will1@earthling.net Raccoon Motivation by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Some are Marvel's. Some are J.K. Rowling's. This version of Cedric stems from Minisinoo's work, but isn't quite the same; Esiban IS Min's, and is used with her kind permission. It's all fiction, and no money is being made off of this. Etc. WARNING: AU, as will become obvious soon into the main body. Some language, some bluntness, some angst. Also, I dug into the 'Net looking for Cheyenne language; I'm hoping I don't butcher it. Apologies if I do. NOTES: At the end. ---------------------------------------------- There was a grey-eyed badger with a raccoon on its head. Well, if THAT didn't make this a dream, then that last burrito was a bad idea - The animals were sitting in the middle of a pile of stones, next to a lake, near some mountains she thought she recognized; at least, it looked familiar. "Macho-on?" she called, to the raccoon; the badger, she was going to be careful toward, at least at first. Ma'hahko'e was not one to rush toward. Of course, Raccoon wasn't one to just sprint towards, either. He was complicated, that one - if he were mortal, he'd have a joy-buzzer in hand, even as he charmed you. Bobby Drake should have a mask, she thought, smiling carefully. Both animals look at her - the Badger with surprise, the Raccoon with curiosity - and she heard the *Badger* speak - in what sounded like *Ojibway*? Doug was the linguist, damnit - ******************************* 9/8/2006: Lame Deer, Montana: 03:08 hrs local: ------------------------------------------- "Eh, Moonstar." "Damn - Sorry, Paul," Dani muttered, lifting her head from the counter. "No worries. I'd be surprised if you hadn't dozed off - then again, with your name, night shifts shouldn't be a problem," Paul Adams, the owner of the Slow Rabbit Bar and Grill (more grill than bar, truth be told, not that that was a *bad* thing), joked with a gap-toothed smile. Dani rolled her eyes and stretched, rising from the fake-wood bar in the dimly-lit greasy-spoon; her boss was understanding, but despite his Anglo name, he was as Cheyenne as she was. "Moonstar" was still a joke to most of the Human Beings - one of the few things she laughed about, these days. The empty tables weren't amusing. #Some things change. Some don't,# Dani reflected, sighing inwardly and picking up after the last few customers. Coming back to the reservation in 2004 had been a lesson in contrasts. While Dani had spent most of her adolesence in Colorado, that had been out of necessity; her parents' transformation into the Demon Bear had taken place shortly after her power first emerged. She'd fled to her grandfather Black Eagle in Colorado. But for all the isolation of the mountains - and later, the manicured lawns and strange looks of Salem Center society - Dani had never forgotten life in Lame Deer. #The ranch gave us income when many had nothing. And even then, there were days Mom cooked with government cheese, and Dad had to keep from reminding some White-Eyes of who used to rule the plains,# Dani recalled, wiping down tables automatically. It was funny, that being able to show nightmares gave her the way out. #A mixed gift is still a gift. The power is what it is. I kept forgetting that ...# That'd been 13 years ago. She'd been a child - 17, just old enough to be a "big sister" to Rahne and laugh with Xi'an at Morph and Bobby's absurdities, and to smile gratefully at Sam's clumsy attempts to make her feel at home. And then there'd been Illyana - accursed with a gift both amazing and horrific, reminding Dani so *much* of herself, and Amara and her struggle to fit in, and Doug - totally over his head, but he tried - and Warlock ... Dani turned her head away from Paul. Her guilt was hers. No need to set the gossip chain alight with stories of the sobbing woman with the strange name. Dani glanced at the clock, and bit back a snort at the time - 3:11 a.m. #11 ...# Eleven years, she'd spent as an X-person. The end had started in 2000, right after Inferno. Dani - and Brightwind, her winged Asgardian stallion - both fell ill. The heat had taken months to finally overwhelm them both. #First time I ever used my power to make something as 'simple' as an ice machine,# Dani recalled, smirking openly. She'd frozen herself and Brightwind to try and keep the heat from harming others, but of course, it'd grown beyond her control. To save Earth, she fled to Asgard, where she and the rest of the Valkyrior fell under the control of Hela. #If it hadn't been for Sam ...# The New Mutants had come after Dani; Sam Guthrie had managed to keep Dani from killing Odin by the thinnest of margins. Her clan saved her. #And what did I do to thank my clan?# She'd stayed in Asgard. Then 24, it'd been easier to justify her staying; she'd felt a need to atone to those she'd harmed. #But what about those I harmed BY staying? And what good did it really do?# Dani thought, scowling. Balder had been on the throne at the time, and he'd understood what the Valkyrior had gone through. But it hadn't mattered to the average Asgardian on the street - if there was such a being. They remembered flaming women serving Hela. "Valkyrior" started becoming as much an insult as "redskin." Mist and the others had taken it harder than Dani, at first. Slowly, resentment grew up between Dani and her "sisters." #I was able to at least turn the other cheek. The rest of the Valkyrior wanted to draw blood. They got snarky; I got tired ...# The Valkyrior were immortal. Dani wasn't. Dealing with that much death weighed on a mortal soul. It was humorless. Indians weren't meant to be humorless. So, Dani went to Mist and asked to be allowed to go home. #The Valkyrior felt betrayed. Brightwind and I were shown the Rainbow Bridge, at spearpoint. His coat turned solid black; I felt like I'd been partially blinded ...# Had the Valkyrior betrayed her, or vice versa? Dani still wasn't sure. But she knew she would've ended up dead-eyed if she'd stayed. She still kept trying to ignore the voice in her mind that whispered that she'd run from a fight. It'd been 2000 when Dani left Earth. It was 2001 when she landed back at Black Eagle's, and she didn't know where her friends were. SHIELD had been too happy to tell Dani the score. Rahne and Doug were married. Morph quit the New Mutants, to become a comedian. Sam, 'Berto, Xi'an and the rest were wanted for overthrowing the Genoshans. And Warlock was dead. #I let him down. I hid in Asgard, and I wasn't there to help my family ...# It'd been easy for Dani to accept Bridge's offer, to infiltrate the ostentatiously-named "Mutant Liberation Front" and try to bring them down. It was 2002 - a year into the charade - when Dani ran afoul of "X-Force," as her old friends were calling themselves. She'd been able, with training, to hone her powers into a weapon more potent than merely creating illusions of joy or fear. She'd had to swallow her revulsion at using *arrows* as weapons to harm her friends, even if it served "a greater good." To the ancient Cheyenne, arrows had been part of some of their most sacred rites. Dani had sobbed into her pillow the night after the battle. After that, none of the animals, save Darkwind, would "speak" to her. #Or maybe I'd gotten so used to lying, that it was easier to not hear the truth ...# Dani recalled as she reset the tables she'd cleaned. The psionic arrows had continued to be her main weapon; life became a survival test, as lethal as anything the Colorado mountains had thrown at her. The MLF suspected her - for the most part; Forearm and Tempo were, at least, sane. X-Force felt betrayed. SHIELD really didn't feel trustworthy. And the Valkyrior weren't on speed-dial. It was a sick irony, to Dani, that Operation: Zero Tolerance had freed her from her trap. They attacked the MLF, Reignfire blamed Dani, and he *killed* Darkwind. And someone else who'd depended on her was gone. Xi'an freed Reignfire - a time-displaced, insane Roberto - from his madness, and the rest of the MLF were taken out by Gryaznova's Prime Sentinels. Finally, Dani faced her family. #Xi'an said she understood. Sam at least listened. 'Berto was *grateful.* Rahney was just happy I'd been faking things.# But Theresa glared at Dani every time the Cheyenne spoke to Proudstar, and Feral grated, and Shatterstar was ... Shatterstar. #The *fun* was gone. 'X-Force,' indeed ...# And maybe, Dani secretly admitted when no one else was around, she still felt guilty about Asgard. And Warlock. And Darkwind. And then, 2004 came, and the High Evolutionary mucked with mutants' powers. When the powers came back on, Dani's ... stayed off. After the first two weeks of tests, both at the X-mansion and at Muir, Dani figured she wasn't going to get any better through mutant medicine. It'd been as good an excuse as any, to tell the others that she had to see her parents - truth enough - and she bought a car and headed west. She did see her parents, who were relieved to know she was at least alive - being on the run with mutant freedom fighters tended to crimp the weekly phone call - and it was her mother who'd pointed out why Dani felt so stretched. "You've been so many different people that you don't know who you are. Something had to give," Peg Lonestar said gently. Creatures of two worlds had to move between the two. Mirage the mutant Valkyrie had ignored Danielle Moonstar the Cheyenne. So, after a few weeks' rest, Dani headed to Lame Deer, got a job at the Slow Rabbit, and got to work being the Cheyenne she'd left behind. It had taken time; there were still enough people who knew her as "that witch-girl with the nightmares," that her first few weeks back were touchy. But there were more kids and young people who just knew Dani as one of the Human Beings, and she'd started with them. There'd been dances to take part in, kids to share stories with - of their heritage, not the X-folk - and Dani had even felt comfortable, after a time, with teaching archery at the local Y. Once she'd gotten over the flashbacks of frying Sam's mind with her powers, that is. After the first year or so, the highest acknowledgement Dani had received had been, "She knows her stuff," from one of the older women after a pow-wow. Dani had accepted what was given. You took what was sent your way, without fanfare. She'd even been able to laugh again, at times - mostly at the awestruck faces of the collegic folks coming up from Billings to record oral histories. They'd heard of "Moonstar,"and some had asked her if she was, "y'know, THAT Moonstar?" Instead, Dani had shared what Black Eagle had taught her, to a degree. The Cheyenne among the academic groups knew better than to ask about some things. The strong magics ... you didn't just entrust them to anyone. Maybe someday. #I felt Cheyenne again - denim instead of spandex ...# But spending two years in Lame Deer had also opened Dani's eyes to some other truths. The jobs were still few. There were still people dying from alcoholism, or diabetes, or starvation. Paul sometimes asked her, "If you'd remembered what life was like before you went to Colorado, would you have still come back?" A year ago, Dani would've honestly answered, "Yes." #But a year ago, I was still tired from fighting and running away and fighting ...# The sweat lodge had at least cleared Dani's mind, but she hadn't had any visions, not in all the time since she'd lost her powers. Not until now. #You take what's given ... and sometimes you have to go find it.# "Paul. You remember that vacation time you keep pestering me to take?" ----------------------------------------- Muir Island Paragenetic Research Station, Scotland: 22:00 hrs Local: ----------------------------------------- She'd gotten a quick flight from Billings to O'Hare, and from there, to Edinburg - using most of her savings, but she wasn't sure if she'd be returning to Lame Deer anytime soon, and her belongings fit in a bag. Being ready to move quickly was one of the few skills Dani thought was a positive of her time undercover with the MLF. She'd had an efficiency apartment with a pay-by-the-month arrangement, so it'd go to someone who needed it. The ferry had dropped Dani off at a mostly-dark Muir; she'd called Rahne and Doug and left a message (Sean and Moira were in London on a holiday), but she wasn't sure if the Ramseys had gotten the call ... #I've blown them off too many times to expect a warm welcome,# Dani reminded herself as she entered the residential wing. The russet-furred wolf sitting in front of the guest room's door watched Dani, then got up and stretched - - and was replaced by Rahne, whose hair was far longer than Dani remembered. "Hey, Fur-top," Dani began - - but she didn't get to finish, because about 100 pounds of laughing, crying Scots-woman had tackled the air out of her lungs. "TWO YEARS!?" Rahne demanded, leaning back and locking eyes with her friend. "I know ... but I couldn't stay any longer, Rahney. I needed to go back to Lame Deer," Dani tried to explain. But it sounded pathetic to her ears. Rahne released her and sighed, then cocked her head in that odd way that reminded Dani that as human as Rahne sometimes seemed in wolf-form, her "little sister" occasionally let the wolf sneak through to her human self. "F'r a time, I could see. But ye've been gone f'r almost *two years,*" Rahne insisted as she dragged Dani's duffle bag into the guest room. "And I haven't visited you all that time ..." Dani noted - Sacred Mother, how could she have been so *selfish*? Rahne set the duffle bag on the bed, then took Dani's hands in hers as the Cheyenne woman started to tear up. "Ye called, at least. But I was worried f'r YE, Dani," the lycanthropic mutant said, gently. "I -" Dani stammered; she'd never been able to hide any secrets from Rahne, not face to face, anyhow ... And that was it - she couldn't keep it inside anymore. "They're gone. They're FUCKING GONE, and I can't hear YOU or any ANIMAL, or even so much as create any DAMNED ILLUSIONS! I'm SICK of this DAMNED QUIET, Rahne!" Dani raged, leaping to her feet - - what would her dear little sister think of her now? #The great Human Being, Valkyrie of the Plains. Reduced to a cowering wretch ...# She glanced at Rahne, whose own eyes were filled with tears, but the younger woman just said, "T'isnae weakness t' talk about things, Dani." "Rahney ..." Dani said - She sank back down, and let Rahne hold her as she started to sob. ------------------------------------ It was well after midnight when Dani finished crying out her feelings; she still felt like hell, but at least she wasn't *alone* anymore. Her fellow Cheyenne would've listened. But listening and understanding were very different things. #They might have understood, actually - this really IS a vision quest. I just needed a good swift kick in the ass to get following it,# Dani figured, as she sipped hot chocolate at the kitchen table. She'd changed into pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt, while Rahne was wearing a long nightgown with a robe over it. She caught Dani's eye nd smiled between sips of hot chocolate. "I'm nae the innocent myself, ye know," she advised. "Flirting with Alex Summers isn't the same as not visiting family for two years. Although I should stop beating myself up, I suppose - I'm not a Summers myself," Dani tried to joke. Rahne giggled - #and Thunderbird, that sounds sweet to hear again,# Dani thought - but it didn't last as long as the Cheyenne woman had hoped. "Th' same stubbornness that makes ye such a good warrior also makes ye a terrible patient," Rahne said, and Dani nodded; she'd wondered, sometimes, if her Fur-top would ever follow Moira into medicine. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and breathed out - she had to release the guilt with the bad air. Rahne nodded approvingly, then replied, "Now, are ye gaunae continue t' self-flagellate, or are ye ready f'r step two?" "Ready," Dani said, managing to smile - she hadn't stayed up late and hung out since, well ... ... since school. "Doug's off on some work f'r SHIELD, but he'll be back t'morrow. I've arranged f'r a visit w' Illyana in a special little village near where she's teaching," Rahne said. Dani did a double-take, then asked, "Illyana? TEACHING? But I thought she was a teenager ..." Rahne's smile turned - well, she'd never quite be able to smirk. But it definitely wasn't the innocent little shy werewolf smile Dani recalled from when Rahne used to talk about Sam or Roberto. "She's got ahold o' the Soulsword, an' there was some kind o' odd temporal event in July that aged her t' adulthood. She's teaching at this school for magic-users, helpin' young mages t' learn defense against the dark arts," Rahne explained. "The village she wants t'meet us at is called Hogsmeade." --------------------------------------- 9/9/08: 16:30 hrs local: Hogsmeade, Scotland: --------------------------------------- She'd seen Dyson spheres, the halls of Asgard, not a few superhero headquarters, and even the Hellfire Club. Still, Dani had to admit, going to a magical village hidden from mortal eyes was a unique experience. It was something about mutants' bio-energies, Rahne had told her, that let them perceive what was supposed to be a dilapidated, abandoned village to non-magical eyes - some kind of cloaking spell, Dani figured. The general design was rather 19th-century, but the people were friendly enough - she, Rahne and Doug were wearing jeans and sweatshirts, so they were hardly going to fit in with the robe-wearing crowds milling about them. But no one was rude to them, and except for a few lingering looks, the mutants were pretty much treated like any of the other people milling about. #Besides, what do they have to worry about? A werewolf, a glorified linguist, and a powerless Cheyenne mutant in a village full of wizards and witches? I'd be more nervous if this didn't feel ... comfortable, somehow,# Dani thought. She stopped in front of one of the shops and looked inside the window, after noting the sign above the door: Dervish and Banges, Wizarding Supplies, est. 1643. The brooms in the front window had intriguing names like "Clean Sweep" and "Firebolt," and Rahne echoed Dani's amazed grin. "They're supposed t'be able t' play some kind o'game on them, flying - Illyana told me we should watch it some weekend when they play," Rahne said, sighing gently when she saw Doug starting to *drool* at the sight of books in the front window. #You can take the translator out of the library ...# Dani thought, fighting a smile. Doug had barely aged, it seemed - he still had his blond hair, and his face was as boyish as it had been when he'd been a New Mutant. After he'd turned up that morning at Muir, he'd listened to Dani's explanation over a bowl of oatmeal, then just nodded - no judgment. "You couldn't find your answer with the X-teams. And you needed time for yourself. It's not for me to harp at you about your choice. Besides, you came back, right?" Doug had explained. Dani had just about smothered him with her hug - he'd grown up a lot from the kid who used to pick fights with Roberto, but he hadn't lost the compassion that had drawn him and Rahne together. His blush was still as cute on him as ever - "THERE you are!" "OCH!" Rahne called, and Dani blinked - she still couldn't quite believe it - but there she was, looking not a day over 23, without so much as a trace of demonic armor. Blonde hair tumbled down her back, and the green robes she wore had silver trim. Her blue eyes twinkled as she returned Rahne's hug, and they chatted for a moment before Doug and Dani walked over and started to smile. "Damn, Chief, it's been way too long," Illyana Rasputin said, grinning, and Dani couldn't help but swallow back tears. "I never thought - you probably think I'm being silly," Dani gulped as she and Illyana hugged. "I've learned the value of humor," Illyana said as they walked into the little pub. "Especially with those damn dementors wandering around - Rosmerta! Two butterbeers and two gillywaters, on me!" "Comin' up, Professor," the rather curvy woman behind the bar replied, and Illyana led her friends to a small booth in a back corner. "'Professor' ? How did you become a teacher? And of this - 'Defense against the Dark Arts' class?" Dani asked. Illyana put her chin on her hand and said, "Necessity. After I got my Darksoul and my body back together in July, I was back at the same nasty place I was just before Inferno - temptation and opportunity, mixed together in a ... witches' brew, pun intended. So, I went looking for a place where I could get help for all of my problems, and Romany Wisdom tipped me to Britain's best magic training academy, Hogwarts." "'Hogwarts'? It sounds ... silly," Dani whispered; she didn't want to insult 'Yana, especially after she'd finally been reunited with her. Illyana broke out that grin that Dani knew just meant trouble, and replied, "Not when they can brew potions to keep my Darksoul under control, and the school is enchanted to prevent teleportation. If I stay out of Limbo, my temptation to go all demon-y un-fresh is lessened. And I *can* still perform magic on the grounds." "Sounds like you're denying part of who you are," Dani fretted, thanking Rosmerta when she brought the drinks over. "How? I get to use my Dark Arts expertise to *help* people, for once, and the Potions teacher is one of the best apothecaries in the Old World - total asshole, but great skill. As for my powers being blocked, let's be honest: Didn't most of our problems as students revolve around me tossing us through time and/or space?" Illyana said with her characteristic bluntness before she swigged a butterbeer. The others snickered at Illyana's attitude, and Dani accepted the gillywater, as did Rahne - she was grateful Illyana had remembered their lack of interest in alcohol. It wasn't bad - rather like ginger ale. "It was mostly water in Asgard for me," Dani reflected, looking at the table; she'd promised herself she wouldn't be maudlin. "Heh. You were wasted on Asgard, Chief," Illyana insisted, and Dani managed to smile at the witch-queen. "So. No powers - and that jackass Wyndham cranked the power back on for the rest of us. Methinks it's a psychological problem, then." "Psychosomatic? But why would I *not* want my powers?" Dani snapped - The others traded glances, and lllyana rolled her eyes. "Because you kept pushing yourself, to the point where subconsciously you short-circuited your powers to give yourself a much-needed vacation," she suggested. "She may be right, Dani. Ye're a verra strong soul, but tae much, sometimes," Rahne said gently. "Even warriors need a break," Doug added. "OK. I'll admit that's possible. But it's been *two years,*" Dani grumbled. "Well, I guess you haven't found whatever Raccoon told you to look for. Maybe some details from your dream might help," Doug suggested. "I dreamed of a badger with a raccoon on its head - THE Raccoon, from the spirit world," Dani replied with a shrug. She ducked when Illyana did a spit-take and started to giggle. "You're serious!? I know EXACTLY who you need to talk to! Hot damn - you took the whole spirit-animal thing too figuratively!" Illyana cackled. "Wait a minute - you know where to find a badger with a raccoon on its head?" Dani asked - this was starting to stretch even *her* limits of belief ... ... but she was sitting in a magical pub in Scotland, talking to an old friend who shouldn't be more than a teenager, after leaving a decent job at the insistence of a spiritual raccoon. #Leap of faith, Moonstar, remember?# Dani remembered. "I certainly do - well, sort of. Hogwarts sorts its students into four 'houses,' based on broad definitions of temperament. Each has a different animal representing them - the Gryffindor lion, Ravenclaw's eagle, Slytherin's serpent ... and Hufflepuff's badger," Illyana said - and an electric thrill raced down Dani's spine, as Illyana met her eyes and said: "A badger with a raccoon? Not hard to find." ------------------------------------------ After a quick stop at the Honeydukes candy store - Illyana was deadly serious that they needed to stock up on chocolate - the mutants hiked down a winding path through a pleasant forest. Illyana was trying to avoid teleporting while off the Hogwarts grounds, and as she'd already pointed out, one couldn't teleport *onto* the Hogwarts grounds anyhow. "When we get there, stay close to me at first. An escaped maniac of a Dark Wizard got loose from Azkaban, the wizard prison, and he's supposed to be trying to get onto the grounds. So, we've had to put up with these things called 'dementors' guarding each of the entrances - they absorb positive emotions, and if you're not careful, they can suck out your soul," Illyana growled. Dani was about to ask her how she knew about the creatures, but then they burst through the last thicket - Rahne was having a much easier time, thanks to her wolfen form - and a mammoth castle loomed in the distance, rising over a large lake. Towers jutted at seemingly strange angles, and pennants fluttered in the Scots breeze. All in all, Dani thought, it was a fitting place for a wizarding school. "It's closer than it looks - Rahne, you'd probably better revert to human. The dementors have a harder time sensing animals' emotions, but it's still not a good idea to antagonize those monsters. And if things go south, I'll have to pull the Soulsword, which I'd rather save for emergencies," Illyana advised. Rahne shifted back, and gave Dani a sympathetic look - there hadn't been a flicker of so much as an emotion across their old psi-bond. Dani just tried to smile as they approached the nearest set of gates, which had posts topped with winged boars. And two ...things ... with scabrous black robes and hoods, *floated* beside them. They started to drift toward the approaching mutants, but Illyana hissed something in a language Dani was pretty sure she didn't want to know. Reluctantly, the creatures drifted back - but the air was *cold*, and Dani could hear *voices* - -"Forsooth, m'lady, must I away?" - - "Selfriend Dani, self is ...afraid ..." - "Dani!" Dani snapped out of her funk, and accepted a large chocolate bar from Illyana; they'd gotten through the front gate, at least. Illyana handed another chocolate bar to Rahne and Doug, who gladly took it and started to eat, before she looked over at where the dementors were floating back to position. "Chocolate helps counteract some of the dementors' effects. The worse the memories in someone's past, the more those damn things affect them. I'm impressed that you didn't crawl into a hole, being an ex-Valkyrie," Illyana told Dani as they started to walk up toward the castle proper and into the voluminous front hall. "Too damn stubborn for my own good," Dani said between bites of chocolate - it *did* help - and there was something else. Almost a whispering ... like she could almost reach out and cast an illusion again - "How ... interesting, Professor. Does the headmaster know you're bringing Muggles into Hogwarts on a whim?" "I have every right to show my friends around - all of whom were touched by magic long before you were able to babble your first spell, Draco," Illyana muttered in a contemptuous tone as she stopped to look down on a blond-haired boy in greenish robes similar to hers. He was flanked by two thuggish boys, similarly dressed; one had a severe buzzcut, while the other had a bowl-cut so bad Dani wanted to laugh in his face. When the blond boy looked at her, though, the Cheyenne couldn't help but feel like she was being dirtied just by his gaze. To hell with THAT - she met his stare, then raised one eyebrow with an icy hauteur Amara would've applauded. "I - er -" Draco suddenly stammered, breaking openly into a sweat. "Crabbe, Goyle - we have work to do - excuse us, Professor -" The boys bolted, and Illyana gave Dani a victorious grin and wink. "Very nicely done. Malfoy's a son of a pureblood, elitist wizarding family - the ugly side of Slytherin runs deep with them. Sure you don't have some of that Valkyrie bad-assitude left?" she asked. "I'm not sure ... I felt something when we stepped inside the castle," Dani murmurred as she followed Illyana, Rahne and Doug close behind, toward a wall full of paintings. "Yo, Shecky, where's Diggory? I got a favor to ask him," Illyana asked one of the paintings in her best wise-ass tone of voice. To Dani's amazement - albeit brief; she *had* been a Valkyrie in Asgard, so a magical school wasn't really that shocking - the rather Baroque-looking large money-changer in the painting *started to move,* and he rumbled, "My dear lady, I am Baron Sheckfield von -" "Heffeltoeser, the 14th Baron of Upper Chowding, yes, yes," Illyana interrupted; she could get on quite the tear, demon sorceress or not, Dani recalled. "I don't need your lineage, Shecky, I need to find Cedric Diggory." "I have not seen Master Diggory. The headmaster asked we paintings to keep an eye out for a snake which escaped the Care of Magical Creatures class and got into the castle," Heffeltoeser warned. A loud hissing from around their feet made the mutants look down, and Illyana frowned as a snake started to slither toward them. The fact that it was the size of a large fire hose wasn't lost on Dani - if only - The snake stopped as another round of hissing came from the stairs, and Illyana smiled approvingly when three students - all Caucasian, two boys and a girl - raced toward them. One of the boys - black-haired boy, with green eyes magnified by the glasses he was wearing - hissed again, and the snake seemed to listen. "Nice, Harry. Told you to not discount your Parseltongue," Illyana said as she cast a silent spell. The snake found itself in a cage, and calmed down as the teens approached with a mixture of polite smiles and curiosity. "Guys, this is Harry Potter, one of the better students here. The girl is Hermione Granger, and the red-head is Ron Weasley - they're all from Gryffindor. Kids, these are some of *my* classmates, from my days back at Xavier's - this is Rahne Ramsey, that Scots werewolf I told you kids about, and her husband Doug, a translator. And this is Dani Moonstar, of the Northern Cheyenne nation of Native Americans," Illyana said, waving for the students to approach. Hermione curtseyed politely after she reached the bottom step, and said, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey, Ms. Moonstar. It's very nice to meet you all." "Same here ... do you really speak snake?" Doug asked Harry with what Dani thought was a note of jealousy. "I don't do it often - not a lot of wizards think Parseltongue is a good skill to have," Harry said, his blush highlighting a large scar on his forehead. "Don't let them get you down, Harry. Snakes are of the earth - the sacred mother. They can be wise and helpful," Dani offered. Harry smiled respectfully at her, while his friend Ron goggled at Rahne and asked, "Are you a *real* werewolf, ma'am?" "Och, nae - I dinnae hae t'wait f'r a full moon t'shift. I 'm more o' what Illyana called an Animagus, jes' w'out the magic," Rahne said as she assumed her full-wolf form, then returned to her human self. Several of the students who were passing by actually broke into applause, and Rahne blushed, smiling that shy smile Dani remembered. "Bloody BRILLIANT," Ron breathed, and Hermione tried not to groan while Harry gave the women a sheepish smile. "I've rarely been somewhere where t'was so acceptin' o' my abilities," Rahne said, but Illyana just chuckled. "And now that we've had our tutorial on mutant/magical comparisons, we really should go find Diggory - Dani's had a vision in which she needs to talk to him, in hopes of restoring her own mutant ability," Illyana explained. "Oh, Cedric's in the library - er, he was. I think he's headed for dinner," Hermione said, blushing profusely as Ron looked suspiciously at her. "We'd better take this snake to Hagrid - excuse us, please, Professor, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey, Ms. Moonstar," Harry said as he picked up the cage with a grunt. Ron helped him, and they and Hermione waved as they headed for the main entrance. "Hagrid's the groundskeeper - a decent guy, but a little too enamored of really crazy magical beasts. The kids are good sorts, too - Harry's a celebrity among the magical world. He was orphaned taking down one of the most monstrous Dark wizards in modern history, and Hagrid was the first real contact Harry had with the wizarding society, so they bonded. I have to admit, I've got a soft spot for Potter and his friends, too - they've got spunk and good hearts," Illyana said, looking toward a set of giant doors. "I thought you hated spunk," Dani deadpanned. "Only when I was playing wicked witch. I wonder if ... follow me. The food here is pretty decent, even if I'm still not used to Brit chow. And if we're lucky..." Illyana said as they walked toward the doors. They opened, and Dani looked around what had to be the dinner hall - even if it looked like the roof was gone, with a magnificent late-afternoon sky visible overhead. Illyana winked and said, "Illusory painting. It reflects the outside appearance ... a-HA!" The mutants walked toward one of the tables, where a brown-haired boy was chatting softly with three of his friends; all of them wore black and yellow ties, and they looked up when Illyana approached. And so did the raccoon on the tallest boy's head, while the boy's grey eyes widened at the sight of Dani - and she smiled. She'd found her badger. ------------------------------------ Dani watched Illyana approach the Hufflepuff students, and the one with the raccoon on his head stood, an intrigued look on his face. He chatted with Illyana for an instant - - ~as Dani saw *herself,* and wondered if she had any beans, while she tried to hold onto Ced's head~ - "Dani !?" Rahne and Doug had caught her, but Dani couldn't help but smile as Illyana approached with the now-standing boy, while his raccoon moved to his shoulder. "Dani Moonstar of the Northern Cheyenne, Hufflepuff fifth-year prefect Cedric Diggory - and Esiban," Illyana introduced. "Ma'am. It's a pleasant surprise to meet someone from the First Nations here across the pond," Cedric said, as he shook Dani's hand. "Nice to meet you, Cedric," Dani said. "How'd you get -?' "I ... sort of snuck him back with me after I visited Canada a few years ago. I was invited by a meda of the Anishinaabeg to visit them, and Esiban adopted me," Cedric admitted, half-smiling. Dani could see why Hermione had blushed when she'd mentioned Cedric - a little more growth, and he'd be knocking women dead wherever he went (if he wasn't already) - but she had an age limit, and she was here on business. "I ... hope this doesn't sound odd, but I ... dreamt about you, night before last," Dani tried to explain - she hoped she didn't sound utterly *insane* to a British boy she'd never met - "Walking between worlds?" She blinked, and he blushed - slightly - as he said, "I learned about the concept of spirit travel in Canada. Was there anything specific you saw in your dream?" "A badger with grey eyes, and a raccoon on its - your - head, amid a pile of stones. It must've been metaphorical ... unless I mind-linked with Esiban," Dani said, laughing when Esiban clambered back onto Cedric's head. "And your House - what do your badgers stand for?" "European badgers are pack animals, and Hufflepuff is much like that. We watch out for each other. We take everyone in, regardless of what they are - it's who they are that matters. We try to make sure everyone has a voice," Cedric started to explain. "Everyone gets a voice in the tribe. They help each other in times of need -" Dani said - she could recognize the Cheyenne traits, and Esiban chittered merrily as he met her eyes - - and then a wave of cold swept the room, as a dementor drifted into the Great Hall, seemingly looking for someone. "What in the name of the Abyss - dementors aren't supposed to get into the castle !?" Illyana snarled, pulling her Soulsword from her chest. Rahne assumed her transitional form, surprising a few of the students, but Illyana looked at the teens intently. "Get OUT of here - go find Professor Dumbledore, NOW! Doug, go with them - Dani -" Illyana blurted - - but the dementor picked up speed, heading right for them - - and Dani looked right at *Esiban,* and KNEW - And she turned around, as raccoon and toad and bird and every other animal sang in her mind. "HOYA, hell-fiend!" Dani shouted, stepping between the dementor and the others as she said, "I am Danielle Moonstar, mutant, Cheyenne - and warrior. " She gestured, and the arrow and bow were in her hands as if she'd never lost them, the words coming to her as from a dream: "I know what you dementors really are - despair made manifest, hopelessness given form. But if you want my family and friends, you have to go through me. "And that is NOT going to happen." And she drew, and released. And an arc of golden energy leapt from the bow, piercing the dementor - - which screamed, and clutched its head - - and *exploded.* The blast-wave tossed Dani back into Rahne's arms, while Illyana cursed in a manner NOT likely to be looked upon well by the Hogwarts board of governors, and she tossed up a magical force dome to protect them and the students. "Are ye a'right!?" Rahne gasped, shifting to human form. She and Doug helped Dani back up, but she just smiled and dusted herself off before nodding at an old man with a long beard and a squarish hat. "Professor Rasputin? Was that a dementor which just - exploded?" he asked, surprisingly without anger - in fact, Dani thought he might be rather *happy,* if the situation wasn't so serious. "My old classmate blew it up, Headmaster. Danielle Moonstar, Professor Albus Dumbledore," Illyana said, sounding a little awed - as if she hadn't expected Dani to blast the creature. Dani shook Dumbledore's hand and said, "I'm sorry, sir - but it was coming for us, and I couldn't let it harm anyone - but how could my mutant powers affect a magical creature? They're supposed to be projections of fear or joy, or psionic attacks." "If my senses do not deceive me, Ms. Moonstar, you are more than 'just' a mutant - I sense a strong magical energy about you. And from what you told me of your power ... dementors can be driven off by strong feelings of happiness, or a physical projection of the same, which we call a Patronus," Dumbledore said, winking. "Pit-spawn - Moonstar, you're a walking Patronus! AHAHAHAHA - did you SEE that thing!? It popped like a balloon!" Illyana cackled, before she quickly quieted herself and tried to look contrite when Dumbledore glanced at her. His expression was mischevious, though, and he replied, "While we should not make a habit of ... exploding ... the Azkaban guards, they were given fair warning of the castle being out of bounds. I thank you, Ms. Moonstar, for very possibly saving innocent lives." "You're welcome, Professor. And I should thank you - and your students, and my friends - for helping remind me of who I am," Dani said. She smiled at Cedric, who was blushing profusely as he took Esiban off his head and held the raccoon out to Dani. She carefully let Esiban sniff her hands, then accepted him into her arms and said, "Trickster. I spent the past two years deceiving myself, that I'd betrayed my clan. But I didn't do that UNTIL I left and stayed too long in Lame Deer. And you had to remind me, didn't you?" Esiban just yawned expressively, then Dani returned him to Cedric, their hands brushing - - and a chill that had nothing to do with the dementors ran down Dani's spine, as she looked at Cedric for a moment. "Ms. Moonstar ... ?" Cedric asked, as he let Esiban climb back on his head. Dani just forced a smile and said, "I ... thanks, Cedric, for everything. I ..." "I need to get some air." She couldn't find the words to tell him that she'd seen Death - hazy, in the future, but still Death - around him. #*All* my powers are back ...# ------------------------------------- finis ... ? ------------------------------------- NOTES: ------------------------------------- The idea for this stemmed from a throwaway line in my last "epic" story, "The Flatscan Prince" (three guesses what inspired THAT title), where one of Scott and Jean's kids in this timeline mentions that Dani lost her powers and had to leave X-Force. And a plot-bunny was born ... but it didn't hop, so to speak, until Illyana went to Hogwarts. It made sense that - given Dani and Illyana's bond in the original New Mutants - that Dani might seek a clue to her lost powers from her old friend. I wanted to avoid making it sound as if Dani was wrong to look for answers among the Cheyenne. I'd think she'd need to do so ... at least at first. Dani's power-loss here has nothing to do with the ... *coughhideouscough* ... Decimation "event" last year from Marvel. Instead, I wanted to explore the note in the second New Mutants series that her powers were on a decline ever since she returned from Asgard. It was obvious that something terrible happened to her during her time there, but we've never seen exactly *what.* Hence, plot-bunny groweth ... so, I figured I'd looked at what that might have led to in an AU ... As for Ced and Esiban - well, Minisinoo's interpretation of Cedric in "The Way I See It" inspired his presence here, and Esiban is a great OC of Min's. Combine that with the Cheyenne word, for raccoon - "Macho-on," one who makes magic - and it all clicked :) Sincere thanks to Min for letting me borrow Esiban, and by extension, her version of Ced. This is NOT, however, an AU prelude of "Finding Himself." At this point, this timeline is in the very early part of Prisoner of Azkaban, and I don't want to poach on Min's turf. As for Doug and Rahne - here, Rogue was the first New Mutants' main teacher (long story), and she saved Doug from the Ani-Mator. Rahne was rescued from Genosha before she was transmoded, and she and Doug married. They're pretty much meant to be Moira's heirs - I can't really see Rahne and Doug joining X-Force, but the Ramseys are still close friends with the team. And Illyana - well, as with Doug, I never liked her being killed off. So, she's back - and as already noted elsewhere in this series, she brings PLENTY of practical Dark Arts experience to Hogwarts ;) There may yet be New Mutants I/HP crossovers; I still have a plotbunny for Sam Guthrie and a Quidditch match ... and what WILL happen to Dani? Phil H.