occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
Bella teaches herself the Disillusionment Charm. She isn't perfect at it - you can totally see a shimmer where she is, a bit of outline, if she turns around fast you can spot the ends of her hair flying through the air. But it's enough that she won't be discernible from a few hundred yards off the ground on Thestralback.

The next weekend, they pack snacks, she disillusions Feral in case there are people who can see them who'll happen to look up as they pass, and Bella dutifully signs them off-campus and estimates that they'll be home by dinnertime - she expects them back much sooner - and they are off to Santa Cruz.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox




Feral, when he's putting in the effort, is fast.

They could've got there in a comparable time flying by commercial airplane, if they had had a commercial airplane to fly in.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
Bella wishes she had braided her hair or something first. She's going to have to see if there's an untangling spell; it's never going to behave again otherwise.

She notes the time, she and Feral find a nice park to sit in - visible, both human shaped - and have their snacks, and then it's back north again.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Mm, snacks.

"So," he says, after they land back at ACAAM. "How fast am I?"
occluminous: (tempted)
Author: occluminous
"About five hundred and fifty miles an hour," says Bella, "wow. So, really really fast."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral giggles. "Awesome. That should make it easier, huh?"
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
"Yeah. And now you know how far away Santa Cruz is."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yep."

He shifts back for a moment and looks around, stretching his wings and pawing at the ground with a hoof, then turns human again.

"Okay, so the nearest Dementors are... about twice as far away as Santa Cruz," he says, "one a little closer, off that way," he points, "and one a little farther, more that way," he points in a different direction. "The rest are way farther away than that. And I'm pretty sure I found Azkaban too. Really far away, far enough it would be faster to fly there through a tunnel if you had one handy."
occluminous: (fun)
Author: occluminous
"Yeah, Britain's really far away. Do you want to nip out and kill the closest Dementor right now?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral grins. "Sure, why not," he says, and shifts again.
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
Bella hops on, doesn't bother doing anything to her hair because it's already nesty beyond nonmagical repair probably, and crouches low across his neck.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral takes off.

Not quite fifteen minutes later, there is a noticeable chill in the air, and he slows down.
occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
"You can land. You don't have to get that close," Bella says, drawing a wand.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He utters a horselike snort and descends for a landing, then shifts.

"I still wanna see it," he reminds her.
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"Yeah." She doesn't know how close she has to be to destroy the dementor, but she can cast her Patronus now, anyway. "Expecto patronum."

Here is Glowy Person.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral hugs Glowy Person, despite Glowy Person not being especially solid.
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
Glowy Person unsolidly accepts hugging.

Bella and Glowy Person advance towards the Dementor.

There are some cows around; if the Dementor bothers them it's not obvious.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Yep, that's... definitely a Dementor.

But with the Glowy Person right there, it's not so bad.

Feral follows.
alicornucopia: (Default)
Author: alicornucopia
The Dementor does not like Glowy Person.

It starts to circle around, as though it wants to find a way to get at Bella and Feral without having to go past Glowy Person.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral turns to track it. Glowy Person or no, he really doesn't want the Dementor swooping around behind him.

It's hard to get a good look, with Glowy Person shining like that and the Dementor flying in circles.



So he gets out his wand and steps away from Glowy Person.
occluminous: (consideration)
Author: occluminous
"Feral?" Bella asks, as Glowy Person chases the Dementor. "What are you doing?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I'm trying to get a good look at it!" he says. "Can you get your Patronus to back off for a second?"
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"Maybe. I don't exactly direct it moment to moment -" She pulls Glowy Person back closer to herself; it fidgets but doesn't go after the Dementor, which resumes circling. "I don't want the Dementor to get you, though, why do you want to look at it?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"So I can figure out the spell, why else? It's not like I get a kick out of these things!"
occluminous: (classroom)
Author: occluminous
"...Okay." She keeps her focus on Glowy Person. The dementor drifts nearer, then farther again.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral heads straight for it.

Nothing catches fire.

He'd be surprised if he had room to be; this is not pleasant.

But under everything—

She's right, that Dementors are a death thing. He's not sure he'd say they're bad in the same way. Death is bad, but it has its uses. There are people Feral is willing to kill - people he has killed, and he doesn't regret any of them. There is no good use for a Dementor. There is no one Feral would put in front of a Dementor when he could just light them up instead. Of all the things in the world he is willing to take out of it, Dementors are at the top of the list.

It's edging closer. It could probably get him now, if it's fast; Feral doesn't actually know how long it takes to suck out a soul. But he's not afraid of that. Being near it hurts in every way it is possible to hurt; he can feel it, almost like tangible pressure against his skin, the positive charge from Glowy Person behind him and the negative charge from the Dementor ahead.

He takes another step forward.

Eliminating death is Bella's thing, not so much his. He thinks it's a fine idea in theory, but he doesn't expect it to work. Magic is real, but magic being real doesn't make the world a nicer place, it just gives it more ways to be nice or nasty as random chance and people's choices drive it.

Why not, though? Why not try? If death is the thing he sees when he looks under a Dementor's hood, then he is just fine with wiping it out. And if it's the thing that makes setting people on fire a convenient way to get rid of them - well, he's not that attached. He can deal with losing it along the way.

"Expecto Patronum."
alicornucopia: (Default)
Author: alicornucopia
The dementor shrinks away; it was willing to try going around one glowy person, but two are above its pay grade. It starts to rise into the air to fly away.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral's glowy person—who looks more like a blurred, glowing copy of Feral than anything—leaps after it.

Feral giggles.
alicornucopia: (Default)
Author: alicornucopia
Feral's glowy person is just as effective as Bella's more abstract one.

The cloak falls.
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
Bella applauds.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Incendio," says Feral. The cloak is gone before it hits the ground.

He walks back to Bella, still giggling. There are tears running down both sides of his face; he doesn't appear to notice them.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
Bella hugs him.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Hugs.

"You wanna go back, or get the next one?"
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Let's get the next one. Heh, you don't even need me along to do this, now, do you?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Probably easier with you, though," he says. "We wouldn't even have to land, now that I've had my good look. If it was just me I'd have to turn human again to cast the Patronus."
occluminous: (fun)
Author: occluminous
Bella nods. "We can just strafe them."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He cracks up and hugs her again, a little shakily.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
Hugs. Her glowy person fades out. "You okay? You have tear marks on your face." She digs around in her pocket for leftover candy from their packed snacks-in-Santa-Cruz.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Do I?" He wipes his face with the hand that is not still holding his wand. "Yeah, I do." He shrugs. "I'm fine - I just - " and he grabs some chocolate out of her hand.
occluminous: (nonsettled)
Author: occluminous
She lets him have all of it; she was near her glowy person the whole time.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He wolfs it down, hugs her again, and turns back into a Thestral.
occluminous: (fun)
Author: occluminous
She recasts his Cushioning Charm, hops on, and says, "Giddyup."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He makes a noise that is surpisingly like his usual snicker and kicks off from the ground, wheeling around as he climbs into the sky.

It's only a few minutes at top speed until they find the next Dementor.
occluminous: (fun)
Author: occluminous
Bella tries strafing it, taking aim and firing her Glowy Person directly at it.

Flumph goes the cloak.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Of course, now they have to deal with the cloak.

Feral looks at it.

It goes up in flames, and by the time it drifts to the ground, there is nothing left but a few threads of crumbling ash.
occluminous: (oh please)
Author: occluminous
"You're not supposed to do that. We could have landed," Bella chides.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He snorts.
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"Anyway, unless there's another one really nearby, let's go back to school."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral nods, circles, and heads off.

A quarter of an hour later: school!
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
Bella reverses the Disillusionment, and does some homework, until it is evening and she heads back to her and Sherlock's room.
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
And there is Sherlock.

"Did you have a nice trip?"
occluminous: (incisive)
Author: occluminous
"We killed two Dementors! And Feral can do a glowy person now!"
nobodyelse: (⑥ looking good boy)
Author: nobodyelse
"That is interesting."
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
"He had to get a good look at one, though. And I don't think that can be it because probably plenty of people look at Dementors."
nobodyelse: (⑨ when things were black and white)
Author: nobodyelse
"What is your theory, then?"
occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
"I don't know exactly. Some combination of - feeling like I do, or like Feral does because apparently that counts - about them, and - getting what they are?"
nobodyelse: (⑫ tell me why i'm so afraid)
Author: nobodyelse
...He waits for her to elaborate.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"They're a death thing, about death or pieces of it or something," Bella explains. "They aren't okay the way death isn't okay. I think the animal Patronuses are sort of going - 'la la, you can't scare me, animals cannot comprehend cessation of existence'. And the glowy persons are about - hope instead of distraction."
nobodyelse: (⑬ let the world go away)
Author: nobodyelse




"Hmm," says Sherlock.
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"Feral didn't seem to think it made all that much sense when I explained it but he put it together after he got a look at the first one we found. The second one we just strafed."
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
"I am not sure I understand," says Sherlock. "And the parts I understand, I am not sure I like."
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"What's not to like? I mean, regular Patronuses still work for doing regular Patronus things."
nobodyelse: (⑩ my own private space)
Author: nobodyelse
"I am not very good at hope," says Sherlock. "I am even worse at - personal illusions, of the cognitive rather than the magical kind. If your theory about the animal Patronus is close to the mark, then knowing that, I don't think I will be able to cast one."
occluminous: (classroom)
Author: occluminous
"...I could be completely wrong though, I never even did an animal one..."
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"You could," he says.
occluminous: (nonsettled)
Author: occluminous
"So - I guess you don't - feel like trying one now, but - I hope I didn't break yours or something, even animal ones are useful, maybe I'd better not tell anyone else my theory."
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
He shrugs.

"I'll tell you tomorrow."
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"Okay."

And Bella hugs him, and she goes to bed.
nobodyelse: (Default)
Author: nobodyelse
In the morning, there is a note on her desk:

It did not work.
occluminous: (classroom)
Author: occluminous


Damn.

Bella goes to breakfast, dragging her feet a little.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral is there!

"Hey, what's wrong?"
occluminous: (not fun)
Author: occluminous
"I - I broke Sherlock's Patronus. I was explaining it to him and - he can't even get an owl now, let alone a person."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"...that's not good," says Feral. "Wow. How'd that work?"
occluminous: (nonsettled)
Author: occluminous
"I don't know!"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He hugs her.
occluminous: (consideration)
Author: occluminous
"But I guess I'd better not try to explain to anyone else, huh?" mumbles Bella into his shoulder, hugging him. "You were lucky, Sherlock wasn't - I don't know what the odds anybody else will be are. I don't want to break Tony's or anybody else's. Regular Patronuses are better than nothing."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah."

So much hugs.

"That really sucks."
occluminous: (nonsettled)
Author: occluminous
"Yeah. Maybe he'll get it back sometime but I don't know, he probably just tried and tried all night after I fell asleep without a break, if it was going to come back he might've managed it then."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Maybe I should try helping him," says Feral. "I mean - it's hard to imagine how much worse it could get from here."
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
"Maybe," says Bella uncertainly.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Like, if you can think of a way I could actually fuck him up any worse, I won't," says Feral. "But the damage is done now, and if we can fix it we might as well try, right?"
occluminous: (consideration)
Author: occluminous
"I mean - ask him if he thinks more trying could get the owl back, I guess," says Bella. "I don't think there are other spells that work on the same principle, or anything."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah. Or something. I dunno. I'll talk to him sometime."
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
Bella nods. "It was such a cute owl. It sat on my finger."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral smiles sadly. "Yeah."
occluminous: (not fun)
Author: occluminous
"I didn't know it was even possible to break somebody's Patronus," she says in a small voice.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He hugs her again.
occluminous: (nonsettled)
Author: occluminous
Hugs.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Yes. Those. Hugs are good.