𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter Twenty-Three: Conversations

Chapter Twenty-Three 

It had been a bit since Natty and Matty had gone to the abandoned castle and freed the Hippogriffs and now Natty was asking Matty to come to the Divination Classroom so that she could speak with her mother. Natty was worried about her mother trying to put a stop to the work she was trying to do against Harlow and Rookwood.

So when Matty got the owl, she immediately ran up to the Divination Classroom, hoping to get there before they started speaking.

Thankfully, on the way up, she met Natty there and the two of them finished walking up the stairs together, meeting Natty's mother right at the top of them.

"You wanted to speak to me, Mother?" Natty asked.

Professor Onai looked between Natty and Matty, seemingly unamused that her daughter had brought along a friend to their chat. "I had hoped to speak to you alone, Natsai." She said, looking at her daughter unapprovingly.

"You're message mentioned your concern about an unusual creature that was spotted in the woods near Hogsmeade." Natty said. She glanced over at Matty and then back to her mother. "That could've been anything."

Professor Onai shook her head. "You know what it was, Natsai."

"I am allowed to leave the castle. I am always careful, Mother." Natty said, getting a bit frustrated. Matty had no clue what was going on. What was it about an 'unusual' creature being spotted around Hogsmeade? And what did Natty have to do with it?

"Careful? Officer Singer disagrees. She sent me an owl telling me that you have been trying to collect evidence of some kind against Dark wizards." Professor Onai said. Well, this wasn't good. Why was Officer Singer being a snitch? "She berated me for not keeping a closer eye on you, and she is right. I do not want you visiting Hogsmeade in the near future."

"Well maybe if Officer Singer did her job, Hogsmeade wouldn't be crawling with Dark wizards." Matty thought to herself, thinking it was ironic that Officer Singer was berating Professor Onai while she wasn't doing her job well either.

Natty didn't like the fact that she was being banned from Hogsmeade at all—by her own mother, no less. "But Mother—!"

Professor Onai was quick to shake her head and shut her daughter down. "No buts. My little gazelle—you are well-intentioned, but you must not meddle in the affairs of dangerous people."

Natty was growing more upset by the moment. "If someone had 'meddled' in Matabeleland, Father would still be with us!" She said. Matty remembered Natty mentioning that her father had passed away and the reasons behind it were the same reasons why she was trying to take a stand against Harlow.

Professor Onai seemed like she had nothing to say that could counter this. Instead, she just sighed and yet again shook her head disappointedly. "I must get to class. Perhaps Matty can get you to listen to reason." She said, glancing at Matty before leaving for the Divination classroom.

After her mother had left, Natty turned to Matty. "So frustrating!" She exclaimed. "She never listens to me!"

"She called you her 'little gazelle'. Is that a term of endearment where you are from?" Matty asked, curious about what the term meant. Although, she was wondering if it had anything to do with that unusual creature spotted near Hogsmeade.

"It is specific to me." Natty said before sighing. "I am the 'unusual creature' in Hogsmeade she mentioned. Self-transfiguration is not taught at Hogwarts. So I am 'gently discouraged' from practicing it. However—I am an Animagus."

Matty's jaw almost dropped—not that she was really surprised that Natty was an Animagi but at the fact that just yesterday, Esme confessed to being an Animagi as well. She wondered if anyone else she knew in the school was one too.