Although the days seemed to go by slowly, Cassiopeia-Hera Lestrange was distracted by the bizarre message she found on her bird companion, Crumbs. Someone had gotten a hold of the bird and attached the note onto it. She wasn't sure if the note was truly meant for her, but the single sentence written on the small roll of parchment paper deeply resonated with her. It was because of this, anxiety settled in and she felt like she was being watched wherever she went.

In the Great Hall, Hera sat beside her best friend, Elena Huang, joining the rest of the of their fellow Slytherin housemates for dinner. There was an excited chatter amongst the students, it was already the fifth of December, which meant that soon enough, the Christmas break will arrive. Those who wanted to stay for the duration of the holiday, would be giving their names to their House Heads. Many will be heading to their respective homes, and only a few will be staying in Hogwarts Castle.

Both Draco and Hera was expected to return home for the holiday. The though of returning home made her nervous. There was no way she could avoid Lucius as soon as she stepped foot into the Malfoy Manor. He'd question her about her process, and of course, didn't want to be disappointed to hear that someone may be watching Hera and may know of what she was up to.

Elena watched her friend, stir the soup in front of her absent-mindedly. Usually, she'd be talking with her, talking about the things happening around the castle or the occasional gossip. After she had discovered the truth about Daphne and Blaise, Hera had become more withdrawn and to herself, often secluding herself. She now spent more time in the dorms than she did before, and would often find excuses to stay behind rather than join Elena.

"Hera." She nudged her friend out of the daze she was in. The said girl, blinked and looked at her with a puzzled look. "What?"

"You look out of sorts, are you alright?" She was concerned. Although Hera was quiet in nature, it was strange that she was behaving this way. "What do you mean?"
"I know something's bothering you." Elena started to whisper. "Is it about what we found out the other day?"

"No-" "Miss Lestrange."

The two girls looked behind them to see Professor Snape standing there. He didn't seem all to pleased to be there, but yet again, he always looked like he had been forced to sniff cat waste. "Come with me."

Hera gave a look to Elena, who just shrugged. She stood up from the table, stares lingered at her as she followed Snape out of the Great Hall, making her feel very self-conscious.

At the entrance of the Great Hall, they encountered a woman, thin with greying hair, dressed in red dress robes, waiting for them. Her face was stern, and her lips were painted a glossy red, looking as though she was a burlesque model who aged gracefully. She nodded at Severus, before looking at Hera up and Down. "If any harm comes upon her-"

The woman in red interrupted him. "Severus, you forget who I am."

Hera could feel the glare that Snape directed at the woman. "My office is at your disposal, Yvonne." With that, he turned and returned to the Great Hall.

There were several students now exiting the hall, having finished their dinner and were now heading to their dorms to rest. The woman looked at Hera with her sharp stare. "Come with me."

They walked down to the dungeons, where Professor Snape's office was. Students parted to make way for the woman in red and Hera, who followed behind her meekly. There was a commanding, dominant aura around the woman, and Hera was nervous. She didn't know what was to happen.

Then thought dawned upon her. Was she the one who attached the note to Crumb's leg? Was she there to finally interrogate her because of what she knew?

She did not have a good feeling, and anxiety grew in the pit of her stomach.

They were now standing in Professor Snape's office, the woman in red leaned against his desk. She watched Hera with her ice-like stare, while she squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. She finally spoke. "My name is Yvonne Hopkirk, Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

As soon as Yvonne said that, Herw could feel her heart drop to her stomach. She had been found out, she concluded. Her palms started to grow sweaty as she tried to think of what her next move would be. But before she could even reply or make a move, Yvonne spoke up. "Your uncle, told me to pass this along to you."

She handed Hera a hand-sized box. Confused, Hera looked at the woman. "In that box, you will find a phial that has been touched by the rays of the moon. It's essential for your transformation."

"Trans...transformation?" She was taken back. She was completely wrong, Yvonne had been sent to give her the next steps of the process of becoming an animagus by Uncle Lucius. Although, he had been sending letters, she did not know that he'd send the phial with someone at all.

"Yes, your uncle figured it was best that we met now at the end of the cycle of the moon. As soon as the next electric storm arrives, I will be there to ease you through the transfiguration of your body. As soon as you are done you will be taken to Ministry of Magic to ensure you are registered as an animagus."

Hera took her time to absorb this new information. "So you are here to monitor me?"

"Well," Yvonne crossed her arms and used her one arm to fix her dark lipstick. "I am only here to drop off the phial. You know how to handle everything else, I am sure you have been given detailed instructions."

After hearing that, she instantly felt relieved and felt her tensed body relax from all the anxiety that had built up. "In the event that the electric storm takes place on school grounds, I will find my way here and monitor you during your transformation. If not, then during your term end break, we will do this at the Manor."

She just nodded. Her mind wandered back to the note, does she tell Yvonne about the note she received, or does she keep it a secret. Uncle Lucius already did not hold her up to his high standard like he did with Draco, so if he were to find out that she had been found out, who knows what might happen.

And so, she decided to play it safe.

"Thank you, Yvonne."

♧

Hera stood in the girls' lavatory on the second floor of the Hogwarts Castle, a place that most students avoid. It was almost time for everyone to head to their respective dormitories for the night, and she needed to do this before she lost this opportunity. It had been a full moon cycle, and she was finally going to get rid of the mandrake leaf in her mouth. 

She was sitting in one of the stalls, to further hide herself from anyone else who wants to enter the lavatory for their own personal reasons. The crystal phial was small and it was, truthfully very beautiful. It may have cost Uncle Lucius a lot of galleons, but then again, that wouldn't affect any of his finances at all. 

"That's an awfully pretty trinket you've got there." A very high pitched came from above her, making Hera jump up in shock, the phial clutched tightly in her hand. 

Hovering above the bathroom stall, the infamous Moaning Myrtle, watched her amused. "It looks like someone is doing something they're not supposed to be doing." She inched closer to Hera, "It'd be a shame if someone knew what you were up to."

She tsked as she was waved away. "Now's not a good time to taunt me, Myrtle." The Slytherin girl sat back onto the toilet seat, thinking of the next steps she was to follow. 

"And why's that?" She pressed, as she leaned against the bathroom stall wall. 

Of course, Hera knew that Moaning Myrtle was going to be lurking around her while she occupied the bathroom, but she had no choice but to endure it. "This is something very important," An idea came upon her. "If you leave me be, and keep this encounter a secret, I will give you anything you want."

This earned her interest. "Anything I want?" 

Hera nodded eagerly to express her point. "Anything you want."

"There's not much I want, I am a ghost after all." Myrtle floated away before disappearing. She reappeared closer to Hera this time. "But perhaps..."

"Harry Potter." 

This puzzled her, "You want me to bring Harry Potter? Merlin, why would you want him?"

Moaning Myrtle sighed like a lovesick girl, and it almost looked like there was a faint tinge of colour appearing across her cheeks, as if she was blushing. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?"

"Well, it depends on personal preference... you know." Hera felt awkward, but she was losing time. "Do you really want Harry Potter?"

She floated higher up, holding her cheeks as if she was trying to hide her blush. On the toilet seat, Hera cringed, her face couldn't hide it any longer. "Yes! If you bring Harry here, I will keep this whole thing a secret."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Fine, I will find a way to bring him here." 

And with that she watched Moaning Myrtle disappear with her very high pitch giggle into the thin air, hopefully to do anything else but watch her do what she was supposed to do.

There was silence, only the leaking taps could be heard, and this put Hera at ease. She was finally alone...well with the exception of the ghostly presence of Moaning Myrtle lingering around. No one was there to disturb her, or watch her. 

Once again, Hera looked at the crystal phial in her hand. She uncovered it, and finally took out the saliva-soaked mandrake leaf out of her mouth, that she had been hiding for the past moon cycle. She then placed the  In the rays of the moon, the crystal phial glittered beautifully, displaying the maker's skills.

The leaf had been softened from having absorbed her saliva for so long, but luckily it had kept its shape when she slipped it into the crystal phial, watching it slide down with the goop of her saliva. Disgusted, she wiped the leftover residue on her skirt. She then peaked into the box where a more simpler phial that held the head of Death's-head Hawk Moth. Another held the dew drops. She retreated out of the moonlight and added a teaspoon of dew drops into the crystal phial. 

Her day one was complete. 

Hera packed everything back into the box she received from Yvonne. "Myrtle!" She called out.

The ghost appeared, her head peeking out from the floor. "Yeeesss?" She drawled sweetly, probably trying to act right to ensure that Hera did well on her promise. "I need a place to keep this, if you help me hide it, I promise to bring Harry when the seven day wait is over."

She knew she couldn't keep it in her room with the rest of the girls. She couldn't risk any of them finding out if she had to keep taking it out for the next seven days. 

Myrtle came out of the the ground and floated to a darker corner of the lavatory, where she pointed to a stone in the floor. "If you can get that stone loose, you'll be able to hide it there. But I don't know if you can." Myrtle stretched the can in her sentence. Hera tapped on the stone before she took out her wand. 

"Windgardium leviosa." The stone floated, revealing a wooden compartment. It was clear someone had used it before, but it had been a while since it had been used. Cobwebs decorated it, but it was a perfect place to hide her box.

After sealing the box and putting the rock back in it's place, she washed her hands from the dirt and went back into the stall to retrieve the rest of her belongings. 

All of a sudden, the door to the lavatory opened with a heavy push. Hera immediately went to close the stall door as softly as she could. She was going to be caught and she just knew that in her bones. 

"Blaise, I don't understand." Came Daphne's voice, almost as if she was pleading. 

Hera pulled her legs up to fit on the toilet seat, crouched in a very awkward position, she couldn't afford to make a move. 

"It felt like someone was watching us, I'm sorry I grabbed you so roughly." Came Blaise's voice, his voice was quiet. 

Daphne sighed heavily. "Watching us? I don't understand why we have to keep hiding." There was a pause. "It's hard ducking and dodging - and hiding from everyone when you know there are so many students within the castle walls!"

With her eyes widening, Hera could feel herself breathe too loudly so she covered her mouth with her hand. "I know." He replied. "Your brother will kill me, you know that."

"That's a lie and you know it. Troy didn't even like pulling out the mandrakes in second year." Daphne retorted. "And there has been a few people who have seen us already. So what's the actual reason, Blaise?"

There was a silence.

"Are you not going to say something?" It sounded as though Daphne was frustrated, and she was about to explode, yet Blaise hadn't answered her.

Hera felt so awkward being a witness to the situation.

"You know what, let me know when you have a valid reason, because only Merlin knows what's going on in that brain of yours!" And with that Daphne left the lavatory, the door closed shut as soon as she said that.

There was another silence, but Hera did not move just yet. She has yet to hear Blaise leave and she did not want to risk being caught as an eavesdropper.

The Slytherin boy sighed heavily before the squeak of a tap turning and rushing water could be heard. Maybe he washing his hands. Hera wasn't too sure. But soon enough he left to, shutting the door behind him.

Finally, Hera left the bathroom stall and stood, stretching her legs. Moaning Myrtle appeared next to her, "Now, that's something very juicy."