Fawne couldn’t help but feel slightly at awe when she walked into the room, her footsteps making hardly a murmur as she walked silently behind the Headmaster with the others. Pictures from the ages stared down from the walls them, some moving and some still, though all responsible for making her feel more than slightly tiny in the grand scheme of things. The misty look in her eyes made it clear her mind was off else where, she was thinking back on the history of the school; old Headmasters, events, traditions, amongst other things of course.
It wasn’t until the current headmaster’s voice broke over her thoughts that she showed any signs of being aware. She stopped walking, pausing next to the others as she spotted the table in the room. Her eyes shifting into focus as her hands wrapped themselves together. It was a nervous gesture she wasn’t used to displaying; a gesture that seem at odds with her serene outer appearance. With shallow and bated breaths she listened to the Headmaster speak, her mind digesting the words in complete silence and since she had no questions to ask she shook her head in response to him.
Finally free to think her eyes were now roaming languidly over the items. She was looking for any similarity between them; colour, texture and name sake being the first things she considered. Her mind drew blank on all counts and she very almost sighed, the most obvious connection was the food items but that hardly seemed a challenge to figure out and her very soul knew it was the wrong answer. With practised ease she shut her eyes and blocked out the other people in the room, her mind roaming over the items from memory. A thought suddenly crossed her mind, perhaps she had to link them back to the last challenge? The one in which she had won a Phoenix egg, in that case what did she know about Phoenixes? Not a great deal aside from the basics.
Now she did sigh, after all CoMC was not her best subject; with a slow fluid movement she opened her eyes, like she was waking from slumber. Just as they began to refocus her grey orbs caught sight of something interesting in one of the photos. A small half smile sprung to her lips. There in the photo stood an old Headmaster; he was about three or four Headmasters ago actually, the interesting bit about this photo, aside form the students surrounding him, was that on his shoulder perched a phoenix. The fiery bird was his pet, no familiar. With renewed concentration her mind skimmed over all she knew about the man, from his chocolate frog card to his biography. Just from the little snippets her mind remembered she was suddenly sure of the three items she should pick, hoping her mind had travelled down the right conclusions.
She wasn’t sure whether she was to wait for the other contestants or just go and give her answer, not being one to dither about she quickly rose a slender hand and pointed at the three items she had choose in turn, with her free right hand that is; her left was now clutching her wand. Her voice was soft and melodic as she spoke, making it seem like she was barely paying attention though she was obviously set on her choices.
“I rather think the raspberry jam, the wool socks and the lemon drops are linked items. I do believe he was known for giving out lemon drops and he was once quoted saying raspberry jam was his uttermost favourite. The socks I believe are what he often asked for as gifts, though my memory is a little vague on that since he was slightly before my era… I rather suppose I should show my patronous the items now? He will be most confused I’m sure. ” She didn’t say Albus Dumbledore’s name once; she didn’t think she needed to, hoping someone would draw the same conclusions as she had. Without waiting for a response to her statement-question she pointed her wand towards the table.
She didn’t close her eyes but they clearly went misty, she was happy that she’d had him teach her the patronus charm the year before, other wise she would be stuffed right now. With a small sigh she focused her heart and mind back onto the memory of him teaching her, his smile and the atmosphere; this was one of her happiest thoughts, since the rest were commonplace and cheerful. With a small voice she softly spoke the charm ‘expecto patronum’ without further prompting silver sprouted form the end of her wand, forming a corporeal shape in front of the table. Her patronus was a bear cub, though what type of bear was debatable. The creature looked cute enough, hardly harmful, as it floated forward towards the items seemingly knowing Fawne’s wishes. She watched curiously, though still concentrating on the spell. She was most surprised by his reaction…