that she wasn't anxious, especially after the terrifying scolding she had received from Pandora and Xenophilius. How stupid and reckless she had been, chasing the familiar of Mrs Owen, headmistress of Ilvermorny, across the Atlantic Ocean before 'devastating' her holiday home. More than once, Pandora had explained how lucky she was that Mrs Owen had not felt it necessary to lodge a complaint once the circumstances had been explained to her. Apparently, the damage done to her house was superficial enough to require only a few spells to repair, and nothing of value had been destroyed. Asked by Xenophilius why Myo had been able to cut through her wards like a hot knife through butter, Madame Owen had explained that very few wards were veela Taïvaalta proof, as the latter posed no threat to most people and were rare outside veela territory in general.
Myo had, however, had to apologise profusely to Mrs Owen's familiar, the poor beast having been traumatised after being chased relentlessly for more than five thousand miles. On learning how far she had travelled in just twenty hours, she couldn't help but feel a certain pride... although after that she had to sleep for several days in a row... Proving once again that she was an angel, Luna didn't complain, despite the fact that during her long sleep, Myo refused to let her go.
Once Myo had apologised to the poor terrified animal hiding in her mistress's neck, Mrs Owen stayed for tea, asking her many questions about her life.
(Yes, she hunted and gathered most of her food in the area around her tower, yes! strange isn't it? That the villagers in the surrounding villages would leave food in little open houses! )
But also about her academic life (her favourite class by far was Mr Flitwick's choir, singing in unison was really great! more academic? hm?. The charms with Mr Flitwick were great, with all their practical activities. Mrs Mcgonagall gave great lessons but was too strict, and soon Myo couldn't concentrate any more and wanted to go flying. So it would be nice if she were less shy and admitted that she liked to be stroked in her cat form. But how? Is it unprofessional to do that? But she's a cat!
Oh, Potions was really great too! Trying to make Mr Snape happy was a difficult project, but she was convinced she would succeed soon. Already with the diet she was giving him, all that good food, he should be putting on a bit of weight and colour. Astronomy was really nice, from the tower she had a good vantage point from which to observe the surrounding land and plan her next excursions and hunts. What do you mean? the stars? oh, ah yes, less interesting than the prospect of a juicy fish though.
History and defence? She wasn't going, one of the teachers was just too disturbing and useless, the other class was for napping, so she might as well do it somewhere comfortable. In their dormitory, then? Oh no, she'd made a nest for herself and Luna in an abandoned tower block, so the dormitory really wasn't for her. Not eating at the canteen was a problem? was it? But... she just really preferred to hunt and gather her own food, eating things given to her by people she didn't trust was a big no-no. Besides, most of the food was too fatty, sugary and processed for her. Cooking was all very well, but she liked to be able to easily recognise what was on her plate. Had her private lessons been going well since she left Hogwarts? Yes, absolutely, it's all so interesting, and she can go flying when she can't stand still! Since the start of the discussion, Mrs Owen had been taking notes in a small blue leather-bound notebook... Myo had wanted to ask her why, but she was quickly distracted by her other questions.
After that, she didn't get the chance, with Andromeda and Tonks arriving just after to scold her some more... it hadn't been a good day... Andromeda is terrifying when she's angry. )
In short, after being given such a hard time, despite the fact that today was her twelfth birthday, it was with some trepidation that she approached the house.
When she opened the door, the sight of the happy smiles of all her friends and their families immediately reassured her. She would never have believed that the Rook could welcome so many people. Once again, it was the best day ever! ... although there were beginning to be a lot of best days…
oOOOo
Night had fallen a while ago, the light from the city eclipsed that of the stars, and apart from a few whirring mechanical monstrosities and barking in the distance, silence had finally fallen. Fortunately, this August night was warm enough that she didn't need her flames to keep her warm. So she could remain hidden in the shadows of the hedge surrounding Professor Snape's garden, biding her time. Lights were still visible in the house and, unlike usual, she had heard voices. Did Professor Snape have a guest? This had never happened before.
When the last light in the house went out, she cautiously approached the garden gate. Today she had managed to catch a large halibut. So big that she'd had trouble carrying it all the way to Professor Snape's house. Just as she was about to leave satisfied, all the lights in the house suddenly went on. She didn't have time to squeal in fright before a familiar voice sounded behind her. "Miss Potter, I think it's high time you told us what you're doing here."
"Ms. Mcgonagall." She yelped in fright as she turned to face the stern face of the Transfiguration Professor.
oOOOo
Contrary to what he had feared, having Mcgonagall in his home had not turned out to be as bad as he had expected. She had used his hospitality as an excuse to take a holiday, spending her time in her feline form snoozing by the fire. He didn't complain much, which meant she left him alone most of the time.
He could go about his daily business undisturbed. Replying to his various correspondences with other experts in his field, working on the publication of his next article on the use of fluxweed in dream divination potions, preparing his potions ordered by his various clients and experimenting quietly. Even if most of the time he knew he was under the watchful eye of a feline.
The only trouble was that once evening had come, Minerva insisted on playing board games with him. Whether it was chess, draughts, scrabble, tarot or, more shamefully, the game of goose, which he would never in his life come to terms with his six consecutive defeats. She'd been occupying his spare room for a week now, and in that time she'd managed to drag him to the cinema and the restaurant... Not to mention their long discussions at night... Luckily she kept quiet during the day, otherwise he'd be dead by now from multiple aneurysms.
He couldn't wait for his stalker to be found out so he could get back to peace and quiet. But since Minerva's arrival, he hadn't received any more of these morbid threats. Was the criminal staying away now that his colleague had moved in with him? Or was the reason more obscure? One thing was certain, this uncertainty, this constant threat was beginning to get on his nerves. It was at times like these that he was glad of Minerva's presence. She had proved herself to be a formidable fighter in the last war, and from what he could see, she had not lost an ounce of her former power. As he himself had distinguished himself more than once for his martial prowess, he doubted very much that anyone would pose a serious threat to their duo. Moreover, Minerva seemed strangely confident that her stalker posed no danger. He even thought she knew the criminal's identity and was hiding it out of sheer sadism.
It was with these thoughts that he watched the golden liquid swirl in his glass, the flames of the fire reflected in the swirling alcohol. Tonight, Minerva had insisted on darkening the windows, proclaiming that it would spur her stalker into action. He doubted it, but if her whims could keep her colleague off her back, he wasn't going to complain.
Earlier this evening, she had gone out to patrol the area around the house in her feline form... He doubted she would get anything out of it, secretly thinking it was just one of those moments when her instincts were more pronounced, like the time he had caught her on her doorstep with a mouse in her teeth... He would have been delighted to tell Filius, had Minerva not made him swear that he would remain as silent as the grave.
He gasped, almost spilling his drink. The door had just been opened with its characteristic noise, followed by the rustling of cloth and something else, a whole din. A clatter against the floor that he recognised all too well made his eyes widen. "Come on! Keep moving! You've got some explaining to do, young lady!" Minerva said in a voice that was imperious, but in which he could hear an underlying amusement. "It was a surprise!" Moaned an all too melodious voice he knew all too well. "I don't want to know about it! You're making the poor man sick!" retorted Minerva.
He put his glass down on the coffee table and stood up, turning in one motion in the direction of the racket. There, at the entrance to his sitting room, stood Potter. Her wings ridiculously large compared to her body folded behind her back, her bird-like legs with talons scratching the floor. She was wearing a blue tunic embroidered with green and purple thread depicting plants and animals. Her big green eyes were fixed on him, sparkling with joy and mischief. Why was she looking at him like that? Didn't she see the pathetic dungeon master scowling? Since he had last seen her, her face had become more refined, more elegant, losing the roundness of childhood. She had grown... not by much, but enough for him to notice. She would stay small... Lily would be happy to see her daughter so... so... flourishing.
It was then that her gaze fell on the enormous halibut she was proudly holding by the tail. By far the biggest halibut he had ever seen. How on earth had she been able to carry such a creature in flight? It must have weighed eighty kilos! Where were all her muscles hidden in that small stature? Veela... Wait, but... That meant that all this time... it was her who was leaving this game on her doorstep! Dazed, he stood there, unable to understand what Potter and Minerva were saying to each other. That's when the brat came towards him, all smiles, and stuffed the fish between his arms... Oof! The thing was heavy! How on earth could she have been carrying something like that? He set it down on the coffee table, trying not to buckle under the weight of the monster, then turned to Minerva. "You knew..." he said accusingly.
Minerva crossed her arms. "If you had observed your pupil more, instead of burying your head in the sand, you would have recognised the signs, Severus."
"Why?" he asked wearily, pointing to the fish threatening to crack the wood of the coffee table under its weight.
Minerva patted Potter on the back between her wings and she looked up at him, pouting. She mumbled something unintelligible.
"Potter, articulate. and speak up." He asked, quickly losing patience.
"You looked ill and too thin, so I thought that to keep you happy, bringing you some of the products of my hunt would be best." She said, blushing.
He raised an eyebrow. "Pray tell, in what way does my 'happiness' is of any of your concern?"
She looked him straight in the eye, in such a way that he couldn't tell whether it was courage or temerity. Wasn't he the most intimidating professor at Hogwarts?
"You looked happier after receiving my drawings and chocolates." She said proudly.
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. In the corner of the room, Minerva looked as if she was making a superhuman effort to stop herself laughing. "That doesn't answer the question..." he growled. Conceding defeat, he asked. "In that case, why don't we stick to drawings and chocolates?" trying not to think about the drawings he kept preciously in one of his desk drawers.
"It was best for you!" she repeated in a lilting voice! This girl would be the death of him. He knew it. He was blessing all the gods that she was going to Beauxbatons instead of back to Hogwarts next year.
"And now that you've been discovered you'll stop I suppose?" He asked, trying to disguise the hope in his voice as best he could.
"No!" she replied with an ear-to-ear grin, her wings quivering happily.
At this word he groaned in despair, and a burst of laughter escaped Minerva despite her extraordinary effort to keep composure.