To Myo's surprise, greenhouse number 7 in the Beauxbatons botanical garden was nothing like a greenhouse. It was a large area of forest on the other side of the valley from the rest of the campus, separated from the rest of the wood by a series of runes carved into the trees at the perimeter, anchoring a magical barrier that prevented the larger animals of the forest from passing through. The place looked more like a wild forest than a garden. Plants of all kinds, from lychen to large bushes and herbaceous plants, formed a dense undergrowth criss-crossed by small paths.
But make no mistake, the wild appearance of the place was completely illusory. All the trees here were either fruit trees or produced some kind of useful harvest. Like, for example, the large somnichêne tree at the foot of which she, Hermione, Luna and Elvetia had settled for their practical work in herbology. According to Hermione, the acorns of this tree, once roasted and ground, were an almost indispensable ingredient in all potions and rituals linked to sleep. Its bark could also be used to make pain-relieving ointments to numb a sore spot, while its sap was used to create incense and oil for a number of soothing rituals.
At first glance, the tree looked no different from an ordinary pedunculate oak, except for its thicker bark, its leaves that were softer to the touch, as if covered in a fine velvet, and the sometimes bluish and purplish reflections of its foliage. Myo knew that Hermione must have read this year's botany book cover to cover, but how she managed to pick out so many details remained a mystery.
As interesting as the somnichêne tree was, it wasn't the subject of today's lesson; it was the pretty climbing plant with the orange stem gracefully wrapped around its trunk, Its broad leaves, vaguely reminiscent of ivy, were a very dark green tending towards blue, with a texture and thickness almost similar to that of a succulent plant, and with an aroma somewhere between lemon and grapefruit, covering the bottom of the trunk almost like a skirt.
A 'linor' had explained Madame Zoé dusort at the start of the class. A plant endemic to French forests, growing in symbiosis with the somnichêne, protecting the tree from infection, predators and insects thanks to the stinging sap and insecticide produced naturally in its leaves. In return, the linor gained some of the nutrients essential to its growth from the sap of the somnichêne, as the linor itself could not find the minor ley-lines it needed.
Their task for the day was to harvest the linor berries, small purple fruits that were particularly delicious for passerines, but deadly for mammals. The fruit was then used either as a natural insecticide, once dried and ground into powder, or as a worming remedy. Madame Dusort even explained that linor berries could even be used to repel minor demons and certain magical plagues. Spraying a boggart with a concentrated essence of linor berries could even be more effective than ridiculus-type spells in scaring off the lesser demon.
What was very special, and quite amusing for Myo, was that linor berries could not be harvested alone. If some unfortunate person tried to pick the berries without due care, they would end up covered in a dreadful stinging sap that wouldn't even wash out with water. To avoid an aggressive reaction from the plant, the technique that had been developed over time had nothing magical about it. You had to read aloud a story that was interesting enough for the plant to pay more attention to it than to the harvesters. That's why, while she, Luna and Elvetia were picking the little round berries delicately and putting them in the basket, Hermione was reading Sherlock Holmes stories.
Myo also found the story very interesting, perhaps Hermione would agree to lend her some of her books. Another amusing fact was that it was necessary to make a note on a small board at the foot of the plant of which stories had been read to it, as rereading the same story tended to provoke a reaction of frustration on the part of the plant, resulting in jets of stinging liquid. At the moment, there was no risk, as the linor vibrated in time with Hermione's voice.
Although Myo enjoyed the exercise, her mind was not fully present. The letter of apology she had to give to Madame Dusort weighed heavily in the pocket of her tunic. It had to be said that Myo had been guilty of chasing a hare during a lesson, resulting in the destruction of several pots, the trauma of the hare, of the pupil whose pet it had turned out to be, and above all of that, the usually calm and discreet teacher had nearly fainted when she saw the broken pots and Myo flying into the greenhouse with the hare in her claws.
On that particular occasion, she understood that she had not been a well-behaved person. There had been broken pots and little Accacia had cried a lot thinking her rabbit was hurt... But there had been a rabbit! And at that very moment she was hungry... what could she do? Not go after the animal? And Accacia didn't seem to take it very well when Myo had said that she would take good care of the hare's skull and give it a place in her collection.
Anyway, she had written her letter of apology and was due to give it to Madame Dusort at the end of the lesson. She had written it yesterday during her detention hour, well... if she could call it that. She'd spent an hour with Emilie in her office drinking apple juice while Emilie tried to explain to her that chasing a rabbit, even when she was hungry, couldn't be done just anywhere, and that Madame Dusort was very fond of her plants. She had to admit that she hadn't understood everything, but Emilie had helped her a lot in writing the letter and had also given her some cake at the end! She even admitted that she knew that keeping her in detention wouldn't achieve anything, but that she had to, otherwise her disciplinary power could be taken away from her and that she didn't want to risk anyone else being in a position to carry out punishments on the veela population.
So Myo wasn't supposed to talk about the apple juice or the cake, and if anyone ever asked her, she'd have to say that Emilie had been strict... It was as she was gently twisting one of the berries off its stem that she spotted Madame Dusort emerging from a small, unobtrusive path she hadn't seen before. Zoé Dusort was a tall, skinny woman, probably around 1.90m tall, with a long nose, large, cold almond-shaped grey eyes and a thin, tight-lipped mouth. It was impossible to give her an age, her features were young but her expression was one of experience. Her skin was strangely fair for someone who spent so much time outdoors, but perhaps that was the effect of the wide-brimmed straw hat she never took off.
She walked towards their little group, her hands in her brown overalls worn over a thick grey canvas shirt, her thick rubber boots treading the damp ground in silence. She was accompanied by that subtle smell of smoke and dried herbs that seemed to follow her everywhere.
Having noticed her in turn, Hermione seemed to want to say something, but Madame Dusort told her to continue reading the story with a wave of her hand. Without saying a word, Madame Dusort stood a few metres away and watched them work, making a few notes in a small blue notebook from time to time.
After several long minutes watching them, she said. 'Miss Potter, please come in. Miss Tonks, Miss Granger, Miss Morelle, continue with the harvest.'
Myo threw her handful of berries into the basket and started towards the teacher. Elvetia and Luna looked as if they wanted to ask what was going on but didn't dare speak for fear that the plant would lose interest in the story Hermione was still reading and react violently.
Trotting along behind Madame Dusort's long strides, they made their way through the undergrowth, passing fruit trees and magical plants as well as vegetables growing in joyous chaos. Every so often, they came across other groups of pupils harvesting more linor berries. Myo winced; she wasn't used to walking so fast; to get around quickly in a forest environment, she was more used to flying between the trees. Luckily she had remembered to put on her little claw shoes, otherwise she would have damaged her scales.
'Madam! Where are we going?' she asked.
'I received a message informing me that I was to accompany you to the gardens of the south gate of the administrative castle, I don't know any more than you do.' She explained before falling back into her usual silence.
It was only when the pair of them emerged from the forest into the open air, in the late morning sunshine, on a small tract of land framed by hedged pastures grazed by placid cattle, that Myo summoned up her courage and stopped walking again. 'Madame Dusort, I've got something to give you'.
The teacher stopped and turned round, looking her up and down... was it fear that Myo saw in Mrs Dusort's eyes? 'Miss Potter, I understand your intention, but I don't like fish.' she said.
A lie! Myo had already seen Mrs Dusort eat a herring sandwich! But she ignored all that and took out her letter, which she held out to the teacher with both hands.
'What the...' Madame Dusort grabbed the letter, popped the seal and pulled out the beautiful paper, which she unfolded to read. Meanwhile, Myo was fidgeting nervously, leaning on one leg and then the other. As her eyes roamed over the letter, Madame Dusort's gaze softened, so much so that when she carefully folded the paper, put it back in the envelope and slipped it into the breast pocket of her overalls, a small smile appeared on her face. 'Apologies accepted, Miss Potter, but I want you to know that I expect a little more self-control from you in future. Is that understood?'
'Yes, ma'am,' smiled Myo, the tension that had been building up inside her all morning slowly dissipating. The only thing on her mind now was why Madame Dusort had pulled her out of class. This had never happened before.
A few minutes later, as she passed over a small lichen-covered stone bridge arching over a small singing stream with crystal-clear waters glistening in the sunlight, in which she could see small trout swimming against the current, Madame Dusort broke the silence again without stopping to walk. 'You can be proud of yourself, the way you harvested the linor berries was excellent. The gentleness and firmness of the gestures, Miss Granger's good tone of voice... You should let them know that your group will get a very good mark.'
'Thank you, Madame Dusort...' Myo stammered, surprised. The teacher added nothing, continuing to walk in silence. A short flap of her wings was enough to bring her back just behind the teacher who had started to walk away while she remained motionless, frozen in surprise. Madame Dusort was discreet and stingy with compliments, often saying nothing more than what was necessary to carry out her lessons. What could she have put in her letter that had touched her so much? Perhaps it was the little drawings everywhere...
As they approached the administrative castle where she was supposed to be taken, Myo stiffened, she could taste a very special aura in the air. Without giving the slightest explanation, she launched herself into the air, flying as fast as her wings could carry her towards the source of the aura, vibrating with joy and anticipation.

oOOOo

On this fine late morning, the gardens behind the administrative castle were peaceful, as most of the pupils were still in lessons. Astrid and Madame Maxime were walking side by side along a path lined with bushes bearing their autumn flowers, each of their steps crunching the beige gravel. Birdsong and the sound of water from a fountain provided the background to their discussion.
'... I suppose you've read the report Emilie must have given you?' Madame Maxime said, leaving the platitudes of the beginning of the discussion behind to tackle the real subject.
'Yes, it must have been difficult to manage...' she said.
'You mean impossible? We did what the Hymgaabal Council recommended by letting her live with minimal supervision, but look where that got us. Her results are far from bad, but almost all the teachers have come to complain at one time or another. Not to mention the rest of the staff and students... Some even nicknamed her 'the swooping evil'.'
'Don't worry, I'll take care of it.
'Do you really think you can stop her flying around the corridors?'
'Of course, I'll just have to show her the alternatives, you see, we're not made to walk much, it invariably ends up chafing our scales even with claw shoes on. On the other hand, it will mean more going in and out of windows.'
'I can imagine.' sighed the headmistress. 'We knew it would be difficult, but this child is completely wild, sometimes even more difficult to manage than the children of feral descent we've had. Will she even listen to you?'
'I'm a Taïvaalta, if she doesn't listen to me, she won't listen to anyone. I just need to position myself as an ally, not an obstacle.'
'I hope your plan works... By the way, about your accommodations...'
'I'll be in the dovecote, in the room next to Myosotis'. Emilie has already arranged everything.
'Very well, don't hesitate if you need anything.'
'By the way, the socialisation plan includes...' Astrid didn't have time to finish her sentence when she felt an aura approaching at full speed. She barely had time to turn in its direction before a ball of dark feathers and bluish flames slammed into her, lifting her off the ground. Astrid had to flap her wings as hard as she could to stabilise herself and absorb the shock. After several turns on herself in the air, she finally managed to land on the ground. She didn't need to ask what was going on, because she could already feel her own flames running over her skin and merging with those of the chick, her aura embracing that of the little one. The sheer force of the joy, happiness and excitement that leapt into her face through Myo's aura mingling with her own was enough to make her stagger, and tears well up in the corners of her eyes. It was only then that she realised how much she had missed the fledgling.
She put one hand under Myo's thighs to support her, another on her head to stroke her hair, while Myo did her best to bury her face in the linen cloth covering her chest. Without even really thinking about it, Astrid felt her wings spread out in front of her and cover the little one.
Myo seemed unable to speak, only little whistles and snatches of happy songs muffled by the fabric.
'You seem to know each other very well...' Madame Maxime said with an air of astonishment.
'We've only met once, I came to explain to her what was wrong with her aura and how to treat it.'
'I've seen similar behaviour when first years are reunited with their families.' The half-giant's expression softened.
'The first time we saw each other she asked me if I was her mother,' she said in a bittersweet tone.
'I suppose it's too late to adopt her...' she said.
'Under our laws, she has undergone her transformation and is therefore an adult.'
'Isn't that a bit young to be considered like that?'
'Of course it is, but that's the law of the flock. Normally, the transformation happens at the earliest at 15, at the latest in the mid-twenties. Dextra, a friend of mine, didn't become an adult until she was thirty.
'You've really got a strange bird on your hands...' she says.
'This kind of situation never happens normally.' Astrid explained, hugging Myo closer to her with a tender smile.
That's when a tall witch in gardening clothes came running at full speed on a broom, her boots skidding on the ground as she braked, raising a cloud of dust a few metres away. In a breathless voice, the witch who jumped off said. 'What on earth has happened? Miss Potter took off like a cannonball, I didn't think it was possible to fly that fast.'
'Ah, hello Zoé, sorry to bother you. This is Astrid Nordlys, from the flock of the same name. She's here as Myosotis Potter's Chaperone. So you'll see her during lessons.'
'It's a pleasure to know that someone will be there to keep an eye on this wild girl. Where is she anyway? I could have sworn she went this way.'
Astrid had to make a conscious effort to spread one of her wings wide enough to reveal the shape of Myo huddled against her.
'Oh, oh, I see. Zoé said, her cheekbones rosy.' She seems to like you a lot.

'The privilege of being the first other Taïvaalta she's met...' smiled Astrid.
'Well, I'm off. Nice to meet you, see you soon.' She said before picking up her broom again and heading off towards the forest.
After several minutes she felt Myo starting to move again and she gently placed her on the ground, keeping one hand on her shoulder. An excellent choice, given that Myo was having trouble keeping her balance, her legs wobbling for a moment. Perhaps made a little drunk by the prolonged contact between their flames and auras.
'Astrid... Hug... more..." She said, staggering in her direction again.
'I'm sorry, but if I accept you're going to fall asleep on me.' she laughed.
Myo made an adorable pout and crossed her arms, before smiling back, having obviously come to her senses. 'I missed you so much! Where have you been? I was hoping to see you sooner...'
'I'd intended to visit you sooner, but circumstances didn't leave me much choice. But now I'm here, I've been chosen to be your chaperone. So we'll be spending a lot of time together, Emilie must have told you, right?'
Myo nodded. 'Yes, but I was afraid it would be with someone I didn't get on with. I'm so glad it's you.' She said, returning for a hug that Astrid was unable to refuse her.
'I think you're off to a good start, Astrid' said Madame Maxime, with an amused look on her face.
'I hope you're right. She replied, hugging the fledgling close.

oOOOo

Hermione was worried; after leaving them during the herbology class, Myo had not returned. Yet she never missed a meal together. Neither Luna nor Elvetia had seemed worried, but she couldn't help it. That's why she'd chosen to accompany Luna and Elvetia to the archery club today, figuring that Myo would probably go there straight after she'd finished the business she'd been busy with earlier, as the club started just after lunch and lasted a good two hours.
So she sat at the back of the stall, a book on magical fungus on her lap, but unable to enjoy her reading. As a result, she spent the time watching the archers. Elvetia was at Luna's side, trying to teach her how to hold her bow and aim. Luna, however, didn't seem to have the strength to string her bow properly and her shots either missed the target or went wide because her muscles trembled when she pulled too hard.
Looking at the older students, she had to admit it was quite impressive. In particular, a tall girl with very long blond hair tied in a plait and wearing a dark green tunic was stringing one with such force that when she released the grip, in addition to the impressive snapping noise, the arrow was going much too fast for her to see and almost always ended up sticking deep into the straw targets, or literally blowing up the animated clay figurines.
The way the muscles in her back flexed as the string and wood of the bow bent in a single, supple movement, only to be released with the most satisfying of noises, with no pause to conserve as much energy as possible, was fascinating. She found herself staring insistently at the girl for long minutes. When the girl smiled and raised an eyebrow at her, she felt herself blush and hid her face behind her book, only to continue staring a few moments later.
When a minute passed and the girl came up to her and introduced herself as Laura, with a smile on her face, and offered to teach her how to shoot, Hermione couldn't refuse. Laura took her to the front of the stand where she found her a more flexible beginner's bow. When Hermione asked what bow she was shooting with, she was shocked to learn that Laura was shooting with a damn 80 kilo war bow designed to send missiles capable of piercing enchanted armour and shattering energy shields if given the right enchantments. And to think that normal war bows weighed between 50 and 60 kilos...
Hermione was feeling a tad weak in the knee, and judging by the amused looks that Luna and Elvetia were giving her, she must have been glowing crimson. At the same time, Laura was right behind her, showing her how to hold her bow properly by guiding her hands. Had she been braver, she would have leaned back slightly... But instead she tried to ignore the distraction. Guided by Laura's expert hands, she released her arrow, which came to be lodged in the third circle in relation to the centre of the target. Laura's congratulations and beautiful smile thrilled her and, under the tutelage of her elder she continued to shoot, trying to follow her advice as best she could: breathe deeply, raise the elbow above the shoulder, don't wait to shoot after bracing the bow...
After half an hour, she was completely at ease, basking in Laura's compliments and exchanging pleasantries with her. She was Laura Boissart, a 4th year competitor and several times champion of regional archery competitions, and she loved Shakespeare! Luna and Elvetia had joined them, and Hermione did her best not to pout when her friends took up a fraction of Laura's attention to ask her advice. Maybe she should consider joining the archery club, after all, she was beginning to like the sensation, and then Laura... and the doctors had said that she needed physical activity without over-exerting her legs... Laura... And Mum had told her that she needed to be physically tired, not just mentally, so that she would sleep better and have fewer nightmares... had she mentioned Laura?
Just as she had shot an arrow that had hit the centre of the target at forty metres for the first time, and was about to shoot another, she heard Myo's voice approaching. She, Luna and Elvetia turned their heads almost at the same time to see Myo approaching, holding by the hand a tall veela - well, not quite. She was taller than the veela she was used to seeing, easily over a metre ninety. She wore a light sky-blue short-sleeved tunic tied at the waist with a midnight-blue belt, revealing her large bird's feet with light-grey scales, and her arms covered in plumage so blond it was almost golden. Like Myo, small feathers ran up the side of her neck. Her features were fine, almost ethereal, but her physique was that of a warrior, with powerful but light muscles visible under the plumage. Her huge blond wings with their reddish highlights were folded behind her back, but must have had a more than impressive wingspan. As she was facing her, she could hardly see it, but she also had a long tail of feathers falling behind her. Her eyes seemed to capture the essence of the sky.
Myo at her side was excitedly telling her something, her hands waving in all directions as she spoke. The adult Taïvaalta veela, as she had just realised, looked at Myo with such affection and tenderness that she felt her own throat tighten.
When Myo finally met them, she ran in their direction, dragging the other Taïvaalta behind her. 'Astrid! Meet my friends! This is Hermione, she's super clever and knows lots of things. Elvetia, she's an owl and is surely the wisest of us all. And here's Luna, she's a great artist! She draws better than I do and is great with animals.'
'Nice to meet you, I'm Astrid Nordlys, Myosotis's chaperone, you'll be seeing a lot of me in the future.'
As Luna and Elvetia peppered Astrid and Myo with questions and Hermione herself tried to grasp the situation, Laura stepped forward. 'Are you really Astrid Norlys, European champion in aerial archery five years in a row from 1970 to 1975?'
'Yes, that's me, I should have known someone would recognise me when I came here. What can I do for you?' This exchange attracted all the other archers present, who put down their bows to approach. Astrid, who seemed bothered at first, gave in when Myo asked her with her eyes full of admiration. Astrid then unhooked a bow almost as tall as herself from the wall and set about stringing it with a cord that had a metallic sheen. 'It's going to be 130 kilos...'. She heard someone murmur in the crowd. Once the string was in place, Astrid made a few movements to balance the bow in her hands. Then she moved towards the front of the stand, into the opening dedicated to targets at two hundred metres. She deployed her right wing so that it was out of the way of her movement, and strung the bow seemingly effortlessly. No sooner had the string reached her eye than she let loose with an almost deafening noise, a slight gust of wind accompanying the string.
As always after a shot, the target levitated to the stand so that the arrow could be extracted. 'Mrs Nordlys, that's extraordinary, the arrow's entry hole is right in the heart of the target!' exclaimed Jerome, one of the archers who is also in charge of organising the club. 'The arrow must be inside.'
'No, it doesn't.' Laura said. 'There's a hole on the other side.'
'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose you an arrow...' sighed Astrid.
'It's nothing, Madam! Thanks for the demonstration!' Jerome said to murmurs of approval from all the other students, who looked at Astrid admiringly for a few moments before dispersing. The bow Astrid had been using passed from curious hand to curious hand, she tried to bind the string, but even pulling with all her might she couldn't manage anything. It was Astrid herself who had to unstring it, as no one else could. She then spent the rest of the session helping their trio and the other archers who had come to ask for advice. When the session was over and everything was back in its place, Hermione said goodbye to Laura with a touch of regret before joining their little group heading back to the campus.
'What exactly does it mean to be a chaperone for Myo? The term is used more for people who normally look after young couples.' Elvetia said curiously.
'The Hymgaabal Social Council felt it was necessary to give Myosotis more support to help her embrace her role as a Taïvaalta within the veela societies. I'm here to help and guide in a more direct way. Would I be wrong if I said that Myo is often a little lost?'
'No.' Elvetia said thoughtfully.
'I'm just glad you've been chosen, Astrid.' Myo said as she took one of her hands in hers, with a level of joy that Hermione had only seen in her recently when she returned from her and Luna's secret place.
Hermione smiled to herself, it was high time they gave Myo the support she needed...

oOOOo

Night had fallen for a while now, and the bustle of the dovecote had disappeared with the sun. All the occupants had returned to their rooms or formed small groups to spend the night. As for Astrid, she was sitting at her desk, writing the last words of her third letter and placing a kiss on it. The first was for Hymgaabal's social adviser to give an informed report on Myo's situation, the second was for her own little chick, and the last for her beloved companion. She'd had an eventful day and felt it her duty to tell them all about it. After all, her flock's sisters were fond of anecdotes and outside news. And her little one tended to worry when Mum was away from the nest for long periods, so she had promised her at least three letters a week.

She slipped the letter to her sweethearts into one envelope and the one to Hymgaabal into another, then turned to Igor. The great horned owl gave her a disapproving look before stretching out one of its legs to accept the letter. Astrid tied it carefully before taking out a few pieces of dried meat from her bag, which the owl relished. He asked for a few caresses and scratches before agreeing to spread his wings and head north.

With a wave of her hand, her trusty flames emerged and enveloped her mug to warm her sage tea. In the meantime, she went to inspect the bookshelf she had set up just after her arrival. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing an Agatha Christie, 'The Seven Dials', she had read it several times, but it was a comfort read that she couldn't get enough of. And the character of Bundle never ceased to move her.

She undressed, grabbed her now steaming herbal tea and her book before slipping under the covers with a sigh of satisfaction. With a wave of her wand, she revoked some of the fireflies she used for lighting so as to find herself in a dimmed light and wedged herself into the bed against the cushions, placing her wings so that they served as an extra blanket.

Settling into her cosy cocoon, she took a sip of herbal tea and opened her book. The night was so peaceful, so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the dovecote during the day. At the same time, putting more than a hundred veelas in the same dormitory was a recipe for chaos. But when evening came... She chuckled to herself as she thought back to the scene she had witnessed on the way back from the baths. On one of the carpets in the library on the penultimate floor, she had seen a pile of ten or so veela sleeping on top of each other. One of them must have fallen asleep first, and the calmness of her aura must have lulled the others into sleep in turn, a more than common occurrence.

She had just reached the point where Bundle was on her way to the suspected establishment, her empty herbal tea sitting on her bedside table, when she heard noises coming from the curtains at the entrance to her bedroom. Someone was scratching at them. She grabbed her wand and stood up to surprise what she presumed to be a prankster. As she jerked open the curtain, her aura immediately took on the softness of a fledgling's, and her eyes met Myo's large, surprised green eyes. She was dressed in a simple, thin beige nightgown, carrying a sleepy little phoenix on her shoulder, and dragging a huge stuffed Nessy behind her by the flipper. 'Myo, what's wrong?' she asked with a hint of concern.

'Can I come in?'

'Of course.'

Once the curtains were closed Myo turned to her. 'I don't want to sleep on my own. Can I go with you?'

She should have expected this request, obviously Myo wouldn't want to sleep alone anymore with her around. But she had to ask... 'Wouldn't you rather sleep with the others? There's a pile downstairs.'

Myo pouted. 'I tried once, and I couldn't close my eyes, too many auras at once.'

'I see, it must still be a bit too early... In that case of course, come on, I was just about to switch off.'

Myo approached the bed curiously. 'You're not making yourself a blanket nest?' she asked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.'

'No, why?'

'I have to do that, if I sleep on stretched sheets, I tear them with my talons.'

'Well, these sheets are enchanted to resist my talons, but...' She pointed her wand at the bed, made a few movements and murmured a long incantation, the whole thing changing shape under her will. After a few seconds, the bed had become a large, round, sunken mattress filled with cushions and blankets. 'There, better?

Myo gave her a brilliant smile. 'Yes! As she placed the huge cuddly toy next to the nest and made a little nest for Eldur, she asked curiously. 'Do you always sleep naked?'

She blinked. 'Yes, I prefer it, why? Would you rather I put something on?'

'No, just curious.' She said as she slipped under the covers. Until only her eyes and the tips of her wings were showing. Astrid soon joined her, amused. Once she had settled in, she dismissed the last of the fireflies, plunging the room into darkness. It didn't take another minute for Myo to come and snuggle up to her.

'Myo, you know, I'm happy to have been chosen, I know it must be very difficult for you to find your way in this world that must be so strange to you, but now I'm here, you can count on me. she murmured, stroking the feathers of one of the fledgling's wings. There was no response, and she realised that the little one was already fast asleep.

oOOOo

Astrid had been waiting for a while with little Luna Lovegood outside the classroom. The other students had already left for lunch, as had Hermione, who had explained that she had promised her parents that she would be back for lunch. As for Myo, she was still in the classroom on business with the teacher. Both of them were plunged into a comfortable silence, Luna busy looking out of the window. But Astrid couldn't take her eyes off one thing. The three large deep blue feathers with iridescent reflections adorning Luna's hair.

She needed confirmation... 'Luna, how did you get that brooch you're wearing?' she asked.

'Ah, it's beautiful, isn't it? Myo made it herself from her feathers years ago, I never part with it.'

'It suits you very well.' she said. What exactly was the relationship between the two girls? Myo had told her that they were friends, but Astrid was more and more convinced that their relationship went deeper than that. Did they even realise it? Nothing was certain. She didn't have time to ask Luna any more questions, because it was at that moment that Myo came out of the history classroom with a cheerful step, humming.

'So, how did it go? Was it good?' she asked.

Myo gave her a big smile. 'Mr Terrot accepted my letter, he said he understood and was pleased that I was enjoying his class so much. Apparently he cooked my fish in the oven with a side of oyster mushrooms. I still don't know why he took my present so badly the first time though...'

'And here I thought it was because he didn't like fish.' Said Luna, crossing her arms.

'In some cases, being given a dead animal, including fish, can be seen as a threat, or as an ominous message. In some cases, it can be a way of cursing the recipient.' Astrid explained under the astonished gazes of Luna and Myo.

'I keep bringing gifts like this to Mr Snape to make him look less sad...' said Myo in horror.

'Had you made your intentions clear before?'

'Yes, I did.'

'In that case, there's no harm done. I'm sure Mr Snape is very happy to receive these gifts.

Luna nodded wisely. 'Yes, and Mr Snape's too thin, so with what you've given him, he's got to keep his strength up. However, I think you should send him more drawings too, I don't think he's so sad just because he's not eating enough.'

'You're right Luna, I'll come with you this weekend! We'll make a little diversion.'

'Luna? Your parents won't have any problems seeing me? You should tell them I'm coming with you.'

'Mum and Dad will be delighted to see you.' reassured Luna.

As they began to walk down the corridor towards the place where they had decided to have their picnic, Astrid saw Myo's wings start to quiver and her gaze went up towards the ceiling. Before the chick could act, Astrid placed a hand on her shoulder and opened a window wide. 'No skimming.' She said, trying her best to sound stern. Myo nodded and less than a second later she had dashed outside as if propelled by a spring, Luna caught in her arms.

Astrid sprang after her, a slight smile on her lips, remembering how she too, when she was younger, had wings that could itch to the point that preventing her from taking flight, even indoors, was a real ordeal. At least this time, she had saved a group of receptionists from a wild Myo that would blow away all their documents and frighten the other students.

oOOOo

Just after lunch, Myo landed in the undergrowth not far from the dovecote, her talons sinking into a thick layer of moss and lichen. She released Luna, who had insisted on coming because she had said she wanted to meet all of Myo's friends, whom she had yet to see. Astrid arrived just after, giving her a curious look. 'Myo, you still haven't told me what was so urgent that you had to do today?' she asked.
'Emily asked me not to leave the skulls of my hunts around the dovecote, because it's scaring some of the pupils and there are rumours of haunted forests.'
'How are you going to do it? Do you need any help?'
'No, I'll be fine, I think...' After all, she'd never called almost all of them at once. 'I'll just wake them up.'
'I'm so looking forward to seeing them.' Said Luna, clapping her hands excitedly.
'Let me know if you're not feeling well, okay?' Astrid asked.
'Yes, trust me... I think I know what I'm doing.' At these words, she closed her eyes and concentrated. It was something similar to the call of her flames, but deeper. She felt her flames respond, as joyful as ever at the idea of burning bright and strong, almost mischievous in her plumage, which the hot air was beginning to puff up. Gradually, deeply, she felt something respond to her flames, the cold, blackened charred links awakening again. She opened her eyes again, a relaxing sensation of release and power enveloping her. She was in the middle of a great blue blaze illuminating the undergrowth. Luna next to her was dancing in circles with Léopold, the flame hare leaping into the air after her, before perching on her shoulder, its body made of translucent blue fire revealing its skull, its orbits two wells of more intense, blinding flames. Luna ran her fingers through its flaming fur, a huge smile on her lips.
Not far away, she met Astrid's gaze, watching her with an expression of pride. That's when the first one arrived, a large boar of flame emerging from between the trees to come and sit down close by, waiting for her instructions. She remembered catching it in a forest quite far south-east of her tower in Scotland, one of her first great hunts, thanks to which she hadn't had to hunt for a month. Then came a shoal of flame fish, salmon, trout, mackerel, halibut... swimming gracefully between the branches of the trees. A stag, which she remembered sharing with the Tonks family and taking parts of to Severus, a few squirrels, lizards, several snakes, and many others... She had brought most of the skulls from her tower in Scotland to watch over her and her sisters at Beauxbatons, and around her, shrouded in flames, stood the incarnations of all the beasts she had had to hunt during the difficult winters and springs, or more occasionally in summer and autumn.
She was about to take to the air to guide her little army towards the nest, but when she spread her wings, she was interrupted by Astrid. 'Myo, you're going to cause panic if you take off with all these creatures in your wake'.
Astrid was right, it was better to go on foot. Although she had no desire to hurt her talons by walking for so long, she had to. However, just as she was starting to set off, the flame stag approached and lay down on the ground beside her, gesturing to its back with a shake of its head. Myo hesitated for a moment before sitting down on the translucent flames, marvelling at how tangible they were, giving her the impression of dipping her hand into real fur.
The procession then set off in a perfectly silent march, Myo in the lead, sitting sideways on the stag's back, guiding it with one hand on its antlers. All the other beasts followed with supernatural calm and order, bathing the undergrowth in a blue glow, luminous escarcelles floating in the air before disappearing in sparks carried by an invisible wind. In the middle of the group, Luna frolicked with undisguised delight, playing with her wand to cover herself in illusion, making her dresses look as if they were made of blue flames. Astrid closed the march, following the oneiric procession.
They made their way through the forest towards the small clearing where they had made their nest, no obstacle or difficulty in the terrain slowing their silent procession. It only took them half an hour to reach their destination, at the foot of the hollow oak, Myo jumped off her mount, patted it on the flank and stepped forward, finding herself in the middle of the circle of flaming animals. She herself was literally ablaze, and with a hand gesture shrouded in flames, all the creatures dispersed, each going to choose a place where their skulls would remain until their next awakening. Only Leopold remained, jumping into Luna's hands. At the same time as the flames engulfing her feathers dissipated, so did those forming Leopold, and the hare's skull fell back into Luna's hands in the form of a necklace.
Suddenly, Myo could no longer feel her legs, overcome by a sudden exhaustion, she thought for a split second that she was going to collapse to the ground before Astrid's arm came to support her. 'You've done an excellent job, Myo, but now you need to rest and regain your strength, do you want me to take you back to the tower?'
Myo yawned wide before murmuring. 'Luna and I's nest is just there, in the hollow of the tree, please take us there.
There were a few seconds of silence before she felt herself being lifted off the ground, heard her wings flapping and was deposited on the nest's large pile of cushions and blankets. A few moments later, she felt Luna join her. She closed her eyes, snuggling up to Luna.
'I'll leave you to it, I...' She heard Astrid start to say, but she mustered what little energy she had left to say. 'No, please stay.'

…

Astrid was sitting in the cutest little nest she had seen in a long time. Decked out with decorations, photos, lots and lots of drawings, all sorts of little objects that Myo must have found very pleasing to the eye. Were those several golden snitches on the shelf? She knew for a fact that Myo didn't play Quidditch though.

At the moment, she was so proud of the little bird, her demonstration earlier had been exceptional. When she would be fully mature, she could already imagine her joining the ranks of the greatest protectors of the flocks. Even though she knew she had nothing to do with it, she couldn't help feeling a sense of pride.

Meanwhile, Myo's head was resting on Luna's thighs, against which she was snuggled up, half asleep from the magical exhaustion caused by the call. Luna stroked her hair affectionately. She'd had her suspicions when she saw the feathers in Luna's hair, but now she was almost certain, no Veela would build this kind of nest just for a friend.

She had to talk about it, it was her duty as a chaperone. 'Luna, what's your relationship with Myosotis?' she asked.

Luna stared at her with a steely blue gaze that was far more penetrating than she would have expected from such a dreamy young girl. She bit her lip for a moment before answering in a small, uncertain voice. 'I don't know exactly. I love her more than a friend, I never want to see her go. I try not to think about it, but every now and then I can't help thinking that one day she'll fly away and never come back.'

Astrid was taken aback by these words. 'Why do you think that?

'I'm a creature of the earth, she's a creature of the sky... that would be the natural order of things.' She said bitterly.

'Luna, do you know the deeper meaning of all this?' She said, pointing to the inside of the nest, the feathers in her hair and the hare's skull around her neck.

'It's what Myo calls our nest, our secret hiding place of sorts. I'm surprised she asked you to stay, she's usually pretty exclusive about this place. The feathers and skulls, I'm not sure.' Luna said thoughtfully.

'I'm pretty sure Myo herself doesn't know the implications, but hear me out Luna. One feather is for a close friend, two feathers are for a family member, three feathers are for life companions. It's not something Myo necessarily understands, but traditions like this, which are universal among our people, are more instinctual than cultural. The skull you're wearing around your neck, am I wrong if I assume it's Myo's first successful hunt?'

Luna looked at her with eyes as big as saucers. 'No, how did you know?
'Among the Taïvaalta in particular, the first skull of the first hunt is highly symbolic. It represents the moment when you become a hunter and protector of the flock. It is also a companion, the embodiment of our inner flames. The first and most important. Often one of the only skulls named.'

'Leopold...' Luna murmured.

'Our essence is flame, and every skull of a life sacrificed in a hunt is marked by it. This is even truer for the first hunt. By giving you this skull, Myo has entrusted you with a fraction of her essence, her soul, to protect you and be in constant contact with you. I doubt Myo knows this, but if you're in danger and wearing the skull, she'll sense it.'

She paused to give Luna time to respond, but she was silent, Leopold's skull resting in her hands, its empty sockets glowing with an almost imperceptible bluish glow. 'And the nest?' Luna asked, one hand in Myo's hair, the other clutching the skull to her chest.

'Veela in general, Taïvaalta included, only build this kind of nest when they're with a trusted companion to develop the relationship in a more private way. It's not uncommon for the couple to give birth to chicks in the months or years following the construction of a nest.'

'Are you sure it's this kind of nest?' Luna asked. flummoxed.

'Absolutely, the details of the decoration and the location are unmistakable. Luna, I think you know Myo's situation better than I do, but I think she's much more attached to you than you think. She's probably not yet mentally mature enough to understand the implications of her actions, and with the circumstances she's grown up in, she's acting more on instinct than anything else. Luna, I know you're young, but we don't really have a choice. Please, I'm asking you to think about it. Either you're ready to consider a deeper, lasting relationship with Myo, or put clear limits on the potential of your relationship. Letting things develop as they do without thinking things through and making conscious decisions is only going to hurt you both. The fact that she's already built a nest means that things are well advanced but not yet irreversible. Just think about it, OK? And if you hesitate, discuss it with Myo, your choice concerns her too.'

'Yes ma'am...' Said Luna, her gaze fixed on Myo. Astrid was unable to guess what was going through her mind at the moment.

'I'll leave you to it, Myo needs to rest, calling up all her spirits simultaneously at her age is far from easy.'

At these words, she took off, being in someone else's nest was quite awkward for her, and what's more, she felt that they both needed some privacy. She would come back later in the evening to make sure everything was fine.