Thrill to Kill (Closed Thread)

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)

The clear night sky and the intense light of a full moon meant nothing to the dense crowns of trees deep in the Forbidden forest. Even during the brightest of days, barely any ray reached the ground the deeper it went. A flap of wings disturbed the evening cacophony of sounds as the red-eyed raven descended and morphed on the ground. With trees becoming progressively denser, the idea of navigating the Forest from the air was quickly abandoned.

He was an anomaly. A well-assembled pile of flesh and cloth too tidy to belong to the Forest floor, and he understood its wilderness enough to respect it. Hildegard moved almost silently despite his heigh, with an impeccable balance, across the uninviting forest floor. Under the dim light, he paused a couple of times, listening and subtly sniffing the breeze blowing his way. Firmly imprinted manners remained even on the hunt, although the search he was on now was nothing primal.

Instead of a recognizable animal scent, his senses were focused on a sweet aroma of young wiggentrees nesting in small nooks and crannies, bathing in the moonlight. Surely enough, his nose hadn't failed him this time either. While it was a naturally acquired advantage to locate them in such a way, every time he would, Virgilius felt pride over the accomplishment. It was one thing to theoretically be able to smell them out. A completely different thing was to isolate the scent and follow it correctly. With each time, he did it just a little bit better than previously.

A young tree peeked from the shadows of its taller cousins not far from the initial point. As the collecting process dictated, Virgil approached, lifting a pouch of fairy eggs. Soon after, a small branch of bowtruckles peeked out, curiously eyeing the man, albeit as wary as always of his intentions. They were such wonderful, admirable creatures. Stubborn and resilient even though they looked easy to break, and he held them in high regard. Because of that, his offerings were always generous. Soon, the pile of goodies managed to spark some interest. One by one, the creatures emerged patiently waiting for him to step away at a respectable distance.

The rest was relatively easy. A routine. Virgilius took his time to select the appropriate pieces of the plant and store them properly. It continued, as usual, in silence only broken every once in a while by bowtruckles arguing over the feast.

Except, the branch of bowtruckles soon switched their chattering to a more alerted one, giving up on the rest of the food and climbing high on the tree, holding tightly in a group. Admittedly, magical creatures were Anderson's expertise, but bowtruckles were relatively simple predictable creatures. Seeing such an immediate change of behavior seemed like something to note. Even more so because he no longer seemed to be the focus of the branch's concern.

The chattering quickly died out, and the muffled sounds of the forest took over, tensing all of Virgil's senses. A rustle sounded nearby. Specific enough for him to acknowledge the potential hazard in the situation.

Then, a thundering sound of hooves, rushing through the foliage. And with it, a well-familiar smell of prey. Blood.

For a moment, the scent engulfed him. As the large stag appeared rushing towards him, the sudden urge to dive onto the animal's bulging neck hazed his mind if only for a moment. Resisting, he swiftly moved out of the way, letting the animal through. While one set of hooves left, another followed suddenly multiplying in numbers.

In a minute a whole smaller herd of deers rushed through, forcing Virgil out of the way. For once the suddenty of all of it took its toll on Hildegard's usually calm demeanor, and he stared attentively at a bunch of startled animals fleeing through the forest before he started to notice the peculiar details. Some were simply scared out of their minds while the others carried deep-seated cuts and tears across their bodies - mementos of what seemed to be a rather savage attack. Something he was certain he had never encountered during his time in Hogwarts.

But even when the last animal passed following the others, the smell of free-flowing blood did not subside. It was still carried by the wind opposite of the direction the animals just ran towards. There were more. Some not so lucky to flee. And while relatively far from the Hogwarts' grounds, it was still not far enough. If there was an animal able to attack so viciously without exploiting its prey, it was a reason enough to be a safety concern.

Without much hesitation, Virgilius headed forward, leaving bowtruckles to return to what was left of their feast in peace.

************

He stopped at the edge of a clearing, deeper in the forest where the smell seemed to be originating from and for an obvious reason.

To the center of it, small trickles of blood glistening here and there on the moss-covered ground turned into rivers, rivers to puddles and, finally, pools. At least a dozen of animals laid scattered around lifeless, some in better condition than others, but all of them savagely slain and left to bleed out. It was carnage for the sake of it, and it made his stomach turn with anxiety.

The potent smell of gore and blood hit harder, forcing him to resist by turning away, up the wind, staring at the moon through the pupils tightened into feral slits.

It isn't the time.

Regardless of the fact that his entire being protested, his mind stubbornly stuck to the rule: only feeding on schedule. No exception.

But isn't it so beautiful? Greasy. Fresh. Nobody would know...

Not the time.

Shame, for it will all go to waste.

The thrill of a hunt was one of the joys of feeding, and certainly one of the thoughts that still managed to efficiently distract him from scavenging instead. But with Virgilius pushing the limits of his fast further and further, it could have only done as much. It was enough. For now.

Whatever it was that suddenly rustled in the bushes, it had Hildegard's gratitude at least to an extend. Quickly drawing out his pale beech wand, he was successfully distracted by the presence.

"Show yourself!" he had ordered, ready to defend if his hand was to be forced.

 

[Nemopedia]

x

Adelaide Rosier

The disturbing reports involving the Forbidden forest truly didn't fall under the jurisdiction of Adelaide, who was specialised in magical abductions and apprehension. Special creatures rarely fell under that category, and usually meant a multidisciplinary expertise, meaning teams comprehended from a variety of other factions. But everything had their rare outlier and tonight was such a case, an outlier. For she was the closest to the scene and she was still in reintegration, officially. Surely an easy task such as scouting the area and making up a report shouldn't be too much for the still recovering auror?

Adelaide hadn't thought so at least, her wounds had healed and she was itching to do something more than just sit around, the familiar call for adrenaline summoning her once more.

'Whether this ties into the current case or not is left to be seen, but there are strong suggestions from the department that a certain controversial position might be the true culprit of it all.

Vaguely worded as it was, Adelaide didn't need much more to understand whom they had meant with the summoning letter, the brief setting itself on fire shortly after. The implications were ill-received with the auror now turned professor, but she understood from whence they came. It was the unfortunate culture in which the Ministry of Magic was still entrenched within, despite the good work of the infamous muggleborn Granger. Adelaide would have almost claimed that such malice and contempt was found in blood, but the implications of that for herself was a wry admission she didn't want to define yet.

Nonetheless, the Forbidden Forest was, despite her lack of expertise, disturbed and even Adelaide could tell with her rudimentary knowledge of the life within this place. The smell of blood clung thickly to the air, the silence of the night even more pronounced now as there wasn't even so much as a rustle in the area she found herself.

But then there was a figure, quiet and graceful, moving through the shadows and moving towards the spot that made Adelaide's skin prickle, her instinct on high alarm as she could tell that there was something off ahead. Not a magical instinct, not the trace of magic, but pure human instinct that she had sharpened over her years of life threatening situations in which she had found herself more.

"Show yourself!" the figure demanded, voice strong and familiar and the intonation unmistakable. Drawing her own wand from the back Adelaide kept it concealed as she approached, her attitude cautious as she faced the subject of her summons earlier and the one she had hoped not to meet tonight.

"Hildegard." The name slipped out of her, colder than she had intended as she sucked in a breath at the metallic scent that surrounded her, the corpses of many mangled beasts surrounding the two of them as she nearly had stepped on the still-chilling body of a… she didn't dare the attempt of naming it.

"Quite a horrific spot we meet in," she mentioned coolly, maintaining her calm as she assessed the situation. Hildegard was clean, which meant that the chance of him being the aggressor lessened significantly. Yet, his appearance here in this bloody scene alone was disturbing enough, for it meant that Adelaide would have to include it in her report to the Ministry, thus implicating him. It was going to take some questioning and skill to talk this straight, she knew, but that wasn't anything for the other to know.

"Not your average midnight stroll, I hope?" The jest was morbid and perhaps out of place, but it was the best Adelaide could do at the moment as she eyed the corpses littered around, seemingly haphazardly, and as if arbitrarily chosen, yet there was a method, a chilling pattern forming as she realised that she was approaching the center of it all, freezing her in step.

"It almost reminds me of those medieval muggle records on witchcraft," she continued, wondering if she was speaking too much because of his silence or despite Hildegard's silence. In any case, Adelaide knew that she wanted him to be innocent of it all, which was perhaps not very professional at all.

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[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

The sound of his name alone wasn't as bothersome as the realization of its source. A deer in the headlights. He waited frozen for a moment, eyeing her face for any sign of an opinion or a thought that their encounter may have provoked.

Well, now. This doesn't flatter you, does it?

Realizing the ridiculousness of his defensive stance against miss Rosier, Virgil nodded and lowered his wand.

"Very," he responded half-heartedly to her comment, clearly meant as an insecure attempt of a small talk that - she perhaps hoped - would relieve some of the looming tension that suddenly descended between them. Becoming self-conscious under quick glances his colleague gave him and the pressure of his instinct, he turned away in an attempt to maintain his swayed posture.

One blink after the other gradually dilated his pupils. It only took a small break from the obsessive self-control for the rest of his body to relax enough to be appropriately managed.

Questionable taste of Adelaide's question did not sway him more than her gaze alone. Because of it, Virgil maintained the safety of having his back turned to her for a moment more, studying the site.

"Not as long as I can help it, miss Rosier," Virgil responded with slight defiance wrapped in a typical polite tone. "And you can rest assured that I still can." There was always a slight feeling of disapproval towards discussions of his nature, but he'd like to think that Adelaide knew better after all those years. Then again, years and Ministry could have taken their own toll.

For the first time since her arrival, he genuinely thought of it.

Sooner or later, everyone sees that the monkey in a suit is a monkey nevertheless. So why? What was with the sudden need to prove the opposite?

Virgilius registered Adelaide's words regardless of the lack of the usual eagerness to engage in the discussion. He had also acknowledged that her curiosity had a bit of something else in it - a surprise she was prepared for. The Forest was a large area. No clear paths lead to where they were, and yet she knew where to be to witness it.

Was she following him?

"No beast kills what it doesn't intend to eat. I am inclined to agree that it may have been witchcraft," he nodded, levitating the parts and brushing the gore away somewhat hesitantly, not due to disgust but out of fear of feeling that tiny fraction of chaos again. And just like his chaos, the entire sight was primal and raw, disregarding life and mercy in any form. Almost too primitive for any wizardkind to participate in.

"I did not take you for someone that would walk in the middle of the Forest so late," Virgil mused, breaking the silence that once again grew between them as he proceeded to stack carcasses on the side. The dry jest concealed the man's curiosity of her presence. The atmosphere of the site left him anxious and vary. Facade always managed to elevate everyone else's concerns but his own.

Whichever response he would receive afterward registered without an answer once a carefully bent tip of a thin, wooden object peeked from under the pile, darkened blood still trickling through the engraved runes to the ground. Virgilius aimed his wand at the piece until it dislodged from between the ribs of a Porlock carcass, hovering in mid-air.

Studying the half of the snapped bow, a concerned frown briefly engulfed the vampire's features. Little had he known about the creatures inhabiting the Forbidden Forest, but Centaurs were the only ones who he believed had a sense of such aesthetics and weapons.

"Must be quite the luck you have to run into all of this in the process, miss Rosier."

 

[Nemopedia]

x

Adelaide Rosier

The first time they met at night had been relaxed, bordering on prosperous. Now they met under circumstances nigh opposite. The apprehension was clear in the air and there was something of a distrust lingering as well, a need to defend oneself, or protect something. Adelaide didn't blame Hildegard for feeling this way, compromised as the situation seemed to be at a first glance.

He didn't relax, and that made Adelaide tense as she straightened her shoulders. "I never doubted your restraint," she responded, then feeling like a student again quickly followed with a; "professor," polite as ever, but here in the depth of the night whilst she was out on a patrol of her own it felt cringy and misplaced.

This was why she had initially refused the investigation, or any investigation pertaining to her old professor. Adelaide's fondness for the man was too deeply etched, her respect too hardly won for her to be capable of thinking Hildegard capable of doing anything mad.

Yet, she was glad that she had nonetheless, if only because she could defend him so well and fiercely.

But that same trust was not returned, Adelaide couldn't blame the man as she watched his tense posture, as if cornered like an alley cat. It was the look of someone expected to be discriminated against, be it that they were guilty or not. It was the language of a person who expected to be treated for less than they were. A lesson Adelaide had to learn early on in her job when she entered the office, full on basking in her own privileges and good stance.

"I thought of preparing for my first class, but this is strangely reminiscent to Auror's work," Adelaide responded, wondering how she could get the man to open up to her again like he had done the night before. She had liked his smile, but asking for a smile now felt inappropriate as well as misplaced.

Besides, the gruesome image surrounding them, along with the sickening odour of blood had even pulled her usually stoic face into a grimace.

"Think this might be too much to emulate for the students? Might set a nice image," Adelaide continued when she received no answer, her steps light as she manoeuvred over the corpses, her wand hovering over them in a dim light as she

"Revelio," Adelaide said at last, her hand following the trace needed to trigger it before it was followed with a rapt movement, "specialis revelio," she incanted, sending it out over the area with a soft light hoping to find more clues.

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[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

The gravity of the situation did an efficient job of dictating the priorities. Still focused on the broken bow in his hand, Virgil responded to Adelaide with a delay, taking in horror surrounding them.

"It surely is. A nice image. Effective." A trace of light-heartedness evaporated by the time he fell quiet again, realizing the weight of the words spoken. With the bow lowered against his side, he circled around the center.

"And, perhaps, some horrors they're supposed to be aware of more than they are allowed to be," he mumbled with his eyes fixated at the bloodied ground. It carried symbols and signs, familiar while feeling like a completely new experience. Books were able to transfer knowledge, but clearly not the feeling of standing in the presence of live composition. He could have sworn it made the very blood in his veins dance just at sight. There was a feeling of eerie warmth and calm emerging from all the slaughter. A brief glance towards miss Rosier, and he was assured that it was only in his head.

Lovely, lovely, lovely. Young and trusting. And yet, you dare not look at the lamb under the weight of your self-loath. A waste.

A futile effort against years of Occulumency almost angered him. And while it still attempted to prod, he mentally cut it off, stepping away just on time for bright spots of interest - including the fragment in his hand - to begin to come to life under Revelio.

The air filled with a faint smokey smell of raw tobacco and some other mix of herbs so overbearing that it seemed impossible to dissect. A heavy magical presence grew in the center of the circle, almost pulsating against its invisible armor of a mental spell. Legillimency or alike. Dying enchanted runes were pulsing along with the faintest of response across the scattered splinters of a Centauri weapon. It was only a few times in a row before they've dimmed down and died out drained. Only a single ball of similar energy remained. It floated across the area and dragged itself on the trail of the other, sinister one, deriving from the center. By the time its trace led down the road and into the forest, the Centaur - whom it had belonged to - was still alive.

Virgil had no doubt about the nature of the ritual performed. However, it made everything seem even more senseless and random. The odds of running into such a thing in those areas were so minuscule that they easily could have been impossible. Why there? And why on that night?

After a brief pause of observing the ceremonial center once more, Hildegard nodded knowingly. "Miss Rosier. This may be a question you're reluctant to answer, as Auror's are with many affairs of the Ministry" he spoke up calmly, focusing a confinement spell through his wand towards the circle. "However, humor me."

As the spell slowly advanced across the designated area, the surrounding lines of drying blood pulled back aggressively, much like an elastic that is being released from the state of strain.

"Have you ever encountered a mambo or a houngan?"

Without the inner disturbance, Virgil found that maintaining eye contact was an easier task. Even while his confidence was dimmed by a new potential assault on his psyche that he wouldn't be aware of. For the time being, an active Occulumency seemed like a reasonable measure of prevention. Feeling like a fish out of water was bad enough.

 

[Nemopedia]

x

Adelaide Rosier

She had seen the broken reactions plenty of times. With the newcomers and with the veterans. Some adapted; those stayed, but none of them ever adjusted fully, none of their hearts could ever prepare them fully for the horrors they had to face just as she still couldn't feel herself unaffected despite all.

Adelaide wanted to comfort Hildegard. The urge of putting a hand against his shoulder popping up, but yet too inappropriate for her to execute as she watched the man react brokenly, something haunting him, taking most of his attention that was usually so full on with the present and confidence.

It was eerie to see someone that she had always considered beyond her own experience so startled where she seemed to have little reaction. Had her heart hardened to such an extent, was it familiarity for her, or a professional mask she wore and a delayed reaction? Her mother had always called her slow after all.

The question had been generic enough that Adelaide could suffice with a simple "yes," without supplying more or even explaining it. The Haitian priests, dabbling into the arts of spiritual possession and vodou. The British branch snubbed on them, derogatory remarks not uncommon whenever an animal went missing, or an eerie ritual involving dolls were found. But it would be a lie if Adelaide hadn't been sent out to work with them in collaborations. Whether it was their people coming over to the British branch, or them crossing the ocean themselves. In the end they had the same aim; when it met that was.

"Do you believe this to be a ritual of theirs?" Adelaide's question rang, her eyes gliding over the image that was drawn in front of them with the help of the revelio. The circle and its symbols clearer, the parties that played a part coming to 'live'.

'Disturbing.' Adelaide's first thought sounded, before she adjusted herself and let that judgement go, not wanting to set herself on that first prejudice just because it had involved blood and a foreign ritual. After all, it was such assumptions and reaction that had been the root of many discriminations.

"It feels too crude to be their work," she determined after a moment, eyes fixated on the circle drawn and on all of the blood spilled. "The circle and positioning reminds me of what happened in Hälsingland, dubbed as the Hårga incident," Adelaide spoke calmly, recalling one of the biggest international cases that had slipped into muggle memory in modern history. She hadn't been part of the investigation team, young as she was, but it was impossible not to hear of it; not when the pictures of the rites were part of a compulsory initiation every auror in her department was to undergo.

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[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

"Not necessarily," he shrugged. "I find no real reason why they would involve in such mode. So maliciously."

Hm, hmmm... Hm, hmmm...

"However, the magic seems to be coming from the same source," Virgil mused, approaching the pulsating center of the circle once again. "Or, rather, it has a similar effect."

The humming continued in the corner of his consciousness. More prominent as he approached. Miss Rosier called it crude. In a way, it certainly was.

"Perhaps," Virgil agreed, somewhat absent-minded. Part of his focus was still occupied by the symbols.

Cm hrrr... Cm hmmm...

With another step, the hum turned into a grumble, then a mumble, then a distorted phrase.

Come here... Come home...

The feeling of warmth and comfort had returned, much like a very pleasing drug, seeking to intrigue him further. But despite its efforts, Virgil remained a few steps away from the innermost circle. He stared, pushing it to the back of his head until all but the initial hum remained, and even that dispersed as soon as professor Rosier spoke anew.

"Hårga incident," he repeated calmly as he stepped away. "I am familiar. Although, only vaguely. Plenty has been done to push such calamity under the rug. Not much of a surprise, I suppose," he all but criticized. The feeling of familiarity did not leave, even with the physical and mental distance from the ritual site. After briefly observing the paved road deeper into the woods, he evidently decided to proceed.

Tucking the wand under his arm, Virgilius quickly rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He had no high hopes that the creature was still alive but, just as well, he would do his due diligence. Retaking his wand, he briefly turned to face Adelaide. Nothing. There was no disturbance on her face, nor anything that would have him think she had shared the same exotic experience by simply standing on the desecrated ground. Undoubtedly, he was happy for her, except for that little part of him that once again made him feel...

Alone.

"I would prefer if you were to return to the castle, miss Rosier," he filled the silence and smirked almost reassuringly. Almost. "But I also know you hadn't reached all the way here to listen to me." Whatever Adelaide had to do that caused the unexpected meet-up was hardly an absurd coincidence. He did not need to know anything more of it to be aware of the fact that - no matter what he would say - she would stick around.

"However, I ask you to remain close." A genuine request had landed before professor Hildegard entered between the trees.

************

The wind brought forth a sweet, irony scent, weak against the current of strong, bestial one. Virgilius stopped in his tracks, his eyes locked towards the makeshift tunnel of trees ahead, bathing in darkness.

"It's fresh," he spoke up after taking in another subtle inhale. "And there are several." With the breeze constantly twisting and entangling the scent, it was hard to tell precisely how many, but even with as little as he had to go on, he painted himself a picture he had dreaded.

Come home.

And in a way, Virgilius was aware that he was about to as he pressed forward, his step unnaturally quiet against the branch-littered ground, a single predatorial trait he took pride in. He said nothing more, moving forward. A mere change of pace would be enough for a former Auror to understand. Finally, a desperate muffled shriek pushed its way, carried through the trees, accompanied by a cacophony of sadistic laughter and cheers that grew progressively louder as they repeated. A loud whistle echoed up ahead, after which a maniacal assembly died down. Once more, Virgilius halted.

"Everybody shut the fuck up!" A female voice commanded, mumbling a few more swears. Then, a loud smack and a loud cry.

"Useless mule," the voice continued. "TELL ME ALREADY!"

The realization felt like a mortal chill down his spine. He was home, and he had brought a lamb for slaughter. Simply remaining in close proximity may not have been enough.

"You need to turn back, Adelaide."

 

[Nemopedia]

x

Adelaide Rosier

Was it instinct on his part, or an inability to recognise that insisted on treating Adelaide like the former student she was? Adelaide didn't like to speculate on either, finding both answers hard to swallow in regards to her pride, but was glad all the same that Hildegard recognised that she wasn't to leave. Not at his request. The fact that this was only recognised because of her infamous stubbornness didn't escape her thought either, but she took whatever she could to not be dismissed.

Yet, Adelaide moved behind Hildegard, her hand almost reaching out to the sleeve of the professor as if trying to find comfort in his presence. She didn't reach out, only thought of it as Adelaide asked herself who it was that needed comfort and defense more.

There was a tension in the air she recognised, but didn't resonate with. A tension that called and had usurped professor Hildegard who seemed both absent and present at the same time, preparing for a battle both outside and within.

Was it the blood? The smell or iron didn't escape the witch either who wondered what it smelled like to a vampire. Did they smell iron? Did it disturb them like it scared her instinctively? Adelaide knew that to claim that she held no fear was foolish, for fear was needed to recognise danger and danger was needed to cultivate the bravery the aurors needed. In turn there was no auror who lived without fear and so she wasn't without.

Inaudibly Adelaide took in a breath when the loud voice of a female commanded, confident and audacious, unafraid to be found, or to be heard. The forest was off-limits in the nightly hours after all, but even then it was bold to yell, let alone disrespect a centaur on their own turf.

Most of all, Adelaide recognised the woman's voice, recognising the aura radiating off her and the presence of the others as she realised the numbers in which they were and the dreadful ritual they may have walked in on.

This time she did grab hold of Hildegard's sleeve, in instinct but not out of fear. There was worry that she couldn't conceal as she threw her eyes up at the man, seeing the worry in his own that reflected hers and was meant for her like hers was meant for him. Within she could see the agony that he battled with himself, her name slipping past his lips in a momentary lapse of his own control.

"Give me your coat," was all she said, leaving no room for discussion in the matter whether she was to return or not. 'What about you?' she had meant to ask instead, but didn't like she did so many other times. Instead she tugged at his sleeve once more, urgently, as if telling him to strip out of the jacket right this instant. No other explanation was given to support her request, but if anyone was to understand why she asked this it should be Hildegard, Adelaide trusted.

Text colour: #B4AAB6

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

The ease with which Adelaide's name escaped was wrong, he reckoned in a split of a moment after it was too late to take it back. Very wrong. It all felt like a spiral from it on, and he could only choose the slow path down.

Scared?

His mind asked a simple yet very valid question, only to be robbed from any retaliation it had been provoking by a tug. A thought dispersed, leaving a moment of blankness in Hildegard's mind that failed to catch up with his body's response. He didn't jerk nor felt the need to actively comfort her as may have been expected based on the interaction she had triggered. But that was absolutely ridiculous, wasn't it? Adelaide Rosier never needed saving. Maybe it was the other way around. Would that be why her bright doe-like eyes glared him down so?

You've heard the lamb. Give her your coat.

The inner voice was as familiar as one could be for its owner. But the demand felt foreign. A drunken thought without a drop taken. On the outside, only a tiny part of the turmoil showed itself. In the moment of blankness, Virgil was still gazing back towards Adelaide. He was calm yet evidently contemplating on the request.

A sigh escaped him before he finally moved, this time to obediently strip down the coat as requested and hand it over.

You know what's going to happen next. You know it well.

There was a brief and silent surge of dread in his eyes as his derailed train of thoughts pushed him down the right track. He knew by the urgency in which miss Rosier wanted to snag the rest of the coat out of his hands that he was once again capable of assessing the situation in a comprehensive, logical manner.

"No. Wait," Virgil responded, sounding more like himself than at any other moment in the past hour. The contained weight of his change of heart was followed by a swift grab of what turned out to be miss Rosier's arm. Virgilius pulled regardless. Firmly enough to matter, gently enough to do no harm. With her focus back on him, he gazed once again, sternly.

"Listen to me for once. This isn't a good time," Virgil spoke under his breath before releasing his grip. "I don't-"

A crack of a branch.

Instinctively, Virgil's head snapped in the direction of the sound as he gestured to Adelaide to pull back quietly.

"I will ask you once again, miss Rosier. Leave."

With another audible movement detected among the trees to his left, Virgilius assumed a defensive stance. He firmly kept himself between his colleague and what was jumping and grasping at the trees. The creature approached closer, audible but hard to visualize among the branches. A guttural sound replaced with a deep sniff against the cool night's air every few moments. Virgil's wand extended tightly towards the source.

"A disgrace," he mumbled to himself, failing to hide an evident disgust towards the creature that just emerged from the deep shadow.

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

'Ah,' Adelaide thought, a realisation hitting her of a consideration that she hadn't taken before. 'Of course,' it trailed after, as if it truly had been so obvious. The ministry allowed halfbreeds to join their ranks, but it still had a long way to go before there was a semblance of equality of the otherkins. And Adelaide, being a pureblood and a Rosier above all, had been carefully packed and treated even as an auror that defected and defied her family. The difficulties of having a partner whose senses were assaulted as much as the ones they were hunting. It was for both of their protection.

There wasn't time for a witty remark, or to argue, but leave Adelaide would not, her wand in hand as she eyed the creature that came from the branches, the screaming from earlier now having died out as an intoxicated being appeared. Drunk on the fresh blood, hungry for more, lustful eyes thrown into their direction and above all, recognising her. The coat did only so much to cover her own scent, that currently must have been like musk on fire, potent and lush in the air, instantly recognisable.

A disgrace, Hildegard had said, and Adelaide took it to mean the creature that approached them, fangs flashing and lips licking in excitement of yet another meal. Adelaide had already decided that it wasn't going to be an easy one, a battleplan in her head as she levelled her breath. The thought that Hildegard meant to insult himself as well only briefly passed, but the notion that he was on the edge of his own reservations did not escape Adelaide.

She still had no plan on abandoning the man to his own devices, however. It was against her nature to do so, but also against her own judgement and duty. The creature advanced on them, and Adelaide could feel the familiar itch of goosebumps forming on her arms as she focused on her surroundings, finding that there were more coming.

"Other than leaving, what other plans do you have, partner?" She rang the question, making sure to put an emphasis on the last word 'partner'.

Text colour: #B4AAB6

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD


Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

The savage figure locked his feral, crimson eyes with Virgil on his way to the ground, swaying and assessing the situation as a wild animal would.

"It," Virgil instructed himself, returning the gaze with iron determination, even when he picked up intensified movement on the side. The need to retain the ability to explain them by what they once were was hard to give up. "It is no longer a being in any way but glutton."

Needless to say, miss Rosier's question ran headfirst into a wall of short-lasting silence he used to cover his deep annoyance. He wouldn't make her leave. Indeed, he would have known better than that. Even so, it was evident within his forcefully calm tone that the scolding was put aside only because he had another, more pressing matter to concern himself with: keeping her alive.

"Stay close, eyes up," Virgil instructed flat-toned, stepping backward and closing the distance until he stood back to back with her. "They are no more than feral beasts." With several more figures emerging from the shade under the trees, the initial one screeched almost victoriously and jerked itself forward, halting when Virgil did not falter.

"I believe you are well aware of vampires' abilities." It was a common claim as she certainly was. "Keep it in mind, but remove the reason. There is no reasoning with ferals." Many were on Ministry's watch list, but not many held such undivided attention as vampires. Great Merlin, if only they knew where to turn. "I will take my front and right."

Virgil heard himself talk. Every word was said without a second thought. Cold and calculated. Being free from the delusion of saving everyone was hard work that yielded undeniable benefits. It saved lives that still could be saved.

"And, Adelaide," he called out once again. "Don't hold back."

Telling a former Auror how to do her job seemed ridiculous enough. Seemingly giving permission to kill or maim what has been considered his kind was simply preposterous. Glaring at the ever-approaching units, he felt angry, if only deep within his core. Angry that they were putting them all in the same basket. Angry that this all escaped him until now. Angry that Adelaide didn't leave.

"But that is wonderful. Use it."

It was a dreaded thought he was quick to bury just before a growl sounded on the right. Unexpectedly, another charged from the shadow. It shoved the other feral in the process and clashed itself headfirst with a swiftly conjured shield from Virgil's wand, proceeding to hit and push against it, even after it was visibly injured by the strikes. Deep red, almost black blood sprayed in mid-air, triggering the rest.

The forest sounded with a cacophony of feral screams as the hunt commenced. It felt as if everything else fell instantly silent.

They were watching.

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

She contained the need to smirk when Hildegard admitted defeat, a flat annoyance in his tone as he instructed her like a teacher would instruct a student at odds. A tone she was used to hearing from her time as a student, and a tone she detested as a woman and a pureblood within a field that didn't often see her kind. Adelaide left it for what it was, knowing that her own pride was useless in the face of a real threat when she counted four vampires advancing on them.

S-ranked, Adelaide recognised, dreadfully noting that after tonight she was to write more than just a report about her findings. Headmaster Pyre would have to be instructed, the head of the aurors, but also the ministry itself. It was going to be a dreadful drudgery of paperwork.

It also required a self-imposed mandate to fight beyond the reasonably put on restrictions usually carried. No more seeking the least harmful and least invasive ways, no more caring about ensuring the least amount of damages was done. Her priority wasn't safety and proportionality, it was the take-down of these targets that advanced.

The instruction that she needn't hold back earned a near scoff from her, her mind whirring as she let her magic freely go through her fingers, her breathing evening before she turned herself around, preparing to take Hildegard's back and left.

The light of a shield attracted a reaction from the two vampires Adelaide was facing, a quick blast sent into the direction of one of them that took a leap at her before the auror sent a limp-binding spell after, deftly throwing out a slashing curse at the other vampire that had planned to follow after. Precise, well-aimed and ice-cold as she heard the grunt and smelled the blood. The mood thickened, the anger rose, and Adelaide knew that she had incited them into more violence to take aim at them, her hand rising to deflect yet another attack before her wand sent out an attack.

A public secret amongst aurors was the rigorous training they underwent, taught to fight even without a wand. Forced to become adept in using both their hands in case one was disabled, or worse. Prepared for every worst case scenario that a partner couldn't fill in. The thought behind that an auror should never move alone, but if caught on their own that they would make themselves count for two.

"Auror," one of them hissed, and the hate dripped from the very voice as more eyes turned to her. Adelaide knew she had given herself away, not only as a human but as an auror as well. Prey and most despised by their kind and type both at the same time. A delicacy and curse at the same time. Where Adelaide's instructions told her to take them all down, death or alive, their instincts wanted her just as much death. A common goal coming from a different source.

More shadows leaped out and with one long slash Adelaide followed up with another barrier as one vampire came eye to eye with her, long fangs snarling and hand pushing against the shield she had pulled up before repelling it.

The hate was clear, running deeply as Adelaide gulped, never quite used to the amount of hate she seemed to inspire. A faltering moment in which she sent out another limb-binding hex before stepping to the side to evade another body.

Text colour: #B4AAB6

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

A precise movement among the branches before he even heard them chuckle. A flash of depulso, and the creature flew back, hitting hard against the tree's trunk, its hissing expression of anger not halting. Almost as soon as it got knocked down, it sprung back up with an almost inhuman contortion, charging forward and meeting an invisible grasp from Virgil's wand that swung it sideways.

It flew helplessly through the air, tripping the second assailant just before it jumped. For a moment, he stopped. The initial collision of the bodies was swiftly enhanced by a couple of sharp-shot, meticulous depulso casts, throwing the tangled bodies further away. Yet, the pair rushed back in for more, bloodied and beaten.

It made no sense. With an expression of a person silently assembling the pieces in their mind, Virgil greeted them at a respectable distance before flicking a wand much like a fencer. Both bodies stopped in their track, seemingly confused by their fate, before spewing a stream of blood and finally colliding to the forest floor.

The smell of oxidized blood and mud was a vital source of inspiration to do better. Go further.

Go then...
Beautiful.

"Un-fucking-believable," the voice carried through the air from the treetops. It was a mixture of disbelief and frustration as all four vampires fell to the unexpected duo.

"Well, would you look at that? He wasn't joking," the familiar one added with a snark.

The content of the further conversation was lost on Virgil as another wave of ferals descended on them, more aggressive than the last one. Still, the arrangement of the attacks was too clean. Ferals, as a rule, wasted no time waiting for their turn nor the mental capacity to create pack tactics other than rushing in all at once. But a hint of a seemingly good atmosphere from the above gave a logical conclusion to round it all up.

They were watching, and they were learning.

And as the moments passed by in deflection of the attacks, the ferals directed themselves differently, finally concentrating primarily on what they deemed to be either juicer target. Soon enough, miss Rosier had her hands full.

Virgil let out a scoff that sounded as pretentious as it perhaps looked, deflecting the creature that Adelaide had just evaded, that turned his way, with only half an attempt to fight. A moment later, it was downed by a deep-cutting sectumsempra.

"Cease your offenses. They're toying with us," he spoke up calmly, reaching from behind her to point the wand into the lingering shield miss Rosier had conjured.

"But they will not risk losing an Auror before they have a go. Save your energy."

The tip of the elegant beech wand illuminated, and the shield extended to the sides until it formed a full circle, building upwards, into a dome. The ferals continued to launch themselves against it, hissing and clawing at the barrier. Pathetic remainings capable only of aggression were robbed of even deciding on that independently. And while they still insisted on somehow getting through the sturdy shield, creating a godawful amount of noise, Virgil remained focused on a different kind of movement.

"I suggest we give it a minute. They will get bored of this soon enough."

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

She could hear the amused cackle in the air, honing and high, as if meant to be heard by her. To let Adelaide know that they weren't done yet, that there was more coming. When Hildegard cast his barrier and told her to stop, Adelaide had come to the same conclusion. A drawn out tactic to exhaust them, to test their limits and see what they were made of, and Adelaide was made of a lot. A lot but also injured, still.

Hogwarts was meant to be her reintegration, a retreat from her usual field where she had suffered such injuries. A calmer environment meant for her to recuperate in. Yet, she had to draw onto her resources as an auror, already going beyond what her usual limits were.

Breathing in deeply, Adelaide thought of the last mission she had been on. The one that had her lose her partner and nearly herself. Creatures were involved back then as well. As if lost on instinct, as if controlled, as if rebelling against something. Something that Adelaide didn't know, or perhaps she couldn't see.

Lowering her hand and her wand Adelaide left the barrier to Hildegard, her eyes pointedly staring at the shades behind the trees.

Digging her heel into the soft soil the auror felt the familiar crackle of adrenaline coursing through her, like magic, invigorating her as she clenched her jaw. A plan formulating within mind as she grinded and grinded over all possibilities that could occur from now on.

Text colour: #B4AAB6

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD


Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

For a few moments, they didn't progress. They took valuable time to assess the situation. But vampires were hardly patient creatures. It was an acquired, faltering virtue: a self-taught pride of Virgil's, expressed in amounts exotic to his kind. No amount of screeching and moaning from the ferals was sufficient enough to provoke him, and if he was in any way unnerved by it, he was the only one that knew.

Unnerved, he was, but the assault of fragile creations wasn't the reason why, and neither was the booming voice announcing itself from the tree's shadow.

"Oh, BOO, you fucking losers. What is this?!"

A cackle joined in as a horrific harmony to the sudden rant.

"It's pathetic," the male voice continued over the commotion. "I didn't sign up for this shit!"

A pale, smug smirk passed across Virgil's face.

"Well, we did not sign up to entertain a band of brats, but here we are," he responded dryly without attempted eye contact.

Suddenly, a loud thud. A pair of heavy army-grade boots landed firmly against the dome, forcing it to deflect the weight with an energetic buzz.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

Another softer thud sounded on the opposite side. A second vampire descended glaring at Adelaide through the dome, cackling. The specimen facing Virgil was a large one. As bald as a coot and double the size of the second male. Narrowed pair of crimson eyes attempted to intimidate.

"A band of brats is what I've said," Virgil repeated himself. "And I can tell I wasn't far off."

The dome shook violently. A shriek of terror broke through, and the head of a feral collided with the shield. It disintegrated into a bloody mess pile under the brutes crushing blow. The rest of the ferals quickly slid out of his way. Such sudden aggression seemed to have sent the skinny, sickish-looking one into another episode of uncontained, maniacal chuckles. With his eyes still firmly focused on Adelaide's every move, he grinned, flashing his fangs. He knocked once and waved at her.

"Ey, gorgeous," he cat-called, seasoning it with an inappropriate whistle. "Come out to play, darlin'."

Knock. Knock.

"Get out here, and say that to my face," the brute growled at the end of the finger firmly pointed against the barrier.

"This is a preferred arrangement. If you don't mind," Virgil proceeded coldly.

"A coward then," the vampire spat out with visible disappointment.

"Lay off, asshole," the female voice instructed from high up on the tree, evidently uninterested in genuinely making any difference in her companion's behavior.

"Mind your business, Calida," he fired back almost immediately, bringing his attention back to Virgil. "Get. The fuck. Out. Now!" Another brutal strike shook the shield.

"Fine by me," the female agreed indifferently. "You're not my bloody problem."

"Oh, don't be like that, pretty lady," the second male proceeded to cast his non-existent charm towards miss Rosier. "I'll make it worth your while. I promise."

Knock. Knock. And then a sudden stop. The fixated glare remained as the painfully wide grin vanished gradually.

"But if you're playing hard to get, miss Auror lady. Then I will just come to you, and we can talk about this."

The crazed eyes filled with black. The vampire's form vanished into a shadowy mist that slid down the side of the barrier, seeping through the base.

"Surely, I can change your mind."

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

The familiar sarcasm of Hildegard directed at the aggressors was a breath of fresh air after his earlier tension. A welcome return, Adelaide found, having rather missed the somewhat taunting professor that used to make it a hobby to aggravate students in the same manner.

The catcalling, however, earned shivers down her spine, a wave of disgust and bile rising up as involuntarily the face of a certain Hufflepuff came to mind.

A bad thought rose to mind as Adelaide twirled the wand in her hand, fingers itching as she watched the form disperse into a mist, trying to find a crack in the shield, or a way to slip by.

"I doubt it, I'm known to be rather… stubborn," Adelaide spoke, failing to hide an amused little smile as she eyed Hildegard next to her. "My partner knows that best," she continued without pulling away her attention before she lifted her wand and made a wave into the direction of the dispersing vampire.

Though the mass had changed, its components remained the same. If anything that was something Potions had taught her, and Adelaide's smile lifted a little higher when she heard the male grunt, a gasp escaping him as she froze the water molecules of the dark mist, the very same that made up the body. Forcing the form to be solid once more, forcing the mist to become heavier and enlarging itself as it fell into the soil.

Cold, hard soil now, for that existed out of water as well. Like all around them. Just as Adelaide understood that every pore of her being could emit magic, if she could control it. From the tips of her fingers to the heel of her feet. She just had to learn how to channel it.

"I'm interested to hear you out, however. What was that circle?"

Adelaide had found that, when one pretended to be ignorant and silly, some had the ego to explain, the arrogance to reveal a lot more than they intended. Even if they didn't mean to talk. Even if they weren't planning on revealing everything. It was the enthusiasm, the arrogance, a belief of having the upperhand because of the lack of knowledge from the other side and a perceived weakness, that moved them to expose.

She didn't believe this group to be much smarter. Though, she was prepared to be snarled at instead, cursed and to leap into immediate action to fight with worse hexes and curses than they had exchanged so far. There were quite a few of them, after all, and at some point more heads had to mean more brain.

Text colour: #B4AAB6

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

Miss Rosier's words of her own stubbornness rang painfully true, earning her a quick side-eye. "When you put it that way, it sounds like a shameful understatement," Virgil responded with light amusement. "It doesn't quite paint the thrill you get from defiance. In any other case where I happen to not be on the receiving end of it, I would be inclined to praise it."

He was far from forgetting that she really needn't be there, but also far from being utterly ungrateful that she was. She carried her weight as a good Auror would be expected to. It did not escape him that she was doing just fine on her own and that he had done what he could when it was his job to do so. But he was stuck in place, unable to run from the sentiment.

"I can do this a whole damn night, old man," the brute growled at him, continuing to pressure the shield.

"I am sure of it. But it does not work for me, I'm afraid," Virgil responded. "I have other arrangements, and you are wasting our time. Leave, Hunter."

"What the..." The vampire's face froze briefly, processing the sudden realization that melted into a mask of rage at the mention of his name. "Shut up!"

"This facility is one of the reasons we were able to provide for you and you are vandalizing its grounds. Or did you forget the struggle?"

He couldn't have. Breaking into the man's overrun mind already began to give him a headache, but Virgil used what he came in there to find as soon as it caught his attention. The man's reaction was a hint enough that the information mattered. It was only partially a bluff. True-blooded vampires, he wasn't as easy to give up on. There were always those that just needed a nudge. As naive as it perhaps was.

"I don't give a shit about the damn school," he hissed back.

Ah, yes. I could tell...

"But I sure as hell will not miss on the opportunity to teach you a lesson for all of us, traitor," the vampire proceeded passionately. "So get out here with your little girlfriend so we can get this over with, you pathetic scum!"

"Hunter, shut up," the woman sounded from the trees, seemingly feeling the sudden urge to get at least some action from the standstill.

Slightly perplexed by specificity in his words, Virgil still followed through without interrupting, waiting for the point of breaking where an attack could finally be executed.

"I... am not sure what you may be talking about."

"Yeah. Sure as shit," Hunter cut it off with a loud scoff, leaning forward, almost all the way into the shield.

"So which part of your family did this human-loving perversion come from, huh? Mother's, I bet. You do have an eye for a nice piece of meat."

"Enough!"

A burst of brief laughter later, and the large vampire leaped out of the way, just as the small glowing green vial was launched downwards, digging itself deep into the barrier.

A thought to raise the force on the spell rushed through Virgil's mind moments before the volatile mixture ignited and exploded against the shield, and he did so. The potion shattered the top of the dome, cracking the length of the barrier. A guttural groan escaped Virgil as he gritted his teeth, holding the spell against the initial explosion.

How would a group of outcasts gain access to something as destructive? A potion. A fortunate steal? He felt that he would have been inclined to believe so if the entire scenario wasn't as worryingly absurd. It couldn't have been a coincidence he desperately wanted it to be.

"We're done here," he spoke up while the protection around them inevitably crumbled. Just as quickly as they've created them, they ran out of options other but to fight. And the third was yet to show her face. The ground in the vicinity shook along with the barrier, sieving the frozen bits through the ground loosen by force. Once again, a cackle sounded through the air.

"That is quite alright, darlin'. The stubborn ones are doing it for me," the voice mocked as the mist emerged back out of the ground, reforming behind Adelaide.

"Let's talk."

"Stop messing around," Calida ordered once more, and almost instantly, the emaciated-looking vampire bounced forward, fangs first.

"Hey!" was a commanding shout that escaped Virgil as he abandoned the failing barrier and pointed the wand towards the man to distract him for a moment, yet long enough for Adelaide to react.

At least, it had to be enough. A brief moment was all he got.

As soon as his focus dropped, a hand wrapped around his neck with suffocating pressure. Even for the standard of their species, the young vampire's strength could have been defined as a genuine brute force.

"We're not done here," Hunter growled, landing a heavy blow against Hildegard's torso before throwing him further away.

"Now, let's see you."

As if reignited by the sudden chaos, the ferals screeched delightfully in the background.

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

'Is he scolding me?' Adelaide let out an amused scoff, eyes still trained on this much respected professor that seemed to be almost grumbling at the fact that she was here.

Yet, they both knew that Hildegard needed the help, seeing the vampires surrounding them, still taunting them. Like a cat would play with a mouse, and the thought of being the mouse was a thought much detested.

The exchange went further, a name being revealed as Adelaide progressed the nature of their bickering. Bickering, yet more of a taunt, yet more sinister. Bickering in the same even tone in which Hildegard used to disregard students with, but also with more of an edge in it. And then the mention of the facility, the mention of their familiarity with each other.

Adelaide didn't like the spins her brain was making accompanied with the information that had been fed to her at the ministry. She didn't like the suggestion it took and the slick voice within her whispering warned you in that familiar creeping manner of that culture of which she tried so hard to escape.

The moment Hunter mentioned Hogwarts, not by name, but by his apparent apathy, it earned a click of the tongue from Adelaide, but was only audible when the suggestion of girlfriend came to pass, the conversation speeding up as she flexed her fingers.

The flash of green took the lid off the tension instead, her hand instinctively reaching for Hildegard as she heard him groan before the warning was given. She had to be alert, she had to trust, there was no time and with one crack the fight broke out as the barrier disappeared.

"No," was Adelaide's answer, and for the first time tonight she seemed to be following up on what Hildegard said, a blast pointed at the chest of the still-forming vampire as she sent him off into the air, gaining herself a few seconds from the distraction of Hildegard before she was met with the grinning eyes of Calida, barely escaping those sharp fangs that had lashed out instantly.

Using the impact of the force that came at her, Adelaide moved it past her with a spin, sending two spells into the direction of Calida's feet to throw the female vampire off balance and to turn the soil underneath Calida into quicksand to trap her.

"Hildegard!" Adelaide called, her legs already moving into the direction into which she had seen the professor being thrown to before her path got blocked once more.

"That wasn't nice, darlin'," the man grinned, sharp fangs hanging over lips as if to intimidate the auror into lashing out.

The flock of birds that followed after the vampire like a cloud had sharp beaks and sharper wings. A mix between the vicious sectumsempra and the avis spell, inspired by the uncontrollable Fiendfyre. Adelaide had no mind to pay any attention to that creation of hers as she pointed ahead of her once more; "Accio, Hunter!" she intonated for the first time that night, intending on pulling the target towards her and away from Hildegard.

Text colour: #B4AAB6

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Forbidden forest (Late night hours)
Interaction: Adelaide Rosier - @Nemopedia

Over-the-top laughter echoed. "Babe isn't joking, is she?" the female teased Adelaide as her legs sunk. "Too bad I fucking despise dirt. Would have found it hilarious otherwise," Calida rolled her eyes, melting into a simple shadow. She slipped through and out of the quicksand without as much as disturbing a single grain.

"Oh, I like her," the male responded, running tongue across his teeth as he followed the Auror with a pair of sunken crimson eyes. "Playing hard to get."

"Not for long," Calida growled, leaping forward.

"Ah no, no, you naughty thing," the male chastised her in a sing-song tone, blocking her path. "That's my catch."

"Go fuck yourself, Ambroz," Calida all but screamed as she pushed him frustratingly out of her way. It was clearly amusement to the man as he let out a delighted cackle.

"Doesn't feel good being blue-balled, does it, Cali?" he teased, snapping his jaw right in front of her nose.

"Fucking whatever! Stop playing with it," she snarled at him, resuming her chase that Ambroz was eager to follow with ringing laughter. Loud swear escaped Calida when a cloud of conjured living blades crossed her path, giving her a fair warning with a few deep slashes across her forearms. She screamed not of pain but rage.

Ambroz was quick to catch up, but instead of stopping before the spell, he walked right into it with a cocky smirk on his face. "Oh, you mean you can't do this?" he asked with a scoff, already knowing the answer. Briefly, he stopped in the middle of the cloud, turning back on his heels. A flock of angry beaks and blades covered him completely, but every attack sliced right through the body like through an air-suspended liquid. Enjoying his triumph, he took his time to greet Calida with a bird of his own before proceeding forward. By the time he reached the end of the barrier, a fast-moving shadow had already caught up. A small strand of it flipped him off in return, advancing forward.

The contact of his back against the tree forced out a significant portion of the air from Virgil's lungs, sending him to the ground with a grunt. He landed on his feet swiftly, springing sideways just in time to avoid Hunter's skull-crushing hit that left a significant indent in the tree that found itself in its path.

"We don't want to fight, but we will defend ourselves," Virgil repeated their good intentions in a calm but stern tone.

"But we wanna fight," Hunter laughed out, leaping forward. "And we fight to win." Hildegard met the assault readily, swiftly dodging out of the way before throwing the vampire out of balance, casting a well-controlled bombarda out of the palm of his hand. The initial hit knocked his wand away, and the first thing was retrieving it.

You know you don't need it.

The voice sounded again in his mind, distracting his visualization of the wand just enough for the bulky vampire to strike again, preventing the accio.

How fucking rude... All the while, you're needed elsewhere.

He was blocking the view; it dawned on him as he dodged another. A giant distraction enough to keep them apart until...

Excited voices from the background sent cold chills down his spine.

Add another to the list.

It hinted again mockingly. Something has clicked into place. The sudden feeling of abnormal rage ignited in his chest. His patience has been erased.

"Tired already, you pathetic geezer? You are not gonna protect shit!" Hunter provoked as he charged again.

Pathetic...

"Get the fuck out of my way," Virgil muttered under his breath.

A sentence so off the course for Virgilius Hildegard that a brief moment of confusion crossed Hunter's face before he grinned triumphally. This time around, Virgil retaliated - to brute's great pleasure - with a charge of his own. In the expectance of collision, Hunter's fist tightened with the excitement of finally getting some juice out of Virgilius Hildegard. The big bad wolf. Stories were for children. He needed to see it first-hand, but he had never expected an Auror murderer to be in the company of one, nor to be so boringly passive. That already put quite a damp on the fandom.

"What the..." Hunter grumbled when his body was forced to stop and retrieve. "Hey!" he protested as he was being summoned backward.

"Adelaide, no!" he heard Virgil bark out before he set his eye on the Auror that was closing in.

"You're really pissing me off, girl," he growled, now focusing his momentum to initiate a direct strike. Calida laughed out, forming behind Adelaide.

"I said. She is mine," Ambroz hissed, striking forward.

"ENOUGH!"

In an instant from assessing the fatality of the situation, crimson hue replaced the calming chartreuse. Virgil came to a halt with his arm extended forward under a visible strain. The spilled black feral blood moved and gathered at Adelaide's feet, exploding into numerous whips around her close proximity. Hunter received a full blow from one of them, where Calida and Ambroz managed to fall back to safety, if only briefly. A single movement from Calida towards Adelaide sent a strike back her way. Her scream was this time not of delight. The dark-blooded spike protruded to the back of her shoulder before she was swung backward.

Avoiding the strike, Ambroz stood at the distance, observing the agony of his two comrades and the gnarly assembly of rotting blood that flailed wildly around the Auror.

"What the fuck..." his thought trailed off once he laid his eyes on Virgil. He seemed to think about it for the moment before he cracked a smug smirk his way.

"Impressive. Thought it must cost you an arm and a leg to just maintain, yes?" Ambroz mused playfully, tilting his head sideways.

"I will ask you again nicely," Virgil responded in a flat tone, much more like his usual one. "Leave the premises."

"Or what, Hildegard, huh? What are you gonna do? Kill us?"

"If need be," came out without a restrain. Terrifyingly honest.

The vampire bit the inside of his cheek, staring at the professor in silence, searching for a bluff.

"Hm," he scoffed and grinned knowingly. "You know what, professor? Nah. Nah, I don't think we will."

A group of ferals gathered behind Virgil rushed forward at once, closing in for a kill.

 

[DayDreamer]

The night had started easily enough for Skylar. The professor had to take advantage of the full moon to take notes on the Mooncalf herd in the Forbidden Forest. Monitoring wildlife populations was essential to maintaining the species and detecting imbalances in the ecosystem. In a sense, Skylar felt lucky to have been born to a muggle wildlife scientist. It had revolutionized her work as a Magizoologist. The night was peaceful and Skylar enjoyed a deep breath of fresh air as she filled her belt satchel with mooncalf treats. Diablo, her raven familiar was flying overhead, going from tree to tree as Skylar passed the forest amphitheater serving as her practicals classroom and headed deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

Finding the Mooncalves wasn't difficult. She knew where their borrows were, yet when she arrived, there was not a single one out in the open. Confused bicolored eyes looked up in the sky to check if indeed the moon was full. She wouldn't put it past her to have confused the nights. A pale, bright orb of silver greeted her above the tree tops, sending a chill down her spine. No one could describe the light of the moon as warm, but tonight it felt.... dead. Sinister. Her head swirled around and she stayed completely still. She could hear the faintest of mrows and woops from the borrow entrances. The mooncalves were there. By now they were used to her presence, but they still refused to come out.

The thundering of distant hooves drew her attention. It seemed like the Centaur herd was on the move. Still Skylar stayed put, barely moving as she pulled her wand from its holster. Something felt wrong. The Forest was holding its breath. As the hoof sound faded, there was complete silence. Silence that only occured when a large predator was on the move. A predator unlike the forest has ever seen before. She had to investigate and she expected it to be risky. So she pointed her wand at her glasses and transfigured them into contact lenses. She couldn't afford to lose them in the case a fight or flight response was needed from her.

With her senses in high alert, she made her way towards the places she knew the Herd was most likely to have sought refuge at. It was a mere 20 minutes walk from where she was currently and Diablo seemed willing to help her out in pinpointing the exact location of the Herd from above. True enough, in a secluded grove at least a dozen Centaurs were gathered. The Sentries drew their bows as Skylar made her presence known. "Maximus it is Skylar. I come in peace." She said to one of the sentries. The bay Centaur stomped on the ground uncomfortably as he lowered his bow, somewhat in relief. "The Forest is not safe for you tonight young guardian. A most vile of predators has invaded our grounds." Maximus said with disgust. "I could tell something was wrong but what is going on exactly. I can help!" Skylar peeked behind the sentries and the sight which greeted her was not a pleasant one. The Centaurs were rattled, distraught and several of them were seriously injured. "We do not know exactly what is happening ourselves. But there is..."

"Maximus where is Arelan?" Skylar interrupted with a sense of dread as she scanned the faces yet seemed unable to find that of her good friend. Maximus bowed his head and the other sentry sifted uneasily. "He was taken. This is why you should leave." Maximus finally responded, but Skylar's gaze had steeled. "Maximus, we should take her to see it. Perhaps she knows what the vile things are trying to do." The sentry suggested and Maximus seemed ready to argue against it until the leader of the herd limped over to check the commotion. "I agree. If young guardian knows what they are trying to do, perhaps Arelan's loss won't be in vain."

With each passing moment, of the conversation, Skylar's heart sunk deeper and deeper into dread. There was no arguing with the leader and so Maximus took her further in the Forest. Sometimes, Skylar wondered if there ever was an end to it. Or did it just get deeper and darker indefinitely. But this was not one of those times. This time, she dreaded what she would find that had the centaurs reeling like so. And the closer they got to whatever that place was, the more she felt her instincts kick in. The smell of blood in the air left a metallic taste in her mouth and she was leaning towards an immediate flight response. "This is as far as I dare go. Take care young guardian." Maximus wished her as he trotted off back to the grove.

For a few moments, Skylar stayed still and flinched when Diablo landed on her shoulder, cawing something meant to encourage her to inspect further. With a deep breath, Skylar stepped into the clearing and felt like throwing up. She had seen a fair amount of violence from studying predatory magical and non magical creatures alike, but this was on a whole new level, more sinister and pointless. The bloodied circle on the ground reminded her of the voodoo she had witnessed in New Orleans several years prior. What was such magic doing here? But first things first. She pressed the wand on her lips and blew hard in a circle, the golden dust of Appare Vestigium glistened in the moonlight. Revealing several sets of footprints, Skylar went into tracker mode, recreating the story they told. Hunting, a centaur hurt and dragged away, someone following after. The blood began to boil in Skylar's veins. Her lines had been crossed.

The sound of feral screams made her perk up. Somewhere in the distance a hunt was taking place. Vampires willing enough to break the rules and keep Ferals around. No wonder the centaurs were disgusted. Now, normally Skylar would have felt bad, but would understand the need to feed, to not completely wipe out ones own nature, but this was a step beyond that. This was using one's nature to justify their sadistic needs. So she followed the golden trail, wand ready and footsteps as silent as a muffling charm could make them.

The nature of the scene she came into made her hault short of entering the clearing. Virgil and Adelaide where there and so were three Vampires watching as their Ferals went in for the kill. "Protego Diabolica!" Came Skylar's cold voice as she circled her wand thrice. Rings of Black fire encircled Virgil, Adelaide and enclosed the three Vampires in a larger outer circle, cutting them off from the rest of the forest. The Ferals that were unable to stop their assault in time were incinerated by the flames, releasing the most unholy of screams. "You three do not belong here." Skylar said cooly as she entered the outer ring of fire herself, bicolored gaze as hard as steel and unafraid of basically entering the wolf's den with three very hangry wolves in it. "Go back to your home or we will have to explain the deaths to both the Council and the Ministry." She advised as she walked towards Hildegard and Adelaide.