"Quintapeds are highly magically resistant." Lord Lovegood continued. "And they've never faced anything except wizards since the ministry made the island unplottable and warded it. So they see a wizard on his own or with just a few others and they immediately think he's easy prey. Hah! Not this wizard!"
He nudged the quintaped with his shotgun. "I suggest you get on with your project then, Miss Black. Best not to hang around."
Alex quickly nodded and soon she and Luna had the ritual space prepared around the dead class XXXXX beast.
She spoke the words, channelled the magic, thrust in the sickle, spoke the next words, channelled the next bit of magic, stood back and prepared herself.
The quintaped scrambled back to life, eyes glowing a deep purple.
Alex focused her magic and sent it out to engulf the beast.
The quintaped halted it's skittering movements.
Yes.
Alex felt a huge overwhelming pressure all over her body and the connection to her magic snapped.
No!
The undead quintaped turned and bolted towards her in a flurry of legs and a snapping of teeth.
She took a desperate step backwards and tried to bring her magic to her fingers to defend herself from the rushing onslaught of meat and jaws, but she knew it was already too late.
The beast leapt.
And from behind her, Lord Lovegood's shotgun barrel was thrust forward, impaling the quintaped in its wide open maw, letting out another earsplitting 'BANG!', and exploded the beast's head in a fine mist of gore.
Alex fell backwards and gazed in horror at the spot where what remained of the quintaped now lay. That had been far too close. She felt Lord Lovegood place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Bit more practise on less dangerous things first, I think, yes?"
Alex gulped and nodded shakily. That hadn't been anything like when she'd subdued the doxy. The doxy had been easy. This hadn't. This had felt like she was trying to push a tendril of her magic against an octopus of magic, tendrils all over the place, chaotic and uncontrollable. "Yeah. Practise. Yes."
Heiress Black,
I hope this owl finds you well. It's been quite a busy few weeks as you've no doubt seen. If I had my wish, none of the witches involved would have had to face the troll, but the event does highlight one of the reasons I take an interest in the ability of those in my sphere to defend themselves. Our world is not as safe as those in power might wish us to believe and if we do not take responsibility for our own well being, or allow others to take away from us that responsibility, we will be at the mercy of those who are not so complacent.
It's good to hear about your continued practise of occlumency and wandless magic with Luna. I hope you continue.
I've attached something that you might appreciate. Copies of the troll fight are quite easy to come by, but I'm not sure if you were able to. I can't imagine your father would just leave that kind of thing lying about.
Yours,
Lord Slytherin
Alex re read the parchment one last time while she and Luna waited for their appointment slot in Michelle McLaggen's Memories in Diagon Alley. She bounced her knee up and down and tapped the low table next to the settee they sat on. Luna hummed quietly. The space was set up like a waiting room and on the far side of the room, a partition separated the pensieve room from the rest of the shop. A half dozen other customers were also waiting.
"Alright girls," said the middle aged woman behind the counter, addressing them. "Your turn."
Alex and Luna stood up.
"But just the fifteen minutes, mind you. Don't make me come in there and get you."
Alex rolled her eyes and Luna nodded. They walked into the room next door, covered from floor to ceiling in moving pictures of famous moments throughout wizarding history. Alex opened her bottle of silvery liquid, poured it into the plinth bound pensieve in the middle of the room, and they both dived in.
Alex watched in awe as the Vassal, Hermione Granger, a muggleborn(!), dove straight into the bathroom and summoned the screaming girl out of the way of the descending club. She yelled in fright when the troll tried to flatten the Indian girl but was again stopped by Granger, this time by shattering the troll's weapon.
By the time Granger and the Greengrass Heiress both transfigured random pipes into swords, she was cheering, and when one of the other girls shielded Greengrass from a thrown rock, she was convinced. These were the people she wanted to hang out with.
The memory ended with John Potter being a complete dumbass, although, dumbass or not, Alex couldn't deny that the boy who lived was very powerful. Was Harry also that powerful? They were twins after all.
Luna didn't say much, but Alex was sure the smiling blonde was just as fascinated as she was enthralled.
They watched the memory three more times before the woman from the counter came to kick them out.
Alex dashed back home. She had another owl to write.
Alex surreptitiously watched Weasley from the other side of the classroom.
The red haired girl was up to something and had been for a while now. Alex doubted anyone else had spotted it, but they hadn't spent the last few months practising wandless magic with Luna.
Still, Alex hadn't been sure. At least, not until Weasley had unknowingly let her see glowing fingers under the desk.
"Weasley!"
Weasley turned around on the stairs where she'd been trying to get away. "Yes, Black?"
Alex caught up with her. "You're being taught by him, aren't you?"
Weasley seemed to panic and a few minutes later, in the small copse surrounding the Potter Manor, Alex got the truth out of her. Weasley was being taught by Lord Slytherin, or at the least one of his other students. "Duel me!"
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