Moving forward with a bit more urgency now thanks to the surge of adrenaline , Valerie was even more methodical and precise in her movements. Her owl eyes only remaining in one direction for a few seconds in any which direction, the air around her grew a chill so cold that she had to pause once to touch a bit of moisture that had trickled formed on her cheek to see if the icy particles had cut her. Interesting. What was even more interesting was how vividly she could see her breath now, only confirming her suspicions when she had initially entered the forest.

It seemed all too…predictable.

Sense somewhat heightened in anticipation, the Wampus turned quite suddenly off the path when she heard the scream coming from a slightly different direction. The sudden change in course caused her to stumble slightly as her footing left the flattened dirt path and entered slightly more uncharted territory, but the scream was getting louder, more distinct, and it only added fuel to the fire burning through her veins.

Then just off to the right there was the distinct snap of a twig and the sixteen year old had snapped her head around just in time to see a small humanoid figure appear from out of the darkness. He reflexes had her wand thrust in its direction and the incantation to a Full Body-Bind Curse on the tip of her tongue when she found her wand pointing right between the eyes of a small boy, a boy no older than Joshua or Ryan, and her arms were moving to wrap themselves around him protectively and instinctively before she could stop herself. Quickly remembering a moment later that she was still under the influence of the Disillusionment Charm, she pointed her wand to herself to remove the charm with silent Finite to make herself visible once more. “Where did yo---”

But her query was soon cut off in due part to the foul stench of the Dark creature before burning her nostrils and causing her stomach to twist and knot. The nagging suspicion that it was absurd to believe that this boy was simply that was very present in her mind. Why would a boy so young be out here all alone? Were the Boards of Governors between the two schools really that heartless to endorse this sort of behavior with their money? Faulty this foolish? Valerie was not buying it and her guard was anything but down. She was suspecting polyjuice potion in play (although perhaps hoping was the better word) but it if turned out that someone had optioned to sacrifice this small boy’s sanity for the ‘joy’ of competing...well...they were going to wish they were meeting a dementor in the woods rather than Valerie Gray in the flesh.

However, given other circumstances, her focus was needed elsewhere and thoughts ceased here.

Her wand hand was moving before anything else, reflexes kicking in along with the need to act swiftly before the rattling breathing of the cloaked figure could begin to influence her mind. The close proximity was already taking a bit of its toll, feelings of helplessness seeping back into her bones and causing her arm to feel a bit sluggish and heavy as she raised her wand while she kept her other firmly on the boy’s shoulder in front of her.

Inhaling sharply through her mouth, Valerie drew on the only moment where she had ever felt truly liberated from the weights of the world and at peace in her heart. She could feel the feathers growing out of her skin in a ticklish ripple as her tall and slender frame began to shrink. Light and ethereal, she took to the sky for the first time and and flew away from all that contained her as the world beneath her talons grew small and insignificant. Freedom. Complete unadulterated freedom. Just herself and the sky. Just her.

Eyes narrowing on dark cloaked figure, she performed a simple circle with her wand before speaking the incantation loud and clear. “Expecto Patronum!” Silvery light began to pour and swirl out of her wand to create a swirling pillow upon the ground surrounding the creature. Balling up as it picked up speed, the glowing mass soon rolled itself into the strong form of a Corsican Ram that cantered around Valerie and the boy once to pick up speed before charging with everything it had ahead at the dementor.