A/N: With apologies to Maurice Sendak for this chapter’s title. I don’t own his book either.

I almost waited until April 1st and and posted a blank chapter in honor of Fred and George's birthday. Instead I'll take this opportunity to remind you all to prank some people tomorrow!

Chap 16 – Where the Wild Things Are

Joshua, the representative of the Sasquatch, led Michele and Fleur further into the forest. The thick canopy of trees blocked out most of the light from the moon and the starts, causing the witches to pay close attention as they tried to follow the large humanoid. The other Sasquatches had faded into the night almost as soon as they had left the humans’ camp. Fleur hoped they had gone to keep an eye on Harry.

Michele tried to keep one eye on the sky looking for the broom-riding wizards Joshua warned them about. Flashbacks to the werewolf attack on the Hogwarts Express came to Michele as she waited for the wizards to attack. The sudden burst of fire almost, directly in front of her face, almost caused the preteen witch to have heart failure.

“AAAHHHH!”

Fawkes emerged from the ball of fire with a squawk at the sudden burst of sound his arrival caused. The phoenix flew a quick circle around the witches before landing on Michele’s shoulder. He let out a small chirp of apology as Michele tried to catch her breath from her fright.

Joshua turned to see the source of screaming. “You must be silent, young cousin. The Dark Ones still lurk above.”

Fleur frowned at the Sasquatch, but before the Veela witch could say anything, Michele said, “I’m sorry. I just scared myself.” Joshua merely nodded and started forward once again.

“Fawkes, is Gramps okay?” Michele asked in a whisper.

The immortal fire bird let out a chirp that somehow conveyed both concern and reassurance. Then he rubbed his head to the girl’s cheek in a comforting manner. Without thinking, Michele reached up to scratch the bird.

Fawkes’s arrival distracted Michele from her concerns. Michele was a petite girl and balancing the large bird while walking through the dark woods kept her from worrying about the wizards hunting them.

Joshua led the witches to a small stream with an ancient, but sturdy looking bridge crossing it. The stone bridge had an odd, ageless quality about it that spoke of eternity. A rather large, fast moving stream crossed under the bridge. The water burbled through the many rocks filling the air with a peaceful music.

“We have reached our boundary,” Joshua announced as he started across the bridge. “Once across the bridge, nothing of Darkness may harm us or even enter.”

“I don’t sense any wards,” Fleur commented looking around.

Joshua emitted a low rumbling sound Michele suspected was a chuckle. “The very stream itself forms our boundary. The stream completely surrounds our land in a magical loop. The sounds of the water give peace and comfort to those of the Light. The Dark Ones see a raging torrent with no bridge. The thunderous sound of its rapids cause fear in their hearts.” Their guide gestured at Fawkes. “It is much like the sound of a Phoenix’s cry.”

“If Fawkes’s cry doesn’t hurt Gramps, why would this?” Michele asked with a scowl.

A thoughtful look crossed Joshua’s ape-like face. “Truly, I do not know this. The wards felt Harry Potter’s approach. We asked a unicorn to approach your camp. Skylar refused to come near your camp while Harry Potter was out of the tent.”

Fawkes let loose sound that seemed a snort of derision. Michele grinned for the first time since leaving Harry. “Ya, what he said.”

Joshua nodded, “Indeed, friend Fawkes did speak for Harry Potter’s inclusion. However the Council felt his arrival would be too disruptive of our peoples.”

Michele and Fleur stepped off the bridge and felt a sudden wave cross over them. The sky seemed to lighten to a pleasant early dawn light with a sense of overwhelming peace. Even the air smelled purer.

“I can’t describe it,” Fleur muttered. “It feels like there has never been a moment of violence or conflict.”

“Humans are creatures of conflict and competition,” Joshua commented. “It is few of them that could abide in a place such as this for long. Humans need adversity and challenge to drive them forward. It is in their nature.

“I admit I feel my human blood cry out occasionally for something to do. It is an odd feeling boredom and longing. I often must sit and meditate until the feeling goes away.”

Fleur looked at their ‘host’ and wondered if that was a joke.

The trio lapsed into silence as they continued their walk.

--BD--

Fawkes flew ahead as the three emerged from the forest into a large grassy meadow sitting at the base of a small mountain. The mountain towered above the meadow but it seemed protective rather than crowding the meadow.

“Fleur, look!”

Fleur looked to where Michele was pointing. A small herd of unicorn were grazing nearby. It took Fleur a minute to realize that not all of the equines were unicorns. A number of pegasi were intermixed with the herd; their wings folded tight against their bodies causing them to blend in with the unicorns.

A short distance from the herd a half a dozen small furry animals were playfully wrestling and chasing each other around. Fleur thought they had to be some type of weasel but she’d never heard of weasels that had small horns on top of their heads. The witch blinked as the mound of wrestling creatures suddenly stopped to look at the two witches en masse. An instant later they all disappeared.

“Did they just go invisible?” Michele asked Joshua. Fleur guessed she’d seen the same thing.

Joshua let out his rumbling chuckle again. “They actually went out of phase with our reality. You can’t detect them or track them now, but they can see and hear us. Fortunately, crumple-horned snorkacks can’t affect anything when they are phased. The little ones are very mischievous even if they are of the Light.”

“Those were crumple-horned snorkacks?” Michele asked in disbelief. “I thought Luna just made them up to get a rise out of Hermione!”

Joshua turned to Michele in surprise. “You’ve heard of snorkacks before?”

“Gramps’s friend talks about them. Her name is Luna Lovegood. She and her father keep going on hunts to find evidence of them in Sweden.”

A thoughtful look crossed Joshua’s face. “I did not know they were known in Man’s world.”

“They’re not,” Fleur admitted in a slightly shocked and distracted tone as she watched where the snorkacks disappeared from. “No one believes the Quibbler when they talk about all kinds of magical creatures no one has ever seen or heard of before. It’s something of a joke, to be honest.”

“I wonder if their other creatures are real too,” Michele wondered.

“I would be interested in seeing this Quibbler,” Joshua commented. “They must have some contact with us in some way.”

Joshua shook his massive shoulders in a shrug. “Come, we can set up your tent just ahead and you may rest.

--BD--

“I feel so much better,” Fleur commented as she walked out of her bedroom wrapped in a fluffy white dressing gown acquired at one of their hotel stops. Her long silver blonde hair was still damp from the shower. She paused when she noticed Michele sitting in a nearby chair similarly robed with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Fawkes was perched on the back of the chair sleeping with his head tucked under a wing.

“Are you okay?” the Healer asked.

“I’m worried about Gramps.”

Fleur walked over and settled onto the arm of the chair. She started to rub Michele’s back with one arm. “If the stories I heard from my grandfather’s lover are true, then you have nothing to worry about. Be more worried about anyone that is in his way.”

“Huh?”

Fleur sighed. “I did not handle the news that Viktor and I were cousins very well.” Michele nodded having been to the dinner in Switzerland.

“When I was told of grandfather’s other child and my connection to Viktor, I was very angry. Harry stirred my anger at the conference in Switzerland.” Fleur grimaced. “I was not on my best behaviour that night,” she admitted. Michele giggled a bit at the memory of that dinner. Gabriella had insisted her older sister’s behaviour was because of a crush on Harry.

Unaware of Michele’s thoughts, Fleur smiled slightly and continued in a wistful tone. “My mother sent me to the colony in Bulgaria afterwards. I spent a bit of time with Victor’s grandmother, Maria, while I was there. She told me much about my Grandfather Claude and his friend the Count. If half the stories I heard from her and since coming to England are true, than I am sure he is fine.”

“I know,” Michele admitted quietly. “But I also know Uncle Ron was a great dueller and they killed him. Uncle Mike and father were very good too. I used to sit and watch them practice. The only one that could beat Uncle Ron was Grandpa Tom. I don’t want to lose Gramps too.”

Fawkes let out a song of support and comfort. Fleur found her own fears lift as she listened to the immortal bird.

As the song died down, Fleur smiled her thanks to the phoenix as she stood up. “Come, Michele. Let us get dressed so we may go see our hosts. Harry would want you to concentrate on getting well.”

“I know,” Michele admitted as she rose to follow the older witch. “I have felt better ever since we crossed the bridge.”

Fleur considered that. “It could be the boundary is affecting you. Or it could just be psychological. I will run some checks on you after we have dressed.”

--BD--

The two witches emerged from their tent to find Joshua waiting with another Sasquatch. This one was several centimetres shorted and of a slightly slimmer build. The new Sasquatch was also covered in soft gray and white hair and its face was wrinkled with age.

“Greetings, cousin,” Joshua rumbled with a short, polite bow. “This is our resident Healing Elder, Yo’tel. She will oversee the cleansing of the curse from your blood.”

“Come, ni’chok. We will get started,” Yo’tel commended. Then she turned and started away.

Fleur and Michele exchanged a glance at the female Sasquatch’s abrupt manner. They started to follow as directed. They had only gone several paces when Yo’tel called back over her shoulder. “Only the ni’chok. We do not need anymore of you in our lands.”

Fleur stopped Michele from taking another step forward. “I will not leave Michele alone. I am her Healer and she is my responsibility.”

The old female Sasquatch turned and glared at Fleur. Michele noticed Joshua looked … torn on what to do.

“Her Healer?” Yo’tel commented sneering. “If healed she is, they why bother me? Worthless your healing is.”

Fleur pushed her temper back with difficulty. She could feel the Veela in her trying to lash out at the insult. “I cannot Heal her of this,” Fleur grudgingly admitted with steel in her voice. “But she is of my Flock and her guardian left her in my care. For both reasons, I will not allow her to be taken from me.”

Now Yo’tel turned to glare down at the much smaller witch. “If you want our help you will do it my way!”

Joshua stepped in between the two females. Michele thought that was a rather brave, or stupid, thing to do considering she wanted she wanted to go hide somewhere.

“Yo’tel kin’tch bnitok!” he roared at Yo’tel. Michele didn’t know what it meant but it brought the old Sasquatch up short. Joshua glared at her until she dropped her gaze. With a sigh, Yo’tel grunted something that sounded like agreement.

Satisfied, Joshua turned and looked at Fleur. “I understand, forest cousin, your feelings and reasonability. But you are a guest in our lands. Remember that.”

“I’m sorry,” Fleur responded in a quiet voice. “But I promised Harry I would protect her.”

Joshua nodded. “I understand.” The large Sasquatch turned and gestured. “Come, we are late for the Gathering.”

As Joshua led the two witches and the female Sasquatch further into the Sasquatches’ domain, Michele skipped up to walk next to their guide. This left Fleur and Yo’tel trailing behind several paces apart.

After a couple of minutes walking, Michele commented slyly, “You were really brave to get in between those two.”

“Yo’tel is a great healer, but does not care much for any outside our forest,” Joshua explained. He grunted a chuckle. “She is also my mother’s eldest sister and resented her bringing human blood into her family line.”

Michele considered this for a moment. “Thank you, Joshua,” she simply said.

Joshua glanced down at the much shorter witch. “You are welcome, cousin.”

--BD--

Joshua led the small party to a large cave in the base of the mountain. The cave looked natural but centuries of continuous use had worn it to the Sasquatches’ needs. Orbs floated in regular intervals around the cave walls providing a warm, steady light. A thick coating of brilliant white sand covered the floor of the cave. A sense of peace and a reverent silence filled the area.

Six Sasquatches stood in a circle in the centre of the cave. Based on their size and build, Fleur guessed that half were males and half were female. No obvious tells gave it away though.

The circle they stood around was magically drawn and glowed a light blue colour. Inside the circle, yellow lines created a symbol Fleur did not recognize from any of her Runes studies. The centre of the rune was a much smaller circle drawn in red.

For the first time since Joshua stopped the argument between Yo’tel and Fleur, the female Sasquatch spoke. “From here, the ni’chok must go alone. You may watch from here, Fleur of the V’eltich with Joshua. This is only a Ritual of Sensing. No chance of harm to the ni’chok”

“What is the Ritual of Sensing?” Fleur asked.

Joshua smiled. “A human might call it a check-up.”

Michele glanced up at Fleur, who after a moments pause, gave her a nod of encouragement.

Yo’tel indicated for Michele to remove her shoes and socks before following her onto the sand. Michele complied quickly and started towards the inner circle.

“It’s warm!” she whispered back to Fleur with a grin.

As Michele walked towards the red circle in the sand, Fleur quietly asked Joshua, “What does the name Yo’tel keeps calling Michele mean?”

“Ni’chok means ‘little child’. Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“It doesn’t translate very well.” Before Fleur could ask another question, Joshua gestured toward the cave. “They will be starting soon.”

Fleur recognized the attempt to deflect her, but she was more interested in the Ritual than what the female Sasquatch was really calling her young charge.

Yo’tel had joined the other six Sasquatch on the outer circle as Michele stepped into the inner circle. The mystical lines flashed as the two moved into their positions. The red circle at Michele’s feet formed a cylinder of red light that went straight up to the cave roof.

It was indistinct at first, but then Fleur heard the low chanting coming from the Sasquatch in the cave. The chanting was not in-synch but rather an intermixing of rates and tones. As the volume increased it was like a wall of sound pushing into her. Fleur felt like taking a step back from the force of the sound waves crashing into her.

The sound distracted her at first, but Fleur saw small swirls of light forming in the area between the two circles. Small swirls of light would flare and then fade in the circle. Fleur noticed the swirls were moving in a clock-wise fashion around Michele and staying for longer periods before fading out.

Fleur paid particular attention to Michele. The young witch seemed oblivious to what was going on around her. Michele’s eyes were shut and her head was back. Fleur couldn’t see her face but Michele’s muscles looked relaxed, not in any pain.

For five minutes the sound continued to build. It was like standing at the back of a Muggle jet engine as the lights formed a tornado of colours in the circle. It reached a point where Michele was almost completely obscured by the lights. Fleur had never seen a display of magic like this.

Abruptly the sound and lights came to a sense-jarring halt. The silence was deafening and the sudden loss of the lights seemed to cast everything in a shadow until Fleur’s eyes and ears started to adjust.

When Fleur could focus again, she noted that the seven Sasquatch were slumped slightly in exhaustion. Michele was looking around with a curious expression on her face.

“We are done,” Yo’tel announced as she turned from the circle. The other Sasquatch followed her out of the cave and into the field where Fleur and Joshua had watched.

Michele frowned at Fleur and shrugged. The young witch followed them out and asked, “Why didn’t they do anything?”

“Michele, you stood there for several minutes,” Fleur assured her. “Didn’t you see or hear any of it?”

“Several minutes?” Michele asked in shock. “I barely stopped in the circle before they said it was over.”

“It is an effect of the Ritual of Sensing,” Joshua explained. “Come, we will hear what the Elders have to say.”

--BD--

The two part-Veelas followed the small group of Sasquatches into the centre of the sun-filled field. The Sasquatches settled onto the ground with their legs folded up underneath. Fleur tried to mimic them but found it to be very uncomfortable.

“We have completed the Ritual of Sensing,” Yo’tel started without preamble. “The Curse of Bangelmesh does run through your veins. Your V’eltich blood fights it but it is a fight that will destroy your body no matter who wins.”

Fleur thought the Sasquatch Elder looked smug at that pronouncement.

Yo’tel added, “The Peoples blood in you is strong through your mother.” She glanced at Joshua. “I may disapprove of the fact it occurred, but I cannot deny the line of Anned is soul strong. It refuses to bow to either and seeks to convert the Curse into something else.”

Fleur was trying to understand all of what that meant. She had assumptions but felt she was missing too much.

Apparently Michele felt the same way. “What is the Curse of Banglemesh? Do you mean Lycanthropy?”

The Elders looked mildly surprised. “Don’t humans study their own history anymore?” one asked.

“I’ve never heard Lycanthropy called that before,” Fleur admitted. “We do know it is a curse though.”

The Elder that spoke nodded. “Short lived races often forget what came before,” he said in a mournful fashion. “I am Bri’nt, Elder of Knowledge for the People. Hear my words.

“Centuries ago, when man was new and the People still walked openly there was a wizard in the city of Ur. Banglemesh was a powerful wizard. Kings and Emperors sought his services in the creation of protections for the burial sites and palaces. In that time and place, he was the strongest magical human. By the morals of his time, he was a good wizard. But Darkness and Light to humans is often decided by what king one supports and who that king calls enemy.

“The wands of magical humans of today were unknown then. Most used staves and amulets for their spells. These were weak and inaccurate. Humans used rituals in groups to magnify their magic. A human ritual of five prepared wizards could turn entire armies of the day.

“Of these Banglemesh was the strongest. From the wizards of Lower Egypt he learnt the way of changing his form to that of a wolf. Banglemesh enjoyed this form and often used it for his travels; only assuming human form as he approached a human settlement.

“Banglemesh was at his peak when he travelled east to the city known as Media. The wolf in him enjoyed the night. A full moon filled the sky. His enjoyment distracted Banglemesh from paying attention to his surroundings.

“A group of hunters were searching for a wolf that had just taken one of their sheep. By the moon’s light they saw a wolf cross the crest of a hill. They attacked Banglemesh before he realized any humans were nearby. Their arrows pierced him before Banglemesh knew of their presence.

“The wizard knew he was doomed and raged against his fate. When one of the hunters came too close he lashed out and bit the hunter. With his dying, raging thoughts, he poured all his anger and magic into the bite.

“The hunter’s friends carried him home on a sled made of two long poles with Banglemesh’s pelt stretched out between. The hunter seemed to heal quickly and the villagers celebrated the death of the wolf that feed on their sheep.

“The hunter was well for the next cycle. When next the full moon rose, the wolf returned to take his revenge. No one in the village was safe from the wolf’s rage. The next morning, the hunter woke to find his village destroyed. Only the man’s own new-born son was spared by the wolf. Confused, the man took his infant son and ran off to another village looking for shelter from the raiders that slaughtered his village whilst he slept. At the next cycle, it happened again. The hunter left his son and took to wandering the wilderness to keep from killing when his change came.

“Some of the villagers survived the wolf’s attacks and in time they too turned into the wolf. Thus was the Curse of Banglemesh born.”

Fleur and Michele were shocked hearing the story. “Is that all true?” Fleur asked.

“It is indeed,” Bri’nt confirmed. “The Cursed-one took refuge with a small group of the People for a time many years later. The hunter had heard about the disappearance of a great wizard that could change into a wolf. In an effort to find a cure, the hunter travelled to Banglemesh’s House. Banglemesh’s kin tried to kill him for killing their Family Head. The hunter fled, only his curse given strength keeping him from dying from his wounds.”

“What happened to his son?” Michele asked.

Bri’nt shrugged. “The hunter did not know. He was an old man when he came to the People’s camp.”

Michele nodded. “What was the hunter’s name?”

“He never gave his True Name. He was only known as Wolf.”

“Enough,” Yo’tel interrupted. “History may come later. Ni’chok, your father’s line has the power of the change of shape, yes?”

“Gramps is actually a wolf and a bat. Grandpa is a mongoose. My father was a beagle animagus.”

Bri’nt looked interested in the existence of another wolf animagus but Yo’tel never gave him a chance to ask.

“If your human magic has the ability, we can tie it to your bloodlines of the People. Your human magic will invoke your heritage. You will no longer have an animal form, but will change to be in a member of the People.”

“That’s not possible!” Fleur protested. “Becoming an animagus takes a lot of time and discipline. Michele doesn’t have the magical understanding to do that!” Fleur paused. “And what about her Veela heritage?”

Yo’tel waved the protest away. “Her magic will know what to do. She will not need to learn a new form for this one is already in her blood. In the form of the People, the Curse will disappear. Banglemesh only cursed humans, not other life forms. The V’eltich blood is not important to this matter and will not be called forth.

“The full moon is two nights from now. If we do not perform the ritual by then it will be too late. The ni’chok will be doomed.”

That pulled Fleur up short. “Are you sure your ritual can do this?”

Yo’tel shrugged in a rather uncaring fashion. “It works or she dies. No other option. Tomorrow night. Rest for the night, girl.”

Fleur pulled a very scared looking Michele into a hug. For the first time since the attack on the Express, Michele truly felt the weight of her own mortality; a very scary thing for a young girl just twelve years old.

The Sasquatch Elders wandered away leaving Fleur holding Michele with only Joshua and Bri’nt remaining.

“I do not understand why Yo’tel is acting this way,” Bri’nt commented in an absent tone. She is usually the most empathic Healer I have ever met.”

Joshua ignored his comment. To the two witches he asked, “Would you care for a tour of our village and the area?”

Fleur opened her mouth to answer but stopped when Fawkes swooped in and landed on Joshua’s shoulder. The phoenix sang out a pure song of happiness and support. Michele summoned up the strength to look up as the song hit her and gave Fawkes a smile of thanks.

When Fawkes finished, Joshua asked, “Shall we tour the village?”

Fleur was going to decline, but Michele piped up. “Yes, please. I would love to see your village. Can you tell me about my mother as we walk?”

The two Sasquatches led the way down a path around the mountain. After twenty minutes of walking, Joshua led them up the side of the mountain. Ahead of them Fleur could see a cave mouth. It was much smaller than the one used for the ritual, but wide enough for three Sasquatch to walk side by side.

As they approached the cave, Joshua explained. “Ages ago, the trees towered over the land. The People first came to understanding living amongst the tops of the great trees. The Mother was warm and very wet. This was before Man came into awareness. The Mother changed and dried and cooled. The great trees died. Only the smaller species survived as the great walls of ice advanced.

“The People moved down from the trees with heavy hearts. We moved into the caves to keep warm. With no great trees we remain there still until the Mother turns warm and wet again.”

Fleur and Michele were still trying to understand the context of what they had been told when Joshua turned and descended into the cave.

They only walked what felt like fifty metres when the passage opened up to a huge cavern. The ceiling extended up in a great dome. A shining artificial sun bathed the cavern in a warm light. Fleur could feel the heat from the ‘sun’. It reminded her of the sunshine around Beauxbatons in the south of France.

The floor of the cavern was a small lush forest of trees and bushes. It reminded Fleur of a rain forest she had seen on holiday to Africa once. She could see dotted through the forest stood simple wooden huts. Although they were Sasquatch-sized, the huts were very basic and did not appear warm at all. Fleur knew that the area did see a lot of snow and cold temperatures come winter.

When the Veela Healer asked Joshua, he shrugged. “Our cave here is very warm. Our huts exist solely for storage and to keep the rain off our heads whilst we sleep.”

“Rain?” Michele asked. “We’re in a cave.”

“Water from a nearby spring is magically sprayed down on a regular basis,” Joshua explained. The Sasquatch made a facial expression that Fleur took to be a grin. “We are blessed that we can schedule our ‘rain’. It keeps us from having any important celebrations washed out.” Michele giggled at his comment.

Several new Sasquatch were seen going about their daily lives. The often stopped to watch the two human females passing by with undisguised curiosity. Unlike the rather hostile Yo’tel, these Sasquatches seemed very relaxed and open.

Fleur and Michele noticed that unicorns, pegasi and phoenixes were moving freely about the cavern. Including Fawkes, Michele counted five phoenixes. One of her Magical Creatures books back home theorized that only one phoenix existed and its colours changed over the centuries causing people to think there were more of them. Michele could disprove that theory right now.

Fawkes and the other phoenixes were flying about in a complex game of what looked like tag or a five way Seeker Quidditch battle; except these ‘Seekers’ were bursting into flames and ‘jumping’ about trying to get the drop on each other. The three were surprised when one of the phoenixes flew down at them in a sudden dive. The bird pulled up and seemed to hover for a moment in front of them before bursting into a ball of fire.

Their guide was very surprised by that behaviour. “I have never seen one of the phoenixes do that,” Joshua admitted.

“What was her name?” Michele asked.

“Only the one you call Fawkes has ever been Joined. It is only right that only a Joined partner can give a phoenix a mortal name, so these others have no name as we would know them.”

Joshua led them to a hut near one of the cavern walls. Another adult Sasquatch was there preparing some food. Three juvenile Sasquatches were sitting nearby and playing a game.

“Cousins,” Joshua started, “this is my mate, “She’lata.”

The female Sasquatch smiled at them from her sitting position. Sitting down she was as tall as Fleur.

“Welcome to our home,” She’lata said in a heavy accent. She gestured at one of the young Sasquatch and “This is my son, N’tioc and his friends, An’toc and Cio’lic. Please join us for lunch.”

“Thank you,” Fleur replied politely. “We appreciate your invitation.”

Michele sat down next to the three young Sasquatches. The one she thought was N’tioc asked, “You are of the line of Anned too?” His accent was much clearer than his mother’s.

Michele nodded. “So Joshua tells me.”

N’tioc leaned in and sniffed at her. “Hmm. You seem rather tiny and bald to be a Sasquatch,” he commented in a dry tone.

“You remind me of one of my old teddy bears,” Michele answered in the same way. That was met with hooting laugher from the three boys.

“Her, I like,” one of the boys said. Michele thought it was An’toc.

“Not bad for a thin-skin relative of this fi’sik!” the other agreed.

That started an insult war between the three boys that they happily included Michele in. Everything seemed to be fair game. The more vile the insult the louder the boys hooted their laughter. Michele didn’t know them or their people well enough to really get in any good insults but that didn’t seem to matter to the boys. It reminded Michele of watching the Potter twins do battle with the Weasley twins. It felt almost like home.

The three adults ignored the four children and their comments. It was a pleasant way to pass the lunch time. Fleur asked some questions about the Sasquatches and how they lived. She’lata did not speak much English, but she and Fleur muddled through it.

When the lunch finished, Fawkes arrived with a guest of his own. It was the phoenix from the path. The pair of phoenixes landed on a nearby railing with welcoming trills of song. Now that it was not a blur of motion, they could see this phoenix had the same red and gold colouring of Fawkes but with white and green tips to her wing feathers. The new phoenix was also about a quarter of Fawkes’s size.

“Hello, Fawkes.” Michele greeted him. “Who’s your friend?”

The two fire birds glanced at each other and then the new phoenix turned to stare directly at Michele. The human and the phoenix locked gazes and neither moved a muscle. Fleur and the Sasquatches could only watch what was happening.

“Michele, are you okay?” Fleur asked. The younger witch’s sudden stillness was making her nervous.

Abruptly, the smaller phoenix burst into a deep, rich song of joy and discovery. It flew over to Michele and landed on her shoulder. The phoenix butted its head into Michele’s as it continued to sing. Michele turned to gaze at the bird on her shoulder with her mouth open wide in shock. The phoenix turned its head and dropped a single tear into the girl’s open mouth.

Michele blinked hard and closed her mouth. The phoenix started to sing again but this time was joined by Fawkes and the other four phoenixes they had seen before flying in the cavern.

After a second, Michele blinked and turned to where Fleur now crouched down next to her. Funny, she didn’t remember Fleur moving.

“Her name is Brighid.”

--BD--

Brighid the phoenix interrupted the rest of their planned tour. Fleur and Joshua decided they would return to the tent. Curious, N’tioc and his friends decided to tag along.

The phoenix was acting like a puppy. Or maybe a better view would be a child with a new puppy. The phoenix would fly excitedly around only to suddenly reappear on Michele’s shoulder, slamming her head happily into her human’s. Fawkes seemed to find Brighid’s behaviour vastly amusing.

After the sixth phoenix head-butt, Michele laughingly protested, “Brighid, stop it!”

Brighid started to chatter and carry on happily from her shoulder. Then she took a nibble on Michele’s ear before flashing off to fly again.

“Cheeky bird,” Michele muttered as Fawkes chattered a laugh overhead. “You are too!” Michele hollered up at him.

“Can you really understand them?” Fleur asked.

“No, but I can get a sense of what Brighid means.”

“Why Brighid?”

“I was reading an old book on the Celtic Gods and Goddesses when I was recovering at Gramps house. Brighid, or Brigit, was a fire goddess of healing and smith crafting. The Christians later made her St. Brigit. But I like the older way of saying it.”

Fleur nodded. “That seems appropriate.”

Michele snickered. “So much for the idea that all werewolves are Dark Creatures.”

Fleur smiled. “Well, hopefully you won’t be a werewolf when we get back to England.”

--BD--

The moon was rising over the forest as Michele and Fleur once again followed Joshua and Yo’tel towards the ritual site for the Ritual of Joining. Fawkes and Brighid flew overhead on their walk to the cave. Michele wore only a plain black robe. If the ritual was successful, her body would grow too large for normal clothing to expand with and Michele flat out refused Joshua’s suggestion she do the ritual naked.

Michele had spent her day with her new friends while watching Brighid and Fawkes fly around. The young Sasquatches had very little understanding of the human world. Michele would tell stories about her life and the three Sasquatches returned the favour. Michele particularly enjoyed hearing about her mother who had been one of their early teachers.

Fleur was happy that the young Sasquatches and Brighid had kept Michele’s attention diverted. Merlin knew she was enough of a wreck for both of them.

The cave was just as before with the white sand and the magical circles. Fleur noticed that the symbol inside the circles was now very different. It was much more complex, almost as if several runes had been written over top of one another.

Without a word, Yo’tel moved to her position. Fleur gave the younger witch a quick hug of support before allowing her to move to the centre circle. Fawkes and Brighid landed on Fleur’s shoulders and sang a supportive tune.

Michele paused at the circle edge to glance back at the three. Fleur could see the fear in the younger witch’s eyes, but also a complete determination to move forward.

After Michele turned back to the circle, Fleur thought, ‘Harry and her father would be so proud of her right now.’

--BD--

As the chanting started to pick up pace, Michele was very aware of it around her this time. She felt magic swirling around her. It felt like she was in the centre of a vortex and she was spinning around and around.

It started as a dull ache. Michele could feel an odd pain radiating out from her chest to all the parts of her body. Liquid fire was running through her veins. It felt like all the cells in her body were burning.

Michele could distinctly feel three forces at war in her body. It was not a feeling she would ever be able to truly describe. The best way she could describe it, would be compare it to a great battle between three armies in total darkness. You know a battle is being fought. You can hear and sense the movement around you, smell the copper smell of spilt blood, but never be able to tell how it was fought or who was winning.

Two of the sides seemed to join forces. This was the first time Michele had an idea of which side was the Curse. Understanding came to Michele to identify the human and Sasquatch influences. The human and Sasquatch forces pushed the Curse back. The Sasquatch seemed to take the lead with the human force supporting it.

Michele could feel the Curse teetering on the brink of collapse. Hope welled up in her that this would soon be over.

But the wolf would not rollover so easily. With a final push it seemed to leap out at her.

--BD--

Awareness of her surroundings seemed to slowly flow back.

Michele opened her eyes to see the ground was much further away then she remembered it being. She felt ... powerful. Her body urged her to run and hunt.

“Oh, Merlin! What have they done?!”

Michele recognized Fleur’s voice and turned towards the source. The Veela Healer was standing several metres away with Joshua and the two phoenixes on the Healer’s shoulders. A part of her brain noticed that Joshua now seemed to be just a bit taller than Michele. But it was the horrified and shocked expression that filled Fleur’s face that caught her attention.

‘What was wrong?’ Michele wondered.

She looked down and raised her hands up. The robe she was wearing was now really short and barely came down to her elbows. Her forearms were covered in thick black fur. Her hands ended in claws.

For a moment her mind froze up.

‘Claws?’

‘I have claws?’

Michele turned to Fleur and asked, “What happened to me?”

Or rather she tried to ask. It came out as a series of whines and snarls.

That scared the young girl even more.

Fleur slowly drew her wand and conjured a mirror floating in the air in front of Michele.

Michele looked in to the mirror in stunned disbelief. Through her shock only one thought came through.

‘Oh, I really Pottered this one!’

--BD--

Fleur watched nervously as the Ritual of Joining got underway. Brighid sang a soft, worried song as they watched the ritual start.

The ritual looked much like the previous ritual. The chanting was different than before, more in synch. It was also rather ... aggressive in its tone.

Fleur was startled when Michele started to rise up off the ground and her body started to turn in slow circles. Michele seemed to be aware but not really conscious.

The change started slowly. Michele’s body started to grow. The tiny girl seemed to simply grow larger. It was a proportionate change so at first Fleur thought it was a trick of the light. Then thick brown hair started to cover her body. With each passing second, Fleur could see the change from human to Sasquatch occurring.

‘It’s working,’ Fleur thought to herself in renewed hope.

That was when things started to go wrong.

Michele threw her head back as a jolt seemed to rattle her body. The soft brown hair covering her body started to coarsen and turn black. Her legs seemed to change as her feet started to grow. Her ankle started to migrate up her leg until it resembled a dog’s leg.

Fleur pulled her eyes up and saw a change going on in Michele’s face. The ape-like facial features of the Sasquatch were changing. A muzzle was starting to project from Michele’s face. Fleur could see a mouthful of sharp teeth coming into place. Her ears were also starting to move up and change.

Involuntarily, Fleur took a step back in pure shock. Something had gone spectacularly wrong. Michele now looked like a Muggle movie version of a werewolf.

Fleur had no idea what to do. Around her the Sasquatch Elders and Joshua were just as shocked. Never in their worst nightmares had they thought this was even a remote possibility. Everything they knew about magic said this was impossible.

The only problem was it was happening right in front of them.

Fleur saw the creature that was Michele open her eyes. It caused Fleur to finally find her voice, “Oh, Merlin! What have they done?!”

The wolf-creature turned to look down at Fleur. The Healer in Fleur noted the look of intelligence and confusion in the creature’s eyes. That was somewhat reassuring. It meant Michele was still in control.

Michele let out a growling whine. Shock crossed the creature’s face at the noise. Michele looked down at what her body had become. She looked up at Fleur with a look of what could only be shock on the wolf-like face.

Fleur carefully pulled out her wand and cast a simple mirror conjuring spell. She felt like crying at the expression on the giant creature’s face.

The creature dropped to its knees as it stared at itself in the mirror. Fleur forced herself to put her wand away and take a step forward.

“Michele?”

Michele the wolf-creature looked up at her. She let out an odd barking sound. When she did it again Fleur realized what it was.

She was laughing.

“Michele, think about your human form,” Fleur instructed her.

Michele cocked her head at Fleur. A look of concentration came to the wolf-like face. Nothing happened until Brighid let loose a stream of musical song.

The creature’s body seemed to shimmer for a moment. Michele’s body returned to its normal size.

The young girl looked shocked and worn-out. She gave Fleur a wan smile and said, “Wait till the boys start bragging about the animagus forms again. I’ve got them all beat.”

That said, Michele dropped to the ground unconscious.

--BD--

What followed was a Veela-sized tantrum combined with Madam Pomfrey’s dictatorial Healer authority.

In short order, the relatively tiny Fleur had the Sasquatch Elders and Joshua running to obey her demands. Joshua was ordered to carry the unconscious form of Michele back to their tent as quickly and carefully as possible. Yo’tel tried to balk at Fleur’s directions but the young Healer quickly took her to task on how messed up the ritual had gone.

“This is impossible!” Yo’tel insisted. “The Curse and the Sasquatch blood cannot exist together!” Fawkes let loose a laughing burst of song at that.

“We must test the child to ensure she is still of the Light,” Bri’nt commented.

That earned him a glare too. “Do you remember how Michele got her form back? Without Brighid’s song, she was stuck. The song didn’t hurt her, it helped her!”

“So it did,” the Sasquatch Elder agreed with a look of surprise. “Hm, please excuse me. I have to go check my notes.”

“Now, we are taking Michele back to her bed. Once she is warm and comfortable, we can try to figure out what went wrong.”

Fleur and the remaining Elders followed Joshua back to the witches’ tent. Yo’tel and the Elders carried an argument back and forth the whole way in their native tongue. Fleur was too preoccupied to care what they were saying. She just wanted to make sure Michele was safe.

Joshua quickly carried Michele straight into the tent. The others stayed outside as the human tent was not tall enough for them to stand in comfortably. Once Joshua placed Michele into her bed, Fleur sent him out of the tent. The Healer removed Michele’s now torn and dirty robe and covered her with a magical self-regulating blanket. It would warm Michele is she was cold but also would cool her if a fever hit.

Satisfied to her patient’s comfort, Fleur pulled out her wand and cast, “Lychanus.”

A werewolf hit with the diagnostic charm would radiate a yellow glow. A human infected with Lycanthropy but not yet changed emitted an orange light. A normal human would have no reaction at all. Michele was a very faint light green.

Fleur was confused. She had no idea what that meant. They had four days to discover what this had happened and the ramifications before they had to meet Harry. She hoped they had some real answers by then.