Sunday, early afternoon, Hogsmeade weekend.


Fauna meandered through Hogsmeade, taking a good look at the Halloween decorations put up for the weekend. She’d been in such a hurry to meet Akiva earlier that she hadn’t paid much attention before. Gargoyles sat on the edges of roofs, scowling at passerby, and skeletons hung in windows, shaking animatedly when first-years pressed their faces to the glass.

She walked past the stores and stopped instead by the temporary Halloween stands, where costumes, accessories, and masks were sold. The stands looked picked over, reminding her of those cheap muggle clothing shops where hordes of preteen girls frequently attacked the dressing rooms. But her bank account, or lack of one, meant she needed to find something for Mysti’s masquerade party from one of these outdoor booths.

She paused by a mask stand, where the store owner perked up a bit and managed a bored smile. Picking through the masks carefully, she soon realized that many of them were bent at the edges or missed a feather or two. Fauna browsed for the next five minutes, feeling disappointed, until finally she found it. At the bottom of the pile was a silvery white mask with a small metallic beak and delicate, brush-like markings. A snowy white owl mask. Drawn to it instantly, Fauna tried it on, happy to discover that it was comfortable and that she could see fairly well out of it.

It was perfect, except for the tiny tear by one of the eye-holes. Fauna hesitated. Holding the mask up like a prize, Fauna handed it to the man and watched him glance at it, then open his mouth as if to say something and shut it again.

“I know there’s a rip,” she told him shyly, slightly amused. “But I’m pretty sure I can fix it with a charm or two. It’s half off, right?” He reassured her it was, so she got out the correct amount of galleons, noticing the lighter weight of her purse with a sinking feeling. Why did all the parties have to happen at once?

Now, though, she had inspiration. As the store owner wrapped the mask in tissue paper and found her a bag, Fauna thought about the other things she already owned. She had white ballet flats, gray tights, feather earrings, and her grandmother’s white shawl. Perhaps she could add some feathers to the shawl and make it look more festive. All she really needed was a white dress. This was doable.

She took the bag with a smile, then turned around, ready to go hunting for the dress.

Fauna caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd, one she hadn’t seen since the summer. She stepped forward, craning her neck. It was Covadonga Gertrudis! Her face looked pale, but freckled, as if she’d spent a lot of time outside recently.

Fauna moved quickly, bag bouncing, and touched Covadonga’s arm. Wearing a puffy bright jacket, Hufflepuff scarf, and floppy hat, she probably blended in well with the other students milling around.

“Hi!” she greeted her with a grin, and then paused, unsure what to say next. She’d heard Covi had been busy with something out of the country, but she hadn’t known what, and the last time they’d contacted each other was through those infamous Ollie letters in late August.

There wasn’t much to smile about lately, especially today.  She had made a point to peruse Hogsmeade (and possibly, with any luck, the Forbidden Forest) to examine the various scenes in the Greyfriar case, despite her brother Guillermo’s call to come visit Valencia for one of those Muggle-ish holidays his wife still celebrated.  Whipping out her trusty journal from one of the inside pockets on her cloak, she made some notes with a black and purple quill she made a note in front of one of stores when a familiar voice called to her.

Glancing up, her lips—which before had been drawn into a pale thin line—widened into a smile, probably one of the only ones to be seen today from her.  It was a good feeling.  Covadonga needed the endorphin release.  She had meant to write to Fauna later on, but this worked out nicely.

Before speaking she shut her journal on her quill and checked her pocket-watch, front and back to get the information she needed from various functions, and then greeted the young witch warmly.  “Ah!  Miss Blake!  A pleasure to see you again,” she added a wee bow in the lady’s direction, “and how are you fairing on this brisk afternoon?”  Personally the Department Head would have rather stayed indoors at home, maybe in her Africa exhibit tending to her Erumpent with an odd case of patella luxation.

Fauna watched her, curious but not offended as Covadonga snapped her journal shut and checked the time before greeting her. After working with her over the summer, she was used to the woman’s mannerisms and found them amusing and endearing. She had a distracted, almost absent-minded air, but she got things done very quickly and missed little.

She returned her warm smile, forgetting about the serious look on Covadonga’s face moments earlier. “It’s good to see you,” she answered sincerely, sticking her hands in her pockets and wondering what Covi had been writing.

“I’m doing well,” she glanced at a group of students gathered in front of one of the stores. “Out and about for the Hogsmeade weekend. I just met a friend at the Three Broomsticks, and now, well, I’m doing some shopping,” Fauna held up her bag. “Mysti has a masquerade party coming up, for her birthday.”

She looked back at the woman, hoping she wasn’t keeping her from something important. “Uh, how have you been? I heard you were out of the country for a while.”

“Ooo!  A Masquerade?” the witch questioned with glee, “I have not been to one of those in… in…” she paused, put her journal back into her inside pocket and began to count silently on her fingers.  After losing count a couple times she threw her hands up in the air and exclaimed, “Well, it has been a while.  While I am not much of a partier, when masks are involved everything changes.”
Putting her naked fingers back into her warm pockets she inquired, “What will you be attending as, or is there a theme?” seeming to be genuinely interested in the affair.

As for herself, “My old mentor went and kidnapped me while I was releasing that ‘Big Momma’,” as it had come to be affectionately called, “runespoor back into the wild.  He and Miss Lovegood are working hard on the coming edition of Fantastic Beasts and, hmm…” how was she to put it?  “Forcibly requested my assistance,” Covadonga’s lips turning into a wry grin.

“How has the term been progressing?” Covi had heard some things here and there from Tamis and around the office about Hogwarts, but that was it.  All her nieces and nephews were studying in Europe.

Fauna grinned when Covi counted the years on her fingers and finally gave up. She reached in her bag and showed her the snowy white owl mask, trying to hide her embarrassment at the rip in the eyehole.

“I can probably fix it up,” she said, watching Covadonga’s face. “And, well, all I really need now is a dress. There’s no theme, really… we decided it would be easier on everyone to just tell them to show up wearing a mask. Um, ‘cause there are a lot of birthdays this month.”

She raised her eyebrows when Covi brought up Big Momma, remembering her nickname for the Runespoor that had ripped up Diagon Alley and cost someone their finger (or so she heard). Fauna was glad that the Runespoor was safe. It might sound like a funny sentiment, but Covi was one of the few she knew who could really understand that. At the mention of the new edition of Fantastic Beasts, Fauna smiled.

“That sounds exciting,” she held back a laugh at the woman’s wry grin. Exciting, in the same way that chasing and restraining the giant Runespoor had been exciting. Fauna admired Covi for her ability to work with all types of dangerous creatures.

“The term has been… different. Very hectic,” she replied vaguely.

Fauna ran her hand through her hair and bit her lip. “A few fights broke out at the Halloween dance, and someone pulled this… awful prank. Everyone… students anyway, they seem… tense, you know? I’m… I mean, we’re all getting more detentions,” she flushed. “And just… everything is happening at once. One of my friends is getting written about in the Prophet, um, a few professors are resigning, student groups are getting blamed for things they didn’t do, the Headmistress–” Fauna cut herself off suddenly, looking sheepish. Besides Ollie’s expulsion, she didn’t know how Miss Gertrudis felt about Snark, so she thought it best to stop talking.

“But it’s not all bad!” Her eyes widened, realizing how it must sound. “A boy asked me to the dance,” she told her with a shy smile. “And I’m improving in a few of my classes.” Namely Defense. The term was different, that was for sure, but there were friendships and new things happening that made her happy.

As Fauna answered her questions her face gradually dulled to a somber frown.

“The Headmistress…” the woman echoed, fighting the temptation to snarl, urging Miss Blake to complete that thought aloud.  While at one point she admired, respected, and looked up to Analiza Snark, the former Department Head annoyed the living hell out of her.  This annoyance soon turned to outright disgust when she expelled Miss Foley due to her condition.  It was because of the young student’s situation she pressed even farther to pass her Lycanthropy Legislation.  After some research overseas she even began drafting something akin to the Americans with Disabilities Act.  No one should be discriminated against because they had a disease.

No one.

One of the few regrets she had in life was not allowing herself to be interviewed by the Prophet after the Headmistress’s.  She had all sorts of answers and retorts to the points the witch brought up.

“And I heard about the prank,” Covi shook her head, “a pity that someone would stoop that low.  Children (and I hope it was just the children) can be so… cruel.”  It was a truth Covadonga experienced herself.  She had been a bit of an outcast in her days at Hoggies, though she often found herself standing up for those who could not defend themselves.

But on to happier things!  “Fantastic to hear of your improvements!” though she wondered where she could have been improving if so many professors were bowing out, “and only a dress you say?  Hmm…” putting a hand to her chin she allowed her blue eyes to look the young lady up and down.  “I may be able to help you with that.  I actually have something quite… floofy which would go nicely with the Snowy Owl theme.”

Taking a step back she pointed her finger up to the sky, “One moment please!” and with a POP she disappeared.

The displeased look on Covadonga’s face told Fauna that she clearly was not a fan of Analiza Snark. Fauna glanced away and back again, ready to tell her.

“Ah, well, it’s… one of my friends, and well, SAWS in general is being blamed for the prank. She couldn’t do anything to me, I don’t think, because I was never near the punch. Otherwise…” Fauna shook her head. Otherwise she would have been in much bigger trouble than she was now. Covi was right. Children, students, could be cruel. So could professors and the adults in charge. Fauna wanted to know who had done it, and she couldn’t help but suspect some of the Slytherins who had laughed hysterically as people around them transformed.

When Covi assessed her, Fauna shifted uncomfortably, used to Neely, Fergie, and the rest of the fashion-obsessed giving her dirty looks whenever she dared to express her ‘style’. But Covi didn’t seem critical, just lost in her thoughts. Fauna was very surprised when she mentioned that she might have something for her to wear. She also felt embarrassed and touched by the gesture.

Fauna’s eyebrows flew up and she was about to protest, when Covi apparated away, leaving her standing there with her mouth open. She blinked at the empty space in front of her. The group of students by the window glanced over and giggled.

With another POP the witch reappeared after hurriedly running through her wardrobe, happy to part with one of the more frivolous outfits her sister-in-law had bestowed upon her.  It had been black with some blue and purple highlights at the ends (to bring out her eyes, her dear fashionista sister had said) but with some fancy flicking of the wrist and some well phrased words the short dress draped over her arm was changed to ivory with silver, the strappy high heel shoes dangling from her fingers changed to match.

“Whoa, wait, what?!  SAWS?!”  Covadonga said incredulously, picking up right where they had left off, the end of her now stilled wand sparking blue at the tip, but this period lasted only for a moment as her mask slipped in to place… after a few choice words in Spanish and Gobbledegook, of course. 

Calming back down she asked, “Surely… no one ‘of note’ is taking this idea seriously?”  Analiza would be mad to consider it.  Covi desperately wanted to believe that maybe it was pressure from the elder students and other professors which made her even regard such an idea, that a peaceful group would retaliate so dangerously.

Then again… there was that fire she had heard about.  Damnit… if children weren’t cruel they sure as all hell could be stupid.

If Snark was indeed going to believe such a thing, Gertrudis decided she might have to get involved.  There were people she knew both in Law Enforcement and Mysteries who owed her brothers favors.

With a huff she holstered her wand and gestured so that Fauna could take the dress and shoes, “Here we are… though you may have to lengthen it a bit at your height, but I believe we both may have similar if not the same shoe size.”  Looking at the mask again she advised, “Maybe you could even spruce that up further by plucking some of the feathers off the dress and attaching them around the outer edge.  It would frame your face nicely.”

Fauna’s eyes widened when Covi reappeared with a little feathered, slinky, exquisite number draped over her arms and a pair of heels in her hand. She stared at it, both thrilled and embarrassed. She couldn’t wear that! That dress was out of her league. Something Neely might be able to afford and show off, not her.

“Um…” she wanted to say something more, to tell her she’d find something else, but she couldn’t find a way to without sounding horribly ungrateful.

Covadonga picked up from where they left off and exclaimed about SAWS, causing Fauna to glance around furtively at the other shoppers. She half-expected the goobledegook coming out of Covi’s mouth to sound like ‘Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo’, but of course, it didn’t. When the woman calmed down and asked if anyone was taking Snark seriously, Fauna shook her head.

“I… don’t know, actually.  I mean, some of the students and professors seem to believe her. I don’t think she has any proof, but… still.” According to the Headmistress, SAWS had set fiendfyre to the infirmary and ruined the Halloween dance. Both huge offenses.

Covi then handed her the dress and shoes and gave her some advice on how to make the mask match. Fauna marveled for a moment at just how nice people were being towards her lately. Akiva with her cookies. Knox with his pep talks. Tulo and the Aurors with their support. And now Covi.

“I…” Fauna glanced at her, cheeks burning. Holding the dress, it felt wrong to refuse it, and why would she want to? It was just for one night, wasn’t it? “Thank you. You didn’t have to- but, thank you. This is perfect.” Fauna gave her a hesitant smile, carefully folding the dress and admiring the silky fabric against her fingers. She put the dress and shoes into the bag with the mask and stood awkwardly, unsure what to say.

“Um… should I send this to your Ministry address after the masquerade? Or somewhere else?”

It occurred to her that Covadonga might just be giving it away, but she couldn’t let herself believe that. Borrowing something like this was one thing, but keeping it made her a little too uncomfortable. She wouldn’t know how to return the favor.

Covi blinked… and blinked again.  Give it back?  “Ha!  No, no, do not bother,” she started waving her hand dismissively, “it is yours my dear.  I could never see myself wearing it or think of any occasion where I could.  And you are more than welcome.  I should nearly be thanking you, as you are doing me quite a service by taking them.”

But back on to the stranger things!

All the witch could really do at this point was sigh.  “Hopefully the Headmistress is smart enough to realize that to accuse anyone without a shred of evidence would be sheer folly.  I dare say the Governors would step in at that point.”  At least she hoped so.  It was their job to do so, anyhow.

And now… on to more awkward thing.

“How is your previous Headmaster doing?”  Might as well get on with it.

Fauna stared at Covi a moment longer, torn. She glanced down at the bag in her hand. “Uh, as long as you’re… sure,” she said, both excited about the outfit and uneasy about keeping something so pretty.

“Thank you,” she told her again, rubbing at her cheek as if that would take away the flush on her face.

She nodded when Covadonga said that the Headmistress shouldn’t be able to accuse SAWS without evidence. That was true, though she wouldn’t put it past Snark to suddenly ‘find’ something incriminating. The look of pure rage on her face when her dance had been ruined was an ominous sign indeed. The Headmistress would not be forgetting about that prank anytime soon.

Covi asked how the previous Headmaster was doing and Fauna looked at her in surprise. “Oh! I just saw him yesterday,” she smiled. “He’s…. good. Holding up well, it seems. A touch grouchy,” she added, thinking of the way he’d yelled at Sasha. “But he’s still the same person, you know. Just a little, um,” Fauna paused. “Scraggly,” She gestured around her chin, miming a beard.

“Are you heading somewhere?” Fauna wondered. “Now that I’m , well, done with shopping, I can walk with you.”

Following her lead, she gave Covadonga a worried look, wanting to ask something she hadn’t been able to talk to Knox about. “What do you think is going to happen? He’ll still be able to keep his spot on the Wizengamot… right?”

They couldn’t tell Knox that they were kicking him off because he was a werewolf, because that was discrimination. But they could easily find another excuse if they wanted him gone. Fauna was hoping for some reassurance that it wouldn’t be allowed to happen. With the Minister’s tolerant attitude and the new werewolf legislation coming out, there was a chance that Knox could stay on at the Ministry.

“I was actually going to go about the Forbidden Forest and talk to some centaurs,” they would be one of the first to know about a werewolf being in their midst and might have tracked it for a while or had foretold of it at some point.  The latter would be harder to find out as centaurs really didn’t keep records of prophecies like witches and wizards.  “You are more than welcome to come along, it will be quite the learning experience for you, I am sure!”  Covadonga was sure Fauna hadn’t met the centaurs as they tended to stay clear of the castle… unless she had been roaming about the Forest without permission.  Even if she had Covi would not think of the young woman any less.  What Hogwarts student DIDN’T prance about the Forbidden Forest at one point or another?

“And indeed!” she started in response to Fauna’s report of the Headmaster.  “Some people can have an increased element of umm… ‘scraggliness’,” the witch chuckled at her made up word, “or even seem a touch,” oh, what was the right word? “depleted.”  That would have to do.  Truly for the first couple months or up to a year of a lycanthropic infection the patient may even seem to wither away.  An odd point, though, the effect seemed almost opposite in children, they almost seemed hardier unless there were other complicating illnesses.

“Still as much of a bear as ever, I trust?”  While Covadonga never had Knox as a Headmaster or professor, she had met him before and had coworkers/comrades/nieces/nephews/cousins that did have him as a teacher and all were never remiss enough to comment on his ursine nature.

“What do you think is going to happen? He’ll still be able to keep his spot on the Wizengamot… right?”

With  a confident shake of her head in the negative sense she answered Miss Blake’s question without pause or second thought, “Absolutely not!  Unless he himself resigns no one would take that position from him.”

And if they did they would suddenly find themselves living in Hell.

Fauna glanced at Covadonga for a second, saw that she was completely serious, and grinned. It was easy to believe her when she was walking right next to her, and when Covi was so confident, so sure that Knox would keep his position on the Wizengamot.

She nodded, willing away the worries to the back of her mind, and focused on something happier. Or at least preferable to thoughts of doom and gloom: centaurs!

“I’d love to come along,” she said, her face flushing slightly, surprised but glad that she’d asked.

She’d never met the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest before, or any centaurs at all, actually, so though she knew about them from her Care of Magical Creatures class, meeting them would be an entirely new experience. The nerves and excitement she felt made her want to walk a little faster.

“What are you going to talk to them about?” Fauna wondered, curious if she was planning something for CoMC or Divination.

Covadonga looked once at Fauna, then down at the end of Hogsmeade where the trees started, and then back to the young lady.  It would be a disservice to beat around the bush with her.

“Greyfriar’s biting,” she answered, almost bluntly.  “The centaurs will know the facts about any werewolves running around the forest, and maybe,” if she was lucky and they didn’t mind her company, “I might get a word or two out of them to see what may happen next.”

Come to think of it, unless she ran into some of the older centaurs she had known back when she was a student (there were only a handful left of them, centaurs did not have the same lifespan as a human, after all) she doubted they would be trusting enough to tell her much if Miss Blake was around.  Perhaps… if she took care to mention that she was Fauna’s teacher or mentor of sorts, maybe then they would give some sort of heads up.

“Today it is actually quite rare to have a werewolf running freely.  The Safe House for the infected Hogsmeadian residents,” and there were a couple, but that was confidential information, “is very secure.  Completely renovated only five years ago and then updated a bit once I took office.”

When Covadonga told her that they were going to talk to the centaurs about the attack, Fauna looked at her in surprise. Covi wanted her to come along? Wouldn't she get in the way, or mess things up? She chewed on her lower lip and shot her a hesitant smile. The invitation was flattering... scary and unexpected, but flattering.

Covi went on to mention that with the renovated Safe House in place, many werewolves took care of their condition and sought out safety (for themselves and others).

Fauna nodded. "Yeah... I wonder if the werewolf was hiding out in the forest, or if this was a one time thing. Maybe... whoever it was thought that the forest would keep them away from people," she frowned, trying to come up with explanations. It was still dangerous and irresponsible, but she could see how a new werewolf would underestimate their senses.

The closer and closer they got to the woods, the more nervous Fauna felt. She couldn't help but be reminded of the night when Knox and Vlad had escorted the students back. She'd been so oblivious; she hadn't worried because adults were with her, and the werewolf still attacked them. Granted, it was light out and the moon wasn't full. Covadonga, a brilliant and experienced witch, was right beside her. Still, Fauna worried. Other creatures lurked in the Forbidden Forest besides werewolves.

Fauna's need to know outweighed her nervousness, however. If Covi could get answers and she was inviting Fauna to hear them, well, she couldn't pass that up. She squared her shoulders and swallowed as they passed through the first rows of trees, keeping her hand close to her wand and wishing her shopping bag wouldn't make so much noise.

A tree branch snapped, making her jump. "What was that?" She whispered at Miss Gertrudis, looking all around them.