Vengeance; hp universe

chapter the fifth: hello, creature of the night

The Potter Manor has a rather large garden. I knew that the grounds were large from my original apparation in, but just how large was unknown to me until this very moment. I spun around in a brief circle, stumbling on the broken stone and uneven ground of the overgrown garden. 

With a lack of maintenance, it had the vibe of a smoky coffee shop, covered in ivy, except there was no coffee shop-- or even any coffee. Mipsy had placed a strict ban on it after my 32-hour potions lab binge, and it was as if she had truly made it vanish. 

I use the stick I found in a bush, turning over piles of leaves as if I'll find something magical and mystical, some artifact long lost or some carving... I find nothing, and even though I wasn't expecting anything, the bitter taste of sorrow rises in my throat. 

"Oh well," I murmur, walking over to the overgrown gazebo, made of stone, with a crumbling roof and a dirtied surface covered in ivy. It looked majestic, even in its worn-down state, as if the ruins of some great palace that was once lived in by kings. As I step over pieces of columns, I wonder what it would've been like to have been raised in the Potter Manor's yard, running around in dresses and playing tea parties with the ruins of the gazebo...

A low growling sound startles me out of my thoughts, my wishes of a better childhood, and I look around the area. "What..." my eyes lock with glowing green eyes, so similar to mine, peering out at me from the overgrowth. 

"Oh..." I murmur, sitting down on the ground and beckoning the animal forwards. Was it a stupid idea? Absolutely. Maybe all my recklessness wasn't from compulsions after all. 

With that, I sit down, leaning my head back so it's in a patch of sun, and I wait. 

It surprisingly doesn't take long for the animal to crawl out of the undergrowth, stalking forward slowly, as if a predator stalking its prey. Normally, I'd be outright terrified of the animal in front of me, which happens to look like a panther, but instead, I can only think about how small it is. 

"Awww..." I coo at the baby panther, and chuckle slightly at her angry hiss. "You're adorable," I murmur, sitting criss-cross and watching as she paws at my calves. She curls up in my lap, and I can't stop the smile coming across my face, wide and unwanted. I almost stand up, leaving behind the animal, but she feels so cozy on my lap, and her eyes are closed....

My eyes slip closed. 

**

It turns out that panthers really really like to nap in the sun. To the point where it's one pm, and I'm one muscle ache away from disrupting slumber. And then she yawns, claws glinting in the afternoon sun, and I coo again. I stand up when she moves out of my lap, scratching behind her ears as I move... and she follows me. 

"Oh..." I murmur, scooping her up in my arms. "I sure hope your mother doesn't kill me for this." I walk into the manor, giving Mipsy a sheepish smile as she pops around the corner. 

"I see young miss has found her familiar!" Mipsy cheers, and I stare at her in confusion. "Familiar...? Mipsy, what?"

She seems to freeze, as if realizing I didn't grow up with all of this knowledge, and her freezing face gnaws at me. Look at you, messing everything up yet again... "Uh, never mind, I'll go look it up," I mutter under my breath, turning to leave the area. 

"No, young miss," she says, and my body stops at her words without my permission. I turn to face her, adjusting the baby in my arms. "It's just surprising for someone to find their familiar so young, although it should be expected from a heiress such as yourself."

"Uh?" 

"Familiars come to strong witches and wizards, miss." Mipsy says, guiding me through the house. "Typically not until one's magic is stable. Its extremely unlikely for any student to get theirs so young, let alone you with your situation.." 

I freeze in my steps behind her, the mention of my 'situation', as always, bringing me to mental instability. "hmm.." I murmur, following behind her as she explains the odd relationship between familiar and witch, which still isn't fully known. "Its as if you have a best friend, with the ability to just know," she says, and I sigh, because there are a million questions bouncing around in my head, and I want all of them answered ASAP. 

"Interesting..." I settle on saying, and I head into the library, setting the cub on the ground. "We should probably name you, hmm?" I ask. I wander across the wooden floor, watching as the panther curls up in front of the fire. 

"Vespera?" I offer, looking up from a book. The low growl tells me that's not the name she wants, so I continue to read down the list. "Uh... Lilith?"

My eyes widen as I see her claws extend. "Okay, not that one either..."

***

Three hours later, I'm about ready to tear out my hair. "None of these names... really?" I ask, flipping through pages of books of common familiar names... "Rogue?" I offer, and she turns over, showing me her stomach, as if a dog. 

"Yes?" I cautiously ask, reaching down carefully, hoping this wasn't another sneak attack, like when I mentioned the name Morgane... She purrs, letting me touch her. 

"Oh, that's good..." I murmur as she curls up in my lap. "Rogue it is." I lean back in the armchair, picking up the latest book to read. 

With the fire creating such a cozy vibe, it's easy to feel as if this is a new routine, something I could fall into like a cozy blanket after a long day...

So, of course, something has to go wrong. 

Thankfully, the only thing that goes wrong is that Rogue manages to disappear into thin air. I sigh, looking around the library for the third time in the hour, but I'm still curled up in the armchair. 

I grin slightly, hiding my face behind my book, as I hear Mipsy jump in surprise. Mipsy guides Rogue back into the library, giving me a look of narrowed eyes. I smile at her, acting innocent as ever, but her narrowed eyes tell me that I didn't quite manage it. 

**
Rogue and I get along well, better than I thought we would. Well of course you get along, she's your familiar... I deadpan, making a face to myself. And then I jump when Rogue appears next to me, clearly not via the door, which is still closed. "Uh..." I murmur, watching as Rogue seems to be transparent. "What... the...."

I stand up, nearly tripping to the ground as Rogue reappears right in front of my feet. "Rogue..." I murmur, fighting against her every step of the way as I head to the bookcase, looking for more information on familiars. 

"I don't think this is normal," I murmur, watching as she reappears in an empty spot on a bookcase, tail flicking lazily. I grab the books and journals, setting them down and opening the one on the top of the stack. 

"Now, what exactly are you...." I murmur, eyes flicking between her and the book. I get the feeling that I'm not going to know what she actually is until she wants me to....

(1256 words)

AUTHOR NOTE: its short, but sweet :). Cheers, and I hope you enjoyed. Any ideas on where this is going?