Forum Thread

Soleil looked up from her book to see Faith staring at her. "Hi Faith." she said absently, looking back down at her book. She had never been formally introduced to Faith, but taking her name out of her head was easy enough. Soleil turned the page her of book, waiting for Faith to say something. Surely she had something to say.


Willow skipped down the hall. "Hihi!" she said, waving to a third-year student as she skipped past them. Willow kept on her way, not slowing down. Even the Slytherins loved Willow, after all, no one could hate a girl who's heart was more innocent then a rabbits. Her beaming smile lit up every room she walked into. And her puppy-doll eyes melted even the coldest of people.

---

Surprisingly, the charm was completed quite quickly. Even if only two of the four had their specialties in Charms, doubling the team size undoubtedly made fine tuning the spell into a pinpoint accurate compass. The trio suspected him of being a part of the prophecy, this Jules knew, but he nimbly dodged any talk about his patronus or even showing his. But even with his uncharacteristic uncooperative streak, their list was compiled accurately and succinctly. Though they all worked well together, it was clear that Jules was somewhat of an outsider, only talking to the two women through Professor Flitwick. It was awkward at best and Jules was infinitely glad to be out of that situation. Throughout the whole time, two things were on his mind. The young students who definitely should not have been summoning a patronus at their age, much less a corporeal one. Through his snooping investigations, he found that the first year's name was Emika Tenshi-Smith, a Slytherin. Just the thought of having to venture into Slytherin territory sent chills down Jule's back but he squared his shoulders. He would just have to suck it up and endure the unpleasant comments that would no doubt be thrown his way.

Standing by the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms, Jules waited to catch a glimpse of the first year. Multiple dirty glares had already been leveled his way but he calmly ignored them. He doubted any would be brave enough or even had the time to directly confront him.

---

Emika combed her strawberry- red hair into her signature pigtails. She felt an ever-present worry in her chest, the message and the Dark Mark appearing in the sky had shaken her a little, the tactics a little too familiar... She shook her head, no need to feel this way. The Order of the Phoenix had arrived, they would take care of things... Hopefully...
With a sigh and a gentle caress to Emerald, Emika headed down to the common room, where she was met with an unusual sight. Several Slytherins were glowering. That wasn't the unusual part, it was what they were glowering at that was unusual. Something, or in this case someone, who didn't belong. A Hufflepuff, male, with long dark hair and doe-like eyes. What was he doing here? Was he looking for some- "Oh..." she thought as a conclusion formed in her head. The prophecy, her Patronus, her age status. "He is most likely looking for you~" "Shut it!" Emika mentally retorted. Taking a breath to calm and center herself, she made her way towards the Hufflepuff, intent on seeing if her hypothesis was correct.

Perking up at the arrival of who appeared to be Emika, Jules pursed his lips as he took in her appearance. She was young, that much was for sure. Much too young for something like this and his heart broke again and again for such a talented young girl who would be thrown into a prophecy larger than any of them. He was angry as well, angry that the world would choose a child as their pawn. That the world had deemed it fit to hurt a girl before she could grow out of her childhood and come into her own at her leisurely pace.

Still he stomped out the anger and replaced it with a calm smile and a wave. "Hi there! Emika, I presume? I'm Hufflepuff's Head Boy, Jules. I'm sure you're tired of this but I wanted to talk to you really quickly about recent rumors concerning eyewitness accounts of you casting a corporeal patronus charm. Rest assured you're not in any trouble. I just want to clear things up, dissipate the rumors, and make your school life easier."

---

“Hello. I heard from someone— that you’re a great at legillimency and occculmency. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions, would you mind?” Faith asks. She doesn’t seem bothered by the fact Soleil already knew her name. It was sure to have been mentioned within earshot once or twice, so she didn’t take much into consideration. “Is it true that all minds are different, and that even without being a good occlumens, different minds can be difficult or less easy to read?”


Harry grins “yes you can go now, we’ll inform you of any updates later”

---

And so he did, praying that he'd be able to get some work done in peace, that nobody had saw that, and that if anybody bothered him, it would only be Faith of all people. She was the closest he had to a friend.

---

Rayne watched as Daybreaker approached Emily, the hippogriff bowed back and allowed itself to be pet, she grinned "I guess he likes you, Emily!". Her smile started to fade as someone approached her, Harper. "What do you want Harper?" ask's Rayne "Nothing, oh is this a friend of yours! Have you told her?" Harper replies eagerly. "No of course not why would I, anyways yes Harper meet Emily, Emily meet Harper." she says back sternly

---

Emika nodded. "Hello Jules. Yes it is true, I can cast a corporeal Patronus. Allow me to demonstrate..." Pointing off to the side, she extracted her wand from its place and, thinking of her happy memory while simultaneously holding back tears, she cast. "Expecto Patronum!" Her Patronus came forth, the three heads looking around for a threat. Seeing none, it casually slithered around the space, startling a few Slytherin students, before coiling around her legs, almost defensively. Emika extended her hand to Pat the middle head of her Patronus, only for it to dissipate, signaling its completed duty. With a sigh, Emika turned back to the Huffle-, Jules, to gauge his reaction.

Soleil put her book down. "Sure, ask away." her eyebrow rose. "Minds are like books. Some shouldn't be read and some are more complex then others." she cocked her head to the side. "Some minds are easy to get into and understand. Or manipulate. I sense you would know a thing or two about the last one?" Soleil commented, sliding sideways on the couch she was sitting on so Faith could sit down.

---

He was about to object, to say that Emika really didn't have to since he wasn't here to gawk at her, but by then it was too late and the mythical three headed snake slithered across the cold dungeon floors. As someone who was taking a N.E.W.T. in Care of Magical Creatures, it was almost second nature for him to identify the monster. He watched in equal parts fascination and pain as the snake curled around Erika's leg, an uncomfortable pain pooling in his stomach. While undeniably an amazing feat, Jules knew that such talent rarely came about and it was more likely a result of needed survival. That something had driven Emika to learn such a high level charm so young, just as he had. It hurt, to see someone else go through the same pains that he had. In some ways it was like watching his past self if he had done the right thing and begged the hat to sort him into Slytherin, if he had never found himself through various charms and transfiguration lessons, if he hadn't been Jules and simply another Hadrian

Pushing those thoughts away, Jules nodded with a carefully blank look as the patronus dissipated. "Well, there are a few things that can happen." He finally spoke after a moment of contemplation. "First is that we let these rumors continue. I wouldn't advise this route as it is both inconvenient for you and your education, even if the rumors have truth to them. Second, we put the rumors to rest. This is the quietest way and everyone will go about their school year without bothering you too much." And here, Jules paused; visibly conflicted. Normally he would only offer those two options but considering what was going on, it only felt natural to add in another. "Third, we discuss this. As you undoubtedly already know, the Sorting Hat mentioned a snake. That puts you firmly on the radar of anyone looking to bring back whatever evil is out there. You are still a first year, undeniably talented as you are, and while it does not mean that you can't protect yourself, it does make you vulnerable. No one so young should be swept up in this anyways."

---

Emika thought about it. The first option she was alright with. Being her alter ego had made her immune to the negativity caused by rumors. The second option she wasn't a fan of. Notoriety was something she was familiar with as well, but having to hide something like this or put it on display like a trick at a child's party didn't sit right with her. The third option, that was the real kicker. There were surprisingly a lot of students with a snake-themed Patronus, which meant there was a smaller chance of hers being the one mentioned. At the same time, even if she wasn't the one mentioned, she would still be a piece that the new evil would be trying to smite out of existence. This... thrilled her. Shockingly, she liked this reversal of roles, where she was now a mouse playing against a cat. Decision made, she looked at Jules and said, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to discuss it. Whether I'm a piece of the puzzle or not, I need to be ready for the new evil too." Glancing around the Common Room she continued, "Is there somewhere you'd like to go to continue discussing?"

Jules' eyes widened slightly, not expecting Emika to actually take the third option. A lot of people just picked the second option, more willing to let things go quietly. After all, it was easy to disappear when an even larger rumor took hold. Glancing around, Jules was at a bit of a loss as to what he should do next. He wanted to talk with Emika, yes, but he was woefully unprepared. Also, he wasn't quite welcome on Slytherin territory. Purebloods had a habit of holding grudges and as a bloodtraitor, Jules was the focus of said grudge more often than not. Swallowing, he gave a sheepish smile. "While that's nice of you to offer, I need to talk with the Headmistress first. Having a first year involved in this was totally out of our expectations. This is in no offense to you, but eleven and twelve year olds should not be fighting against an evil capable of wiping out an entire society. I think I would fight the world if someone your age was involved in this, but its always better to be safe." While it was a solid explanation and covered every base, Jules still felt a little bad about not quite answering all of Emika's questions. A part of him wanted to teach the young girl protective spells, ones that she would undoubtedly learn in her later years at Hogwarts but would be another precautionary measure in these odd times. But as quick as that thought cropped up, he banished it. He had meddled enough already, it was time to take a step back.

---

Emika accepted Jules' answer and explanation with a small smile. "I understand." Sending an ice-cold glare at the still glowering Slytherins startled them enough to 'convince' them to go about their business. Turning back to Jules with the same smile she had mere moments before, she spoke again. "Let me know if I can do anything to help. In the meantime, best not keep the Headmistress waiting too long." She curtsied to him, signaling the end of the momentary discussion. "I hope you find everything you need in order to win~" Her eyes widened, clearing her throat in an attempt to disguise her sudden voice change as a fluke or a bit of phlegm in her throat.

Faith was more than happy to sit beside Soleil. “I honestly wouldn’t really know. But what I do know is that you don’t need to be a Legillimens to be able to read someone’s mind, or manipulate them. That can be done by other ways. Though of course it is much easier and faster if you’re a Legillimens— gosh the word itself is a mouthful. Speaking of minds, and spells, what’s your opinion on the prophecy? Any ideas regarding patronuses? Mine’s a sparrow, so I’m really not involved in the prophecy. I’m still going to help fight this new Dark Lord, whoever they may be.”


After Dimitri, Harry went off to look for the tiger-patronus wielder. Harry came across Jules and Emika. “Having any luck Jules? None of the Slytherins seem to know who has a tiger patronus. Do you?”


Meanwhile, Luna Lovegood went off to find Dimitri. “Hi” She said dreamily “You seem a lot like me, when I was at Hogwarts. Not necessarily loony or batty or anything like that. You seem rather lonely, and with troubles too”


Emily stroked Daybreaker happily, turning to Harper and grinning, waving her claw like fingers. “Hi, Harper. Nice to meetcha.” She is slightly curious after Rayne and Harper’s reaction, but decides to ignore it for now. “Do you want to see my dragon? You’ll have to go into the Forbidden Forest with me, I don’t want to startle others by having a dragon appear so near Hogwarts.”

---

Dimitri, who had been diving into his work as usual, jumped and cursed. "Gah! I mean, hello...Miss Lovegood." The name came to him after a minute, she popped up evrey now and then, being mentioned in his extra courses. He didn't know much about her, so he wasn't quite sure what he thought of Lovegood, though he had heard she was quite the Zooologist. "I'm not lonely," he protested. "I don't need people." He didn't tell her what troubles he did have, though he did have many.

---

"Sure!" replied Rayne and Harper, Before entering the forest Rayne pulls Harper aside and whispers "Not yet, not now promise," says Rayne "okay." harper says back. "Also, I almost forgot wanna see my hippogriff?" Harper asks Emily eagerly hoping for a yes.

---

Rey shuffled around from Common room to common room, taking a temporary stay at the hugglepuff common room during his usual walk. Whilst he was usually not welcome in any common room except slytherin's, his natural ability as a Metamorphmagi allowed him to bypass this, posing as a Hugglepuff, ravenclaw, hugglepuff, however he sees fit. While he is unable to interact with anyone there to prevent his cover from being blown, it was a entertaining hobby, that lets him eavedrop into the likes of others. Deep down, he knew that it just made him feel part of a friendly conversation, something he was not actually part of for a long, long while. Perhaps it was just because he was tired of being lonely, perhaps it was just because he was envious of the other's friendships. Heck, even Emika, a 1st year slytherin, had already made friends with another hugglepuff, much more, he was the hugglepuff head boy.

Maybe, just maybe, he should try making a friend

---

"My thoughts on the prophecy?" Soleil scowled. "Figured you would have better questions then that." she shrugged.
"Prophecies are prophecies. I don't like them one way or another." she said, not bothering to hide the fact that she didn't want to talk about it. "If this dark lord wants to make everyone afraid, a good way of doing it was spread a small bit of information and give to teenagers." she leaned forward. "He or she, whoever they are, are succeeding in spreading fear and unease." Soleil held up one finger. "That was the first step."


Willow bobbed her head as she hummed, drawing in a sketch book. She was trying to draw her most recent "forward dream" as she liked to call them, but with no success. After 10 more minutes of failed sketching, she decided to draw the fireplace. Flames were fun to draw, because they constantly moved and had many shades. So many light spots and dark spots flickered across her vision. Paper, pencil, pen, fire. She was aware of so many things. "Willow you should go to bed." the Gryffindor prefect slowly waved their hand in front of her face. Willow pouted. "But I dont wannnaaa." she said with an adorable huff. The prefect chucked. "It's getting late. I'm sure you won't regret it." Willow did her best puppy doll eyes. "Pweassee." she looked up. The prefect sighed, rolling their eyes before chuckling again. "You are unbelievable." Willow cheered. "Yay! Thank youu!"

---

Faith grins, turning to Soleil. “You misunderstood me. By your opinion on the prophecy, I basically want to know what your patronus is. I’m highly certain you are more than capable of casting one.” It was almost as if Faith already knew what her patronus was, and was just asking for the sake of asking.


Luna replies dreamily. “You are lonely. I’m sorry, but it is rather obvious. Why not make friends with him?” Luna points to Rey, beckoning him over.

Emily smiles, before letting out an ears plotting roar. A beautiful female Hungarian Horntail swoops down, circling the forest a few times before touching down. Emily places a hand on its snout, gently whispering something to it, before turning to Harper and Rayne. “This is my best friend. She won’t bite you or anything, I’ve told her not to. You can pet her snout, just don’t touch her nostrils. Otherwise she’s gonna sneeze out fire.”

---

Rey looked around the slytherin common room, determined to at least try to be social for once. Luna and Dimitri were having a conversation. Suddenly, Luna pointed at him. Rey, in a state of half nervousness, half panic, was thinking about turning around and running, but upon a closer look, Luna seemed to be beckoning him over. Well, this probably is a good chance to make a friend. He took a deep breath, walked over. "Hi, Luna, Dimitri, You probably haven't seen me much, but I'm Rey. Nice to meet you!" Under Rey's grin, he was secretly panicking. Did he mess up?

---