(Corridors) An Unconventional Detention

[Nymphadora Tonks]

Tonks twirled her wand between her fingers absentmindedly as she paced in a neat little circle in the centre of the Entrance Hall, roaring torchlight throwing her shadow up the walls and over the gem-filled House hourglasses. The stones glittered teasingly, and several times Tonks had stolen a few closer looks, apprehensive about the fine line between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor points... it would have been logical to assume that Tonks - being an ex-Hufflepuff - would want the amber stones to remain brimming... yet she wasn't quite so sure.

Why, if Professor Hubbles's head swelled anymore, there was a strong possibility he'd never get through a doorway unscathed ever again. Perhaps a defeat would be much more beneficial for him than a ridiculously over sized House Cup taking up space in his office. Professor Vickers's tower was much more roomy after all.

The clock struck eleven, and Tonks smiled wryly, awaiting Jac Biggerstall. Tonks had changed her own appearance this special evening to have a blonde and purple mohican - hopefully she would impress the other Metamorphmagus with an attitude that she was probably more accustomed to, but the Auror hadn't ruled out that Jac might just match her...

[Jac Shaw]

Jac had been ready to go down to the Entrance Hall for her detention for the past four hours. She was both excited and apprihansive about being able to learn from a well trained, well respeced Auror who happened to be a metamorphmagus like herself as well as disappointed and annoyed with herself for getting detention in the first place. Jac had always walked around the castle at night and the one time she panics when she sees Peeves she literally runs into the authorities.

After much fidgeting, Jac saw that it was quarter to eleven. She said good night to her friends who were still in the common room with her and left for the Entrance Hall. She made sure she had a warm coat on and her wand, two things she rarely went out at night without. She used many of the sort cuts she knew and checked herself as she went. Her autumn-colours streaked hair was longer then usual and she liked it longer these days. She was descending the marble staircase just as the clock struck.

Making sure she didn't fall, Jac looked at the Entrance Hall. She didn't usually come down her this late at night. She saw someone with a blond and purple mohican and smiled. "Nice," she called. Jac jumped the last three steps and ducked into a roll, jumping to her feet again near the Auror. "Evening, Ma'am," Jac said as she closed the gap between them. "So what are we going to be doing tonight?" Jac could hardly conceal her excitement try as she might. She was grinning inanely.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

Tonks smiled brightly as Jac came zooming out of the darkness, full of zest and undeterred by the sleepy hour. Over the day Tonks had been thinking about her own run-ins with teachers, and the dreadfully dull detentions they had earned her as consequence. This thought had been stewing in Tonks for hours and had slowly fermented into guilt. She'd lost count of the amount of times she'd been caught as a student, and she realised she'd become her worst nightmare by giving Jac a detention - a bossy old teacher.

Well, she was going to turn her lack of judgment around tonight.

'Wotcher,' she grinned, clapping Jac on the shoulder and running a had through her hair. She noticed, she thought gleefully.

'Well, I've decided this detention is going to be little more fun than what is usually implied. It's not exactly orthodox for Aurors to give them out - let alone actually do anything - but to be truthful I wouldn't want to squash your creativity, Ms Biggerstall.' She said, beckoning for the Gryffindor to follow her out into the grounds. Their shadows stretched along the grass as they made their way down the lawn toward the lake and the trees. Ravenclaw tower stood out against the moon, and even at such a late hour Tonks could see lights blinking out across the castle walls.

'Anyway, last couple o' nights me and the lads have had a bit of trouble patrolling. We've got two bogarts breeding and every time we think we've exterminated them, they come back. Unlucky for me my worst fear is a bit - er - deadly, to be frank, and I'm the only person out tonight.'

As they reached the trees, Tonks pulled Jac to a halt. 'Course, it wouldn't be very nice of me to just make you help me...' Tonks raised her eyebrows, waiting for Jac to decline.

[Jac Shaw]

Detention was never a good thing in Jac's book and she had always dreaded them before but this was different. Jac had never met anyone else who could do the things she could do and the opportunity of spending even a few hours with her seemed like a treat rather then a punishment. Naturally, Jac kept this thought to herself, not wanting her to make it horrible just so she wouldn't enjoy it.

"A little more fun?" Jac chanted excitedly, as she followed the Auror out of the entrance hall. She could hardly believe her luck: of all the people in the castle that night she ran into another Metamorphmegus and gotten detention from her. She was beginning to think this detention thing might not be so bad after all. She followed like a good little girl, soaking up her every word. "Bogarts, ya say," she said thoughtfully, scratching her knee with three fingers.

Jac was taken aback by the suddenness of this statement. She did a double-take, frowned and then laughed. "It wouldn't be very nice to just send me back to bed after everything you've just told me, would it?" She shook her head from side to side, her long hair fanning out as she did so. "So," she said after a moment, "into the forest then?" She looked at the Auror and grinned.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

'Nice one,' Grinned Tonks as Jac obliged. Stepping inside the tree line Tonks checked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching them from the light of the entrance hall, but only a late coming post owl's silhouette swooped by, skimming the windows in search of it's destination.

Tonks hadn't exactly cleared this little plight with any other authority aside from the Potions Master the other evening, and as she lit her wand, light pulsing silently across the eerie forest floor, Tonks knew no one would know they were here if something went wrong.

Which just made it all the more fun, really. The exact reason she had became an Auror.

'So, Jac,' Tonks began casually, the sound of the lake being left behind. 'I noticed the other night... you can't really control your abilities, can you?' Tonks looked at her carefully, hoping she hadn't offended.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac grinned at Tonks as she lead her into the Forest. She rarely went into the Forest for she thought it was creepy and spooky. She didn't like creepy or spooky much and especially when the two were slapped together as jaggedly and brutally as The Forbidden Forest seemed to be. Nevertheless she was with a ministry officer so felt a little safer and she walked into the Forest steadily.

The air inside the forest hit her lungs like a brick wall, thick with moister and the taste of decay. She looked around warily, uncertain of what was to come. She took a few deep breaths, calming herself and faced the Auror. She had noticed, Jac noted with a groan and a smirk, and Jac couldn't hide it. She shrugged and looked nonchalantly ahead of her. "When I get angry and when ..." she paused for a moment, thinking of when she lost control. "Basically when I loose control of my emotions."

It seemed a childish thing to admit to a clearly well trained Auror. She sent her a beaming smile and stood a little taller. "Usually I've got things covered," she said after a moment's silent walking. She wasn't sure where they were going and she didn't really care, the journey was half the fun. But curious as to how deep into the Forest they were going and how long they would be. She knew her friends would be waiting up for her and she didn't want to keep them up too long.

"How far is the nest?" she asked, looking around and sizing up the ominous trees. "You said when you come into contact with the boggart it turns into something deadly. What did you mean?" She couldn't think of anything way deadly that it would warrant a mention. "And what do you want me to do with the boggarts?"

[Nymphadora Tonks]

Tonks nodded knowingly as Jac described her downfall. She too had used that same bitter tone in her own youth when describing the exact same trouble as Jac. Although she understood the frustration of it perfectly, Tonks was, in a sense, glad to know that Jac had still not mastered her talent. It meant Tonks hadn’t been alone in her struggle.

It felt good to now to reassure. ‘You know, Jac, I’ve actually never met another Metamorphmagus who could ever control it fully. It always gave me a right load of trouble when I tried to lie, because I’d go all pink – quite literally – and my nose would grow.’ This last part was a joke, but she kept a straight face. ‘And it isn’t very helpful when you’re responsible for half the blocked toilets Hogwarts has ever had!’ She grinned a little, feeling rather proud of it now. ‘But you know what? I don’t think I ever would have got into this job if it hadn’t been for being very bad at getting out of trouble. Not being able to lie got into my head that doing the wrong thing wasn’t worth it in the end, because you never got away with it. Course, it was only ever like that for me because my guilt was written all over my face!’ She laughed, recalling a particularly horrible time when she had remained a startling magenta for nearly four days.

Tonks looked fondly at the Gryffindor now. ‘I didn’t learn to control it properly until I was twenty, Jac. I don’t reckon you’ll have to worry for long.’ She patted Jac on the back.

The two of them came to stop about three hundred feet inside the gloomy trees, the air dead and chilly even though it was nearly midsummer. ‘There are five hollow trees I’ve marked so far where I know there is one, but there could possibly be more. I wouldn’t have asked you tonight if I didn’t think you were capable of tackling one or two boggarts.' She’d also partially wanted to get to know Jac as a fellow Metamorphmagus too. 'You’re a Gryffindor after all; you’re not afraid of anything!’ Tonks laughed, although a roll of her eyes told Jac she was being sardonic, the Hufflepuff stereotype having also haunted her horribly.

The Auror’s eyes misted over slightly as Jac pressed upon her fears. She realised that by the adjective "deadly", Jac now had some giant, venomous beast running around in her mind’s eye. In Tonks’s eyes it was a little worse than that, and she now regretted having mentioned, for Jac would probably think her fear trivial. She laughed dismissively. ‘We all exaggerate our own fears, Jac, and mine is actually quite manageable, honestly. I hadn’t meant to make you worry… if you were.’ She added ungainly. ‘I just don’t think I could deal with it five times in one night though!’ She laughed.

‘Anyway, what about you? I expect you’ve done boggarts in your third year – d’you remember the incantation? "Riddikulus"? And to think happy thoughts?’ She watched Jac nod. ‘Good. Right then, Peter Pan – you take the high road and I’ll take the low road.’ She chimed in a mock Scottish accent, grinning wryly with cynicism.

[Jac Shaw]

Tonks confirmed her greatest fear, so to speak, that she would never be able to control her ability. Jac's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach and a sinking feeling washed over her. It didn't seem fair that you were given a gift like this, for, indeed, it was a gift, and not be able to utilise it properly but controlling it and not letting it control you. It just didn't seem right. But then Jac wondered, how many Metamorphmaguses does Tonks know? It was a rare gift, this she knew, and Tonks spoke as though she knew a minimum of twelve dozen.

Jac frowned as Tonks explained how she was the reason for some of the blocked toilets at the School and how she could get out of trouble. The weekend before Jac would have been equally confident of her ability to get out of trouble but now that she had been caught by Vance and given detention, Jac was unsure of herself in that area.

"Twenty?" Jac echoed, clearly exasperated. It seemed very far away but with her looming graduation her past seven years at Hogwarts seemed to have flown by, so what made three years so bad. She closed her mouth and swallowed hard as Tonks patted her on the back.

Tonks stopped. Jac imitated and stopped just next to her. Five trees ... marked ... possibly more. Jac was making mental notes on how the situation looked. Jac was looking around the area they had stopped in but shot Tonks a sharp look of indigence. I can take on more then just two! she thought furiously. "No, we're never afraid," Jac said, looking away and putting a smile on her face to keep herself from getting angry at anyone or anything, "I'm just curious, is all." Tonks laughed but Jac merely frowned, she was very lost about what to actually do.

Once again it seemed to Jac that Tonks had confused her curiosity with fear. Jac wasn't afraid. She could do anything she put her mind to. Tonks gave it to mere exaggeration but Jac still wanted to know that it was. She said nothing more on the matter, however, she pondered it constantly. "Not worried either," Jac said, now smiling at Tonks, "but interested." She pulled out her wand as she looked around where they had stopped again. "I do remember," Jac said a little more quietly, solemnly then she had intended, "but it didn't make any sense." She nodded. She lowered her wand and recited, "Riddikulus." It was powerfully said, with authority and force.

Jac turned to face Tonks, a great big frown on her face. "Who's that?" she asked. She didn't know who Peter Pan or which roads she was talking about. "And the Forest doesn't have any roads.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

Tonks gave a weary look at Jac admitted to be slightly unsure about the task ahead, although she made sure the young Gryffindor didn’t see. Tonks hadn’t exactly been the perfect student – it had taken her a ridiculously long time to master anything aside from disguise and concealment. How she was even an Auror now was beyond her. She’s always had the feeling that, if it weren’t for her Metamorphmagus abilities, they wouldn't have given her a second glance... but she still couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed by Jac's lack of skill. She had had the air of being so capable.

‘Oh, not muggle-friendly? Doesn’t matter,’ Tonks replied, wondering how even the wizarding world hadn’t heard of Peter Pan. The boy was a legend! Tonks remembered all the stories her mother and father had read her when she was little, and she distinctly remembered always finding the magical ones from her mother to be rather boring. Of course, it must have been quite hard to come up with exciting stories when magic was a way of life, and not part of the fantasy world. Jac had missed out is all Tonks thought. ‘Well, I suppose I’ll have to show you…’ She was beginning to regret having bought Jac out. Now the girl would have to see her fear.

Not saying anything Tonks led the way through the trees toward a large, hollow oak. A great white cross was marked upon it, and as they approached there was the sound of leaves rustling, something knocking on the inside of the dead trunk. The boggart had obviously been expecting her. Pointing her wand at the trunk, Tonks cast Jac a complex look before shooting a spell, the creature inside immediately emerging in a heap from its hiding place, already fully form.

On hands and knees in the dirt and wet leaves was a woman, her pale skin a dreary grey in the moonlight. With spindly sharp fingers, sunken black eyes encaved in darkened flesh and thick, tangled hair that framed her cruel face, it looked as though a gaunt banshee kneeled before them, her expression crazed and angry. The creature rose, a terrible smile on its face as it advanced, pointing at Tonks greedily. ‘This, Jac,’ Tonks suddenly said, her face a mask of contempt for the being in front of her. It was more than just fearlessness in her eyes – she was actually hateful. ‘Is how you banish a boggart. Riddikulus!’

The was a loud crack, and the boggart woman let out a terrible scream before vanishing, a light dust settling to the ground. Tonks looked slowly at Jac, unsmiling. ‘It usually takes a few more tries, so don’t be frightened if it doesn’t disappear right away. The trick is, when you look at it, to imagine it as something completely stupid and not at all scary.’ She narrowed her eyes and looked at the tree with a cruel sneer. ‘As you saw, my dear aunt was quite comical already. Very pathetic indeed.’

[Jac Shaw]

Jac could tell that she had been silly to admit she had little control over her metamorphmagus abilities. She had always found it to be a weakness and more and more had she begun working at it, practicing. It wasn't enough though, she had the theory down to a fine art but being able to do what needed to be done in a heated moment wasn't something she could practise with Elijah, Sophie and Ian laughing at her funny faces. Jac cast her eyes down, swearing to herself that she would practice harder, and walked on with the Auror in silence.

Not muggle friendly? Jac looked at Tonks now, her blue eyes sad and almost hurt at the statement. Jac was at a disadvantage being born to an all-wizarding family, sure, but that didn't make her non-muggle friendly. Her looked turned to one of defiance and anger but she had sure her appearance didn't change, didn't show how she was feeling. It wasn't her fault! Jac looked forward, avoiding glancing at Tonks. Grace, being muggle-born, told Jac many things about muggles and Jac was learning but it took time. It wasn't her fault!

Too busy pondering the injustices of life, Jac almost missed Tonks' last comment. "Show me?" Jac asked, frowning up at Tonks as she stopped walking, "show me what?" Jac thought for a moment that she was going to be shown who Peter Pan was but it soon became apparent that that was not the case.

Jac watched Tonks closely, still frowning, as she approached an oak, dead looking with a hollow. Something moved inside and Tonks shot a spell at it. A crazy pale woman fell out and Jac might have on a different day, laughed at her. Then Jac understood what she was being shown. Tonks must have thought she couldn't do the spell. Well, I've got news for you! Jac thought defiantly. She was the first to be able to banish the boggart in her third year and she was very proud of that fact.

There was a loud crack and Jac was shaken to her surroundings. She had to concentrate and there she was getting angry over something as petty as what Tonks thought. Jac had never much cared what people had thought of her, why should this witch be any different. Feeling more confident now, Jac managed at smiled at the Auror when she said that the crazy lady had been her aunt. "Lovely family you've got there," Jac said with a half hearted chuckle. It was Jac's turn to step up to the plate and she looked around for another marked tree.

She saw one a way from the first and strode towards it. Her long slender wand was gripped firmly in her hand. She stopped two feet away when she heard something inside. A fowl smell of decay hit Jac's nose first. She lifted her hand to her mouth and took as step back. It was the most awful smell she had ever smelt, except that one time. Next came a large slithering mound of what looked like green fungus. It oozed out of the hollow of the tree and flopped onto the floor. It began to slink towards Jac. Her first reaction was to jump back, gasp for fresh air but she recovered quickly. "Riddikulus!" She pointed her wand at the bundimun and instantly large bright orange mushrooms began popping up on it's back as though through grass.

Jac laughed and the bundimun-boggart shrivelled into a small ball of green fungus before exploding in a small shower of red and green dust. Jac watched, amused, as the dust settled onto the dark damp ground and disappeared. "Wonderful," Jac said, "where's another?" She looked up at Tonks, smiling for she was happy that she had gotten it right the first time. She knew she could do it but what Tonks had said had made her doubt herself. It was then that Jac made a decision not to take other seriously as she did not take herself.