hunting unicorns

[metamorphmaga]

As spring approaches and the snow begins to melt, Jenny and Emma take to spending their free afternoons outside, practicing flying or doing homework on the lawn or just generally enjoying the sunshine. Their spot of choice is not, as such things go, all that far from the forest, and for Jenny it becomes something of a game: see if you can spot a unicorn. She never does, but she never gives up hope. Someday.

After about a month of this, Emma decides to leave the lawn early- she's finished her letter to her parents, and wants to drop it at the Owlery- so Jenny is left to her own devices. Bored, she examines the forest. It's only supposed to be unsafe at night, right? It won't hurt to go wander around a little in search of unicorns. She won't go very far.

And if she's lucky- unicorns.

---

Half an hour later, Jenny is deeply regretting her idea. She is completely lost, and the forest has gotten much darker and gloomier. She would go back, if she had any idea where to go. She's taken to making little piles of rocks, to attempt to mark her way; unfortunately, so far all this has told her is that she is definitely going in a circle.

The next time she re-encounters a pile, she branches out to the left instead. She's pretty sure she came from that direction, so maybe-




Cold.

Jenny is friends with Miranda. Miranda has been compulsively researching Dementors all year; she knows what it means, this cold, the screaming terror. But it's so much worse than anything ever, ever said it would be. She's frozen to the spot, unable to move, brain screaming in terror.

And then the Dementor appears. Slowly but visibly, it approaches her. Is it bigger than the books said they should be? She thinks it is. It's already looming and it's not even close.

Frantically, crazy with fear, Jenny does the only thing she can think of- she shifts away her mouth.

The Dementor stops, seeming to hover in place. Jenny stays frozen in place. The Dementor doesn't seem to be planning to Kiss her... but it's not moving, either, and she's still stuck.

Oh, God. Now what?

Comments

[marrinikari]

Since Jenny and Professor Fisher are still in the infirmary, the Headmistress waves to Emma to close the door behind her and settles into her chair, looking at the three of them solemnly.

"I'm sure you know why you're here," she tells them. "And- well. We have run every test we could think of, and as far as we can tell... the Dementor is dead." If one looks closely, one might notice a large torn black cloak in the back corner of the office, in fact. "We have, after extensive searching, discovered no others in the area. And while we are admittedly operating rather on guesswork, we also have an idea of what happened to it, to make it so- large."

Her brow furrows. Whatever she's thinking about, she's not pleased.

"The Dementor appears to have obtained a- let us say, a powerful artifact, lost after the Battle. It has now been safely retrieved." Her flat tone discourages questions. "I can guarantee that no others exist. Hopefully, this will reassure you as to your continued safety here."

She clears her throat and continues. "As far as your Patronus, Miss Swan, I admit to being concerned about the reaction of the press. The Prophet has been known to sensationalize stories at the expense of their subjects. I have no intention of granting interviews without certain safeguards in place, but I would appreciate your cooperation." She scowls. "Certain reporters have been known to attempt to- circumvent such restrictions."

[chanuphis]

"I don't - especially want to talk to reporters," says Miranda. "But I can make the giant person Patronus even when I'm just in our dormitory, it wasn't a one-off, so I still want to kill more of them. I'd go with somebody if somebody will take me."

[marrinikari]

McGonagall stares at Miranda over her glasses. "You are in school, Miss Swan," she sighs, "though I suppose I cannot control your holidays. But while you are at Hogwarts, you are expected to attend your classes and complete your work." She taps her wand on the desk in thought. "Please tell a professor if a reporter attempts to contact you. Even if it's just an owl. That goes for all of you," she adds, looking rather sad. "You never know, these days."

[parental_guidance]

"...um. Headmistress? Does this mean I can tell my parents now?" Emma ventures to ask.

[marrinikari]

McGonagall nods slowly. "We'll have to tell the Ministry, of course," she says, partly to herself. "Others will need to know about this. You do not need to maintain perfect silence, though, again- reporters should be sent to your teachers. Or really, anyone you do not know. But your parents, yes, your parents are fine."

[pleating]

"And we can tell them everything?"

[marrinikari]

"As you like. It was rather a brief, if- spectacular- encounter; there is only so much to tell. And like I said, the Ministry will know of it soon enough."

[chanuphis]

"What will the Ministry think of it?" wonders Miranda.

[marrinikari]

"Honestly, Miss Swan?" McGonagall sighs. "With the state of the Ministry these days- I haven't the least idea."

[chanuphis]

"There's not like - an endangered species law or anything that someone can be stupid about if they decide they don't like me, is there?"

[marrinikari]

"Merlin help us, I can't begin to think what's a law these days," McGonagall snorts. "After all the, the, turnover at the Ministry, I'm sure all their records are a right mess." She shakes herself and eyes them. "Was there anything else?"

[chanuphis]

"Is it all right to tell other students if they ask?"

[marrinikari]

"Hm. If they won't talk to reporters about it, I suppose."

[pleating]

"...How do we tell if they will?"

[marrinikari]

"If you don't know them well enough to know the answer, perhaps you should rethink telling them?" McGonagall suggests mildly.

[chanuphis]

"Well, I don't think Alli would tell reporters," Miranda says. "Everybody else can just wait."

[parental_guidance]

Given permission to tell her parents, there's nothing else Emma feels like asking the Headmistress. Hogwarts seems to have things under control; and anyway, it's not like she has any desire to talk to reporters regardless. She mumbles a thank you to the Headmistress and summarily flees the office. She knows she's not in trouble, per se, but in the office, it still feels like it.

[chanuphis]

Miranda lingers to inquire if McGonagall would perhaps like to see her Patronus and maybe cast spells at it to see why it's special.

[marrinikari]

Once Emma and Karen have left, the Headmistress sizes up Miranda. "Miss Swan. I believe a more thorough examination of your Patronus should be left to an expert; the Ministry has promised an experienced Auror 'at their first availability.'" She's a bit skeptical of this, as it happens, but it can wait. If the Ministry drags their heels, she'll worry about it then. "However, there remains the concern of your... less than standard wand. Professor Flitwick tells me you have seen unexpected results with it before?"

[chanuphis]

"It's mine," says Miranda. "I'll show you whatever you want to see but it's my wand, not a 'concern'."

[marrinikari]

"Given recent events, I should like to verify that it is not dangerous," McGonagall says mildly, if sternly. "You have proven yourself capable of feats with that wand that should be well beyond a first year. If the wand is in some way unstable, or powered by Dark Magic... these things are best discovered early." She softens slightly. "If it proves to simply be an unusual wand, that is a very different matter, of course."

[chanuphis]

"If you are even considering that you might take my wand away I would like my mum to be involved in the conversation." Since listening to Miranda herself is probably out of the question. "Casting a Patronus at all is supposed to be too advanced for a first year and I can do it with my normal wand too, it just gets me a smaller one."

[marrinikari]

"I have no intention of taking your wand away unless I can prove it is a danger to yourself or others. Is that acceptable?"

[chanuphis]

"Prove it to who?"

[marrinikari]

McGonagall adjusts her glasses with a sigh. "If we disagree you are welcome to involve your mother. But as you have said, it's your wand, Miss Swan. You will need to be present and involved at least sometimes. I will not be... be..." she is somewhat at a loss for words here, "absconding with your wand to perform Nameless Tests without your input."