Waiting for D'rorah

[Wysteria Edwin]

Wysteria knew that D'rorah would visit her tonight. As she sat quietly a few feet above the forest floor in an old oak tree every second that she waited for D'rorah tightened the knot of anxiety in her stomach. She received a mental confirmation from her friend, but there was still no absolute guarantee that Dee would escape the castle grounds. Caira was a troublesome presence, and after Wysteria's stay with the Shadow Vampires she was very aware of how deep Caira was invested in the Mage's plot. But Dee was a clever girl and resourceful, so a nightly stroll shouldn't be too difficult for her to manage.

Can't believe you asked her to bring you a blood solution....she could have scored you a nice student, stupefied and unconscious. But you had to be human, didn't you? Don't you know you're not human anymore?

"Condensed blood is better than no blood," Wysteria whispered to the voice inside her. Strange, how even the thought of blood on its way excited and yet calmed the beast. Like waiting for a meal you know is on it way, you're too tired to make a fuss about anything so you wait quietly.

Wysteria continually scanned the edge of the forest, looking for a human figure moving towards her. While she did not see D'rorah, she did suddenly hear Dee's voice in her head.

Wysteria, I'm approaching the forest. Where are you?

Her head perked up, searching frantically for anything moving to the forest's edge. Then, as she caught sight of a small bird, Wyst let a relaxed breath escape with a small laugh. A sparrow. How could Wyst have forgotten that D'rorah was an animagus? She saw the small bird land on the ground just outside the forest, then gracefully turn back into human form and walk forward once again.

Near an oak tree about half a mile into the forest. I'll jump down soon so you can see me.


Wysteria waited until her friend was a few yards away before gently climbing off of the tree. she gave Dee a small nod to let her know it was her. Would D'rorah be angry that she had been hiding out for so long? Relieved that she wasn't dead. Part of Wyst wanted to run up and hug her, jumping up and down that she now found a friend once more. But the intensity of her meeting with Alessandro had made her wary about having any illusions regarding how anyone would receive her return. If nothing else, Wysteria was glad to see D'rorah looking much healthier than when she was lying on the forest floor. That image brought an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Wyst's stomach, and she shook it away.

It's been a long time, old friend. It's nice to see someone who recognizes me.

Wyst laughed dryly, wondering if D'rorah would notice the change in her appearance. While it was a full moon, the trees blocked some of the light. Wysteria nervously ran her fingers through tangled hair before twisting it back behind her. Did she look horribly different? She knew her skin was paler, that her fangs were always slightly bared now, and that her once shiny hair was dulled and tangled. Most vampires had a sense of unblemished beauty, but that was when they were healthy. Deprived of human blood for so long, Wysteria had lost the ability for her body to heal itself instantly.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah had managed to figure a way out of Hogwart's. Knowing that the castle's alarms would begin to sound instantly if she opened a door or window, she had transfigured into her animagus form and escaped through a chimney. It was a lucky break that the headmistress hadn't thought to alarm the chimney... but then, who would think to go through such a tiny aperture?

She had little feeling for the wind as it ruffled through her feathers, though it was nice to feel the gentle touch of her element again. Tonight, she was careful and alert. Knowing that Wysteria needed her in the forest, and knowing that she must do whatever she could to avoid having to fight any creatures from the Shadow Realm would make the entire venture a bit more difficult. Her stomach twisted in knots as she recalled what she had been told about Mallan's suicide. It was strange, but she could only vaguely remember his pain... it had been only a whisper on the edge of her thoughts during her imprisonment with the Ministry.

More guilt heaped on top of mounting pile as she wondered if her torture at the hands of the Ministry had been one of the things that had caused his final break. Even after being pulled back, the process relentlessly painful as her veins had been entered and Elemental Light forced throughout her body with crystals, she was constantly vigilant against the darkness within her. Until she found her new Elemental Master, maintaining her humanity would be a struggle. At least tonight, she was able to help a friend, to feel useful again after painstaking recuperation.

Following Wysteria's mental direction, her lips twisted into a wry expression that was nearly a horrid parody of a smile. She knew logically that a smile was the facial expression that would be appropriate for the situation, but somehow couldn't manage to properly summon one.

Recognize you? For a moment I was not certain I did. In fact, it took rather a large amount of convincing to assure myself I was not imagining everything. When I was told by the Order that you had been killed...

Her thought trailed off. She seemed to be accumulating guilt ever since the deaths of her parents. Had it not been such a foreign action for her, this was the point when D'rorah might have hugged her friend. Being who she was, however, she merely shook her head slightly and continued on.

I am relieved and quite... happy... to see that you are alive.

Yes, that was the unfamiliar word. Emotions had never really been D'rorah's strong suit. And after her recent fling with near-corruption, they were slow to come to her. She reached into a pouch at her side, extracting several bags of blood she had managed to procure through the hospital infirmary. The matte plastic reflected the scant moonlight trickling through the treetops feebly, making her offering look almost depressing.

I apologize that you had to wait so long for this, she began as she took in Wysteria's appearance more fully. And I apologize that there was no one to help you fight when you were attacked... I... she trailed off again, uncharacteristically at a loss for words and unable to summon the emotion she was thinking of.

D'rorah's own appearance was quite changed as well. The eyes that had been an icy grey were now darkened, remnants of the darkness she fought with still. Her honey-blond hair had taken on streaks of darker black and sporadic streaks of grey from stress. Even her skin tone, which had always been quite pale, now had more of a greying, ashen look to it. With any luck, she would find her Elemental Master soon... or would need to begin searching for her own replacement.

[Wysteria Edwin]

Wysteria's eyes widened as D'rorah placed blood bags in front of her. Her instincts told her to rip the bags open and forget all thought of common decency. As she suppressed this urge until an appropriate pause in the conversation, her hands shook with anticipation. All she could think of was drinking that blood. Real, human blood. Ambrosia. Somewhere in her mind Wysteria was aware that D'rorah was talking, making an apology about not getting the blood to her in a timely fashion. As Dee began her second apology regarding the fact that no one had been with Wysteria when she was taken, Wyst's resolve broke and she grabbed the bag closest to her along with the large goblet beside it. In an amazing display of both animal hunger and etiquette, Wyst pierced the bag fiercely while draining it into the cup within the blink of an eye.

She held up her index finger to give D'rorah the general "one moment please" symbol. As Wysteria took in the first bit of blood, an orgasmic feeling overcame her senses. Human cravings for food did not begin to describe what she had been through the past few months. And now, to finally be drinking her much needed nourishment, she took great pleasure in the moment. She could feel some color returning to her cheeks and everything in her body rejoiced in the event. A few drops trickled down and Wyst did not care to wipe them up as she continued to drink. The goblet D'rorah had brought was quite large, but it took her moments to drain it. Removing the cup from her lips, she finally tended to the stray blood on her face and neck. Wysteria then set the cup down, sighed contentedly, and opened her eyes to once more look at her friend.

"Thank you for waiting. To say I feel better is an understatement," Wysteria whispered, smiling a little. "I hope you don't mind not speaking telepathically for a moment. I've got a lot of information in my head and since my mental skills were damaged from my ordeal, I want to make sure you don't miss anything."

At that point her brain began to process what had been said while her mind was busy fighting with itself to show some restraint with the blood bags. D'rorah was apologizing for not being there when she was attacked?

"It's quite alright," Wysteria said, turning for a moment to examine a strange sound before whipping back around to face Dee. "The attack was well-planned and unless you had prior knowledge there was nothing you could have done. I had a feeling something might happen to me, but I was hoping it all to be paranoia. When the attack happened, I was alone, writing a letter to..." She paused for a moment, a sudden stabbing pain in the stomach preventing her from speaking for a few moments. While being turned had made Wysteria less empathetic and more cold, she was unable to shake feelings for Zane. She had been writing to him...a letter that even now caused her some embarrassment to think about.

"When I saw what to me looked like two young kids, scurrying around in the forest. Perhaps some sort of dare from a fellow classmate," Wysteria said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, knowing the nomadic vampires that trolled around, I knew that I would need to stop the children from getting closer to the encampment or other dangers. When I got closer to them I realized something was wrong. I could pick up their scent when I got within about a hundred yards, being downwind and all, and I knew then that they weren't human. They were undead, like I am now. But my slight pause was all the signal the shadow vampires needed to catch me off guard." She swallowed hard, a residual chill going down her spine as the memory she relived so many times before became more real now that she was telling it to someone.

"There were about seven shadows vampires. I was able to kill one, but that was in the first few seconds when I saw the attack coming. The other silver stakes I threw landed randomly and weren't damaging. In addition...these were vampires joined with shadows. Not only are they difficult to kill but they're much stronger than normal vampires, as I'm sure you know."

Wysteria pondered whether or not to tell D'rorah any details of her capture, and decided rather quickly to only share the essentials. The whole ordeal was quite painful to retell, and while one day she would say exactly what happened, there was no use making Dee feel worse for not being there.

"I tried to call out to Alessandro when it first happened, but I hadn't seen him in a few days, and after speaking with him I know realize he must have already been taken. When I first arrived the Shadow Vampires thought I could be a powerful ally, since I was able to use magic but also had great physical prowess and healing ability like any part vampire. We are a rare breed, since most vampires choose to have kids with muggles and bare muggle children, if they chose to do so at all. They thought since I was the granddaughter of the leader of the Dradoon clan that I should be delighted that the Shadow Vampires wanted me to be one of them. I think they suspected I was a Lightfighter, but at that time I believe the Mage was unsure on the details and didn't know if I was a Shadow Warrior or just on the Light side.

"Once they were informed of my Shadow Warrior status, their plans changed. They wanted to make me a full vampire, since they believed doing so would make it harder for me to resist the shadows since, technically speaking, I would be a dark creature. After a few failed attempts that were related to a charm my mother put on me when I was little, the Shadow Vampires succeeded in making me a true undead."

Wysteria looked down at her hands for a few moments. The story had come out so quickly that she hadn't time during the speech to be embarrassed. Not only that but she hadn't used her voice in so long that the sound was alien to her. But even with the unfamiliar quality, Wysteria recognized that her tone was different than before. Drier perhaps? Either way, it was not the same. Now, Wyst could feel Dee looking at her, although she was unsure what her feelings were regarding the story.

"I thought that if I went along with their plan, that I could find a moment to escape. Build up trust, as it were. Well, I managed to do so, and slipped out after a training session. That was one good thing from the experience--I'm quite skilled with a variety of weapons." Wysteria made a sour face, as she recalled all the pretending she had to do in order to convince them. Just approaching the tip of a memory could make her nauseous.

"The Shadow Vampires immediately went looking for me, but unfortunately for them I knew their tracking techniques at that point. I was able to hide out for less than a day before my cousin found me. However...he was merciful. He did not kill me, but instead went back to the vampires to tell them I had been pushed over a precipise and my body was washed downstream. I'm not sure why he did this...perhaps he felt guilty." Wysteria's voice had become a bit more distant now, as her own thoughts about her cousin's motives went through her head.

"In any case I owe my life to him, since to my knowledge only you and Alessandro know I am alive. You see, if I come out of my hiding place here, and if anyone else knows, I risk exposing myself and my cousin. In addition, the Shadow Vampires will assume I have told you about their plans regarding the war and therefore my information will be useless. Which I of course am going to tell you..." Wysteria suddenly laughed, shaking her head. She was very aware of how long she had been talking about her capture and had failed to mention the entire reason for bringing D'rorah into the forest in the first place.

"I...I apologize. I have been waxing nostalgic about my wonderful little kidnapping without telling you their plans, and one of the main reasons I asked you to come here tonight. Care for some hard-earned battle plans from the other side?" Wysteria said, raising an eyebrow.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah could see the change in Wysteria's countenance as the bags of blood were revealed to the dull moonlight. She watched without staring as her friend managed to drain every last drop of the first bag into the cup and then into herself. She could only imagine Wysteria was quite ravenous, knowing she could have had practically nothing to feed on since having started back for Hogwarts.

"Speaking is fine," she replied. "I had only thought it would be prudent to be as silent as possible... considering our current venue. But, accuracy of information is far more important to me at this point," she admitted.

She listened as Wysteria began explaining away D'rorah's guilt that she had been alone during the attack, that she had been writing a letter... that apparently was none of D'rorah's business, given that she cut herself off abruptly and continued on a slightly different track. She listened as Wyst outlined her attack, indeed feeling guilty that no one had been there to help... that she had not been there to help. She wondered briefly if the Order member who had told her of Wysteria's death had actually witnessed the attack or had come by the information from a secondary source. As relieved as she was to see Wysteria alive, the inaccuracy of the information left her wondering at the credibility of that informant.

"I am quite interested in the information you have obtained," she replied solemnly once Wysteria had finished speaking. "I would recommend you and I speak also of Mister Darko and Mister Bishop... Mister Darko because his memory has quite obviously been modified and Mister Bishop because... well, to be honest his reaction upon informing him of your death leads me to believe he will be most anxious to hear that you are, after all, alive."

She shifted her weight slightly on her feet. Even though she had insisted she was well enough to be free of her sick bed, she was still not quite as physically capable as she was accustomed to. While she was loathe to admit to her physical weakness, she also wanted to be able to focus exclusively on Wysteria's information rather than on holding herself upright during the conversation.

"Considering how much information we have to exchange, it might be wise to make ourselves a bit more comfortable," she suggested, glancing up at the tree Wysteria had jumped down from earlier. "I believe the high ground is likely to be far safer than the low ground..."

[Wysteria Edwin]

As D'rorah mentioned the names of "Mister Darko" and "Mister Bishop", Wysteria felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. The only outward reaction Wysteria showed was her eyes slowly closing for a moment as she forced her uncomfortable feeling aside. She hadn't expected D'rorah to bring up her other friends...but why wouldn't she? And while Wysteria was aware of Darko's memory problems, she wasn't sure why she should talk to Dee about it...perhaps she wanted to tell him of Wyst's "rebirth"? A second punch to her stomach occurred when Dee informed her that, in so many words, Zee had been quite distraught upon hearing of her death. An interesting cocktail of emotions surged forth, mostly guilt and sadness that she had been keeping herself from him, but also an odd happiness. He truly cared for her, otherwise he would never become unraveled in front of someone as poised and respected as D'rorah. But did the risk of endangering herself, her cousin, and their entire success of the war overshadow her own selfish desire to see Zane and the others again?

Her own thoughts on these matters were interrupted when D'rorah suggested moving up to the trees. Wyst thought this to be a good idea, and while she sensed no danger at that point, she could tell by D'rorah's stance that her strength was not the best it could be and she wouldn't be able to climb atop a tree at a moment's notice.

"Very true, let's go up then," Wysteria said, hopping up to the first branch while watching to make sure D'rorah was close behind. Once Wyst and D'rorah were safely about 30 feet above the ground, Wyst found a wide branch that was quite easy to sit on and offered a place to Dee as she swung her legs around to sit cross-legged. She took a deep breath before looking back to D'rorah.

"When we last spoke, I mentioned that I believed there to be some amount of Shadow Vampires inhabiting the forests in Romania, Scotland, and other parts of Europe and Asia. I thought them to be the minority of those who were still hiding out and practicing the old ways. Unfortunately, after my time spent with the other side I know that this is not the case. Nearly every clan has joined with the Mage, and even a few of the supposedly good covens. The Mage was smart to go after dark creatures early on and gain their trust, make them feel special. Which, as we know, in the wizarding world vampires are not treated with a great amount of dignity or respect considering there are many who live relatively normal lives.

Vampires are not the most loyal creatures in the world by nature. Most have live for so long that they've seen countless wars and power struggles, so to them this could just be another war. But the Mage promised them power, even more so than Voldemort, who never truly recruited them as allies. I wish I could bring better news in this regard, but what I can give you is more valuable than happy tidings." A strange smile went over Wysteria's face as she reached into her tattered robes and pulled out several pieces of parchment wrapped together in a scroll.

"I snagged this before escaping. It's not much, but it does contain the names of some of the major players with the Shadow Vampires, as well as a couple maps and letters written to the Mage. But the most valuable thing I learned was not in here, it was overheard." Wysteria paused as she handed the papers to D'rorah. "I know that we are not supposed to know about the Shadow Vampires in their great numbers. The Mage is taking great pains to keep them a secret; they are her "secret weapon", as it were. And while I could be misinterpreting what they said...I believe they are also her last line of attack. she will not be using her best soldiers for every little skirmish. I'm saying that when the shoe drops, we're looking at fighting hundreds of these things. And we can't do it alone, we've got to get more allies in the wizarding world, human and animal alike."

Wysteria looked away form D'rorah for a moment, hoping that this news and her evidence about it was enough to take her mind off the earlier question about Zane and Alessandro. But knowing Dee she never missed a beat, so imagining it to go away would not do any good for anyone.

"Regarding your earlier question, I'm not sure why you want to speak of either of them. Alessandro obviously does not remember me, so I see no point in further adding stress by telling him I was alive. I'm not even sure I can kill shadows anymore, so what's the point of having an Elemental Master? Secondly, and this applies to Zane as well, if people know I'm alive, if word gets around, I'm putting my life, my cousin's life, and all of yours in jeopardy. If the Mage knows that we know about their attack plans, they might change them altogether, or force the big battle right now which we're barely prepared for. While I..." Wyst felt an uncomfortable rise in emotion form her throat, and took a minute to swallow before continuing.

"While I know Zane would be happy to learn I'm alive, he might not be so happy to find me like this. Undead, messy hair, and unable to leave the Forbidden Forest. This is the only place I can call home because of the anonymity. I...don't belong in my old life." She shook her head slightly, her thoughts turned inward while she awaited Dee's response. It would be an outright lie to say Wyst never wanted to see Alessandro and Zane, and all of her friends again. But the idea of them...especially Zee...seeing her as she was, and knowing what she was, made Wyst sick to her stomach. she had never told Zee of her vampire heritage, but Dee might have relayed that information after her death. But even still, she was not a full vampire back then. This was different. The idea of rusing up to Zee, and having him turn away from her, scared or even disgusted, was too much to handle. Even though a little voice inside her begged her to reconsider, that if he truly cared for her it wouldn't matter, she was not planning to change her resolve. That did not alter the fact that she wanted desperately to believe that little voice.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah nodded silently as Wysteria agreed to move up into the trees to speak. Not feeling particularly up to climbing, she transfigured once again to her sparrow form, an oddly black sparrow, and flitted up into the branches before transfiguring back to human form. She listened quietly, her mind whirling with the implications of the news she was hearing. The fact of a large force of Shadow Vampires was a huge development. The Order was prepared for a few... but for nearly all of them? It certainly changed the face of what they were up against. It did indeed mean a massive recruiting effort... it meant bringing themselves finally and irrevocably out of hiding, bringing the entire Order of Light forward to face the Mage in the battles to come. They had always worked in secrecy, even though their networks were far and wide, they weren't prepared for Vampires. Normal Vampires were formidable enough foes, but joined with Shadows, they became far more powerful.

She breathed quietly as Wysteria switched back to the subject of Zane and Alessandro. Mister Darko's lack of memory notwithstanding, and regardless of whether you are any longer a Shadow Warrior, he is needed as an Elemental Master. I must retrieve his memories... otherwise all of the work I had done with him will have been lost." She paused for a moment. "And, I believe you still possess your Shadow Warrior abilities. New Shadow Warriors and Elemental Masters have been appearing to replace those we lose with remarkable speed. I have yet to find anyone to replace you, therefore..." she trailed off, the ending of her sentence implied.

"If you prefer not to work with him yourself, then we shall use my mind as an intermediary. As his Shadow Warrior, you know him far better than I do. With your assistance, I believe I may be able to recover whatever was taken from his mind."

She looked up, thinking she had heard a sound nearby, perhaps a twig snapping. Hearing nothing further, she waited another moment before continuing. "As far as Mister Bishop is concerned..." her mind looked for appropriate words. "Honestly, I believe you may be just what he needs at the moment. It is your choice. If you choose not to reveal yourself, I will not reveal you to either of them. However, Mister Bishop is quite persistent and may take it upon himself to verify whether or not you have returned... and in doing so, may draw more attention to you than simply telling him in the first place would."

She breathed deeply, giving her head a slight shake. "I seem to remember days when things seemed far simpler," she remarked quietly. "Darkness seems to be the fate of all who serve Light." As she spoke this last sentence, she glanced down at her hand, visible at the edges of her sleeves, where the flesh was still a dark, ashen grey and then ran that same hand through her hair, tightly coifed as always, but newly mottled with black and grey.

Turning back to more practical matters, she blinked once. "How long will this supply last?" she asked, indicating the bags of blood. "And I do not mean how long before you are once again on the brink of starvation? But how long should that supply last under ideal circumstances? You need to regain your strength. If that means that I need more blood than I can safely procure from the school's stores, then I will find it elsewhere."

[Wysteria Edwin]

Wysteria listened carefully as Dee explained why her presence was still needed with her Elemental Master. Wyst hadn't even thought of the fact that she might be able to help Darko..but after all, wasn't that what their connection was for? It was not only an obligation, but goodness knows she would be able to sleep better during the day if she knew Alessandro had not forgotten what he had learned as an Elemental Master. But that did not shake the fact that Wyst was still uneasy about revealing her condition to the others. And when D'rorah began speaking of Zane...well, the unfortunate fact of the matter was deep down Wyst desperately wanted to see him again. But she was also afraid of rejection. so she settled on a response that would satisfy both sides.

"I think it would be wise to use me as an intermediary at this point. Since neither Darko or I have a lot of experience with telepathy and memory recovery, I think your help would be the best scenario." Wyst was a bit nervous at the thought of this idea, but she knew that Alessandro needed her, and that was her obligation as his Shadow Warrior...even if he didn't remember.

Wyst cocked her head at the sound of an animal approaching the area. She smiled a bit, recognizing the hoof and claw sounds.

"Hippogriff," Wyst explained to Dee, "a sweet creature really. But in regards to Zane," she took a slow breath, trying to phrase exactly what she meant so he would not have to clarify. "I want you to use your best judgement. What you must promise me, however, is that if you chose to tell him where I am, then you must also tell him that I am a full vampire now. And please, only tell him if you believe it's absolutely necessary." She knew that telling Zane about her secret would most likely deter him from visiting her. This would be a painful realization, but it would be better than seeing his look of disgust on hearing it first-hand. She couldn't bear the thought of him turning away from her. And yet, part of her still hoped he would not betray her.

Clearing her throat to show an obvious change in tone and subject, Wysteria glanced down at her blood bags that she had carried with her to the tree. She weighed them in her hands for a few moments, and did some arithmetic in her head. "These should last me a week. If you bring what you brought tonight about every week or so, I should be fine. I'm building up my strength again, so I'll require more at first while my body finds equilibrium."

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah nodded as Wysteria agreed to use her as an intermediary for the recovery of Alessandro's memories. She had not even spoken to him yet, knowing that her first impression on his newly-blank mind had been less than friendly or impressive, snarling at him to extinguish the light of his wand because it burned her tainted flesh. It had been difficult enough to pull his memories back the first time, the memories his parents had erased as a small child of his abilities with Elemental Fire. She wondered what sort of challenge this new memory modification would present and hoped she would be able to recover them at all.

Her lip twitched slightly upward as Wysteria identified the sound she had heard as being a passing hippogryff. It was no surprise that all sorts of animals roamed the forest, but still best to be wary, she supposed inwardly.

As the topic switched to Zane, she listened quietly and carefully. She had a feeling she could understand where Wysteria's reticence came from. In truth, she was certain she would feel much the same were their situations reversed. As she was, she could hardly bear to look at Dylan and think of how ghastly she must appear now, a shadow-haunted thing of little use to anyone now that she could no longer fight until her new Elemental Master was found. "I will tell him nothing unless I have good reason to do otherwise," she responded solemnly. I agree that it is best for you and your cousin that as few people as possible are aware of your return for the time being. Until we are able to act upon the information you have provided regarding the Shadow Vampires, we will keep your survival a secret."

"These should last me a week. If you bring what you brought tonight about every week or so, I should be fine. I'm building up my strength again, so I'll require more at first while my body finds equilibrium."

"I will continue to bring an adequate supply. I will bring extra on my next run... in the current climate, I believe it would be best to be prepared for any contingency. Now... regarding the Shadow Vampires, I will need whatever thoughts or ideas you may have about neutralizing or impacting that threat. I believe a slow, systematic elimination will be best. With any good fortune, there will be some way of drastically reducing their numbers without causing any immediate alarm. And the others must be trained to fight them." She inhaled slowly as she thought more on the subject. "I do not expect answers tonight, of course. Hopefully our next rendezvous will have allowed us sufficient time to consider the matter. I should like to visit more often than only once per week; however, it may become unsafe if I do so too often. Perhaps... three days? That may have give me some time to begin working with Mister Darko and will give you an opportunity to reassess your needs so that I may provide anything you are unable to provide for yourself."

With her piece said, D'rorah stood on the branch where she had been seated. "Well then, old friend, I believe I should be off to Hogwarts. I have much work to do, given this new information. I am... relieved... to see you alive and.. thankful.. for the information you have been able to gather--even though it did come at quite a cost." Still vaguely unaware of her own emotions, only those few words took an extra beat in her otherwise steady speech. "Be safe." With that, she dipped her head slightly before transfiguring back to her sparrow form and flitting off through the branches, back toward the chimney of her common room.