Nick grasped Dan's hand and held it tight.
Their eyes met. The air was electric.
They turned to look back at their personal cinema.
But there was nobody there. Not Mr Lucas, not James, nobody.
Dan and the Faun realise that they are enveloped in a thick fog.
The school has vanished.
"What happened?" Nick asked.
"I don't know"
"I'm cold"
Dan turned to the faun, who was still naked.
"Here"
Dan took off his jacket and gave it to Nick.
Suddenly, Dan became aware if a tall dark figure, towering over them.
The figure wore a long cape that billowed slowly, despite there being no wind.
In its hand, it held a scroll. It lifted this, and, in a loud, booming voice, began to read.
"40 unvolunteered transformations, 40 personality voids, 1 abandonment, uncountable time-perception alterations, 3 garment annihalations, lack of responsibility, little regard for free-will of others, performing high class magic with no prior education and finally, performing magic as a mortal."
Dan said nothing. What could he say? What could he do? What was going to happen to him?
"The Supreme Court of Magic have decided your fate. Your punishment will commence at midnight, tonight. You have until then to say your goodbyes"
Dan pleaded, "Look, I didn't know that what I was doing was wrong. I had no idea that it was illegal"
"It's all written down Worm," the being replied,"You've caused a right mess here, it's taken a lot of work to fix it. You're going to suffer terribly for this"
The fog swirled around them.
"You can't do this!" Dan shouted, but the noise of the wind made his voice unheard.
The fog obscured everything.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the fog was gone.
They were standing back on the school grounds, where they were before.
Dan turned to Nick, expecting to see him human, but this was not the case.
"You're still a faun?" Dan exclaimed.
Nick blinked.
"I am? I am"
He inspected his body. He had not changed from what he had been before.
He was still beautiful, muscular and naked from the waist down.
"You didn't change me against my will. I suppose it was legal"
Dan said nothing.
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Nick compromised.
"You keep the jacket," Dan said, "You can remember me by it"
"Dan!" Nick exclaimed.
But Dan was already running.
Before Nick could follow Dan, he heard a shout.
"My fucking God! Look at it!"
Someone was pointing straight at Nick. A crowd was developing.
"A faun. A real live faun! Look!"
People began to take photos.
"Catch it!"
Nick ran, completely aware that whereas his transformation he had volunteered for, everyone elses attitudes for it weren't.
He leaped over a fence and away from the school.