and the Root of All Evil IX

[subplotkudzu]

Chapter 9: Grave Concerns

The train trip back to school after holiday gave the second years a chance to further voice these theories. Castor advocated a forward leaning strategy of bearding the beast in its lair – or, more precisely, of tracking down the not vampire in such a way that it made Rowan look good in front of Professor Night and healed the rift between Rowan and the girls. The others tentatively agreed, and laid out strategies. These, not surprisingly, involved a lot of time in the library.

Pollux questioned several of his professors, looking for a charm that would create the image of the last person to wear a piece of clothing. Professor Lippershy is able to point him in the right direction, though it’s a very complex spell. Juliet and Jasmyn worked the other direction, looking for spells that would trace the origin of the mud caked on the captured cloak, and eventually she teases out an elemental cleaning charm that sends dirt flying back to where it came from. If they could follow the dirt…. Pollux goes one better, linking her spell to his work summoning mapping spirits. They would send the dirt back to where it came from, followed by a mapping spirit that would tell them where it went! And with the other astromancy they’ll even know what it is!

During this library time Jasmyn stumbles across a private conversation between Luci Lung and Roberta Resquiat on the other side of the stacks. Carefully re-arranging some books she is able to peer through a peephole and listen in to their conversation. Roberta is worried about something they and Peri are up to – they built it, but how long can they control it, how long will it last – and Luci is dismissive of her. It’s clear that the Asian girl supplanted Roberta in Peri’s pecking order, and that Roberta is depressed by this.

Castor and Jasmyn’s efforts to patch things up with Rowan (and advance Castor’s master plan!) meet with difficulty when they learn from Professor Ogham that Rowan has dropped out of the play. Could they, please, for the good of the show, convince her to reconsider? Of course! Eventually they locate the half-dryad at the greenhouses, where she is standing stock still, barefoot on the frozen ground, facing into the sun and clearly looking for solace.

The pair attempt to apologize and explain but are cut off by Rowan’s own heartfelt apologies to Jasmyn. She is so sorry about the end of last term. Could Juliet forgive her? “Of course,” Jasmyn assures her. “For everything?” Rowan stresses. Juliet nods, but Castor’s suspicions are pricked, even if now is not the time to pursue them. Instead the pair explain the existence of the ‘not Juliet’, which she accepts with some skepticism, and the maybe-vampire. They also convince Rowan to return to the play. Castor is wary about bringing Rowan into their Vamp-hunting too soon so they don’t mention their planned escapades.

During all this Daisy moves with the fastest pace that will still maintain some decorum to the edge of the woods to practice her violin. Not surprisingly Firenze turns up within moments, and his eyes are just as deep and beautiful as they were before break. Dragging herself away from such thoughts she questions the centaur on the origins of the school. Firenze doesn’t know the history – Centaurs look forward, not back – but he does know that his herd leader, Chiron, would be familiar with it. It would be possible, but dangerous, for Daisy to visit the herd at their next circle. It’s in the center of the Forbidden Forest, at next month’s full moon. Daisy agrees, her need to know overriding prudence.

Having spent the first half of the year studying Mars, the 2^nd year Astronomy class has moved to Venus, planet of love, reflection and dragons & dinosaurs living in its giant swamps. The second years once again try to use the excuse of being out together late at night as an opportunity to slip away and do their vampire hunting, but Daisy catches her sister preparing to escape. Still, the quartet had planned for this and Jasmyn manages to distract the prefect to allow the other three to escape to a pre-selected storage room in the Astronomy tower, locking the door and hunkering down until the rest of the students and prefects had left.

Once free from distractions Juliet produces the cloak. Pollux intones imago forensix and the tattered cloth rises into the air, filled out by the stunted shape of the beast that last wore it. Not a Nosferatu, but no less ugly for it, the creature was a dirt covered, club-footed thing no more than four feet high, hunched over, and possessed not just of fingers but of dozens of spindly tendrils from its hands, palms and wrists. Its feet are likewise festooned with such things, and its face is a grotesque parody of a man’s, curled up on itself with a thick brow ridge sprouting long white hairs. Its mouth doesn’t have teeth so much as more of the spindly tendrils, hundreds of them extending anywhere from half an inch to a finger’s length from its dirt covered lips.

“That,” Pollux intones, “Is not a vampire. And we are not going out to hunt that thing tonight if we don’t have any clue what it is.” Castor is upset that this will disrupt his master plan, but is overruled. Juliet makes a quick sketch of the monster for future reference, and Castor magically copies it onto a fresh sheet of paper.

Juliet then shakes some of the dirt loose and casts the cleaning spell on it – the dirt whisks into the air and flies out the window, pursued instantly by Pollux’s mapping spirit, which returns to craft a map to the garden. “The garden again?” they mutter…. Pollux again uses his copying spell to produce two other copies of the map so each of them will have one and they slip out with plans to hit the library tomorrow. Pollux fails to notice that in their planning for the future his own copy of the map was left behind on the table.

Jasmyn, once back in the Ravenclaw dorms and out of her sister’s sight, manages to slip out to go join her friends in the Astronomy tower. After a harrowing trip evading what she thinks is Filch prowling the halls (but is actually Juliet and Castor returning) she finds that they’re gone. Obviously they’ve already gone after the vampire – but they left a map behind for her to follow. Excellent! She heads off.

Juliet, seeing Jasmyn isn’t in their room, tells Daisy that Jasmyn is missing and just might be in the garden on her own.

Jasmyn reaches the garden and sees no evidence of her friends. She pulls out her wand and, concerned that she might be attacked by a goblin or kobold – what she thinks is under the nosferatu’s cloak – prepares the nockinumnogginum spell. Increasingly unnerved being alone in the dark, she strains her ears and hears something approaching her from behind. She spins and fires, striking Firenze square in the chest. She has just enough time to remember Professor Kettleburn’s warning to never, ever cast this spell on a Centaur before she sees any semblance of sanity vanish from his handsome face, replaced with a red haze. Jasmyn turns and runs as fast as her legs can carry her as the equine figure screams its rage into the night and pursues.

Scolding Juliet and her sister’s idiocy Daisy storms up to the top of Ravenclaw tower, Juliet in tow, and casts a charm to find her sister. It draws her eyes to Jasmyn, running madly from an enraged centaur! The young girl is picked up and thrown, landing hard in the garden’s hay bales. Stunned, Jasmyn rolls over to see the Centaur grab the pitchfork and charge, his hooves throwing up clods of frozen dirt.

Daisy immediately sings Firenze’s song, the one that links their hearts and spirits, and uses her will to balance his, calming him down enough that he is able to yank the pitchfork off line, burying its tines four inches into the earth. Jasmyn, seeing the beast stamping the ground before her in vented aggression, is dumbstruck until his deep, monotone voice announces “Go, sister of Daisy Fontaine.” She does, with as much speed as her tortured lungs allow.

Daisy thanks Firenze for his restraint, and sees the Centaur stare up at her tower with a look of deep regret and sadness before he gallops back to the Forbidden Forest. With a deep sigh, Dasiy uses accio to recover her sister’s wand then meets her at the dormitory door to give her a hug and a scolding. Her duty done, she retires to her room and sobs into her pillow, silently, so as not to wake Kestra.