04.17.09
0455 Hours


It was a bit misty this morning and the fresh dew on the ground made the hem of her skirt damp.  The sun had just begun to rise, setting an eerie gleam across everything the water touched.

Feeling a big giant gaping yawn coming on the Department Head quickly covered her mouth and then tipped down the brim of her hat a bit further down her brow once she had control of her mouth.  While she knew this little hunt was going to be fun – at least for her – she couldn’t wait to get back to London for breakfast.  She had been only able to steal a few sips from her mug before her team said they were ready to go.  A few went to the Atrium to Floo their way to Hogsmeade while the rest Apparated.  After they had met by the Post Office they headed out to Hogwarts’ Grounds. 

Now they (5 Wranglers, Kia, and herself) were standing right at the edge of the Forest where, if Covi had remembered correctly, she had her Care of Magical Creatures class years ago.  A little grin lifted a corner of her lips at the memory of all the fun times she had here, but it fell as she regretted not taking the opportunities that had been presented before her here sooner.

Meh, all's well that ends well.

Now… where was their escort?  Turning to Kia she asked, “Do you know if the Deputy Headmaster or the man himself is coming?”  It had not been specified to her in her last correspondence, Headmaster Greyfriar had just said it would be one or the other.

If Kia ever had one bad thing to say about her superior and mentor, it would be that she was too damn small. With her petite 5'4" height, Kia felt like a giant towering over her, and therefore felt as though she was the more noticable. She did, after all, have a good 5 to 6 inches on the woman. This was the reason that Kia had taken to wearing flat soled boots when working alongside Covi, that and the fact they were there to chase down a dangerous creature.

“Do you know if the Deputy Headmaster or the man himself is coming?”

"I'm not sure." Kia said, pulling her robes closer for warmth. She glanced over at the castle with a slight frown of thought. The normal glow of warmth from its many windows gone, rendering the towers and parapets barely visible against the night sky. It was as though it were dead. Turning back to Covi, she added "... But I wouldn't be surprised. From what I have seen of the headmaster, he seems to like to be part of things going around the castle."

Standing there, in the fog, waiting and waiting and waiting was not a pleasant thing to do.  After 5AM rolled through she sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"I guess we're on our own on this one."

Just then there was a crunch of leaves and one other pound on something hard.  The witches eyes narrowed into slits as she tried to discern what was going on behind the trees.  Her eyes darted left and right as she quietly assessed the situation.  Abruptly Covi turned to Kia and the rest of the Wranglers and said, "Wait here a moment, I have some business to tend to."

She pushed her short cloak aside and withdrew her wand from her hip.  Handing the pale yet dingy stick to the Magizoologist, "Would you hold this for me please?" and once it had been taken, "Thank you!" she said with a grin.

With that she turned on her heel and wandered into the forest, disappearing from view behind the fog, dark, and trees.  The sound of her heavy boots and her skirt scraping the ground soon faded away.

Oh, mornings.  Knox Greyfriar was traditionally a night owl.  He had made every promise to himself to meet the Ministry personnel at the appropriate time, but a Headmaster's plans for his time were rarely his own.  Getting up at the absolute last moment, he was waylayed by four different house elves about various mishaps about the castle that had happened through the night.  An owl demanded his attention as he exited the front gates, and then the Groundskeeper had urgent need to speak. 

And so by the time he neared the edge of the forest, it was almost half after.  A small group of woodsy witches and wizards were standing there.  He looked at he approached.  The compact from of Covadonga Gertrudis was not there.  But he recognized Kiana Ferris who was holding... wait, two wands?

"Ms. Ferris.  Morning," he greeted nominally.  He was not his usual boisterous self, but instead, seemed a might foggy.  "Where is...?"

"I guess we're on our own on this one."

"I am sure he will be along soon..." Kia started, unwilling to move forward without the headmaster present. It was, after all, his forest if you will. However, a sound from the within the darkness of the tree line silenced her and she tensed. Like her mentor, Kia's eyes narrowed and she thought about what animals made that sound. There was only one native to this country and their involvement would prove difficult. The forest may have been on Hogwarts land but the Centaurs considered it theres. This made the situation a bit sticky.

"Would you hold this for me please? Thank you!"

Kia didn't get a chance to argue about accepting Covi's wand before the bit of wood was shoved into her hands and Covi was already heading off. She huffed slightly in irritation, a bit put off that she just left her there without a word. It was nerve wracking to say the least, watching her diminutive boss walk unarmed into the den of terribly intelligent and dangerous creatures. She was left there feeling like, despite having two wands in her hands, she was helpless. The wranglers must have really been feeling it too, as they were all muscular men who long ago convinced themselves that women needed saving. They stood apart from her, crowded together and muttering under their breath as they waited impatiently.

"Ms. Ferris.  Morning, Where is...?"

When her name was spoken, Kia jumped slightly as she was torn from her thoughts. Glancing over, she saw a broad shouldered bear of a man faze in from the darkness.  Normally her first inclination would be to hex him, but the moment the moonlight touched on his dark features, Kia relaxed. Raising her hand, she motioned for a nearby wrangler, who had started forward at the mans appearance, to stand down. "It's ok Kressler." Turning back to the headmaster, she gave him a polite but curt nod "Morning Sir... Ms. Gertrudis is..." She glanced towards the woods before turning back to him, offering a faint smile "... Negotiating."

Gradually the sound of her cloggy footwear returned to the eardrums of those with sharp hearing just outside the trees.  Thumping away there was a loud smack, snap and a yelp a bit before she emerged with a stick with seven leaves stuck in her hair which was more tangled than it usually was. 

There was another grin on her face, but one quite different from the face she had shown Kia before heading into the wood.  This one was cockeyed with full open eyes with a soft touch to them.  Upon seeing the Headmaster, which surprised her, she tugged down the pins holding up her hair, ran her fingers through the wiggly wavy strands, ripped out the stick with a wince and kicked it behind her as she twisted it back up.  It was probably the first time anyone has seen her hair down.  Covadonga always seemed to keep it in some kind of a chignon.  Even when she was out it was up.  The only time her dirty blonde mane was ever set free was if she was too tired to braid it before going to bed.

Clearing her throat the Department Head went all business as she folded her hands in front of her and side-stepped gracefully toward her colleague, “Good to see you, Headmaster,” she nodded her head.  “Word has it,” from the herd, “that the creature has gone southeast.  A few arrows to the first right appendage and one of the last has a great gash to it and drags it along behind it.”

And now for the introductions, in short form for the sake of time, “I suppose you know Ms. Ferris, my top-notch Magizoologist,” she gestured toward the young lady with a hand and then turned back toward the Wranglers, “and Misters Gaffikin, Balfour, Hargreaves, Kessler, and Loftus from the Capture Unit.”

She sighed, “Are we ready all?” still forgetting she had yet to retrieve her wand and put it back in her holster.

"God, no," Knox grumbled.  The old Hufflepuff couldn't help but feel that somehow Kyle Gibson was culpable for this pre-dawn discomfort.  He wasn't the slightest bit ready to be doing anything rugged nor outdoorsy.

But he followed along anyway, knowing his presence was a required endorsement.  He trooped along through the woods, stepping heavily among the more light-footed wranglers and magizoologists.

"Covadonga," Knox finally spoke.  "Madam Gertudis, what the hell is a McBoon doing in these woods?  They don't swim, I imagine...?  I thought they were relegated to their own island out in -"  he stopped and leaned against a tree.  "I don't know, but they don't belong here.  Why is it here?"

It was so bizarre.  The Forbidden Forest was well-stocked in rare and lethal fauna.  Who felt the need to contribute yet another deadly being to this menagerie.  And so close to Remembering Day.  Who was behind it? What there even something to be behind?  Perhaps it was one of those incredible journeys...