“Carrot juice is way better, at least I never tried cabbage juice, that just sounds wrong.” He smirked at his friend. ()

Well he thought he had been ready anyway. As the dementor emerged, Fade swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to hold onto his happy memory. But with the overwhelming sensation of fear crawling up his spine, it was almost impossible. “Expecto Patronum!” He shouted, his voice cracking slightly. A small light lit up the end of his wand, but the rabbit made no appearance, and Fade’s confidence wavered.

With the dementor closing in, Fade tried again. “Expecto Patronum!” He commanded, a little less shakily the second time around. A light again, perhaps a few wisps, but no rabbit. When faced with terror, it was becoming more and more difficult to maintain the positive memory. Wide eyed Fade stared up into the face of darkness. His mind racing and fear clouding his judgement the next spell he cast was not what he intended. Without thinking his wand flashed. “Expulso!” The spell though well aimed shot past the pretend dementor and a cabinet on the other side of the classroom exploded with a loud crack.

"I 'aven't either but then again, I ain't a vampire rabbit either." He snickered happily as his friend relaxed a little. But it was short lived as he took on the dementor.

A shield popped up around the kids though none of the cupboard shards where close enough to hit anyone. The dementor shrunk away with the wave of Paul's wand. Magnus' eyes were wide. "That was brilliant!" He couldn't help it the exploding cupboard was just too neat to him. "I have got to try that."

"Not now, Magnus," Paul said with a slight warning. "You did very well Fade. Trying to summon a patronus when in the face of a dementor is very difficult."

"I doubt I'm the next great artist," Katsumi said, shaking her head. "'Sides, if I do become famous, I'd prefer it to be while I'm still alive." Fade's remark about perfection got a slight wince. She was a perfectionist and she knew it. "You read Bunnicula? Sweet~" She bet Magnus had loved the books, they had the right sort of humor.

Fade squared off against the dementor, and it seemed he was having just as much trouble as she had. He didn't back down, though, and she had to admire his guts. When the cabinet exploded she jumped slightly. Now that had been unexpected -- but still creative. Being able to cast something instinctively was an immensely useful skill. "If dementors were vulnerable to anything, that would have smashed it," she said. "What spell was that, anyhow?"

Magnus scoffed, "'Eh I'll shall be immortalized in the hall of infamy." Because infamy was a good thing... right. "I loved it!" He said brightly, "got a copy of it. Me dad thought it was funny too. Says it should be in wizard books."

Magnus steeled himself and decided to give the dementor a go on his own. He hadn't done it at all without being near Katsumi. He stood ready, thought of his eleventh birthday. But the second Paul released the dementor he veered dangerously. He remembered his headmaster hitting him, the taunts of the town folks calling him a street rat. The the wicked claws ripping down his body. He fell into Paul's arms again. When he woke, he ate the chocolate and left the dungeon, slunk down on the wall just outside and buried his head in his arms.

Katsumi watched him try, thinking that she should let him go on his own if he didn't ask. After all, that's what she'd want. When he collapsed yet again, however, she wondered if maybe she should have provided more obvious support. She started over, but he was on his way out of the dungeon before she got there. Not wanting to make any more of a fuss than there already was, the girl quietly followed after him, though if Fade was looking her way as she exited, she caught his eye.

Seeing her friend so distressed upset Kat as well, and she sat down near him, leaning her head back against the cool stone. She didn't say anything -- what could she possibly say that wouldn't make it worse? But she hoped just being nearby would help.

(( if Fade wants to come also and they can make a Magnus sandwich by the wall, that'd be great. Up to you~))

The tears where flowing and soft sobs could be heard. He knew Kat arrived beside him but he didn't look up. He couldn't manage the dementors at all could he? No all he did was collapse. And then he was left with the memories so close to the surface. He felt he should say something to her but what? His stuff seemed to upset most people and he hadn't told anyone somethings.

"Sorry," he said whipping his eyes, trying to compose himself. He knew Paul hadn't followed only for the reason of maintaing the club.

Fade’s hair was fluctuating between fire engine red and purple hues, and his face was close to match. “Er, sorry.” He stuffed his wand back into a pocket and didn’t intend to try again. Magnus () seemed enthused at least. Kat () asked when spell he had used and he felt his face getting hotter. “Well, I read about it recently, makes things explode… Clearly.” He was not liking being the center of attention and felt very relieved when Magnus volunteered to try the dementor again. Although it didn’t play out as well as he had hoped.

Feeling that he had also had enough of the dementor for the day, Fade followed his friends into the hall, and sat on the opposite side of Magnus. By now his hair had begun to turn back to its usual bluish silver, it hadn’t ever been the same since the encounter with the unicorns, but it was hard to notice if you weren’t really paying attention. He didn’t like to see his friend upset, but Magnus had real trauma in his past, nothing compared to most people, it wasn’t surprising that the dementor upset him this much. Fade just wished he knew what to say to help his friend not feel as guilty about something that wasn’t under his control.

((is that Cin? That looks like a Cin!))

"You don't need to be sorry," Kat said quietly. "But we weren't about to let you go sit alone. ...Besides, I think I've had enough of the dementor for now. Look, I'm still shaking." She held up one hand, showing how her fingers quivered despite her efforts to keep them still.

Fade slid to Magnus' otherside. The boy was trying his best to calm back down, but he was struggling. He wasn't sure what to say or even do. The feelings the dementor invoked was overwhelming and he felt embarrassed to be collapsing so much.

Paul came out. He knelt down so the children could see him. "I just want to let you kids know something okay? You all are doing very well. And I don't know if you know this, so let me say that when the famous Harry Potter was at school, he struggled will the dementors too. Collapsed on the Hogwarts Express the first day of that term. Its well documented. I just thought you should know." He nodded to Fade and Katsmui, "I'm gonna head back in, but I'll check on all of you. I am proud of what you all have done so far." With that the adult disappeared.

Harry Potter collapsed against a dementor? Well that made him feel better. Magnus wiped his eyes and started to feel better. If the most famous wizard he'd heard of had overcome it, he could too and that gave the boy hope.

(( ~ SO I have work soon and then my schedule is packed for the next two days. I don't think I'll be able to jump back in, and I don't wana hold you guys up! Just a heads up. I may have time on sunday evening. n.n; ))

(( -snugs- ))

Millie said to Paul, "I would definitely want to trade places with my cat. She's spoiled rotten"

Millie sat for a few minutes and when she saw Fade, she waved back and asked, "How are you?" She turned and coughed into her elbow again. "I really hope I'm back to a 100% in time for the ball. Of course I need a costume too".

"Harry Potter?" Katsumi echoed. "No way...Well, I guess it does make sense..." She trailed off. "I wonder how Paul knows that bit of trivia," the girl mused, once he'd gone back into the dungeon. "It's hardly common knowledge, since it's not in any of the books I've read." Another thought occurred to her. "Hey, Paul was an Auror, right? And he didn't change jobs until a few years ago. You think he's ever met Mr. Potter at work or something?" The thought made her eyes light up. "It'd be so cool if he did."

Paul snickered at the comment. It was true, most pets were spoiled pretty nicely.

Magnus was calming down. Paul's comment had done a lot to help, but so had his friends. "Yeah," Magnus said, "'E was an auror for almost twenty years. 'E loved the job. And 'e did work at the British Ministry so it sound's very likely that 'e does. Mind you unless you outright asked, not sure 'e'd say. He's can be rather, er, reserved sometimes. It's like 'e goes into 'is head."

"We should ask him sometime," she suggested. "Does he ever talk about when he used to do Auror work, or does he prefer not to? She was curious what exactly Aurors did -- she knew they were government workers, and protected people, but the details were frustratingly vague.

"Not a bad idea. It'd be cool if he did. Sometimes. He's told me about a few jobs here or there. Doubt there's something he would talk about though. Don't fink he'd mention for kids."

"Maybe when we're older," Kat suggested. "So he doesn't think it'll upset us." She considered. "Really, the stories I'd really like to hear are from your dad. I'm pretty sure the Unspeakable are researchers, and I'd love to know what kind of things they work on." A sigh escaped her. "There's so few science wizard professions, you know? And since I want to do something like that when I grow up, well, I'd kinda like to learn about them."

"Yes, at least for some of those stories." He said with a smile. "I don't know what they do but the mystery drives me bonkers sometimes. But I do think they tinker wif things. Paul or dad might vaguely answer that question... dunno for sure."

((I can't remember is he asked Bart before or after. I think it might be after, but I can't check from where I am right now. Going with no.))

"Right? Urgh, it's so frustrating. They can't even say vague details! I'd give anything for a look around." Kat sighed. "They probably don't even let you get a brief glimpse until after you're hired." She glanced at Magnus and leaned her head backlbackl against the wall. "Say, what do you wanna do when you grow up, Magnus?"

(he's asked but his dad normally just gives him a look lol))

"Yeah. i know right? I wonder if they took the unbreakable vow and that's why they can't speak? Or maybe," Magnus said, "they do and wipe your memory if you don't take the job?" Magnus smiled, "I thought you knew. I wanna be a 'ealer. I bet dad might know some science things. He's very into that sort of thing."