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Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
The semester goes on. The Patronuses - the three of them that exist - are useful for remote communications, though they're too conspicuous for chatting in class. And even Bella can send return messages. Feral gets mauled by the carnivorous thorn plant and is sent to Healer Song with a disturbing grin on his face, and tells Bella all about the properties of the plant in question. Sherlock produces no further prophecies, but gets excellent grades in everything, including Divination. Bella gets him to read tarot for her and he gravely informs her that she is fated to be the ruler of the world, before sweeping up the cards and allowing her laughter to be contagious.
Tony draws brooms with jet engines, and jets with tail-twigs. Bella learns about Crups and Grindylows and dragons and unicorns and hippogriffs and Puffskeins (these are handled in-class; she likes them until they try to lick her). Feral works on Animagery and Bella collaborates with Tony on a Transfiguration project for a change and Sherlock gets cornered by Artemis Burberry's cousin and sends him to the infirmary with superficial cuts, stuck-shut eyelids, and a distinct case of unconsciousness.
Bella attempts to invent a broom-based sport that doesn't involve anything exploding or a disproportionate amount of scoring being performed by a single team position, but it turns out she's very bad at catching and throwing balls even when she's in the air and she gives up. The JROC courts the twins and gets nowhere. Feral's fire problem diminishes enough that between that and fire-suppression from the elves he can use magic in the kitchen; he learns to make cheese souffle. It is delicious. Bella loses her hazel wand for a day and a half before it turns up and feels very smug about her backup idea; she finds the missing one under the ingredient cupboard in Potions.
Renée meets her at the exit from the wizarding hideaway of the Bay Cauldron, and she goes roadtripping to Phoenix for the first half of the summer.
Tony draws brooms with jet engines, and jets with tail-twigs. Bella learns about Crups and Grindylows and dragons and unicorns and hippogriffs and Puffskeins (these are handled in-class; she likes them until they try to lick her). Feral works on Animagery and Bella collaborates with Tony on a Transfiguration project for a change and Sherlock gets cornered by Artemis Burberry's cousin and sends him to the infirmary with superficial cuts, stuck-shut eyelids, and a distinct case of unconsciousness.
Bella attempts to invent a broom-based sport that doesn't involve anything exploding or a disproportionate amount of scoring being performed by a single team position, but it turns out she's very bad at catching and throwing balls even when she's in the air and she gives up. The JROC courts the twins and gets nowhere. Feral's fire problem diminishes enough that between that and fire-suppression from the elves he can use magic in the kitchen; he learns to make cheese souffle. It is delicious. Bella loses her hazel wand for a day and a half before it turns up and feels very smug about her backup idea; she finds the missing one under the ingredient cupboard in Potions.
Renée meets her at the exit from the wizarding hideaway of the Bay Cauldron, and she goes roadtripping to Phoenix for the first half of the summer.
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
She opens her window, but: "I don't know how to take the screen off. If I let you in the garage you can turn back there. Hang on just a minute."
And she closes the window again - won't do to let the nice air-conditioned air out into the Arizona summer - and goes down and clicks the garage door open.
And she closes the window again - won't do to let the nice air-conditioned air out into the Arizona summer - and goes down and clicks the garage door open.
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
"Thanks! MO-O-OM!"
Renée appears from the kitchen. "Hello - oh, who's this?"
"This is Feral, I told you about him, he's one of my school friends. He flew here," Bella says blithely, "can he stay for a while?"
"...Which one? You've mentioned several people with odd names -"
"This is the one who cooks and is a grade ahead of me and stays at school normally over holidays," Bella specifies. "Maybe he can come with me to the Starks' place when Mrs. Stark comes to get me, I don't know, I'll have to owl her."
Renée appears from the kitchen. "Hello - oh, who's this?"
"This is Feral, I told you about him, he's one of my school friends. He flew here," Bella says blithely, "can he stay for a while?"
"...Which one? You've mentioned several people with odd names -"
"This is the one who cooks and is a grade ahead of me and stays at school normally over holidays," Bella specifies. "Maybe he can come with me to the Starks' place when Mrs. Stark comes to get me, I don't know, I'll have to owl her."
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
And so Feral is put in the attic and stays with Bella for the next two weeks.
He eats an awful lot, charming the socks off Renée and coming along on grocery trips to fetch things from across the store and then, once she is buttered up, remarking on being hungry, taking seconds at dinner, sneaking snacks.
"Do you like my mom's cooking all that much? It's nothing compared to the elves," Bella asks after day three.
He eats an awful lot, charming the socks off Renée and coming along on grocery trips to fetch things from across the store and then, once she is buttered up, remarking on being hungry, taking seconds at dinner, sneaking snacks.
"Do you like my mom's cooking all that much? It's nothing compared to the elves," Bella asks after day three.
He spends another second or two staring quizzically, and then laughs.
"Oh. Man, I didn't even notice I was doing it. It's just - this," he gestures around at the house, "reminds me of before I came to school. I used to stay with nice people like your mom for a little while, when I could, and I'd never know when I was gonna get easy access to food like that again, so I just got in the habit of... well, like you noticed. Begging for treats."
"Oh. Man, I didn't even notice I was doing it. It's just - this," he gestures around at the house, "reminds me of before I came to school. I used to stay with nice people like your mom for a little while, when I could, and I'd never know when I was gonna get easy access to food like that again, so I just got in the habit of... well, like you noticed. Begging for treats."
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
After a few more days, Bella casually informs Renée that, by the way, Feral can turn into an invisible flying creature and he wants to give her a ride, can she drive them out to the desert after sunset some night so they can try it in relative privacy?
"An invisible flying creature," repeats Renée, bemusedly, glancing at Feral.
"An invisible flying creature," repeats Renée, bemusedly, glancing at Feral.
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
"I might do it eventually but I don't know what kind of animal I'd get, so I'm not sure if it's worth the bother when there are so many other things to learn," Bella adds.
"I suppose I can drive you out tomorrow night," says Renée. "How long will you want to be - flying around?"
"I suppose I can drive you out tomorrow night," says Renée. "How long will you want to be - flying around?"
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
"So probably not more than, like, three hours," Bella tells Renée, "and maybe less than one if he's really uncomfortable to sit on."
Renée laughs at the idea of Bella sitting on her friend. "All right. Tomorrow night, then."
And the following evening they drive out to some uninhabited desert, and Bella ties a pillow to Feral, and it doesn't seem to occur to Renée to wonder how she's doing this with an obviously invisible creature, and Bella hops on.
Renée laughs at the idea of Bella sitting on her friend. "All right. Tomorrow night, then."
And the following evening they drive out to some uninhabited desert, and Bella ties a pillow to Feral, and it doesn't seem to occur to Renée to wonder how she's doing this with an obviously invisible creature, and Bella hops on.
Away Feral flies, invisible to anyone who has not seen death, with a very visible Bella sitting on a very visible pillow tied around his invisible middle.
With the pillow between her and that bony ridge, it's not that bad. The up-and-down motion of flight is minimal, especially when he gets enough altitude to coast. And there is something to it that's different from brooms. Something about the wings, maybe, or maybe the fact that brooms aren't your friend.
With the pillow between her and that bony ridge, it's not that bad. The up-and-down motion of flight is minimal, especially when he gets enough altitude to coast. And there is something to it that's different from brooms. Something about the wings, maybe, or maybe the fact that brooms aren't your friend.
Antoinette Edith Lalonde Stark
sparksflying
"...Yes I was," says Tony. She squints fruitlessly into the sky; Feral is currently invisible to her, and even if he wasn't, he's high enough to be barely more than a speck. "I'll go do that, huh?"
And she dashes off to locate her mother, returning triumphantly a few minutes later.
"Broom's in the mail!"
And she dashes off to locate her mother, returning triumphantly a few minutes later.
"Broom's in the mail!"
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
The Dementor bats it aside like it's a mosquito. Maybe as threatening as a bumblebee, even.
It continues to rise until it is level with the children, and it looks directly at Bella.
And Bella makes eye contact - such as it is, when the Dementor's face is the sucking void of eternal nothing.
And she knows exactly what she is staring at.
She is not ready it is not time yet she was going to fight it but from safety with help surrounded by books tools weapons when she was older smarter more competent more capable -
She is not ready -
No one has ever been ready, and when Death comes to the unready - they die.
Death does not play fair, and she is deliciously vulnerable, and she is not ready.
The books say that when you are close to a Dementor you cannot think of happy things.
Bella can think of happy things, twisted with the deep wrench of loss - they march across her thoughts - these are the possibilities that will be taken from her, these are the people she will never speak to again, these are the things she will never learn see do try gain taste share have be -
Because she is not ready, and Death found her anyway, in a black cloak and a face like the infinite void.
Bella falls.
It continues to rise until it is level with the children, and it looks directly at Bella.
And Bella makes eye contact - such as it is, when the Dementor's face is the sucking void of eternal nothing.
And she knows exactly what she is staring at.
She is not ready it is not time yet she was going to fight it but from safety with help surrounded by books tools weapons when she was older smarter more competent more capable -
She is not ready -
No one has ever been ready, and when Death comes to the unready - they die.
Death does not play fair, and she is deliciously vulnerable, and she is not ready.
The books say that when you are close to a Dementor you cannot think of happy things.
Bella can think of happy things, twisted with the deep wrench of loss - they march across her thoughts - these are the possibilities that will be taken from her, these are the people she will never speak to again, these are the things she will never learn see do try gain taste share have be -
Because she is not ready, and Death found her anyway, in a black cloak and a face like the infinite void.
Bella falls.
Feral feels - like he's being eaten alive from the inside out, like some external force is dipping its claws into his soul and pulling him out in pieces, like he's struggling uphill against a freezing cold wind - like -
He smells fire.
(he is six years old again and he doesn't know how he did that to the chandelier but he knows what's going to happen to him because of it)
No - he's here, now, holding onto his broom so hard his hands are cramping, and whatever's on fire got that way by magic and he needs to put it out. Feral winces his eyes open.
The thing that is on fire is the tail of his broom. And the air, flickering with flames that blot out his vision everywhere he turns. He takes a deep breath, doubles over coughing, and gets thoroughly lost in another flashback for a split second, during which time his broom starts to spin. He opens his eyes again.
His broom is headed for the ground, and he can see Bella ahead of him.
He doesn't even think, which is good, because this is a colossally stupid idea even by his standards. He just whips out his wand, wrenches his broom around to try to halt the spin long enough to aim, and casts a spell. He forgets the name, but he remembers the shape the words make in his mouth and an afternoon spent watching rocks sink toward the ground as though through invisible molasses.
Bella slows down. Feral doesn't.
Hitting the ground is very painful, very briefly.
He smells fire.
(he is six years old again and he doesn't know how he did that to the chandelier but he knows what's going to happen to him because of it)
No - he's here, now, holding onto his broom so hard his hands are cramping, and whatever's on fire got that way by magic and he needs to put it out. Feral winces his eyes open.
The thing that is on fire is the tail of his broom. And the air, flickering with flames that blot out his vision everywhere he turns. He takes a deep breath, doubles over coughing, and gets thoroughly lost in another flashback for a split second, during which time his broom starts to spin. He opens his eyes again.
His broom is headed for the ground, and he can see Bella ahead of him.
He doesn't even think, which is good, because this is a colossally stupid idea even by his standards. He just whips out his wand, wrenches his broom around to try to halt the spin long enough to aim, and casts a spell. He forgets the name, but he remembers the shape the words make in his mouth and an afternoon spent watching rocks sink toward the ground as though through invisible molasses.
Bella slows down. Feral doesn't.
Hitting the ground is very painful, very briefly.
She dives to put out the small fire started by Feral's broom.
Feral is not looking good. He'll live, though. Wizarding children are tough. She immobilizes him and floats him into the air, then does the same to Bella minus the immobility, collects Tony and Sherlock, and hauls them all back to the house to get some chocolate into them as fast as possible.
Feral is not looking good. He'll live, though. Wizarding children are tough. She immobilizes him and floats him into the air, then does the same to Bella minus the immobility, collects Tony and Sherlock, and hauls them all back to the house to get some chocolate into them as fast as possible.
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
Bella is not, exactly, unconscious.
She is just in a state of expecting death with such certainty that it may as well have happened already.
She does not react to falling, to floating, to being tucked into bed, to the smell of chocolate, to the instructions to eat the chocolate. If she could be doing anything she would be saying goodbye. The cold is gone; cold is just another thing she will not even have the chance to miss when she is dead.
Sometimes it does take a while. The healer is concerned, but apart from chocolate and time there really isn't much in the way of treatment for Dementor exposure. She tucks Bella in again, checks on Feral, fixes his sling for the fourth time where his fidgeting was starting to fray the edges, gives him another dose of bone-strengthening potion, turns out the light, and leaves the room.
As soon as she shuts the door, Feral is out of his bed and limping over to Bella's. He means to give her a hug. He succeeds in doing that, and then he falls asleep, snuggled up on top of the blanket with his broken arm flopped over her.
As soon as she shuts the door, Feral is out of his bed and limping over to Bella's. He means to give her a hug. He succeeds in doing that, and then he falls asleep, snuggled up on top of the blanket with his broken arm flopped over her.
Antoinette Edith Lalonde Stark
sparksflying
She comes and sits down beside Bella's bed, absently picking up a brownie from the table.
"He's sleeping too. But he told me I should check on you in the morning, so here I am. Wow," she says on closer inspection of Feral's injuries, "I'm surprised he got all the way across the room like that. Unless they just put him to bed with you. They didn't, right?"
"He's sleeping too. But he told me I should check on you in the morning, so here I am. Wow," she says on closer inspection of Feral's injuries, "I'm surprised he got all the way across the room like that. Unless they just put him to bed with you. They didn't, right?"
There are books that mention dementors, here and there.
The available knowledge looks something like this:
Dementors are highly dangerous Dark creatures. They cannot be killed, but may be driven off with the use of a strong Patronus. Under observation they have been known to bud new Dementors, but there is some evidence that they also just appear spontaneously in the wild. They take the form of a corpselike figure in a tattered black cloak with a deep hood. They have some ability to recognize individuals; the ones in use at the British prison Azkaban can accurately tell one prisoner from another. They can fly, not as fast as a good broom but much faster than a running human. Chocolate and a good rest are the best known treatment for brief exposure; with enough of those, persons who have been in the company of Dementors for up to a month have been known to make a full recovery.
Also, they can suck out your soul. There is no treatment for that. The Dementor's Kiss is still widely used in Europe as the ultimate death sentence, but has been banned in the Americas for more than a century.
The available knowledge looks something like this:
Dementors are highly dangerous Dark creatures. They cannot be killed, but may be driven off with the use of a strong Patronus. Under observation they have been known to bud new Dementors, but there is some evidence that they also just appear spontaneously in the wild. They take the form of a corpselike figure in a tattered black cloak with a deep hood. They have some ability to recognize individuals; the ones in use at the British prison Azkaban can accurately tell one prisoner from another. They can fly, not as fast as a good broom but much faster than a running human. Chocolate and a good rest are the best known treatment for brief exposure; with enough of those, persons who have been in the company of Dementors for up to a month have been known to make a full recovery.
Also, they can suck out your soul. There is no treatment for that. The Dementor's Kiss is still widely used in Europe as the ultimate death sentence, but has been banned in the Americas for more than a century.
Isabella Marie Swan 〢"Phoenix"
occluminous
So not only are they unkillable (she's going to fix that) but there are more of them sometimes, appearing, budding. They might have a slow-growing population but it's growing. That's not okay.
She looks for more general information on destroying Dark things.
She looks for more general information on destroying Dark things.