An Owl for Zazuka

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Freckles once more flew in the direction that was fast becoming familiar to him again. Thankfully the journey was so much shorter and the cold was not as biting or invasive. He saw the castle up ahead and decided that he would take the letter to the Owlery and wait for the girl there. He was old and tired and the rest as he waited for her would do him the world of good.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

The letter this time was not from Andromeda but from her Godmother Esmerelda.

My Dearest Zazuka,

I knew you would most likely be worried on your friends behalf but I beg you now not to be. Her mother finally saw sense, goodness knows what she was thinking all this time but she gave me permission to have Andromeda live here with me and to attend Hogwarts again next year.

I took her from the school as quickly as I could and not a moment too soon either. She looks so delicate and frail, barely skin and bone now. So unkept and wild looking as well. They abused her no end because of what she becomes, they have no tolerence what so ever for 'magical beasts' as they refer to them and cited so many laws and such to me that they were well in their rites for ... I don't know if I should even be telling you this but I know she won't and you must understand the extend of her captivity for that is what it came to in the end. They took her from her dormitory and put her quarters in the dungeon. She was only allowed out for class and then had to be supervised at all times, they banned her from using her wand even to practise with between classes until they eventually just took it from her and only gave it to her for Charms and Dark Arts class.

She has been gravely ill due to malnutrition and neglect and has been in bed rest for the past three days since she got here. My beautiful vivacious godchild seems to have disappeared for good and all I am left with is a shell of her. She does not talk, can barely eat and wakes with the most horrendous of nightmares. She will be spending the summer here recuperating before I allow her to go to back to Hogwarts in September. So any letter you wish to write to her send them here. I am sure she would love to hear from you. Visitors are out of the question though for now, she has been seen by two healers from St. Mungos and all they do is shake their heads and order bed rest and plenty of peace and quiet. So this I must allow her.

I am even considering bringing her when her health is much improved back to Ireland for a short visit to her grandmother and family. Perhaps her home country will do her the world of good. At least she is in good hands now and no more harm will come to her.

Yours Sincerely,

Essie Smickett

 

[Zazuka Getathorn]

Zazuka races up to the owlry the moment someone told her that Freckles had come into the owlry again. She was huffing and puffing with a pacage in her hand. She had spent her time making things and trying to find a way to get them to Andy without getting her in trouble. She had already found out a way get letters to her but had yet to put it in action. Inside the package where the fruits of her labor. Two reguler sized dolls she had made one was one of her gothic ones that she had etched the name Nova across the right foot which was covered by a pair of platforms and socks. This one looked more like a child than the others but looked bound by the straps on her arms and the chain that went from a sliver flower on her neck to her hand. Across her chest in Runic it was writen "Let no man that can belong to himself be of another."

The other was a fearie that she had made a mix of old and new she was as big as nova but she was all in green even the hair. All of the Linda doll looked innocent except for the heavy combat boots on her feet. She was posable with wire on the inside the arms and legs so she could be put in any possition that it was possble for the arms and legs to go. She had also put a charm on the wings so they fluttered when ever they wanted. Zazuka had been particurly proud of this one.

A companing the two bigger dolls where four smaller ones attached to keychains so they could be taken anywhere. Thies had been placed under Zazuka's favoret animation spell and made to dance why they where put into the light. She made it that way because she thought it would be a little annoying if they danced durring the night. Zazuka found thies funny and hoped that Andy would find them so too. Each had wings as well but thies where in rainbow colors.

Zazuka knew that if Andy's owl was here it ment that things where getting better. She paced the package on the side and catching the look in Freckles' aging eyes she smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to make you carry them. I will get another owl to help you." She said then took the letter off his leg. He looked greatful to Zazuka but that might have been because she got a small bit of food from another owl and some water so he could eat and drink while she read the letter. It was her surpise that it was not from Andy herself but from Ms. (Or Mrs.) Smickett on behafe of Andy. Zazuka read the letter as egerly as she would have read the newest version of Binzenghast until she got to the part where Ms. Smickett told her what had been done to her best friend.

With a braking heart Zazuka put the letter down carfuly and sat on the window still to write. She pondered for a while what to say. What would make any of this better? What could she say to bring her friend back? Zazuka taped her quill on the paper then took out one of the small fearies from the package. The fearie true to her charm started to dance to a beat only she could hear. Zazuka laughed softly as she watched the little faerie dance then came up with what she was going to write. She didn't know if it would mean anything to Andy but still she would try.

My Dearest and most importent of my friends Andy,

I have no clue what to say. You have learned over the last year what I had eched in my skin over nine years. That is that human beings no matter how brillent we think we are, no matter how beautiful the things we creat are we too can be the most horroble monsters in the world. And they really are the monsters not you no matter how they have treated you. Please remember that you have friends good friends that would give up the world for you. Or at least I would. I would have cursed every single one of them the moment I learned how for what they did to you. But now you are safe and I am happy. Evey happyer that you are comeing back next year.

Everyone is waiting for you and I even came up with a plan to get you back to New Zealand which would have risked getting expelled but I don't care. That is how much I care about you my sister in spirit. It is not fair what they did to you it is not right and I would plot revenge if I know I could exsact it but for the moment I can't because I don't know where the school is. Only thing stoping me and they had better thank thier lucky stars. Please remember that I too have nightmares but it only my fourtune that I don't remember them when I wake up. I think I maybe sharing your nightmares but I wouldn't know. What I do know is that you are coming home. You are coming back where you belong.

Inclosed in this letter I have sent you my latest creations. One is named Nova, the other Linda. The four winged dancers you can name yourself because they are yours to keep and do with as you wish. It seemes silly now that I know what you have gone though but please remember that there are people that care about you me above all others and Brian who I know come in a close second. I hope you like them because I don't know if you got the other dolls I sent you for Christmas and also because I don't know if your in the mood for dolls anymore.

Lost of love, hope, cheer and good wishes to you my sister,
Zuka

Zazuka looked over the letter many times trying to think of what else she could say then desided that it was the best she could do. She hoped that she would be happyer when the letter got to her. Zazuka attached the letter to Freckles' leg and true to her word let a school owl out it's cage. She attached the package with the dolls inside to it's leg after putting back the faerie dancer she had taken out. Zazuka sent them on thier way together and stood there watching them sink into the horizon. All her hopes went with them.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

The days that passed after Andromeda had received Zazuka's letter and gifts had brought a new sense of hope into her heart. Though she still lay in her bed on the healers orders, recuperating and gaining some strength back, Andromeda knew her spirit was not as it once was. She cuddled the dolls to her and though they did not ease the pain that tortured her soul, they helped her to know that the world wasn't full of hateful, spiteful ignorant people. She still woke with horrible nightmares of being locked up in the dungeon, of being jeered at and even the class where they had cast innumberable spells on her in her werewolf form to see her reaction. She had been so aware of all those girls and boys and the professor of Dark Arts, the humiliation had been unabearable but she had had to take it, accept it and continue with the tiniest shred of dignity she had left. By the time Esmerelda had come to fetch her home, this too had been taken from her. There was nothing left, just the bare bones of a girl that once resembled someone she knew.

The letter from Zuka was tucked under her pillow, she could no longer read it as her tears had made every word blurry but she knew it by heart. It had been her bestfriends that had got her through as long as she had. Part of Andromeda knew that if Essie hadn't come for her when she did, there might be no Andromeda to collect. Even now her spirit seemed so detached from her body, as much as she tried to muster up enthuasiasm for anything that Esmerelda lay before her or said to her, she couldn't. The will to do anything, to be anything was drained. She had experienced her first full moon outside of the dungeon of Durmstrang in the comfortable secluded magically protected room that Esmerelda had set for her, she was taking her wolfsbane religiously again and though her mind was that of Andromeda and her bodies was that of the wolf, she cried. The entire night through, the wolf howled pitifully and the girl sobbed within for everything she had lost and for everything that had been taken from her.

Freckles her old tired out Owl had flown his last message and now was happily retired in the barn at the back of Esmerelda's orchard. Even the thought of having to buy a new pet didn't cheer her up any. For now if she needed to post, she was allowed to use Esmerelda's spotted eagle owl. Her hand shook as she attempted her first proper letter to Zuka, she knew it would be short but she needed to thank her.

Dear Z,

I love the dolls, thank you. I am still in bed and am under strict orders not to leave it until I have gained some weight and some strength. Please excuse my bad handwriting, I am still so very weak.
I just wanted to say thank you for everything. I know this is so very short and I am sorry for that but I will write again as soon as I feel better.

Your dearest friend,

Andy

 

[Zazuka Getathorn]

A gloom had settled in on Zazuka since the last time she had written to Andy. I had nothing to do with Andy now that she knew that she was in safe hands though she did worry about her best friend's health. No this bout of depression had come about because of her own nightmares. She didn't know what she was dreaming about but she knew that it had to be terrable to leave her in such an sad state. By the time Andy's new letter came however that gloom had started to lift. Zazuka was smiling a bit more and jokeing and even picking her hair up again. For the week that had come before the arival of the new letter Zazuka had done nothing but brush her hair stright. It looked nice but it created sort of a puffy curten around her face which blocked it from veiw. It was made worse by the fact that Zazuka had taken to looking at the ground instead of the sky.

The alure of a bell blue sky however didn't lose it appel for long. This was what had called Zazuka up to Owlry in the first place. She knew that this owl was not trusty Freckles but a spotted owl the letter on it's leg was adressed to her though. Zazuka treated it like Freckles though by giving it a pirch, some food and water after taking the letter from it's leg. She read the letter and laughed to herself. Shaking her head Zazuka took her quill and parchment out of her book bag which never left her side now that exams where right around the corner. As happyer as she was Zazuka could not help but look a bit frazzled like the rest of the school because of this.

Dear Andy,

You don't know how lucky you are to be at home right now. The entire school is up in arms at the moment because of the exams. I just thank Merlin that I am not fifth year. I don't know what I am going to do once O.W.L's sesson comes for me. I'm happy to hear that you getting better and I agree with the healer on you staying in bed. As much as I would like to get permission to go see you I know that you are in no condition for visiters. I will write to ask Ms. Smickett if I can go and see you over the summer holiday. If I can I will go an see you every day I can. I have missed you terrebly.

Especially since the new Herbology teacher showed up. I think you and Kailey are the only ones I could trust with this because you know and I don't think Brian would believe me if I told him. Of a logical mind that one is. Anyway Professor Rambolt has retired from teaching and is now only active as Deputy Headmistress. The new Professor of Herbology is a horrible man called Professor Styx. I am not the only one that thinks so most of the student body hates him too but I am the only one that reacts to him the way I do. I get phisicly sick whenever I go into the Herbology classroom with the new Professor inside. I have been writing strainge things on the cover of my Herbology text book Wolves Run Amongst the Sheep. over and over again.

It has nothing to do with you because you are not here. Anyway I don't think that it has anything to do with real wolves. I think it's medeforical. I met Professor Cross and he's huge. I think he's a half giant but that's only my guess. Eather that or he could just be really really tall. Professor Loyd is still here thank Merlin but the Histroy of Magic Professor has been replaced. I like her. She's got cool eyes and she really knows her stuff. The fact that she gave me a 13 on my last paper has not influenced my desition in the least. Write back soon if you can and I will be seeing you soon again if I can. Reast and get better then we can be up and about in no time.

Your spirit sister,

Zuka

Again Zazuka looked over her letter and sighed. She had put in things about school and classes and her worries with her 'gift' because Zazuka thought that Andy needed a rest from all this Drumstrang bussness. Really she would never mention it again if she thought that would help. Carfuly she attached the letter to the spotted owl's leg and sent it on it's way. She put back the food and water in the cage of the school owl she had taken it from then sat down to do a little studying. There was no reason to not learn a little bit more of what she thought would be in the exam.