17 March 2012
Mid afternoon, directly following And Miles to Go Before I Sleep
Headmaster's tower offices, Hogwarts Castle

The Headmaster had just arrived back at the castle about a half hour ago. He'd been in London tending to Wizengamot business and was now standing at his desk flipping through a stack of envelopes, the harvest from his Ministry of Magic mailboxes. All post to Wizengamot Elders was being screened for horrible, murdering curses so it was just easier to fetch it himself rather than wait for all the turn-around. He was still in his traveling robes and hat.

Hannox, the long orange fellow, was stretched out luxuriously in front of the large fireplace where there was a happy fire set.

"Ah, that's right."

Among the letters, a facsimile of the SAWS protest flier.[1] It had been distributed to him innocently or as a cynical joke, but either way it rang redundant. Knox had been briefed on the student's planned defiance and while he approved, Knox had decided immediately that it would help no one at all if he were to attend.

For now, the further he stayed away from werewolf business the better. He already had far too much of it without further inflammatory entanglements.

1.	10 Mar 2012 - Bring Your Voice

While Knox Greyfriar made efforts to stay far away from the werewolf business, the business did not honour the same.

The grand fireplace in the Headmaster’s office erupted in bright lime green flames, and a crowd of painted eyeballs swivelled to inspect what on earth could be arriving unannounced. It was rude to barge in by floo without prior agreement, especially in the Headmaster’s private study. Brushstrokes widened as not one, not two, but three figures crossed the stone hearth in ascending height order. Two young witches, damp, dishevelled, bloody, in plain clothes, and a wizard with a face like thunder, clutching a box.

Professor Greyfriar’s Deputy noted his senior’s presence at the desk the moment they arrived. Despite the further deepening of an already deep frown on his forehead, he was glad to find the Headmaster in attendance. His patience was wearing thin with his travel partners, and the adrenaline from the fight was starting to fade.

“Feliks Spectre,” he addressed without pleasantries, speaking the name as if it disgusted his tongue to pronounce it. “If he is within the castle walls, he must be found, immediately.” His heavy cloak hood fell unevenly over his shoulders, his usually tidy, but thinning, silver hair out of place, weighed down by sweat and damp weather. Sweeping round the girls he landed the chest with a bang on the Headmaster’s desk, upon the pile of letters, and waved his wand at the lid which flipped back with a jerk. Inside, the tenacious twine shone in the candlelight, coiled like a ready snake.

“And summon Prince,” Professor Storm demanded, knowing his words would be heeded by the elves, listening in the shadows, “Temple and Grant are wounded.” He looked back at the girls.

Floo was unpleasant, not as bad as apparating, that caused her to throw up even when prepared, floo however was still horrible, it was tight, compressed you and still sent you flying about the place, she wasn't going to be sick but she certainly came out the other end worse then she had entered it, she'd recover fairly quickly but the dizziness of it wouldn't leave for awhile.

She had let go of Greer, mostly due to the floo itself, but to let her move about also, she didn't know how she would take it either, and she'd rather give some distance as they entered, as far as Knox knows, they still hate eachother so why ruin his day more then it would be by saying they're actually somewhat okay with eachother currently? That would be too much for him to bear currently.

She took in her surroundings slowly, creepy portraits staring, large desk, a bear of a man who is so Hufflepuff it puts all the other house members to shame? They'd made it to the Headmasters room alright. And Professor Storm was already marching out and giving orders, she wondered if he was actually the head of the school in the shadows, the Headmaster was just a front.

"I'm fine." She snarled. "I don't need the healer." She didn't want to spend too much time in the infirmary right now, unless she would give her a tub of ice cream, then it would be acceptable, but as a healer she'd probably warn of how bad it is for her and not to consume an entire tub by herself. Adults were annoying like that.

She stumbled forwards more to gain some distance from the fire, she didn't want to set herself alight, she wondered if the fire outside Hogsmeade was still going or if the rain took care of it, she doubted the rain was fully effective and someone else would have to rush over to put out the flames. But she never got to see how bad the fire was as they were leaving so she wasn't entirely sure as of yet.

She saw one of the large seats in the room, she knew they were unannounced guests, but she just wanted to rest, her legs were aching still from the spells cast on them, she walked to one of the large seats and collapsed herself into it, she didn't care about how rude she seemed doing it, arriving then immediately sitting, if anything, the Headmaster would be ushering them to seat themselves as soon as he realized their state. He was Hufflepuff like that.

Greer slunk behind the older Gryffindor like a small, sullen shadow, careful not to step on one very startled cat looking for a hiding place.

"I'm fine," Greer insisted at the same time as Lucinda, her mumble-grumble perhaps lost beneath the older girl's snarl.

She leaned on the back of Lucinda's chair, her arms propped up high on the back of the seat, peeking at Greyfriar over her arms for a long, inscrutable moment, looking for worry but not too much worry, hoping he'd tell Professor Storm to go fetch Feliks himself to prevent the savior from hexing the saved.

She thought she maybe should thank Storm, but there was an emptiness in her pocket and a look on his face she didn't trust.

Greer's gaze fell to the housemate who had tried so hard to protect her in the woods. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the top of Lucinda's head, smelling the smoke that they'd carried in with them. Was Lucinda really fine?

Greer didn't feel fine.

She turned her head and coughed, muffling the sound with her elbow.

Knox whirled around at the sudden chaos at the hearth; his wand was drawn and lowered in the moments it took to see the narrow figure of Ignan Storm emerge from the flames. And then, tumbling out - Miss Grant and Miss Temple. Miss Temple! It was always something! And then compounded by a name that brought with it just as much challenges if not more: Feliks Spectre!

Ignan swept past him brandishing a chest of evidence. Knox looked inside and drew back - silver twine that could be nothing but Tenacious. What in the world...!

He didn't waste any time descending from the office alcove. A house elf appeared as if by magic and Knox bent low to pass along the instructions. "Healer Prince, send her immediately. Then Feliks Spectre. You remember him. Find him, please and thank you, as fast as you can."

And now to the matter at hand, the girls. He moved towards them with a slowness and spaciousness, worry all over his face. He knew these two had no fondness for him, he knew his figure carried with him all the things they must and must not do. How was it, though, that he found himself catching waylaid werewolves once again? What would he do if anything happened to them?

"What happened? Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

Knox repeated the question to Professor Storm. "What happened?"

The other side of the fireplace the girls had spurted words at him, wolf teeth in the form of sharp words. Now, here, in the entire safety of the heart of the castle they did as the English did, played down their injuries, held their tongues.

“I’m fine, I don’t need the healer.”
“I’m fine.”
“Healer Prince, send her immediately-”

Greyfriar did not question a need for a healer if the Defences Professor requested it. Ignan Storm caused more than his fair share of students to attend the school’s healer, though the majority were not at his behest. Whereas sending elves to summon a first year who had lured two older students into a trap and duelled a teacher seemed potentially futile in the eyes of the girls, their rescuer held a suspicion that for all he mistrusted young Spectre, he had not been in that clearing.

“What happened? Are you alright? Where are you hurt?” The Headmaster queried the witches first, rounding the desk to where Temple had sprawled in an armchair, Grant leaning on the back of it. There was a pause as neither witch appeared keen to elaborate, suddenly tongue-tied. “What happened?” Knox repeated, as the other wizard glared at them both over his senior’s shoulder.

“They headed out of the village with Spectre, or what appeared as him,” he began directly to Greyfriar, blinking as he delivered the suggestion, and gestured to the twine. “He had them snared in it, and engaged me without hesitation when I interrupted. The intention was to do them harm, if not mortal injury. They were muted, disarmed, and he appeared keen to bury them … dead or alive. My priority was getting them to safety, Professor.”

He drew breath and took a sidestep to address the students directly, if they claimed they did not need a healer’s immediate attention, then their mouths must be working adequately, even if their shared brain was not yet.

“How did you encounter him? What was the discussion before I arrived?”

Greer was taking position behind her, she felt a bit guilty at taking the chair now, although there was another chair, she felt bad at leaving Greer to lean onto this one instead of letting her sit, admittedly she wasn't hit by a spell that caused your legs to reverse in horrific pain, but Greer was the younger one here, even if not by much. It was up for Lucinda to look after her wasn't it?

She shifted to try to make room on the seat as the professor came running over, okay he didn't run but it was still him moving towards them as soon as he saw them, it was like running, just slower. She looked at Greer as if to tell her it's okay to join her on her seat, or on her lap if she wished to.

"I'm fine." She groaned at the Headmasters insistence of them being injured, just because Professor Storm wanted them, just because she was in pain, just because they were beaten up, just because there was blood coming from her nose. Did not mean that they needed a healer.

Luckily when asked what had happened, professor Storm spoke up to say about the basis of the situation, although she didn't like the way he said that it's what appeared as him, it was Spectre, no ifs, no butts, it was and she was getting more and more peeved with the way he was getting with them, first downplaying what had happened and now defending Feliks.

And now he was asking about what happened beforehand, she could answer that, sure.

"Its my fault." She sighed as she looked at her lap, gently she rubbed at her arms. "He called us dogs...then he said that he could show us a tunnel out of the castle..." She remembered something, she reached into her pocket, she still had the sickles taken from the boy atleast, she wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to mention she did get money from him.

Professor Storm's glare was making her feel like she was definitely in trouble. Greer furrowed her brow at him in defiance, her head sinking lower into her arms.

"It's just the stupid smoke," she mumbled at the Headmaster, who was looking as concerned as her dad might in this situation. Though all she'd been hoping for back in Professor Storm's house was to see the friendly Headmaster, Greer's gaze darted around the office, looking for a face that was neither angry nor distressed.

Several portraits blinked curiously at her from their frames up high the wall. Ah, there we go.

Professor Storm explained, and Greer's head sunk lower at the reminder that she'd been disarmed (and still was), but she didn't understand a few things he said. How did he know that Feliks had lured them from the village? And why did he say that it appeared to be Feliks? This was embarrassing and awful enough. The professor had seen him too! He must be sore that Feliks had evaded his capture and now a house elf had to capture him.

“How did you encounter him? What was the discussion before I arrived?”

Lucinda answered, and Greer moved away from the chair, looking startled. No! Don't let grouchy Storm make you feel bad.

"It's not your fault, it's Feliks's," Greer said hotly, ignoring her itchy throat.

"He was just acting like some weirdo arsss..." Greer trailed off, cognizant of Storm's glare.

"Strutting around like a seventh year. We were dumb to believe him, but it was him," Greer jutted her chin out, letting her anger carry her to the chair nearest Lucinda, where she plopped down and crossed her arms.

Knox rose to stand fully. It had become quickly clear that the girls were in fact intact. He nodded in gratitude and approval that Ignan had wasted no time in rescuing them. Later Knox would want to know how he came upon this scenario, lured into the woods as they were. But this news of what Feliks had done - it was astonishing. But also perplexing. Both Ignan and Lucinda implied that in fact it had not been Feliks but a disguise or doppleganger of some kind. But why? Greer didn't agree.

The headmaster's head swam with theories and dread. He crossed his arms and his expression darkened, unable to put his thoughts in order. What was worse, Feliks being capable of such violence or that same someone who'd been sending him terrible gifts had escalated to attempted murder? They were children, all of them. Only children.

"You're saying it wasn't Feliks," Knox said, addressing Ignan and Lucinda. "Why?"

“It’s my fault.” Temple mellowed in the presence of Greyfriar. “… said he could show us a tunnel out of the castle.” That was suitable motivation for Temple to follow anyone, Ignan decided. Temple seemed to simultaneously crave freedom and protection. To the best of his knowledge no tunnel past or present reached that far out. He would be thorough after this to check, rather than assume there was entirely no merit to the claim.

“It’s not your fault, it’s Feliks’s.” Grant stood up for Temple, “… We were dumb to believe him, but it was him.” The younger girl defied the suggestion it was not the first year who had snared them, and caused their surroundings to burn.

“You’re saying it wasn’t Feliks, why?” Greyfriar picked up on the inconsistency. He might be a bear of a man, but he was not a bear of little brain. It was one quality that the other wizard admired and trusted.

Now it was their rescuer’s moment to feel a little tongue tied. The phrase a first year would not have bested me, did not want to make the leap from brain to throat. He did not want to fall back on claiming it was instinct either, that had not got him far with voicing his disinclination to trust Feliks Spectre well before today’s events. He ceased glowering at the Gryffindors in the armchairs and fixed his gaze instead on Knox.

“He engaged me in a capable duel, before disapparating.” He spoke in a quieter tone, teeth gritted. “For all their lack of brain, the two are not quite so helpless to be bested by a first year, nor I.” He turned away, inspecting the twine instead, jaw set.

"It was Feliks. And I'll throttle him." Lucinda said bluntly to the Headmasters question, a disgusted snarl emitting from under her throat, it was not an idle threat at all, she just needed some energy back, then she would be up for dealing with him personally, he would not be walking out of this room if he got here.

As much as she hated the idea of being tended to by a healer right now, she knew she needed some rest after everything, she was drained and she felt it, even with her snarling and making threats she wouldn't last too long here.

Slowly she crossed her arms and relaxed back into the chair, her eyes watched as Greer wandered away to a different seat, followed by her slumping in also, she wasn't too sure, but she thinks part of her might be rubbing off onto Greer, or perhaps they're both just so similar that they dislike eachother because they are so close. She tried to give her somewhat of a reassuring smile, they had survived if nothing else but it quickly went away with a sigh.

She didn't know anything about apparating, she had been in a hole. But the idea it was someone other then him targeting them was terrifying, it meant someone who was trained to hunt Werewolves, or worse was trying to kill them. Perhaps its the same person who attacked before....the one who attacked the Safehouse, if it was then they truly aren't safe in the castle.

"It has to be him..." She muttered to herself quietly in a weakened and trembling tone.

Feliks was still in his outdoor clothes when, ascending from the kitchens, a house elf told him to report to Headmaster Greyfriar's office.

His heart quickened with concern for a moment - he was already full of adrenaline and vigour, having just come from a game of quidditch with the other first years. He and Nicola had been Beaters! Even Aoidie and Sulwen played, and his spirits were too high to be brought down. Feliks told himself it was probably nothing serious.

He hoped it wouldn't take long. The others had agreed to meet at the Great Hall to welcome the SAWS protestors back from Hogsmeade, and Feliks wanted to be there. He'd only made a detour to get a snack from kitchens.

***

The boy wizard was still carrying his broom when he arrived at the office, climbing the steps with the unnecessary flourish of people who enjoy using their bodies.

"Professor?" Feliks pushed open the door with his free hand; he hadn't even laid his eyes on the room's occupants when something tugged urgently at his neck.

His medallion! He yelled and stumbled forward, broom clattering to the floor while he struggled to get loose of the chain around his neck. The medallion had slipped free from under his sweatshirt and was pulling him towards the fireplace! Feliks eyes went wide, clocking Greer and Lucinda. And Professor Storm? Had everyone come back already? Did he miss it?

He ducked forward and down, falling on his palms and knees - but the chain came loose! Feliks made a surprised noise: an identical medallion darted out of Greer's pocket like a wily snake. The two discs of silver raced towards each other.

Feliks entered and immediately something was amiss. It wasn't until Feliks was on the floor and the two amulets flew through the air. They met and hovered in the air together like binary stars, their chains dangling as if under water. A number of the portraits began to mutter overhead - so many strange things had happened in this office of late, strange and sad and terrible, and thus yet again!

Knox summarily hoisted Feliks from the ground by the elbow and sat him in a new chair.

"Stay," he ordered. Then with the other hand, he made a sweeping gesture to halt any forward progress by the girls, that they were to stay where they were.

Greer watched the door. Why'd Feliks have to come to the office now? Her stomach twisted in knots, and she glanced from Storm to Greyfriar with an unhappy scowl. If it were or weren't Feliks, and he attacked again, Storm hadn't stopped him before. So why?

The door opened. Greer tensed in her chair, clocking the difference in his clothes, the broom in his hand, the smell of the wind on him. Was that smoke or sweat?

He fell to the ground and she flinched, something small flying out of her jacket.

"Lucinda!" She gasped, flattening her back against her seat, her heart racing, her knees up. It was all happening again!

But the Headmaster came to their rescue this time.

For a long moment, her heart in her throat, Greer stared at the glinting disks and slowly realized what had flown out of her pocket.

So dumb! She'd forgotten she'd had it.

"That's the coin thing!" Greer pointed emphatically from her seat. "He had it in the woods! He made us fetch it from the coffin!"

Greer looked at Professor Storm, knowing he'd been there, but he might not have seen.

"I picked it up when you hexed him."[1]

1.	Greer putting the silver medallion in her pocket

Feliks came in, Lucinda fought the urge to shout at him, to curse at him or even just to straight up punch him. Instead she kept it in, nothing harmful can happen from suppressing her emotions, as a very noticeable growl escaped her body as her eyes didn't leave him, making sure she wouldn't be caught off guard by him again. Her fingers idly stroked her wand as she prepared to fire off a spell at a moments notice.

He then suddenly was sent flying towards the fireplace, a medallion came off him, she couldn't clock it properly, it was familiar, she didn't even entirely remember the one from the trap itself. But there they were, circling.

Knox ordered her to stay, it made her snap at him now.

"I'm not a dog." She barked.

To spite him she did the smartest thing possible, she stood up quickly and pushed forwards to grab at the hovering medallions, silver be damned. She didn't want to see what would come of the medallions hovering together. Nothing good could come of it.