That managed to break through Padma's own funk; while she had not participated in the fight directly, according to Ted she had been running around in a panic while the rest of you were outside, dragged in two directions by her fear and her desire to help. Her turmoil and fatigue were emotional rather than magical. "You tinkered around with the Patronus Charm? Why? When?"
"I couldn't get it to work correctly, so I thought understanding how it worked would make it easier to cast. Once I did, I remade it so it would be dangerous to things besides Dementors. As for when?" This, at least, she had a ready lie for. "Remember last year, when we all came back from the winter hols? Luna wasn't talking to me, and all of you were trying to give us space to work things out on our own?" The other girls nodded. "I needed something to occupy my time besides moping around."
Even the other Ravenclaw in the room was a little doubtful at that claim. "And analyzing and deconstructing a spell no one has ever managed to figure out was your way to kill time?"
"There is a reason the Unspeakables have already offered me a job. And to be totally honest, I don't completely understand it. The part that makes it hurt Dementors and lethifolds and nothing else? Still have no idea how that's supposed to work. But the backbone that makes it solid?" She waved her hand, creating a tiger made of dark smoke rather than bright fire. "That part's figured out."
"And that's the other thing," Susan demanded. "Wandless magic? When did you start doing that? That's something even Aurors have difficulty with, and it's actually a requirement to get into the Corps!"
"I've been working on that for a while," she said pleasantly. "Thought it would make a nice ace in the hole. Mostly I've focused on conjuring fire because that's rarely a bad weapon to have, and it turns out that if you have the talent and power for it in the first place, casting a spell you know inside and out wandlessly isn't that hard."
"Dumbledore and You-Know-Who are both known for doing a couple of things wandlessly," Tracey helpfully added. "It was a bit of a surprise when she told me about it, but I try not to gripe about things that wind up saving my life."
Oh, really? That would be a nice change of pace. The last time she saved Tracey's life, she had to murder the other girl's grandfather, and her best friend had most certainly complained about how she went about it then.
Sirius poked his head in before Susan could continue down that road of questioning. "Susan, the Floo's active again. Would your aunt want you to go back home or to a safehouse or where?"
"If it's all right with you, it would be best if I stayed here for now, Lor— Sirius," she quickly corrected when he gave her a disappointed look. Lord Black and Lady Bones were fine when they were in the Wizengamot Chambers, he had told her shortly after she arrived for the party, but so long as Susan was here not as the leader of House Bones but as Jen's friend, those formal titles were too stuffy to be permitted. "Auntie's always told me that if something were to happen where it might not be safe to go home, I was to get myself to safety and wait for her to contact me. I think here is as safe as I'm going to get."
"Any friend of Jen's can always find shelter in the House of Black," he said, his tone heavy with the gravity of his promise.
While she appreciated the gesture, being stuck in a house with Susan emulating her aunt was not something Jen wanted right now. She was too tired for the mind games covering for her previously secret abilities required, and she was too stressed from the two-hour battle against the risen dead. She needed something to do away from here, and a moment's thought gave her the perfect excuse. Rising from her chair, she made her way after Sirius. Susan moved as though to give chase, but then the redhead plopped back down.