Quiet Healing. (Professor Kira )

After having to complete  her O.W.L.S a year late, Thana had managed to pass all subjects except divination which she dropped anyway, as well as a few others.  She had also been given permission to continue with her subjects and even pick up a few that she hadn't sat her O.W.L.S for, as she had done the coursework and handed in the assignments. It meant this year she only had a few new classes, mainly Astronomy. It also meant that for most of her classes she already knew the coursework because she had been forced to repeat. Thana took her repeating year as a blessing, it meant she could figure out her life and try to see what she wanted to do.

Finding herself outside one afternoon Thana walked down to the COMC area, where she knew a fresh lot of animals had come in. Quietly she made her way down and found herself face to face with a hippogryph. It wasn't a new thing for her as she had met several before, quietly and politely she bowed to it then waited for it to do the same. All animals deserved respect, something Thana enjoyed giving. Once the Hippogryph had bowed back Thana gently walked over to it, it was a beautiful creature. Looking around Thana saw a small sign, saying that it was called Nip " Well nip your not allowed to bite me" she told it, quickly understanding the name of the creature, with the bites that it tried to give her

. " You can't scare me away like other people. " she told it softly, gently using her hands to find its soft spots. Some hippogryphs were seemingly dangerous, which is what 'Nip' tried to show, but Thana knew better. She wasn't afraid of the small scratches the beautiful creature might give her  " I've wrestled werewolves and rode on the back of a wild dragon. You can't scare me." Thana gently spoke, finally finding 'Nips' soft spot and gently scratching it. " That's better isn't it?" She asked the creature, smiling softly as it raised its wing. There she saw a small injury underneath, which was probably why it bit people who tried to come near it. " How did you get that nip?" Thana asked, gently opening her bag and pulling out a few bottles and some cloths. When she had trained with Shifué he had always instructed her to take healing supplies, no matter where she went. Some poor thing might need them, once again it turned out that her Master was right.

Gently, carefully and slowly Thana went under the wing to where the laceration was, probably received from another of its kind. Ignoring the snarls and attempts at biting her, Thana put some healing lotion on the injury. Satisfied that it would heal in its own time Thana let Nip put his wing down. She knew it was a he as she had see his underside while putting on the cream. " Now you won't be in pain." She told Nip, watching as he moved his wing with more ease. " What do you say?" She asked the creature, she knew Hippogryphs were intelligent so she waited for his answer. Finally he lowered his head and let her pat him again, " there, that wasn't so hard was it ?" Thana said, pulling out a slice of steak and giving it to him. Happily he took it,  Thana found a soft brush and some oil and started working on making him beautiful. The first part was easy enough, working on the hoofs. There wasn't much of a difference between Nips hooves and a normal Horses, they both needed cleaning and bits. Quietly Thana started working away, picking up one if the hooves between her knees  and cleaning it. Talking to the creature that she knew could understand her. She found working with animals cleared and calmed her mind, as they didn't judge and with her heart problems it gave  her a chance to put that aside and focus on someone or something else which was something she really needed. She hated people thinking of her as a cripple now, which she wasn't . Animals didn't judge her on her injury, which is what she loved.

Kira has been taking care of Hogwarts's creatures for the majority of the day. Healing the hurt ones, feeding all of them, bathing the ones that couldn't do it themselves, helping with a birth in one case and just generally making sure they were all okay. It took longer than she anticipated and after a quick shower and a sandwich, the witch floo-ed to Salem to continue her work there.

Working at two schools, not just as a Professor, but a caretaker as well was incredibly taxing and left the witch exhausted by the end of the day. That didn't mean that she didn't love it, though. She loved the work and every animal and creature on both grounds and the thought of quitting either of the schools never even passed her mind. It was hard and sometimes very unpleasant, but she loved it all the same.

She knew there was at least one Hipogriff, three Nifflers, about a dozen bowtruckles and a unicorn that needed her help at the American school. She started with the bowtruckles, because even though they were proud as anything, they were the least work.

It turned out the unicorn was even more wounded than she thought and the poor thing required lots of attention, which she was happy to give. The Nifflers had a nasty bug that transfered to almost all the other ones and she had to quarantine them all, before administering the proper medication and making sure they couldn't escape from the quarantine.

At the very end, Kira walked over to where she hoped the Hipogriff would be. She was exhausted and longed for a long, hot bath and a good book.

"Hey, Nippy. Sorry to keep you waiting, love." Kira said out loud as she was approaching the creature. She was not expecting a student brushing the Hipogriff. "Oh. Hello!"

She smiled at the girl, though she was very surprised to see her there. "Miss Semele." Kira was confused. Was she back at Hogwarts? She was pretty sure she was at Salem, but she knew Thana went to Hogwarts, not Salem. Maybe she was so tired she was hallucinating. Could be possible.

"What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"


Thana looked around from where she was, she had finished cleaning Nips hooves and had begun brushing him, not noticing she was no longer alone at first. She also remembered that she hadn't caught up with all of her teachers yet to let them know she had transferred.

" If you mean at Salem, I transferred Professor. If you mean here... I needed a break and Nip needed tending to, you don't mind do you?" She asked, hopefully the COMC teacher wouldn't be too mad at her for being here.

When Thana told her she transfered, Kira grinned and chuckled with relief. It was always good to find out you weren't hallucinating.

"Oh thank God, I thought I was going insane! I don't mind, no." She walked towards the girl and the Hipogriff, so she was facing the creature. Maintaining eye contact, the witch bowed and Nip did the same. She straightened back up and went to pet him with a fond smile.

"Thank you for your help, really. There's so much to do at either of the schools and poor Nip here was at the end of my list." she explained while stroking the Hipogriff's beak. He's been at the grounds since before her and had some reservations at first, but then he began to trust her and she couldn't be more grateful for that.

She looked at the student, the small smile still playing on her lips. "Are you settling in alright? I got lost at least ten times my first week here and though it's not really as big of a castle as Hogwarts, it can still be scary."

Thana listened as nodded as Professor Kira spoke," no you aren't going insane. " she assured her teacher.

"Are you settling in alright? I got lost at least ten times my first week here and though it's not really as big of a castle as Hogwarts, it can still be scary."


" Yeah I'm settling in alright, I have a lot of the same teachers. Plus the dorms are pretty much the same in Wormwood as in Ravenclaw. And I had visited several times before transferring." She explained, finishing with Nip. " The new schedule took some getting used to though, and my new routines." Thana answered, both in school and with her new heart problems. " Nip and I are getting on well. He isn't as grumpy as he makes out, I like coming down here. The animals and creatures don't judge, it's a nice change from being told I'm a cripple. The animals don't judge on what you can or can't do."

Kira listened to Thana and smiled. She was glad the girl was settling in well, though of course some problems were to be expected.

"The animals and creatures don't judge, it's a nice change from being told I'm a cripple. The animals don't judge on what you can or can't do."

This took her by surprise, though and it took a few seconds for Kira to find the words. "Having a disability doesn't mean you can't do anything or live your life to the fullest. It's hard, yes, but there's no reason for you to hold back at anything. Set your pace and go get your goals." she said, slowly at first and then more confidently.

"My brother lost a leg when he was 17 and now he has an artificial one and he's a dragon keeper in Romania." she told Thana. She was incredibly proud of Joe and even though she knew he hated being used as inspirational example, he was one.

"And if anyone tells you that you can't do something, and you feel you can, just do it. Do it and don't let people limit you because of their fears. Also, if there's someone bullying you, you can tell me and we'll take proper measures." the Professor said firmly.

Continuing to brush Nip as she listened, Thana thought about what her teacher was saying. Thana greatly respected Professor Kira and knew that she was someone she could listen to for advice.


"And if anyone tells you that you can't do something, and you feel you can, just do it. Do it and don't let people limit you because of their fears. Also, if there's someone bullying you, you can tell me and we'll take proper measures." the Professor said firmly.


Thana hesitated before answering her Professor, unsure of how to word her response. " No one is bullying me, though that wouldn't bother me as much as everyone treating me like I'm a porcelain doll that could break. Yes I have a faulty heart, I know that. I know I can't keep up my training anymore, or fly for my house team or even run to class too often but I know my limits.

I'm proud that I defended my school and my friends. I know it sounds weird but people are being too nice. Trying to make me feel better, I understand it but I don't want to be treated differently. It's hard enough with the stress and medication and stuff. I just wish people would treat me like the old me." Thana said quietly to her Professor. " I don't want their pity I want their respect." She explained, hating that people looked down on her as a cripple. Quietly she finished brushing nip and started packing away the tools she had used, she didn't want to leave any mess for her Professor to clean up.

Kira was quiet whilst Thana was talking, listening intently. She knew it must be hard for the girl, it was a difficult time for everybody. Her own daughter had lost her parents in the war and was forced into battle twice already. It wasn't fair and these kids deserved so much better than to be dealing with things like that. Even now that the supremacists have been caught and there wasn't any ruling terror, it was still difficult.

Now everybody was licking their wounds, trying to get back to their lives as they had been before the war, but it wasn't the same. Everybody had scars now, visible or not. Everyone had something horrible to deal with and not everybody knew how to. For Kira, it was dealing with the fact that her students have died or have been injured and she saw the pain everywhere. She wanted to make it better, to fix it, but she didn't even know where to begin or how to do it.

For now, it seemed, making Thana feel better would be enough. At least she could do that.

"I know it's frustrating, to be treated like that. It's their way of making themselves feel better, I think. You know, pity you and try to be as nice as possible, so they can pat themselves on the back and tell themselves they're good people." she said. "I'm not saying they're not good people, mind! It's just their way of dealing with being helpless." she shrugged.

"They can't do anything to help you otherwise, or to help other people and so they treat you like that. It's wrong, of course. Have you tried telling them that you're still you?" she asked the girl, while absentmindedly stroking Nip's beak.

She remembered having this exact conversation with Joe, when their parents wanted to cater to his every need and wouldn't let him do things, because they thought he couldn't do them. Joe was stubborn, though and he did as he pleased, and he succeeded.

"You can show everyone that you're still strong, even though you've got some limitation. Just be yourself and don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. You know your limits and I have every faith that you can take care of yourself." Kira smiled. "And if you sometimes have absolutely no clue as to what to do next, or have no idea what you're doing, it's okay. Most adults have no idea what to do and we all just sort of wander around, looking for some kind of instructions." she laughed.

Being told she was the cop out for people's emotions didn't really seem like a good thing for Thana, but she took what Professor Kira said anyway and listened to her. Sitting down on a rock once she had finished packing everything away that she had used.

"You can show everyone that you're still strong, even though you've got some limitation. Just be yourself and don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. You know your limits and I have every faith that you can take care of yourself."

Thana nodded at what Profesor Kira said , " I have tried to tell people that I'm no different but they still treat me the same. It's going to have to be something I get used to I guess. I know I can take care if myself. ... Thankyou Professor." Thana said to Kira, she always seemed to feel better after she spoke to her. " If you ever need help with the animals let me know, if not do you mind if I come down here and gather my thoughts ?" She asked of her Professor.