New Dream Adventures of Raven Knight

Note: There were several more dreams, but I don't remember them in extreme detail, so I am posting my fragmented memories here as one posting.

The Path Less Taken
I am at Hogwarts, but I am not lucid. I am with Draco in the same room where we were planning out ideas for getting through the first challenge, I see the map laid out on the table with the figures Draco placed still on it, they are pacing around a bit as if rather bored. Draco himself is pacing a bit, he seems agitated about something, so I ask him what is bothering him. He says he doesn't see the point of having a challenge where we can't use magic, it is supposed to be, after all, a wizard tournament… not a muggle tournament… I tell him I don't really know the reason for this challenge, but it is part of the tournament, so we have to get passed it before we can continue to the other challenges. I look at the map again, looking at the different routes through the obstacles. One obstacle is to cross over a deep ravine, or the contestants can use a nice bridge over the ravine and meet up with flying enemies there… Another obstacle takes the form of a sheer wall, there are two ways to get past, but they are both hidden… one is a way up and over, the other is a way down and under, the locations are marked on the map with a couple of Draco's markers. There is a dense forest that is specifically designed to get people lost inside it. There is once again an easy way to navigate the forest, but there are enemies set up along it. One obstacle is a rushing river that empties into a wide lake, there is a bridge, which is blocked by enemies. Parts of the course would require crossing the rapids, or crossing the lake, or there is a shortcut to be taken by riding the rapids, then taking the right fork that comes just before the lake. I am looking at the map like I would a video game layout, deciding what would be the best choice of routes to take.

While I am looking at the map and Draco seems to be talking to himself, the door to the room creaks open… both Draco and I stop to look over at it. A cute little fox comes into the room, then actually leans up against the door to push it closed behind it. The fox comes over to me and rubs around my legs until I pick him up and start petting him. Draco is staring at this, he asks me what that is all about, why is that thing in here? I tell him he had better be nice to the fox, he responds by saying he doesn't care about any dumb old fox, I can keep it as a pet for all he cares. Draco keeps talking about ways to make sure we win, but I am more distracted by the fox now, who is definitely pushy for attention. He wants to be petted, scratched, hugged, cuddled… so I am doing all of that to make the fox happy, and I am rewarded with a purr. I finally tell Draco to calm down, we will make it through the obstacle course, the first challenge will hardly prove to be a challenge at all. He asks if I have any experience without using magic, I say actually, I do, and none of the routes on the map look like something we can't handle. My suggested path is to go the hard way over the ravine, all we would need is a couple lengths of rope, then through the forest, I have an excellent sense of direction, and over the wall, he already had the locations of the hidden ways through… so face the obstacles instead of the enemies, since enemies are much easier to handle with magic. I wonder if an item such as Witchblade would count as magic… well, I'm sure they couldn’t trace the Witchblade like they could spells in use… I would have to find that out.

A Job Search
I am in a strange room, it is rather dark and a bit on the creepy side, I am sitting in a chair facing a long table at one end of the room. There are quite a few people sitting at the table, all of them have their attention focused on me, and I am finding that to be a bit awkward, I wonder why they are all looking at me. As my eyes adjust to the dim light, however, I see that I recognize several of them. Right in the middle of the group is Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series. To his right is Professor McGonagall, beside her is Professor Sprout, then a couple people I don't recognize. To Dumbledore's left I see Professor Snape, next to him is Professor Flitwick, whom I can barely see over the table. Beside Flitwick is someone who makes my stomach churn, I feel like I might puke right in front of everyone, it's Professor Umbridge… and Flitwick does not look pleased with the seating arrangements, he is scooted as close to Snape as he can get without being overly obvious. On the other side of Flitwick is Lucius Malfoy, who has a look on his face that suggests he is smelling something foul… and he is also sitting as far from Umbridge as the table will allow, and he doesn't seem to care about being overly obvious. There is a good three feet between Umbridge and Lucius, and Lucius is crammed into the last foot of space available at the end of the table. Umbridge appears completely oblivious as to the reactions of those around her, either not noticing, or choosing not to notice.

Dumbledore is the first to speak, he says we all know why we are here, but I haven't got a clue why I'm here… He says he has found a candidate for Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, referred to him by an old acquaintance. From behind Dumbledore, Q steps forward to be seen. Q pinches his nose and points at Umbridge, miming that she stinks like something rancid. Then he mimes to me that I should pinch my nose… but I can't smell Umbridge from this far away, so I'm not sure why I would do that. Dumbledore says all of them have had a chance to review my credentials, which Q has so kindly supplied, so if there are no further questions, they would have their vote now. If the majority agree, then I am their new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. Umbridge jumps to her feet and says absolutely not, she has never heard of such a thing, Dumbledore should know very well that the ministry would assign a new instructor. Dumbledore stopped her and corrected her, that if he was unable to find a qualified candidate in the allotted time the ministry would assign a teacher, but since he had found someone in the allotted time… Umbridge huffs a few times, paces back and forth behind her chair, huffs a couple more times, then Dumbledore asks her, in a polite but firm manner, to sit down. A couple of them, Snape and McGonagall actually agree here, want to see that I can do defensive spells, the choice is finally made that I should summon a patronus since that will defend against evil energies such as dementors. So I summon my patronus after finding a wand in my pocket, and it is a beautiful white panther. Lucius wants to know why he has never heard of the 'Knight' family before, Dumbledore says I come from a distant land, but Q has given assurances that there has never been a relative of Raven Knight who was not a powerful witch or wizard, including a daughter who is being home taught. I am thinking I don't know of any relatives of Raven Knight…

They finally have a vote, everyone raises their hand to vote me in except Lucius and Umbridge. Perhapes not wanting to be siding with the likes of Umbridge, Lucius finally raises his hand to vote yes. Umbridge sternly refuses to do so, instead she sits in her seat and huffs a few more times. Dumbledore said that the decision is made, he welcomes me to the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. More loud huffs come from Umbridge. I see Q do something, and when I see Umbridge's face next time, the word BITCH is tattooed on her forehead. I have a hard time not laughing in her face, as she says she won't stand for this, and will have me removed immediately, all the while the word BITCH is changing colors on her forehead, it is actually glowing. Lucius has spotted that now, he is openly staring at Umbridge, who finally asks him what he is looking at. Lucius says he sees nothing unusual, but he sees that the truth has come to light in a surprisingly obvious way. The word BITCH flashes blue, then green, then red… Lucius gives me a strange look, welcomes me but doesn't sound like he entirely means it, then leaves. McGonagall sees the word on Umbridge's forehead and steps back in shock… "Delores!" she says, "What is that on your forehead?!" Umbridge looks at McGonagall strangely, then summons up a mirror and sees the word for herself. She curses under her breath at Lucius, apparently thinking he had done it, then storms off, huffing all the way out. The others all give me a warm welcome, saying to come back any time in the next week, and they will set me up with a room in the castle. I realize one of the people I hadn't recognized at first is Arthur Weasley… I am surprised I didn't spot him right away…