Chương 20: Yule Break
1990 December
Yule rolled around, and Alana returned to London with the satisfaction of a well-fed cat. The last few days had her jittery, but she was rather proud of how well she had held up with not having had a job for over three months. The key to her success had been in keeping herself busy. Hogwarts had proved itself to be an excellent source of entertainment and distraction for the young witch. Occupying herself had never been easier, and she had often found herself straying from the beaten path in the corridors and winding up in the strangest of places. It would seem she hadn't been the only one with strong emotions regarding the return home either, though the sentiment was likely different. Leoen had set a newspaper on fire when the topic was breached in a rather rare display of accidental magic. She had asked at some point why the Volkov's sent their children to Hogwarts, and his reply explained his trepidation. Hogwarts had the highest mortality rate. The answer was rather telling, but she wasn't one to judge the parenting skills of strangers.
Speaking of parenting skills, Marius seemed indifferent to her return, but the silence that had been between them when she left had lifted. The eternally-teen vampire acted like nothing had happened which suited Alana just fine. She was far more eager to experiment with her non-traceable wand than engage in small talk. She had also learnt that Marius and Otavio had formed a tentative friendship in her absence. Otavio had been the one to inform her of that little fact while inviting her to spend a few days with his coven during Yule. He seemed to have gotten the hint from her nefarious colleagues that she was something of an intermediary for the workers of Knockturn. Alana foresaw an increase in her popularity in the near future now that Otavio had extended his hand for a closer relationship. Harley's had run smoothly in her absence with minor aid from Raoul whom she'd informed of her enrollment at Hogwarts. The bastard had laughed at her misery over the floo call.
Alana sprawled across a satin couch with an arcane text in her hands. Sometimes she wondered if vampires had anything better to do than collect books. Octavio's collection was interesting if a bit above her comprehension level. He had a lot of old tomes on muggle history and ancient spells. For whatever reason, he thought the subjects worth his attention. The mansion he had purchased and then expanded was a lovely building with Italian curves and roman edges. The architecture was reminiscent of the designs she had seen whilst in Romania. Perhaps, it was a Vampire trend? The coven itself had about thirteen members currently with a slow rate of expansion. The small number was hardly surprising as members of the Spanish, French and Italian coven would naturally be reluctant to leave their much larger and more influential groups for Britain.
Another vampire passed through the doorway of the library and stiffened. His nostrils flared when he heard breathing, but he caught no scent and quickly switched to his sight to find the source.
"Try to drink from me without permission, and you'll end up worse than the last one," Alana drawled whilst using a single hand to motion to the pile of cold flesh and fabric on the ground. The female vampire wasn't dead but may very well be wishing she were with Alana's use of a paralysing charm and nightmare curse. The joys of having an unregistered wand from Gregorovitch. The male quickly grabbed the book he wanted and left. He was smart enough to heed a warning when given.
1990 December
In an old building stowed away in the shadowed corners of Knockturn Alley, a young girl shifted a black game piece over a white. She leaned back into her seat to eye the man across from her. He made his turn, and she struck.
"You've got to be shitting me!" Came the tell-tale curse as the man lost yet another game of Nine Men's Morris to the cloaked witch. She gave a hidden smile as he put another bag of knuts on the table. It had quickly become apparent to the customers of Harley's that strategy-based games against Sparrow were a lost cause. Nevertheless, a few patrons still felt pity for the poor man.
"I've got a job for us!" The fist that slammed down on the table belonged to a burly man Alana was regretfully familiar with. Raymond's grey eyes were rooted on the significantly smaller form of the fourteen-year-old. She glared at the male for interrupting her state of relaxation and slipped her mouth mask down to scowl at the man.
"Didn't we just finish a job? What's so great that you feel the need to interrupt my well-deserved leisure time?"
"How do you feel about putting that wand to use?" He grinned, and she reluctantly gestured for him to elaborate. "One of the western European packs needs some strays taken care of. A group of four messed with the locals and turned a few before running off. The pay is 200 galleons a head split 50/50." There was a brief pause before she replied.
"A hunt then?" Alana caught the reason he'd enlisted her easily enough. The werewolves would have trouble hiding from one tracking wizard, but a second would be impossible. She grinned maliciously. The pay was too good to turn down, and he knew it.
They set up camp a few kilometres off from where the Danube river met the Slovakia-Austria border. It was still the early hours of the evening when they began to move. Four wolves, three females and one male with each possessing a wand and the ability to use it. It was a suicide mission for most and admittedly, not that strange of an occurrence for Raymond. There was a reason most wand-users who were bitten were turned away from the wizarding world. They tended towards aggression, and their magic waxed and waned with the moon in both power and control. Raymond and Alana had chosen to hunt on the night of the full moon, despite their increased power on that night. Control was their main concern, and the power fluctuation would make them easier to track where usually werewolves provided a challenge. The mobile group's tracks had become more evident as the full moon neared. Raymond had placed a blood trace on one of the bones of a human not fortunate enough to survive the werewolves attack, and the potency of the spell increased with every minute.
She knew this job would in no way be easy, but it was a chance to get a feel for the werewolf community, and she couldn't pass that up. Alana watched her partner warily. She had never before worked with him on a full moon, but she was confident that, at the very least, the man knew the limits of his self-control. He was a werewolf as well, but he had, or at least he claimed to have learnt enough tricks in his many years to overcome the troubles that label brought.
"Quit your worrying," The man directed a frown in her direction, and she smiled sheepishly at being caught. They both knew the risks of taking this job. Raymond huffed and twisted to observe their immediate surroundings. His grey eyes would pick up any trail easily. A dark brown coat hung loosely from his shoulders, lending an air of grace that was otherwise absent from the male. His hair was cut short for convenience and ruffled messily from the previous night's sleep in the forest. He stilled and breathed deeply.
"South. Four kilometres and moving fast."
It took only a blink for them both to start moving.
Raymond took the lead as per usual and practically leapt through the foliage with an ease rarely found in a living creature. Pisces curled around Alana's neck in a mock embrace while she shadowed him silently. She was grateful she had performed a physical enhancement ritual on the night of Yule. The effects were astounding, and the timing had only maximised its impact. There had been no title earned, but she hadn't expected one in the first place.
Scrsh! Fwssh!
Company at 3 o'clock. Alana grabbed a branch and swung herself upwards just in time to avoid a painful body collision with a 6 foot 3 female werewolf. She landed on a branch and quickly activated the runes lining her equipment. Her movements were as unearthly as any magical creature's as she jumped several branches away. Lightening charms ensured her movements went unnoticed as she landed softly near Raymond's current battle. The wolves' attempt to separate the two hunters had been mediocre at best.
"They've split 2-2! I want them pinned Sparrow!" Raymond's shout was as loud as ever as he raised a gun towards toward his two targets and fired six shots successively. The two women dodged most of the metal projectiles though the two that grazed them left searing scars where they made contact. The usual devastation the hand-crafted, silver bullets inflicted was lessened as the moon had already risen and was dulling whatever pain the wolves might have felt. Their powers were already piquing, but their more animalistic forms would only emerge once the sun had set. It was a dangerous time to be around one werewolf, let alone four. Alana sent out a controlled wave of magic with her wand in a quick and silent Homenum Revelio. Her targets' locations popped up in her mind, followed by a map of the surrounding area when she cast a Terrenum Revelio. Her legs did not falter in their journey as she cast. She couldn't afford to waste a second of her time.
The male werewolf quickened his pace as soon as his wife sensed they were being tracked. He held his teenage son in his arms closer to his chest. The small boy had gotten moon fever a few nights before, and neither of his parents had the means to tend to it. He cursed as his joints began to ache. The moon would claim him soon, and he only hoped his son would last the night in his weakened state. A thump sounded behind him, but he didn't dare turn to see who it was. He pulled his wand out and cast a blind Bombarda behind his head. It was a messy casting and easily avoided. He threw a few nastier curses, but it was to no avail, and the presence that had been following had not abated. It finally forced him to turn to face the unknown danger. Only, there was no one there.
After a moment's hesitation, a length of metal pierced his back. His son was dropped to the ground, forgotten as he twisted to successfully dislodge the blade. Alana ducked the fist that came for her head and lamented the man's fast reaction. Her knife had barely made it in a centimetre before she was forced to bring it back. She brought the hilt of the blade up in a neck chop as the man's punch overextended.
"Fuck!" She had regretfully been unaware of the steel-like strength of the man's skin to anything that was not silver. She hadn't realised it was so close to sunset. As soon as the thought passed, she heard the crack of bones and pulled her body back as the man hunched over. His skin writhed on his skeleton as it stretched and contorted. His clothes ripped as long hind legs and copious amounts of black fur grew from his body. She crouched lower and switched the dagger to her left and with a wand in her right. The man raised his head upwards sharply revealing an inhuman snout with small, beady eyes. The wolf shot forward with a growl, and the witch threw her body to the left. Her wand cut upwards, and a gash appeared on the chest of the beast only to heal itself in a matter of seconds.
"Diffindo! Everte Statum! Flipendo!" The wolf was thrown back several feet, but it brushed the impact off easily. Alana cursed the damn creature. She had forgotten how infuriating they were to fight with, and it seemed like a full moon made them a million times worse. It was little wonder why the ministry was constantly antsy about a werewolf rebellion.
"Fumos Duo!" She growled, and the area was swiftly covered in dark smoke. She slipped into the darkness easily. She was hardly one to give up halfway through a battle.
211990 December
The forest was cloaked in smoke for a good distance, and all that could be heard was the sniffing of an aggravated wolf. A few curses had been fired, but the wolf seemed content to fall and rise again to lash out at the nothingness surrounding him. Alana wondered if werewolves had been the inspiration for Inferi because the wolf would not stay down. She summoned Aquarius with a grimace and aimed the slime at the wolf's feet, watching as it wrapped around the creatures leg and attempted to secrete silver.
The wolf howled in agony as its left leg gave out. Her ears were left ringing by the sheer volume of the cry, and she clutched her head as a wave of dizziness hit her. She was unprepared for the blockade of magic the tore from the beast like a tsunami. It tore up the ground, tearing Aquarius to pieces and throwing her backwards. She whimpered at the burning in her chest resulting from the destruction of her summon. She could feel the impact on her mind like a window screen being fractured; not yet broken but in dire need of repair before the damage became permanent.
She brought her wand up in the motion for another spell, but it was interrupted before she could finish. She felt more than saw the creature move and found long claws pinning her arm to a tree in the span of a few breaths. She could only bite her lip as the talons tightened around her bicep and sunk into her skin. She raised her wand as the wolf got ready to infect her with its saliva or perhaps, it would just rip her to shreds.
"Quemar Alma." The Spanish syllables rolled off her tongue with unconcealed ill-intent. The wolf whimpered and backed off with its head clutched in his hands. Alana gritted her teeth against the pain. Her arm was likely broken as well as bleeding, but she couldn't afford to lose focus much less with the dark spell she was holding. She could almost feel her magic leaving her wand to keep the spell going. It was hot and thick like blood, and it entered the werewolf's veins eagerly. It burned from the inside out as its name suggested. To burn the soul. It was the darkest spell she had ever cast, and it felt heavy on her tongue.
It was like mulled wine, hot and sweet as it quenched a thirst she didn't know existed. Every type of magic had their own unique taste, but this was a shock to her system after her reliance on the more analytical mind arts and her associated summons. It was an addictive luxury that tempted you to forsake all else. She could see why families with traditionally dark magic cores kept such spells to themselves. They were both divine and repulsive in their attempt to rob you of your self. Alana could feel the throbbing heartbeat of the male, and she curled her magic around it tenderly. The spell was seductive and gentle. There was patience in the way it killed. These were the rules she had to follow to use it. Her will had to align with the spell itself.
The dark arts had a mind of its own or rather, each spell brought specific emotions from the caster to the surface and forced them to submit to them. They had the potential to both destroy and empower their caster. She had rarely delved into the subject for that reason. It was dangerous. This spell, in particular, would kill the caster if used to end a life all the while tempting them to do so. She cradled that heart and felt a purr of contentment from her magic. The wolf was trying to shove her magic from its body with its own, but he was too unfocused and without a wand after his transformation... She squeezed. The werewolf howled and clawed at its chest. The moon had long-since overcome the human rationality it once possessed. Alana moved forward slowly as she twisted her wand. Another howl of pain and she had reached the man-turned-beast. Her bleeding left hand inched towards his neck with a silver blade, and she pushed with whatever strength she had left.
Had she been more aware of her surroundings, she would not have been so foolish. Not two inches from the neck, her hand slipped as a searing pain travelled up her left calf. It was there that a young, bony werewolf pup had locked its jaws. The spell snapped, and the backlash had her falling to her knees beside a quickly recovering adult wolf. She wasted no time in kicking the pup off her and casting a blood drawing curse in the hopes of preventing infection where the pup had bit her. Her head throbbed with the use of magic, and she was painfully aware that she was reaching a limit in her endurance. She dispelled Pisces as the summon was too taxing on her. A limb collided with her body, and she stifled a cry as she was tossed across the clearing like a ragdoll. Had she thought it possible, she had no doubt she would be running, but the wolves were only increasing in ability, and she wouldn't be able to hold out in a race. Alana silently promised herself she would find a way to apparate with her underdeveloped core if she got out of this alive.
The smaller wolf pounced on her prone form, and she rolled with its movements while sliding a knife out. If the pup was foolish enough to try then no one could blame her for being ruthless. Her silver blade slid into place like a puzzle piece, and the wolf's head snapped with an audible click. It stilled almost immediately as the silver contaminated its bloodstream inducing a paralysis that would lead to eventual death if not removed soon. She shoved the body sideways and liberated herself from the weight. A nearby howl tore the night, but Alana didn't spare the sound a glance. Instead, she bore her wand down on the wolf who had cocked its head towards the call.
"Papula Caput." The bubblehead charm was easy enough and far less taxing as a neutral spell.
"Aer Evanesce." A variant of the vanishing spell she had never thought she would use what with vampires not needing to breathe. The wolf's eyes bulged as the vacuum environment began to draw oxygen from its body. She held both spells with a shaking wand arm. Fifteen seconds. Fourteen. Thirteen. Her control faltered. The wolf turned its head towards her. Eleven. 'Merlin help me.' The wolf moved slowly as though it wasn't sure where its limbs were. Her breaths came out in short gasps. Ten. He was too close. Nine.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! What the fuck are you doing on the floor?! No sleeping on the job!" Raymond yelled as he nailed the wolf's dead body with a few more bullets. Alana coughed some blood into her sleeve. If she wasn't so grateful for his presence, she'd have beat the stupidity out of the mercenary aeons ago. She slumped backwards. Now that she considered it…
"How have you not gone all wolfy? The moon's out."
Raymond gave her his trademark grin, and his usual grey eyes appeared to be ringed with burning amber from where she stared upwards from her back.
"Trick of the trade, Sparrow. Come on! Let's get you home!" He hooked an arm under her own undamaged one and hauled her up. They say actions speak louder than words and the saying suited Raymond like a glove. Despite his earlier words, he worked around her injuries carefully, even those that weren't visible. In the end, she ended up on his back with her left arm wrapped tenderly and her chin resting in the nook between his shoulder and neck. She was surprisingly comfortable there, or she was too tired to care. She was tempted to thank the man, but it seemed… wrong. Actions spoke louder than words she supposed. She slid her eyes shut. She'd never been so confident as to sleep in the presence of any of the criminals she worked with, but she would let it slide this once.
1991 January
"So, how was your holiday?" Charlotte asked the first morning back.
"Pretty normal," Alana replied when it became apparent from Leoen's stiff posture that he wasn't about to answer before her.
"Fine," He mumbled half-heartedly. Charlotte left it at that. They still had a free day to get settled in before classes began again and Charlotte proposed a study session in the library. It was a sad thing to realise that not even Lola had a better suggestion. What sad lives they lived. They left to grab a study corner once breakfast was finished. Unsurprisingly, they were the only ones there. The librarian, Mrs Pince, was giving Alana a warning glance that she chose to ignore. She was a pure bean who had done nothing too untoward to the woman.
They claimed a few couches by a large table and Charlotte and Alana both flopped down elegantly. They were followed by Lola and Leoen who wanted to preserve their dignity. Each of them had their own interests, so they settled into a comfortable silence as books were steadily added to their table. Leoen was about halfway through a book on the sixth Goblin War when a group of Slytherins poked their heads past the shelves. He frowned at the interruption but chose to stare at them blankly rather than glare as they approached. He had seen his brother do the same, and the tactic proved far more effective on Slytherins.
"G-Good morning, Alana. I trust you had a pleasant Yule?" Lucian brushed of his initial stutter with the grace of a linguist. Alana hummed as she looked up from her book.
"Pleasant enough I suppose. I got a few jobs finished which was nice. And you, Lucian? How is your family?" She was hardly interested in his family, but it was customary to ask out of politeness, and Lucian did love to talk about them. She always found it amusing that no Slytherin had dared to ask what 'jobs' she did as of yet. They really did hate admitting to ignorance. She had seen an equal number of Ravenclaws with the same issue.
"You have a job?" Leoen blinked at the news. Alana facepalmed internally. 'Of all the times to ask. At least let Lucian answer me first.'
"I have jobs. With an 's' as in plural as in contracts," She explained rather unhelpfully.
"What do people contract you for? You're fourteen," Charlotte deadpanned.
Alana blinked. How to answer this question… She considered the large number of contracts she had signed.
"Information gathering, private investigation, pest control, hmn…. I can't think of anything else at the moment…" Anything legal that is. It was a good thing she associated most of her legal work in Knockturn with her first name only. Merlin forbid the world find out about Sparrow. Such was the life of one with multiple personas. There were a large number of surprised, plotting and generally impure faces looking at her already, so she thought it best to stop. Lola was openly gaping but seemed to come back to reality quicker than the rest.
"What constitutes pest control?" She asked with wide eyes filled with innocence one couldn't help but want to corrupt.
"I got to off some Erklings a few times, deal with a fire pixie infestation and trap some gremlins. Some people have really strange tastes in pets." She considered the fellow who had tried to tame a manticore. Best not to mention that one and give the rich kids any ideas.
"Have you ever come across any snakes?" The question came from a friend of Lucian's who deemed it safe to join in the Q&A.
"An acquaintance of mine had a Swiss Viper she used engorgio on once but couldn't undo the spell after. It was rather funny actually. She had a snake the size of a small bed for an entire week before we figured out the poor thing had gotten into her potion supply and whatever it ate had affected the spell."
A few more stories got passed around, and two groups mingled quite well with Alana as a metaphorical buffer. It was strangely reminiscent of when she had Raymond, Greyson and Lilith Bathery in the same room. The latter was the owner of the Viper she had told the Slytherins about.
Leoen scowled silently as the Slytherins invaded his territory yet again. Ha! What Volkov name?! These purebloods see a bone and ignore the dog guarding it. His scowl turned into a pout. Alana was clearly becoming too interesting to these pests. Had he not been born with a strong sense of self-preservation, he would have asked his brother to deal with his housemates. Alas, his brother was both terrifying and socially inept. He caught Alana shooting him a reassuring smile. He wondered if she knew the source of his discomfort or just that he was upset. It didn't matter to him really. He felt a smile tug at his lips. Alana obviously liked him best, so it was fine if she played host as well. He was a generous friend like that.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
linear_salo
linear_salo Looks like the ministry's reasons for fearing werewolves are legitimate concerns. O_O Shocking development. Next time on NOT DEAD YET... Shall Alana face death a second time? Mwahaha! ... I typed that as a joke but that could be a decent plot twist...hm...
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