iii
sun trickled in through holly’s cracked blinds but the chirping of birds is what woke her up that morning. she laid in bed for what felt like hours contemplating what her life would look like for the next year. no finn, new people, mildly illegal interrogation, someone who would be by her side 24/7 (someone she didn’t know, mind you).
she sat up with a grunt and threw her covers off her only to notice the bird at her window. It was patient and dark brown. cocking her head, she slipped her window open and reached out for the bird to come to her. it wasn’t one of her friends, that much she knew. barely any of her friends were able to afford birds and the ones that did likely wouldn’t reply to her with such speediness.
a letter sat tied around the bird's leg and holly unknotted the bow that adorned it and petted the bird, signalling to it that it’s job was done. the name on the letter was that of her headmaster. she had forgotten that she had hinted at setting up a meeting with the board burdened with her case.
ripping the seal open, the letter read the following:
dear miss newport,
i hope this letter finds you well. i have spoken to the board about the meeting and they agreed for four o’clock today in my office. they have given the okay for you to apparate over as you are of age within the british community and they are a british board. though, i am sure you are no stranger to underage wand usage.
she could imagine his smile as he wrote that line. in previous years, she had to be given multiple warnings throughout the summer about underage wand usage. within the past couple months, she had reverted to simply not using her wand and using wandless magic (or trying to, at least).
as for the partner you will have with you during this journey, it will be special agent blackwood of the department of international magical cooperation with a specialization in defense.
the contents of your and special agent blackwood’s meeting with the board will be going over training, mission targets, as well as individuals to look out for during the duration of your stay at hogwarts.
you and special agent blackwood will have an individual meeting to get to know each other and go over a plan of action. you may have that today or you can coordinate with them to plan for a different day.
thank you for your cooperation and consideration! see you at four o’clock!
best regards,
headmaster elandro veylin
it took her a couple minutes to digest the influx of information, but she welcomed the time for thinking about something else other than her lack of friends and depressing state of mind.
special agent blackwood seemed to be a constant in her head as she got ready for the day. slipping on a tank top and jeans, she thought about what they would look like. brushing her teeth and her hair, she wondered if they would get along or if it would be a rocky road to cooperation. slipping her shoes on, she decided that she didn’t care about any of that as long as they got the job done and voldemort was gone by the end of their mission.
by the time she was downstairs, her mother had started a pot of coffee and was sitting on the back porch, staring at the cornfields that sat behind their house, tall and high. they flowed with the wind and created a scenic lookout.
after pouring herself a cup, she joined her mother on the back porch and settled into the porch swing right next to her.
neither of them spoke for a while. maybe they were both hoping that finn would come bounding the stairs and join them, relieving themselves from the tension that hung like molasses between them. her mother spoke first.
“when do you leave again?”
“five days,” holly murmured after taking a sip from her coffee cup. her mothers held lipstick stains and holly’s was decorated with a baby pink lip gloss ring. “i have another meeting today. it’s with the board that oversees the exchange program. other kids are coming, too.”
“ain’t that something,” her mom whispered. “you’re going britain. i’m excited for ya.”
“thank you, mama,” holly said with a sad smile. “i’ll miss back home, though.”
“finn’ll miss you, that’s for sure,” her mom said. “it’ll be the first time you’ve been so far from home. will you come home for christmas?”
“i know i’m allowed to, but i’d have to pay for a flight home,” holly said, her eyes drifting from the cornfields to the bright sun. she had always heard that england was gloomy. she would miss the sun if that was true. “i can’t floo that far, and i’m unsure if i can apparate that far yet.”
holly knew she could, but she had to cover her ass in case something happened over winter break and she was unable to come home.
“is the fireplace thing flooin’ or the disappearin’ thing?” holly’s mom asked.
“flooing is the fireplace thing and apparation is the disappearing thing,” holly explained.
holly’s mom was a muggle, unlike her father who had been a formidable wizard during his time. canyon newport had been an auror and that was how he had died. struck in the chest with an unforgivable. it had been a dark time for them all. especially presley. she had lost the love of her life and discovered she was pregnant within a month’s span. presley had sworn off magic since, figuring that it only did bad for the world. the only reason that holly went to a magical school was because her magical outbursts were uncontrollable as a child and only got worse with age and missing knowledge. presley didn’t want to put more people in danger than she had to, so she let holly go to ilvermorny.
“anyways, i don’t think we’ll have the money for a flight, hun.” presley newport grimaced. she had been working two jobs since canyon had died and they still barely got by. even with a portion of holly’s paychecks from the various babysitting gigs and coffee shops she worked at over the years.
“that’s okay,” holly said, waving her hand in dismissal. “i get it. just, spoil finn this year with the money you woulda used on me. won’t be much use to me while i’m countries away and it’s too expensive to mail it.”
“i’ll tell him the extra presents came from you,” her mom said with a small smile as she imagined the joy that would radiate off her little boy’s body when he saw presents from his sister under the tree. “he’ll be hoppin’ like a frog.”
“i’m sure he will,” holly said with a small chuckle. god, she would miss these quiet mornings. she had never felt this sentimental. “but it’s a good opportunity for me.”
“definitely,” holly’s mom said and when she glanced over, holly could see the shine that reflected in her eyes. she thought they were tears at first, but a closer look revealed them to be clouded over. must have been a reflection of the spell the board cast on her to guarantee holly’s freedom. “you’ll have the time of your life over there.”
“yup,” holly said, popping the p and trying to conceal the nervousness that came with the daunting task ahead of her. “i’ll send letters to update y’all on everythin’ going on.”
“we’ll appreciate it,” presley said. “i’ve always wanted to set something outside of this country, ya know?”
“i didn’t know that,” holly said, drinking the last bit from her coffee cup before setting it on the low table in front of them. “i’m sorry you haven’t got to yet.”
“i reckon i never will,” she said, sighing with a smile. “i’ve still lived quite the life, but it’s just something i don’t think i’ll ever achieve.”
“even after finn and i move out?” holly asked. “and you have more money for yourself?”
“no, i don’t think i will,” she said, glancing at the corner of the yard. “i’d have to sell this house and i don’t think i could leave for that long.”
holly’s eyes found themselves looking at the same corner of the yard where her father lay to rest. he had been cremated due to the vicious effects of the spell on his body but presley still wanted him to be in the earth. he had always loved nature and the dirt. it seemed only right to place him on his family’s grounds in the place where he was happiest.
“i get it,” holly said. “i just hope it stays in the family for generations.”
“that’ll be on you and finn,” presley said, smiling at holly. “i have no doubt you guys will keep her nice and tidy when it’s your time. i can only imagine the coming christmases and the thanksgiving dinners that’ll be right in that livin’ room.”
“it’ll be a time, that’s for certain,” holly said, picturing her future kids and nieces and nephews enjoying the space the same way she and finn had. it was a bright picture that shined golden in her dark thoughts.
“when is that meeting you got again?” holly’s mom asked, glancing at her own watch.
holly copied her movements as she said, “it’s at four. they set it up so it’s in nashville.”
“are you gonna do the disappearing thing or take the train? because if you do, you’ll have to leave soon,” holly’s mom said. “the next train leaves in thirty minutes.”
“i was gonna take the train since it’s so close,” holly said, letting the lie tumble through her teeth gracefully. the meeting was at hogwarts. she had apparated further but her mother didn’t need to know that. “i don’t want to risk apparating—the disappearing one—and getting splinched or something.”
“i don’t even want to know what that means,” holly’s mom said, standing up and dusting her skirt off. “i’ll go fix some breakfast for you and finn. it’ll be quick. do you mind waking him up when you go to pack your bag?”
“of course,” holly said, standing as well and walking toward the screen door.
she pulled it open and held it for her mom who muttered a quick “thank you” before heading toward the kitchen to likely fix some pancakes for her and finn. it was the fast breakfast presley made every time they were weighed down by time and had somewhere to be. it was one of finn’s favorites, though, despite the simplicity of the dish.
holly headed upstairs. creaking finn’s door open, she spoke into the sunlit room and tried to get finn awake. the boy did not stir. holly moved forward to shake his shoulder. finn was a tough one to get up in the morning and when you did, it was likely you’d get a pillow launched at your head.
holly shook his shoulder and the boy groaned, throwing a hand back to knock her grip on him off. she swatted his hand out of the way and told him their mother was making pancakes. the boy jumped up with a new found energy and niceness that had not been present before. he smiled at his sister before racing to slip off his pajamas and rushing down the stairs. he skipped steps as he bounded down the wooden steps and holly knew he was gonna hurt himself one day if he kept doing that.
she just hoped she was there to see it and nearly piss herself laughing before helping him up.
heading to her own room, she went through a list of things she may need. grabbing her lip gloss off her desk, a pocket-sized notebook, a pen, and a compact, she decided she needed to change. a tank top was not the attire desired for a serious meeting. she tried her best to channel her classful mother as she picked out a white skirt and a red blouse. it was far too adult for her taste, but she wanted to make a decent impression on the people that tasked her with such an important job.
as she touched up her makeup, she wondered why they picked her in the first place. she was good at defense and charms but she lacked in the potions department and the history department. she was simply average—at least in her eyes. maybe there was something there that she didn’t see but she doubted it.
maybe it was because of her dad.
maybe it wasn’t.
she doubted she would ever find out.
seeking her mother’s advice, she followed her brother’s previous actions with much less ferocity and found herself next to her mother who had been pouring the last of the pancake batter into a heated pan for the past fifteen minutes.
“is this good to meet important people?” holly asked, fanning her skirt out a bit and smoothing her blouse.
holly’s mom glanced at her outfit. “definitely, but tuck your shirt a little more. it’s a smidge baggy.”
holly followed her directions and felt more confident as she sat at the table with her brother who had already dug into the pancakes. she laughed a little at the syrup dripping out of his mouth before putting two small ones on her plate and topping them off with maple syrup.
she took the first bite and thought she saw heaven. “these taste amazing, ma.”
“thank you, holly,” her mom said, joining them at the table. “i tried a new recipe today.”
“use this recipe for the rest of your life, please,” holly said.
presley glanced at her daughter's plate. “don’t eat too much now, otherwise you’ll be bloated for the meeting. okay?”
moment ruined, holly thought before nodding with a hum and pushing her plate away from her. one was enough for the morning. she would have dinner when she got home.
glancing at her watch, she got up quickly and raced to slip on a pair of kitten heels. “i have to go. the train leaves in ten minutes. love y’all lots!”
she yelled the last bit as she ran out the door with her purse in tow.
when she had reached the train station and people were flowing like fish into the train, she lost herself in the crowd of people and apparated to boston, massachusetts. her stomach felt like it had been pulled in all different directions and a pounding headache had formed during her journey, but the minute she touched down in boston, all discomfort was gone.
she figured she would wander until fifteen minutes before the meeting was to be held. being early was on time and being on time was late. or at least that’s what her mother had drilled into her head for the past seventeen years.
holly didn’t know where her apparation skills had come from. most people couldn’t apparate that far without throwing up, but maybe she had just been gifted with a strong stomach. though, she didn’t burden herself with the thought as she traveled the streets of boston in search of a coffee shop.
the entered the first one she came across. a bell above the door rang with her arrival and the cashiers head looked up to greet her. she smiled and welcomed her. holly greeted her too and stood back to survey the menu. nearly every word on the board was foreign to her. she had worked in a coffee shop before, yes, but they had very limited options as to what could be ordered. everything here had multiple syllables and intricate names.
she walked up to the cashier and set her bag on the counter, reaching to pull out cash. “can i just get a small black coffee? to go, please.”
“of course!” the cashier said, far too perky compared to what holly had been when she was in the girls same position. it was appreciated though, holly needed as much positivity as she could get at the moment. “can i have a name?”
“holly.”
“okay, holly, that’ll be out soon!”
“thank you.”
“my pleasure!” the girl said before turning around and grabbing a cup from their stand. holly turned away at that point and surveyed the rest of the shop.
it was cute and quaint. the lighting was low and yellow and the walls were lined with books holly had never seen before. she would have to come back some time and inspect further what genres they had. depending on the length of the meeting, she might come back that night. god knows that her mother would be asleep by the time she got back anyways, so what did it matter if she stayed out late?
her watch read three-thirty and holly figured she would have a little bit of time to browse. though, her inspection was not able to begin before her name was called out and her coffee was left on the counter. she reached for it and thanked the barista again who very cheerfully said she was welcome.
holly turned back toward the books and scanned a couple titles, most of which she had. any money she didn’t give her mom for the house, she spent on books, a habit she had picked up from alexandria. her mood sombered before a cover caught her eye, specifically because of the eye cloaked in red that adorned the cover. she read the title, 1984 by george orwell. she plucked it off the shelf, reading the back.
a dystopian novel based on a controlling government and a mindless man’s journey through it.
she turned back to the barista and signalled for her attention. “are any of these books for sale?”
“unfortunately, no,” the barista said, shaking her head sympathetically. “they’re all our owner’s. he’s got quite the big collection, right?”
“definitely,” holly said with a smile. she could appreciate someone who loved the arts. “this one seems quite interesting, have you read it?”
“yes, i have, actually!” the barista said with a bright smile. it seemed genuine. “i loved it. honestly, it’s like a top ten for me.”
“really? guess i’ll have to come back and sit down with it for a while,” holly said, turning it over in her hand, memorizing the small details. “i have to run, though. nice meeting you!”
“you as well!” the barista said, turning back toward her machines. “have a nice day!”
“you, too,” holly quickly said back after she had put the book back in its spot and was out the door.
it was fifteen till four and holly finished her coffee before throwing it in a bin and apparating out of boston to britain, hogwarts specifically.
she pictured everything she had ever heard about hogwarts and the photos she had seen of the headmasters office in books she had skimmed and before she knew it, her stomach was being pulled in the direction of her new school.
she landed on a plush carpet with wide eyes and a curious look. there was only one man in the office. he had a gray beard that reached where his belt would be and a tall hat that matched the fabric of his cloak. he turned to her, surprised with a twinkle in his eye.
“ah, you must be miss newport,” the man said, approaching her with a hand out. she shook his hand and nodded as he introduced himself, “my name is albus dumbledore and i am the headmaster of hogwarts.”
“wonderful to meet you, headmaster,” holly said, acutely aware of the difference between his english accent and her southern american one. “i’m sorry that i’ve arrived so early, but better to be early than to be late.”
“i appreciate the sentiment very much, actually,” he said, sitting in his chair as he gestured for her to join him at the leather chair in front of his mahogany desk. “i wanted to speak with you before we get into it with everyone else.”
“of course, of course,” holly said, settling into a chair and crossing her legs that she set her purse on top of. “what is it you would like to speak about?”
“well, i would like to know about your experience with this type of…assignment,” he said. “but i would also like to know about who you are as a person. we will be quite acquainted with each other seeing as i will be your main ministry contact during your stay at hogwarts.”
“well,” holly said, not entirely sure on where to start. her mind ran through all of the things that had happened to her. he didn’t need to know about everything. “i have a brother who is twelve-years-old. i live in the state of tennesse. i’ve a very average life up until this point, truthfully.”
“i don’t know if i entirely believe that, miss newport,” dumbledore said with a sardonic smile. holly decided this man was off putting at most.
“and why is that?” she asked.
“well, you wouldn’t have been picked for such a monumental position if you were average,” he said and his emphasis on the last word held an undertone of disgust. holly’s stomach flipped.
“why was i picked for such a thing? i’m sure you know more than i do at the moment.”
dumbledore paused for a second and the smile slipped from his face. “can i be honest?”
“always.”
“well, you are no stranger to death and…unlawful actions,” he started and holly wanted to shrink in on herself, but she set her spine straighter and lifted her chin. “you are especially proficient in defense against the dark arts, transfiguration, and charms. more so than i have seen in many, many years. while you aren’t as strong in the potions or historic department, you are still miles above a majority of our students at hogwarts. you are an impressive student. i have also heard whispers about your creative hobbies that you take part in regularly. you may not be a trained agent, but that is what the next couple weeks are for.”
holly didn’t see anything, her eyes only drilled into the man across from her as her face sat as still as a stone. she didn’t like how much he knew about her and what she did in her freetime.
“you are an impressive witch, no doubt due to your bloodline and your experience,” dumbledore said, waving a hand in her direction as if everything he had just was a trivial thing everyone could see.
“thank you, headmaster dumbledore,” she said. she wanted to squeeze her bag to death but decided a calm facade would do better in this situation. “i am flattered by your knowledge of me. would you mind telling me a little about yourself? they don’t teach us much about english history at ilvermorny.”
“why not?” he said, folding his hands in front of him. his knuckles were turning white. “i have lived quite a long time, miss newport, and i have met many different types of people. you remind of one specifically. he was brilliant for his age but was easily fooled by his desire for power and revenge. i did not help him the way i should have and do not thirst for the same thing to happen again. i do not sense that you have any sort of evil or prejudice inside of you the way i did him, though appearances can be fooling as i am sure you know.”
“i appreciate the sentiment, headmaster,” holly said, covering her heart with her hand. “i have absolutely no plans to become someone to watch out for. i have no desire to be a bad person. did you go to hogwarts when you were young? i’m curious as to what it’s like?”
“yes, i did,” dumbledore said, his eyes held a glint of nostalgia but that did not hide the mistrust they were flooded with. “it was truly a wonderful time, i will say. the grounds are beautiful but can be especially dangerous at night. we have loads of school spirit, especially when concerning quidditch which is the only sport here. i am aware that ilvermorny has quidditch as well as others. we have incredible professors, the best you can get in europe and a rigorous curriculum, though ilvermorny’s highest level classes are considerably more difficult which means that it should be an easy transition for you. we have houses just as you do in america, but there is more separation here between specific houses due to the current social state of our continent. overall, hogwarts is a wonderful school that i’m sure you will thrive in.”
“that is an absolute relief to hear, headmaster,” holly said, a fake, deep sigh slipping out of her lungs. “while i am aware i am here for a reason, i am still seeking to have friends other than my partner at the school.”
“as i am sure you will, miss newport,” dumbledore said with a smile that reeked of faux feelings. “especially considering your manners and people skills.”
if only you knew, holly said. she had clearly made an impression on this man that would not translate well to who she genuinely was. he did not need to be aware of that fact, though.
a knock sounded on dumbledore’s office door and he stood up with a clap. “i see other’s are starting to arrive. i will greet them. we will be having our meeting at this roundtable right here.” he tapped the table they would be having a meeting at and holly moved toward the table, sitting down in one of the ornate chairs that faced the brick fireplace that sat a couple feet from the table.
people trickled in gradually, many of them had gray peeking out of their hair and beards and the women had aged faces that had surely seen many horrors of the world. she was the youngest person in the room by miles. though, that changed when the last person walked in.
smokey and quiet were the only two ways to describe this boy. dark hair, sunken in black eyes, lean muscle mass that could be seen stretching the arms and the back of his black button up. a solemn face lacking any sort of emotion. he was a cement book, unable to be opened by even atlas. her eyes tracked him as he moved to sit in the chair across from hers.
he didn’t make eye contact with her till he sat down. when he did, his eyes didn’t stay on her own, they traveled down the expanse of her blouse and her subtle gold jewelry. his eyes scrutinized her necklace as her own detailed his face in her mind. if she had to guess, this is who she’d be with for the next year.
how he would be seen as a seventeen-year-old? she was unsure.
he looked as though he should be a professor of defense, or even a severe potions master.
they locked eyes once more and she was the first to look away, glancing at a woman with a high, gray bun who had started to speak. she could still feel his eyes on her.
“my name is evelyn glasdrop and i am head of this operation,” the woman spoke with utter dominance and confidence. she gestured toward her colleague who spoke next.
a man with glasses and a clean shaven face spoke next. “clyde johnson. i oversee any sort of legal or law enforcement matters.”
the man next to him with arms the size of holly’s head introduced himself, “micheal walker and i will be your defense coordinator.”
a woman with kind eyes and tanned skin spoke next, “i am alyssa hayes and i will be your medic.”
“elton curtis and i will be your psychologist,” another man spoke and despite looking the youngest out of everyone, he was still likely in his early forties.
“i am arthur chapman and i will be assisting in psychological training of sorts.”
dumbledore spoke next, “i am albus dumbledore, headmaster of hogwarts as well as both of your main contacts to the ministry.”
“rowan blackwood.” his voice was gravely and dark. he was quiet but not in a shy sense, in a powerful, confident way.
“holly newport,” she spoke, nodding at the group around her. rowan’s eyes snapped to her when she spoke. she ignored them.
“beautiful introductions,” evelyn said, her tone dismissive. “our first order of action is a skimming of the operations goals and contents.”
clyde passed around a contract and a packet of paper as thick as holly’s finger to everyone at the table. rowan’s eyes finally left holly to focus on the contents of the packet and contract.
“this contract is a reassurance that nobody outside of this room will be aware of your two’s mission within hogwarts. and when i say no one, i mean no one,” she spoke with such promise, holly promised to god she wouldn’t tell a soul. “not even someone you think you can trust with your life.”
rowan and holly both nodded in confirmation.
“this also outlines the tactics you are allowed to use and what you are not,” evelyn spoke. “on page thirteen, you will see that the list of what you are allowed to use is significantly longer than what you are not. this is due to the dire situation our world and the ministry is in right now. we only ask that you do kill anyone on school grounds or use an unforgivable in the name of torture while on school grounds.”
holly genuinely couldn’t picture herself killing someone, but she knew that if it came down to it, she would be the one above ground by the end. though, she hoped it never came to that. she had loose morals, but not that loose.
“as both of you are of age in britain, you will be allowed to use your wands off school grounds legally and if you happen to be somewhere you are not allowed, i will take care of that,” clyde said.
the meeting continued on. every person delved into their various positions and what their presence meant for the operation and how they would aid both her and rowan throughout the next year. holly listened closely, but she could sense her counterpart was not as his eyes were on her the whole time.
this boy had a staring problem and a lack of manners, she was sure of that.
the meeting concluded with various handshakes and appreciation toward both her and rowan for doing this. though, she was pulled aside by both micheal and arthur, the two trainers who she would be with the next couple weeks.
“it’s nice to meet you individually,” arthur said with a smile and a hand on her shoulder.
she smiled up at him and said, “you as well.”
“well, we just wanted to let you know that this will be a vigorous next couple of weeks,” micheal said with a smile as if his words weren’t dripping in warning. “we have been made known that you excel heavily in your studies and defense especially, but we will make you even better by the end of this all. i will be handling any sort of physical training and magic. clyde here will be handling psychological training.”
“it’s very important to everyone that you have a strong mind both figuratively and literally,” clyde said, glancing at micheal. “fair warning, we will be putting you through various forms of psychological…torture, for lack of a better word, but it is to ensure your safety and those around you.”
holly smiled sarcastically and said, “oh! how wonderful!”
clyde and micheal both chuckled.
“it’s a lot, we know, but i’m sure you’ll be able to get through it, holly. we have complete and utter faith in you.”
and with that, they both left her standing in the corner. taking a deep breath, she turned around, only to find rowan heading her way. she sighed once more and prepared herself for a painful conversation.
“rowan,” he said, sticking a hand out for her to take.
she shook his hand, ignoring the way it swallowed her own. “holly.”
“i wanted to formally introduce myself before the start of the assignment,” he said, letting his arms hang by his sides. “we will be in close quarters for the next year, as you may know.”
“yes, i have come to realize,” holly said, nodding.
“we should set up a meeting to go over some sort of plan,” rowan said. “i know you’re foreign to the things we will be doing during this, which means i don’t mind taking the hard stuff.”
his voice held a heavily condescending tone that holly did not appreciate.
“ah, yes,” she said sarcastically. “weak, little, naive me won’t be able to handle what we’ll be doing. i’d appreciate a little faith here, man.”
“no need to lie, honey,” he said, the smile that stretched over his lips to accompany his words was nothing but rude. “this is a job for someone a little more experienced.”
“this is such a wonderful impression you’re making on someone you’ll be forced to be around for the next year,” holly said with a helpless shrug. “i’m just so excited to become best friends!”
his smile dropped. “you’re not funny.”
“and you’re a fuck.”
his face lit up in surprise and he turned to walk away with a subtle, “fuck you.”
holly rolled her eyes and decided this would be a hell of a year for her and this man-child.