“Macy? Want to go down? Grab a glass of milk or maybe a soda? Wine? Is that okay?”

“Umm… sure. And you never need to ask, Jenn. Always okay with you or Em… always. We can grab a thing. Thank you for being okay with me. Listening. And I could use a bite more of pork if still around. Maybe get Em in here?”
“Of course, Macy. Lets go down. I can grab my sleepyhead of a sister in a second… and thank you so much for trusting me with this.”, you say and massage the little dork on the head for a second. “You can talk more if you need, Macy.”

“I think I am good for now… left out some of the details a tad… but we can get there…thank you. For still caring about me.”, she says and cuddles in for a moment.

“Of course, Mace to the Face-y.”, you utter out softly. Keep rubbing her head. “I will never tell a single person about that, unless you want me to MayMay.”, you say with your hand gently caressing her head once more after a quick break. “And? Thank you so much for coming… I am a bit scared of going over there. I have Emmy… now you. Not so scary anymore, heh. Though if David gets there too, I will begin to question shit.”

So?

You and here are in the dinning room, Emmy waking some. Glass of wine in your hand, cold milk in Macy’s own.

And then your sister stumbled down.

“What is up? Thought I had an odd dream…”

“Macy is coming with us.”

“What the frick?!”

“Yeah. Want a celebratory drink? Also, she wants you in the bed too.”

“I just got up! Macy… are you sure?”

“Yeah Em. Already made up my mind.”, she says and gives her friend a hug.

And you get your sister to sit down to a cold glass of OJ.

“So we are going over there with our little sis?”

“Seems so, Emmy. She made the choice herself…not going to deny it.”

“What the frick… Just woke and I get to hear the best news ever?”

“Em! Thank you… thanks for being? Cool with it. Sorry it is sudden, didn’t have much time. Was going to keep it a surprise. Me and Jenn talked some… so I wanted to tell her.”

“Alright… if you are sure…want to tell me if Merlin has his spirt in you or something?”

“No. I don’t think at the least? Just coming along.”

“Okay. Will grab my pillow. Give me a sip from that glass, Jenn.”, your twin demands in a soft voice.

“Sure, Emmy.”

And a few minutes later… the three of you are back up-stairs. Macy in-between yourselves.

“I love you. Both of you… Jenn. Em.”

“Love you too, Macy.”, you say and cuddle up. “Want to go driving tomorrow?”

“Oh… sure. You are not using [b]The Button[/b] again, right?”

“Doubt it. Don’t think dad isn’t that irresponsible. And as much as I hate it, Emmy is a good driver… better than me. I am better than her with a gun, however. You saw how she got put on her fat butt.”

“Hey! Not fat, just well made! And you need padding to ride a broom. Well at least better than you anyway.”, your twin calls out from behind Macy.

“Very well made I suppose. It is a nice ass. Good boobs.”

“How are mine? Jenn?”, your small friend asks, very softly.

“Macy? You are going to out do us both soon. Still have a bit of growing into that body. But you are great… better proportions I would say. Maybe a bit more weight on you? Would look fantastic like that. But I know you eat like a bird.”

“I can’t help it! I get nausea if I eat too much.”, she says with steel in her voice. “And I am kind of picky with my plate any way.”

“Macy? You are ridiculous. Ridiculously cute…if my sister hadn’t taken you? I would be all over you.”, your sister says from behind your small friend with a tiny laugh.

“Hey! Just friends. [i]For now[/i], Em.”

“Have plans for her then?”

“Umm… maybe? But… thank you for always being there for me. It helped me a lot.”

“Always. Always, little nerd.”, Emmy says softly as she wrapped her adoptive little sis in a hug from behind.

And you just fell into slumber. And it was still dark… still bad... but…

But, there you were. A shadowed place, staring into pure darkness lit only by a pair of sickly green lights. And yet… you felt at home. Where you belonged. And so you just stared at the wall of blackness darker than night. Yes… you were here to talk with [i]her[/i]. You knew it, understood. She got to dictate when at nights you would wake up in cold sweats, need to run to a bathroom and vomit. You were going to dictate [i]this[/i].

And so you just stood in the dreamscape. Kept your eyes forward. It wouldn’t be long… she was a greedy, envious girl after all.

Hungry for attention. And in time, minutes or days, or years? The darkness dispersed. And so, you entered into a chamber that mirrored the one you nearly died in. And what you found? A sad, pathetic thing, a small blonde girl sitting on the ground with her legs crossed and scratching on the floor with a broken branch she called a wand. A very familiar form…

“Who…who the fuck are you?”

“Me. Obviously.”

“That tells me nothing! What are you?”

“Well, you were not sorted into Ravenclaw after all. I am me. Would you care to ask some questions about featherless bipeds too, Jennifer? Come on, you are smart. Right?”

And the small girl sitting there, playing with her “wand”? She has the dress you wore to the graduation party the school had when you were in 3rd grade. Her hair looks like you used to do your own. But the eyes are wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong; a killing green and harder than stone, colder than ice.

“Get it yet?”

“You…”

“Yep. Just you. Us. Wanna come sit down?”

“Oh, what the fuck.”

“Hey! Cursing is rude!”, the tiny green-eyed version of you shouts out, brandishing her broken branch like it was a swo… no. A [i]knife[/i].

And you feel you own wand try to manifest in your right hand, calling to you. But…this-this is just a small girl. Has caused you to have terrible nightmares, worry your sister and friend. Let you use the Killing curse. Potter had demonstrated the wand movements… he did not give you the intent. That was all you. Her. But that is all she is, a tiny piece of you doodling on the ground, pretending at spells she had seen her mother and father perform.

“Ah. I see. You really are an idiot, Jennifer. Would have killed me just now if I had a chance. Simpler that way.”

“You said it yourself; didn’t get into Ravenclaw for a reason. Now come here, dork.”, you demand and closed the distance. Feel the terror from your dreams when you make it a couple of steps from her; a small girl with slightly wavey shoulder length hair who smells vaguely of your mother’s old perfume right there.

But? You [i]were[/i] sorted into Gryffindor for a reason.

You pushed through the terror. The anxiety. The wall that was put up… and just sat behind the younger, green-eyed version of you. Took her right hand into your own, helped with her wand-work some.

“You… we are going to be great witches. Good people. Lot of love in our lives.”

“And the capacity for hatred. That is why I am here, after all. Why we have nightmares.”

“Yeah… and I still love me. Part of me… so you aren’t going anywhere. Little brat. And you will be right here, and I will be right there, and we are stuck with each other forever.”

“How you were not sorted into Hufflepuff I will never come to terms with.”

“Emmy already got to go there. Was considering Slytherin quite well but… I knew I would need bravery more than cunning, I suppose.”, you say as you pat the silly little witch between your legs on the top of her head some. “Cunning or ambition wouldn’t have let me meet you.”

“Could be that a bit more Hufflepuff, a bit less Gryffindor may have made it so you never had to.”

“Nah. I am okay with this. I am glad I got to meet “me”.

“Heh. You know your predilections towards younger girls and ones who look like you… well Freud would have things to say. How do you feel about your mother and father Jennifer? Seem to have a bit of Electra complex to me.”

“You are insufferable, Jenn. Yes, I love my father well, know he is handsome, but I do not think of him that way! Do not want to slay mom! You are an asshole!”

“Well we all have one… guess I am just yours. But… getting tired. Mind…mind playing with me a bit more? Then I suppose you will get back to dreams of Macy in a short dress. Gay. Super gay father lover.

“That doesn’t even make sense! How can I be both gay and want to fuck my father?”

“Who knows. I can’t be there to figure everything out for you.”

“Fu-…fine. Do you want to play a game of tic-tact-toe?”

“Sure. Might as well. Well, we could just play rock-paper-scissors until one of us passed out… woke up I suppose, in your case.”

“Our case. I am thou. Thou art me.”

And frozen green eyes, hard and cold? They soften just a touch as a small girl sits in your lap and turns toward you.

“Glad you figured it out before I had to make our life annoying. You are me, I am you. Please? Never forget it.”

“You? You are a real bitch to deal with!”

“Likewise. Little dork. And cursing is still rude.”

“Hey! Which of us is like three foot eight?!”

“Dunno. Which of us is five foot three and the last True Seer that is going to be around until a short Slytherin boy gets done with messing with things he shouldn’t?”

“I- that tells me nothing!”

“Maybe nothing is what you need to know? I can say this however; you are going to Ilvermorny for a good reason. Many good reasons. And… I am sorry for what will happen. It is going to hurt me too. That you will not be able to protect her. That you will be betrayed. Yet… I am very happy we will get to spend some time on the roads over there. Figure out Chadwick’s is the better Charms book. Hang out with a very scary man with gray-brown hair who will show us how to fight well. A nice taller girl who is almost as scary as her dad. Meet Sanrio and Theodore and Jackson.”

“None of those things sound great! Except the driving! I don’t want to be betrayed!”

“I suppose you will just have to deal. If it makes us feel better? Will have a couple of good girls with us; better ones than we could ever be. Will meet a nice boy over there, sandy brown hair. A few freckles. A couple of good girls; one will have the most ridiculous name in the world because her dad he loved a certain band.”

And you just stare. Your eyes… they weren’t the same killing green as [i]you[/i] but yet you still tried to bore a hole in the back of your younger version of your self’s head, before relenting.

“Fuck.”

“Hey! Cursing!”

“It… it is fine. I Suppose if this is a prophesy… I can’t do much for it.”

“Jennifer? If a prophesy couldn’t be changed? Why would it exist in the first place? Those are the most likely things to happen. They are what will likely occur, unless we change it. There are certain things beyond our reach; we will not be there when a foolish and kind boy gets the weight of the world tossed on his shoulders. We were not there when a kind and brave dark-haired girl was… hurt. It doesn’t matter that we can see a bit forward. We cannot change what was. We are only able to shift things a bit around going ahead. But we can do our part. Stop things from happening in the worst ways. Help when they do.”

“Why… why are you so nice when you are the part of me that could use the Killing Curse?”

“Why are you “You”, Socrates?”

“Insufferable! I am f-fricking insufferable!”

“Suppose we are. But… you can’t have love without hatred, Jennifer. And we have plenty of the former. Just enough of the latter. Also, we are probably going to fuck the vaguely autistic girl with a crush on us. Yes. It will be very awkward. There will be much talking after. But she is a true companion. I can’t see that far… but I suspect she will remain by your side no matter what.”

“Macy? No she is off limits! Also? Cursing!”

“She wont be. She wants to grow. And havening a sexual relation? One she is okay with… that wasn’t abusive? Suppose that is one way. And if we and her don’t work out? If other things get in the way? Well? She will be just fine. So might as well give it a shot.”

“Next you are going to tell me to fuck Emmy.”

“Cursing! No. She is off limits… we love her. Like that? No. Played around some? Sure? But I know one thing with such certainty it would make Merlin jealous. We will never hurt her; a relationship? It would cause her pain. So just going to help cleaning her off. Resting together. Being annoyed when one person’s emotions get a bit wild, leak into the other’s? That much we can handle. Or maybe not. We can only do so much. And know this; our little sister does truly love us, even if she is a jerk.”

“I-I don’t want this. To know. I just wanted…”

“A simple life? I am afraid that is beyond you… Jennifer? You will do great things. Terrible ones. But I will be there. Emily will always support you, even if you end up leading her into the Dark. And you will have a number of friends, some new and some old who will be there. Now? How about that game of tic-tac-toe?

“Fucking brat. Sure. Just don’t be disappointed when I win.”

“Cursing! That is literally why we got into the situation!”

“Uhg. Fine. Lets play”

After a couple of quick games… you just fell back into true slumber. Dreamed of Macy a bit. David too, since you missed him even though he had sent a letter and he was handsome.

With the vote from the prior thread and Kektus being okay with either his suggestion or lingerie, calling it for nice underthings for all the girls since they are way less expensive than the other options. Actually… fuck it. You get nice underwear and dueling gloves with a Protego enchantment for you and Emmy, both left-handed since you both use your right for the wand. Call it an apology for my shit update schedule.

Gained a dueling glove for you and your sister! Can block an average stunner or weaker hex before the energy is expended and must recharge. Not allowed in formal competitions but gives you a layer of defense in less formal magical bouts

Gained some sexy lingerie for all of you, even your shy friend!

When you woke up? You couldn’t recall all of what happened. But you know you met yourself. That she said much to you. And? It felt like some of the empty space around your heart had been filled.

Maybe after a cup of coffee or a glass of tea you would recall more? But you still had one thing in your mind. That you were a true seer. Fucking hell… not how you wanted to start your great adventure. At least your small friend would be there? The hell…

You were in the fancy underwear you had picked up, wanted to give them a shot. The underwear was thin, small. Enough you could make out the outlines, the crease between your legs down between your legs. Macy? I took some convincing but she had on the set she picked up as well, small, tight and in innocent white; somewhat less provocative than your own sets but still plenty to bring out her figure. The color looked good with her skin tone and you could see a few beauty marks on her chest and stomach. Emmy, she had picked out a couple of sets too but hadn’t worn them to bed since she said three girls in lingerie sleeping together was one girl too many.

“Macy… time to get up. I can hear mom down there. Ready?”, you say cradling the thin brunette some before you would begin trying to rouse Emmy.

“Oh? Yeah sure let me grab my glasses. Did you…did you have another bad dream last night? You were squirming on the bed some. It woke me some. No weird voice but still.”

“It was a bit odd but… not bad. Just weird.”

“It wasn’t about what I said or something, right?”

“No. You are fine Macy. Just… it was odd. Umm also? You said you were attracted to me? In my dream… Do you… want to try something with me? Something like a real relationship. Its fine if no. There will be plenty of pretty girls over there for you. Me and Emmy too I suppose, along with boys. And I think I may be a real seer… just so you know. Can I have a quick kiss though?”

“Jenn! I… might. If you are okay with it. I trust you; you make me feel safe. Being a seer just makes my best friend cooler and I am going to be there to keep you safe now, too. I love you regardless. On the lips? I haven’t brushed my teeth yet…”, Macy gets out while pushing into you.

“It is okay Macy… just? I don’t want to force things. We can not do it. Just make it a friendship kiss. Not give it a shot. Regardless, we can always be as close as we are now. Will never resent you or something. And? You will always be little sister, my best friend”

Begin a relationship with Macy

Keep your options open

OOC: Even if it seems like a lock? It is a bit more flexible than that. A relationship can end after all and people can still be friends. Likewise? Just saying no one time doesn’t lock the character out forever. They can grow more attached to one another over time, try later. I know this sounds flippy-floppy but I want this to feel realish and real relationships kinda work like this. Macy would hurt some if the two of you didn’t work out, but she is always going to remain a true friend unless you really betray her. There are other options out there, up to and including your true sister if people want to go there but this seemed like a good time to give an option considering what you heard and that Macy chose to give an entire year away to stick with you. I also apologize for not posting yesterday, had some work then a bad migraine.

“Jenn? I love you. Think you are so beautiful. But? I don’t think…I am not sure I am ready for that yet. Some day? Sure… we could try. But now… we can still be close but not like that right now. I’m so-“ Macy says with a deep hint of sadness before you interrupt her.

“No. It’s okay. My fault. Shouldn’t have taken that dream so seriously… It’s fine.”

“If it is fine? Why do you suddenly look so sad suddenly?”, she asks softly from where you are cradling her.

“Just… you are important to me. Best friend. Little sister… but it will be okay. Sorry again. You? It didn’t make things awkward, right?”, you ask and muffle a slight sniffle; reject isn’t fun, even if you understood.

“No. I already said I am attracted to you. That I trust you. And? It is probably the nicest compliment I could have received; you are so pretty and kind and you wanted to try even knowing how I am, what happened. Thank you, Jenn. And we can still have a quick kiss… just a friendship one though.”

“Alright MayMay. Come here.”, so you plant a simple chaste kiss on her cute lips that lasts for a couple of seconds at best. Reach around to wake up your true sister for food and driving.

One delicious and full breakfast later? You, Emmy, Macy, and daddy are on the road. Today you avoid the highway for your adoptive sister’s sake, stick to easy roads. Just practice the basics. Asked Macy if she wanted to try to a shake of her head side to side. Still, she probably picked up a bit.

Macy gained a +1 to driving!

When you returned home for a simple lunch of hot sandwiches, Daddy was going to have to leave. Go to work for a few hours. So, the three of you ended up on the couch with mom, crammed together to watch a show. Broke out an old videogame consol and played a few things. Sat together on Emmy’s bed and just chatted for a while, till dinner time where mom outdid herself some since it would be Macy’s last night with you. Sizzling steaks, small, roasted potatoes, creamed spinach, steamed veggies, good conversation, and a couple of glasses of hard cider.

Your thin friend’s mom would be over to pick her up a bit after breakfast the next day and… you were sad to see her leave. It would only be a bit over a week and a half till you saw her again but still. So? You make the most of it while you can. Stayed up late to watch a movie while all three of you dug into individual tubs of ice cream mom had picked up when she went shopping, had some popcorn, and more cider. Stayed together on the couch till all of you had accidentally fallen asleep against each other until you woke up and directed everyone up to your room after all of you had brushed your teeth and changed into sleep clothes. Cuddled up together for one more night.

After Emmy had passed back out… just a soft voice from the girl pressed into your chest.

“Hey… it is alright for me to be here right? After saying no to you?”

“Of course… always. You’re my best friend besides my twin. Always, MayMay.”, you mutter out with heavy eyelids.”

“Kay. Thanks. And… I’m sorry. You seemed down today. Sorry I can’t be like that for you, right now at least.

“It is okay. Probably stupid for asking.”

“No. I want a real relationship at some point, with someone who actually cares about me and isn’t just using me. I want to know how it feels to love someone in that way but… just can’t right now. Its been almost 5 years but it still hurts; but? I have to know being together in a relationship that isn’t just platonic can feel good. So I can move on with my life someday… just not today.”, your small brunette-haired friend say while holding you tight.

“You’ll get there.” Then? Just sleep. You had talked and it had taken away some of the sting. So you rested well that night aside from dark, child-like laughter in your dreams.

The next day, Macy began to pack up. Came down for one last breakfast with the family. And soon after, there was a ring at the door and when you and your sister answered it along side Macy; there was a kind looking woman standing there with small round glasses and hair the exact same shade as Macy’s own.

“Mom! Hey, I missed you.”, your companion says a tad loudly and goes in for a quick hug which was still a bit stiff but clearly filled with love.

“Hey, baby. Missed you too. Sorry it has been hectic. Ready to go? And, that is a lovely skirt.”, she says to her daughter as your parent’s approach from behind while Macy breaks off the akward-ish hug. “Ah. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders and you girls are Jennifer and…”

“Emily ma’am. Its nice to meet you.”

“Like wise. Thank all of you for letting Macy stay over. Been pulling 18 hour shifts due to whatever caused so many people to have heart issues at one time, but I finally get a break and my husband should be back later today. I’m Ruth, Ruth Wright.”, the slightly older woman says in an embarrassed tone.

“It was our pleasure, dear. Your daughter is my girl’s best friend and a perfect house guest. Kept me company some while the girls and their father were out; she is a very smart and polite young lady. The two of us might even start our own little book club by correspondence! I’m Nymeria, my husband is Lucerne.”, you mom says with a warm smile.

“Still, thank you. Were there any expenses I need to pay you back for?”

“Of course, not young lady! Think nothing of it; besides, Macy seems to have lucked into some extra spending cash back at Hogwarts.”, daddy responds with a chuckle and a bright grin. “I’ll help in just a second with getting her trunk to your car! Just one moment.”, he says and goes back to begin levitating the container, returning with it looking like he is just lifting it.

“I will never get used to magic being real…Thank you, Mr. Sanders. Ready to go, dearest?”

“Umm… can you two head out first? I want to say goodbye to Jenn and Em.”

And so the two head out. Macy gives Emmy a quick, slightly stiff hug, whispers in her ear softly then moves to you with a slightly more natural hug. Whispers in your ear that she loves you and will see you soon which you mirror back to her.

“Sweetie? I understand you only let certain people touch you, but can I give you a quick little hug as well; you are such a nice girl, greatest friend my girls could have made.”, your mom asks in a gentle warm voice.

“Oh… yeah. I know someone like you, someone who raised my best friends is a good person; I really liked hanging out with you, Miss Nymeria.”, she says and comes in for a quick embrace. “Did you want to send an owl and we can pick a book to read together?”

“Of course, sweetie. Thank you for the hug and being such a good friend to these two.”

“Always.”

Then a few minutes later? Just like that, Macy was gone. It was kind of sad but you know knew you would see her truly soon.

Her departure proved to be the highlight of the week, otherwise? Just lounging around. Spending time with your parents. Checking out Chadwick’s Charms, driving lessons with dad after he got off work or sometimes with mom during the day in her SUV, until Sunday when you and Emmy were watching TV in her room.

“Hey? Jenn? We still have David’s share. Might not see him for a good while. Did you want to do something for him before we go?”

See about a Port-Key, so he can come visit some.

Throw a going away party and have him and your other friends come by.

Get Apparated to Diagon Alley, pick up a nice gift (What)

Save it. There might be something cool in America you can’t get here

Write-in

“How about something so he could maybe come visit? I still hear the TV on downstairs; we can go ask dad about Port-Keys.”, Emmy says from beside you.

“That is… actually a good idea, Emmy. Come on, get your prolific posterior up and let head down.”

“Hey! Well proportioned!”, she shouts out in annoyance. “But, yeah lets.”

A minute or two of getting semi-dressed later and you two are downstairs where your parents are on the couch watching some older looking movie and pressed so tightly together, they might have well been joined at the hip; you thankfully hadn’t interrupted anything more than some quite cuddling, so you speak up from behind them.

“Heeeey, daddy? Emmy and I were wondering if we could talk with you for a minute or to. Alone, maybe?”

“Ah! That startled me. Always, dearest. Just me?”, he asks, turned some to which you nod. “Alright. That okay, honey? Be back in just a moment.”, to which you mom just sighs while untangling herself from her husband.

In a second, the three of you were on the patio, your twin already having broken out the puppy dog eyes.

“Is something wrong, girls? Some stuff… Nymeria might be better to ask about but-“

“No. No nothing like that, dad. It is just? We got David’s share of the money Potter found, he wouldn’t take it and we want to do something nice for him so…”

“Daddy? How hard is it to get a license for a Port-Key? And how much do they cost? We are going to miss him and I doubt his mom is Apparating him to see us anytime soon. Even just a one-time use one or something.”, you finish for her.

“Hard. And expensive. You could probably buy a new car for what they cost, at minimum. Very regulated and illegal for anyone younger than 17 to own.”

“O-oh. I guess we will just think of something else.”, you say with a frown; it was a cool idea, damn it!

“Hey. Hold your horses. I do have my connections… I can try. Alright? See what I can do, sweetie. Okay? If you leave those Galleons on the table, I will figure out if I can work a little magic. If my girls want a Port-Key, especially for such a sweet reason, your dad is going to try and make it happen.”, daddy say with a smile and his hand on the top of your head.

“Really!?”
“Really!?”

You and your sister both shout in unison, before rushing him and wrapping your arms around his waist from both sides.

“Best daddy ever. Thank you! Best one ever.”

“What Jenn said. Best one.”, your sister affirms as you snuggle in close for a long few seconds before a voice interrupts you and her from behind.

“Haaaaa… left alone for a few minutes and my own daughters are trying to steal my husband. Well, if you slay me in my sleep, make it clean, alright?”, your mom sighs out in mock despair, so you and your twin breaks off and switches to her.

Hugs her tight.

“Best mom. Best mommy too; that you for giving birth to us.”, Emmy says, holding a bit tighter than you to the small waif of a blonde.

“Exactly. Besides if we slay you, it will be while you are awake. More dramatic that way, heh. Just needed some dad advice.”, you add. It was kind of a funny sight really. You and Emmy were both taller, bigger than her now such that between you two, the petite woman was basically swallowed up between you and yet she was so was so kind, and strong.

“Haha! I know. It’s fine. I love you girls. Now, if the meeting of your little cabal is done, may I have my husband back so we can finish our movie then head to bed?”, your mom asks sweetly, pats your heads. So you and Emmy relent, head back up yourselves and then when you are back in your room? Hug and jump up and down happily for a second. Head to bed together.


[b]Interlude[/b]

Port-Keys and the Past

Official channels were off the table, unfortunately. Port-Keys were incredibly regulated, in America and Britain both and completely off the table to minors. Even emergency, single use one which you thought was foolish. That was to say nothing of the ridiculous amount of time it took for the Ministry to process the paper work; the cost… you were well respected enough and had the wealth for one, of course, but it could be months before anyone got back to you and the fact your wonderful wife would have you on the couch for months and probably get beaten with a large wooden spoon for wasting so much money on one since both could Apparate and had a connection to the Floo-Network at the house.

But you little girls asked for one to give to their injured friend, so that is what they would get, one way or another.

Years of dealing with illegal tech-magic combos, working with the Aurors had introduced you to some [i]interesting characters[/i], one of which ran a small shop in Diagon Alley.

More specifically [i]Knockturn Alley.[/i] So at the end of the work day, you changed out of your Ministry robes into some plain black and green ones, grew your beard out, changed your eye and hair color, used a named spell to give yourself the appearance of a scar on your cheek, just to be safe, then sent a Patronus saying you would be late to the missus. You had the small bag of Galleons tucked safely away along with some of the girls own money they added; kind. Your girls were kind indeed.

Down around a quick turn, the vibrant sounds and smells faded into gloom and ugly mugs coming out of shops of dubious legality and ethics. And right at the end, one you were quite familiar with, given you had once raided it with a team of Aurors for someone mixing muggle tech with spells that could be considered a step and a half from Dark.

Grimsly’s Curios. Time to talk with an old “friend”.

Inside the shop, it was barely lit and it took a moment or two for a very tall man with long dark hair came out the back, one with beady eyes and dark, wrinkled robes.

Alester Grimsly, a man who barely dodged Nurmengard a decade ago and only then by ratting out which of his customers had purchased the offending items.

“Oy. Hello. Need help with something? A curio from the past? Some fancier robes? A ring or necklace with impressive magic and history? Some ingredient that is a bit more… interesting than normal, or an old tome? I’m Grimsly, owner of this fine and ministry approved emporium.”

“Sanders. Lucerne Sanders. And no, here for a different reason.”, you say with your eyes locked.

“Sanders! Hey, I’ve been keeping my nose clean as a whistle! I aint done nothing!”, the taller man squawks out, almost seeking to reach for his wand, before stopping and realizing how poor an idea that would be.

“I’m not here to bust you, Alester. In fact, I need a little favor.”, you say firmly, then pull out your wand. Cast a quick few privacy Charms. “Port-Key. One connecting close as possible to Ilvermorny, in America.”, you say as you put the bag of money from the girls on the counter. “I know you have some.”

“What?!”

“Heard me. I’m not shaking you down, I will be paying a fair price.”

“I… why would a Ministry bloke-“

“You don’t need to know. Now, willing to help your old friend out, Alester?”

“I-uh…. Can check in the back… might be some one sold me one or traded in and I didn’t realize?”, the thin, greasy wizard says softly. “Sure, this isn’t a sting, Sanders?”

“Positive. And if someone happened to sell you one, well it is my duty to confiscate it; if I just so happen to have dropped a pouch of Galleon in here? Well bad luck on my part.”, you say with your face set.

“Suppose I could look, want to keep on the straight and narrow, after all.”, he says hesitantly.

“There’s a good man.”

He heads into the back while you scan the shop and maybe ten minutes later comes out with a ceramic mug that has “I went to Ilvermorny and all I got was this Dumb Cup” written on it.

“You must be a seer, Sanders, got this as a gift, had the idea to check it just now; just so happens this is a Port-Key after all. Seems to connect to that little muggle town near Greylock. Suppose you should take it. Ah, but if only some customer had dropped a bit more, would have really made my day.”

You sigh, place a second bag, slightly heavier on the counter, “And you are sure that is the nature of this item?”, you say with a hard tone.

“Oh yeah, “friend”, pretty good at evaluating things. Part of the job.”, Grimsly tells you. “Now if only I could have found a third sack of-“

“No. This is the price. But I will add in something, since we are friends. One; one single get out of jail free card with me. That is it.”, you tell him in a tone you rarely used.

“F-fucking fine.”

“Glad we get each other. Now I will go ahead and personally check this, make sure I am not just seizing someone’s favorite tea mug.”, you tell him and pull out your wand while he stands back. Using every means you know to check quickly… it did appear to be as he claimed. “Indeed. Will have to turn this in. Glad it was your old friend who found it.”

“Ah well if that is all-“

“Alester? Let me make two things perfectly clear for you. I was never here; you can try and rat me out but who are they going to believe, me or you? Two? And this is the important one. If someone just so happens to accidentally get sent to Africa or squilches themself in half from accidental activation of this?”, you say, leaning close in. “I know where you fucking live and work. I have trained enough with Aurors I am more than capable of making it so someone is never found again. Do you understand me?”

And? Right then? You were using the tone, had the look on your face you tried to never let your amazing wife or little girls see; this was not Lucey, LuLu, father too the most amazing girls in the world, husband to the best wife to ever live.

This?

This was the Lucerne Sanders who had killed the remaining Death Eaters when his parents died at their hands in his old home.

The one who fought off even more to save his future wife. Helped slay a dragon. This was the one who was part of Slytherin back in the bad old days and for it knew a few dozen Curses that bordered on Dark, and a several that fully stepped over that line. This was not the goofball, the pervert, the family man. No… not one drop of those right now.

“ ‘Eh. Come on! You can trust old Grimsly-“, the rat like shopkeeper began before in an instant his head slammed against the counter hard enough to make the coin purses jingle.

“I better be able too. Just remember my words, old friend.”, you say, in the voice from a dark part of you, one with a dangerous edge. “Now, I should probably store this safely, get it to the Ministry right away. Have a nice night, Alester.”, you tell him, face close to his ear then exit the shop while he bitches about his head. Apparate away to somewhere you could undo the changes to your face and push back in the other part of you. You would of course double check everything about the Port-Key beforehand. Not mention having to use a large chunk of your own money to help with it to your darling daughters.

Then? It was back home for supper and time with the most important women in your life. Getting to look forward to seeing them smile the next day. Giving them warnings about not getting caught to tell their friend, maybe whip up a fake registration. But still Jenn and Emmy’s smiles were worth it. Eventually you could even work on getting the cup properly registered. So? It was back into the light from the Dark for you.


The next day… daddy said work was keeping him late as your mom just sighs. After he does make it back eventually and the four of you eat a late diner, once more you meet with him outside where he hands you a small, plain box. Inside? A coffee mug with some silly stuff about Ilvermorny and a school crest on the side, surrounded well with padding.

“Ummm… dad? Isn’t this the kind of knick-knack we should be giving you after we are there?”, your little twin asks quizzically staring at the mug.

“Haha. Would love one girls, but it’s not that. [i]That[/i] would be a Port-Key for your friend.”, he says looking prouder than a peach.

“Wait. But Daddy! You said-“, you sputter out. “We were happy you would try but…”

“A highly illegal, unregistered Port-Key, girls. Which is why I am going to explain clearly the rules about using it. Tested it out, tried it even but it is a [i]real[/i] one. There is a note explaining such to Mr. Adams as well? You are to tell no one of this and I will be demonstrating the proper spell to destroy it if ever needed; I trust you two and if you trust David…he did save you, Jenn. Which is why I am doing this. Understand?”, daddy says with his face just a bit harder. But how… you and your sister had thrown in some extra, money left from your own shares, but…

“How?”, was all Emmy could get out.

“Called in a favor or two. Aggressive negotiation of pricing; Grimsly owes me after all. Now listen closely. That note? Read it if you want; unless your name is David Adams it will just seem like a nice letter but it will have the rules when he looks at it. And if he ever misuses it, I expect my responsible girls to destroy that thing. Okay, loves? When you see him next, teach him the spell to get rid of it.”

So, for the next hour or so, daddy goes over what to and not to do with it. At the end, you get it.

Understand how big a limb he went on to get this for you. Which means re-boxing the highly illegal magical item and both of you moving over to daddy’s seat and attaching yourselves to him for at least a half hour and hugging him, thanking him, until you heard mom get back from going out for a few drinks with her muggle friends. Took the very expensive and adventurous artifact upstairs so it could be wrapped latter.

In bed together that night, that was all you and your sister could whisper about. How great the man who helped bring you to life was, how [i]dangerous[/i] this was and how amazing. Had most certainly recalled the name of the shop he got it from. No bad dreams then… a voice you couldn’t make out but that was all.

Daddy decided to leave early the next morning, drove Sally over to London vs. just popping over. Mom helped with your driving some, insisted you start getting your trunks in order despite it be a few days away. Made a great brunch for all of you while you and your twin ran through your books some… and when Lucerne Sanders arrived back, Sally was nowhere to be found. He turned her in to get new tires, a complete tune-up, a paint touch up, a new modification. Would have her gone till after you two left, it seemed. So, it was all mom’s SUV till then, which was fine. Both of you were good enough drivers by then, after all.

The last few days… the nerves started, though your twin sister helped a lot. Getting to see Macy again on Sunday morning so she could have her trunk taken over and your mom could Apparate her. You had received an owl from David saying he was very grateful for the gift, the letter; promised to send something by owl when you were there, heh. Awesome.

That final Saturday night, you and your little sister decided to take an actual bath together; lavender and chamomile bath salts to calm your nerves some.

“Jenn… you know I am scared. Less than before but, still.”, she says while looking from across the tub at you, chin almost under the foam clinging to the top of the warm water. “But you are going to be there and we will meet all sorts of cool people. I’m sorry, sis.”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t too, little dork. But we will be there for each other. Just like always. Macy will keep our heads on straight. Get to see David now too, some. I’ll protect you, Emily. Till the day I die. But? Remember the time I climbed to the top of a light pole and you followed me up, to keep me company? That was scary. But also the best sunset we have ever seen. And I was there with the other part of me. Thank you so much. For coming.”, and bump a side of her soaking leg with your own.

“I do recall it. And I have no clue why I went 20 feet up a pole with you.”

“Because…I know we give each other shit but? You saved me from an Inferni too.”, you say firmly. Were embarrassed some but… that was fine. You were about to be done, hop out when your smaller, chestier twin grabbed your hand. Pulled you over and kissed you for half a second.

“You took care of me plenty too. Never forget that, Jennifer. Always be there…”

Then a few minutes of showering the suds left over off, you and your sister were in her bed for once. Agreed to wake early to make sure you were ready. And despite the anxiety, you felt peaceful with her holding you.

The next morning was indeed early for you, even if American time gave you some leeway. Much of it was making sure your hair and faces looked good, tossing a few more mementoes in your trunks as well as your guns in locked cases. Then? A ring at the door. And when you opened it, a smiling Macy, concerned Ruth, and a worried man with square frame glasses and a full suit on who’s twitchy behavior reminded you so much of Macy.

And the girl herself?

Cute as a bug. The colors suited her and she had her nails done some, with a clearcoat at least. Touch of make-up on. Silver bangle she got on one wrist. Little charm bracelet you picked up for her on the other. Had opted for a neck bow vs a tie.

So you just hugged her tight while daddy helped get her trunk in line with your own by the Floo-place. And while the adults chatted some over coffee and toast, the three of you, Emmy, and Macy caught up some. Had a quick bite more of food. Then before you knew it? It was time to go. Macy’s parents hugged their girl goodbye, with her somewhat stiff but lovingly with Ruth crying a bit. Shoved the luggage into the green flame after daddy had set the location to “Baggage and Sorting, Ilvermorny”. Felt Daddy’s hands on your shoulders while mom held Macy’s hand tightly. Then with a dry pop and the force of a cyclone the world twisted around. A moment later you were somewhere [i]else[/i], a way station surrounded by trees with a new amazing scents in the air. You weren’t quite at Ilvermorny yet but you could see the castle from where you were.

Maybe not as tall as Hogwarts but still huge, amazing, even in the distance.

“Straight ahead is the castle but… lets take this side path. Leads to the parking complex.”, daddy says with a smile. Should be first floor.

“Ahhhh? Okay Daddy. Sure we won’t be late?”, you squeak out between admiration and trepidation.

“It is fine. I’m just supposed to send a Patronus when we are near the front gate. Come on, beautiful girls and women!”, he cackles out.

A few minutes of walking later… you were there; four stories of concrete and stone in art deco. Daddy showed a badge to the middle-aged wizard at the front and he let you in.

“Now let’s see. 1st floor. Left side, 3rd row, 17th spot.”, he mutters to himself. A few minutes later you are there standing behind a vehicle with a tarp over it.

“Jennifer, Emily? Please close your eyes. Dearest? Macy, please don’t spoil it. Go ahead girls.”

And so you oblige. Stick your hand out, as does Emmy. And there is a loud sound. And a moment later? Something drops in your hands, something you are sure….

“Okay, girls. Open them up and look towards my voice.”, daddy demands with almost a chuckle. Then… when you open your eyes? In front of you is Sally but “not” Sally. Sally wasn’t Gryffindor red with Hufflepuff yellow racing stripes but still?

“Sally? What is she doing here!?”, you shout out and grip the small ring of keys you had instinctively clutched tight.

“Why wouldn’t she be here, Jenn? She’s yours and Emmy’s after all.”, Daddy says with a smile as Macy gasps a bit and mom just sighs.

“Daddy! No! You love Sally! We can’t…”, you gasp out, admiring the fresh paint, the shiny new wax job, brand new white wall tires then gape at the silly older man with dark blond hair and deep blue in his eyes.

“Yeah, dad… you dote on her. I mean technically she is our older sister even, right?”, Em adds with her arm hooked into to your elbow. “We don’t need that much.”

“There is where you are wrong, honey-bunny; I [i]like[/i] Sally but I [i]love[/i] you two. And this car? It was always meant to be yours, from the day you were both born. That is why I got her. So you could have that kind of freedom even after learning to just pop away. So you could have fun. Same reason I’ve been driving with my girls since you were kids. Before then even. After I got her mostly fixed up? When the pair of you were fussy, your mother and I would load you in your little seats, go around the neighborhood a few times and both my little girls would quite down, be asleep in a dozen minutes. Muggle Magic. Remember that, Nymeria?”

“I remember not sleeping for three or four days straight and agreeing to anything at that point, even putting our babies in that death machine. And… it working. Us getting you back out as gently as we could then… Lucey holding and rocking you, Jenny, while I did Emily; all of us asleep on the couch… It was a good idea, hubby.”, your mom says seeming both wistfully and nostalgic and very glad it was over.

“Daddy… thank you, thank you so, so much! I love you! Love you, love you!”, you all but yell out and just about tackle him while he spins you in a circle.

“Of course, beautiful; you’ll make better use of her than I ever could have!”, he says with a laugh with you attached to him.

W-wait… this sounds familiar and there is a dark, childlike laugh in the back of your head. What the?

[b]Last True Seer, Jennifer. Me and you. Us.[/b]

And suddenly you feel very cold until your little sister joins and he is twisting in circles with both of you attached now and laughing richly.

Shit.

Yet, in that moment you were too ecstatic to let it get to you [i]too[/i] much that you had already predicted this would happen almost to a tee. Then when he finally stopped his rotation of his daughters, Emmy got your mind off things with a question, at least.

“Dad how in Merlin’s robes did mom agree to us getting Sally?”

“Ah. Took a lot of “convincing”. “Convincing” her multiple times a day in many different… “convincing” positions.”, he chuckles out and when you looked back, mom was blushing and actually hiding behind Macy of all people some; your thin friend seemed to have the innuendo go over her head which was probably for the best and the lightly olive-skinned girl was just beaming concentrated happiness at you two.

Ewww.

After that, Daddy pulled out a hand full of plastic cards. Handed one to you and your sister as well as Macy, who sheepishly accepts. Your driver’s licenses. Ones that said…

“Ah, Mr. Lucerne? I’m in no way 21 or from Florida.”; indeed, all of them seemed to place you several, many several in Macy’s case, years older than you were. They did however look very real from what you could tell.

“And? The yanks have dumb rules about buying a pint so I had my associate doctor some of the information. Better to have it and not need it right? And those are real mind you, though with a couple of minor enchantments to make muggles not think to hard about how young you all look. Don’t want to Apparate over just for a jail break and to mind wipe some coppers because y’all decided to get a couple of beers on a weekend. I know they will be used responsibly and that none of you will get in Sally if you have had more than a single drink, right?”, daddy says with a coy smile.

“Yeah, of course daddy.”

“Heh. That take some “convincing” too, mommy?”, Emily says with a snicker before going to hug the waifish corn-flour blonde that gave her and you and Emmy life.

“No comment young lady! Bullies! My girls are bullies! How a saint like Macy ended up with you two… they aren’t corrupting you are they, dear? Right?”, mom responses indignantly to her own daughter giving her a hard time.

Almost as hard as daddy must have been to get away with all this, heh heh. Ewww, gross Jennifer; bad Jennifer.

With a flick of his wand, the car is back covered up and per your parents’ instruction, you and your sister go up and tap a large plaque on the wall where Sally is sitting. Instantly, “[b] J. & E. Sanders[/b]” appears in bold, carved letters there. Apparently, this is a reserved spot; you get told that another student trying to use it will set off a loud blaring alarm to summon campus security. Fucking sweet.

“So! With that little surprise out of the way, I do believe it is about time to go meet the Headmistress and Headmaster in front of the gates so the three of you can head inside, get sorted, settled in and such.”, daddy declares with a clap. You agreed; it was time at last to become students proper.

“Likewise… that means it is time for me to take my leave.”, your mom says sadly.

“What?! You-you aren’t going to see us off, mommy!”, Emmy shouts out, almost seeming hurt. “But-but why? It’s going to be so long till I see you again!”, and Nymeria just goes and pulls her younger girl into a hug.

“Because I don’t want to cry in front of you all or the people from the school, honey. I can’t take seeing my darling girls, my new little friend heading into the unknown. Going somewhere so far away, a place where I can’t protect you. Hogwarts the first time was bad enough; I cried for an hour when we got home and I [i]know[/i] Hogwarts. Here… I know they will take good care of you, teach you well, and that all three of you will have so much fun. But? You know how I am, how our ancestry can affect me sometimes; you are [i]mine[/i] and seeing you go away, it does something to me.”, your tiny fair mom says softly. “So, we are going to say our good byes now, while I can still hold it together. Jenny, come over here and… Macy, do you want to join in?”

“Y-yeah. Okay, Miss Nymeria.”, she says shyly, and joins in as mom hugs you all, a little gentle in Macy’s case. Bends down and gives you and your twin a kiss on each cheek, then looks at Macy who just bows her head down some. Mom smiles at that and gives her a quick peck on the top of the head. It was honestly amazing how quickly your mom had earned Macy’s trust. Maybe some remaining Veela charm?

No.

It was far more likely because mom was one of the kindest people you had ever know.

But?

With that out of the way, you headed out of the parking garage and mom sniffled some, said she loved you all, expected plenty of owls from each of you and with a dry pop, disappeared off to a restaurant her and daddy were going to meet at.

You…may have gotten something in you eye at that point. Regardless, it was time to make the somewhat long trek up the road to Ilvermorny and adventures of the safe kind. About half way there, daddy sent out his small grey wolf pup of a patronus to inform the school you were nearly there.

It was a bit of a hike, nothing to bad though Macy had started to look miserable. Nevertheless, soon you were there, standing before tall iron gates with a statue of a man and woman next to them with a dignified red-haired witch in in 60s or 70s waiting for you in front of them, smiling slightly.

“Greetings, young ladies. Lucerne. I am Professor Edelweiss Stewart, Headmistress of this fine establishment; I apologize. My husband was going to join me but a few things came up.”, the older witch says in an even and strict tone yet one laced with kindness. She was tall, nearly as tall as daddy, looked good for her age.

“Wonderful to see you again, Headmistress. It’s been what? 16 years? Haven’t aged a day.”

“And you are still a hopeless flatterer. And these are?”

“Um, Jennifer Sanders. Ma’am.”

“Emily Sanders.”

“Macy Wright, Headmistress Steward.”

“Perfect, every one is accounted for. Ready to join the Finest School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the World, young ladies?”, she asks and with a wave of her wand, the towering gates slowly pulled open.

“Almost.”, you respond before hugging daddy tightly, telling him you loved him; Emily mirrored you and even Macy let him rub her hair some.

“You girls will do fantastic, all of you. All of you. Headmistress, good to see you once more. Now, I should probably get to my wife before she has to many glasses and starts sniffling. “See you soon.”, he finishes up with and starts walking back down the road to where he could Apparate from.

“Well, very good. If you would follow me? We need to get you sorted before anything else.”, and the tall witch beckons you in to a new world of magical wonder. Leads you towards what looks like the main building before going to the right and opening the door the a brightly lit antechamber that looked almost as old as the school itself with tall wooden doors at the end of a short hallway which were carved with pictures of 4 odd magical creatures of which only the Wampus Cat and Thunderbird were familiar.

“Our sorting is a very personal thing; the only ones to be in the chamber are the student and me or my husband. However, I have been told the circumstances between you two, Miss Jennifer, Miss Emily. You may enter together as an exception. Now? Who would like to go first?

To your great surprise, Macy’s hand raised up first.

“Me. If that is okay? Jenn, Em?”, she says hesitantly. You and your sister shared a look and told her of course. And to her and the Headmistress entered as the doors shut behind them.

The houses here, they weren’t really one to one with Hogwarts own, so this would be interesting.

A few minutes later, a slightly confused Macy exits.

“I got offered Horned Serpent… and Thunderbird. I-I picked Thunderbird.”

“Awesome, Macy! Thunderbirds are awesome!”, Emmy says while softly patting the slight girl on the shoulder.

“Now… would you pair like to come in as one or individually?”, the red-haired witch asks from the door way. Emmy and you exchange looks, shrug. You had always done things together; might as well. So, you headed in side by side.

The inside was round and spacious; well lit and inviting with a circle marked in silver in the center and 4 different stone statues surrounding the middle, equidistant from one another with their backs turned.

“Just to be sure you know, each of the houses represents an element. Earth for the Pukwudgie, Air for the Thunderbird, Water for the Horned Serpent, and Fire for the Wampus Cat. Likewise, a part of a witch’s being: heart, soul, mind, body respectively. Finally, some, connotations. Help and healing, change and adventure, knowledge and wisdom, power and strength. Merely suggestions of course; one of the smartest men I know was a former Wampus and our Head Healer was a Thunderbird when he and I were in school. Some students will only have a single totem turn its eyes towards them though most get two. A few have three… and every so often all four will offer a student a place. Now who would-“

“Me! Jenn always gets to go first.”, Emily blurts out kind of rudely though Professor Steward just smiles.

“Then go stand in the middle and focus, push a touch of power into it since you know how to, young lady.”

Briskly walking to the middle of the room, your twin just stands there, kind of lost until the statues begin to rotate. Once, twice, thrice, before two of the effigies remain looking towards her: a Wampus Cat and a Thunderbird.

“When you have chosen, walk to the totem and place your hand on the head.”, the tall witch instructs.

It takes a minute of glancing back and forth and then? Your little sister walks to the giant eagle-hawk combination, touches it lightly, caused it eyes to light up and wings to flap some and the Headmistress writes something in a massive tome on a lectern next to her then Emmy exits the circle and the carved idols reset.

“Very well. Finally, Miss Jennifer, are you prepared?”

“Sure. Yeah, sure, ma’am.”, so you make your way to where your twin had just been standing. Close your eyes, let magic flow from you, just a trickle so the statues began their dance. When you opened them, they were slowing. Wampus was first to stop, then Thunderbird; no surprises there. But then… Puckwudgie. And finally, Horned Serpent? All of them, all four were staring expectantly at you and heard a soft whisper from the corner that it had been [i]decades[/i] since this had happened while you feel a cold drop of sweat run down your back. Will you choose:

Wampus

Thunderbird

Horned Serpent

Puckwudgie

You stared, looked around a bit in shock… you had just heard that this was rare, hadn’t happened in decades apparently; both the other girls were offered just two choices but you? All of them, any path you wanted to take.

You didn’t like it… why?

You weren’t that special or amazing. You… you just wanted a normal, simple life. Was that beyond you?

[b]Yes. Yes, it is Jennifer.[/b]

Uhg.

Might as well deal for now. So, you looked at each of the statues carefully, straight in the eyes which shone like gem stones and are pretty sure were. Tried to find the statue that called to you.

Pukwudgie, that was out right away. You… you got people hurt, hurt them, you didn’t heal them. Horned Serpent was next to go, though you felt a tiny stirring; you thought yourself smart but you were no scholar. So Wampus and Thunderbird were all that remained; same two offered to your twin.

Appropriate you suppose.

You were familiar with the 6-legged panther from Care of Magical Creatures… Deadly, vicious, almost unkillable, and could entrance their prey. Apex predators. You could grow powerful there, grow strong in that house. Strong enough to never let someone get hurt again, have a place to show your claws some. Show your strength for all to see.

But?

Wampus Cats were fiercely territorial, solitary. You would be alone there, in the end. But Thunderbirds? They may not flock together but they mated for life. Could stand to roost near others if any other were around. And… they were a force of change. Could completely upset the weather. Change…

[i]If a prophecy couldn’t be changed, why would it exist? [/i]

You could change things, had too. And there? You would have your little sisters to help. And so you walked straight towards the giant bird statue. Put your hand on its head, which felt oddly warm, and had its gemstone eyes light up from within and felt the stone wings flap a few times in approval. You heard the older witch scribble something in her giant tome and turned around to a huffy mirror of yourself.

“This is totally not fair! We’re twins! Why didn’t I get all four too! Dumb statues must be broken. I’m heading back out to Macy. Feh.”, she says and exits through the large doors and closes them. You make to follow her before Professor Stewart’s voice calls out to you.

“A quick word, Miss Sanders. I understand this is all new for you but you should know; I have been Headmistress for 25 years and seen much in that time. I [i]have not[/i] seen someone offered all four houses, much less someone who seems so…normal, for lack of a better word. My predecessor had a few who were offered all of them over her 70 years, however. They were either prodigies or went on to great things; great, not necessarily good. One of the worst witches of 20th century America got the same choice you did.”, she tells you with her green eyes locked on your blue ones.

“Ma’am! I’m not-“

“Wasn’t implying you were. Just that those in your positions, they are not usually those who will live boring lives. But Ilvermorny will always be here to help its students, current and former, even if that student will only be with us for a short while. But just from this? I expect impressive things from you in your time here Miss Sanders.”

“I-I’ll try not disappoint, ma’am.”

“Very good. Now, lets get back out to your sister and friend.”, she says with a smile.

“Sisters.”, you mumble out, just a bit embarrassed. “Macy is my adoptive little sister.”

“Hahaha! I was somewhat surprised by three Thunderbirds in a row; suppose I shouldn’t have been, if that is how close you all are. Come, I’ll show you to your residence hall. Made my life easier, all of you going to the same place, really.”, she chuckles out while you follow back through the large carved doors.

Outside, Emmy and Macy are standing off to the side chatting a bit until the thin brunette notices you and powerwalks over.

“Jenn! Em wouldn’t tell me! Where were you sorted?”

“Oh, none of them wanted me. They will be snapping my wand later today. Sorry, MayMay.”, you declare to tease her some.

“I’m not [i]that[/i] gullible, bully.”, Macy says with a huff. “Now where did it put you, jerk?”

“Haha, sorry… the same house as you and my twin.”

“Oh my gosh! Oh, Merlin. Awesome! This is going to be so fun!”, she cries out in a high-pitched tone, claps her little hands together with the fingers closed while bouncing up and down some.

“Yeah, yeah it is and… I got offered all four houses for some reason. I’m probably just indecisive or something.”, you reveal while still deciding how you felt about that fact.

“Oh! Oh, wow! I read that is super rare. So cool! My big sister is so freaking cool!”, Macy exclaims with the eyes behind her cute rectangular glasses wide as plates.

“Haha. Warms up this old heart to see nice young ladies like you three, have you at our school, but shall we head out? Once you get to your residence hall, I have another student who will show you around the campus; I just sent a [i]Patronus[/i] to her from the other room. I would show you around myself but I must heed the call of endless paperwork as well as finding out what was so important my husband couldn’t be there to meet you.”, the tall red-head says, still somewhat strict and proper in speaking but with mirth staining her voice.

The three of you nod and head off with the headmistress out and across the grounds until you reach a two-story building with the Thunderbird House symbol carved above the doors. It was quite large, which made sense given the number of people who attended the school and in a style that would be right at home in the 1800s.

“Here we are, the girl’s Thunderbird Residence Hall. The boy’s Hall is that building a few dozen yards away. Here are your room assignments; normally it is two to a room so I ensured you and Emily would share one, Miss Sanders. Miss Wright, I’m afraid your roommate will be up to chance.”, she says and hands out tiny slips of paper to all of you. “Just tap your wands on the door to unlock it, it has already been attuned to you since the sorting.”

“I-it’s okay. Just a chance to make a new friend. Yep. Perfect.”

“That’s the spirit. If you care to head in, your tour guide should be waiting in the common area. I truly hope you enjoy your stay with us, young ladies.”, Professor Stewart says, before turning and heading off at a brisk pace to go attend to Headmistress-y things.

“Well… ready girls?”, you ask and before you even get a positive response, you have tapped your wand on the doors and hear it unlock, opened them up and began heading in; Emmy and Macy follow behind as you enter into the hall looking all around. There was a short corridor in front of you with living paintings of what you assume are former teachers or famous graduates along with a large glass covered case built into the right-hand wall mid-way down; it is positively overflowing with trophies, both small and large, medals, ribbons, and awards of any number of types. Emmy stops for a minute, seeming happy that a good number of the awards seem to be for Quidditch.

Down the hallway and past a small door, the three of you find yourself in what would be equivalent to a common room back at Hogwarts, though quite a bit larger. It is filled with chairs, tables, desks against the walls, several very comfy looking sofas; the works.

There were only a handful of people taking up the huge space right then, some reading in a corner or pairs playing wizard chess; some just chatting or snoozing in overstuffed chairs. And?

Sitting with their back turned to you on a couch, there is a familiar mop of grey-brown hair poking out above the backrest, which belonged to a girl who turns and rises after a second or two to face the three of you.

What the...

“Aubrey?”

“Jennifer!”

“You two know each other? What the heck?”, you sister almost hisses out.

“Yeah. Met her in the robe shop.”, you say, then turn back to the tall girl in front of you. “What are you-okay never mind, that is dumb you go to school here obviously. But you’re in Thunderbird too?”, you say a touch surprised. Seems kind of convenient…

“Yep! Bird-girl and proud of it. Its cool you got sent here, though. But who are your friends? I mean, I can guess the girl who looks exactly like you is your sister but…”, the bespectacled girl says with a cheery voice as she comes round the sofa.

“Oh, yeah! My younger twin, Emmy; Emily really. And this is Macy. Best friend, my other little sister.”, you say as the tall girl comes close. The other two introduce themselves properly, sheepishly in Macy’s case and Aubrey shakes Emmy’s hand though Macy said simply she doesn’t like being touched but it was nice to meet her.

“Awesome! Nifty that all of you got sent to the best House together. But, umm… so I know this place like the back of my hand, what with mom and dad teaching and me always being up here soooo, the Headmistress? She asked if I could show you around. Help you get your bearings before summer classes start tomorrow. Thing is, never really played tour guide before so… where do you three want to head first? There is a ton of cool stuff here, it really is the finest School in the world.

Pick a place to check out first. Each has a unique event or character attached to them. The ones not chosen will still be described briefly but only the 1st will have a real interaction/event.

The main castle where most classes are taught

The library. Macy will be happy

Some of the smaller side buildings; certain classes are taught in these or they are used for special purposes

The sports fields; quidditch, muggle games, shooting, ect

The herbology field and greenhouse

The entrance to the “safe” part of the forest surrounding the mountain. Maybe even a little way in?

The other residence halls

See if you can convince her to show you an abandoned classroom or building you and Emmy can spar privately in. (Needs a low DC)

Write in

“Ahhhh… don’t really know what to choose, since we don’t really know much about this place.”, you say and try and think of somewhere fun to check out.

“Oh! That reminded me, here.”, Aubrey’s says excited while smiling. Reaches into a pocket of her robe which seems to have a small expanding charm, and pulls out three relatively thin plan covered books.

“Guides to the school. Rules and regulations. Basic map. You are supposed to look these over tonight. Here, one for each of you.”

“Ah, thank you… Aubrey.”, Emmy says kind of hesitantly as you feel a touch of anxiety leak from her; you think she understood what you did the first time you met the cheerful girl, that for all her seeming positivity and outgoing nature, she was dangerous. Every movement was precise and measured, her eyes always kept just out of complete focus enough she could keep track of all three of you at once, her wand holster; similar to your own and meant for quick draws. Arms that were thin but tight with muscle.

Never the less, you all took the guide, leafed through it quickly while thinking of a place to check out first while Aubrey began speaking once more.

“Ah, just so you know? I am a prefect. One of the cool ones though! I just want to keep people safe and help when I can; I don’t care if you are out a little late, are smooching under the willow trees, have a sip of booze as long as you aren’t being dumb!”, she says rapidly and flashes a small badge of her position.

“And really? Only really big rules? No going into the not safe parts of the forest. No leaving the grounds unless it is a weekend. Don’t go into the boys Residence Halls. No bullying. And… never ever call someone something like ‘mud-blood’, any slurs like that… do it enough times and it is grounds for expulsion. And me kicking your ass.”

“Ha! Nothing to worry about on the last point. My best friend, little sister is from a muggle…no-maj? Whatever. A non-magical household. Me and Emmy are basically honorary muggles at this point; dad is Deputy Director of Muggle Affairs back in Britain. Mom? Half or more of her friends are non-magical.”, you tell Aubrey with a chuckle, while looking down to the guide; the specific page you landed on concerned the forests around the school.

Seemed like as good of a place as any to start your grand tour.

“Hey… how about the Forests? The, ah… west entrance? That’s part of where it is safe, right?”

“Sure! I like the forest, it’s peaceful. But, just to be safe? Go grab your pistols and toss them on your belts.”

“Uh… though it was supposed to be safe.”, Emmy says with a raised eyebrow and Macy kind hides behind her. “And we don’t have any ammo, they said it would be provided for classes by the school.”

“It is. Part of the forest we do some Care of Creatures in but dad always said better to have it and not need it. And benefit of being head of the shooting team and some nepotism… do you need any thing aside from some .22 caliber?”, Aubrey asks. You can tell, the forest and guns are great combo, things she loves which makes you a bit happy at your choice.

“Jenn! Jenn! Should I bring the cool one? My big gun?”, Emmy asks with her excitement seeping through your normal barriers.

“Uh. Sure. You seem excited. Not like you are going to use it and even if you did? All that will happen is you getting tossed on your fat butt again. Aubrey? Have any… what was it? .44 Magnum?”, you say with a sigh. She was like a child sometimes, that twin of yours.

“Oh! Yeah, yeah, I should have some. How about we all meet in y’all’s room in a few minutes. I’ll help you load the magazines, go over some basic rules. You too Macy. No rules about being in the room of someone in a different year as long as it is before lights out.”, Aubrey chirps out in interest and excitement, apparently at Emmy’s impractical blaster.

Maybe 15 minutes later while you and you little sisters were adjusting you gun belts when there is a knock on the door and a tall girl with curly, mousey brown-gray hair enters, looking halfway dressed for war with her own gun belt visible under her robes, complete with a pistol which is defiantly not from the supplies list, one that looks like it came from some action film or sci-fi flick, and a dagger half as long as her forearm on her belt, a small pouch as well and carrying a handful of boxes of ammunition.

“Ah, Miss Aubrey… you seem really well armed. This is going to be safe, right?”, Macy squeaks out.

“Hey! No, ‘miss’. And of course, we won’t go too far; I’ve been in the forest a hundred times and the worst that happened was tripping over a root or getting a tick! Just always be prepared! It will be fine, you have the head of the shooting club and vice president of the dueling league with you!”, she exclaims. “Now, here, let me help all of you load up. And? Can I check out that revolver, Emily.?”

“Yeah, sure. And Emmy is fine; you seem cool so you can use it. That or just Em, even.”, your sister says and hands over the massive silver god-killer.

“Oh, oh wow. This thing is custom. Anaconda barrel conversion for extra weight at the end, 8-inch length, compensated, night sights, groves to mount an optic, engraving on the cylinder to stabilize the powder in the presence of a bunch of magic, grips are… rosewood? Holy crap, this thing is awesome!”, she says and geeks out some, checking out the cylinder, the sights, every little thing. “So… the bullets I’m giving you? Hard cast lead, semi-jacketed, steel penetrator, full powder load. Gonna have a [i]bit[/i] more kick than target ammo, but if you need to use this guy? Might as well make it count, right?”

“I don’t know what most of that means but, thanks?”, Emmy says in a slightly confused tone.

As she talked, you and Em go ahead and pull on your enchanted dueling gloves so they are tight and button the back at your wrists, resizing charm ensuring a perfectly fit with the ends of your fingers poking out so you had more dexterity when using them.

As the tall, slightly tanned girl handed the revolver back to Emmy, she noted your gloves.

“Dueling gloves? You two must be really into it! Awesome! And… [i]Revelio[/i]! Enchanted too?!”

“Ah, yeah. A [i]Protego[/i]. Single use a day and not that strong but…”, you begin before Aubrey lightly grabs your hand and looks the glove over.

“Dragon hide. Well made. Jeeze. Are your parents loaded or something?”, she says sitting down on the bed next to the boxes of ammo she brought for all of you.

“I mean we are well off. Inherited a good amount when most of our family died in the second Wizarding War. Also found a nice little sack of Galleons and jewelry when exploring before we left. That helped. And daddy just can’t say no when we use the puppy dog eyes; mom mostly keeps him in line though.”

“Oh…I’m sorry. America? We should have done more to help but… politicians, right? I am sorry, though, about your family. Here let me help adjust your belts some, load up the magazines. It is fine to walk around with your guns, they just can’t be loaded, okay? Once we get to the Forest, we can stack up though. Did you want to check mine out? Not the normal target pistol, one I use for no-maj competitions. And if you are good enough in the club, we will let you move up to a real gun for some of the school comps.”, she says and hands you her pistol that looks like it came from a sci-fi movie or action film.

“Fucking awesome. This feels great in my hand. Awesome!”, you say in slight awe of the tricked-out pistol in your hands, black frame with a pink slide on it and grips with a cute cartoon cat person-thing on them.

“Thanks. Birthday present from mom and dad. Staccato custom and going to be packing armor piercing rounds right now, just to be safe. Let me just finish helping load you up, adjust your belts a bit more and let’s make like geese and get the flock out of here. And Emily, let me show you really quick how to stand firm if you ever need to use that guy.”, and Aubrey gives your twin sister a quick primer on her stance and how to manage recoil.

“Yall…yall can keep the extra ammo, just don’t get caught with it, okay?”, she says, a bit shyly.

“Thanks. That feels more natural. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Part of the job as head of the shooting club. Have you named him yet?”

“Named?”, she says, confused.

“Yeah! A special guy like that needs a name. I’m sure you will think of a good one. But? Let goooo!”, Aubrey all but shouts out.

And so, after a final check and every one flush with bullets, you head out, going west as Aubrey points out the different residence halls on the way, what classes are taught in some of the side building like Divination or Numerology. Before long, the well-maintained grass of the campus turns in to small patches of trees and there you are, in front of the gate to the Western portion of the Ilvermorny forests.

There is a metal fence going around the perimeter and a single wide entrance out which you were told is enchanted to prevent anything non-human coming through unless a Professor takes it down temporarily.

“Ummm… so me and Jenn are part Veela. The gate is still going to let us back in, right?”, Emmy asks with some hesitancy in her voice.

“Yeah, of course. Even halfies are considered human by MACUSA. You’ll be fine.”

And so?

You head in and the path rapidly becomes bracketed with trees of the kind you couldn’t name but looked [i]old[/i]; soon you hit a large clearing with trimmed grass and an inviting aura.

“This is where a lot of Care of Creatures happens. The Professor will bring a magical beast, lecture on it, teach us how to interact safely with them. Nice to get some fresh air. Care isn’t my strong suit but I do like the Unicorns and Pegasi, heh”

“Wow… its so pretty. So calm here. I-I like it.”, Macy sighs out, looking all around in enjoyment.

“It is pretty nice… we were going a bit further though, right? Aubrey?”, you ask.

“Yeah sure. This place is pretty safe unless you go super deep.”, she assures you. “Ready? Lets head in, down that trail to the right. We might even get far enough to see the river Sayre met a horned serpent at and got the materials for the first wands her husband crafted.”

Following the trail behind the cheerful, dangerous curly haired girl, the trees grow dense, the sun shines through less and less and you feel how old these woods are; they existed long, long before the first of your ancestors arrived, before the first Amerindians were here. The weight of ages suffused the place.

After a couple dozen minutes of walking and gawking, you hit an area that began to have large webs strung all about, ones that grew denser as you progressed.

“Uh, Aubrey? Are there like Acromantula in the forest by chance?”, you ask while keeping you head on a swivel.

“Supposedly over in the eastern part there is one, the part we aren’t allowed to go to; here though? There are some giant spiders, but they are more scared of you than you are of them really. They are cunning but not like Acromantula smart. This is a little close to the school though… maybe they are migrating or some thing drove them out from deeper in? Regardless, it is okay. I’ll tell dad, see what he thinks.”, she says turning to face you. “A bite is annoying, will make you sick, but the only ones you really need to look out for are the one with a red stripe on their backs; those will put you down in a few minutes if not treated.”, she helpfully informs you while your little sisters are looking around at the trees covered in webbing nervously.

You had been doing the same but when you turned back to the tall girl facing you? You saw something that made your stomach twist.

Descending on a line of silk from a branch overhead, completely silent but rapidly approaching from above, right above her was an arachnid at least as large as your whole torso; one in black with red on its back. It was only a meter or two above her, coming down silent as the grave. The other girls were looking off to the sides. You didn’t have time to warn Aubrey; the spider could cut its line and be on her any second now. You weren’t confident in your pea shooter taking it out so you did the only thing you could and reached down to draw your wand and prayed you were quick and skilled enough.

I need 3 rolls of 1d100+10
DC 70

You are a Seer it seems. You can ask the other you for help to see just a bit forward and gain a +15 on a check though it will be unpleasant, may have consequences. This option is available on a failure or can be chosen beforehand. Doing it ahead of time has fewer drawbacks/consequences. Can be used on opposed rolls as well with a slightly different set of effects

It only takes an instant. Lessons with dad, sparring with your sister Merlin knows how many times… You assess the threat, come up with a plan. A [i]Diffindo[/i] would chop the beast in twain but might hit your new friend. A stunner should work but it would still fall on her. [i]Depulso[/i] would toss it far enough away to deal with in a second but you might catch Aubrey with it too. There was how ever a specific spell created a long time ago by a wizard who [i]hated[/i] spiders. There was also an awfully big tree at a fork in the path. So?

Whipping your wand out and up, something that caused Aubrey to go for her own and draw it in case you were trying to jump her… You had a head start though, even if she was terribly fast. Before she could do something stupid though, you had already incanted the spell, screamed it out and put all the power you could into it.

[i][b]Arania Exime![/b][/i]

A brilliant bolt of blue-white light shot from the tip of your wand like a cannon, impacted the offending arachnid, hard, even as Aubrey had her wand on you; you had punched through the normal barriers you and your twin kept up which was not pleasant, but necessary to warn her.

Even as the giant spider flew through the air like a bludger, Emmy had her wand out now and was looking the same direction as you. Then a half moment later, there was a sick crunch as the spider impacted the large tree hard enough to cave in its exoskeleton; it actually screamed as it died, a terrible high-pitched noise that made the curly brown-haired girl take her wand off of you and look behind her.

“W-what?”

“Spider. Above you. Too close to warn you. Sorry, Aubrey.”, you say a bit out of breath; you put as much as you could into that spell and even if it was a simple one, it still took a second to recover.

“Oh. Oh, crap buckets. Thank you. Thank you, a lot Jennifer. I’m sorry I pointed my wand at you…”

“It-its fine. We barely know each other and-“, you begin before Macy interrupts in a high pitched, frightened voice.

“I think we made them mad. Behind us… spiders. Lots and lots of spiders!”

Turning… Macy was not exaggerating. That is a fuck ton of spider; not all of them are as massive as the one that nearly got the drop on your new house mate but plenty are close.

“In front too!”, Emmy cries out and true enough there are a few; far, far fewer but still a couple of nasty looking cunts slowly advancing.

“Fuck, shit. Okay, we hold them off enough we can run, clear out those couple in front. Follow me when we go. We have to go deeper but there is a switch back that leads to a smaller gate back into the campus. Give ‘em hell girls! Then we book it when we can!”, Aubrey says and reaches down, for her customized pistol and begins firing at the hoard coming from behind.

You and, surprisingly enough, Macy turned towards your escape path to clear it. You toss out a [i]Bombarda[/i] that blasts two of them away with a few missing a few legs now while your little sis says the incantation to summon a blade of magic force; she sucked at battle magic but in a life-or-death situation? Perhaps her instincts took over. You were pretty sure she meant to bisect her target with the spell but had shot low; the effect was just about as good though, since suddenly the giant green backed spider was missing its legs from about half way down and was screeching.

When you turned back, Emmy was tossing out stunners and every destructive hex she knew and had Transfigured a small rock in the road to a giant stone barrier to funnel them into Aubrey’s lines of fire.

The tall girl you had begun to befriend? Her face was completely expressionless as she fired, pistol barking again and again with every round landing on a spider in a lethal spot. One for the smaller one straight between their eight eyes, two or three for the bigger ones and when she ran dry, the magazine dropped and she caught it, shoved it back into a holder on her belt and jammed a fresh one in almost quicker than you could follow as she continued firing, putting them down the second the made it around your twin’s barrier.

“Tree, limb, down now, please!”, Macy cried out and with out questioning you threw a [i]Diffindo[/i] up and brought a larger one down in the middle of the trail as she jumped forward the second it hit the ground.

[i]Flamare Perpetua![/i]

Your tiny, thin, little adoptive sis swayed some at her casting; that spell was energy intensive and Macy was younger than you and just a bit magically weak in general. Still her spell which engulfed the fallen branch was keeping the hoard back, the smaller ones just roasting when they tried to cross and the large ones backing up when they realized that fire hurt. It gave Aubrey time to reload, Emmy time to catch her breath. The four of you were just about to start running, had begun to back away when something crashed straight through your twin sister’s barricade and Macy’s fire; the largest spider you had yet seen, body almost like a small car. And?

It seemed [i]pissed[/i].

“Fuck! Brood mother! Looks mad we just clapped like two dozen of her kids. Need to disable her, kill her; why the hell is one of these so close to the school! Fuck! The others won’t go much past where the webs end but this bitch [i]will[/i] try and chase us down.”, Aubrey yells out, moving in front of you, switching her pistol to her left hand and drawing her wand in the right. You wouldn’t have that, so you were at one side in an instant with Emmy on the other and Macy right behind you, clearly terrified but proving why she was a Gryffindor.

I need 3 rolls of 1d00+38 (+10 from you, +8 from Emmy and an extra + 5 from your bond, +10 from Aubrey, +5 from Macy since she has a couple of useful potions; when those are gone she provides no bonus to fights)

DC 80 to disable it enough to escape, DC 90 to put it down for good and scare off the remaining spiders

You can try and look ahead to gain a +15 as before
Emmy can use her one time only banked 100 to blow this thing’s head off and end it before it even begins

“Okay. We can handle this; it’s four strong, brave witches against an overgrown garden spider!”, you shout out, for your benefit as much as the other girl’s own

“An overgrown garden spider and all its kids; looks like some got brave, are jumping through the fire!”

“Shit, shit! This is the safe part of the forests, damn it!”, the tall bespectacled girl beside you hisses out and puts 4 rapid shots directly into the massive mother spider; she wasn’t quite as good with her left hand but they still all hit. And did next to nothing, maybe cracked the chitin a bit but nothing more.

“Even with AP rounds? Asking dad for a bigger gun when we make it back!”, she screams out in frustration while tossing out some stunners, and [i]Diffindos[/i] to similar effect.

“Aubrey! Focus on the little fucks for now, the one jumping past the fire. We’ll think of a plan for the big one!”

“Got it bosslady.”, she says and holsters her wand for now, concentrated on blasting the increasing number of “normal” sized giant spiders emboldened by the brood mother to pass through Macy growing wall of flame; at least the smallest ones are still getting roasted if they get ideas...

“Macy, come up between me and Emmy, please; we’ll keep you safe but we need all hands-on deck. Have any bright ideas, by the way?”, you say in-between spells which don’t really seem to hurt the massive beast much but are at least keeping it back, as all 4 you slowly make distance before the car sized spider [i]spits[/i] a bright green stream of liquid hate that seemed almost luminescent.

“Fuck!”
[i]Protego![/i]
[i]Protego![/i]

You and Emmy shout as one, creating overlapping barriers around the four of you. The vile stream actually manages to crack and then shatter your sister’s shield but was stopped by you own; shielding that many people did weaken the protection, sure… but hell.

You do not want that on you; it was causing the ground to sizzle and pop for Merlin’s sake!

“Okay, okay… spiders they don’t like t-the cold… light, the w-weakest part should be its ventral side.”, Macy stammers out between poorly aimed stunners and just basic casts; the latter could barely be called a spell, something they didn’t even really teach any more but Flitwick had shown you and you had shared with your sisters. Basically? A magic punch but they it took next to no energy to use at least and were non-verbal; just concentrated magic tossed from the tip of a wand.

“The what side?!”

“Belly, underside, bottom part!”, Macy yells out like you were an idiot, but you knew it was just stress and fear.

“Alright. I can work with this.”, you mutter out between the consistent barks of Aubrey’s pistol and Emmy giving it her all to find something to take out the queen spider bitch trying to advance on you.

“Aubrey! You can cast and shoot right!”

“Yeah, some!”

“Okay. Spiders have a shit load of eyes, don’t much like light. I’m going to blind ‘em, then I need you to soak her, fire hose that bitch. Emmy, you can transfigure a rock into a bigger, sharper rock, right?”, you call out, after a [i]Defodio [/i] then a [i]Depulso[/i] in front of it to keep the huge thing occupied.

“Y-yeah, I should be able to… will take a second to focus, gather enough power… I shouldn’t even be using free transfiguration but Irakey and McGonagall like me!”

“Fine. Macy, get a rock under that thing for me, this spell takes some power!”

“O-okay, Jenn. L-lets do it!”, Macy screams out, half in terror, half in determination.

You trusted your little sis on this…she had won every game of gobstones or marbles you had ever played after all.

“Okay! Go!”

Macy used a weak [i]Depulso[/i] to toss a fist sized stone under the giant pisses off spider, Aubrey sent a few rounds at it while you gathered some power and molded it with in you.

Cover your eyes!”, you shouted out and then?

“[i]Lumos Solem Abrubtum![/i]

And with your shout? A small ball of pure white light flew out which you willed to detonate as close as you could to the brood mothers eight beady and hateful eyes while you could while you and your friends turned or covered their eyes with their arms.

Even then? A small sun just exploded, leaving shadows in your vision. Several of the smaller spiders had fallen back into the fire, and the car sized one was screeching, stumbling around, right above the rock Macy had skipped under her.

“N-Now!”, you cried out despite the modified spell being exhausting. So, the three others began soaking the monster, while you recovered.

“Now…ha, huh…[i]Glacius![/i]
[i]Glacius![/i]
[i]Glacius![/i]
[i]Glacius![/i]

When your vision stopped swimming… there she was. Thick layer of ice covering the massive spider almost completely. Yet still… you could see it cracking some, as she fought it; at least the small ones were still mostly blind.

“A-Any time, Emmy.”

“A fricking second! This is hard! I shouldn’t even know how to do this, dang it!”

But then, a moment later? A scream. No incantation, free transfiguration was silent but you twin was putting it all into it, and so? Where a small rock the size of your palm had been? The there was now a 12-foot-tall stalagmite with a giant screaming spider pinned on it like a kebab. Even that wasn’t enough to finally put it down so… you touched Macy lightly on the back.

“G-got enough for one last spell with your big sis?”

“Y-Yeah!”

“Follow my lead, MayMay… going to show these fuckers not to screw with Team Jennifer!”

You began to gather up power, Emmy was down panting from her use of free Transfiguration, Aubrey was popping the small spiders before they could recover… but Macy was there. Helped you pull together enough magic for it. And… bless Flitwick for helping you with spell modification.

He was getting a Christmas card and a Chocolate Frog this year…

“Now!”

“[i]Bombarda magnus![/i]”

“[i]Bombarda[/i]!

And the pair of spells hit almost at the same time, not aimed directly at her but at the rock driven through her thorax, at the hole it had made.

Then all four of you were hit with a light sprinkle of spider gore… you blew it the fucker up. Hahaha!

The smaller ones, they seemed to get the message, began hopping away into the trees, fleeing... Aubrey was panting a bit, had gone through Merlin knew how many magazines along with helping with the spells some. Emmy was drained from a free use of Transfiguration. You had just used a pair of powerful charms back-to-back…Macy was mostly okay, though you saw sweat running down the side of her face.

She actually had to help you up some following the last spell, shoved a small bottle in your hands and said in no uncertain terms you would drink it as the four of you ran past the webs into a brighter, more open area of the Forests. Away from spiders at the least…

“M-macy? You sure. I know every one else is tired too…”

“Yes. Drink. Should have made more but… you just used a couple of spells they don’t really teach for good reasons. Fought hard. Em seems okay. Miss Aubrey was mostly using her gun… you need it more. Drink.”

“K-kay. Thanks, sis.”, you say quaffing the small girding potions with your arm still around Macy. Began feeling better almost instantly… she was an ace with potions after all.

“Did anyone get hurt? I have a Wiggenweld too if…”, Macy calls out in the small sunlit grove you made it to.

“I’m good, sis. Skinned knee but it is fine.”

“I’m fine other than my head hurting as to why there was a colony there, a Brood Mother… I swear, I have been going to this part of the Forests since I was like 10; never seen that. I’m sorry. We can hit the switchback and be back to the school in like 20 minutes… sorry. Shitty tour guide, shitty Prefect, stupid fucking Aubrey…”

With the Girding Potion pulsing through you veins? No. Wouldn’t allow it.

“Stop. You didn’t know. Stuff happens. You aren’t omniscient. If you are? Give me the answers to the 7th year NEWTS. You fought, helped keep us safe… stuff just happens.”

“Thanks, Jennifer-“

“Jenn. We just fought together. You get to use it.”

“Then… Jenn… thank you. Thank you. I am so sorry. But… there is a little clearing ahead, where we can hit the other trail back. Can rest for a minute. I have a couple of bottles of water in my pouch. We… might also want to [i]Scourgify[/i] ourselves some, considering you just exploded a huge spider all over us.”

“Hahaha”, is all you could get out. Laughing a bit you hit a small clearing.

All of you took a couple of swigs from Aubrey’s bottles of water. Sat down for a minute; the trail back was right there so the four of you just enjoyed the warm sunshine. The huge old oak right in the middle of the clearing, the bird song… wait.

Where was the bird song?

And You and Aubrey jumped to your feet, scanned the area. And… a second later you heard a barely audible thump and something hopped from behind the tree.

Six legged and violent, dangerous. Wampus Cat, with froth at its mouth, froth that was a dark and inky black.

“F-Fuck. Okay. Be still. Look as big as you can. When it gets that it is outnumbered, didn’t get the jump on us it should slink off... don’t look it directly in the eyes for more than a second or two… or crap! Look a little! It shouldn’t have blood red pupils!”

“The mouth… is it rabid?”, Emmy asks as she come to your side.

“Don’t think they can catch rabies and that kind of foam isn’t black… but something is wrong with it… Fuck.”

And it leaps at you, hatred in in its eyes and you try and throw out a shield.

DC 90

Three rolls of 1d100+20 (you and Aubrey together) On a failure you will automatically use the protego enchanted glove to mitigate damage to you and your friends.

[i]Protego![/i]
[i]Protego![/i]

You and your twin shout out as one… you hadn’t bothered to rebuild the normal barriers that you maintained yet after breaking them to warn her of the spiders, so the two of you were acting as one, and even if it was uncomfortable having so much of her thoughts and emotions leaking through?

It gave you an edge.

One you think you would badly need.

The giant six-legged mountain lion crashed against your barriers hard enough to push you back a half step and then when it reared up and swiped? It actually managed to crack the first layer with physical force alone.

Yeah. Do not want him to paw you.

Aubrey had her pistol out and once the Wampus Cat backed off some to try a different strategy and you had dropped your shields, she began firing like mad. The beast?

It dodged most of the shots even though you knew by now the tall bespectacled girl was an absolute dead eye with that peace-maker of hers. A couple managed to wing him but even though you saw the shots draw blood, you also saw most of the bullet fall away from the wounds.

“I need a bigger damn gun. Fucking Legilimency cat! I can feel you in there, cocksucker!”

“Wait. Did you say Legilimency!”

“Yeah. The cats can use a primitive form. It’s how they outrun arrows and dodge my damn bullets!”

“Oh.”
“Oh.”

You and your mirror say at the same time, side effect of have the barriers between you being completely down… but you had been forming shields between your minds and the other’s since you were 6. A real wizard? They could rip them down in minutes. But if you focused “forward” instead of to the “side”? You don’t think a big house cat was getting through them.

“Back us up. Time to make kitty regret going into people’s heads.”, you say while Emmy comes in right next to you and you can hear Aubrey drop a mag.

“Hey MayMay, got a nasty potion by chance?”

“G-garroting and a tiny erumpent…”

“Toss ‘em to us. Stay back for now.”

“Okay…”, she says and passes you and your twin a pair of bottles; seems you got the Garroting Potion given its noxious green color. Perfect.

So you ignore Aubrey’s advice and lock eyes with the Wampus Cat. Feel it trying to entrance you, feel it trying to see your thoughts; when Emmy did it? It was a polite knock on the door. This thing was trying to tear it off the hinges.

However? You had 16 years of sharing part of your soul, your mind with someone and could build a very strong door if needed. The basic lessons in Occlumency daddy gave you and your sister once he and mom realized you had your bond? They certainly helped but you had so much practice it was almost sad, what it was trying to do.

The six-legged panther stopped its pacing. Seemed confused by why it couldn’t see what you would do, couldn’t entrance you; maybe in it’s prime, maybe not sick it would have figured it out but as it was?

It never saw the bottle you flung towards it, the basic cast your sister threw out, not where it was but would be in one second. And the entire side of the clearing it was on was engulfed in choking, terrible green gas before another small bottle flew out and you hit it with a [i]Bombarda[/i].

Turns our Garroting gas was pretty flammable, given the explosion and such.

Still, when the smoke cleared? The fucker was still there and looking even more pissed and insane than before, even if it was coughing, had blood running from the eyes and ears.

“Merlin, damn it! These things are as hard to put down as dad said! I-If you can keep it still for a minute… I have something that can end it… will leave me drained… not even supposed to know this spell… but it will do the job.”, Aubrey says with a slight hack from all the gas and smoke.

“We can do that.”
“We can do that.”

You and you sister were doing the creepy thing, the one where you talked at the same time since your barriers were down… but fuck it.

“Little sis? Macy? Can you help?”

“Y-yeah! Right beside you. Keep it pinned right?”

“Yep. Let’s do it! Four strong and brave Thunderbird girls against a half-cooked house cat? Easy!”

I need 3 rolls of 1d100+23 from you and Emily. Macy is out of offensive potions so no bonus. Aubrey is concentrating on a spell she really should not know to end this.

DC 85 because even burned and choking Wampus Cats are no joke.

“Alright! Stay in front of Aubrey till she can finish what ever she is doing! Me and Emmy will try and keep this fuck confused! Macy, hit him with something when you get a chance! Go!”, you shout out… you never really considered yourself a leader but this? Even with the fear of dying? It felt [i]good[/i].

You and your twin kept your eyes locked on the six-legged panther, working to keep it confused as to what would happen even as it slammed itself against your mental barriers. Threw out some stunners and simple hexes, even if it was quick enough to dodge most of them or just had the ones that connected mostly slide off.

[b]You can end this in an instant, Jennifer. You know you can...have done it before. Don’t want Emily or Macy to get hurt, do you?[/b]

Fuck, fuck! Not right now! Shut up, me!

But in that moment? When your barriers had fallen and you were talking to “yourself”? The Wampus Cat had been trying to invade your mind. And now it seemed all but paralyzed from the other “you” speaking, enough that Macy nailed it with an [i]Impedimenta[/i].

“Fuck! Now Emmy!”

“[i]Carpe Retractum!”[/i]

“[i]Carpe Retractum!”[/i]

And twin lances of golden light wrapped around the Cat’s forelegs, yanked them apart even as it tried to struggle through Macy’s hex.

“Any time, Aubrey! Can’t do this forever!”, you shouted while putting all your weight behind the spell.

“O-okay… got it. Keep him as still as you can. I want this to be clean.”

“Then do it!”

“[i][b]Ifullia Lumina![/b][/i], she screams out and a brilliant white line flows from her wand, dead center of the scorched, sick Wampus Cat’s head. It manages to blink once, then it became still and you and your twin dismiss your spells.

“It-it’s dead right?”, Macy asks hesitantly.

“If getting a hole in its brain didn’t put it down, not sure what would-“, your tall, new friend starts before going to her knees, throwing up just a bit of the water she had sipped beforehand.

“Ooh-oh crap! Are you alright? You, okay?”, Emmy cries out and goes to the curly haired girl’s side.

“Y-yeah. That spell just really takes it out of you… not the most magically powerful in the world, good but that spell is Auror level. Wouldn’t even know it but mom showed me…”, Aubrey coughs out while Emmy rubs her back some and you begin to rebuild your normal barriers.

“I want it.”

“W-what?”

“That spell. I want it. Teach it to me and I guess my sisters. I want it.”, you say, concerned for the girl but more impressed that a single cast could put down a creature as hardy and strong as a Wampus Cat.

“O-okay. Let me drink some water… but if I am teaching you that… you and your “sisters” are joining the Dueling League. No ifs or buts… all of you fought well, did great, protected each other. Me. I need people like that, show Travis what’s what this year.”

Join the Dueling League? Will provide a passive increase to Battle Magic, will take up some of your time; classes only last a half day in Summer so you will still have time for other stuff, for now at least.

Agree, learn the spell she just used, become a member of the League with Emmy and Macy.

Disagree. Might have a chance for her to show you it later if you become close enough.

“Ah…Emmy? Macy?”

“I’m game if you are.”

“Me too! I need to get better if stupid junk like this is going to keep happening around you, Jenn.”

“Well, looks likes the “aye”s have it. Sure. We’ll join this little club of yours. But what’s a Travis?”

“A jackass going into his last year who thinks he’s better than me just because I’ve never beaten him once! Pure evil!”, Aubrey spits out.

“I mean… that does make him better than you, right?”, Emmy says with some confusion.

“Treachery already? When did Travis get to you?! How long has he plotted to turn you against your beloved vice-president?! Manchurian witches!”, Aubrey shouts out, suddenly filled with renewed energy and gets to her feet, pokes Emmy in the boob. And Macy? She just starts laughing. Before you know it, you’ve joined into; in part it is because you think the tall curly haired girl is only half screwing around.

Paranoia is a hell of a drug.

“Whatever. I’ll be keeping my eye on you three… but before that? Something was [i]very[/i] wrong with that Cat… I’m checking him out. And we need to bring the body back so mom, dad, and Professor Skrub can take a look. The giant spiders… I don’t want to go back there to get a corpse and they weren’t [i] wrong[/i] like this little guy was.”

“Little guy?! That thing is huge and tried to kill us! Tried to mind frick us!”

“And in normal circumstances, he would have ran off the second he knew he was out numbered and facing witches, not lost muggle hikers! Wampus Cats are an important part of the eco-system, are majestic enough one of our Houses is named after them… h-he was sick. My wand has Wampus Cat Whisker as its core, damn it, we have like a half dozen cats at home… I didn’t want to kill him…”, Aubrey says, sniffles a bit.

This… it wasn’t the bold witch from before. Maybe she had some Veela blood down the line too, given how quickly she pivoted. Or maybe she was just a teenage girl, one who liked cats enough to have a cartoon cat thing on her pistol’s grips.

“Sorry, Aubrey. Really sorry you had to do it. But thank you, from all of us. It… if it was that ill its probably better that we put it down, that you did, so it couldn’t hurt people. Infect more of the population. Really, thank you. And I assure you, this Travis has not gotten to us.”, you say and hand out a quick hug and feel a couple of warm wet spots on your button-down shirt.

“Thanks, Jenn… I’m sorry. Y’all are some of the good ones, not yet poisoned by that bastard. Kind souls. I’m going to check the body myself really quick then we can start back… sorry we nearly died… crappy prefect, shitty tour guide… how are you going to slay a dragon like this, Aubrey?”

“Hey. Its fine. Adventure is me and Jenn’s middle name. Nothing worse than what has happened before.”, Emmy says while keeping an eye on the corpse, incase it pops back to life; pats Aubrey on the back some.

“Really? Ha. Y’all have nearly died before? Fought off creatures that border on the Dark? Psssh.”

“Ummm…. We aren’t supposed to talk about it much but, yes?”, you say to her as your hug dissolves.

“You… you aren’t lying are you.”, Aubrey asks… declares with her grey eyes meeting your own blue set.

“Nah… would say more but it is funnier this way.”

“Bullies. Let me just take a look at him. Then, since you agreed? I will show you the wand movements. Say the incantation again. The intent is “to pierce”. It is hard as crap to aim… but if you hit the heart or head? They aren’t getting back up. Will also probably drain you, unless y’all all are all prodigies or something.”

“Okay. I am keeping my wand on it though.”, Emmy says with attention turned towards the body of the six-legged mountain lion.

“Fine. Probably smart. Don’t think these guys can walk off something like that but… yeah. Fine.”, Aubrey says with a certain determination to her voice.

You got that killing the Wampus Cat with her own hand…hurt her but she was being practical now, even if you heard some sniffles. “Iris, red. Cornea, bloodshot even before the gas. Dark black and frothy saliva. Small partially healed wound at the back left hind quarter. Emaciated. I-I am so sorry kitty… you didn’t have a good last few weeks, did you? Never wanted this.”

“Aubrey…”

“We have to take it back. The body. But… can you help me make a small grave? Somewhere it’s sprit can rest? I-I don’t even know if you are Christian or whatever but he deserves his sleep. Please?”

“Yeah. Yeah sure, we can.”

And so? A few minutes later? There is a small cross with some of the big dumb mountain lion’s hair buried there.

“Et Domine, quaeso, hanc animam perditam suscipe. Adduc eum in exercitum tuum. Pro peccato suo dimitte illi, laudate eum in gloria sua. Manus illum tene, animam serva. Amen.”

“What… what she did just say?”, you ask. You could read a touch of basic Latin but…

“She was saying a prayer for it’s soul…”, Macy says and hold your hand a bit… you weren’t religious but? It sounded nice. Macy sniffled some despite the thing trying to kill all of you.

[b]You won’t get a nice end, Jennifer. They will all be dead, no one left to mourn you… A worse end than a fucking [i]cat[/i].[/b]

Shut the fuck up! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! And now there were tears on your cheek… but you pushed them aside, like you always had. Needed to be strong for your sisters, for your new friend.

And so the four of you began the work, to transport the Cat’s body back. Macy… she was the one who used the fewest spells so she took it on herself to cast [i]Mobilicorpus[/i], levitate it back.

When you got to the gate, Aubrey had run off to find someone.

A half dozen minutes later she was being escorted back by her father and a man with his beard down to his belt who looked very concerned behind his huge coke bottle lenses.

“Girls! All of you! No one got a bite or even nicked, right?!”, Professor Thompson shouts out as the old, smaller man went to the side of the slain Cat.

“N-no. No, sir. We are all fine…”

“Alright… one thing off my mind. Professor Skrub and I will be taking a look at the body. Until me or my wife gives the clear, no excursions to the Forests without a professor or caretaker with you. None, even the safe parts. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, sir!”

“Good. Professor? If you would… this is a nice shirt my wife got me and I prefer not to haul dead animal with it on.”

“Of course, young man. These old bones can handle this at the least.”, the older man says and silently levitates the body of the Wampus Cat as the pair hear off, towards the main buildings. The taller man with grey- brown hair… he turned.

“Aubrey? Dearest? You up to finishing the tour? If not I can-“

“Yeah. Got it dad. Back home safe. The rest will be easy. Love you?”

“Love you too, darling. Be done by dinner. I’m sure these young ladies need their beauty sleep. Not that Lucerne’s kiddos aren’t cute already, heh.”

“Hey! Not his kid! Just their friend!”, Macy shouts out, nerves probably already on the edge.

“Same difference. See y’all tomorrow at class.”

“Uhhh… sorry about dad. He keeps it cool but… he is furious about all this crap. Just take him in stride? He is pretty awesome after you get to know him. And Skrub is like the nicest dude I have ever met… a fricking genius too.”

“It’s fine… I understand. If he had been here? Daddy? Half the forest would be on fire with mom working on the other part. Ummmm… after showing us around a bit more? Want to come see our car?”

“You have a car!? Your parents [i]are[/i] loaded! What is it, what is it, what is it?”

“Just gonna have to wait till the tour is done, unfortunately.”, Emmy chimes in with a shit eating grin you swore she stole from daddy.

“Maybe you’ll get the full “Sanders Driving Experience” this weekend, Miss Aubrey.”, your tiny friend chirps out, smug that she had already survived it.

“That sounds great! Fuck yeah, getting off to a good start this year, Aubrey! Have minions, have a ride, killed the shit out of a bunch of spiders! Hell yeah! Fuck you, Travis! Fuck you glow-niggers! I know you can hear me with the bird drones! F-U-C-K you, hahaha!”

You could almost hear a record scratch.

You understood your new friend might be a tad… unstable. But shit? Who were you to judge? You liked girls and guys, bathed and slept with your sister, had “taken care” of yourself with her right next to her. Kinda wanted to screw an autistic girl who was younger than you. Literally talked to yourself at night. A True Seer apparently…

So? It just made it more fun that she was a bit of a nutjob, and the lot of you headed towards the main castle. Got a quick tour, shown what places most classes were which Macy took careful note of in a small pad she had with her. After? Herbology, the large fields and the toasty green houses. Grabbed a bit of mint to chew on. Got told by Aubrey that she slept with a live hand-grenade named Theodore.

[b]What the fuck Jennifer?[[/b]

On the way down to the parking complex? Had Aubrey show you a small abandoned building, the back which lead to a class room perfectly arranged for duels… as an apology for all the nearly dying; you figured Emmy and you would spend a decent chunk of time there… heh. Had her point out the sports fields which had a few people flying around much to your twin’s delight and smile.

Then? The parking garage. Still technically on the grounds so you and your twin lead the slightly odd prefect over to Sally. Dis-robed her so she could show off her Gryffindor and Hufflepuff colors, her fine curves.

You think you may have heard a small waterfall flow from between your new friends’ legs.

“Oh… God above… she is perfect. Her name is Sally, you said? Oh, dear; she is so coooool!”

“Yep. Our old house colors, though I think yellow with red stripes would have worked better… Jenn.”

“Not my fault daddy loves me more!”

“He loves us the same, you are just a suck-up. Huh. Lucky you are not saddled with an insufferable doppelganger, Aubrey.”

“I guess? My older bro is kind of a government dog, but he is alright… helped teach me to shoot and DADA. Can I get in? Can I start her? Won’t go anywhere but all I have is my bike… this is awesome.”

“Bike? Like bicycle, Miss Aubrey or-“

“No “miss”, just Aubrey… and motorcycle. It is a black and red Yamaha Bolt. Second floor. Got it for sweet sixteen along with mom showing me some spells that are not school approved. I love Jackson to death but he isn’t a vintage Mustang!”

“Jackson?”

“Yep. After the first Wizard President. Beat the crap out of people with his staff, kept a central bank from becoming a thing over here for a while. Took down a bunch of blood thirsty savages to expand our Empire. And this girl has her name too, right? Not odd!”

“Yeah, Sally.”
“Yeah, Sally.”

Fuck. You were doing the thing again, even with barriers up…

“Awesome. See? A good name for a good girl. Oh! Though of any for that revolver yet, Emmy? I’ll show you how to put her to good use soon, take it as part of my job as your vice-president of the cabal you are now part of, heh.”

“Um, nothing yet but I am trying… thank you?”

“Welcome! Thank you two for letting me see this beauty. I’ll show you how to get to the towns this weekend as long as you let me bum a ride!”, the cheerful girl says while pretending to drive Sally and making car noises.

You are pretty sure Aubrey is a nut, some borderline personality disorder or something… but you would be lying if you didn’t admit she was awfully endearing; cute, fun, and brave.

No! Stop it. Bad Jennifer, beginning to have fantasies about the weirdo in the driver’s seat of your car in nothing more than a tee shirt…

“Yeah…yeah. That sounds good. Might pick up our friend David too, depending.”

“Awesome! Is he cute? Single? I do like y’all’s accents… also? FYI You are all coming with me to the lake for 4th of July. Get to booze it up, blow crap up, see pretty lights in the sky… some burgers, some apple pie with vanilla ice cream after? Most magical day of the year.”

“Oh! Oh gosh. I can come too, right? Its like 2 days after my birthday!”, Macy says in a high-pitched squeal, clapped her little hands together with the fingers curled.

“Of course! Not letting my team mates, my new friends, any of them, spend their first Freedom Day alone! It would be a pleasure to have you there, Macy. Just be sure to bring an appetite; dad always makes too much. I-I haven’t really had friends over before, not for the holiday at least, but we will buy extra fireworks for everyone! Extra, extra for you since it is around your B-Day! Travis’s family lives on the other side of our lake… going to pull out all the stops to show him up!”

Yay!”, your thin friend yelled out. The fear, dread and horror from your time in the Forests had begun to fade, replaced by a certain nut job’s energy. This… Ilvermorny was going to be good. Even Macy, once so shy and cagey was catching the bug.

“Aubrey? I cannot tell if you want to kill this guy or have sex with him. You get that, right?”

“Yes. He is handsome but never takes our rivalry, him being evil seriously… just… beats me and walks away. But now? Now I have three new strong, brave, or cunning partners to train with! He will never see it coming… yes. My revenge for five years of being ignored… for his despicable acts? It is at hand.”

“Yeah, Jenn? She wants to frick him.”, Emmy says as she takes the keys from Aubrey’s hand.

“Sounds like it. Or yeah, murder him in his sleep. But are the two that different, really?”

“Umm… I think it sound romantic. Star crossed lovers, ships in the night never to meet… that stuff.”, Macy chimes in. And all you did was giggle. One afternoon and you were already having so much fun, had a death-defying series of encounters? Met a loon who was still very competent? This… it wasn’t going to be so bad.

[b]What ever you need to say to go to bed, Jennifer.[/b]

Shut it, me. That was all you could bark out in your mind as you focused forward, not in the way “you” had tempted you with but still…

The Dueling League meets Monday, Wednesday, Friday at night overseen by the female Professor Thompson or the Charms instructor.

Since it is summer and classes only last a half-day or so, you get two extra slots to use, for now.

Train with a friend (Macy, Emmy, Aubrey) Potions, transfiguration, DADA or shooting respectively. (+2 per time selected.)

Duel with your sister and “sister” in the old building Aubrey showed you. (Provides a bonus to all involved, especially Macy since she sucks)

Study, read up, and meet the Professor for Divination… If you are the last True Seer for a while? Might be smart to learn more about the Art.

Mingle. Find some more new friends; can never have enough really.

Explore. You can’t go back to the Forests for now… this place is huge however. Might find something cool in the campus.

Just write you parents, David, some of your other friends. Try and set a meet up with David on the weekend. Let him know you are fine; Emmy and Macy are fine. That you truly appreciate him.

Study any other subject alone (+1 to selected)

Write in

That evening was… interesting. Students had been arriving all day at a steady rate, not too many since it was just summer semester but still by the time you and your friends went to bed Sunday night? The common room was still buzzing a bit. You got introduced to a couple of Aubrey’s very few friends at the least, including “Vu-doo”, I.E. Christopher Vu, a third generation half Vietnamese-American, and Anna-Beth who may be a literal saint considering she had been putting up with Aubrey since they were in diapers. You ended up fleeing the dining room at the end when Emmy asked Chris if he could make Pho or shrimp-fried rice; apparently, he could since his family owned a chain of Asian food spots in New York but it was still kind of mortifying. You got back at her the following morning, a voice loudening charm nearly scaring her pants off, so you, her, and Macy could get up early enough for new student orientation before DADA.

When all three of you made it down in your blue and cranberry? Aubrey was there reading a new edition of the Quibbler upside down and looking eager; she insisted on walking you to Orientation after all of you had made a quick stop for some breakfast. They had waffles and tea, so that was all that mattered to you… and apparently no regulations to where you sat.

Not a ton of people up so early but you saw boys and girls with Wampus Cat pins or patches sitting next to those with Horned Serpent or Puckwudgie ones.

It was kind of nice, actually. Aubrey was chattering on about which hallways the Hat-Man haunted, and you just enjoyed yourself. Spoke for a minute to a cute Horned Serpent Boy you didn’t get the name of after he said he liked your accent. Dragged the rest of your coterie out so you had enough time to make it to the Orientation, with Aubrey saying she would be waiting when it was done to help get Macy to Potions and the rest of you to DADA with her parents.

Went into a lecture hall filled half-way with students from 10 all the way to 17 in a dozen nationalities. Sat next to a pair who looked about your age with suspiciously similar features and brown hair; short and trimmed for the boy, long and unruly for the girl.

“Ah, Schwester. Friends. Americans. Up, up!”

“Bruder, you know I am still jet lagged… but hello. Mein Name ist Hilda. Sein Name ist Carlous, Carl to be brief. Nice to meet you… sisters?”

“Um… technically just the one who looks exactly like me, Macy she is my adoptive one though. And British, not American.”, you say blue eyes locked with their sets of turquoises ones. “I’m Jennifer. Emily is my twin. Macy is my other sister.”

[blue]“Ah, cool. Deutsch? Österreichisch? Ich kann ein bisschen sprechen!”, [/blue] Macy chirps out, looks around Emmys fat tits some.

[blue]Deutsch. Und oh mein Gott, hier drüben spricht jemand eine zivilisierte Sprache![/blue], the female part of the set calls out looking far more awake now.

“Umm no clue what you just said but nice to meet you? Brother and sister? Think I got that much.”, Emmy calls out as a few more students filter in.

“Yes. Tvvins as well. Fraternal, obviously.”, Carlous says precisely.

“Awesome, but that is our thing… who is older?”

“Me.”
“Me.”

And the pair answered as one, engaged in some kind of quick argument in their native language which made you giggle a touch. Same everywhere you suppose.

“Our Mutter… she can’t recall which of us came firsts. She is a doctor, has doctor friends and seems to have got the “good stuff” when we were born. Regardless, 16. Going into our 6th years. Started to not like Durmstrang over the last few years… too much old hate. Muggleborn didn’t help.”, Carl says… softly which is odd considering he has to be almost 6 feet tall.

“Ah… I’m sorry. Me and the girls? It was still a choice but me and my twin did have a good reason to come here. What house are you in?”

“Ah. Zhe Puckwudgie? Wanted to be a doctor like Mutter as a boy, wish to be a Healer now.”, Carl answers after looking toward his long-haired sister briefly.

“Thunderbird. Wish to marry a rich man, have a few kids. Or continue the family business I suppose. I like our dad’s work.”

“Oh! Awesome! All three of us are in Thunderbird too! Didn’t see you this morning, Hilda…”

“Our plane just arrived a couple of hours ago… some muggle non-sense terrorist thing delayed our flight. Vvhy I am tired… but meeting you has perked me up? After this silly thing, vvant to walk to class together? Zhe Puckwudgie and Bird share Defense as I recall.”, Hilda says, and even though she has dark circles under her eyes… you can tell she is kind. Like her already. And her brother is rather fit…

“Y-“

“Yeah, sure Hilda! Going to help our little sis to her class but that sounds great.”, Emily says and cuts you off. Oh well. About what you were going to say, anyway.

“Ah. Yes. Gud. Miss Macy? Do you get ah, Gemobbt? Iz zhat why they are escorting you. If so, tell me. I will sort them out. Bring my staff.”, Carlous says while trying to maintain eye contact with your young friend.

“Oh! No… people are nice to me. I just… I get lost really easily. But? Thank you. I appreciate the offer. You and your sister seem cool…. Everyone over here is nice so far. I’m muggle-born too though! Great to meet another couple of people like that; my sisters are pure-blood, most of my old friends are half, at least.”

“Ah. I can understand, some. I hear it is better some places but at our old school? Didn’t matter how skilled or strong. If you didn’t have the heritage… it vvas not good; wouldn’t even admit mixed bloods or muggle-born till 20 years ago. Even having good money didn’t make up for it… had to try twice as hard for half the credit. Why we asked Mutter und Vater to let us leave for greener pastures, as it were.”, the long-haired girl chimes in. You notice her brother had grabbed her hand for a moment between the desks.

Squeezed it.

Felt a hair bad; you heard rumors of that School but had never met anyone from it.

“Well? I think it is awesome you and us are here. We are going to be great friends; I can tell already. I’m a Seer so it is totally coming true.”, you say. Joked around some… they didn’t need to know that the Seer part was probably true…

“Ah. Dankeschön, Frau Yennifer. But I think we are about to start.”

Indeed, the same red-haired witch from your Sorting entered in with a tall, silver haired man who was perhaps 65 or 70 but looked spry.

“Hello, students! Once more, welcome to the Finest School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the World! As many of you may know already, I am Professor Edelweiss Stewart, Headmistress and Potions Master of this establishment!”

“Like wise, I have met several of you. Robert Stewart, current Master of Wands and Headmaster. A pleasure, to those seeing me for the first time, however.”

The next hour? The Headmistress and her husband go over the basic rules with the lot of you. Announce that for the time being, trips to the Forests were forbidden unless they were with a member of the staff, that you would be meeting Professor Skrub outside of the western entrance and have him escort you in if needed for class. That the various clubs would be restarting this week or the next along with open try-outs for Quidditch, something that made your sister bounce up and down some in her seat. Silly girl…

At the end, the pair dismissed all of you; can’t say you learned all that much not in the guide but those two did have a certain energy to them and you knew the red-haired Headmistress was nice from before. Outside, Aubrey was there standing alone, waiting for you.

“Hey. So that was boring… want to get going to drop Macy off? Oh! These are Hilda and Carl! We have the next class together and Hilda is a Thunderbird too!”

“Oh? Really new then. Really, really. Excellent. Travis shouldn’t have had a chance to get to them yet…”, your tall, tanned house mate muttered out and rubbed her hands some.. “Hi! I’m Aubrey! Nice to meet you two!”

“Vvhat is a Travis… Schön, Sie kennenzulernen. Carlous. Meine Schwester Hilda, Frauline Aubrey.”

“Carl she doesn’t-“

[blue]”Oh, das ist gut. Ich spreche ganz gut Deutsch, wenn Sie den mennonitischen Akzent nicht stört. Ein Travis ist ein Bastard, mit dem man vorsichtig sein muss; er ist gerissen und böse.”[/blue]

And you just kind of stand there, stunned; you got that Macy could speak German, sure, but Aubrey breaking it out fluently… maybe you weren’t giving the little nut job enough credit?

Those thoughts however were quickly dispelled after you made it to the DADA classroom following dropping your younger friend off.

Aubrey, once most of the class was in? She stood at attention and started saying the American Pledge of Allegiance towards a small flag in the corner after asking if you wanted to join. Asking the rest of the class as well. And did it using the Hitler salute. By herself. In front of the German twins.

Emily was covering her face from the embarrassment even as Aubrey sat down and pulled out a quill and some parchment. And a hand grenade with a smiley face painted on it, seemingly by a child which she turned on her desk to face the front of the classroom. You… may have started freaking out some but the other students just kind of ignored it despite your two new friends suddenly being very awake and trying to scoot back a bit.

“Aubrey! Aubrey! You can’t do the Nazi fucking salute! And what the hell is that! Why do you have a hand grenade! What the fuck, what the fuck? I told the Germans you were cool!”

“Roman salute, or more correctly the Bellamy salute. It’s the proper way to address Old Glory, if pussies hadn’t infiltrated our institutions of power. And this is Theodore. He helps me concentrate.”, your curly haired friend said simply, like you were a moron.

Your outrage was unfortunately cut short as the two last people entered the room, with the man saluting the flag before following a tall witch with midnight black hair long enough to sit on to behind the desk at the front of the class.

“Hi mom! Hi dad!”

“Hi sweetie!”, the middle-aged witch shouts back with a wave. Emily… was still flushed and trying to process what was happening. The Germans were whispering to each other softly. And you were right there, next to an insane girl.

“Ahem. Good morning, students. Some of you, those needing to make up for last semester may know us already. For those who are new, however? I am Professor Jamie Thompson. DADA. Squib. And…”

“I’m Professor Cynthia Thompson. Professor Cindy or Cynthia is fine. Witch. DADA teacher, 15 years’ experience. I assure you, there shall be much silly wand waving in this class, even if my husband will show you some other means to face the Dark!”

And what follows? It is probably the most engaging lecture on the subject you have ever had… much of it was just review but still. And your nutty curly haired friend? Notes the whole time even though you know this must be old hat to her. Still… Aubrey was a good student, if nothing more.

At the end of class, you were assigned a 3-page paper by Friday on magical and no-maj means of dealing with Red Caps, informed of the husband and wife’s office hours and encouraged to come to a meeting of the Dueling League later that night which you already planned on.

“Bye, bye sweetie! Enjoy your new friends! Love you!”, Aubrey’s mom shouts out as her and her husband began to prep for a class of 3rd years.

“Bye mom! Dad! Sic Semper Tyrannis!”

“Sic Semper Tyrannis, dear.”

The following couple of classes? Your darling Charms, and then Potions.

Charms was taught by a…charming man. heh. in his 40’s who was very, very good even if he spent a [i]bit[/i] more time helping the female students... Potions?

Apparently, the Headmistress would come help teach when her schedule allowed but was otherwise taught by a young-looking witch with blonde hair and a soft voice with a bit of a Russian accent. Showed you a trick or two to speed up some brewing. Had your potion deemed acceptable. Emmy managed to melt her stirrer.

Puckwudgie had different sets of classes so the Germans broke up with Hilda looking somewhat concerned she would be stuck with the girl with a hand grenade, though you tried to help reassure her. Got to see Macy for a minute in the halls while you and your group helped her to Transfiguration, then History of Magic in America. Made it to the dining hall around noon. Enjoyed the seating situation since you got to meet back up with Carl who insisted Ilvermorny was run by crazy people. You helpfully informed him Witches and Wizards regularly broke the laws of Physics and even Causality and you were all insane by no-maj standards.

After a nice meal? Last class of the day… Creature Care. After meeting the same elderly, bearded Professor from the prior day, you and the Horned Serpent students followed him into the Forest, down to the same clearing you and your friend had passed through previously. And there in the center? A creature you had become well acquainted with; a giant green backed spider locked up in a cage and looking pissed which Skrub began to expound on.

“Now… if one were to need to disable him… what would be a good means to do so, class? Such that you could make a quick exit without Apparition?

DC 65

3 rolls of 1d100+5 due to familiarity to be the quickest to answer and gain some CoC bonuses

OOC: Will give you a chance to meet someone else new after rolls for this, then the exploration part later in the in game week. Who wants to get on the trail of a lost artifact from the past? One which might be a MacGuffin? Jennifer, probably, that is who!

Before the elderly professor for Care had even finished, you felt a sharp blow to your ribs from Aubrey, stumbled forward some.

“Ah Miss Sanders? Coming forward to shine a light in the dark of uncertainty?”

“Ouch… I- tripped but… sure.”, you get out to a couple of annoyed looks from the Horned Serpent students at having their chance to be nerds stolen. “At that size? Pretty much anything should do. Stunner, [i]Bombarda[i], [i]Diffendo[/i], the spider repelling charm, of course. Even muggle lead; the exoskeleton isn’t too hard. The bigger ones though, or if there a bunch? They hate light. Hate the cold. A strong light making spell like [i]Lumos Solem[/i], though that one is draining. Douse them in water. Freeze them and run. And if it’s one of the huge ones the v-ventral side is weakest; chitin on those is too thick for most student’s spells to damage, aside from down there. If you were good enough with it? A spell like [i]Pullus[/i] to transfigure them to something… less spidery, though that seems inefficient. Also, big rocks and squash them.”

“Excellent and comprehensive answer young lady! 5 points, Thunderbird. And if any students have giant arachnid related troubles, I shall be sure to direct them to you, Miss Sanders!”

“What? No! I hate those things!”

“Too late I am afraid. Price of being good at what you do. Now, I will be bringing out one more specimen to speak over then we will be practicing the spell to help neutralize venom; it is no replacement for a general Anti-Toxin or professional aid but will provide time to get to those and is more than sufficient for a bite from our first guest. This second… less so.”, the old Wizard says and levitates another cage into the clearing from the side, one with the far more dangerous Red Backed version of American Giant Spider.

“Now? Can any one tell me the difference between these two?”, and Aubrey is hopping up and down with her raised, softly shouting for Skrub to pick her. “Ahaaa… Yes, Miss Thompson. I see you.”, he says while putting his fingers over the bridge of his long, hooked nose.

“One has green and the other has red!”

“I am happy to see you haven’t gone color blind since yesterday… correct. 1 point Thunderbird. These two? They are the exact same species, same colony even. Mutations during development account for our second guests’ coloration, his more potent venom. Any tactic Miss Sanders described will work just as well on the Red-Back Variant. I was considering bringing a truly large example to lecture on but the one I knew of seems to have suffered a case of being exploded.”, the old Professor says, looking towards you, Emily, and Aubrey with a smile in his dark grey eyes behind their massive lenses. “Now who wants to get bitten first so we may begin learning our spell for the day?”

After being assured they no longer let the students get bites to help learn the spell, you partnered up with Aubrey, Emily having made a bee-line Hilda when her intial choice, a fairly good-looking Horned Serpent girl got stolen from under her nose. Spent the remainder of class practicing though it was kind of hard to tell if the spell was working… it wasn’t terrible difficult so you were pretty confident. Had Aubrey offer to slink over and stick her hand in a cage so you could check your casting for real. Got to see her be softly yelled at by Skrub when she brought her hand grenade out to help her focus better, was told to just take her Adderall. Was informed he had told her for almost 3 years that she had to keep Theodore in her bag during his class.

Hahaha… honestly? Compared to some crap Wizards pulled this was pretty innocent.

At the end of class? You were pretty sure you had it down, at least. No one had been exploded or bitten.

Pretty good result in the end.

You, Hilda, Aubrey, and your twin exited out of the small clearing. Began to split up some. Aubrey said she would help Hilda meet with her brother, get her to her room in your residence hall so the long-haired girl could sleep off her jet lag.

Aubrey herself was going to the shooting range after, put some lead down range, meet up with her club for a while before Dueling League tonight. Emmy wanted to get in some flying practice, make sure the air was the same in America, whatever that meant. You planned to meet with Macy. Make sure she could make it to the library, since she said she wanted to read some earlier that morning.

Then?

The school was your oyster. Nothing to really do till the night. Could go and just walk around… maybe grab a cold sandwich to go with the exploration of it, since they left food for students with odd schedules in the dining hall.

So? Sandwich now in hand, you began to look for a nice place to rest, eat. Think about everything going on. You could feel Emmy over towards the sports fields and going far too fast; caused you to snicker a bit as you exited into an open courtyard where a taller boy was sitting on a bench, tossing out small bites of bread to a dozen or so ravens. Not terribly bad looking, light sandy-blond hair. Well built. So… you made a choice, just to go and sit next to him, enjoy your sandwich.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Feeding the birds? Nice of you.”

“Just thinking. And these guys have 6 years of me spoiling them… hope someone keeps it up when I graduate.”

“Oh? You did look tall… going into your last year? Gonna start my 6th, new student, year abroad.”

“Knew you didn’t look familiar. Would recall someone that pretty being here.”, the boy says and smiles just a bit at you… maybe made you need to hide your face behind your food some.

“Ah… thanks. Jennifer Sanders. C-call me Jenn.”

“Travis. Travis Blackthorn.”

“W-wait. [i]The[/i] Travis?”

“I mean, I think there is a second year named Travis as well?”

“No! Aubrey’s Travis!”

“Oh, crap, you already know her.”, the handsome boy just sighs out, throws the remainder of his bread out and put a hand on his face. “Next you are telling me she already got you to join the League to usurp me.”

“I am joining the League. Me and my twin, and little sis.”

“Arrrgh!”, and he adds a second hand to his face. Seems to be sniffling some.

“Hey! Its… gonna be okay. I-I’m normal. So are the other two!”, you say trying to reassure him a bit.

Yes, very normal, aside from the Killing Curse, being a Seer, nearly being expelled, a Seer, the proclivities of you and Emmy, Macy being smart enough to teach most classes here… nearly dying again, yesterday… okay.

Not normal, but this guy didn’t need to know that.

“Lies. I’ve known Aubrey since we were kids. If she has recruited you, nothing about you is regular. You are probably Merlin in a wig and make-up. And I don’t know how much she has said, but I do not drink the blood of kittens to maintain my “Dark Powers!” No, I do not want to get her knocked up with a “demon baby” or sacrifice her to the Outer Gods; either or depending on the day!”

What.

How weird was their relationship?

“She hadn’t got to that part yet?”

“W-what ever… can’t stop it, just have to roll with it, Travis, come on. You have this. Okay. So, Travis. President of the Dueling League. Head Boy this year. Horned Serpent. 17. Unwilling friend to Aubrey for like 13 years.”, he manages to sputter out, turns some and offers his hand which you clasp after setting the remainder of your food to the side. He… he was strong. And even if it was a touch different? Radiated an aura of lethality much like Aubrey, Professor Jamie, or your own father.

“Uh… told you my name… former Gryffindor, current Thunderbird. 16? I like waffles? New member of your Club? Not an assassin Aubrey sent? I’m good with Charms and Battle Magic?”

“Suppose we will see on that last point.”

“Hey! I’ve been dueling with my sister since we first got wands. Fought and survived… stuff. Then more stuff just yesterday!”

“Told you that you weren’t going to be normal. But, you seem less insane than I would have though, considering Aubrey is… Aubrey. Has she shown you the grenade yet?”, he says and releases your hand.

“Yeah… DADA this morning. Is it-“

“Yes, it is very fucking real.”

“Oh.”, you say and nibble on your food some. “Okay. Sorry, I came and sat down, interrupted you. Were you reading too? My bad.”

“It’s fine. Probably for the best, honestly, so I don’t have to freak out at that girl bringing three new minions.”

“Ah… maybe more? I was thinking about seeing if the Germans we met wanted to check it out too.”

“Awesome. Great… but… it is fine. And I was mostly thinking about what I had read. This is an old History of the place. About 250 years out of date. But the author? He had an interesting theory… want to hear it, Jennifer?”

“Seriously, Jenn is fine. Sure, try me. Have a hair of experience with… old rumors.”

“Not mysterious at all. So, you saw the tree, right? Big one right at the entrance?”

“Yeah. Hard to miss it.”

“Supposedly… Isolt Sayre? She buried the wand she had stolen from her aunt there, what caused the tree to grow. Her aunt. Gormlaith Gaunt . Distant relatives to 3 certain brothers… relative to Salazar Slytherin himself and owner of his wand. The author? He believes the tree was actually a gift, a transplant given to our first Headmistress by her old companion, William the Puckwudgie. That the wand? It was woven with too much old magic, too much power by one of the greatest Sorcerers in history and one of the most powerful Dark Witches of her era to be destroyed as Isolt eventually wished. So, with her husband, the first Master of Wands help? She hid it, sealed it away and not under a tree. Because in the hands of someone like her aunt, like Sallow, Grindelwald, Rubidia the Strange, or the last member of the House of Gaunt, Tom Riddle? They would be near unstoppable… I want to find it. Do one big thing before graduating. Have my name etched into Ilvermorny’s history as more than the guy who resurrected the Deuling League.”

And you feel something stir in you. Began in your lower belly, flowed up into your chest, your limbs.

Cool.

So fucking cool!

“T-that sounds…”

[b]You’ll need it. For what you have to do. And you wonder why things keep happening to you, Jennifer. Hahahaha! Might I suggest the restricted section, and having people who don’t suck at Latin? The same author of Travis’ book wrote some other things under a pen-name.[/b]

“Hey! You alright? You looked flushed? Need some water, have some in my pouch, I-“

“We are going to find that fucking wand. We [i]are[/i] going to find it.”

“What? I mean, it is an interesting theory… and no one else has…”

“Because we are going to be the ones to do it. We… we need the restricted section… yeah. Good place to start; my little sis is a genius, she can help. And Emmy is a Parslemouth, just in case. Aubrey… the Quibbler was right about a bunch in the last War… and now I have the Head Boy to help.”

“You! I didn’t agree to anything! I don’t want to deal with Aubrey! And [i]we[/i] just met!”, the tall and now slightly more attractive boy stammers out…

“Yeah. And it was [i]fate[/i] that we did. That all my friends came except David… he probably has a role he needs to be in Britian for… no… he’s Irish, isn’t he? Ha! Hahaha!”, and you let it take over. The insane cackle. The thrill. “Travy? You can fight Fate. Prophesies can be changed. But? You can’t stop [i][b]Destiny[/b][/i]!”

“Oh, fuck… you are as nutty as I feared. I-I need to think. Get ready for the League…”, he mutters out but you know when you have a fish on the hook.

“Kay! See you tonight!”, you softly shout as he walks away, head in his palm.

Welcome to:

[b]Ilvermorny Quest: [i]Jennifer Sanders and the Wand of Salazar Slytherin![/i][/b]

OOC: There are other things to discover, more friends to make but tossing a big plot hook out

It took a bit to calm down… you managed eventually. Finished your snack and [i]Evenesco’d[/i] the napkin. Rushed to the library to see if you could find something useful, sat next to Macy for a couple of hours checking out references and got exactly Jack and Squat. Headed back to the residence hall in the late afternoon sun to maybe get a quick nap in before the League.

When you awoke in the overstuffed recliner in the Common room, Hilda was there at a table in muggle clothes; a long skirt and a short-sleeved button down, moccasins.

You… you’d need to leave with the girls soon, but do you think your new friend might be interested?

Invite her and by extension her brother to try dueling with you

Give her some peace. Not sure she can handle more Aubrey today, especially an Aubrey allowed to throw out Hexes

Her brother… he seems over protective. Maybe he alone wants to join in? Should be easy to find and ask him.

OOC: Once we figure this out, its time for some duels to see where you place in the pack. Get some more exploration and friend stuff during the week.

“Heeey. Morning, Hilda.”

“It iz six o’clock at night.”

“Just a joke. So? Going to head over, try out the Dueling thing that was mentioned in DADA in a little bit; Aubrey, she kind of recruited me and the others in exchange for a cool spell. Did you or Carlous want to come?”

“I-I zhink not. Not me. I… I dislike conflict, zhou I understand it is needed… and the other girl? She frightens me some; she is important in the League, yes? But... Carl? He hates it even more than me, conflict… but he knowz why must happen on occasion; wishes to protect me. He might be interested is seeing, if it is all in good fun. Not like at zee old School, [blue]Frau Yenni-[/blue]“

“Just Jenn. Or, [blue]Yenn?[/blue] That sounds cool, actually…”, you interrupt, stretching some as you stood up. “Okay. Sure. It’s not for everyone. Me and my twin? We have just sparred for so long; guess I don’t think about it. Um… guess I will grab my sisters and head to the Pukwudgie Residence Halls, should be easy to just ask for him at the door.”

“Ah. Vvould you like me to just send my Patronus to azk? Yenn?”

“Oh! Sure. That would be alright.”, and feel a little sad that you weren’t able to just do that same thing yourself.

“Ah. Here. [i]Expecto Patronum![/i]”, and a small creature bursts from Hilda’s wand tip, flitting about, forming into…

“A dove?”, you ask while following the silver bird, the trail of light that followed it down to the long-haired girl’s hand, to where the small thing perched on her left index finger.

“Ja… Zeemed appropriate. He iz nice, ha.”, and her voice changed. A language you didn’t understand, before the small silver and white bird disappeared into mist, then reappeared a few minutes after, landed back on her finger before a voice like it was coming down a long hallway said several things in German.

“Ah, gud. Carl… he seemed interested. Would meet you and your sisters, half-vvay? Um, Frau, Yenn… keep him safe from zhe crazy one? And if you duel him? Carlous? He can’t stand to hit girls.”

“Oh! Okay. I mean… I’ll try? He’ll learn to hit us if he faces me or Emmy though… we aren’t very good at pulling punches.”, you call out. Begin to head down to get Macy, then your twin before… you just went up to Hilda, put your hand on her shoulder, lightly. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get trauma from Aubrey.”

“[blue]Danke Schon[/blue]. Suppose I will work on zome of the essayz, reading. I zhink my English is okay if I speak… still have some trouble reading. Get ahead of it.”, your new friend with the cute accent says, doesn’t seem to pull away from your hand, at least.

“I-I can help some. If you want. And Macy is smarter than me and Emmy put together…”

“I-I will zee how I can do. You are a nice girl, Yenn.”

And with that? You left Hilda be. Fetched your “sister” and sister, having to wake the later up… got told Aubrey had left far earlier to help set up. Began walking through the lightly twilight-stained campus to meet up with a tall German boy. Found him pacing a little in his robes; you were at least wearing work-out clothes but Emmy… Tight jean shorts, a thin Ilvermory tee and sneakers was probably a bit unprofessional to say nothing of the fact you [i]knew[/i] she was missing a bra at least. Macy was only in her button down, bow, and a skirt with some spats you insisted on but… oh well. You all looked good enough to beat the crap out of one another.

It didn’t take long to make it the rest of the way to the sports fields while Carl and Macy chatted some in German and your twin gave the boy annoyed looks at not paying more attention to her. When you arrived? Maybe three dozen people? Four? Some looked younger though most seemed to be at least close to your age, in their upper years. Professor Cynthia in a small lawn chair to the side and reading the Quibbler, upside down naturally. And your curly haired, slightly insane new friend next to a tall boy with sand-blond hair, same from this afternoon, both at the front of the “class”.

You took a second to look around. Greeted “Vu-Doo” and Anna-Beth, tried to find any more familiar faces as a few more students filtered in.

“Ahem! Welcome to the first summer meeting of the Dueling League! Many are coming back but I do see new faces! I’m Travis Blackthorn, President of our esteemed congregation… and this is-“

“Aubrey! Aubrey Thompson! Vice-President of this cabal of Sorcerers! You made the best decision of your life showing up tonight, to practice the ways of Martial Magic, learn to defend against the Dark and its [i]minions[/i]!”, Aubrey shouts out, dressed to the nines and glancing conspicuously at Travis when she mentioned the Dark.

“Ahhh… yes. What she said. And of course, Professor Cynthia Thompson, who will be overseeing the League today and Wednesday. Professor McMahon, of Charms fame, will be here Friday. Now a few rules-“

“Have fun! That is the only one which really, really matters!”, Aubrey shouts out, edging in front of the slightly taller boy before he just pushes her back by the forehead.

“No destructive spells, unless they are severely reigned in. No full power [i]Bombardas[/i] or [i] Diffendo’s[/i]. Nothing which would send someone to the Healers for more than a boo-boo. No use of silent spells by those in seventh or sixth years against younger opponents aside from Basic Casts. No use of outside items like Potions or enchanted clothing. [i]No use of spells or Curses which even border on Dark, including the ones which we are taught, such as Sectum Sempre[/i]. I and the Professor will escort anyone using such spells to the Headmistress and Headmaster’s office as well as baring you from the League, at a minimum. What happens here? It stays in the League; if I hear of anyone taking what happens outside, I will ensure you are writing 20-page papers for the next year and have your off-campus privileges revoked… No-“

“No using slurs. If you get mad, say a bad word or two, but if I [i]ever[/i] hear a term like “mud-blood”, you are gone and will be learning from it. Respect you opponent. Even if they aren’t skilled? They are trying, putting in work, and we will not allow bullying. One of the best duelists of the last half century was awful with Charms as a student and now he teaches them at the second Finest School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the World, has won championships in this field!”, Aubrey once more interjects, sounding passionate. Looks towards her mom, sitting in the corner of the field.

“What Aubrey and her friend said. And, if anyone get thirsty, I have some water and Gatorade over here in the cooler! Wiggenweld too for oppsies! Have fun!”, your tall, dark-haired Professor shouts out before moving a large cooler in front of her, getting back to the Quibbler with a small light now over her shoulder.

Okay… a little odd but? At least it was cute when Aubrey blushed from her mom calling Travis her friend?

“For today, we will split up, see were every one falls skill wise so you can be matched with people you can learn with. New students, first timers, those not entirely confident, to the left. Those who have been here before, middle, tho-“, Travis starts before Aubrey interrupts him a final time.

“Those who think they can stand up to your wonderful Vice-President or have been here for at least a year? Right side! [i]He[/i] and I will hand out random matches in your division! Chop chop!”

Then, a few minutes later, you are off to the left, trying to get names. Aubrey’s friends are with you… apparently, they only really came to support her. Macy is there close by. Emmy too, looking scandalized at being sorted with the newbies. Carl just seems confused but you helped him over to your side. A few minutes later following some squabbling on the right-hand side, Travis is there handing out folded slips of paper.

“Hey… here. Just to make everything fair. Aubrey? When she insisted on helping me set up, to make sure I wasn’t using my “Dark Powers”? She said you and your twin were good. Should probably be in the center or right but… we have to do things correctly.”

“Its fine. This is fun… did you think any about what I said, Mr. President Head-Boy?”, you say while grabbing the slip from him.

“I tried not to. But… If you are around for lunch Wednesday… we can talk. Just send Aubrey somewhere for a while; give her a little errand or something. She loves helping people, at least. Also, we never talked; I don’t need her trying to kill you in your sleep due to some delusion, what with you sharing a Residence Hall.”

“I though there would be no bullying.”

“I have known her since kindergarten, have to deal with her staring at my house with binoculars during breaks. I get this much. Good luck on your matches, ah, Jenn.”, the boy says, very, very tired but still doing his job, giving out the match slips while moving through the small crowd around you.

Let’s see… 4. So, you were supposed to find who had the same number?

A minute later? It seems the others had matched up, were finding open spots, clear lanes on the pitch. Macy had got Aubrey’s nice, brown haired friend, Anna-Beth. Emmy had matched up with the shorter Asian boy, Chris; “Vu-doo” who seemed to know what he was doing at least. So, at the end? Just you and a few students you didn’t know. And… a tall German boy you had dragged along, one who was looking around somewhat anxiously.

“Ah, Carlous? Four?”

“Carl iz fine Frau… Miss Yenn. Ja. Four.”, he says and sighs a hair.

“Guess it is me and you. Ah, sorry. I told your sis, I’d keep you safe from Aubrey. Won’t go too hard on you. Jenn, Yenn is fine.”

“It would be… appreciated. I don’t like harming girls, women.”

“Kinda cocky… I am pretty good. Don’t hold your punches. If I wasn’t alright getting thrown around some, I wouldn’t be here.”, you toss back to him; he seems nice but you didn’t like being underestimated.

“Sorry, Yenn. I… I just dislike harming people when they have done me or Hilda no wrong. Vvill give you a good match. It iz all in good fun here, correct? No hard feelings.”

“Yeah. No hard feelings either way. Lets get a good spot, um, Herr Carl?”

“Carl iz gud, ja? Lets?”, and he actually extends his arm out. Polite. A dork. But screw it. Hooked your arm into his while making your way to the far side of the field; you didn’t want him to accidentally hit another student or something. Went to the opposite ends of the lane. Had him bow deeply to you, something a more than you normally did but… guess they just did things different at Durmstrang? So, you mirrored him. Drew your wand and locked eyes until Aubrey gave a shout to begin to your side of the pitch.

You simply began in a low, simple stance, something that could balance offense and defense well. Started with a few simple bolts of pure magic, Basic Casts, to see how the tall German boy would react. Gauge how hard you should go against him.

That turned out to be a miscalculation.

He easily dodged, not even putting up a shield. Just moved from where your tiny spells were heading and by the time you realized that you needed to take this more seriously, he had already shifted to offense. Sent out good combinations of spells like the disarming charm, a stunner, then a [i]Depulso[/i] back-to-back, movements flowing into one another while you were forced to not just dodge but toss power into [i]Protego’s[/i]. You attempted to step it up after realizing you couldn’t take it easy on Carl but he was maintaining his pressure, forcing you back.

You felt like a fool.

Prideful, stupid. Underestimating him just because he was nice. Polite. Were told he didn’t like hurting people.

Durmstrang was known for many things. The Darker Arts. Not admitting anyone less than a pure-blood prior to 20 years ago. [i]Martial Magic[/i].

Of course he would have had experience with it. Had even said he would “sort” people out if they were harassing Macy.

And now you were on the back foot, working to do more than defend and keep him back.

[b]I can help. I don’t like losing either. All you have to do is… give me your hand.[/b]

What!

And time seemed to slow. He was about to do something, but you didn’t know what. You had been forced back almost to the end of the lane. You… you think you were better than him but… you had made a mistake and were about to pay for it.

[b]Your hand, Jennifer. Some of our magic. I’m just a part of you… I can’t do it without your help, not like this, but you are a Seer; whether you want it or not, now. We can glimpse ahead some. If you try hard enough, we could even directly affect the Attractor Field Effect to a degree, alter probability. But at the least? We can see what is going to happen. And then? [i]Change it.[/i][/b]

It felt like a stupid thing to do. Idiotic. This was just a little spar. That small girl in you? The you who still wore pigtails, was in a dress from when you were eight? Had killing green eyes? She was evil. Bad. [i]Terrifying[/i], to the point you had thrown up blood from her before, prior to talking some.

But… beyond the terror she evoked, it was still you. Just you.

[b]Glad you didn’t forget it. Now here! My hand! And we will show them what is what! Jennifer! Take it and look forward! Say it! Who we are![/b]

Carl’s wand moved in slow motion. You had noticed Macy had managed to stun Anna-Beth a lane over… you couldn’t stand to disappoint her; you needed to be her strong big sister. Couldn’t stand to lose like this.

So in your heart and mind? You placed your hand into your own. Shouted it out…

[i]“Me!”[/i]

Then your magic, your soul thrummed. And you saw what would happen. An Incendio to blind you. His strongest stunner to break the weak shield you would put up. An Expelliarmus followed by a Langlock to end it.

Heh.

Simple.

“Defoido!”, and you wondered if they knew what a powder explosion was at his old school as flame hit a cloud of dry dirt and detonated, even as you ran forward into the ball of fire after using the Flame-Freezing Charm on yourself; still were kind of deafened yet? Carl’s shoes seemed new. Very new; you gambled on him not have put any Charms on them yet.

“Accio Right Shoe!

And he was falling backwards with his foot ripped from him? Finally?

“Depulso!”

And he had been tossed back, almost to the end of the lane, was trying to recover.

I need 3 rolls of 1d100+12

Carl will be rolling a 3d100-2 this round, due to you fucking him up well enough it is hard for him to stand up

On a loss you can still try to use Mini-Me and your powers once more.

Even though you had seized the initiative, put him on his ass, the tall German boy wasn’t just rolling over and letting you win; even on his back he was fighting back. Tossed out spells to keep you from closing the gap too much. However? You could already see what he was casting before it was even intoned them.

You stopped bothering with real shields; a quick cast, barely even calling out to block them was all it took. Parrying spells was incredibly difficult, supposedly. You weren’t having issues, so maybe everyone else just sucked?

And with each of the spells you stopped, with each step? The boy’s eyes grew wider. You began to [i]taste[/i] the fear. And it was [i]delicious[/i].

When you were only feet from him, Carl called out. Screamed really.

[i]Bombarda![/i]

There was too much power invested in it to just knock it away like the others, but with you sight extended forward as it was, you were already casting.

[i]Prismatis![/i]

And even though your shield was up, there was a sound like the world ending and you were actually knocked back when the barrier exploded… but when the dust cleared, you saw he had probably undone himself. The grass all around you was ripped away, blackened. Carlous had been tossed a few more feet back, past the end of the lane. A technical DQ… but you wouldn’t settle for just that and threw your wand up, your magic out one more time.

[i]“Expelliarmus!”[/i]

And his wand was in the air. Then, you couldn’t tell why but you used one of the little tricks Flitwick had shown you, formed a Prismatic Sheild the size of a beach ball on the tip of your wand as someone shouted the incantation for a Stunner and then swung the Cedar and Dragon-Heartstring behind you and to the right; caught a bolt of magic and sent it directly back to the sender.

Must be some dummy missing their actual opponent.

Silly.

“Good match, Carl. Thirsty. Going to grab a sports drink, I’ll get one for you too. Like blue flavor? I’ll get you blue. Need a hand up?”

[blue]“Frau Jennifer, Ihr Gesicht, Sie bluten Ihr ganzes Hemd voll! Ihre Hände! Was... was ist passiert?[/blue]

“I’ll take that to mean blue works. Cool.”

That match must have really taken it out of you, honestly. Walking towards Professor Thompson seemed like you were slogging through mud and people kept accidentally sending Stunners you had to swat away towards you! Really, all these newbies.

Couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn you suppose.

There were a couple of familiar voice shouting but your hearing was still a bit messed up from the powder explosion and the [i]Bombarda[/i]. But hey, when you made it over, Aubrey’s mom was already standing, wand out for some reason. She did drop her magazine though. Heh.

A bit clumsy.

“Heeey. Can I grab a couple of Gatorade’s? Blue if you have them, for me and Carl.”, you ask and rub under your nose some; all that smoke was making it run like crazy! And you had to deflect [i]another[/i] poorly aimed Stunner from behind you.

Geeze; might want to start these guys off with some target practice.

“Miss Sanders! Jennifer! Sit down! Here, right here! Now!”

“Okay. Sorry, hearing is a bit hard… thanks for talking loud, Ma’am.”, and you collapsed into the dark-haired woman’s chair, just for a minute. Just till your nose stopped running, till the ringing in your ears ceased.

“Oh, can I grab those drinks now, Professor?”

“Miss Sanders! Look! Down! Look at your hands!”

And when you bothered to glance at them… they both had the loveliest Gryffindor red all over them along with your shirt and it being added to by the second in drops. That was the last thing you thought about as you collapsed forward to the grass.

--

You were back there. A shadowed version of where you, Emmy, and, David nearly died; it had been a while. Suppose the other tiny you needed some attention. No wall of midnight black to deal with this time… the fear, anxiety, pain, and hatred were still there but you had done this before. Pushed through them to where she was.

And she was still right there… back to you. A different dress, one that was still familiar. Hair done up a little different, longer than you remember with her legs bent and arms curled around them. “Wand” in her hand…

Crying.

You still had to fight, push through the aura of fear, desperation, pain, and hatred but it was a little easier than before. Went and sat down behind you. And when she turned some to look back… it was like she had been beaten. Dark circles under her eyes. A bloody nose. Tears that were just slightly pink.

“Wh-what the fuck happened… what… why am I even asleep?”

“We looked forward. Did it well. But there is something here that blocked us. Not right there, not on the fields, probably, but… it was like walking face forward, full speed into a glass door, Jennifer.”

“What?! I… we were dueling, right? Needed an edge. So I took your hand and, then… It is hazy…”

“You did. We got him. But… I couldn’t see it then. Don’t even know what it was. Could avoid it in the future I think, but… something got in the way. Hurt us as we shattered it. I-I’m sorry… I wasn’t lying before. When I said what was coming would hurt me too. Was thinking of a different thing, less literal as well, but… I’m sorry, Jennifer.”

“Oh… oh, Merlin. Fuck-“

“Cursing!”

“F-frick. Am I dead? Are… we dead, or something?”, you sputter out, and realize that when you had just put your hand to your face… there was dried blood on it. [i]Your[/i] dried blood. “I-I…”

“No… not dead. Might wish we were once we see how worried Emily is, Macy. How scared we made Carl. But still kicking. I don’t think we have much time… time before we wake up but we can try and talk. Make sense of this, some.”

You have time to ask some questions, do something with the small green-eyed version of yourself

Ask some questions, write in what you want but here are a few options as well

Why… why do you look different? A little bigger?

Why? Why are you even here?

Why can I see ahead now, am a Seer. I suck at divination

What was it? That messed it up? What kind of “glass door” did we walk into?

Emmy! Your connection! Is she okay? She has to be!

What did we do… did we hurt someone… get people hurt again?

Are you okay? Am I okay?

“We aren’t dead… are we dying? I feel… not great. There was blood. There was blood, right? It… please tell me it wasn’t someone else’s… fuck, fuck, fuck!”, you shout out behind yourself. Grabbed and held her like she was a life-preserver.

“Cursing! Just ours… a couple of people got hit with their own spells when we knocked them back, I think.”

“Are we… you? Are we okay?”

“Ever walked into a thing you shouldn’t, Jennifer? Don’t answer; I know we have. Hurts. And humiliating. Painful, in more than one way.”, the younger you in your lap answers, spits out.

“But… we [i]are[/i] okay? You are, okay? I am?”

“Should be. You did also jump into an explosion you caused because you are a terribly Gryffindor girl, despite… no. We can get to that. I looked ahead for us, with your hand in mine. Hit something hard enough it broke. Got hurt. And, I am just part of you. So? It carried over a bit. Using magic like that? I can help but… you started looking forward yourself, too. Why you were able to knock away a dozen stunners, hexes when people freaked out. It’s why you could stop the Professor’s even though she is far stronger than you are. But… it took its toll. On me. On you. [i]Us.[/i] Power always has its price. Mom always tried to drill that in. Daddy too.”

“Oh… oh, Merlin. I… we didn’t hurt anyone? Please, please, please-“

“Stop. No. You are too kind for that. A few deflected Stunners. The Professor stopped hers when we sent it back… Aubrey did get hers returned. Travis dodged. Emmy was already on the ground from the leak-through. Macy was screaming, when she saw us. Didn’t hurt her.”

”Emmy!”

“She is probably fine. Not going to look forward, given what just happened, since I am exhausted, but… she only gets some of what happens to us. If we are alright, she should be too.”, the tiny girl in long blonde pig-tails says, turns around in your lap so her killing green eyes are locked on your own.

“Why!”, you shouted out. Grabbed the tiny you. Wanted daddy and mom and Emmy badly. “Why the fuck is this happening to me! I-I just want a-“

“Cursing! And? A simple life? A nice one? Easy? Go get married at 22 when you find a good man? Sorry. That is not in the cards. You are going to have a terribly interesting one.”

“I…I don’t want it. Please, I don’t want it…”

“I’m not Merlin, Jennifer. Not all powerful… nothing close really. Can’t stop it. The things happening? They were put in motion long, long before we were ever born… before I was. Before you saved two people’s lives by using a Killing Curse. She would have fought well, you know.”

“What!”

“Emily. Till the end. And? Then? She would have died. Ribs broken… choking on her blood, all while she tried to pick up her wand to keep fighting. Then died. Head caved in. David would have been next. When she learned you died after? Macy… she would have finished what she tried, years ago… succeeded this time, given she knows she is a witch now. Brewed up something that would have worked.”

“No. No…”

“Yes, Jennifer. Death. Pain, agony, fear. But you survived; saved people. Scared your very soul to do it. And so you ended up going to where a certain piece of wood and horn is at.”

“I…me, please? I don’t want this. I just want my sisters, a decent life. That is all…”

“Too bad. How long can we trace our ancestors back, Jennifer?”

“Like, 450 years or so… longer once we get past when we lost track for a while.”

“And when was Ilvermorny founded?”, the nine-year-old version of you asked, softly… and your stomach kind of sunk. Twisted.

Lies!

You were normal!

“Four or five centuries ago. Yeah, then we lost track of the family tree for a while around then…”

“Yeah.”, and the tiny you? The you from when you were nine? All she did was hug you. Got some of the blood from her nose on your clothes

“Sanders. Sayre. [i]Slytherin.[/i]”

“No!”

“Yes. Because you were not born right, a twin? She got the Parsletongue, Emmy; but we both share the blood. When we looked? I saw. Why I could break through the “glass”, even if it was painful… us and Emmy? Daddy? We are some of the last living descendants of him. The person that founded the House our father was part of, great-cousins to the one that Founded Ilvermorny. It’s why Emmy and him can speak in snake. And the magic Isolt used? To protect his wand? Part of it is gone, now. Because it was tied to it; only someone with that same blood her and her ancestor had could undo it…”

“What! I’m… I’m not…”

“You are. We are. And the magic hiding the wand, it was the same old, old magic he could use. The same all the Hogwarts founders could use. The same Gormalaith Gaunt and her niece could. Magic Isolt Sayre used to create this School along with her husband and adoptive children. That power is beyond [i]us[/i}, now. But it is part of our heritage… it recognized us.”

You had to be strong for your sister. Sisters. But now, just in front of yourself? All you could do was cry.

“P-please. Please don’t do this…”

“If I could stop it, I would. I can’t. I would… life doesn’t always work like you want; doesn’t take you where you wish to be but where you need to be. It is unfair like that. We have to find it. The wand. I…I broke some of the protections around it, when I crashed through the glass to help us for a stupid little duel. So, it is there for the picking now. If we don’t get it? Someone [i[far[/i] worse than us will. Then use it for things that would make mom and daddy sick. We will need it. It is a very unique thing. Need it to stop someone who wishes nothing but death and destruction on the world; we won’t have the strength to stop them… but with that thing? Our sister? Sisters? Friends? Perhaps. One way or another. We can try. And… Isolt was smart; wished to be in Ravenclaw. Has some other protections. Somethings which can help us. I couldn’t see that far even with my eyes forced open; it was shadowed. But I think we are going to need everything we can get to stop the real threat… one that is more than just a Dark Wizard with an incredibly powerful ancient wand.”

“NO! You… you are just… you are evil! You just want me to get it because then you can use it and…”, you cry out between tears.

“I already have my own wand, Jennifer.”, your tiny doppelganger says, brandishes her stupid little stick while she is in your lap. It was… you remember.

It was from an old tree in your back yard. When you and Emmy were kids, didn’t really understand the magical world but had seen mom and daddy’s wands. Pulled a couple of branches from a tree in your yard, carved them some with a small knife from the kitchen. Gave one to your sister, took one for yourself.

Just had play fights with them after primary school most days of the week.

“Can you please? If nothing else, can you please keep them safe… destroy the world, be as evil as you want, take my body if you want, but please? Can you keep them safe? Emmy, Macy, David, mom, daddy, our new friends?”

“I’m just you, Jennifer. Nothing more, nothing less.”, looks up at you with bruised eyes and a nose that had been bleeding. “Can [i]you?[/i]”, a nine-year-old version of yourself asks and taps your head with her “wand”.

“I-I can try.”, you respond. Just look down at her some, despite your eyes still being wet and nose runny. Realized her hair is kind of messy, one of the pig-tails longer than the other, bangs on one side messed up. Wished for a hair-brush and… oh.

There it is.

You suppose just like your wand, the one of cedar and Dragon Heart-String that had wanted to manifest before, you could kind of pull things here, make them.

So?

You undid her hair. Tried and succeeded in pulling in a wet handkerchief. Cleaned up her face some. Brushed her hair out. Were asked to put it into a braid. Scratched her back some. Right in the middle liked you always loved when daddy held you as a kid.

“Going to wake up soon. It might be annoying, Jennifer. But thank you for helping with my hair. Got longer, more trouble to deal with. Can I keep the brush?”

“S-sure. We have a bit of time, right? To try and find it? Deal with all of this?”

“Yeah. I think. Smashing our face into magic glass hurt, messed up what I could see some but I am pretty sure. And I am sorry. That me getting knocked out like that hurt you some. Let you glimpse forward too much. But I am confident it was bad-ass when you tossed the Professor’s spells back at her…”

“It… that does sound kind of cool, if not for freaking out every one there. Having Emmy pass out…”

“She should be okay. You can feel her if you try now, right?”

And the tiny version, the small part of you? She was right. Could feel your sister. Some of her concern leaking in. You think she was pretty close as well.

“I probably can’t help us look forward for a while. If it is life or death, I can try but… Seeing so much at once, running into that magic? Kinda hurt me. Us.”

“Its fine, little dork… What are the chances we are going to nearly die again soon?”

“Really tempting fate, Jennifer.”

And your eyes opened to a woman with short dark hair.

“Bartlett! Bartlett!! She woke up! Miss Sanders, follow my finger with your eyes. Can you speak?”

“Y-yeah. I can.”, and your voice is a bit hoarse… but you keep track of the young woman in Healer robe’s finger until a far older man with his hair white came to join.

“Thank you, Candice. Everything seems fine so far?”

“Yes, sir. She looks alright. Just cast a few more detection spells and it looked normal, right before she woke up.”

“I… where am I?”, is about all you can cough out. Really need some water. Your throat is pretty dry.

“Infirmary, young lady. Seems there was an accident last night in that little club. You had been bleeding from your nose and ears… eyes. Passed out. Do you feel pain anywhere? Can you still recall your name?”, the elderly healer asked. Your head was swimming with what you had learned but? You felt okay.

“Yeah. Yes, sir. Jennifer Sanders. 16. From Buckinghamshire. Gryffindor, now in Thunderbird.”

“Alright. Still keeping you here for a bit, but you are probably alright if Candice’s spells came back clean. And you have two very, very insistent girls who wish to see you. A third [i]slightly[/i] less insistent one who has been here too many times over the last 5 years.

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed. I’ll give you a few minutes, then, would you like me to let them in?”

“Yeah. Yes. I feel mostly okay… one of the girls? She looks like me, right?”

“Enough so I thought I was having a stroke when I met her.”

“Alright, Mister… Bartlett?”

“Yes. Doctor, technically, since I did go to no-maj medical school.”

“Oh. Doctor Bartlett. Thank you. Sorry.”

“Never apologize for being hurt or ill. I’ll let them in a moment. If you can drink, there is some water on the table next to you.”

And a few minutes later, a few sips of waters down the line? A small dark-haired comet exploded through the door and impacted you, followed by a girl that could be your mirror image, one who closed the door behind her, thankfully.

“Jenn!”

“Hey, Macy. Hey, Emmy.”

“Hey.”, your twin said. Almost spits out really. “That is all I get after having to come see you in an infirmary a second time in like a month? You can’t keep doing this to me, Jenn…”

“I’m… I’m sorry…”, you say, Macy hugging you. Sounding like she is sniffling. You...

Keep quite about the other you, the wand; make something up to explain what happened. Can’t bring them in to this. Have to protect your sisters from it. Can’t let Emmy know that you two are related to Slytherin, distantly as it might be.

Ask them to cast some privacy Charms. Let them know. They are a part of this. Need to know. Emmy needs to know she and dad can speak snake for a very specific reason. Explain what you know, understand.

And…

Ask them to bring in your third caller; Aubrey if you are correct. (If the second choice is selected, she will learn what is happening, about the wand, your ancestry. If you wish you can select things to leave out.)

Deal with her later. It has been a bit too much already.

Write in

“Hey? Can you two… check the door? Look around a bit outside? Cast a few privacy Charms? Detection ones? [i]Mormalus[/i]? Up to that?”

“Yeah… if you are going to tell me what happened. I can do it.”

“Me too Jenn! I’ll be careful but that scared me so much. You… you threw back Professor Thompson’s spells, stopped others. Mister Blackthorn’s. Aubrey’s. All of them. Like they were all nothing, seemed like you were in a trance or something and then…”

“On the ground. Face covered in blood.”

“And I am sorry. So, so sorry.”

A few minutes later? You were pretty sure your privacy wasn’t being invaded. They had told you Aubrey had been stopping by, wanted to see you. Yet… you couldn’t do it. Couldn’t trust her with what you were about to say, with what was to come, even if for a nutjob she seemed mostly harmless, nice. For a nutjob being the qualifier. Not right now… right then you just wanted your sister and “sister”.

When your twin and she came back? Were sitting by the edge of your bed? It took a moment. There were a couple of tears; stupid Veele blood acting up.

“S-so. Been talking to my self some.”

“That’s normal, Jenn! Most people have an internal…”

“Not what my fool-like sister is saying, talking about. The reason why you were covered in blood, swatting away spells last night? Threw up blood, woke up screaming a couple of weeks ago? Why we have nightmares now?”

“Yeah… something like that.”

“Jenn? What did you get involved in? What… what is happening to my big sister?”

“Have you ever asked yourself why, Emmy? Why that the two of you could speak to snakes?”

“What?! Me and dad… we are just…”

“Special? Wonder if there was someone else though like that, way back when.”

“Jenn! You know I don’t believe in that same bullcrap, the same stuff the people who killed our grandparents did!”

“Yeah. You don’t. Wouldn’t be my sister if you did. But it is still a part of our heritage. And? Macy? I don’t give a shit if your parents are muggles. I love you. Emmy loves you. Mom and daddy love you… daddy maybe a hair [i]too much[/i], but I think he goes after blondes mostly and realizes mom will turn him into a ferret if he ever messed around too much with you.”

So? You pushed it out. Not really an exaggeration there, even if you were probably putting them danger by knowing.

“Macy… the witch who founded this place? What was it she had? The thing that lured her aunt here? Emmy? What heritage did Gormlaith Gaunt wish to protect?

“Isolt Sayre, daughter to Rionach Sayre nee Gaunt. T-the wand. One which belonged to their ancestor, Salazar…”, Macy just… cried out. If she had the answer for something, she always gave it.

“Slytherin. Oh. Oh, God. Merlin. Oh… oh no, no.”, Emmy finishes for your adoptive sister.

“Yeah. Yep. Got it in one.”

“Jenn… I don’t-“

“Want it? Me neither. But we got it. You have their snake talk, Transfiguration. I have Charms… and seeing ahead some now.”

“F-fric-Fuck, fuck fuck, fuck! This is bullshit!”

“My thoughts exactly. But, cursing! And… if we can’t find the wand? I am not a good person; you know that, Emmy. I’m not. You know I messed up a lot in our lives. I got us into a bunch of trouble when we… we were kids Did a bad thing recently, hurt you some. Let David get hurt. But the person who gets it instead would be worse. And? We are probably going to need it. Because something is coming.”

“Jenn! You are good! I… I love you…”

“I know, Macy. But? I know it isn’t big, but can you come here? Emmy? Macy? Into the bed. Just for a bit?”

A couple of minutes later? There were a couple of strong, brave, and loyal witches there. In your bed. Holding on you to you, tight.

One annoyed. One just attached to you. One that looked so similar that you and her played tricks on all of Hogwarts. The other? So different that in another world you and her would have never met.

Yet? Both of them? They helped. Kept you warm. Helped with the anxiety… there would probably be professors here soon. Likely the Headmistress or Headmaster.

“I’m not sure what she is, of what “me” claims. Mini-me? But she is pretty sure of what she saw.”

“[i]Mini-me!?[/i]”

“Yeah. Tiny version, younger than before I ever met you, Macy. Has the dumb pigtails we had, Em… well not anymore; gave her a braid. Her hair was a bit long. But she had the ones we did as kids, Emmy; seemed to know stuff only I would alongside the crap she saw. Had that little branch I used as a ‘wand’ when we played as girls.”

“Oh. That’s cool. Tiny, fricked up version of my sister. Living in her brain. Leading her into danger. Seeing the future. Letting her knock back spells from full grown witches, telling her to find an ancient wand. Were you just going to keep it to yourself, Jenn?”

“I was… I thought maybe it was just from nearly getting my head smashed in, maybe, at first. And I didn’t want to worry you, Emmy. Put you or Macy into danger. See if I could fix things up, after I really got that she was real…”

“Jenn.”

And it wasn’t your tiny friend, even if the voice was soft. Emmy… Her eyes were hard, even if her voice was quiet while she was hugging you tighter; quite but her voice was now like goblin silver. Firm and unyielding.

“Fine. [i]Fine[/i]. If you have a fricking tiny, evil version of you now in your head? I can deal with it. But? If we have to fricking fight Inferni, trolls, giant spiders, and huge mind reading cats? Probably some Dark Wizards? If you and I are related to a stupid magic racist? Have to find a dumb wand now? Then you are [i]not[/i] doing it alone.”

“Sis…”

“Jenn? You know I am stuck with you. Will be there, till the day I die. Just please try not get us killed till I can take Sally out this week-end, if nothing else.”

“Hey! I wanted to drive her Saturday!”

“Deal with it. And since we don’t know where stuff is, I guess Aubrey is probably coming…. and you might need it, Macy. To know how to work a car. Want to sit in my lap and I’ll let you have the wheel some?”

“I… I said I was going to be there too. If you are going to drive around, if we might need her in the future… yeah. Maybe a bit. Learn some. No [b]The Button[/b], please. And Jenn? Not doing it alone. And… I don’t care if you two might have a wizard who would kill me just for who my parents are as an ancestor. You are the furthest thing from someone like that.”

“MayMay… Emmy. Thank you. And I think Aubrey is only mildly insane, we might need her. I think Travis is.... not crazy; we are probably going to have to work with him a bit and he is strong apparently. Need them and maybe more. To find the wand, stop the worst from occurring. But can you watch our backs some, Macy? You are smarter than me or Emmy. Less nuts.”

“Yep! I’ll make sure you are only doing kind of silly things. And? I’m going to stick with the League, too. Get better. I know Anna was taking it easy on me some, but I still beat her! I can fight too… fight back. For me. Sisters. My friends. Mom and dad.”

“I know you will, Macy. I trust you. And you did well, beating Anna. And we will need people good with Latin, I think. Or Old English, maybe?”

“I can brush up on it some?”

“You will. A great girl. But, hey, can you look here, sis? Jenn?”

“Sure. No more blood, right?”

“No, but? Have you always had green flecks in your eyes?”, and you meet Emmy’s perfectly blue orbs.

“What? We look almost the exact same, Emily! Mom and dad had trouble figuring out who was who when we messed around as girls!”

“Yeah. I know; it was funny. But? Look.”

And suddenly Em’s wand was in one hand with a small thing in her opposite. The spell for Transfiguring a thing into glass, a mirror called out. A small light behind it, from the tip of cedar and Dragon Heart-String which was so similar to your own one.

And you glanced at your sister’s eyes.

Perfectly blue. Just like the sky. Annoyingly blue to be honesty when you had help her before, to do her mascara or eyeliner.

Now? Yours? Still sky colored. But… hints of green in small spots around your pupil, a circle around it.

“Oh. Oh fuck. I… probably need to try some new make up?”

“That is what you are concerned by, Jenn?”

“Hey? A girl always needs to put her best face forward if we want to catch a nice boy. Or a girl I suppose.”

“You are insufferable.”

“Suffered me for 16 years. Well… 15 years and 22 hours.”

“F-frick. For the rest of my life, as short as it might be with all this. Really? Still going to give me junk about the fact mommy could only get one of us out at a time and needed to rest in between? Forever?”

“Yes.”

“Fricking heck”

Then?

The witch you tossed a spell back at last night. Headmaster Stewart. The doctor. They stepped in and closed the door.

“I think she is fine, sir. Spells and physical checks were good.”, the white-haired physician stated, with a chart in his hand.

“Excellent, doctor. Thank you and your staff very much.”

“Of course, Headmaster.”

And the white-haired Healer stepped back out.

“Ummm? Sir? Ma’am? Do I need to leave? Take Macy with me? And… sorry, Professor Thompson. About my sister nearly hitting you in your face with that spell?”

“It is fine, Miss Sanders. The point of our club is to learn to fight and if I couldn’t stop my own spells, I wouldn’t be much fit to teach DADA. My daughter getting hit is kind of unfortunate… but she did always take after her dad more; not surprising she tried to jump in front of Travis to shield him. And you and Miss Wright did well; Miss Matthews and Mister Vu have been coming to the league for years, even if they stick to the novice division. My daughter is skilled, I think… you are as well. Good matches all around.”

“Indeed, from what you have said, Professor. But? Life has become rather interesting recently.”

“I didn’t want…”

“To end up in an Infirmary, covered in blood? Miss class for the day? Have two other girls end up next to you worried, due to it? Life works out like that some times. I believe Miss Wright has picked up your homework for the day…”, the older man says. It looks like he is being kind but… Professor Thompson had her wand half-way out, had her soft gray eyes hardened as she stood behind him, ready to pounce.

“I…I’m sorry.”

“I believe you very much are. Classes are done, aside from Astronomy, which I shall excuse you from, though I will miss your presence as I am teaching. You likely need rest more than looking at pretty lights in the sky.”

“Ah. Oh. Thank you, Sir.”

“Of course, Miss Sanders. Ilvermorny will always be there for its students. You didn’t truly harm anyone, aside from likely nearly giving your sister a heart attack. Maybe not again, though? And? These bones are old and walking up the stairs gets to them. Dislike having to trot up here if one of my students is harmed.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I shall leave you in the care of the Healers till they deem you fit to return to your Residence Hall.”

And? After he and your DADA teacher left?

You had a small lunch brough in. Stayed in bed with Emmy and Macy close after. Had your normal robes returned once the same female Healer and the doctor had checked you one more time.

Began the small trek back to your Hall and room around dusk.

The other two had gone to the dining hall… you didn’t feel much like diner so you skipped it for today.

Too much on your mind.

When you arrived, there was tall girl sitting on the steps up to the doors. She had changed into a simple tee and a pair of jean shorts since the last time you saw her.

“H-hey, Aubrey.

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry about sending that spell back at you, it was-“

“It was fucking cool. And you are going to show me how to do that. The tiny prismatic shield. We can probably even practice like it was tennis, knocking a spell back and forth some. I wonder how long a weak stunner would last before it dispersed?”

“You… you aren’t mad?”

“Why would I be? You didn’t hurt anyone, really. Carl kind of blew himself up. Spoke to him already about using a spell that strong, even if he was freaking out.”

“Oh. O-okay. Thanks. We can… we can spar some, sure. Teach you the modification for a tiny Prismatic shield. I don’t think it is that hard to learn.”, you say. Kind of just pour it out while looking at the taller girl with a new large and interesting gun on her belt, some extra ammo loaded into a small carrying case made of leather next to it. Ammo that looked very, very large, to the point it dwarfed the ones for Emmy’s massive revolver. “Umm? Cool gun?”

“Nifty! Thank you! Yeah, Thompson Center Contender 2 in God’s own caliber; 30-06. Asked dad if I could have it, considering our trouble with the big bug and kitty. Should be enough to take down most things unless we run into a Snallygaster, since it is packing API. Have a couple of rounds made of silver too, just in case of feral werewolves. Kicks like a bitch though.”

“I don’t know what half those terms mean. And werewolves?”

“Just in case. Not that I have anything against them. Not their fault they got infected. Anna is one but she always takes her potions, heads somewhere off campus when she needs to turn, just in case… should probably warn her about the forest being kind of messed up now. Go with her, maybe, when she changes this month, keep her safe. Can take some Adderall and a Girding potion to keep awake in the mornings after.”

“Wait. What. Your friend has lycanthropy?” That was about all you could get out. That girl? She seemed nice. Pretty demure. Not so much as Macy, yet… what the fuck. “There are werewolves here!”

“A few sure. Anna doesn’t mind if people know. Won’t name the others to protect their privacy, but they are all good people… after the last war, we had a little outbreak from Greyback’s followers fleeing over here. Mom and dad helped the Aurors contain it so basically all of them are in Nurmengard or dead now, the ones who caused it.”, the tanned girl says like it is nothing while standing up. “The Headmistress is super good with Potions so she helps keep the people we know were affected stocked with Wolfsbane potions; has helped ensure anyone who got infected is good enough with the craft to make their own if needed. Not a huge deal.”

“Next you are going to tell me there are vampires who glitter here.”

“Not any I know about. Still keep a stake of white ash by the bed though.”

Fucking… fucking damn it.

“Want to head in now?”

“Just… sure.”

“Oh, yeah. Hilda wants to speak with you. Saw her around the little kitchen making tea when I had to go in to pee.”

“Awesome.”

“Cool. Also, I think an owl came for you. One of the Puckwudgies stopped by with a little package. The literal ones, not the students. From your David; didn’t open it or anything of course. Checked it with a spell to make sure it wasn’t a bomb but I’ll show you the little room we store mail in.”

“Oh. Cool.”

A few minutes later you were back in to your new home. Going to pick up the mail. And had a German girl right in front of you.

“Frau Yenn. I need to speak vvith you.”

“Okay? One of the study rooms?”

“Ja. Zhat will do.”

So, you were there.

“Yenn? I asked you to keep Carl away from the crazy girl which carries a zhing which make zhe explosions. Instead? There was one…. I know mine Bruder may have been at fault zome. But? He still came back with bruises. Was… concerned.”

“Hilda? I’m sorry”

“Ja. I was told by the crazy one you were. In the healing place. But? Please don’t make me hurt you, for killing him or something like that.”

“I-I would never… unless they were evil or something. Or a big spider; not too fond of them. He is okay, right?”

“Ja. Nothing a Vviggenweld could not fix.”

“Crap. Thank Merlin.”

“Zhen we have an understanding. I dislike conflict but you don’t survive long at Durmstrang if you cannot do it.”

“Sure. I get it… if it was Emmy, or Macy on the line? Not sure of what I would do. Can we still be friends?”

“I zhink so. Would you like a handshake? I know you Americans like zhose.

“Hey! British! And I heard you were having tea before! Who invented that?”

“Zhe Chinese, I zhink.”

“I… okay. Probably right. Here. My hand.”, and Hilda sat up from the small desk she had been sitting on. Put her hand with yours. “And? Hilda? I like your nails… not too flashy. A good color, though.”

“Zhank you. Little shop back home. Suppose I will need to find one nearby until I learn to Apparate.”

“Um? I think we were going out this weekend? Do you two want to join? Maybe we can find a nail salon?”

“Ja… that might be interesting. Maybe a hair place too? I feel like mine is getting a bit long.”

“Got you. Keeping ours, me and Emmy’s, this long is a bitch somedays.”

So? You and the brown-haired girl with a cute accent walked back into the common area of your residence hall. Had Emmy come by after a bit. Sat close to her. Worked on your homework a while. Had Aubrey check out the room some since she was kind of paranoid. Macy came to help you with the stuff you missed by being passed out for like 16 hours. Went upstairs to your room when Emmy started getting sleepy.

The next day?

Well, it was DADA, Charms, Potions, followed by Creature Care. Heard that Professor Skrub had brought a horned rabbit today from a couple of students, in the morning. He was cute when you met him that afternoon, even if he could jump hard enough to impale you with that spiral of magic horn sticking from his head.

Where you like to explore, after classes? All of the options from before are there save for the forest, since they are keeping a close eye on it and the caretakers, Pukwugies are patrolling.

You have been trying to be social. Not to then point you are best friends but a couple of people you think are cool in class or in-between seemed fun. Carl may be avoiding you a touch. Hilda still sat around you in class. Asked you to please not let Aubrey make what she thought would be a stronger version of an Erumpent potion. You have seen Chris some. Anna too, even if kind of makes you worry with the werewolf thing. A couple more boys and girls who will be revealed in the next update. If anyone wants to give suggestions about cool traits or features for a couple of people, please go ahead.

That afternoon was pretty much yours for the taking. You felt pretty good, all things considered, aside from the ice in your heart, which had seemed to have warmed and thawed some, kind of refreezing.

Asked Emmy if the tiny bit she felt from taking on part of the cost was worse while in your room and were told just maybe, but it was nothing big; still too big than you want for her but, you couldn’t do anything about that which you knew of, annoying as that was.

She had wanted to get a bit more practice in before Quidditch try-outs on Friday, so you just waved goodbye for then.

Macy wanted to go see Professor Rusalka, the members of The Intercontinental Wizard's Cup team who would focus on Potions, since that was what her free ride was contingent on; see how skilled she was in relation to the rest.

Aubrey was well, Aubrey and you had a lot on your mind while Hilda just wanted to hang out in the common room, practice her English with a couple of girls she seemed to have met.

And… she was probably still a bit concerned with you. Stupid Jenn, making her worry about [i]her[/i] own twin.

Ah, well. You picked up your package. And since it was addressed to you, Emmy, and Macy? You would be waiting to open David’s package till all of you could meet together.

So? You just went out for a while. Went around, explored since you were still getting used to the place, only had some things like the other residence halls quickly pointed out. And who knew? Maybe you would trip over a root and just find the wand?

Nah, what were the chances of that?

I need 1 roll of 1d100.

DC of 100

So, in some comfortable jeans and a tee, you just had a little walk about.

Thought a bit. About her. The tiny you. What exactly she was; she claimed to be a part of you, a shard. You could probably believe that, even if she radiated such an awful aura. She appeared after you had done… the thing-. No. Stop. You know exactly what you did. The Curse. Understood what it meant; a broken, damaged soul. Endless hatred. Losing something. And you do feel that, emptiness around your heart, the ice.

[i]You hated that abomination more than anything in your entire life, seeing your sister fighting it back for you, fighting for her life after David was on the ground struggling to even breath. [/i]

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Pub: 11 Feb 2025 04:08 UTC
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