Her wings split the fresh evening air, far above the woods and plains where she could see a few isolated shepherd's huts, small dark dots in the landscape. It would be a few more hours before the sun disappeared below the horizon, but the shadows were already beginning to grow longer and longer, taking on whimsical shapes. Far behind her, the campus of Beauxbâtons was very small, perhaps ten or twenty kilometres away, it was almost impossible to tell the distance correctly.
Tonight, she was on the hunt. Not for any particular game, or fish, or even nuts, fruit and roots as she was used to, but rather for a hunting ground. An area of woodland, water and plain, large and wild enough for her and Luna to feed on. It had been a few days since classes started, and not having a hunting ground was beginning to bother her more and more. It was like a persistent feeling of unease that she couldn't shake off. She'd spoken to Aline about it the day before, when they were both cooking in the dovecote, and she'd looked at her wide-eyed, before asking her why it was necessary, since Beauxbatons was providing for the dovecote and she didn't have to worry about ever running out of anything here, let alone food.
Myo had decided to cut the conversation short, Aline didn't understand. Aline had tried to draw her out by asking her about this fear, but she had refused to answer. It was one of the things she didn't want to talk about with anyone but Luna. Like the time Aline and Margot had caught her returning from her nest, both of them worried that they hadn't seen her in the dovecote, wondering if she'd been abducted after seeing the mess in her room. She had blushed, thinking of her intense excitement at the idea of selecting all the pretty things she wanted to decorate the nest with, everything that would appeal to Luna in terms of colour and texture. Yes, it had led to chaos, but no one else but her and Luna was allowed to know! Although she herself didn't really know why she was so defensive about it.
Fortunately, Aline and Margot had stopped asking her about it. But that didn't mean they had stopped giving her curious looks, a hint of concern in their aura. If only they would just listen and accept that if she said she was going to be fine, she had to be believed...
At the end of her geography lesson, the last of the day, she had said goodbye to Hermione before taking off. She would have liked to have brought a bow with her, but so far she had only done one session of archery club and, as training only took place once a week, it would be some time before she was even accepted into the section of the club dedicated to flight marksmanship. And even more time after that to convince them that leaving her alone with a bow was an excellent idea. For the time being, she would have to make do with her talons and flames for hunting, which were already formidable weapons in her opinion.
She looked away from the sheep grazing far below her, as Luna had formally forbidden her to attack the herd, no matter how much she wanted to. She set off a little further east towards the forest, trying to convince herself that she couldn't eat a whole sheep anyway.
It was several minutes later that she found a spot that seemed full of potential. A large pond in the centre of a clearing surrounded by mountains and forest lay just below. The forest seemed dense and healthy, the trees robust, the lake was undoubtedly teeming with fish and the clearing certainly had no shortage of small mammals for her to catch! And it would surely be mushroom season soon! The nearest dwelling she could see was on the other side of the green mountain pass surrounding the gently sloping valley.
She let herself glide gently towards the ground, her wings gliding on the air, her feathers vibrating in the wind in silence, her piercing eyes scanning the clearing below for any future delights passing by. She finally perched on one of the large branches of a chestnut tree, her talons digging into the soft wood. About ten metres above the ground. From there, she had an excellent view of the clearing and the small lake. The water seemed clear, perfect for fishing, with a series of small reed-lined streams flowing into the lake, the surplus from the lake itself flowing into a river.
In the shade of the surrounding woods, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a doe advancing through the trees. Birdsong mingled with the steady chatter of a woodpecker nearby. Feeling relaxed by the tranquillity of this quiet spot, she leapt from her branch and glided to the ground, her talons digging into the tall, wild grass and damp earth. She hopped to a large mossy rock at the edge of the water and crouched there, her gaze fixed on the clear water, looking for any movement that might betray the presence of a juicy fish.
After several minutes of silent observation, motionless on her rock, she spotted only a few tadpoles moving in schools in the water, as well as a large green frog croaking under the cover of the reeds and water lilies not far from her observation point.
She was distracted by a group of small, long-legged insects swimming on the surface of the water next to a group of flowering water lilies, when a movement in the water at the edge of her vision startled her. What she first thought was a fish jumping into the water turned out to be a slowly emerging form. She turned in that direction and puffed out her feathers, spreading her wings to make herself more impressive, all the while hissing.
Emerging from the water was a strange little man dressed in an elegant red frock coat with gold buttons, an ashen wig and a black fly on his right cheekbone. At his belt, he carried a long rapier with an elaborate pommel and a scabbard greened with algae. This little person was clearly magical, a kind of pixie she probably didn't know. He was surrounded by some kind of magical aura, but she couldn't discern its effect because his own aura was interfering with hers.
"Greetings, a very strange visitor to my pond. To what do I owe the honour of your presence?" He said cheerfully, his smile toothy.
Frightened, Myo had puffed up her plumage even more, her blue flames visible on the surface of her feathers and a long, threatening hiss escaping from her lips. The elf recoiled before pulling himself together, his hand resting on the hilt of his rapier. "You are not one of these easily seduced fools, or one of these manants whose blood I dye my cloak in... What have you come to do on my territory? Creature... Are you even capable of speech?"
"I'm here to fish! This valley is my new hunting and foraging ground!" she hissed, still defensive.
"You're here to hunt and fish!?" sighed the elf, looking a little disconcerted, his gaze going from her face to her feathers covered in her flames. He thought for a moment before adding. "The lakes, ponds and puddles in this valley are mine. I can allow you to fish there, as long as you pay tribute to me for each catch. Otherwise, you will feel my foil! What do you say, lady Feathered One?"
Myo's feathers deflated, her wings folding behind her back, her flames evaporating as she considered the pixie's proposal. From what little she knew of his kind, they could be far more powerful and dangerous than they appeared. Perhaps it would be better to hear his proposal first... besides, Luna would be proud of her if she knew that she had avoided resorting to violence. "What kind of tribute?" she asked.
The elf held his chin thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "You're a flame, growing brighter by the day, I can see that. I give you permission to hunt, fish and gather in my territory in exchange for a simple promise. If my territory is ever in danger, you will come and help me defend it. If you agree, I want you to swear on your name" he said before holding out his hand.
Myosotis looked around her, the place was beautiful and peaceful... perfect for hunting, and it seemed almost normal to her that she should help defend it if the need arose... So she held out her hand to the elf's and nodded. "I swear on my name to help protect this valley in exchange for the right to hunt here freely". she said.
At these words, the pixie's smile widened and a branch of ivy of translucent light appeared, weaving itself around their joined hands in a powerful interlace, before fading and disappearing. The pixie did the same, disappearing beneath the water lilies and leaving only circles in the calm waters of the lakeshore.
That evening, she returned with a big, fat pike between her talons and a puzzled mind.
oOOOo
When the first light of day filtered through the round opening of their nest, Myo was already awake, the excitement of the long flight to Scotland that awaited her this Saturday having kept her awake. However, one thing prevented her from just getting out from under the covers to get ready. A warm weight on her chest. Luna was still asleep, snuggled up against her, her eyes closed, one hand in her feathers. Myo sighed, she missed nights like this. Although she spent most evenings in the dovecote, she was beginning to get into the habit of sneaking into the nest to spend the night whenever the opportunity arose.
Her gaze swept over the interior of the nest, which she and Luna had built using braided branches, moss and clay hardened with her flames. All reinforced and made waterproof using spells and potions, the incantations and recipes for which were easy to find in the campus libraries. The inside of the nest was as cosy as she could make it, the rounded walls covered with fabric and the floor covered with cushions and blankets. She had managed to install a few shelves and stands to serve as tables and place decorations of all kinds. Some of their drawings, but also some of her pretty stones, some of the skulls from her hunts, as well as a selection of her prettiest little shiny possessions, be they shells or pieces of metal. They had also managed to bring back some of their books and drawing materials...
As the nest was quite small, it was a little cumbersome, but she loved the feeling of security it gave her. What's more, it made it possible to justify any cuddles she might want to give Luna, as they both had to stay almost glued together to fit inside.
Myo released her hold on Luna, who began to move, sitting down beside her before stretching and yawning. "Did you sleep well, Luna?" asked Myo, sitting up in turn.
"I sleep best with you, silly girl." She said, rubbing her eyes, a big smile on her face.
"Me too." Said Myo as she straightened up, spreading her wings a little... That was one of the defects of their nest, it was too small for her to spread her wings inside... but hey, the advantages were more than enough to counter this minor inconvenience.
She couldn't wait to go, this week had been difficult and exhausting, although interesting, the lessons were long and too tedious for her liking, and the desire to fly off and play outside sometimes became so strong that... well... she'd given in twice, couldn't take it any more, on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, she'd left her lessons by jumping out of the window without giving any explanation. In the evenings, the clubs also took up some of her time, but it was easier for her to stay focused when she was shooting a bow, singing or painting under Maeva's benevolent instructions.
"Luna, what's the plan?" she asked, gazing fondly at the morning sun shining through her best friend's hair as she combed it. An inexplicable warmth and pleasure came over her as she saw Luna clasp the silver brooch with two of her iridescent black feathers in her hair.
"Mum and Dad are coming to get me from the chimney house, will you meet us at the house? When we get there, we'll say we're going to see Mélusine and then we'll go on to Hogwarts. And on Sunday you could stay with us too, I'm sure Mum and Dad would be happy to have you!" Said Luna as she took off her pyjamas before putting on her casual weekend clothes, a little sunshine yellow dress embroidered with poppies, a blue fabric belt and comfortable walking boots.
"Good! I'll drop you off at the dormitory to get your things, and then I'll be off, so I won't keep you waiting too long. If I fly right, I'd say the rook is an hour away." Myo replied, putting on her favourite midnight blue tunic.
After a few final preparations, Myo filled her flight bag with the few things she would need this weekend before grabbing Luna by the waist and leaving their nest through its small round opening to take off towards Luna's dormitory. She set her down gently and, after a final cuddle, watched Luna disappear into the building.
This was going to be one of the most fun days of the year, she thought with a small smile before flying off to join the rook, and prepare a few things on the way.
oOOOo
Severus was striding down one of the corridors of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall. If he had his way, he would prefer to eat all his meals in the relative peace and quiet of his office, or even outside, as long as the weather was fine. But alas, by order of the headmaster, all the teachers had to go and eat in the main hall at the teachers' table... Another stupid move by the old donkey to try and promote the unity of the teaching team. At least, sitting next to Minerva, he could cherish the hope of having a discussion worthy of the name.
As he passed, he glared at a group of third years, and took bitter satisfaction in seeing them flinch and turn their gaze to the ground... He might have felt an ounce of remorse at being so feared, had it not been for his role, and his intimate conviction that, like all teenagers, they were up to some nasty tricks that would undoubtedly hurt one of their classmates.
When he entered the great hall, he winced, the impossible hubbub of thousands of chattering mouths crashing down on him like an incomprehensible wall of noise. He picked up the pace, there was no way he was going to spend a second longer than necessary so close to several tables of disgusting children stuffing their faces without the slightest hint of good manners. If he could deduct as many points as he wanted, all the houses would be in the negative for non-compliance with basic hygiene standards... And he thought this without even daring to turn his gaze towards where he knew the Weasley clan to be feeding.
As he approached the teachers' table, he did his best not to wince. Today's menu seemed to consist of braised chicory! One of the few dishes for which he felt infinite hatred. How such an insult to all forms of taste and common sense could have occurred to even the most sadistic of cooks, he didn't know. But that wouldn't change the fact that this was the abomination he would have to face on his plate this lunchtime.
The start of the day had already not been easy, with two two-hour classes of second years one after the other, three melted pots, and a student in hospital with third-degree burns due to his sheer incompetence. He should really try to explain to Albus again that he needed to hire a second potions teacher! His art was far too precise and volatile to be taught safely to twenty students at a time!
And now, sadness on top of misery, he couldn't even cheer himself up with a bit of cooking to his liking.
He sat beside Minerva silently, staring at his empty plate, struggling to muster the courage to ring the little bell telling the elves that he would like to be served. Suddenly, the noise in the great hall diminished, as if muffled by a thick wall of cotton. "Thank you Minerva." He said, sighing and massaging his temples.
"You're welcome, Severus. You don't look well, what's wrong?" Minerva asked.
"We absolutely must convince Albus to scrap the Saturday morning classes and put them back on Wednesday afternoons. With the new timetable, they're much more dissipated, real little monsters in my class." he muttered, glancing at Minerva. She was in her usual black dress, looking as stern as ever... More of a mask than anything else. He couldn't help but find it amusing that the head of the Gryffindor house was forced to apply Slytherin strategies to keep control of her house.
"I agree, but he won't be easily persuaded, he wants to keep trying as much as he can before he admits defeat." Minerva said morosely.
"And then, the damage will already have been done..." he added.
"Yes... Tell me Severus, isn't part of your bad mood due to the lunch menu?" Minerva asked with a smirk.
"I can live with that. At least the start of the year is a lot less chaotic than last year. I noticed that there was a drop in the number of first years, though, with the increase in births after the defeat of he-whose-name-must-not-be-taken, I would have expected to see the opposite effect." He thought aloud.
"The troll incident caused quite a stir, Severus, and it will take Hogwarts some time to restore its reputation. In the meantime, we must be as exemplary as possible. Other magic schools in the country have seen an increase in admissions, you know? Boggart Hole Clough academy has seen a 15% increase in its number of first years." Minerva said gravely.
"I can't say they're wrong, Hogwarts has shown a serious breach of security by allowing such a monster to roam its halls freely." Severus sighed.
"Aren't you going to ring the bell? You can ask the elves to make you a sandwich if braised chicory puts you off that much." Minerva said with a hint of amusement in her voice that someone else probably wouldn't have even noticed.
"That's all right, Minerva, I could do without your comments." Severus growled, ringing the little bell to prove his point. But instead of the infamous braised endives, a big fat fillet of pike appeared on his plate, its meat seasoned with wild herbs that he knew for a fact that elves couldn't have... In two places, the flesh of the fish was pierced... A shiver ran down his spine at the sight, a raven-black plumage, two large sparkling green eyes so close to those of the woman he had loved, sharp claws clicking on the ground... chaos, flames, a summer spent finding fish and game on his doorstep...
"Severus! Oh how lovely, the elves have learned to take your preferences into account. I didn't know you'd told them." Minerva exclaimed with amusement.
"No."
"No?"
"I didn't tell the elves about that. Minerva, I think that Myosotis Potter is in the castle." He said, huffing.
"Severus, be realistic, the little girl is safe at Beauxbatons as we speak. I'm sorry she had to leave our school, I was kind of hoping she'd stay, you know?" Minerva said...
"That chaotic ball of feathers would have driven you mad by the end of the year Minerva, admit it, or shall I remind you of a certain incident?" Severus said.
At this, Minerva remained silent, thoughtful. Feeling that the discussion was over, and more by reflex than anything else, he took a bite of the fish... He would never admit to anyone that at lunchtime he had been eating one of the best fish dishes he had ever tasted.
oOOOo
What could Crab and Goyle have been doing in the toilets for so long, Draco thought, stomping his feet on the floor and playing with his wand between his fingers. Nothing to be done, his lackeys would have to run, and that would punish them for having dared to keep him waiting so long! So he stopped leaning against the wall and set off in the direction of the banks of the black lake, where he intended to spend his afternoon lazing about and playing ricochets. He had worked hard enough and Father would be proud of him when he got his results for the next exam.
After the difficulties at the beginning of last year, from that blessed Halloween onwards, he had perhaps managed to rebuild his reputation and regain control of his year at Slytherin. His comrades of today would be his political underlings of tomorrow, and it would never be too early for them to get used to staying in their place.
What's more, Father had informed him that a plan had been set in motion to drive all the mudbloods out of Hogwarts. By the end of the year, if all went according to plan, Hogwarts would be restored to its former glory and would only be home to real wizards.
As he turned the corner into a deserted corridor, he stopped dead in his tracks. Facing him stood the creature of his nightmares, its great night-coloured wings absorbing the light, its luminous, demonic green gaze fixed on him. Its sharp claws clattered to the ground as it charged towards him, murder and hatred in its eyes.
"Oh I remember you! Hmm, not your name though, sorry." Said the abomination in a bewitching siren voice.
Draco froze, his heart pounding in his chest, indescribable terror coursing through his entire being. How could the thing be here! Hogwarts had been rid of it! The whole of Great Britain was supposed to be free of these monsters with human faces! Had its time come? Would this be the last thing he ever saw? He was unable to speak, unable to pick up his wand to even try to defend himself.
"You don't look well... Did you eat something that wasn't fresh? Always eat fresh fish! Even if you cook it! I remember you were in poor health I think, you kept fainting... We've got to get you to the infirmary quickly!"
Draco could only utter an inarticulate cry as the creature picked him up and carried him... The last thing he saw before losing consciousness were its big green eyes.
oOOOo
The sun's rays filtering through the large window were warm on her silky fur, the cushion on which she was comfortably ensconced the softest. It was one of her favourite times of the afternoon, just before the continuation of her duties, a delightful little hour that she could use to rest and regain her strength to face the students and save their skins when they inevitably failed to follow the basic safety rules of the school.
Being in this form was always a pleasure, her mind lightened of the sometimes overwhelming weight of her human responsibilities. And then, few people recognised her, even after her usual little routine she used to surprise new students. She opened one eye to look at the clock ticking slowly in the corner of the room before resting her head on her two crossed paws. She had a good three quarters of an hour before she had to return to human form and join Dumbledore for their weekly meeting. She yawned open-mouthed, no need to take into account the absurdly narrow rules of civility of men in her cat form. It was how she felt most free, after all...
She let herself fall asleep, easily carried away by the warmth of the sun's rays and the comfort of her nap cushion, trusting her instincts, refined over the years, to wake her in time.
Her dreams of endless fields of catnip, delicious fish and gentle sun faded when she felt a sublime caress. Fingers caressing her side with such perfection, such mastery, that she was unable to regain sufficient self-control to assume her human form and scold whoever the impudent person was who dared to come and pet her, to treat her like an ordinary cat! Instead, she found herself purring loudly, her whole body relaxing and stretching, her head and back moving to meet the hand that was giving her one of the best strokes she had ever received.
Another hand joined the first, and Minerva succumbed, deft fingers gently scratching behind her ears and under her chin as the other stroked her back from the nape of her neck to the base of her tail in a steady, soothing motion. There were two female voices around her answering each other... probably the students who had found her in this position and thought it clever to put her through this gentle torture...
It was in an unexpected burst of lucidity that she remembered the only other time in her life that she had received such a petting, that moment of humiliation when little Myosotis Potter had seen fit to use her talents with felines to neutralise and kidnap her before she even got ready to start her lesson. If it hadn't been for Severus, she couldn't even imagine what would have happened. But now, there was no Severus to save her... Oh, yes, on the throat, there, between the shoulder blades... The deft hands of what was undoubtedly the little featherbrain responsible for more than half of her headaches at the beginning of last year were rendering her incapable of any form of articulate thought...
"Do you want to try Luna? She loves it..." Minerva managed to understand between two of her sonorous purrs. The hands of silk and gold were then replaced by hands just as soft, even smaller and finer, but more hesitant, lacking the instinct their predecessor had shown. Although it was still very pleasant, the pleasure was no longer unbearable, so she managed to find the energy to jump away from her torturers ... and almost hurt herself when she landed on the ground, so relaxed and softened had she been by the petting.
Without further ado, she transformed herself, her dresses appearing around her as she towered over the two little criminals who had dared to do this to her. She had an invective, a biting speech on the tip of her tongue, but her half-formulated words died in her mind when her gaze fell on the duo facing her.
Myosotis Potter was sitting on the wide window sill, next to the cushion she had just left, staring at her with wide, astonished eyes, as if her reaction was most unexpected. The thick black plumage she was covered in was exposed by her leaf-green short-sleeved tunic, fastened to her waist by a wide belt of blue fabric fastened with a fine silver buckle. Her large wings were closed behind her back in an elegant way that she had rarely seen a year earlier when this same girl trotted through the corridors of her school. But what struck her most were the colours in her cheeks, the light in her eyes, and the sense of well-being and health she carried. It was only then that Minerva came to the unpleasant realisation that Myosotis felt out of place at Hogwarts, ostracised, in a hostile environment criminally unsuited to her presence. Myosotis herself may not have realised it, but the difference between her present appearance and what she had looked like a year earlier was striking.
Sitting next to her was young Luna Lovegood, the child who should have been here in first year had it not been for the shenanigans of the feather ball to her right. She had grown up, and not just a little, her eyes just as inquisitive and curious, but more methodical and focused in the way she observed. Unlike the silly feathered one next to her, she at least seemed a little contrite, having no doubt been socialised enough to know that you don't pet a shapeshifter in its animal form without permission. This friendship warmed her heart, despite her current state of vexation. The only worry she felt was about their dependence on each other.
Gradually regaining her composure, Minerva let go of her anger and indignation at the fact that she had just been treated like a common house cat. She had more pressing matters to deal with, such as asking what these two ladies were doing here, so far from Beauxbatons. She cleared her throat, interrupting Luna, who was asking a confused Myosotis why she hadn't told her that she was a teacher, Myosotis for her part unable to understand what was wrong with petting a cat, teacher or not.
"Miss Potter, how would you react if a stranger came out of nowhere and surprised you by stroking your plumage?" She said, crossing her arms.
"I'd claw it, bite it, burn it and fly away." Declared the young veela as if this were the most natural reaction imaginable.
"Now explain to me what gives you the right to do to others what you find unacceptable to be done to you?" she retorted.
"I just..." Forget-me-not closed her mouth and lowered her eyes, a gleam of understanding in her eyes. "I'm sorry..." She said in a contrite voice. Then she raised her head, her eyes mischievous, and asked. "Can I pet you in your cat form ma'am?"
Minerva almost said no immediately as she listened to her ego and her pride, but to her shame thought better of it at the memory of her hands in her fur. "Only if you ask first and don't take me by surprise. She said with pursed lips, doing her best to control her expression.
"Yay!" Myo exclaimed happily. For her part, the young Lovegood looked on in dismay.
"However, I have another question! What are you doing here?" she asked, frowning as she tried to fight her rising headache.
The young Lovegood straightened up and met her gaze. "We need to see Lulu! There's something important we have to tell her!" she exclaimed.
"Lulu?" asked Minerva, raising an eyebrow, she didn't know anyone by that name at Hogwarts.
"Mélusine!" Added Myosotis.
"And what must your aunt know that's so important that you're breaking into Hogwarts?" she asked.
"We need to ask some advice in private." Said the little Lovegood, becoming increasingly defensive.
"I... Very well then! Follow me, I'll take you to Professor Lovegood's office." she sighed. Given Miss Lovegood's attitude, trying to question them any further would be counterproductive. The simple fact that these two little girls had decided to go and ask an adult for help instead of solving the problem, whatever it was, on their own, was already an excellent thing. She had to encourage this behaviour, even if it left her curiosity painfully unsatisfied.
oOOOo
Myo was infinitely pleased with herself, she had vowed a year earlier to show Professor McGonagall the joy of petting. Professor McGonagall was visibly upset, but she had won her victory: the professor had admitted that she was not opposed to being petted again in her cat form.
After several long minutes of walking, several staircases and a few passing pupils staring at her in the strangest of ways, they arrived at a green wooden door encircled in bronze. Minerva knocked three times very quickly on the door, frowning, before taking three steps backwards and staring at the door.
A muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming."
A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Melusine dressed in a midnight blue dress fastened with a silver brooch, wearing small gold reading glasses that Myo had never seen before. Mélusine's gaze fell on McGonagall, having probably not noticed them yet. A gentle smile spread across her face, McGonagall stiffened in response, her cheekbones pinkening almost imperceptibly.
"Oh, Minerva, it's a pleasure to see you. What brings you here? You can come in if you like." Said Mélusine
"I've just brought you a guest Ms Lovegood, I've got an appointment with Dumbledore starting soon. I'm sorry I can't stay. Good day." She said before striding off, a little too quickly for that to be normal.
Mélusine followed the teacher's form as she walked down the corridor for several seconds before turning to them. "What the... Luna?! Myo!? What are you two doing here?" she asked, surprise clear on her face as she stepped away from the door and ushered them into her office. It was a spacious rectangular room, with several large windows opening onto the valley, a light-coloured wooden ceiling and a blue and black tiled floor. The walls were covered with tapestries embroidered with scenes depicting wizards interacting with all manner of beings and creatures. These ranged from a man in black robes confronting a giant spider with a shadowy body, to what appeared to be a cordial exchange between travellers and a group of dryads.
Cork boards were scattered here and there, each holding messages, papers and documents, charts, pupil lists, something about a duelling club. On one shelf were trophies from major duelling competitions, glittering gold and silver cups. At the back of the room, in a large fireplace, a large salamander was bathing peacefully in the flames. A large vivarium filled with moss and plants lay on a black wooden cabinet near the entrance, and in it she could see several strange little creatures with blue skin flecked with orange, vaguely resembling lizards except for their far too many legs.
In a corner of Mélusine's office was a large blue cushion with gold embroidery, on which Luccys the Occamy had just woken up before happily darting towards Myo, whistling, before wrapping himself around her shoulders and saying hello to Eldur, rubbing his muzzle against the latter's beak.
"We've come to seek your advice." Said Luna from the entrance to the room where she had stopped while Myo had gone exploring to give Melusine a hug.
"Advice?" Mélusine asked as she walked over to the high-backed armchair behind her desk to sit down, agreeing to take Luna on her lap as she rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Myo listened with a distracted ear as she stroked Luccys' feathers and watched the strange creatures in the vivarium, wondering what kind of taste they might have, and how long they would have to be cooked for it to be perfect.
"Yes! I'm worried about Maeva!" Luna said as she pressed herself closer to Mélusine.
"You're going to be too big to sit on my lap one day, you know that?" Mélusine sighed. Luna shook her head vehemently and held on tighter. "So, what's wrong with little Maeva? She hasn't completely forgotten to sleep again, has she? Although, for you to come all the way out here, I imagine it must be something more serious."
Luna then explained to Mélusine all the strange things she had seen around Maeva and what she thought had something to do with it, the strange little creatures in the fire and their strange plan, all the creatures invisible to everyone except her that she saw hovering around Maeva in a worrying way...
Mélusine remained silent for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed, then she said with a serious air. "It's all very worrying indeed. Luna, Myo, I'd ask you to keep a discreet eye on Maeva, so that your suspicion doesn't alert anyone who has something against Maeva. Make a note of any changes. And..." She rose from her desk and opened a large trunk stored at the back of the room next to the fireplace, the salamander watching her curiously. Mélusine rummaged around in the trunk for a good minute before pulling out two small, identical notebooks with wine-red covers, small enough to fit in a pocket. She handed one to Luna and stuffed the other into one of her pockets.
"What's this?" Myo asked as she approached.
"They're twin notebooks, so what's written in one will appear in the other. Thanks to this, you'll be able to communicate with me in an emergency. If anything goes wrong and you're not sure what to do, just write to me and I'll get back to you and make the trip as quickly as possible if the situation requires it."
"Thank you, Lulu!" Luna exclaimed, giving her a big kiss on the cheek as she clutched the notebook to her chest.
"Don't overdo it! There aren't that many pages, and if the alarm announcing a new message goes off, I'll be worried!" Mélusine said with a slight smile.
"Oh..." said Luna, lowering her eyes, looking sad.
"She misses you." Said Myo, coming closer. "Would it be possible to have one for non-urgent conversations?" she asked.
"Yes, please, Lulu!" exclaimed Luna.
Caught off guard, Mélusine remained silent for a second. "I... I can try, yes," she finally smiled. "But it'll be one of your Christmas presents, Luna, it takes time to make."
"Thank you, Lulu!"
"While you keep an eye on Maeva, I'm going to ask a friend who knows about this sort of thing for advice, and I'll let you know how it turns out. You'll know if I've written something in the notebook if you feel it's warm and shiny." Mélusine added seriously.
"We'll be careful." Said Myo. Maeva was a new person she'd just met, so a priori she had little interest in making more of an effort than that, but the fact that she was Luna's aunt and that she seemed to like her a lot was more than enough motivation.
"Apart from that, how are you getting on at Beauxbâtons? Mélusine asked. Myo smiled as she saw Luna's face light up and she began to recount the details of their little adventures.
oOOOo
Minerva lifted her teacup and took another sip of boiling tea after discreetly adding a drop of catnip extract. Her meeting with Albus had gone as usual, the customary school business, funding and other minor administrative problems. Their meeting was drawing to a close, but she still had an important question to ask. "Albus, you mentioned something that worries you. Is it to do with what's going on in the Forbidden Forest? I thought you and Mrs Lovegood had things well in hand." She said, frowning at her colleague and old friend.
"No, it's not about the corruption of dark magic, our research is progressing slowly and once we've obtained the collaboration of the háir álfar, I think we'll be able to get our hands on more information and maybe even find the source. I wanted to talk to you about another important subject. The wards of Hogwarts have detected that an artefact infused with powerful magic listed in the ancient charter of forbidden arts has recently been brought into the castle grounds." He said calmly.
"The old charter... What's going on? Last year, a troll arrived and Quirrel disappeared, and now a cursed object of the highest order has entered the school. The children can't be safe with something like that around! We must act Albus!" Said Minerva
"Calm down Minerva, we can't afford to act hastily. The Charter has detected a particularly vicious, discreet and pernicious form of soul magic. I have good reason to believe that the artefact entered the school through a pupil, so sending them home to search the school would risk allowing the artefact's magic to act on the pupil in a much less safe place." Albus said.
"Nor can we search all the students openly, as this would create a most deleterious climate of panic, which would be profitable for dark mind magic. Minerva added.
"That's why I'd like to ask the house elves to discreetly search the students' belongings and note down any magical artefacts they find.
"But it's not enough. I'm going to ask all the cats in the castle to keep an eye out, and the same goes for portraits and paintings. I'm also going to ask Madame Bathsheda Babbling to make us some soul and spirit magic detectors and place them in strategic places in the corridors." Minerva added with determination.
"You always give excellent advice, Minerva, yes, that sounds like an excellent plan. Once we know more about the nature of the artefact, we will be able to act in a much more reasoned and efficient manner." Dumbledore said, a gleam in his eyes, his left hand stroking his beard. "Perhaps it will even give me an excuse to bring in my dear Alastor for a few months. I'm sure he won't miss a hunt for a cursed artefact, least of all in my company, like in the good old days."
"Oh Albus, always ready with a good excuse to bring in a lover." Minerva smiled.
Albus laughed out loud for a moment before wiping a small tear from the corner of his eye. "My dear Minerva, don't pretend I'm blind to the lustful looks you're giving our lovely new teacher of defence against the dark arts."
"Albus! I will not allow you!" Minerva exclaimed, her cheeks flushing.
"Besides, you'd better not wait too long before talking to her, I'd remind you that it's very likely she'll only stay for a year." Albus said, winking at her.
Minerva finished her tea in one gulp, and stood up, striding from the study, muttering "Lecherous old man!" She must not have been as discreet as she thought, for she closed the door at the sound of Albus's laughter. But her thoughts were already far away, her mind occupied by Mélusine's beautiful eyes and charming personality.
oOOOo
Mélusine looked at the compass in the palm of her hand. Was this really where Udel the dreamer had decided to place their door this time? So tempted that they had even decided on something. It was also quite possible that they had done it completely at random. Hard to say with this creature.
She sighed and slipped into the window well of the old ruined house in this abandoned village in southern Germany. At the bottom of this cellar, deserted for decades and full of cobwebs and fungi, familiar mists crept along the floor and diffused the orange light of her lantern.
The cellar stretched out in an unnaturally long slope, deeper and deeper underground, the rubble and dressed stone walls gradually giving way to bare stone covered in luminescent moss. At the far end, set into the stone of the cave, was a familiar door with a rounded top made of coloured glass from which a welcoming glow filtered out.
As Mélusine approached, the door opened on its own, letting her into her master's familiar vestibule. She took off her coat and hung it up, Luccys taking the opportunity to slip into the living room and curl up in a ball on one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace.
Udel wasn't in his usual place, but she didn't have to look for them for long as a message was waiting for her on the coffee table. A piece of paper, elegantly written in violet ink: "Meet me in the garden. Udel."
Mélusine rolled her eyes, obviously Udel had dreamt she was coming.
She walked deeper into the house, through the kitchen, ignoring all the familiar little spirits scurrying about, until she reached the back door. There she emerged into the eternal dawn and twilight of the edge of the forest, with its low-angled light. Udel's garden was like an oasis in the middle of endless hills covered with flowering asphodels, a peaceful place sheltered from the stranded and other horrors that thrive on the edge of the world. It was a good-sized garden, one part dedicated to growing various vegetables and strange plants from many worlds, the other reserved for leisure, with a few trees with golden trunks and blue foliage moving in the gentle breeze.
A small green wooden arbour was set up between the trees, sheltered by a round carved wooden table where she could see her master's very recognisable silhouette seated, and opposite them, a... person, a being, unknown to her. Curious, Mélusine approached, hearing snatches of conversation in a language made up of clicks and hisses that she didn't understand. Four of Udel's eight eyes were already fixed on her as she approached. their interlocutor... Mélusine shivered, she knew an arch-fae when she saw one. She looked like a woman with goat's legs dressed in a long white dress with bluish highlights, her ivory-white face far too perfect and symmetrical to be human, her pupils horizontal and two long, smooth, curved horns adorned with jewels towered over her blonde hair with braided silver highlights. Her hands had seven fingers each with two phalanges more than what she called normal, they were delicate, adorned with magnificent rings, but possessed immense strength.
"Oh, good evening my little one." Udel said with a smile. "Madam, I'd like you to meet my apprentice. Isn't she lovely?"
"Yes, adorable, delicate. I'm delighted to meet you, apprentice." Said the arch-fae, staring at her with her strange eyes.
"Let me introduce you to the regent, the Liatom of Akalon, who has come to have tea with me." Said Udel with an Olympian calm that contrasted with Mélusine's nervousness at being in the presence of such a being.
"Oh, we'd just finished talking, I imagine it is a private matter". Said what Melusine had more and more reason to believe was the regent of one of the many kingdoms of Avalon.
"It's just that my dreams have whispered to me that my darling has important things to tell me". Udel said as they too rose to their feet before resting their forehead against the Liatom's for a moment.
Then she descended the steps leading to the arbour with such suppleness and elegance that Melusine could have thought she was floating, her gaze roving up and down Melusine, making the hairs on the back of her neck rise. As she passed by, the Liatom put a hand on her shoulder before tracing the outline of her jaw with her fingertips. "Oh, you're such a lovely little witch," she cooed in her ear. "So pretty... perhaps, little witch, one day we'll meet again - at another time or in another place - and then we can do more than exchange names. If you're lucky... one day, with me my princes and my children... " She said before slipping a magnificent silver ring into her hand. "Wear it and we'll find each other."
Mélusine was apprehensive about answering, but one of the Liatom's fingers touched her lip. "Hush, don't answer, not now, not yet, just give it time." She said in a suave voice before walking out of the garden through a small gate and into the Asphodel meadow on one of its little paths.
A shiver ran down Mélusine's spine as she climbed the steps to take a chair at Udel's table. "What did she want with you?" Mélusine asked.
"Oh, just a chat, one of her daughters is ill and she needed my expertise to find the best cure." Said Udel as they finished their cup of tea. With a wave of their hand, the tray of strange treats disappeared from the table to be replaced by a more conventional tray of treats. "I don't think your palate would have appreciated the same taste as our friend's."
"You know she tried to seduce me?" Mélusine grumbled as she poured herself a cup of tea.
Udel's eight eyes blinked simultaneously. "Oh, I see, it's not often that someone captures her interest."
"Is that all you have to say about it?" Mélusine asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She knows you're my apprentice, she won't try to hurt you, she knows it's best not to incur my wrath." He said in a perfectly calm tone, smiling.
That's reassuring... she thought. "Udel, I wanted to see you about Luna."
"How's my future pupil doing?" He said, his interest piqued.
"She's doing very well, as you predicted her vision is developing rapidly. However, I'm here to ask your advice." she said.
Udel listened patiently to what she had to say, her explanation of what she feared about Maeva and what Luna was able to see. After a minute's silence spent digesting the information. "I see, my future pupil looks very promising, but as for what's happening to your cousin Maeva... it reeks of elemental. I'll see what I can do and let you know."
"Thank you Udel." Mélusine sighed, feeling a little reassured for Maeva, knowing that Udel was on the case.
A few hours later, as Mélusine was about to leave, Luccys wrapped around her neck, Udel signalled her to stop before she put her hand on the handle. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Beware Melusine, month after month, the balance of magic on the islands is shifting, I can't tell you when we'll pass the breaking point, but you should know that Great Britain is not ready to deal with it."