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"So," whispered Evan as he and Rune pulled on their protective gloves in Herbology. "Did you tell the orphanage that you won't be returning for Christmas?"
In those days before Rune's first year, Albus Dumbledore had wisely suggested that she keep her blood curse and circus performer life a secret from her fellow pupils. He had already prepared a story for her to explain her origins.
As far as everyone knew, Rune was given to an orphanage as an infant, after both her parents passed away. Born to a witch mother and muggle father, making her a half-blood who had not known of her witch abilities until Albus Dumbledore visited her before her eleventh birthday.
There was one piece of information Honorius had for her about where she came from.
Ever the ambitious man, Honorius, at the start of his Ringmaster career, had searched all corners of the world for beasts and beauties to perform in the circus of his dreams.
He wasn't a wizard, but he was something in the magic world that gave him the ability to find and control even the most dangerous of beasts.
As if by some miracle, he once told Rune, he had stumbled across a bundled-up a baby left on a tree stump, deep in the west woods.
He guessed the baby was no more than a Muggle, but some instinct had him picking the child up and taking it along with him, with the intention of turning her into a trapeze artist that would blow the minds of even the noble witches and wizards.
From the time the child had learnt to crawl, she had been trained and perfected in dance and flexibility, and before her fourth birthday, she was already on the stage.
It seemed Honorius had yet another miracle to encounter because one morning, he had found a meter-long serpent in the cage where the little girl had fallen asleep in.
His terror was short-lived and quickly turned to awe when the serpent began to uncoil and melt down to reveal the girl.
The Ringmaster, striking and calculating, dug into his pocket and unlocked the cage at once. With slow, determined steps towards the girl, a smile like never before spread over his lips.
He looked down at the girl and said, in a gentle voice, "Rune."
A name for her. For the first time in her life, something that belonged to her.
Rune. For the mystery she was.
On her tenth birthday, Honorius had allowed her to pick her own surname. She picked Westwood so if she ever came across the people who had left her in the woods, it would be easier for them to recognise her. Rune Westwood.
The mystery found in the west woods.
"Rune," came Evan's voice, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Did you?"
She shook her head, and before he could get started with his speech, Professor Sprout announced loudly, "No more than three to a stump for harvesting the pods!"
Evan and Rune found the stump beside Regulus, Rabastan and Barty and waited for a third person to join them.
"You're not going to bail on me again, are you?" asked Evan, with a whining lilt in his voice. "Every Christmas, you say the next one."
"Christmas is still over two months away, Evan. Bug me when December comes around, please."
A lone Gryffindor walked towards them but Evan grimaced, "Find another stump."
Rune nudged him and said, "We need one more person. You can join us."
Just as Evan started to complain, Professor Sprout asked, "Who can tell me what the pods look like?"
To no one's surprise, both Regulus' and Rune's hands shot up.
Rune immediately said, "The pods are green and pulsate and are about the size of a grapefruit."
"Well done, Miss West—"
"Once they're broken open," added Regulus, "their contents resemble pale green tubers."
Professor Sprout nodded, "Yes, very good, Mr. Black and—"
"And" interjected Rune, "We should extract the tubers when the pods are freshest for best results."
Professor Sprout opened her mouth to speak, but Regulus beat her to it and said, "The vines attack when provoked and are known to scratch faces and hands."
Rune, in a loud, clear voice began, "Their attacking tendencies can be used as weapons as well. The first recorded case was in 1613—"
"By alchemist Uri Yokota when a group of werewolves entered his lair," finished Regulus.
"Why, thank you for the extra information, children," exasperated Professor Sprout. "Now if we could—"
"Vampires," corrected Rune. She whipped her attention to Regulus. "A group of vampires entered his lair."
Regulus frowned at her, "No. It was werewolves."
"I'm sure it was vampires," replied Rune.
"Well, you're wrong. It was werewolves."
"You're the one who's wrong. It was vampires."
"It was werewolves."
"It was not werewolves. It was vampires-"
"Well, that's not necessary to our lesson," cut in Professor Sprout. "And I would appreciate it if you two stopped arguing all the time in my lessons or I'll see to it that you never get to give any answers."
When Professor Sprout began explaining how to go about extracting the pod, Regulus turned to Rune and mouthed, "Werewolves."
Once everyone's protective equipment was securely on, the groups began prodding their stumps and long, prickly vines flung out and began whipping the air at once.
A vine from the stump flew out and gripped Rune's hair but Evan immediately used a pair of secateurs to chop the vine in half.
"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Rune, tapping the stump with two fingers and watching the vines calm and drop into a lump in the centre. "Don't hurt them."
Amidst the shouts and snips of vines around the class, Rune caressed her stump gently and her two partners, as well as the group at the table next to them, watched in awe as the vines knotted themselves together and opened a hole wide enough for her to stick her arm in.
Rune reached inside and her arm went deeper and deeper until her fingers closed around a pod. She pulled her arm out and the hole immediately snapped close, the vines disappearing inside it.
As Rune grinned at the pulsating green ball in her hand covered from fingertips to elbow with green glop, Rabastan gagged.
"That's disgusting."
"Don't be prudish, Rab," laughed Rune.
She carefully angled her hand and massaged the beating pod and when she was sure of her angle, she banged her free hand down on the pod, causing the back end to fly open and to splatter sickly green worms on Regulus and Barty's faces.
"Brilliant, Miss Westwood," exclaimed Professor Sprout from the front of the classroom. "Just aim for the bowl next time. 20 points to Slytherin. Mr Black, Mr Crouch, there are spare robes in Greenhouse Two. Go change and return."
When Professor Sprout moved her attention away, Rune, Evan and Rabastan crumbled and burst into laughter as Regulus reached up and wiped smeared pod tuber worms from his face.
When he scowled at Rune, she gave him a wink. "One all, Black."
~
As the bell rang for the end of the Herbology lesson, Professor Sprout, over all the noise, said, "Miss Westwood, Mr Black. Come and see me."
"Oh, looks like someone's in trouble," taunted Evan, clicking his tongue as he gathered his things and left.
Rune frowned at Regulus. "Look at what you did."
"What I did? You're the one who went on a whole tangent about using the vines as a weapon against werewolves," retorted Regulus.
"For the last time, Black. It was vampires."
"Enough!" exclaimed Professor Sprout. "Not even first years go on the way you two do."
"She started it," murmured Regulus.
"And I suppose you have to end it, Mr Black. You're a prefect. You should be leading by example," chided Professor Sprout.
A smirk spread over Rune's lips, but Professor Sprout frowned at her. "And you. You know I expect better from you, Miss Westwood. I've been speaking to the other professors, and they all say the same thing."
The Herbology Professor glanced between the two students. "For such bright pupils, you shouldn't be acting like Tweedledee and Tweedledum."
"I'm Tweedledee," muttered Rune.
Regulus turned to her. "You're Tweedledum!"
"You're Tweedledum!"
Professor Sprout sighed loudly and placed a hand on her head. "I give up. Off you go."
She shook her head in disbelief as she watched the two elbow each other and argue over which one was Tweedledee and which one was Tweedledum all the way out of the Greenhouse.
***
Before going to Transfigurations, Rune and Regulus made a stop at the library where they discovered that the vines were used against vampires and Regulus had to accept defeat and being called Tweedledum.
As soon as they entered the Transfigurations classroom, they first noticed the unusual noise that filled the classroom.
"Mr Black, Miss Westwood," said Professor McGonagall, calling them to her desk.
"I'm sorry we're late, Professor. Professor Sprout wanted a word with us," explained Regulus.
McGonagall looked between them. "I hope her words didn't go into one ear and fly out the other."
Both Regulus and Rune looked down to avoid her scrutinising glance.
Professor McGonagall said, "In any case, take the topic from the table and get started. It's due a week before Christmas break."
Rune glanced at the single folder at the table. "But Professor, there's only one topic. There's two of us."
Professor McGonagall looked up and offered a thin-lipped smile. "Yes. The assignment is paired work. And since you two are last, you can pair up."
Regulus and Rune turned to each other with matching expressions of horror.
"This will be a good bonding experience."
Regulus' lip curled as Professor McGonagall went on, "This will be 25% of your O.W.L mark. Best get started."