ARCANE - G. WEASLEY

2

As Reyna awakens, she is met with the gentle tapping of Scout's paws on her face, signalling his awareness of her consciousness. With nimble fingers, the niffler delves into his pouch, retrieving a breathtaking silver bracelet embellished with imperial topaz stones, a perfect complement to the necklace that Reyna had acquired at the World Cup.

"Who's a clever boy?" Reyna coos, tickling Scout's stomach. "I'm hoping that people will forget it's my birthday seeing as we're going on a trip today"

After swiftly changing her attire, the witch proceeded to apply a light layer of makeup to her face. Once Reyna shrugs her coat on, Scout leaps into the pocket that had been modified by George so Scout could still fit in his favourite mode of transportation. The sound of cracking reverberates throughout Reyna's room, and just like that, the witch vanished from the premises.

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As Reyna treks through the vast expanse of the Forest of Dean, her gaze is fixed on the ground beneath her feet. The delicate twigs crunch beneath her feet, while a symphony of avian melodies fills the air above her. With every step she takes, the forest seems to stretch on endlessly, a breathtaking expanse of natural wonder.

Reyna noticed a scorch mark on the ground and decided to investigate further. She crouched down and examined the area closely. The surrounding vegetation was vibrant and healthy, with lush green leaves and grass. This observation struck her as odd because the water content in the plants should have prevented them from catching fire.

"Well, we're definitely on the right track," Reyna murmurs to Scout. "We need to figure out how she's creating them. You need dead muggles so it must be similar to inferi but to create a Burned One, it must be infinitely more difficult"

As Reyna ventures on her path, she comes to a halt upon encountering an extensive scorch mark etched into the earth. The mark is encompassed by approximately seven vacant burial sites. Intrigued, she kneels down to investigate a peculiar rock fragment that stands out from the surrounding terrain.

"Lava rock," Reyna continues talking to Scout. "It's covered in blood, Marianne can create them because she has a blood connection to me. But the ritual, I have no idea how that works. Lava rock, solidified molten lava, corpses, but how does it all come together?"

As a sudden sound of a cracking branch echoes in the background, Reyna turns around with lightning speed and retrieves her wand from her pocket. With her wand pointed directly at the stout figure standing before her, the man with a rodent-like face responds with a menacing and unnerving grin.

"Reyna Lupin,"

"Pettigrew," Reyna sneers. "Still a bottom feeder I see"

"Your mother thought you might come and investigate this area," Pettigrew says before throwing a small package at her. "She says Happy Birthday"

"Tell her I said no thanks," Reyna kicks the package away from her. "Now why are you here?" 

"I have orders to bring you back unharmed," Pettigrew informs Reyna. 

"So what I'm hearing is you can't hurt me, but I can hurt you?" Reyna tilts her head to the side. "This is going to be fun"

With a quick swish of her wand, Pettigrew's wand escapes his hand and soars into the air. Reyna reaches up, catching it before snapping the piece of wood.

"Well, isn't that unfortunate," Reyna jeers, shrugging her coat off before rolling her sleeves up slightly.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm about to make myself feel so much better,"

The black rune that rested on Reyna's neck glows with a brilliant golden hue. Before the bewildered Pettigrew can even react, Reyna moves forward with a speed almost comparable to a vampire and lands a perfectly aimed kick to his chest, causing him to stagger backwards. With a fierce grin on her face, the witch crouches down and grabs hold of his shirt collar, unleashing a flurry of ferocious punches to his defenceless face.

Reyna is struck in the cheek as Pettigrew's hand shoots up, causing her head to jolt slightly. The man grins, but it quickly fades when Reyna begins to laugh. With ease, the witch gets back on her feet before delivering a mighty kick to Pettigrew, sending him soaring into a nearby tree.

"This feels divine," Reyna laughs, picking up the lava stone. "But I need you to deliver a message for me if you want to leave here walking that is"

"What is it?" Pettigrew squeaks out. 

"That this is the only beginning,"

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Reyna gently lays her coat down on the soft bed, while Scout eagerly jumps onto the fluffy pillows, making himself at home. Reyna then takes a moment to examine her face, which has been bruised by the force of Pettigrew's fist. She delicately traces the area around the swelling, wincing slightly at the tenderness of the skin. The bruise has already begun to take on a deep shade of purple, marking the exact point of impact on her cheek.

"Want to tell me where you've been?" George asks. 

"If I wanted you to know, I would have told you where I was going,"

"Mum had a birthday party planned for you,"

"Celebrating my birthday isn't something I particularly feel like doing this year," 

"Caleb would have-"

"You don't know what Caleb would have wanted!" Reyna snaps. "None of us do! You know why? Because he's dead, I watched him die just over a month ago. Killed by my own mother no less and all of you want me to smile and eat cake? No, not happening"

"Reyna, you can't blame yourself,"

"I don't blame myself," Reyna shakes her head. "Maybe a little but I watched Caleb die. I watched his soul be torn from his body with two words. Cake and a sing-song isn't what I want or need right now"

"Well, can you at least tell me what happened to your face?"

"Got punched,"

"By?"

"Scout,"

"You're not funny," George shakes his head. "Can you at least accept the gifts, no cake, no singing?"

"I guess,"

"You're so materialistic,"

"Am not!"