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DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Sunday 28 February 2010 03 53 06 pm    Post subject: Re: Beyond the Shadow in topic:Beyond the Shadow Chapter 3: Sophie Nymphadora Lupin Farina gave me a glare that would make a dragon shrink back in fear when I ran into the clinic at exactly 1:30. I think she had been hoping that I would've been a minute late so she could've yelled at me. Luck had been on my side that time. I went to the nurse's station and they handed me the chart for the wizard in Exam Room One. “What seems to be the problem?” I asked once I was inside the room. The wizard sitting on the exam table didn't look particularly sick, nor did he have any obvious injuries. In fact, he looked perfectly fine. “Er,” he muttered, “I've got this, well, growth on my, er, arse.” “Roll over,” I told him. He did so and I noticed his wand sticking out of the back pocket of his jeans. “Here's your problem,” I said as I yanked his wand out of his pocket, “There are a million reasons not to keep your wand in your back pocket, growths on your arse being just one of them. “Oh,” the man sat up and his face was bright red, “Well, I'll just stop doing that.” “Good idea,” I said and handed him his wand. I got rid of the growth with a wave of my own wand and the man left, still bright red. We've actually gotten quite a few people in the clinic with the same complaint. I was beginning to think that someone needed to tell all the first years at Hogwarts not to put their wands in their back pockets. It seemed kind of obvious to me, but I guess not everyone thought of it. The afternoon droned on and I healed various ailments and injuries. A few colds, one case of the flu, and a few minor spell damages. I also assured one very worried mother that just because her four-year-old daughter had not yet displayed any signs of magic, it did not mean she was a Squib. I left the clinic at exactly five o'clock and went straight down to my brewing room. It was so nice to escape to the peace and quiet of the room after being in the chaotic hospital all day. My potion was ready to send off for testing. Whenever new potions were created at St. Mungo's, they were sent to a different department of the hospital for testing. They had to be mixed with other potions and run through various lab tests to find out if they were dangerous or would interact with other potions. Potions testers also worked in the basement, in separate rooms. It often took a very long time to get results back from the testing and it was always a very nerve-wracking time. A few of the potions I had created had come back labeled as dangerous and it was such a let-down when that happened. I let the Wolfsbane simmer for a half hour before bottling it and filling out the form for testing. Then I walked down the long corridor towards the testing room. The testing room looked like something out of a Muggle horror movie. It was filled with all sorts of stainless steel contraptions and cauldrons bubbling with various potions. The testers wore white hazardous waste robes and masks. There was a window with a small two door box which potions were transferred with. I rang the bell next to the door and one of the testers came over. “Amy,” he greeted me, “Another version of Wolfsbane?” “Yep,” I said as I put it in the box, along with the form, “Hopefully this one's better than the last one.” My last potion had failed the tests. I had had to completely start over. “It should be ready in a few weeks,” he told me, “We'll owl you the results.” “Thanks,” I said as I left. ****** Victoire was waiting outside my flat when I got home a little while later. She was glancing at her watch when I first saw her and then she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw me. “There you are,” she said, “I thought you were done at the clinic at five. Did Farina make you stay longer?” “No, but I had to go send my potion to testing,” I said as I unlocked the door, “You know you could've gone to Matt's and gotten the spare key. You didn't have to wait outside.” “I did,” Victoire replied as we walked inside, “He wasn't home. Neither was Albus.” “Albus had to leave again today,” I said, “Oh, right, Matt had to work late tonight.” “Well, it doesn't matter. You're here now. I just have to be home by eight because Teddy's got night duty at eight-thirty,” Victoire said as she sat down on the couch. Teddy was an Auror and his hours were worse than Victoire's. The two of them were lucky if they were able to pass each other in the doorway. Sophie spent a lot of time either at my place or with her grandparents. She didn't mind, though. Teddy and Victoire were lucky she was such an easy going kid. “So, why were you loitering around my door waiting for me to come home?” I asked as I put a pot of water on the stove and dug out a box of pasta. “Are you working the day after the full moon?” Victoire asked. “No,” I turned around and looked at Victoire, “Farina gave me the day of and the day after off. Why, is she making you work that day?” “Yes,” Victoire sighed and put her head down on the table, “I got the day of off, but she won't give me the day after off. And Teddy's got to work that day, too.” “Don't worry,” I told her, “I'll watch Sophie. Just drop her off here before you go to work.” “Thanks,” Victoire said, “I just hate being away from her the day after.” Sophie may have been a very easy going child, but there was one thing that set her apart from other kids her age. Sophie Nymphadora Lupin was a werewolf. Wolfsbane worked fine for her, but she was still incredibly exhausted the day of and the day after full moons. Victoire and Teddy had found out about it while Victoire was still pregnant. Starting in the second trimester, Sophie became incredibly restless during full moons. Victoire, being a Healer, and Teddy, being the son of a werewolf, noticed this and Victoire had a test done to find out if the baby had lycanthropy. It came back positive. The remainder of the pregnancy had been incredibly stressful. Lycanthropic babies are incredibly rare and nobody really knew what was going to happen. Victoire had had to take Wolfsbane and spend every full moon in St. Mungo's, in case the baby transformed. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Victoire gave birth to a seemingly perfectly healthy baby. Sophie did not transform until she was almost three. Nobody knew why and we still don't know. Victoire and Teddy had started her on Wolfsbane as soon as she was born, but nothing ever happened until she was almost three. Teddy and Victoire tried hard to make sure at least one of them didn't have to work the day of and the day after full moons, but every once in a while they both had to work. If that happened on a full moon, I stayed with Sophie at their house. If it was the day after, Sophie would come stay with me. There had yet to be a full moon where Teddy, Victoire, and I all had to work. We had a back-up plan that if that ever happened, one of my parents would stay with her. Sophie was actually the most well-adjusted werewolf I had ever met. She didn't seem to care one bit that she was a werewolf and went through transformations in stride. Victoire left a little while later and then Matt showed up for dinner, as he often did when Albus was gone. He didn't really like to cook and even though my own cooking was mediocre, he said it was better than his. ****** The next day at work was just one of those days where nothing went right. First, the bloke who had been attacked by a manticore took a turn for the worse. He wasn't responding to conventional treatment. Healer Sterling took over his case because he had more experience with that sort of thing. Jamie had a high fever the entire day that potions just didn't seem to fix. It finally decreased at the end of the day, but he had barely woken up at all. George and Candace were tense the entire day and were taking it out on Kyle, who really didn't know what was going on. Eventually I had Kyle play in my study while I did paperwork just to give everyone a break. I knew all too well what it was like to be in Kyle's shoes. What I really needed after that day was to go to the Leaky Cauldron with Victoire and Teddy and get my mind off of work, but instead I went to visit Cinda with Matt. Visiting a nursing home does absolutely nothing to lift one's spirits. Cinda's nursing home is like a palace. It's a state of the art facility where all the residents get their own rooms that are decorated to look like living quarters in a castle. A king's castle, not Hogwarts. It costs a fortune to live there, but Cinda's got loads of money. Matt and I arrived shortly after dinner was over and the receptionist told us that Cinda was in her room. Cinda's room was decorated with pink and a lot of flowery patterns. There were a lot of pictures of Mum as a kid and a few of Matt and I as kids. Plus there are a few of Cinda and Richard. “Cinda?” I asked loudly and knocked on the door as we walked inside her room. “Oh, Amy! Matt!” she shouted, “I was wondering when you'd come see me.” Cinda has lost none of her wit as she's gotten older. She's still as sharp as she was when she was young. It's her body that's going. She's just gotten old. She can't walk very well and uses a wheelchair. Her hearing's gone as well. “Hi, Cinda,” I said as I gave her a hug, “How are you feeling?” “As well as can be expected,” she replied, “Now, Amy, where on earth did you get that sweater? It's positively dreadful.” “It's what I wear under my work clothes,” I said as I sat down on the couch, “No one can see it.” I didn't think the sweater was that bad. It was brown and white striped. At least it didn't have any reindeer on it. Then it would be an awful sweater. “Oh, happy birthday, Amy!” Cinda said. “Thanks,” I smiled. “I have to tell you this, Amy. You know the lady who lives across the hall? Well, her daughter just got arrested. Can you believe that? She robbed a grocery store...” Cinda said. I spent the rest of the evening listening to Cinda gossip about the various ladies who lived in the nursing home. Some things never changed. Each time I visited Cinda was the same. The gossip was different, but it was always there. Cinda never seemed to tire, either. Most older people went to bed at seven or eight at night. Not Cinda. She always kept talking until one of the nurses came in and told us visiting hours were over. I never really minded. Some of the gossip was boring, but it obviously kept Cinda happy and there wasn't much else to do in a nursing home. She had been so depressed after Richard died; it was nice to see her happy again. “Cinda,” one of the nurses said as she knocked on the door, “I'm afraid visiting hours are over.” Cinda sighed, “Well, don't wait so long before you next visit.” “I won't,” I got up and gave her another hug. Then I nudged Matt awake. He never really had the tolerance for Cinda's gossip. “Hmm?” Matt asked. “Time to go, Sleeping Beauty,” I grinned. “Shut it,” he muttered and then turned to Cinda, “We'll be back soon.” “Good,” Cinda told him, “And no falling asleep next time.” “Merlin, that place is too pink,” I said to Matt as we walked towards a back alley to disapparate. “It's like your room at her house,” Matt laughed. “Seriously, one room should not have that much pink,” I said, “If I ever have kids, none of them are going to have pink rooms.” We took a break in the conversation to disapparate and reappeared a few blocks away from our building. “What if one of them likes pink?” Matt asked. “Then they can paint their room pink when they're older,” I told him, “Do you want to come over and have dessert or something?” “Nah,” Matt shook his head, “I think I'm just going to go to bed.” I left him at his flat and then climbed up the stairs to mine, where I drowned my work sorrows in a pint of chocolate ice cream. Chocolate didn't solve everything, but it never hurt things either. ****** “You've got an owl,” Natalie handed me a letter as I ran out of my study the next day. I thanked her and pocketed it. I was late for clinic duty. Farina was going to murder me. I didn't even have a good reason. I had been reading a potions book in my study and lost track of the time. Three minutes late. I skidded into the clinic three minutes late. In Farina's book, that was nearly as bad as skipping a shift all together. “Eckerton!” Farina shouted as I grabbed a chart off the nurse's station desk. “I'm sorry!” I shouted back. “Consider this your warning,” she told me. She must have been feeling generous that day. Farina didn't give warnings. They just weren't her thing. I didn't have time to open the letter until after the clinic was closed. I made sure to stay an extra three minutes and then went back to my study. Sterling was on call that night and was in his study doing charts. He looked up when I walked past. “Are you going to be in on Friday?” he asked. “For a little while,” I answered, “I have to, for Jamie. But I'm also watching Sophie that day. I might have to bring her with me, depending on whether Matt's well enough to keep an eye on her.” The letter was quite wrinkled after having been shoved so hastily into my pocket. I hoped it wasn't anything too important. I sat down in my chair and ripped it open. [i]Amy, Matt never came into work today. Could you check up on him when you get out? Love, Dad[/i] I sighed and started to get my things together. Matt usually only missed work the day of the full moon and then two days after. “See you Friday,” I said to Morris on my way out of the room. “Bye, Amy,” he replied. There was not much food in my flat, so I stopped by the Magical Market on my way back. I have the tendency to wait until the last minute to grocery shop and the day I was forced to do it was never convenient. I finished in record time and put it haphazardly away before going down to Matt's flat. He had given me a spare key when he moved in, so I just went right inside. Matt and Albus's flat was the same lay-out as mine, but it looked drastically different. The place was filled with mismatched furniture and absolutely nothing was put away. My flat was organized chaos, theirs was just chaos. It wasn't nearly as bad as John and Kaden's, which I had only seen on one occasion, but it was still a mess. It was so quiet that it almost seemed like no one was home. I headed straight to Matt's bedroom. The door was shut and I opened it as quietly as I could. Matt was sound asleep in bed, buried under numerous blankets. His face was flushed and a wave of my wand told me he had a fever. I gently nudged him and he rolled over and opened one eye. “Ugh,” he groaned. “How do you feel?” I asked. “Like shit,” he muttered, “What time is it?” “Just after seven,” I told him, “Did you know you slept through work?” “Oh Merlin,” he said, “I haven't done that in months.” “It's ok. Dad understands,” I told him. “No one else would,” Matt said. “No one else needs to,” I replied, “Now you're staying with me until tomorrow night.” “I don't want to move,” he mumbled. “I told you not to stay up late with your friends this past weekend,” I said as I pulled the covers off the bed, “Maybe next time you'll listen. Now come on, you've got a fever and you need potions.” “Ok, I'm getting up,” he said. It took us a while to get back to my flat because Matt kept stumbling. He looked a little drunk, which earned us two weird stares from various tenants. It had been so much easier when we were kids and Mum and Dad could carry him. In some ways I never get away from work. I mean, obviously I leave the hospital and go home, but there's still work to do there. Between Matt and Sophie, there's always something that needs to be done when I'm not at St. Mungo's. This was especially evident around the full moon. Me practically dragging Matt to my flat was a normal occurrence, especially if Albus wasn't home. I helped Matt into the spare bedroom and then went to get him his usual potions. I could probably dole them out in my sleep I've done it so many times. Once I'd gotten him settled, I cooked myself dinner and settled down to read for the evening. However, I couldn't concentrate. Usually I could read for hours, but that night was different. There was something I had been thinking about doing for a long time and I couldn't put off deciding about it any longer. When I first started my Healer training, I decided to keep my work and family life separate. What that meant was that I never have told any of my patients about Matt. It was his secret to share and I never thought it would be fair to me to tell people about it, even if they were other werewolves. It hadn't been easy. I couldn't count the number of times I'd been yelled at by newly bitten werewolves who insisted that I had no idea what it was like. I'd assured so many of them that they could live normal lives and half of them sneered at me, telling me I was just saying that to be nice. They'd had no idea how much experience I'd had. Mum was the same way. A few years ago she founded the Lycanthropic Children's Foundation. Never once has she told anyone her real reasons for starting it. It's a strange organization as it's built on secrets. None of the active members have said they have a child with lycanthropy, but quite a few of them do. I know due to the fact that I'm many of the children's Healer. Mum's the President, I'm the Vice-President, and Victoire is the Treasurer. There was one family whom I wanted to tell about Matt. I wanted them to know that I knew what they were going through, wanted them to know why I was working so hard on the Wolfsbane Potion. Jamie's family. If only they could really know that Jamie could live a normal life. If only they could know that another werewolf had attended Hogwarts. His parents could benefit so much from talking to my parents. The idea had really gotten me thinking. What if we got rid of the secrets in the Lycanthropic Children's Foundation? What if we branched out to offer support for parents and children alike? As of right now we focused on raising money and distributing it to those children who suffered from lycanthropy to help with medical bills and to buy Wolfsbane. Support groups would do wonders. Parents could talk to other parents and children could play with one another. Matt hadn't really had any friends until he got to Hogwarts. If he'd known other children with lycanthropy when he was little, maybe he wouldn't have been such a shy kid. My mind was racing. Was this a good idea? Nobody who was a part of the Foundation would be angered to find out who was a werewolf, right? Otherwise they wouldn't be in the Foundation. I'd have to bring it up at the next meeting. I stayed up half the night working on the proposal for the next meeting. Mum would want most of the details hammered out before I brought it up. It was nearly one in the morning when I finally decided to call it a night.
FortisUmbra Joined: 18 August 2009 Posts: 243	Posted: Saturday 26 December 2009 09 51 38 am    Post subject: Re: The Shadow in topic:The Shadow Mathew was tired and he could tell that John was tired too, but he could tell from the look on his face that he really wanted to walk. “Fine ill take you. Come this way.” Turing around and letting the portal vanish Mathew walked out the door he headed for an elevator and stepped inside. When John was beside him Mathew pushed a button and the elevator rose two floors. They stepped out of the elevator and Mathew pointed to the only door here. “This is the gym. Here you can practice dueling with or without powers. They have weapons, a basketball court, a pool, a racket ball court, weights, and basically anything you will ever want from a gym.” they turned around and went back to the elevator. They went up another floor. “This is the cafeteria.” Mathew said motioning to an open set of double doors on the right side of a long hallway. As they passed this they heard someone call to them. “Hey Mathew, John wait up.” Roger came running from the cafeteria, a pudding cup still in his hand. Mathew looked irritated. “How you been?” Roger asked John and without waiting for a reply said “good good. We’ll see you later” and he ran off again. Mathew shook his head “he just wants some form of credit. Well these are the showering rooms.” He pointed to two doors right next to each other one having a male sign the other a female. They continued down the hallway passing door each one next to each other and marked with numbers. It greatly resembled a hotel. Mathew stopped by one of the doors and said “This will be your room here’s the key. I f you want anything I will be in that room.” Mathew pointed across the hall at the door directly across to Johns room. “Good night and sleep well.”
Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Friday 18 December 2009 10 18 37 pm    Post subject: Re: The Shadow in topic:The Shadow Jon followed Jeffery into the vault and took a sudden breath when he saw the number of drawers stacked to the very high ceiling. There was a library ladder so that people could go up to the boxes and collect the contents. As Jon entered the room, he noticed another room to the left that had a table in it and a rubbish bin. "That's where people can view their items in privacy." Jeffery said, as if reading Jon's mind. Jeffery looked at Jon's key again and then grabbed a remote from the bottom of the ladder and pressed a green, flashing button. The ladder moved ahead of them, and the two followed. "Thrity four... thirty five... yet.. here it is. Three hundred and thirty eight." Jeffery climbed the ladder, opened the box and pulled out a metal container. He slotted the container into a compartment on the side of the ladder and then pressed a button on the side of the compartment. Like a mini elevator, it descended down the side of the ladder. Jon looked at the box and waited for Jeffery to come down. Jeffery released the box from the ladder and walked back with Jeffery to the private room. "Here you go." he said, and ushered Jon in. Jon was about to go in, when something occurred to him. There were thousands of boxes in this room.. and he was the only one getting out a box today? There were at least 30 million people in this city. Jon turned around slowly to Jeffery, who was still holding the box. "Erm. It's a slow day today, huh?" Jon mused. Jeffery paused for a moment before speaking. "I...guess. " he shrugged. Jon noticed that Jeffery's cheeks and ears were going red. "Fair enough. Can't be a big business day every day." Jon said, and reached out for the box. Jeffery hesitated again, and then handed him the box. "Thank you. You can close the door now." and he turned his back on Jeffery. There was a gust as Jeffery closed the door firmly behind him, and Jon reached up and locked the door from the inside. He layed the metal box onto the table with a bang and undid the clip. Jon was presented with a card that said "Read me, Jon." in bright blue writing. The rest was covered with a white towel. He opened the card before going further. It read; "If I am correct, you should be super human matured by now, and your power is similar to mine. Each generation inherits the gift more and more strongly. I could control the elements with my mind, but only in their raw form. I expect that if your power has grown, you should be able to control the elements wherever they are at work. This means that water, fire, wind and earth are at your advantage. You must know that you have been followed; the Light were relentless when you were a child and they are probably the same now. I hope this does not find you too late, and that the world has not fallen to one side or the other. Within this box are three items; money, a watch, and a passport. The passport has already been identified to you as it only required genetic identification. The watch must be worn at all times and the correct time must be kept. There is enough money there and a card too to keep you financed as you travel. I wish I was there with you, but I know you can do this. May you find others like yourself and stay safe and protected. Remember, keep the correct time, always. Love, from your Mother." Jon pulled the towel aside an saw a wad of money with a bank card attached to it. Next to that was the watch in a case, he could hear it ticking. He pulled the watch out of the case and shook it, then lifted it to his ear. It was still going strong, after 16 years. It even kept the right time. It as an old fashioned wind up watch, and he wondered for a moment, how on earth it was able to keep going if this box had not been opened in so long. Jon put the watch on, put the wad of cash into his bag, and placed the bank card and passport into his wallet. Pulling out his new jacket his father had given him, he put it on and lifted the strap of his bag over his shoulder so it sat securely. Looking around, he plotted his escape. Jon crept over to the door and unlocked it, opened it, and peered outside. Jeffery was still there. "Let's go." he said to Jeffery, who turned suddenly. Jeffery led him silently through the vault door, to the outside room and to the cooridor leading back to the bank. Jon scanned the area, until he finally noticed them. A Light agent was sitting at the skinny man's desk, and he stood up as Jon approached. Jon stopped in spite of himself. Jeffery ran to the side of the coridor and ducked as the agent pulled out what looked like a gun. He fired it and a white light surged from it, creating a magnetic pulse down the cooridor, shattering the glass in the frames that lined it. Jon hit the deck, glass spraying over his back. What was he going to do now?
Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Thursday 17 December 2009 10 14 31 pm    Post subject: Re: The Shadow in topic:The Shadow Jonathan shook off his school jacket and took off the school tie. Pulling the rear view mirror down so he could see himself, he fixed his hair, and then he decided that he would look better with his glasses on. Reaching into his school bag, he pulled them out and slid them on his face. From within his school backback he pulled out another bag; a black bag with silver buckles that could be worn over the shoulder. He gathered up the items that had spilled on the floor, carefully making sure he hadn't missed anything, left his text books behind, kept one notebook and some pens and his math and chemistry tools, and exited the car, Locking it. Jonathan climbed the steps to the bank and pushed through the rotating doors. He stood still, his head down ,but he brought his glance up briefly to see if anyone had followed him or been notified that he was there. He didn't notice anyone, yet. Inside the lobby there were several old fashioned desks with leather patons around their borders. Clerks sat at each one, working on computers. Jonathan approached one of them, all the while in his mind not knowing how he was meant to get into this safe deposit box without any ID or password. He sat down. The man across from him was young, skinny and pale. He wore glasses too, but they were narrow and made his eyes huge. He gave Jon a once over. "Can I help you?"he asked dryly. Jonathan shifted in his seat and opened his bag. The man leaned back as Jon rummaged through his bag. He grabbed the key, and handed it to the clerk. " I need to collect the items in this Safe Deposit Box." Jon said as professionally as he could. The man turned the key in his fingers, looking at it. Jon continued. " This was given to me by my mother, Jemiah Deis. I am her son, Jonathan." The man suddenly stared at Jon and looked a bit shocked. "You? You're Jonathan Deis? Well... why didn't you say so?!"his whole attitude changed and he stood up and shook Jon's hand. "Come, follow me." the man took him over to another clerk at the far side of the bank. A much older man, grey haired, with a kind face. "You were right, Jeffery, he came, right on the day, just like you said!" The skinny man addressed the old man at his desk. Jeffery stood up slowly and smoothed his hair nervously. "Of course he did. I guess today is your birthday then, Jonathan?" Jeffery said, raising his eyebrows. Jon hesitated. "Yes... it is. I'm sixteen." Jeffery nodded. He referred back to the skinny man. "You can go now, Seth. Thank you." And Seth nodded and returned to his desk without another word. Jeffery motioned for Jonathan to follow him down a corridor to his left. "Come. 16 years ago these boxes were allowed to be sealed without content identity cards. But nowadays.. more and more ... people's privacy is going out the window. Whatever she left you, it's going to be a big surprise." Jon followed the man to a room at the end of a corridor where a single desk sat in the middle. Jeffery pressed what seemed to be an invisible keypad, and then something turned and a display panel appeared on the table top. "Come here, boy. I need identification." Jeffery prompted. "But I don't have id. I haven't got a drivers license or a passport... Oh, what about my student card...." Jon started to go for his bag again, but Jeffery shook his head. "No no. Not photo id. Genetic ID. " He took from a drawer a syringe, a test tube, and another long tube with a cotton swab locked inside it. He set the items on the table and then pulled out the chair. "Sit down." He said, and started preparing the needle. Jon felt himself go weak but he did what he was told. Jeffery took some blood and swapped his cheek, and put the samples onto the display screen. It beeped, and a door opened to their left.
Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Thursday 17 December 2009 09 00 38 am    Post subject: Re: The Shadow in topic:The Shadow "Jon." The voice was distant, but familar. Jonathan's head was swimming with all that had been happening to him leading up to his birthday. He tried to deny it, tried to ignore it, and tried to surpress it, but the results were always the same. It was very important that he not let his emotions get out of control in any way, or he would blow the pathetic cover he was trying to maintain already. Being Super Human at Stratford Hall just didn't happen. It was an elite school, proud, as his family was, about being completely 'human.' Jon shivered. He tried hard not to be paranoid but he had a funny feeling he was being watched just the same. Something small knocking him across his ear broke his train of thought. He turned around to face his attacker. From behind a pair of round lensed glasses curtained with thick, wavy brown hair came a look of sheer annoyance. The girl raised her hand and mouthed "What's the matter with you?" This girl was Jennifer Augair, and sometimes Jonathan was sure she had her own personal window into his head. She could tell there was something wrong, but he just scowled at her and mouthed "Nothing!" He turned back around before they could get busted by the teacher. The bell rang at the moment. A whole hour over, and Jon had not heard a thing. He gathered up his things and made for the door, but Jennifer intercepted him. "Look at you! You're a mess." she frowned as she stood in front of him, blocking his way through the rows of desks. She ruffled his dark brown hair and then stared into his face. His green eyes had noticeable circles under them. "And you haven't been sleeping again. Are you really that freaked out about your birthday?" Jennifer pouted. She loved it when it was someones birthday. But Jon was not as outgoing as she was. He was grateful she did all the exhibitionist stuff, and he could just stay in the shadows. "It's not that. " he said. "So... what is it?" Jennifer pushed. "He's just sad that he doesn't have a boyfriend yet." Jonathan's stomach pushed into his throat when her heard Andrew Thomas's voice from the open classroom door. He turned and rolled his eyes at his classmate. The boy was freakishly tall for his age, and stockier than Jon, but Jon was much more athletic than him. Andrew was well groomed as were all the students at Stanford Hall, with wavy blonde hair and "Get lost Andrew." Jonathan said as strongly as he could. "Get lost Andrew!" Andrew mocked in a high pitched voice. "You know your voice is never going to break. Whatever will you do? I suppose you'll have to marry Jennifer Airhead here because no one else will have you." "You're such an idiot Andrew." Jennifer shouted at the boy. "Shut up Airhead!" Andrew shouted back. Their teacher had long gone, rushing to the labs. Jon felt his pulse increasing. Beside him, one of the desks started to shake. "Now you listen to me. I want what's mine, and I want it before the end of the day. " he pointed a thick finger at Jon. Jon inhaled and breathed out slowly. "That prize.... is rightfully MINE." Jon emphasised. Control it, Jon pleaded with himself. "You are a lying, cheating, sack of cow crap, Jonathan Deis. The only reason why you go to this school is because your Daddy is on the board." Jon gripped the desk beside him. But Andrew wasn't finished. "You couldn't do a science experienment if your life depended on it. That prize was mine, but seeing as your name is already on the plaque, I'll just take the prize money. TODAY." Andrew pressed his finger on the door pointedly, and turned to leave. Jon stood there for a moment but he could not contain himself any longer. He looked at Jenny and could only utter one word. "Run." And he started toward her, pushing her out of the way as the desk behind him spontaneously combused and burst into flames. He pushed her to the floor, then rolled to the right and sat up, staring back at the desk. He reached out his hand and drew water from the sprinkler system in the roof. The water rained down on the classroom, and the fire was out within seconds. Jenny and Jonathan sat on the floor, staring at the remains of the desk. "H....how..." she stuttered. "I... don't know." he said. "All I do know now, is I have to go." "No!" Jennifer said hysterically. "Wait! They'll hunt you down! What does this mean Jon???" Jennifer screamed over the steady spraying. "I guess, it means I'll see you later." and Jon stood up and ran for the door. Outside, students were gathering as the fire alarm rang throug the halls. Jon hurried through the crowds, rushing to the exits, but when he got there, he saw them. Three Light officers immerged from their car, and Jon could hear their radio blaring "Activity detected in Staford Hall, Vancouver... alert all vehicles. Lock down suspected Super Human..." He was right to be paranoid before. of course a school for the rich and purest of blood would have detectors for paranormal activity. He cursed his lack of control, and vowed he would get better. His backpack flung over one shoulder, he went back into the school and into the front office, which had been evacuated. Inside he found a purse with keys in it. He raced back outside to the staff carpark which as deserted, as everyone was congregating on the field. He held up the security card and pressed the buttons, waiting for the answering 'beep'. It came, and Jon ran to the Mazda MX5 series 2012; cherry red. Great, what an inconspicuous car, he though. He jumped in, smacked at the charm that was hanging from the rear view mirror and started up the car. He looked over at the passenger seat and groaned. The seat covers were black with a big picture of Tinker Bell on them, and the writing on it said, "I'm no princess." Jon jammed it into reverse and pressed too hard on the excellerator, squealing out of the car space. He pushed the gear stick into first and jumped a bit. He wished he had done more practice; he would have failed his driving test if he took it today. But he kept going, sped up enough for second, third.. and he was off. Out of the car park. Onto the street, and down the road. Jon had set his backpack on the floor, he reached over and rummaged in the front section, pulling out the little box his mother had left him. The contents spilled, but he was able to collect up the item he was after; a safe deposit key at the Chamber of Commerce. The closest bank was on Robson Road, and he was only minutes away. He kept checking his mirror, but no one persuited him. this made him very nervous. He hoped him mother had something useful for him in that box, because if he knew anything about the light, they would not stop until they had him. he wished he was not so familiar with the going ons of that organisation ,but it was in his blood. And now, his destiny was about to change.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Wednesday 28 October 2009 03 20 39 pm    Post subject: Re: Albus potter and the Path Left Untrodden in topic:Albus potter and the Path Left Untrodden Thanks, Riley! Chapter 7: Nightmare After lunch, Albus, Rose, and Matt headed to Ancient Runes while John and Amanda went to Divination. Albus didn't really know what to expect from Ancient Runes, nor did he know anything about the teacher. Matt had told them that Amy said the teacher was nice enough. Albus, Rose, and Matt sat down at one of the tables in the middle of the room and waited for the teacher. Linda Morales was already seated at one of the front tables. Albus wondered how she always seemed to be the first to arrive to any class. There was also an assortment of Hufflepuffs in the room. Albus, Rose, Matt, and Linda appeared to be the only Gryffindors taking the class, though. The professor walked in a few minutes later. She was a short woman with curly grey hair and a patient look on her face. "Hello," she smiled, "I'm Professor Sturly." She took attendance and then gave a lengthy lecture about what the study of Ancient Runes was. Albus kind of thought she could have condensed it and he found himself zoning out about halfway through. Rose was paying rapt attention and Albus had a feeling this would become one of her favorite classes. Towards the end of the class, Sturly gave an overview of the first chapter in their book and then assigned the remainder of the chapter for homework. The chapter covered a variety of basic runes that Albus and the rest of the students would have to memorize. Charms consisted of Rose and Linda alternatively answering every question Cedonia threw at them. Albus had a feeling it would become a regular occurrence in all the classes he had with both Rose and Linda. "How was Divination?" Albus asked his friends after dinner as they were sitting around the Marauder's Den. "Entertaining," John laughed, "I think it'll be my easiest class." "So, who did Trelawney say would die this year?" Rose asked. "What?!" Kaden exclaimed, "Someone's going to die?" "No," Rose sighed, "Trelawney just predicts someone's death every year. The student in question has never actually died during that year." "Oh," Kaden shrugged, "So she's not a real psychic?" "You mean a Seer?" Rose asked, "Well, she has made a few real predictions. She's the one who spoke the prophecy about Albus's dad. But can she really predict the future with crystal balls and such? I doubt it. I really doubt anyone can do that. I'm sure there are real Seers out there, but they're extremely rare. Divination is a very obscure branch of magic that is difficult to interpret. My mum says we shouldn't put much faith in it." "I still think it would be brilliant to know the future, though," Kaden grinned. "I don't know," Matt shrugged, "I've always thought the future was best left unknown." "I've always thought so, too," Albus agreed. "So, who's going to snuff it?" Kaden asked. "Carter Eubert," John replied, "That Ravenclaw we shared a boat with when we crossed the lake in first year. I have to say that I'm relieved it wasn't me." "Me, too," Amanda agreed. Rose groaned. "I've told you that it's not real! Trelawney has never accurately predicted a student's death. She predicted my Uncle Harry's death and he's still alive!" "Yeah, but didn't he nearly die at the end of his third year?" John asked. "Key word, nearly," Rose replied, "Plus, he faced death pretty much every year." "Ok, ok," John said, "But I'm still glad she didn't predict my death, even if it's not a real prediction." "So how was Ancient Runes?" Amanda asked. "Really interesting!" Rose said excitedly and proceeded to give a commentary on how the class had went. However, Kaden seemed to be the only one really intrigued by it. Albus and his friends spent the remainder of the evening in the Marauder's Den. Once they had exhausted the topic of their first two days of classes, they moved on to the Quidditch competition and Albus's chances of making the Hogwarts team. Everyone thought Albus had a good chance of making it, except Albus. Then they talked a bit about their upcoming Hogsmeade trips, although that topic kind of made Kaden jealous. John brought up the topic of Linda Morales, but both Rose and Matt didn't want to talk about her at all. Eventually, they had to return to Gryffindor tower in order not to break curfew. On his way up to his dormitory, Albus noticed that Linda once again was surrounded by a group of admirers, but appeared not to be enjoying it at all. ****** "No! I don't want to go! Dad, don't make me go!" Albus's eyes snapped open. He peered at the clock and saw that it was just after two in the morning. He could hear someone tossing and turning and mumbling in their sleep in the bed next to him. "Please, I don't want to. Just let me go home." Albus was wide awake now. The talking was coming from Matt's bed and Albus knew he was having a nightmare. Albus had been woken up by Matt's nightmares on numerous occasions, especially during first year. They always seemed to come around the full moon. Although, Albus was pretty sure that the full moon wasn't for a few weeks. This nightmare sounded worse anyway. The mumbling continued for another few minutes and then stopped all of a sudden. Albus heard the bed creak and footsteps crossing the room until they disappeared altogether. Albus sat up and waited a few minutes before quietly getting out of bed. He stepped into his slippers and padded across the room and carefully shut the door behind him. None of the other boys had woken up. The common room was dark and empty when Albus got there. The fire had long since died out and Albus shivered slightly as he stumbled around the room. There was faint wand light coming from one of the corners. Albus walked slowly towards it and saw Matt sitting curled up in one of the chairs, staring at the floor. Matt startled when he saw Albus. "Oh, Albus," he sighed, "What are you doing up?" Albus shrugged and sat down in the chair next to Matt's. "Followed you down here." "Oh, did I wake you up?" "Sort of," Albus replied, "But it's ok. I just came to see if you were all right. I mean, first the boggart and then that nightmare-" "How do you know I had a nightmare?" Matt asked. "I sort of heard you mumbling," Albus answered, "You were talking in your sleep." "Oh." "Listen," Albus paused, "You don't have to tell me, but I was sort of wondering who that bloke was that your boggart was. I mean, I kind of thought it would be a full moon." "So did I," Matt said quietly, "Which is part of why I freaked out so much." Albus nodded, wondering if Matt was going to continue or not. "I know I haven't told you much about what happened when I lived in Australia," Matt began. Albus nodded again. All he really knew about Matt's life in Australia was that he had lived in a mansion and his dad had been the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. "That bloke the boggart turned into is the current Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Matt continued, "He replaced my dad. But before that, he was the Head of the Werewolf Control Unit." Albus was still a bit confused about why he was Matt's boggart, but he figured it would be best to just not say anything. "While my parents were in the process of finding out where to move, a law was passed that all werewolves had to transform in a Ministry approved center if their place of transformation failed an inspection. Mine failed." "What?!" Albus gaped at him, "But your dad was-" "The head of the department, I know. They passed the law while we were visiting New York. My parents refused to let me transform at one of the Ministry centers, so they broke the law and were fined. The first time that happened, my dad was fired over it. "But that bloke, Ralph Lubar is his name, wouldn't give up until I transformed in one of the centers. My parents said it was because he hated my dad so much. The two of them had some sort of long term row going on or something. I don't know the details. But anyway," Matt paused, "Eventually, Lubar was able to pass a law that made it legal for the Ministry to take werewolves by force to one of the transformation centers. He flooed to our house, grabbed me, and flooed to the Ministry approved center before my parents had a chance to stop him." Albus stared at Matt. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. What was even more unbelievable, was that it had been legal. How could it be legal to basically kidnap a kid for a night? "I don't remember any of it," Matt said quietly, "Except for what happens in the nightmares I have. It was horrible, though. The other werewolves were all adults and they all sort of ganged up on me. I spent a day or so at the hospital in Australia and then my parents had me transferred to St. Mungo's because they wanted Healer Sterling to take care of me. I spent three weeks there." "Well, it makes sense that you were so scared of that boggart," Albus said, "Lubar is one of the most horrible wizards I've ever heard of." Matt nodded and shifted slightly. "I thought I was over it. I mean, it was over five years ago. I really thought that boggart would turn into a full moon. But I guess having Killigan here brought everything back. I thought all that stuff that happened in Australia was behind me, but I guess not." "Nothing like that is going to happen here," Albus said quietly, "Lubar has no control over our Ministry. He's in Australia." "I guess you're right," Matt sighed, "I think I'll go see if Madam Pomfrey will give me any dreamless sleep potion. Could I use the Invisibility Cloak?" "Yeah, of course," Albus said as he stood up. He had a feeling that Madam Pomfrey would definitely give him the dreamless sleep and probably try and convince him to spend the night in the Hospital Wing as well. Albus and Matt quietly walked back to the dormitory and Albus dug out the Cloak, as well as the second edition Marauder's Map, and handed them to Matt. Once Matt had left the room, Albus climbed back into bed. Albus lay awake thinking about what Matt had told him for a while. His own boggart of not making the Hogwarts Quidditch team seemed very insignificant now that he knew the details about Matt's boggart. That didn't make Albus any less nervous about the try-outs, though. ****** Albus and the other Gryffindor third years, as well as the Ravenclaws, started out the next day with History of Magic. All Albus learned during the hour was that third year History of Magic was equally as boring as second year. Transfiguration consisted of another lecture on Animagi and Albus noticed that John paid a considerably more amount of attention than he usually did. Albus thought this was pointless, though, since they had already established the previous year that they would not become Animagi. Care of Magical Creatures was after lunch and the class moved on to the slightly more interesting bowtruckles. Albus was very thankful for the break they had afterwards, when Rose went to Muggle Studies. "It's only the third day and I'm already sick of homework," Albus muttered as they entered the Marauder's Den. "So don't do it," John said as he pulled a Chocolate Frog out of his bag. "You should do that Divination homework," Amanda said, "You know, the one where we predict what happens to us next Wednesday." "Already did it," John announced. Albus, Matt, and Amanda all stared in shock at John. John never ever did homework early. He was always the one finishing the last lines of an essay as the teacher took attendance. "What?" John shrugged, "I occasionally do stuff before it's due." "No, actually, you don't," Matt smirked. "Divination's different. It's fun to make up fake predictions." "So what's happening to you next Wednesday?" Amanda asked. "I'm going to break my neck when I fall off my broom." "John, you don't even play Quidditch," Albus pointed out. "Trelawney won't care." Albus personally thought it was a waste of time to come up with fake predictions for Divination, but that was probably why he hadn't signed up for the class. "Oh, did we ever tell you what Balladanis's boggart was?" John asked Albus and Matt. "Nope," Matt said. Amanda burst out laughing. "You're going to love this." "Yeah," John grinned, "When the two of you left, the boggart got a bit confused because no one was standing that close to it. Everyone was whispering and not paying an ounce of attention to it, so Balladanis stepped in front of it and you'll never guess what it turned into!" "A werewolf?" Matt asked. "No, but that would have been funny, too," John laughed, "Anyway, it turned into a woman." "A woman?" Albus raised his eyebrows. "Yeah," John said, "A tall, skinny, pale faced woman. Her skin was as pale as Linda's. Her hair was a bit lighter, but still a dark brown. The woman just sort of walked over to Balladanis with a smile on her face. She was kind of pretty in an odd sort of way." "Now that is weird," Albus replied, "Why in the name of Merlin would he be afraid of women?" "Maybe it was a specific woman," Matt pointed out. That would make more sense. After all, Matt wasn't afraid of all men. His boggart had turned into a specific man. But Albus did think it was kind of odd that Balladanis, the stern man who hated Dark Arts, would be afraid of a witch. Albus would have thought he'd be afraid of some sort of scary dark creature. "Who do you think she was?" Matt asked. John shrugged. "His wife?" Albus smirked. "Well, that would be funny." "My dad jokes that he's afraid of my mum at times," John replied, "But I doubt his boggart would turn into her." "Maybe she's some sort of dark witch that he's faced in the past," Amanda suggested. "Good thinking!" Matt agreed, "Maybe she was a Death Eater." "I don't know if he fought in the War or not, though," Albus said, "My dad's never mentioned his name before and he doesn't really seem like the kind of bloke to just stay in the background, does he?" "I guess not," Matt replied, "She could still be an evil witch, though." "That does make the most sense," John said, "She must be really evil. I mean, Balladanis doesn't seem like he'd be afraid of anything." "Everyone's afraid of something," Albus pointed out, "But yeah, she must be evil." "What did Balladanis do to make her funny?" Matt asked. "Turned her into some sort of statue," John answered, "It was strange, like she was petrified. She just froze in place. And then Balladanis banished it to the trunk." "How is that funny?" Albus asked. "No idea," John shrugged, "Just adds to the mystery that is Balladanis." "I'm still not sure I like him," Matt commented. "Me, neither," Albus agreed. "But hey, at least he didn't give us any homework on the first day," John pointed out. ****** The next day Albus found himself yet again sitting in the back of the Defense classroom in between Matt and John. Malfoy kept turning around in his seat and smirking at Matt. Albus was glaring at him, silently daring him to say anything about Matt's experience with the boggart. Balladanis stormed into the room a few minutes later in a way that reminded Albus of Washburn. The class immediately quieted down and Malfoy faced forward in his seat. Balladanis quickly ran through attendance and then stared at his students. "Well, some of you were successful with last class's boggart," Balladanis began, "However, there were quite a few of you who weren't." Malfoy yet again turned around and looked at Matt, this time unable to stifle his laughter. "Quiet, Mr. Malfoy," Balladanis growled, "Five points from Slytherin." Albus couldn't help but grin at that. At least Balladanis wasn't favoring Slytherin. "Therefore, we will continue battling the boggart until you all have success with the spell," Balldanis continued, "I do not want any of you to slip through the cracks and skate through this class on the tails of more successful students. That may work while at Hogwarts, but the moment you get out into the real world, it will abruptly end. Without a basic knowledge of defensive spells, you will meet an untimely end at the hands of dark wizards." This teacher was making it seem like they were in the midst of a war. Albus knew it was important to be able to defend yourself, but he thought Balladanis was acting like everyone was out to get you. It kind of reminded him of what his parents, aunts, and uncles had said about Mad-Eye Moody. "Dark wizards love finding victims with little knowledge of defensive spells. The students who skirt by with acceptable marks and just barely pass each exam, without really understanding anything. They also love people who read book after book and pretend to understand everything. And while these people may have a full knowledge of defensive spells, they may not possess the skills necessary to perform them," Balldanis's eyes rested on Rose and Linda. "I want everyone in this room to have more than the basic skills needed to perform defensive skills. I want everyone to be able to come off better in a duel. I want everyone to be able to defend themselves against dark creatures and wizards alike. "Starting with the boggart, I will not rest until every student is capable of performing every spell we learn in this class. I will assign extra lessons to those I deem it necessary. You will come in for extra help. I do not care if it interferes with clubs or Quidditch practice. Quidditch will be of little help when you are facing a dark wizard or creature. "Stand up!" Balladanis ordered. The class scrambled to their feet and Balladanis moved the desks aside. "Sir!" Malfoy called out, "What if we've already had success with the boggart?" "Then you'll do it again," Balladanis replied, "Practice makes perfect." The class lined up in front of the trunk. Albus and his friends wound up being in the back, and Albus didn't think Matt minded this in the least. He looked very nervous at the prospect of seeing the Lubar boggart again and Albus couldn't blame him. The line moved much faster this time than the last class. Everyone who had had problems with the boggart during the previous class seemed to do a better job this time. Albus stepped forward once it was his turn and the boggart once again turned into Oteski, who told him he did not make the team. Albus vaguely wondered what the boggart would turn into after the try-out, if they battled it after that. He shouted the spell and moved to the side to stand next to Rose and Amanda. John was next and battled his clown boggart in the same way he had the other day. He stepped to the side and Matt walked slowly towards the boggart. "Two Galleons says he runs again," Malfoy whispered in Albus's ear. "Shut it, Malfoy," Albus and John said at the same time. The boggart once again turned into Lubar and Matt slowly raised his wand, which was shaking. "R-R-Ridikkulus," Matt whispered. Nothing happened and the boggart advanced towards Matt. "Louder," Balladanis told him. "R-Ridikkulus!" Matt shouted. Still nothing. His wand arm was shaking even harder. "R-Ridikkulus!" he shouted once again. This time, the boggart spun around and when it stopped, Lubar was decked out in a black and white striped prison outfit with a ball and chain attached to his right leg. "Looks like you owe us two Galleons," John smirked at Malfoy. "Not a chance, Brickston," Malfoy growled. "Good job," Albus grinned as Matt joined the group. Balladanis already had the boggart shut in the trunk when Albus looked back at his teacher. "That's enough for today," Balladanis announced. "You," he pointed at Matt, "Come see me." Matt glanced at Albus and then walked slowly towards Balldanis as the rest of the class left the room. Albus and his friends lingered near the doorway, but Balladanis gestured for them to leave. They reluctantly left, but waited just outside the doorway. "What did he want?" Albus asked once Matt exited the room. "I have to go in for extra help," Matt groaned, "Until I can face the boggart successfully." "But you were successful," John pointed out. "Not successful enough for Balladanis." "Somehow, I don't think anyone would be successful enough for him," Rose muttered. "Yeah," Albus agreed, "That was some speech he gave at the beginning of class." Albus still didn't know what to think of their new Defense professor. He seemed very strict and Albus didn't really feel comfortable with him, but on the other hand, he seemed very knowledgeable in defensive spells. Albus had a feeling they'd learn a lot from him, and even though they weren't involved in a war at the moment, Albus knew defense skills were always important to have. That's what his father had told him ever since he could remember. Albus had grown up knowing the need for defense against the dark arts. He just had never had it taught to him in such a forceful strict way.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Sunday 27 September 2009 09 22 15 am    Post subject: Re: In Moonlight's Shadow in topic:In Moonlight's Shadow Here's the last chapter! I'm working on a sequel, but it'll be a while before I'm able to post it. I hope you guys enjoyed this. Please let me know your opinions of the whole thing! Chapter 63: Understanding Three nights before the July full moon I decided that I was not going to put up with being kicked out of the house for it. Having to leave my house once a month for the full moon was something that had been driving me mad for years, but I had been going along with whatever Mum and Dad said because they had so much else to worry about. Now we had moved and we no longer had to worry about Ralph Lubar and his ridiculous laws. Mum and Dad were happy and as stress-free as two parents with a werewolf child could be. It seemed like the perfect time to suggest that I no longer leave the house for full moons. I spent an entire afternoon coming up with a list of reasons as to why I should stay home. I knew the answer would be no unless I had good reasons. Reason number one. I was nearly sixteen. A year after that I would be seventeen and no longer underage. So, I would be of age in one year and three months. That was practically an adult. In some cultures, I would be considered an adult. Reason number two. I was going to become a Healer. Healers had to deal with this sort of thing all the time. I needed to get used to it. Reason number three. What else were they going to do? Flying me to Australia to stay with Richard and Cinda every month was going to get expensive, not to mention really inconvenient since they didn't like me flying alone. Getting portkeys through the Ministry was completely out of the question since my parents wanted nothing to do with the Australian Ministry anymore. Getting a room at the Hog's Head wasn't going to happen either, judging by how Mum reacted the last time. Reason number four was the most convincing, in my opinion. In two years, Matt would be at Hogwarts, without Mum or Dad there with him. I would be there. It would be me going with him the Shrieking Shack before every full moon (well, with Madam Pomfrey as well). Me who would be there when he woke up the next day. Me, the only person at Hogwarts he would know. I had to be completely used to seeing him right before and right after transformations by then if I was going to be able to comfort him. It wouldn't do him any good if I was bawling my eyes out every full moon. I had looked at a calendar and saw that there were about seven or eight full moons that I would be home for before Matt's first year. If I started now, I would be used to them before that. The night before the full moon, Mum and Dad still hadn't said anything about what I was doing. I waited until Matt had gone to bed (which wasn't a long wait; he went to bed at seven) and grabbed my list and went down to the living room to talk to them. “Mum, Dad,” I stood in front of the couch they were sitting on. They had been whispering about something, but I didn't care that I interrupted them. “Amy,” Dad said, “We have something we need to talk to you about.” “Let me go first,” I said, “I need to talk to you about something.” Mum and Dad exchanged glances. “All right,” Dad replied. “I would like to propose that I get to stay home tomorrow night,” I began, “And before you say no, I have a list of reasons why.” Mum and Dad looked kind of amused, but Dad gestured for me to go on. “Reason number one,” I continued, “I am nearly of age. I will be of age in one year and three months. I'm practically an adult.” “Practically being the key word,” Dad sighed. “Reason number two,” I ignored him, “It will save you a lot of money and time. I can't be flying to Australia every full moon I not at school.” “We can't put a price on your safety,” Mum pointed out. “Reason number three,” I said, even though Mum had had a good point, “I am going to become a Healer. I will have to deal with this sort of thing. I need to get used to it.” “Plenty of witches and wizards become perfectly talented Healers without having lycanthropic brothers,” Dad said. Another good point, I thought. Now to drop the big one. “Reason number four. In just two years' time, Matt will be at Hogwarts. You will not be, but I will. It'll be me who watches over him around full moons, gets him to the hospital wing in time, and possibly takes him to the Shrieking Shack-” “Madam Pomfrey-” Dad interrupted. “He doesn't know Madam Pomfrey well,” I cut him off, “He's going to want me there. You know he will. He'll want me there when he wakes up the next morning. And what good will I do if I'm completely shocked by how injured he is? How will it help him if I'm sitting in the hospital wing bawling my eyes out next to his bed?” I folded the parchment and put it in my pocket. There was nothing else I could do. I had made my point. Mum and Dad looked at each other. Mum looked shocked and Dad had that tired look about him that was only brought about by full moons. “She has a point,” Dad said quietly, “I'm not really sure how we missed this.” “I don't know either,” Mum sighed, “You know she's going to be there when he wakes up at Hogwarts. She'll be at the Shrieking Shack before Madam Pomfrey, you know she will be.” “I know,” Dad sighed. I stood there not knowing what to do. They were talking about me like I wasn't there. Usually this sort of thing drove me mad, but I was happy they hadn't gone to talk about it in private. It was a good sign. “I guess,” Dad began, “That it's just a matter of whether we want her to be here for the full moon for the first time while we're here with her, or whether we want her to do it alone at Hogwarts.” “It isn't the same, though,” Mum said, “Matt'll be in the Shrieking Shack while he's transformed and Amy'll be in the castle. Here, they'd be in the same house.” “I know,” Dad said quietly, “We knew this day was going to come.” “We did,” Mum agreed. “I guess, I think we should,” Dad said. I silently begged Mum to agree. I was over the first hurdle, the shorter one. I knew Dad would give in first. “All right,” Mum sighed, “If you think it's ok, I agree. But just this one. We're not making promises about future full moons.” “Thank you,” I said quietly, happy that they agreed, but I was suddenly nervous at the same time. “But,” Dad said, “I have some conditions that you have to agree to. Number one, you must do anything I tell you. If I say to run out of the house, you run out of the house. No questions. I don't care if it's two in the morning and you're half asleep, if I wake you up and tell you to leave, you leave. You find Ellie and tell her to Apparate you someplace. No waiting for Mum and I. Anything I say, you do. If I tell you to jump up and down while reciting the ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion, you do it. Number two, you stay out of the basement while the moon is full. No potion brewing. Number three, you have your wand on you at all times,” Dad took a deep breath, “And if, something were to happen,” he paused again and lowered his voice, “You use whatever spell comes to mind. Forget the underage magic laws.” That last one jarred me a little, but I nodded. “Ok, I agree.” “Good,” Dad softened his voice, “Now I am not really sure you realize how hard this will be. I'm warning you that we don't soundproof the actual safe room. We soundproof the house. I have to listen so we know when he's transformed back and it's safe to go in the room. You'll be hearing it all night. I can put a muffling charm on your room if you'd like.” “No,” I shook my head, “I don't need one.” “And,” Dad paused again, “The next morning, it's up to you if you want to see him right after. You don't have to.” “I have to,” I disagreed, “I just do.” “All right,” Dad sighed, “I just hope you understand what you're getting into. There are reasons besides physical safety that we don't normally let you stay for full moons.” ****** The closest I had ever come to seeing Matt right after a full moon was seeing him in the hospital after he transformed in that Ministry center, and that wasn't a normal full moon. Never had I seen him directly after a full moon, though. However, I was nervous. I tried to hide it from Mum and Dad, but I think they could tell. It was strange. All the times I had begged Mum and Dad to let me stay and they had declined, I didn't think I would be nervous about staying. It was only now that it was actually happening that I was nervous. I wasn't regretting my decision, though. I was determined to do this. It wasn't that I didn't know what would happen. I knew full well what was going to happen. I had read numerous books on werewolves and their transformations. For the past three and a half years, I had been trying to pretend that maybe Matt's full moons were different. That was stupid, really, since his full moons were obviously bad. But since I hadn't seen one with my own two eyes, I could still try and pretend. I was nervous because I knew there would be no denying it after the following morning. Mum and Dad told Matt late the morning of the full moon that I would be staying home. He either didn't really comprehend what they were saying (he was pretty tired at the time) or didn't care. My parents seemed more stressed about this full moon than they had for one in months, and I knew the reason was me. I even felt sort of guilty about it, but quickly shrugged that off. This was something I had to do. I didn't go out to the bush that day. In fact, I stayed inside the entire day. Somehow it didn't seem right for me to go explore while Matt was laid up on the couch. It was weird how things changed. A year and a half ago, I would have been out in the bush the entire day. Instead, I stayed in the living room, where Matt was, and read while he slept. Dad went into work for a few hours, but returned hours before the moon was going to rise. Mum stayed in the living room with us, getting up every so often to bring Matt potions or water. “Do either of you want anything to eat?” Dad asked shortly after he came home. It was dinner time, but I wasn't hungry in the slightest. “No, thanks,” Mum said and I shook my head. The remaining hours until the moon rose ticked by. The house was so quiet that I could actually hear every tick of the clock. I set my book down, no longer able to read. “It's time,” Dad said quietly a few minutes later. I looked outside and saw that the sky was dark. Night had fallen. The moon would soon rise. Dad rose from his chair and walked over to where Matt was curled up next to Mum. Mum gently shook Matt awake and he immediately started crying. “Shush,” Mum soothed, “It's time to go down to the basement.” “I don't want to,” Matt mumbled in between sobs. “I know,” Dad said as he picked Matt up. Mum and Dad started walking towards the basement door. Matt was in Dad's arms, his head on Dad's shoulder. He was awake and I could see the tears rolling down his face. It nearly made me want to cry. Neither of them said whether I was allowed to go down to the basement with them, so I got up and followed. I half expected them to tell me I had to stay upstairs, but they didn't say a word. Dad opened the door to the safe room with a wave of his wand. I hadn't seen the place since Dad first put it in. It was slightly smaller than the one in Australia, but other than that it looked the same. Padded walls on every side and no windows. Dad set Matt down on the floor, but he kept his arms wrapped around Dad's neck. “We'll see you in the morning,” Dad said as he unwrapped Matt's arms from his neck, “I promise. I love you.” “We'll be here as soon as the moon sets,” Mum said as she bent down to give Matt a hug, “I love you so much.” I had been lingering in the doorway, but as soon as Mum let go of Matt, I walked over to him. I bent down and gave him a hug. He was trembling harder than I had ever seen him tremble before. He was really warm, too, like he had a fever. “I love you,” I whispered and then stood up. I followed Mum out of the room and then waited for Dad. Dad walked slowly out of the room and shut the door behind him. He pulled out his wand and performed a variety of intricate spells on the door. After he was done, we followed him up the stairs. “Do you have your wand, Amy?” he asked quietly. “Yes,” I nodded. I followed my parents to the kitchen. They sat down at the table and didn't say a word. I did the same. “Ten minutes,” Dad said. I counted every second in that ten minutes. 600 seconds went by. Then I glanced out the window and saw the moon peeking out over the horizon. Then I heard it. A horrible, awful, high-pitched shriek coming from the basement. My heart skipped a beat. It felt like somebody had punched me in the gut. Then came another, and another, until there were no pauses in between the shrieks. I looked up at my parents. Mum looked like she was ready to cry and Dad's face was hard. Then the shrieking stopped and there was silence. I breathed slowly to try and stop my racing heart, but then there was a loud howl. And another. And another. Mum and Dad hadn't moved an inch. I sat completely still as well, at a complete loss for words. I understood why Mum and Dad were being so quiet. There was nothing to day. ****** I stared out the window at the moon. The round orb of light that had been one of the only constant things in my life, all our lives, this past year and a half. I had been fascinated with the moon and stars for as long as I could remember. The night sky was one of my favorite things and I could stargaze for hours. The moon was so beautiful, in every phase, and the twinkling stars just accented that beauty. Now, as I stood in my kitchen, listening to the howls of my little brother, I did not see that beauty. For the first time in my life, I stared at the moon and hated it. I hated it for everything it did to Matt, everything it had done to my family. ****** There are so many different ways that time passes. The way it seems to fly by when you're doing something fun, the way it seems to go backwards when you're sitting in History of Magic, the way it seems to go by fast when you're dreading something and when that thing comes, it slows down. As I sat in the kitchen during the full moon, I realized that none of those ways fit this situation. I was certainly not doing anything fun and I wasn't bored either. I wasn't dreading anything; the thing I had been dreading already arrived, Matt's transformation. The actual transformation had been relatively quick. Five, ten minutes tops. It felt like longer, but the clock told me otherwise. I'm sure to Matt it felt like hours. Now, time was creeping by. This was possibly due to the fact that I could still hear every second ticking by on the clock. Every second brought us closer to morning, but time seemed to have stopped anyway. It soon became clear to me that Mum and Dad did not even try to go to bed during full moons. Neither of them made any move to go upstairs. They only left the kitchen to use the toilet or get a drink. I decided that I wasn't going to bed either. Originally, I had thought I would go up to my room when my parents went up to theirs, but they weren't going to. “Amy, do you think that you'd like to get some sleep?” Dad asked, breaking the silence for the first time, around two in the morning. “No,” I said. I wasn't even tired anymore. I had been tired around midnight, but it had gone away. There was no way I would be able to sleep. Dad didn't bring it up again. The room descended into silence once again, only broken by the occasional howl coming from the basement. Mum fell asleep slumped over the table around four in the morning. Dad followed suit shortly thereafter. I was still wide awake. ****** I watched the moon set through the den window. I had had to switch rooms to watch it. As the moon set, the howling slowed and then stopped. The house was completely silent. I walked back into the kitchen. Mum and Dad were still sound asleep. I had no idea what time they normally went to go get Matt, but I thought they went as soon as the moon set. “Mum,” I whispered, “Dad.” Mum woke up first. She looked up sleepily and then jumped out of her chair when she saw that the sun was up. Dad quickly followed. Neither of them said a word as they ran out of the kitchen and down to the basement. My heart started beating faster as I followed them. I really had no idea what Matt was going to look like. I made myself keep walking, though. There was no way I was going to stay upstairs. Mum and Dad paused in front of the transformation room and listened for a few minutes. It was absolutely silent. Eerily silent. Dad waved his wand in front of the door and then slowly pushed it open. I took a deep breath and then squeezed under Dad's arm to get into the room first. Mum and Dad didn't stop me. I stopped two feet into the room. I just couldn't go any further. What I had felt when I first heard Matt screaming the previous night was nothing to what I was feeling now. I didn't think I'd ever breath normally again. There was one thing that I could compare to what Matt looked like now, and that was what he looked like when he was attacked. If I didn't know any better, I would say he had gotten attacked by another werewolf the previous night. My brother was sprawled out on the floor looking as limp as a rag doll. His hair was all matted together with blood. But that was nothing compared to everything else. There was so much blood throughout the room that I was amazed he had any blood left in him. His whole body was covered in deep cuts and I was pretty sure his arm was broken. I was vaguely aware of my parents rushing past me. Both of them bent down next to Matt and started waving their wands around him. Then Dad picked him up and they walked out of the room. I followed. Matt was completely unconscious. He looked like he did when he was in the coma. What if he was in another one? Dad laid Matt down on his bed and Mum left the room. She returned a little while later with a bunch of potions. I stood in the doorway while my parents continued performing all the healing spells and gave him potions. Matt looked a little better once they finished. All the severe cuts were bandaged, as was his arm. But he was still asleep. Or unconscious. Mum was sitting next to his bed ruffling his hair while looking at him sadly. Dad pocketed his wand and then turned to me. “Amy,” he said quietly. I walked over him and he wrapped me in a tight hug. I burst into tears and let Dad comfort me like I was five years old again. It was just so unfair that Matt had to go through this once a month. I had truly not understood everything until then. I had had to see it for myself. We had moved in order to give Matt a better life. That was something I had come to terms with months ago, and even came to enjoy. But what I hadn't completely understood was that everything hadn't been solved by moving. Sure, Matt was going to be able to go to school and hopefully make friends. But he would never live an entirely normal life. His life was still going to revolve around the moon. No matter where we moved, he would still have to transform once a month. Once a month he was still going to get really ill. Unless someone fixed that Wolfsbane potion. “D-Dad,” I pulled away, “Mum.” Mum turned away from Matt and looked at me. Neither of them said anything, like they were waiting for me to continue. “I-I'm going to come up with a new version of Wolfsbane,” I said, “You know, if Sterling doesn't. It's the real reason why I want to be a Healer.” “Oh, Amy,” Mum got up from her chair and gave me a hug. She let go of me and I could see tears in her eyes. “If there is anyone who could do that, it's you.” “I'll do it,” I assured her, “He doesn't deserve this.” “I'm sure you can,” Dad said. “I can. As soon as I'm done with Healer training, I'm going to start,” I told them. I sat down in between my parents on the floor in Matt's room. None of us said anything else, but we didn't need to. They hadn't said anything about whether I was going to be allowed to stay home for future full moons, but I had a feeling they would. Something had changed between us. It wasn't anything sudden, either. It was more like something that had happened over the past year or since we had moved. I just got the feeling that my parents saw me more of an adult now than a child, and staying home during the full moon had seemed to reinforce that idea. I didn't even have to ask them about it. I just knew. I knew that I would no longer be going to Richard and Cinda's on full moons. I knew that my parents were going to tell me everything about the full moons that happened while I was at school. I knew there were going to be less hushed conversations taking place between them behind closed doors. The bed gave a slight creak and I looked up. Matt was slowly opening his eyes. He couldn't sit up very easily, but he slightly lifted his head up and looked at us. “Amy?” he croaked. I smiled at him despite my teary eyes and got up and sat down on the side of his bed. He wrapped his bandaged arms around me and I gently hugged him back. He didn't say anything else, but leaned his head up against my chest. It felt like foreshadowing of his first year of Hogwarts that was only two years away. I looked up and saw Mum and Dad. Dad had his arm around Mum and was smiling. Mum was smiling as well and there were silent tears running down her face. They were tears of joy, though. That I could tell. It was one of those happy family moments that often seemed so distant in my family. I only hoped that within a few decades' time, we could have this type of moment without Matt being sick and injured from a full moon.
salemboy Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 1762 Location: Enjoying being a Senior whilst my friends merely become Juniors.	Posted: Tuesday 8 September 2009 06 39 52 am    Post subject: Re: Next Generation 2 in topic:Next Generation 2 Damien smiled. "I'm sure you'd do great. But I just remembered, first years can't try out anyway." He chuckled at his mistake. He took a bite of his waffle and swallowed. "The key to flying a broom is to have fun. Don't care what the other kids think, because 9 times out of ten, they suck worse than you do." He took another bite, chewed, and swallowed.