A Little Bit Of (Virtual) Practice
matilda-nott:
Dierdra’s idea of making a fake dementor was intriguing. She wasn’t sure if they would have the same effect as normal dementors - would the drain all the happiness out of the room? If she were in a virtual reality it would surely feel like that. And therefore it would be excellent practice.
“That’s a wonderful idea Dierdra. We could practice summoning our patronuses in real time with dementors right in front of us!” It would almost feel like being an auror or something, fighting the dementors off without the risk that they’d actually hurt her.
When they reached the tent and dipped inside she explained to the employee what they wanted. The staff member nodded, clearly not put off by the request. She’d probably had some much stranger requested today. It didn’t take long before the charm was being cast.
“You ready?” She was nervous now they were actually being thrown into the situation. Before Dierdra had time to answer Matilda’s vision went black momentarily before fading into a dark alley, filled with fog, not unlike where Dierdra and Matilda had been that night they’d met.
Matilda grabbed her wand raising it whipping her head around waiting for a dementor to emerge from the fog.
Dierdra was only a tad bit concerned about Matilda’s enthusiasm for practicing with dementors right in front of them, since it was less of an actual suggestion than a passing thought. She had done one really good attempt and the odds then had been in her favor. She wasn’t an actual Auror and while this one very particular seasonal life skill was probably useful, it wasn’t what she had hoped to be doing.
She hadn’t been able to stop this intention from being spoken out into the world, manifested in the universe. Everything had gone dark, but only for a moment, though Dierdra felt she had turned her head and just appeared in Diagon Alley. That trip had felt a lot easier than Apparating, though that was only the first thing about it that was terrifying.
Matilda was in front of her, ready for a dementor, though Dierdra herself felt like she had to shout through the fog. Of all the things to use a fantasy escape charm for, this was at the absolute bottom of Dierdra’s list when she reached for her wand.
“What did you do?”
She gritted her teeth, trying to reach for that memory that had done her well the first time. Could this reality be manipulated from within the charm? Or does the caster outside have to deal with whatever’s happening? Her last charm drove them off, but it was barely much of anything except a temporary shield.
Instead she stepped forward into the mist—not any more brave than before, but exasperated. She wasn’t going to die, and it wasn’t a happy memory that was going to save her, but pure willpower. She raised her wand, half wishing she could punch something instead.