"I don't wanna."
Arry puts her hands on her hips as she stands in front of Luna, "Luna, you should have thought of that before you put a hole in the merchant ship."
Luna sniffs and the family of Lapray huddle closer together on the far side of Luna's laying chamber. "I didn't know that the outside of the ship was so fragile."
Arry gives her a look that says, 'Really?' before saying, "Uh huh, which is why you were playing with the pirates rather than just killing them and leaving?"
"I was bored and you won't let me go back to earth. Uh, I mean you were watching me?"
"Not personally, but house elves talk. I thought you'd learnt your lesson after the Fire Lizard debacle."
Luna sulks, "I didn't know they kept suicide devices in their heads. Who does that anyway?"
Arry huffs, "Luna, you're a Queen now, not a human child. You can't keep pushing the difficult choices on your father, who isn't even genetically part of your hive yet."
"But I just want to play tea party with Ginny and and…"
"And you can do that, after you've spoken to the family whose home you destroyed and given them their options."
"But I didn't destroy it, the pirates did… Yes Queen Mother…" Luna trails off as she realises that Arry isn't going to accept not noticing a pirate escaping and shooting the ship at the exact point she'd weakened the hull.
After a moment she turns back and says, "Arry, could I give them one of the ships in your hanger?"
"Luna, the ship I gave you was destroyed with their home. What do you think?"
Luna has a hopeful tone in her voice as she says, "I can?"
Arry shakes her head, "No, you can't. And no more unsupervised hunts until both T'o-Ba'sall and E'Jeah agree that you are responsible enough to handle a ship."
"But..."
Arry growls and flames the two of them back to earth, and Luna's first laying chamber. "Luna, what's going on? I know it's not your age, as you're only a year younger than me."
Luna stares down at her claws. After a few minutes she sniffs, "I'm scared alright? And when we're scared we try to increase the size of our hive."
Arry looks confused as she asks, "What do you have to be scared of?"
Luna's tail curls up around her until it peeks over her shoulder. "Arry, I'm only 11, but I look like an adult. Everyone keeps expecting me to know what to do, and Valérie keeps wanting to find more Veela to free and bring into the hive. And I can't walk down Diagon Alley without several wizards trying to... to me. I wish I wasn't a queen."
Arry looks at Luna with a complete lack of comprehension. "Just kill a couple of them. That will stop them from trying it again. And, you're the queen, not Valérie, just tell her to quit it, otherwise she'll be on egg tending duty for the next 6 tenday."
Vivian pops in and carefully walks over to Luna before pulling her into a hug. "Arry, I'll talk to her, as these are very human fears."
Arry frowns in confusion, "But she's not human."
Vivian smiles softly, "We know, but she grew up human. I've been waiting for something like this to happen, as Luna seemed too accepting of everything."
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Minerva looks up in surprise as a woman with Veela heritage walks through the door to the interview room. Looking back down at her list she says, "Madam Delacour, I'm surprised that you are here."
Delacour smiles, "Vhy would I not be?"
To the side Madam Marchbanks smiles as Minerva frowns and says, "Last I heard, you were campaigning to improve Veela rights in France. I assumed that you would still be doing that."
"Oui, I was, you are well informed. Owever, I have heard that H-ogwarts is accepting Veela students this year. It is my hope that by taking this position I can open the doors for more first generation Veela magicals like myself. By extension, also making life easier for my daughters."
Minerva smiles, "All of the Veela are from France. They believe your efforts to be idealistic, and doomed to failure."
"Oui, that is the opinion of the Enclaves. Those who have found love like moi. They believe it to be possible."
"You are aware that you would be required to live in the school for the year?"
"Oui. Much like Beauxbatons."
"What about your own family?"
"Andre would continue to mind his shop during the week, and visit Sunday and Monday. I vould like Gabrielle to live here with me, while Fleur is studying for her OWLs this year."
Minerva makes a couple of notes before looking up again, "I understand you have a Mastery, otherwise you wouldn't be here. But what is your specialisation?"
Delacour nods hopefully, "Given my heritage, I specialised in magical creatures, though that is not all I have studied."
Minerva nods, "That's convenient, as we are asking our new Masters to prove their credentials. An exam that Mr Lockhart failed to complete."
Delacour nods, "What would you have me do?"
"There is an acromantular colony in the forest. All the adults have been culled, and we need to see how close the juveniles are to reaching adulthood. You would need to retrieve four juveniles."
Delacour looks pensive, "Merde. Would I be allowed to return home to retrieve some equipment?"
Minerva smiles widely, "Why yes you can. Though, be aware that if another applicant completes this stage before you, they'll be the one that gets the job."
"I vill return. May I ask why your Master of Care of Magical Creatures is not doing this?"
"They do, from a distance. Along with his apprentice. We also actively manage the colony. But they are one of a few creatures that cross disciplines, and typically require a mastery to handle solo in colony quantities. As we don't have any dragons, basilisks, cockatrices, nundu's or dementors to hand..."
As she stands up, Delacour nods and mutters, "I would almost prefer to slay a dragon."
Minerva smirks as she says, "We might be able to get hold of an Incubus if you'd prefer."
Delacour shakes her head violently, "Non, only an idiot would face an Incubus or Succubus if they are their prey."
As the door closes behind Delacour, Minerva looks at Marchbanks, "You knew she was a Veela."
Marchbanks nods, "Of course. Though I'm surprised that you're making her prove her mastery."
Minerva taps her finger on the list of applicants, "Dark Creatures is easiest specialisation to get a Mastery for. But also the one that should be the rarest for people seeking to teach. Generally they fall into one of two categories, they took the specialisation because of their heritage, or they are involved in managing five x creatures. I suppose there's also the third category, those who are hunters. But that's the path that's the easiest to get a Mastery through. It took a group of 100 wizards to take down a Nundu in Central Africa a few years ago. All 50 of the survivors were given a Mastery in Defense. We have a dozen newly blooded Yaujta that are salivating at the idea of hunting one solo."
Marchbanks frowns, "That doesn't sound like the easier path."
Minerva laughs, "Of course it's easier. You only have to survive. You don't need to have an in depth knowledge of your subject. Senior Auror Moody would have a Mastery in Defense just for that if he didn't already, because he survived a Raka in the 50's. But he'd be the first to tell you that he wasn't ready to hunt more of them. According to him, anyone that attempts this test without decent armour and a few potions of the right antivenom is asking to die. E'Jeah thinks they just need some decent close quarters weapons."
Marchbanks sounds amused as she says, "So, why aren't you employing them then?"
Minerva gives a sour look as she says, "Bones threatened to shoot Moody in the head if he even thought about retiring. And E'Jeah doesn't have her NEWTs, so she couldn't get a Mastery even if it could be done in the few months she's been here."
"That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"
Minerva barks a laugh, "I had my heart ripped out fighting Raka, now look at me."
Marchbanks quirks an eyebrow, "Rumour has it you used the philosophers stone to get your youth back."
"Ha! Not a chance. I was looking forward to meeting Scott one day, and now it's not necessary. Anyway, who's next?"
"Ivanka Gorbachev. A Russian monster hunter."
Minerva puts her face in her hands, "Please tell me she's had her mastery longer than Easter."
Marchbanks looks up as the door opens, "Why don't you ask her."
Minerva smiles, "Miss Gorbachev, please take a seat."
Ivanka sits down, "Please call me Ivanka."
Minerva nods, "Very well. How long have you had your Mastery?"
"Five years. I have faced 4 Raka dragons since then."
"What about Easter?"
"Ya, that not good time. I left when English did. Then saw teleporting Raka and decided that Monster Hunting was getting too dangerous."
"So, why are you applying for the job?"
"I wish the time to retrain into something safer, like curse breaking. England has no Raka, so good place to do so."
Minerva nods, "I see. I regretfully have to inform you that there is a large Raka presence in Scotland where the school is. There are also Raka dotted around the rest of the United Kingdom."
Ivanka abruptly looks at Minerva's tail as it pokes out from behind the chair, "I, see. I will try North America then."
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Draco stares at Ollivander's wand shop and starts to shake as his hand goes to the small of his back. At the sight of his nervousness, Athe puts her back to the wall between the wand shop and the shop next door. Her eyes scanning the street for trouble.
Narcissa lets out a huff, "Draco, nobody's going to attack you."
Wild Mask shakes her head and puts a gentle hand on Narcissa's shoulder, "N'cissa, this is not an external foe. See how his eyes are fixed on a target and not looking around."
"How can you tell?"
Wild Mask takes off her mask to allow her to see the grim smile, "I too have faced this enemy and lost. It was on my Chiva, and I was declared Eta for it. I am now blooded, but it is because we have generous queen, not because I was worthy of being given another chance."
Athe looks up at Wild Mask, "Great Hunter, can you help my Draco?"
Wild Mask puts her mask back on, "Call me a Huntress, as that's what I'm becoming. I will try."
Wild Mask puts one hand on Draco's shoulder, her other hand reaches out to catch his wrist as it comes around with the combistick. "Unblooded, calm yourself."
Draco's eyes stay unfocused for a moment as he tries to switch hands. When that fails his eyes start to clear and he snaps, "Pauk, I could have killed you."
Wild Mask chuckles, "You, who are barely more than a suckling, kill me? If you were not battling your internal enemies you could get lucky."
Draco looks down and away, "What do you know?"
"I was declared Eta because I could not leave the ship on my Chiva. I know. You are hesitating to claim the weapon of your people. Why?"
Draco spits, "Because it's a weakness."
"In the hands of a suckling, a combistick is a weakness. In the hands of a Blooded Hunter a combistick is a versatile and deadly weapon."
Draco shakes his head in denial, "This is different. Wands stop you from being able to use accidental magic."
Wild Mask draws her own wand, "And yet, we have all chosen to learn how to use a wand."
"You still have house elf magic, and phoenix travel. I can't do that."
"There is nothing stopping you from doing the same if you are willing to become a witch."
Draco glances at Athe, "Ancestors willing, I would like a family one day."
Wild Mask nods his head thoughtfully. Athe steps away from the wall and touches Draco on the arm, "You learned to use your own magic again. Why can you not use both?"
Narcissa says, "We don't know. The best person to ask is through that door. What we do know is that the more you use wands the less accidental magic you do."
Draco stares at his mother before firming his shoulders and looking at the door, "Fine, we will ask the wand maker."
Narcissa shakes her head fondly as they follow Draco into the store.
Rather than stepping out of a shadow, Ollivander instead kneels on one knee by the counter, "Welcome to my shop Great Huntress."
Wild Mask shakes her head, "Stand up, this un-blooded 'unter 'as questions about wands."
Draco leans against his combistick, "Why should I get another wand when it stops me using accidental magic?"
Ollivander uses the counter to help him back to his feet. "Ah, I haven't been asked that question for a few decades now."
A wave of his wand conjures a comfortable high stool, which he perches on. "The answer to that is both remarkably simple, yet complex to explain. The answer is structure."
"Explain."
Ollivander chuckles, "It's not wand magic that stops you using accidental magic. It's structured magic. The wand just happens to be the most versatile of the surviving systems of magic. The Egyptians had their liturgies, something the greeks copied and combined with their symbols. The Africans have their rattles and drums, American Indians have their chants and dances. The Japanese have their hand signs, while the Chinese have their elemental martial arts. The druids had their staves, and there were cultures that practiced pure will based magic that required a lot of meditation to learn. But every system of magic also limits the user, as the more practiced you are with one, the harder it becomes to learn others. Take the Chinese as an example, they believe that there are four elements that can be manipulated, and the clan you're born in determines which element you can use. Occasionally there's someone that can use all four at the same time. But give one of them a wand, and it might as well be a stick in their hands."
"So why shouldn't I keep doing accidental magic?"
Ollivander spreads his hands with a smile, "Why? Because eventually you'll turn it into a system of magic. A very limited one, but still a system. Why, Arithmancy was born out of an idea that you turn math into magic. Maybe it could have become something if they lived in a society without wands. But they don't, and only a handful of people have ever been able to do more than use it to make a light. The math being far to complicated for most to be able to calculate in any sort of useful timeframe. But still, it's a good research tool, as it's possible to translate the math back into wand motions."
Narcissa and Wild Mask both put their heads in their hands as Septima's presence is dragged towards the conversation, and the Grangers start talking about finding a Math Savant to bring into the hive.
Draco thinks for a few minutes before asking, "Is it possible to learn multiple systems at once?"
Ollivander shrugs, "Of course. But you need to have a system to learn. Remember that wands were not always the precise tools they are today. At one point they were cut down staves, a development used to save wood. It's taken thousands of years to develop the rich language that is wand use. Much like every other surviving system."
"But a wand is so easy to break."
"It is like any tool in that respect. That is why we have sheaths. Or containers like your father's cane. Some even fitted their wands into the pommel of their swords. But don't think that not using a tool is better, as breaking an arm or a leg can be just as debilitating as losing a wand. In fact, that is why the bone breaker curse was invented. So, will I be fitting you for a wand today?"
Draco scowls, and sulkily says, "Yes."