Her concentration was intense, her little tongue licking her lips as she ran the needle gently through the fabric of her black hat. She frowned, her large silver-blue eyes narrowing. The pretty white fabric flower she was sewing to her hat was particularly difficult to place. It was the eighth one she had sewn. Before, she had been busy sewing the green flowers and the little blue ribbons. She could have attached them with a simple sticking spell, but sewing was much more fun and much more precise! Her hat had to be perfect for the party. They had forgotten to decorate it at the school's coming-out party, and Luna regretted it. Having a black hat on her head had just been sad...
Next to her, Myo let out a small cry of joy, which made her jump and stick the needle in her finger. Luna winced and watched the little red bead on the end of her finger for a moment before putting it in her mouth to suck on her little wound, feeling the metallic taste on her tongue. She looked up at Myo with a frown. Myo had risen to her feet, waving her own hat in the air, dancing around the room, her half-spread wings the only thing keeping her balanced despite her antics. Soon, Luna realised the reason for Myo's joy. At the end of the hat, a snitch had been securely attached. Where Luna's hat was a rainbow of flowers and coloured ribbons, Myo's hat was covered with shiny objects from her collection, more or less well tied. Among them, feathers, dried flowers, pretty stones, and two or three small skulls. It was no longer a hat, but an indescribable chaos of shiny trinkets.
Luna loved it! She would have clapped with joy if she hadn't been busy sucking on her poor injured finger. Eldur, too, seemed approving of Myo's creation, if his joyful singing and particularly proud expression were any indication. After an excited flapping of her wings that sent all the papers scattered on the desk flying, Myo turned to her with a beaming smile as she presented her hat.
"Luna! What do you think?" she asked.
Unable to speak for the moment, her finger still in her mouth, a coppery taste on her tongue, Luna gave an approving chuckle.
Myo frowned, her beautiful green eyes reflecting her concern. "Show me." She said, setting down her newly decorated hat and reaching out a hand towards her as she approached.
Without argument, with absolute trust, Luna pulled her finger out of her mouth and held it out to Myo before giving her a big smile. "I love your hat Myo! It looks great on you and will keep the wrackspurts away!"
Myo took her hand gently and inspected her finger where the little ruby bead was already growing back. She placed her lips on the finger, and Luna felt herself blushing without really understanding why. A moment later, she felt Myo's flames enveloping her finger, their characteristic gentle warmth making her sigh slightly.
"You should have told me right away." Myo said as she reached into a cupboard and pulled out a small tin box from which she pulled a band-aid with unicorn designs on it.
"Sorry, I didn't think of that... thank you," Luna said simply, watching Myo carefully apply the small bandage. "Where did all this come from?" she asked, staring at the tin box filled with various other bandages, scissors and small vials.
"It's a present from Hermione. She gave it to me when she found out I couldn't cast healing spells yet." Myo replied with audible affection in her voice. "By the way, did you finish your hat?"
"Hmm, it's just missing a flower. Look!" Luna said, showing her own hat with pride.
Myo squealed with excitement as she looked at the pointy hat from every angle, admiration visible in her eyes. Luna felt a wave of pride rise in her chest. She was surprised when Myo placed the hat on her head before stepping back a few steps to observe her with concentration, before smiling again. "It fits you perfectly!"
...
A few minutes later, she, Myo and Eldur were walking towards the main hall, hand in hand. They were a little late and were looking forward to meeting their friends there. It had been a tiring day and they were both rather hungry. Plus, Luna was more than eager to show off her hat and explain how it was perfect for the Halloween atmosphere.
As they were walking down one of the school's long, dimly lit corridors, they both froze. A heart-rending scream reached their ears. Immediately Myo's features hardened, her flames appearing in her plumage. The gentle, kind Myo had disappeared, replaced by the fighter, the protector that Luna admired with all her heart.
In an instant, Myo tore the hare's skull from her collar and her flames enveloped it, giving birth to the flaming spectral form she had seen so often in the last few days. Leopold hovered in the air for a moment before nestling on Luna's shoulder.
Myo put both hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "I'm going to see what's going on, go to the Great Hall, Leopold will protect you."
Luna, who knew that questioning Myosotis' order while her safety was in danger was the worst idea in the world and would only result in her being grounded once again as her punishment had just been lifted the day before, nodded, and started to run towards the Great Hall as another ear piercing scream echoed through the corridors.
oOOOo
Myo ran with all her might, Eldur flying beside her, blessing her shoes, without which she was sure her scales would have already started to bleed. Her legs were not made for running, far from it, they were made for being light, grabbing prey, and landing comfortably on branches. And yet, she was running faster than she thought possible. Using her wings to propel herself forward as soon as the width of the corridor allowed. The screams came from a few dozen metres to her right, the girls' bathroom on the second floor. A place she knew was almost never used. The screams of terror and cries for help had given way to howls of pain and broken pleas.
Before she knew it, she had reached the door of the toilet. A vision of carnage presented itself to her eyes. All the cubicles had been destroyed, the wood and metal twisted and broken in grotesque ways. Water was gushing out with a horrendous noise from the ruptured pipes. Her blood ran cold through her veins, a fury such as she had never known flared in her heart.
Hermione was laying in the middle of the destruction, struggling weakly, in a pool of blood. A huge humanoid creature over ten feet tall with greyish, cracked skin was leaning over her. It was clad only in an old leather loincloth, and the huge tree trunk it used as a club was left on the ground. In its mouth was one of Hermione's legs, obviously torn off. The sickening sound of bones breaking in the thing's jaws reverberated around the room. Hermione, on the floor, was bleeding to death, screaming in pain and terror, frantic cries for help vibrating between her wails. The creature had not even noticed her, its small, purulent, yellowish porcine eyes fixed on its victim with a blank expression.
Myo saw red, her wings spread widely as she let out a gut-wrenching scream, so powerful that the stones around her cracked, every window for hundreds of metres around shattered, and the troll let go of Hermione's leg and took a few steps backwards, holding its head, a guttural groan of pain escaping from its foul throat.
Myo was pure flame and hatred, her rational mind having given way to an unquenchable, all-consuming fury. In a fraction of a second she threw herself at the troll, her flames burning and annihilating everything around her in a blue inferno of blinding light. She had grabbed the creature by the shoulders, lacerating the thing's belly with her sharp talons. Tearing through the troll's thick hide like paper, plunging into its entrails, tearing them out in sprays of flames. She was now nothing but fire, the creature's flesh turning to ash with every blow. The troll's bones melting, its flesh evaporating. With another discordant cry, she tore what was left of the troll's charred arms, smashing its carcass to pieces, striking and burning relentlessly before finally shattering its skull with the pressure of her talons. Revelling in the cracking of the bone in a vengeful fury. Without realising it, she had lost her human form, leaving only a huge bird of flame bearing down on what was left of the creature's disintegrated body, the last bone having been reduced to ash.
With nothing left to vent her rage on, Myo looked around, unaware of her transformation. Hermione was lying in the corner of the room, her chestnut hair forming a halo around her face. Eldur was bent over her, crying profusely over her wounds. Myo was in no condition to think, unable to know if her friend was alive.
Fury, anger and hatred had given way to fear, sadness and worry. She had to do something. Otherwise, Hermione would die. A place where she could be healed. Where others who did not share Myo's helplessness in this situation would be. Suddenly an image appeared in her mind, memories of pain, of the smell of strange potions, of humans dressed strangely. Of her first encounter with another bird thing. Flamel Hospital... The place where she had been healed. Eldur turned to her, and in a great blaze of phoenix fire, the three of them disappeared from the room, leaving behind only a scene of apocalyptic destruction.
Suddenly she was in a large, bright hall, surrounded by a large group of small humans. Eldur was at her side, resting on top of Hermione. Her small form lay motionless on the floor. Myo looked around, all the humans seemed terrified by her sudden appearance. But they had to take care of Hermione. They had to do something. Without thinking, Myo began to sing, for them to listen, for them to act. Her melodious song, filled with pain and sadness, reverberated through the great hall of the hospital and seemed to free all the humans who had been standing still in a state of shock. Several of them were now rushing towards Hermione. Levitating her in a stretcher with Eldur, before taking her towards a small door through which Myo was far too big to fit.
All the other small humans in the hall who hadn't rushed to Hermione were staring at her strangely. Not understanding, Myo stopped singing on a final note of heartbreaking sorrow. She didn't notice that several minutes before, one of the little humans had conjured up a silver, moon-like creature and sent it off somewhere.
What could Myo do now, she had destroyed, hunted, disembowelled, broken, annihilated the thing that had attacked her friend. She couldn't heal Friend herself. That's why Eldur had brought them here.
She was pulled from her grief, her pain and her fear by a gentle soothing presence caressing her like the waves of a calm lake. Surrounding her mind with a cloud of cotton. She turned her head, directing the two shafts of glowing flame that served as her eyes towards the origin of the wonderful sensation. A winged human... No, a veela with brilliant white, silver plumage was approaching her, singing a soft melody. The song, like a lullaby, soothed her pain, gradually bringing her to her senses. She didn't understand the words, but the melody and the sweetness was enough to get the message across, to calm her own terror. She was safe, Hermione would be safe, Luna was in the Great Hall, protected by Leopold and would be safe. All would be well.
Her flames, as if calmed, subsided. She felt herself shrinking, returning to a size she was more accustomed to. She stopped being flame and became flesh once again. Without hesitation, she let her small form fall into the arms of the unknown veela with its luminous silvery plumage. She felt herself being pressed against a chest, wings closing around her, hiding her from the world. One hand stroked her hair, another held her up. Something inside her broke, and she began to sob uncontrollably. The sweet song of the tall veela she was snuggled up against became a whisper, as she lost consciousness in extreme exhaustion.
oOOOo
A minute earlier, Minerva had been quietly chatting with Filius about the eventful start of the year over a glass of cider while watching the students celebrate Halloween. But the party had been promptly interrupted by Quirinus storming into the Great Hall. Screaming to anyone who would listen that a troll had entered the dungeons before fainting pitifully.
After ordering everyone to stay in the Great Hall under the guard of half the teaching staff and entrusting Quirinus to Popy, Albus led them at full speed through the corridors.
It was with dread that a quick 'point me' spell confirmed the presence of a troll. How such a creature could have entered the school was a mystery. Their little group was running, with a knot in their stomachs, hoping that none of the students who were late to the party had made the unfortunate encounter, when they came to a stop.
Trotting towards them, a most ridiculously decorated hat on her head, and a blue flame hare in her arms, was little Lovegood. The youngest student at Hogwarts. Minerva was fond of the girl. Despite her strange habits and young age, she showed great intelligence and talent in class. Her written reports left much to be desired, as they were often covered with drawings and other (lovely) illustrations. And they were full of references to invented magical principles and unknown creatures, but her practical results were admirable.
One thing immediately made her blood run cold. Myosotis Potter. The young veela who had almost adopted Miss Lovegood, and from whom she was almost never separated, the pair having quickly become an iconic duo, was noticeably absent.
"Miss Lovegood! Where is Miss Potter?" Severus exclaimed before she had time to react, his gaze still fixed on the pyromantic necromancy form the child held in her arms.
With her usual dreamy expression, Miss Lovegood stared at Severus for a moment before speaking. The hare in her arms seemed to sniff the air. "Myo went to help someone who was screaming. She gave me Leopold and told me to join the party."
"Miss Lovegood, a troll has broken into Hogwarts, Filius, please accompany Miss Lovegood to the Great Hall." Dumbledore said calmly.
The head of house of Ravenclaw nodded before taking Miss Lovegood by the hand and leading her towards the Great Hall.
Minerva exchanged glances with Severus and Dumbledore, and the trio immediately began to run. It was more serious than they thought, at least two students were in mortal danger. Suddenly, a terrible howl echoed through the castle. All the windows in the vicinity instantly shattered in a great crash of glass. Minerva's ears were ringing, but she did not slow down. Myosotis Potter and a student were in danger of life and death. She just hoped she wasn't too late, or that Miss Potter had managed to hold the troll back long enough. But from the sound of that shout, she feared the worst. No sooner had she thought that than another discordant scream ran through her entire being.
As they reached the corridor leading to the least used toilet in Hogwarts, a terrible stench assailed them. A horrific smell of charred flesh forced her to cast a bubble head spell on herself. A deafening din of high-pitched screams, flames and breaking bones echoed down the corridor. Just as they were about to do so, a few feet from the visibly destroyed door, a blinding flash stopped the trio dead in their tracks. It took Minerva a few seconds and an obscuro reticula spell to be able to see clearly again. Severus, Albus and herself rushed to the door, wand at the ready, prepared to save the students and finish off the troll.
It had been years since Minerva had seen such a scene of destruction. Where a few seconds earlier there had been a hurricane-like commotion, a thick silence had fallen. Albus and Severus were beside her in shock. Albus was white as a sheet, and looked twenty years older.
The room in front of her was unrecognisable. The walls were completely melted. The stone flowed like lava, giving off an orange light. The opposite wall was completely melted, leaving a large hole to the outside. There was no trace of the troll's corpse, no ashes, no bones. It was as if he had been completely disintegrated. There was nothing left, the metal of the pipes must have melted and instantly evaporated all the water they contained.
For the first time in years, Minerva stammered, "A... Al... Albus?"
" Taïvaalta's flames. " He said simply after a long moment of silence. "I've seen them, Minerva. Grindelwald had them among his allies." he continued in a shaky voice.
"The other student?" Severus asked in a cold voice.
"Dead, or taken by Miss Potter somewhere... With Fawkes and his flames, they could be anywhere."
"You think Miss Potter could have killed the other student?" Minerva asked, outraged. Miss Potter was one of the sweetest and nicest girls she had ever had the chance to teach. The fact that Albus would even suggest such a thing made her stomach twist.
"It's a possibility that it would be unwise to dismiss immediately." He replied diplomatically. "There is nothing more we can do here. Severus, please lock the door. I fear we cannot avoid facing a DMLE investigation."
Severus, who had been silent all along, his face devoid of emotion, simply nodded as she and Albus set off down the great hall. They had to make sure that all the students were safe and identify who was missing and if there were any others. Then they should make sure that everyone returned to their common room safely. Then call the Aurors and start a search of the school to make sure no other creatures have entered these walls. Not to mention the investigation to find out how the troll had got in. If all went well, the school would have to close for a week before being reopened once the safety of its occupants was assured. Minerva was already getting a headache from the thought of all the work this would give her. Not to mention the very real possibility of a dead student, the disappearance of Myosotis Potter, and the presence of a pyromantic necromancy construct in direct contact with a student. At least the thing was anything but aggressive.
As she and Albus got halfway down the Great Hall. Something vibrated in his pocket. He pulled out the function mirror of the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Minerva's eyes widened, the mirror was only used for emergency situations in the rare case that Albus had to be contacted urgently by the Ministry. In other words, she had only seen Albus use it a handful of times.
Albus winced, and faced the mirror, moving it away from his face. He touched it with his wand, and the image of Minister of Magic Mr. Fudge's stout face immediately appeared, his thunderous voice echoing through the hallway. "Dumbledore! What is the meaning of this! I have just been informed that we have a diplomatic incident of the highest order with the Grand Alliance! Miss Potter is reportedly unconscious in Flamel Hospital with a serious case of magical exhaustion, and one of your first year students is also there in critical condition! There is talk of attempted murder and a hate crime!" The minister wiped the sweat from his forehead as he caught his breath. Albus seemed to want to say something, but before he could open his mouth, Fudge had started yelling again. "The Grand Alliance is giving us an ultimatum! We have one hour to give a full explanation of the incident or they consider the contract of trust broken and promise to support Hymgaabal should the Veela Empire of Europe decide to use this incident as an excuse to retaliate for the purges! THE SITUATION IS MORE THAN SERIOUS DUMBLEDORE!"
Minerva swallowed. What on earth had happened? Beside her, Albus had turned chalky white and seemed to be on the verge of fainting. "Cornellius, calm down! There's been a security breach at Hogwarts. Miss Potter and her classmate have had the misfortune to run into a troll. I'm on my way to Flamel Hospital immediately to ease the tension."
"A troll at Hogwarts? That's impossible, that's madness! Dumbledore I..." Albus then interrupted the call, put the mirror back in his pocket with a shaky hand, removed his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
"Minerva." He said calmly. "I'll take care of this case. It will probably take me a few days. The school is in your hands." With that he disappeared in a great crack, using his Headmaster's privilege to ignore the wards. Minerva looked at the void where Albus had been a moment earlier with despair. This would surely be one of the longest evenings of her life.
oOOOo
It was a very sad evening for Jean and Marcus Granger. The rain was pounding against the windows of their house. Only the orange light of an old incandescent bulb illuminated their living room. They were both sitting on the sofa, huddled together. It wasn't that it was cold, far from it. But the absence of their daughter who had previously spent every Halloween with them was weighing heavily on their minds. Leaving a void in their hearts. A silence in the house. A cold feeling of absence. Hermione was not a noisy, troublesome, or unwise child. She was a model little girl, always with her nose in a book, discreet, excellent at school. Jean was very proud of her baby.
Despite her discretion, Hermione had a presence in the house, something sweet and reassuring that she missed terribly. Especially on the night that was usually spent celebrating Halloween with the family.
Jean had mixed feelings about Hogwarts. Her daughter spoke very highly of it, and according to her letters, she had made her first real friends there. The one her daughter described as her 'angel', a girl called Myosotis. But also a certain Luna, Tonks, Elvetia and a certain Neville. Her daughter had never had so much human contact, and that made Jean proud as well as happy. Moreover, from what Mrs. Mcgonagall had explained to them, it was very bad for the health of a young witch and that of those around her not to learn to master her magic. Still... She wished Hogwarts wasn't such a strict boarding school. She really wished she could see her daughter more often. Well, perhaps worst of all, she felt that muggles like them were not welcome. Even if they were the parents of a witch. They hadn't even been able to say goodbye to their daughter from the train platform.
Jean let her fingers slide over the paper of the last letter she had received from Hermione. The one telling her excitedly that she had discovered magic that even they could do, and that she was dying to see them again to show them. In that same letter she said she hoped to introduce them to her angel, but that it would be difficult to take her home, what with her having wings and all... a young girl with wings... Jean found it hard to imagine. The magical world was really... She was pulled out of her thoughts by a few knocks on the door of their house. She frowned... hadn't they seen the doorbell?
Before she could react she felt Marcus get up. "I'll get it, honey, it's probably just kids getting their candy.
"Isn't it a bit late for that? Jean asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe some of them are hanging out later than usual, who knows. Marcus replied as he walked towards the entrance hall.
Jean didn't have time to finish reading the letter again before Marcus was back in the room accompanied by a tall man with grey hair, steel blue eyes, an angular face and a stern look. She thought he was in his sixties. He was dressed in a large navy blue cloak that fell to his ankles.
"This is Francis Moraine, Foreign Affairs Liaison Officer for the Magical Ministry of the French branch of the Grand Alliance, he has some things to tell us regarding Hermione." Marcus said worriedly by way of introduction, not really seeming to understand what he was saying.
Jean nodded slowly and stood up, "Good evening, my name is Jean Granger, Hermione's mum. Can I offer you some tea?"
"Good evening madam, it's kind of you to offer, but I'm here to take you to see your daughter."
John swallowed. "What happened to Hermione?' If an agent of the French government was coming to find them personally, it must be serious. "Hermione didn't do anything serious did she?" She asked. Hermione was far too wise a child to do anything illegal, but that was the only reason she could imagine an agent from a foreign country coming to find them.
"No, nothing like that, Madam, your daughter is not guilty of anything. Madam, Mr. Granger, I feel compelled to bring you up to date on what happened earlier this evening. A troll- a monster- broke into Hogwarts. Miss Hermione Granger had the misfortune to stand in its way and was badly injured." He must have seen her sickly pallor because he hastened to point out. "Her life is not in danger. Her friend Myosotis Potter rescued her and immediately took her to the French magical hospital Flamel. Her situation is stable and she is no longer in any life-threatening danger." Francis concluded.
Countless questions raced through Jean's mind. How could her little girl have met a monster in a school she had been promised was safe? How badly was she hurt? How had she ended up in a French hospital hundreds of miles away? She was on the verge of tears, how could such a thing have happened to her Hermione? But only a handful of words escaped her lips. "Take me to her, please." Marcus was in a similar state and simply nodded.
"Alright, this is an emergency portkey." He said as he pulled a thick grey rope from his pocket. "It is a magical artefact that will transport us to a predetermined destination. Do not let go of the rope and take a deep breath. This mode of transport can be quite uncomfortable the first few times."
He held out his hand, and both John and Marcus grasped one end of the object. "All right, three, two, one, Axius." He finally said. Suddenly Jean felt a hook below her navel pulling her up into the sky and the world around her becoming a chaos of indescribable colour. Before she could even begin to feel the urge to vomit, she found herself in a medium-sized room with a well-lit marble floor. She was almost dazzled. However,
her throat tightened and the pounding of her heart in her chest at the thought of Hermione being hurt was so urgent that she didn't take a moment to look around.
She barely noticed that she was being led through several corridors, the only thing keeping her from completely collapsing was Marcus' hand in hers. The last thing anchoring her to reality. So much so that she didn't even notice when a young woman in a sky blue robe took the place of the man guiding them, the first thing she really saw was the form of Hermione, pale as a sheet, still, breathing softly, laying on a bed.
Jean stepped forward and took one of her daughter's hands in hers, letting one of her fingers rest on her wrist. The knot in her throat only loosened enough to allow her to speak when she finally felt Hermione's steady heartbeat. Marcus was at her side, one hand on Hermione's shoulder, the other between her shoulder blades. His eyes were fixed on their daughter's face.
"What happened to her?" Jean asked in a broken voice.
"She lost a lot of blood, and the troll amputated one leg and badly damaged the other. The phoenix tears that were immediately administered to her at the scene of the attack saved her life." Said the one Jean assumed was a doctor, or nurse.
" Her legs... Will she be able to walk again? Are there prosthetics?" Marcus asked in a hollow, shaky voice.
"A blood alchemist has been called in. He'll be able to regrow one leg and completely heal the other. We need you to sign this document to authorise the reconstruction of her limbs." She replied clinically.
"Can you really heal her completely? Make her like she was before?"
"Yes, there are no lasting effects. However, it is recommended that she stay home for the next three months, and that she consult a mind healer or equivalent in order to deal with any potential psychological trauma from the attack."
"There's no risk? For the reconstruction of her legs?"
"There is no such thing as zero risk, however, the risks of such an operation are negligible."
"How much will it cost us?" Marcus asked. Jean knew her husband would give anything for their daughter, but they needed to know. Such a service could not be free.
"The costs have already been covered by the familiar of Myosotis Potter who has made a generous donation of phoenix tears to the institution."
Jean was exhausted, her daughter hurt, her husband on the verge of tears... She no longer had the mental capacity to feel gratitude. She had to keep physical contact with Hermione, because if she didn't, she feared she would lose her forever. She could no longer think, she felt herself close to collapse. She needed time. She and Marcus would discuss this later.
oOOOo
It was going to be a beautiful day, perhaps she would go for a long walk in the lovely English countryside surrounding the Rookery, she thought to herself as she let the warmth of her scalding coffee filter through the china of the cup she held between her fingers. Luccys was wrapped around her neck like a scarf, the soft plumage of the occamy's wings tickling the back of her neck. It was indeed a beautiful morning, Mélusine thought, standing on the terrace at the back of the Rookery, her gaze drifting over the creeping mist-covered countryside gently dissipating under the onslaught of the rising sun.
Her brother and sister-in-law had gone on an expedition a few days ago. There had been a recent sighting of the crumple horned snorckak in southern Sweden recently, and the couple had not wanted to miss the opportunity to perhaps observe the elusive creature. Which was the reason for her presence at the Rookery. Xeno had made those big puppy dog eyes at her and she hadn't known how to say no. What she wouldn't do for her stupid little brother, she thought with a sigh, a half smile on her face. So she found herself in a highly unusual situation. A holiday.
Mélusine Lovegood, on holiday? What would her friends and acquaintances say if they knew... they probably wouldn't believe it... And yet, she had been staying at the Rookery for a little over a week with the sole purpose of looking after her adorable little goddaughter during the weekends and being available in case of an emergency for the children... She had fallen quite low... Not that she really minded. Time spent with Luna was never a wasted moment. Especially since Myosotis' bad influence had apparently awakened a devious little monster in her goddaughter's heart. The little girl who had so far been trouble-free and never done anything wrong had managed to get herself illegally enrolled at Hogwarts a year too early, only to be grounded a few weeks later for going into the forbidden forest alone...
It made her wonder... Perhaps she should deal with the fact that from what her little angel had seen, the Forbidden Forest was in a disturbingly corrupt state. The presence of háir álfar wasn't helping matters... What was Albus doing with this forest? He was supposed to be keeping the students safe. And with háir álfar, it was only a matter of time before someone got eaten.
She took another sip of coffee and winced at the bitterness. She would never recognize it, it would tarnish her image forever, but a hot chocolate would suit her better than coffee...
She was drawn out of her thoughts when her gaze fell on a black dot in the approaching sky. Given the time of day, it was probably the owl that was bringing the prophet. She sighed. She much preferred reading her brother's Quibbler, as it was far more entertaining and informative than the prophet, but she had to keep up with some of the news at least. Luccys seemed to sense the owl's arrival, for she untangled herself from her neck and flew towards the owl. Probably to play with it or try to make a friend.
A few minutes later, a large grey owl and Luccys landed together on the terrace table. As usual, Mélusine gave the bird a few treats, took the newspaper and slipped the ten knuts into the pouch the bird had tied to its leg. It let itself be stroked on the head for a few moments before resuming its flight to continue its rounds. Once again, like every morning, Luccys was disappointed to see her new friend leave. Mélusine could feel her sadness through their familiar bond. She rolled her eyes. Luccy never learned, she was far too quick to attach herself to anything with feathers.
Mélusine sat down at the table, unfolded the newspaper and took a sip of coffee. She spat it out just as quickly with a violent coughing fit, her eyes wide. She reread the headline five times. "Troll at Hogwarts, School temporarily closed, the Girl Who Lived saves the day again." Underneath was a photograph of a room in an advanced state of destruction.
Her eyes quickly scanned the article. A troll had broken into Hogwarts and seriously injured a student. The beast had been killed immediately by Myosotis Potter and her phoenix, Dumbledore's former familiar, who had taken the injured girl directly to a prestigious French magical hospital. A team of aurors was on its way to investigate and independent cursebreakers from Gringotts were sent to check the castle wards for potential security breaches. The injured girl, whose identity was not revealed, was unharmed, thanks to the tears of phoenix and the care of Flamel Hospital. The author of the article lamented that The Girl Who Lived had decided to trust Flamel's Hospital, rather than St Mungo's Hospital. The young Miss Potter then promptly disappeared after arriving at the hospital, and no one knew what had happened to her. There was only the rumour that she had suffered severe magical exhaustion as a result of her confrontation with the troll.
The school was temporarily closed, and parents were asked to collect their children from Hogsmead as soon as possible as the Hogwarts' express was also going to be inspected and brought up to standard. It did not really surprise Mélusine that the Ministry was so involved in the investigation of the school. With the baby boom following the defeat of Voldemort and the increase in the number of muggle borns due to the ever-growing muggle population, the school would soon have to undergo major renovations anyway to accommodate all the new students.
The article continued, clearly trying to reassure parents that the school would be safe again after the investigation. Strangely, Dumbledore's role in the disaster was entirely ignored. He was only mentioned as having managed to keep the number of victims to a minimum and was praised for calming diplomatic relations between the Grand Alliance and Great Britain, which had soured following the endangerment of Myosotis Potter. The prophet explained at length that in any case, the Grand Alliance should have no say in the running of Britain, let alone appropriate their national heroine in this way, even if the Girl Who Lived had the terrible defect of being a veela.
What followed was less and less interesting, as the article began to theorise about how and why Dumbledore's phoenix had chosen to leave its former 'master' to join the country's most famous veela. Which was apparently an argument for 'fans' of The Girl Who Lived because, how could a bad person have a phoenix by their side.
Mélusine had known about Myosotis' new pet for a long time, of course. She had received a lovely letter from Myosotis covered in drawings in which she had told about her adventure. The letter was so cute and beautifully decorated that Mélusine chose to put it under glass and hang it on a wall in her room. When Mélusine had told Luccys about Myosotis's new pet, the occamy had literally buzzed with excitement at the idea of a new friend.
Mélusine folded the newspaper and threw it on the table. She had things to do. One, find her lovely goddaughter, two, track down Myosotis. She had no doubt that the little girl had been caught by some veela and taken to an enclave for treatment. Probably the Delacours... at least, she hoped so. Besides, she had no doubt that Luna wasn't going to put up with being away from Myosotis for long, and if what she knew about the Taïvaalta was right, the feeling would be mutual.
She glanced at her moon medallion and felt its magic for a moment. Yes, Myosotis was somewhere in France, the medallion still on her, apparently in good health.
With a brief mental request, Luccys wrapped herself comfortably around his neck again, and Mélusine drew her wand. It would be lying to herself to say that she wasn't dying to get back to Luna. The little girl was too dreamy for her own good, and even with her other friends, without Myosotis' supervision, she might find herself in an absurd situation at any moment.
She went back inside the house and headed for the fireplace. She wished she could just teleport without the aid of the apparition network like her master did, but she didn't have the gift for that. The spirits didn't answer her, she couldn't see them. Her darling niece was blessed by the spirits, and she had to think about introducing her to her master in a few years. So that she could learn the true nature of her eyes and her soul. But enough rambling, coffee was really bad for her concentration. She had to stop drinking the stuff.
She threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and walked in, declaring loudly, "Hogshead" The floo network was definitely not her preferred means of travel. The broom or her 'vængi ljóss' spell, which although indiscreet, was as quick as it was comfortable. But she didn't have time for that.
A short and very unpleasant moment later, she emerged from the public fireplace of the dingy old Hogshead bar. She nodded slightly to Alberforth, shook hands quickly with Samaelius and Thomas, before walking out into the street. It had been a long time since she had seen Hogsmead. The village was still as bucolic as it was charming, the old houses covered with vines and wisteria and the multitude of small shops gave the village a warm atmosphere. Even if at the moment, the streets were much more animated than he remembered. The fact that many parents were already there, and visibly worried, was certainly a factor. Most of them seemed in a hurry to find their offspring. Understandably, a troll in a school was not something to be taken lightly.
Mélusine took her broom out of her pocket, returned it to its normal size, before mounting it and flying towards Hogwarts. The great, majestic castle had not lost any of its beauty, its great spear-like towers standing out against the sky. Soon she was approaching a wide area of beaten earth opposite the long bridge leading to the great gates. In this space was a considerable crowd of students of all ages, tired-looking teachers supervising the children, and parents gathering with their sons or daughters before leaving by various means of transport.
Mélusine landed gracefully and approached the group. She had already spotted her Luna's blonde hair. Her niece and goddaughter was having a lively discussion with two other girls. One she immediately recognized as Tonks, her fuchsia pink hair being a sure sign, and another she didn't identify.
Luna must have spotted her, because the little blonde turned into a cannonball and came at her with such force that she almost got knocked over in the collision. So with her arms full of Luna doing her best koala imitation and repeating "Lulu, Lulu," over and over in her T-shirt she turned to the other two girls.
"Hello, how are you Tonks?" She said, addressing the young fourth year.
"Hello Ms. Mélusine. I'm just worried about Myo and Hermione."
"Hermione is being treated, she's doing well, according to the paper. As for Myosotis, I know she's in France and in good health." She said confidently. At these words, she felt Luna relax in her arms. She felt a little bit of moisture running through her T-shirt. Was Luna crying? She began to gently stroke her niece and goddaughter's long blonde hair, trying to soothe her. Luna wasn't a girl who usually cried, so it was very disturbing for her to see her in such a distressed state. Although it was not surprising, two of her friends had disappeared and were in an unknown state with a troll in the castle. She mumbled something about flames evaporating and a lifeless skull between sobs.
As she continued to hold Luna close, Mélusine turned to the last girl of the trio who was standing a little ways away and watching her with barely concealed fear. Mélusine almost wanted to raise her eye to the sky. She knew she could be intimidating, with the eye patch and all, but still! How could she impress anyone with a blonde koala tied to her waist. "Tonks, can you maybe introduce me to your friend?"
"Sure." said Tonks, clearing her throat. "This is Elvetia Morelle. A friend of ours. Elvetia, this is Mélusine Lovegood. Luna's aunt and godmother. Surely you've heard of her before."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Morelle. Thank you for looking after Luna, Tonks and Myo. Morelle... the owl family of wizards... is that right?"
"Yes." Said the girl, blushing.
"Say hello to Elizabeth for me." Mélusine replied with a smile.
"You and Mother know each other?"
"We were in the same year at Hogwarts. We lost touch shortly afterwards. Well, there's more to it than that, but I've got to get this big baby home."
"Don't call me that..." she heard Luna whisper
"Do you want me to drop you off at your place Tonks? Or would you rather wait for Andy and Ted here?" Mélusine asked, ignoring Luna.
"I'll wait here and stay with Elvetia. Have a good trip Mélusine."
She nodded and was about to get on her broom again when she heard Elvetia call out. "Wait!"
"Yes?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Can I have your autograph please?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. This happened from time to time. She held out one of her hands.
Elvetia's eyes lit up as she reached briefly into her bag and pulled out a pencil and a copy of "To unbound and vanquish, a battle magic guide." A book Mélusine remembered writing years ago, perhaps shortly after her graduation from Hogwarts. She signed the first page and the young Elvetia clutched the book to her chest, blushing. "Well, I really must be going. If Luna isn't home by the time Pandora and Xeno get their copy of The Prophet, I don't think I'm gonna make it. With that, she hopped on her broom and headed back to Hogsmead, Luna still clutching her.
oOOOo
The woods near the rookery was a place she knew like the back of her hand. Every tree, every bush, every little pond and pool. She hummed as she walked slowly. Feeling the pleasant sensation of dead leaves and wet earth under her bare feet. The softness of the moss, the roughness of the fallen branches and bark. Despite the fact that the sun had set a while ago, a wood as full of magic as this one was never really completely dark. Many of the mosses gave off a soft, diaphanous glow. The whimsical glow of pixies and welnuts fluttering between the low branches had never ceased to amaze her. She could hear the melodious laughter of a parisette not far away, and feel the curious glances of the small moss people and those of the edges following her with curiosity.
Luna couldn't help but let a smile form on her face. She loved to feel the forest breathing around her. Vibrant and full of life.
Finally, she reached her destination. She jumped gracefully onto one of the large mossy rocks surrounding her favourite pond. She sat down, and let her gaze drift. To the soft glow of the nocturnal fauvis floating lazily over the water, to the reflection of the crescent moon, to the gentle ripples of the reeds in the breeze.
She sighed deeply. In truth, she had run away. By late morning, Mum and Dad had stormed back into the house, having cut their excursion short. Just to make sure she was okay. Her mother hadn't let her out of her sight. It was as if, if Luna got out of her sight, she would disappear. What had disturbed her most was the strange logic. Luna was no stranger to danger. Her family used to go on magizoology expeditions all over the world, and they had proved dangerous on many occasions... Luna probably knew why. There had always been many seers in her and her mother's family. She herself was one... she stroked the Myo feather brooch she always kept in her hair. Like the fact that she could tell with some accuracy if her friend was in danger. Like how she could feel echoes of possible futures giving her hunches and impressions of events to come. Maybe Mum had felt something similar and had been overly concerned. She would probably have to listen to Myo's advice and take divination classes when she got to Beauxbâtons.
Anyway... she needed some time alone. She knew within herself that Hermione was fine. She could feel the flames of Myosotis giving her feather a soft protective warmth. But she couldn't help feeling gloomy. She knew with absolute certainty that she would see Myo again. But when? The question remained unanswered. She began to caress Leopold's skull, which she had decided to wear around her neck until she could return it to Myo. She would return it to her as soon as possible, before the moon, she swore to herself.
She felt the serpentine, ethereal body of a long serlune slide against her skin. The translucent white body and luminous blue eyes of the creature stared back at her. She smiled and stroked the beast, her fingers sinking into it as if it were cotton or a thick mist. The moon was at its zenith. Its silver glow flooding the clearing. It was time to go home. Mum had had enough worries as it was throughout the day. Especially as she could feel the cold and silence surrounding the presence of a stranded not far away. She could only wait for Mélusine to return and hope that she would bring Myo back with her. Or at least, news of her friend.
oOOOo
This year was getting worse by the month. First of all, Myosotis was a Veela. The Grand Alliance had gotten involved in the case, probably for diplomatic reasons with their Veela population and Hymgaabal. Then, as if that wasn't enough, his office had been attacked and looted without any trace of a culprit. Complaints from quidditch players were piling up as snitches kept mysteriously disappearing. And now, a troll had broken into the school, probably with the help of a Voldemort supporter, a student was in hospital, Myosotis had disappeared, Nicolas had come to get his stone back after having given him a lot of admonitions... because hiding the stone in a mirror was not an experiment...
Worse, the school would be closed for a while. If only he'd managed to control the spread of information, things would have been so much easier.
Albus sighed as he walked down the corridor towards Quirinus' chambers. He needed to inform him of the new expectations of the board of governors for when classes resumed. He knocked several times on the door and waited. When there was no answer, he grumbled and entered. Quirinius was probably napping again.
He opened the door and walked in, it was important, Quirinus could forgive him for this little misdeed. Albus raised an eyebrow. The room was empty... entirely, empty.