Chapter 1
Selene Maraki woke up as she did everyday: In pain. On good days, her pain didn't disrupt her day, her normal. The bad days? Oh the bad days made her rage and scream and cry, made her curse her pain like it was a person of its own, a target of her grief.
Mercifully, the middling days are her average. She knew if her good days were the majority, she'd lose appreciation for them. For the days she doesn't even need to use her cane (so long as she doesn't push her body. A good day can always get worse.)
Selene is especially thankful that her bad days aren't the majority, for she knew, she would lose hope, and without hope, there is no Selene.
Now something she could rant about for days on end was her wheelchair. She loved her wheelchair. Selene's wheelchair allowed her to do what she couldn't on her own. It let her move fast, which isn't something she's done without it since she was six years old. She wasn't alone in all this, thankfully, she had her two mothers.
Himiko Maraki nee Shiozaki is a tall, no-nonsense Japanese-British woman with a snarky sense of humor, a chef of ten years, and a supportive mother.
Sabrina Maraki is a short, kind-hearted Greek-British woman with a heart bigger than Britain itself, a Veteran, and an equally supportive mother.
------
They'd discovered something was wrong when Selene was six years old, playing on the slide when a shriek of pain caused them to come running, Sabrina checking for potential kidnappers before arriving to see their daughter, on the bottom of a slide, one knee curled up, clutched in pain.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Himiko asked, her soft side only ever brought out by children and her wife.
"M-y my knee hurts a-a-and won't move!" Sabrina was at Selene's side the next the young girl blinked.
"It seems to be dislocated. Himi, Call 999. Focus on Mama, Little Crow."
Selene did her best to focus through pain like which she'd never felt before. Blinking the tears away, she focused on her Mama. In the moment in which she blinked, Sabrina had relocated the little girl's knee, making her previous pain spike, yet relief which was ecstatic spread through her body shortly after. Tears which streamed down her face were wiped gently away by her Mommy, Sabrina now on the phone, explaining the situation.
------
From there, through a number of appointments with specialists and two years, they finally had a diagnosis: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, less than 300,000 cases a year. Good news? It wasn't something like Cancer. Bad news? You can only manage the symptoms.
She was nine when she got her cane, ten when she got her wheelchair, eleven when she realized being in her wheelchair was better on her joints than walking usually was, twelve when her mothers could tell what joint popped just by the sound, and thirteen when she got her letter to Hogwarts.
------
There was a knock on the door the day after Selene's thirteenth birthday.
"I've got it!" Selene yelled out. She had been lying on the couch, her pain being dulled by a slather of ointments. As she reached the door, the clicking of her cane coming to a stop, Selene had the odd feeling that something big was about to happen.
"Hello dear, my name is Professor Horace Slughorn. Are your parents in?"
"Uh, one sec," she said, closing the door and leaning against it, her hips aching. "Mum! Someone's at the door, some professor!"
Himiko came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel, while Sabrina came out, cleaning a chef's knife. Selene smiled; she loved her mums' protectiveness. Stepping out of the way, she went and sat down on the sofa.
Sabrina opened the door, her eyes sharp and calculating.
"How may I help you?"
"Ah, you must be Mrs. Maraki. I'm here on behalf of a prestigious academy, one in which your daughter has a place amongst."
Her gaze steady, she leaned her head back toward her daughter, though her eyes remained on the elderly man in front of her.
"Little Crow? Did you apply for a school?"
"No Mama, I would have told you," Selene replied calmly.
Himiko hummed. She opened the door further, nodding the elderly man in. Sabrina shot her wife a look, once which Himiko returned with both brows raised. With a sigh, Sabrina nodded.
When the man - Professor Slughorn - sat down across from Selene, and now her mothers, he smiled brightly.
"Right. My full name and title is Potions Professor Horace Slughorn, Head of House for Slytherin of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and your daughter, Selene Maraki, is a Witch."
The silence was deafening.
"Go on," Himiko said. "Pull the other one," her face unimpressed.
"Miss Selene, has there ever been a time in which you've done something - something that's strange, or which seems to have been impossible?"
Thankfully, her parents were accommodating what at first felt very much like a joke, but... well, there were a few things...She looked to her mums.
"Do you remember that time I'd just woken up and was trying to get my cane?"
"Of course," Sabrina replied, a smile on her face. "It was only three weeks ago. I heard your surprise from the other room. When I asked you what was wrong, you shook your head and mumbled 'Guess I just was groggy'."
"Mm. I'd needed my cane so I'd been reaching for it, but couldn't reach. There was simply no way I could get those extra few feet. And then it..." and here she lowered her voice, afraid of seeming crazy. "It flew to my hand."
"Or that time someone bumped you and you landed on a suspiciously perfectly placed snowdrift, last year," Himiko said, clearly piecing things together in her head.
"Ah, yes, that seems like run-of-the-mill accidental magic!" Slughorn said, glad to see another witch come into the fold.
"That means that I could choose to do those things?" Selene said, excitement in her eyes.
"Yes, dear girl! Merlin's beard, we could even fix you right up, have you right as rain in no time!" Instead of the excitement he expected to see, instead, he was met with instant and vitriolic hostility.
Sabrina stood up and pointed the knife still in her hand at the old man.
"If you threaten my daughter with that Eugenics bullshit again, you won't leave here alive. Got it?"
"I-I don't understand? I thought you'd jump at the chance to improve her health! To ensure she has a happy and fulfilling life!"
A hand reached up and landed gently on Sabrina's shoulder. When she turned to look, it was her daughter smiling softly at her and shaking her head. With a sigh, Sabrina sat back down, though notably, did not relinquish her hold on the knife.
"Mr. Slughorn," Selene started, adjusting her hold on her cane. "My condition has challenges, yes, but it also presents me with opportunities. Does magic have ways to help manage pain? That's all I need in terms of 'help' when it comes to my condition."
"Of course, dear girl, there's plenty of ways to help with the pain! And my apologies to you and your family, I hadn't meant to offend, only to help."
"I know, Professor, you've been nothing but genial since you've arrived. But this topic is a sore one for my family. You'd be shocked and appalled at the number of people who think they can and should try to cure me. I can't run, so what? I can move faster than I ever have on my own when I'm in my wheelchair."
"Speaking of," Sabrina spoke up, "She will need to be able to move around using her wheelchair at the school. Is that going to be a problem?"
"Not at all! We can have something enchanted that will let her cast the levitation spell until she can learn it herself! Shouldn't be too long, it's the first spell children learn in Charms. Hogwarts is a boarding school, so even if she can't cast it, and somehow the enchantment were to malfunction, an older student or Professor could cast it for her."
"How long is term? When is visitation for parents?"
"Well, the first day of term is September 1st, and the children get to go home for the holidays. As for visitation..." Here, the Professor got nervous. "Well, for magical parents, they can come for the weekend."
Sabrina narrowed her eyes.
"And for those of us not lucky enough to have magic?"
"Well...Muggles like yourself...I'm sorry to say there is no visitation day set aside for them."
Himiko stayed seated, her eyes locked onto the older man.
"So you mean to tell me that you expect us to send our daughter away to a boarding school in...?"
"Scotland," Horace said quickly.
"In Scotland, for months at a time, with no recourse on making sure you're not mistreating her? How fucking stupid do you think we are?"
That really spooked Selene. Her mum was the one to make sure there was very little swearing in the house. To hear her mother swear? She found herself suddenly very concerned for the man in front of her.
"I-I understand that it's a hard thing to swallow, but the magic involved repels Muggles."
"So if Magic is the problem, does Magic also not have the solution?" Himiko said, deadly serious.
"Tell me, Professor, are there other schools? Ones that don't discriminate against a portion of their students?" Sabrina said sharply.
"I'm sorry to say, no, there's no other schools."
"Then why in the world should we let our daughter attend this farce of a school?"
With a sigh, Slughorn told them.
"If you don't, then Aurors - Magic Police - will come and erase your memories, and potentially even take your daughter. It's the Law, ma'am."
"Then how do we fight to repeal these awful laws?" Himiko was starting to lose her patience.
"You...you don't. Muggles don't have a say in our government." Horace said, ashamed.
"So a foreign nation imposes laws on British citizens, with no recourse from said citizens to fight it. Little Crow, what does that sound like?" Sabrina asked. She knew her daughter paid attention in her lessons.
"An invasion, Mama."
"Excuse you, we are every bit as British as any Muggle!" Slughorn said, angry at them for claiming he was an invader.
"Then shall we take this up with Her Majesty's government?" Himiko pressured.
"You can't! Muggles cannot know Magic exists! The only reason either of you get to know is because you're her parents!"
Sabrina turned to Selene, ready to impart another lesson to her daughter.
"Now, Selene, this is a common tactic abusers take. They'll try to force you into or to do something, and then stress that you cannot tell anyone. After all, if you tell someone, they can't control you anymore."
"I DRAW THE LINE AT YOU SAYING WIZARDING BRITAIN IS ABUSIVE TO ITS SUBJECTS! Even if you told someone, no one would believe you!" Horace roared.
"That's also a common tactic, Little Crow. Always seek help if you're afraid or unsure." Sabrina reiterated to her daughter.
"Sure, of course you don't believe that government is abusive." Himiko replied, standing and positioning herself in front of her child and wife.
"And what exactly does that mean, Mrs. Maraki?"
"You of all people would benefit from it. White, Male, in a high position of social and/or political strength? And you're wrong about one thing, Professor, my Wife's a Veteran. One with plenty of friends who she served with."
"Oh, don't worry Himi, I've already sent recordings of the conversation to a few people. Even if they could wipe our memories, we won't just disappear. Now, sir. Leave. You are not welcome here again."
------
General Jeffrey A. O'Connell was having a bad fucking day. Oh sure, he woke up fine - lots of paperwork, yes, but fine. It was when he got to his desk that he saw six documents waiting for him. It was those six fucking documents that made his day the shitshow it currently is. Four separate subordinates, and two old friends of his, corroborated the story he has now.
A secret fucking society? Right on top of his beautiful country? Making laws that affected not only their little magic-wielding people, but the people of Great Britain?
It was that shitshow that put him on the trip he was on right now, to talk with Her Majesty and the Defense Minister about all that was going on.
When he arrived, it was the same that it always was: Show ID, Extensive searches to root out any secret weapons (he would never, but he understood and applauded the caution), then a couple security questions, before he was allowed in. When he saw Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sitting on her throne, he knelt like the loyal subject he was. When he was allowed to rise, he did so smoothly.
"General, I've been given a quick rundown of the situation, but I would like you to explain to me the reason we are all here today. In your own words, if you would."
"Yes, Your Majesty. At 0700 hours today, I arrived at my post to see documentation and recordings on the topic of a secret society of magic users, living among us."
When he didn't get the expected laughs, he continued on.
"The Documentation, which was corroborated by no less than six other, well trusted individuals in the Military, across two branches, was the transcripts of a recording of a family with one of these magic-users, the recording itself, and a letter this magic user left with them."
With a nod, he presented his copy of everything to Her Majesty's Aide, who handed them to the Queen, who looked over everything.
It was a silent fifteen minutes.
When she was done, she nodded her head.
"What I have here in my hands is evidence of, at the very least, foreign interference, and at the worst, an invasion. I will admit I knew about this little world of theirs, but I had not been informed of this breach of British Sovereignty. One moment please."
Her Aide had already brought the Queen what looked to be an ornate silver hand mirror. When the Queen pressed a button on the handle, a face appeared, looking surprised.
"Your Majesty, how can I help you?"
"Cornelius. There's been a problem, come here, Now."
"O-of course!"
After a second, there was a loud pop and suddenly there was a portly man dressed like he'd never left Victorian England: Full suit, a bowler hat, and some ostentatious robe. Everyone in the room, sans the Queen herself, tensed. He just...appeared, in the middle of the room.
"Cornelius. Care to explain to me why I am being told by some of my highest government members that you are infringing on the rights of my citizens?"
His face paled. He'd fucked up.
"Since you cannot seem to run things, I am forced to intervene. One of my council will be present during your little Ministry meetings, you will repeal those atrocious laws regarding us, and I swear, if that little school of yours tries to keep families apart, I. Will. Fix it. Am I clear, Cornelius?"
"P-p-perfectly, Your Majesty!" Fudge said, taking his bowler hat off and bowing his head, before he disappeared with a crack!
------
As they entered the other side of Platform 9 3/4, Selene smiled widely. That train was the 5972 Olton Hall Steam Locomotive! It was so pretty! She made sure to navigate her wheelchair out of the way of everyone following behind her.
"Now dear, best say your goodbyes, the train leaves in fifteen minutes, but you want to get a good compartment seat." The kind lady behind her, Professor Sprout, said. She swiveled her wheelchair on a dime and rolled forward to hug her Mum and Mama goodbye.
"Be good, Little Crow, and write to us, okei?" Himiko said, tears in her eyes.
"I will Mum!"
"You have your salves and potions? Your braces and your cane?" Sabrina asked, her heart almost breaking.
"Yes Mama, I have everything, even duplicates of things."
"That's my girl. Be safe, and if you're not, Mama will make them pay, okei?"
"Yes Mama, please be safe going home."
And with that, she rolled to the entrance of the cabins, where Professor Sprout levitated her wheelchair up and entered with her. Fascinatingly, the train expanded the walkway in front of her very eyes! After a few minutes, she found a cabin to herself with a section to store her wheelchair. Once Professor Sprout helped her put her luggage in the overhead, the Professor hugged her and left the train.
Selene locked her wheels, slipped out of the wheelchair, and patted the train wall.
"Thank you, that was very kind of you." She said to the train. She heard a shuffle behind her, to see a pale, silver-haired girl her age smiling blankly at her.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thanks her."
Selene smiled brightly.
"You can sit here, if you want." She said, once she saw the girl carrying her luggage with her.
"Thank you. You have no Nargles around your head, that's good, they can be quite distracting."
"My name's Selene Makari, what's your name? And what's a Nargle?"
"Luna Lovegood, lovely to meet you. Nargles are mostly invisible creatures that swarm someone's head, making them confused."
Selene was so happy to make a new friend!
------
Once the train came to a stop, the two girls navigated their way down the aisle, and stopped once they reached the doors. A giant of a man with a full bushy beard and kind eyes came up, looking at them.
"Yer the one needin' help off the train, lass?" He asked. She nodded. Smiling, he waved his wand, muttered something, and she levitated down so gently. "Name's Rubeus Hagrid, tho most call me 'agrid. I keep the grounds clean an' tidy fer you tykes."
"Hello Mr. Hagrid, I'm Selene, and this is Luna."
Once Hagrid did a head count, he nodded and drew everyone's attention, getting the first years into their boats. He even let Luna and her get their own boat to themselves, on account of her Wheelchair. Once they all were done gaping at the beautiful castle, Hagrid levitated her chair to land.
By the time they arrived at the castle, everyone was a little tired, the incline rough on even Selene's arms from pushing her chair. When a stern looking woman showed up and guided them inside, they were all grateful for the flat ground. When she left, Luna sparked a conversation.
"Oh, 'Lene, what is your wand made of? It's so pretty!"
Selene felt her face flush. No one other than her mums gave her a nickname before. With a wide smile on her face, she answered.
"W-well, Luna, I think its... Ten inches, Redwood and Veela hair core? What's a Veela though?"
"They're -" Luna was cut off by the return of the stern woman, Professor McGonagall. As one blob, they walked into the Great Hall, wonder on their faces.
"When I call your name, you shall come forth and be sorted by the Sorting Hat."
As she started calling names, and students started going up, Selene's excitement only grew.
"Makari, Selene!"
As she rolled forward, she could feel the eyes of the hundreds of people in the hall. She took a deep breath before stopping right next to the stool. Thankfully, Professor McGonagall moved around the stool and placed the hat on her head. Her joints were aching after that train ride. Before she could even finish her thoughts, the hat spoke.
"Better be...HUFFLEPUFF!"