𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | l. lovegood

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𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓, Dorothea, Luna, and Neville left the castle and walked out onto the sunny Hogwarts grounds. They walked around in silence for a while. Dorothea wasn't sure of the best way to start the explanation as to why she was down in the dungeons.

She hadn't told anyone about her desire to become an animagus; she hadn't even written it down. She stopped trusting journals after she was possessed by Tom Riddle's diary. She ended up unknowingly opening the Chamber of Secrets and sending a Basilisk on the Muggle-born students her first year.

Maybe that's why Hermione hates me so much, she thought, glumly kicking a rock.

"Okay." Dorothea stopped walking. They were at the edge of the forest. She sat down on the grass, and Luna and Neville did the same. She took a deep breath, refusing to look either of them in the eye. "I wanted to get into Professor Snape's stores because I need a mandrake leaf, a phial, dew collected from a place never touched by the sun or human feet, and the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. Although those last few won't be needed for a month, it would still be nice to have them in advance."

"Wait..." Neville frowned, his brows furrowing. "Are you trying to become an animagus?"

Dorothea nodded.

"Dorothea, that could be really dangerous," Luna said softly. "Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"I've done loads of research, and I'm ready to take the risks," Dorothea insisted. "I mean, look at my older sister. She's a metamorphmagus. She can change her appearance by will. I can't do anything cool like that."

"You made that ink pot pour out over Dylan Rodgers and Blake Miller without touching it," Luna pointed out, and Dorothea's face flushed. "I've read about telekinesis before, but I've never seen it happen. It's really cool."

"How...How did you know it was telekinesis?" Dorothea asked quietly.

Luna smiled knowingly. "How else could you have made it float without using a spell? I think you're already pretty cool, even if you're not able to change your appearance by will like your sister."

"If you're trying to talk me out of this, it's not going to work," Dorothea said. "I've made my decision, and once I've made up my mind about something there's no going back."

"Well..." Neville sighed. "If you need a mandrake leaf, you'd have better luck checking the greenhouses. I don't think Snape would have that in his private stores. Besides, it's not worth risking getting caught and earning detention."

"And a Death's-head Hawk Moth chrysalis would more than likely be found outside somewhere," Luna added. "Let me know when you need it, and I can keep an eye out for one for you."

A tiny smile twitched on Dorothea's lips. "Thanks."

"Now, as for the dew untouched by sunlight or human feet..." Neville shuddered. "Does toilet water count?"

Luna and Dorothea both scrunched their noses in disgust, the younger of the two gagging a little.

"Maybe you could check in the deepest parts of the Forbidden Forest?" Luna suggested. "The further in you go, the darker it gets. Hardly any sunlight gets through, and students aren't allowed in anyway."

"That's definitely a better idea than toilet water," Dorothea mumbled. She shook her head and sighed. "I'll figure it out. I like a good challenge."

"Luna and I can keep a lookout if you want to go check the greenhouses for a mandrake leaf," Neville said as he stood up, offering hands to both the fourth years to help them up.