A Needed Respite, Not Actually Restful
“I cannot WAIT,” Ace cried out as they walked to the entrance of the school grounds. ‘To get away from them!!!”
“Me too,” Deuce grumbled, still upset over what happened a little under a week ago. “I still wanna knock her teeth out!”
“Guys,” Yuu sighed, not even bothering to try and stop them in reality. He was glad as well to have some time away from them all.
“Yuu they called you the worst thing possible,” they cried out in protest, being joined by Jack who scowled as he realized what they were talking about.
“You did the right thing by putting them in their place,” Jack nodded just as Leona appeared with Ruggie in tow.
‘I should have turned her into dust,” he huffed, a growl coming to his throat before he managed to quell it.
“They are just…stupid,” Yuu grumbled, having never told them the age he lived in.
How it still wasn’t fine to be how he was and how he would have been beaten in the streets and left for dead. After being kicked out no doubt by his mother and father for being…what he is.
Better…to never let them know.
“...What have I agreed to,” Crewel sighed as he looked over the group that was going to his beach house.
“...Please,” Yuu begged, blinking and turning on the water works that Crewel scoffed at.
“I am immune to that pup, but nice try. That being said, here,” he handed the keys to his son who hummed in response. “Make sure you don’t make too much of a mess for my cleaning lady and make sure that you clean the Kitchen and do NOT BURN IT DOWN,” he hissed, turning to the rest of them as they held their hands up in defense of themselves.
“Yes, yes,” they all sighed.
“Enjoy and make sure to not think about it,” Crewel warned his boy who grumbled in annoyance but nodded anyway.
“Come on loser, let’s head to town,” Ace slinging an arm over his shoulders while Yuu rolled his eyes.
It was going to be a rough couple of days with this lot, that was for sure.
“What is going on,” many of the Hogwarts students murmured as they noticed the lack of NRC students around.
“...Didn’t Yuu say they have a week long break,” Fred murmured to Neville who nodded. “Lucky him.”
“I guess so,’ Neville shrugged. “I mean…we are in their school…”
“I guess,” George nodded before they headed off to class.
Neville himself gathered all his items and rushed down the unfamiliar but familiar halls to reach his class where a majority of students were already seated and ready for class to begin.
“All I am saying is that it is nice to be away from all of them,” people murmured, Neville shaking his head as he took out the book on herbs from their library from his bag and began to read the rather large book as whispers continued around him.
“I am wondering…what’s it like Mione?”
‘What like Ron,” Hermione demanded, turning to her friend as she sat beside Neville.
‘That bloke’s dorm? Wasn't it all for him?”
‘He’s an academic Ron. He needs his own space,” Hermione defended. “I know I am like that when I am doing something.”
“Isn’t he…you know…a muggle?”
“And as they have told us many times, many muggle have positions in the wizarding world here,” she scoffed. “Honestly Ron.”
‘It’s stupid that they do that,” Lavender began, looking around before leaning into their group. “But he did have a lot of locked rooms. One had so many defenses on it I am sure it’s all sort of cheats to keep his position.”
‘Lavender,'' Hermione warned.
‘What! It’s true! They are risking themselves all for what? Muggles can’t understand magic and when they don’t understand something they like to hurt it,” she defended, turning her nose up as Neville stayed silent and waited for Flintwick to begin the lesson.
“Now, now,” he coughed, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor becoming silent as he hobbled upfront. “I am sure you have noticed, but Night Raven has a Fall Week off, many students have gone home to their families. But we are NOT to do anything malicious or ill intentioned, am I clear,” he demanded, crossing his arms as they all gave sheepish nods. “That being said, all dorms are off limits as students are either still there or there is no student at all.”
“...You think that muggle left,” some whispered, Neville swallowing as he looked around in a bit of worry.
‘I know he did. He is always doing this or that, he must have left for work with those shams of associations. Honestly, employing a muggle and a child?”
‘...ever heard of geniuses,” Neville demanded, glowering as two ravenclaws looked back in annoyance. “Someone can be exceptional in some fields and normal in others. Sometimes when they are exceptional they need things to help them grow.”
“...He’s a muggle?”
“So what,” Neville demanded, closing the book gently as he tried to keep his anger down.
“He’s going to get hurt.”
“....the Dark Lord isn’t here,” Neville marveled at how they are so worried about this. “We have time and…and…the ability to train…”
“Is something so important that you cannot focus on this lesson,” Flintwick demanded, the three of them jolting before turning back to the lesson.
‘Sorry, just…speaking about the school and stuff,” Neville admitted.
‘While this institution is very different from ours, they have made it clear that trying to compare the two is folly,” Flintwick bristled, still miffed at them being brushed off by the entire staff. ‘No more of this, the lesson.”
“Yes Professor Flintwick,” they chimed as he went back to the charm they had begun to learn.
The day went by in a blur of Neville who had a sinking feeling in his gut that something very, very bad was going to happen but he couldn’t figure out what it was that was so bad. What was going to happen?
He swallowed down the fear, looking around as everyone milled about in their free period, students rushing to and fro, going from one place to another; and he couldn’t help but feel as if something was just boiling over.
He just didn’t know what.
Shaking his head he shifted his bag and made his way out of the campus down the path to its expansive library, finding himself more and more intrigued by their books by the day he was often joined by Luna of Ravenclaw and even Hermione on occasion. The Weasley Twins had taken to using it as a place for ideas and research in different prank ideas that they could use and not have it traced back to them since they had a ‘system’ so to say.
Neville didn’t know what they struck up with that shopkeeper but he didn’t want to know at all, he was scared of him and his…his shadows.
Oh, Neville was more than well aware of the shadows following him and his fellow students, but they had done nothing nor said anything about the pure slander his classmates were spitting out.
So what were they after?
Shaking his head he moved past the shop, looking up to the sprawling building that was its library, smiling as he continued the trek, humming a small tune as he gently asked a student who was about to enter to hold the door.
“I swear, you're here more than Yuu,” he commented, good naturedly as most Hogwarts students who visited the library weren’t antagonistic to them.
“...Doesn’t he have his own personal library,” Neville joked back.
“...yeah, probably,” he snorted, slapping Neville on the back. “You know you can speak to the gardener we have if you want to do a personal side project,” he told him. “Oh! Name is Lothric!”
“Neville…I can do that?”
``Granted, you have to ask him, find a plot of land, explain to him what you are planting and planning to do with it…but you seem like a good kid,” he smiled. “More books on the subject are down there,” he pointed behind Neville. “Later kid. Also…ask someone to get a card for the library,” he told him. “We allow the people of the island to use the Library on the weekends if they have a card.”
“Oh! Thank you,” he nodded, rushing off to the shelves he needed as the boy called out a ‘No problem’, he hummed as he looked over the shelves, blinking at some titles he pulled out with a grunt.
Hefty things they were.
Shaking his head he continued his browsing, jolting at the shock of blonde hair he saw along with a dark robe before shaking his head.
He was sitting down, probably another NRC student.
He moved to grab a seat at a table, not comfortable with taking more than one book out of the library at the moment before he yelped at something grabbing his leg.
…A shadow man.
“...S…Something you need,” he whimpered, the man pointing to the exit frantically as another motioned him to follow. “...F…Follow you,’ he whimpered, both of them nodding as the one grabbing his leg straightened it out in an attempt to get him up. “Coming! Coming,” he whimpered, rushing out as a note was written to let the staff leave the books alone.
Neville yelped as he was essentially thrown out, turning to look up the path of Ramshackle only to turn cold.
A mass of Hogwarts students ran out of the dorm as flashes of light and alarms blared out, NRC staff rushing up to intercept them as the ghosts he had come to know yelled at them all to scram.
“...Oh no…” he breathed, deflating as the screams and accusations began to be heard. “...Why are we all such twats,” he whimpered.
“...At least you're self aware.” Sam said, coming beside him.
“...Like it does any good in this Merlin Forsaken school,” he grumbled.
“....eh,” Sam petted him on the head as Neville wilted further.
ABOUT HALF AN HOUR EARLIER
“Are you sure this is a good idea,” Seamus asked as he and Dean kept a lookout, a gaggle of students from 5th year walking up the steps to ramshackle.
“You heard the girl’s stories! I am curious,” Ron began, moving up with Harry as they took out their wands. ‘And I heard from Professor McGonagall that he’s helping the other wizards trying to figure out how to get us back home.”
‘I don't think he’ll be happy,” Terry Boot began before they reached the porch.
‘He’s not here right now and the girls checked for wards,” Blaise snorted, grabbing the handle and opening the door. “Come on.”
As they entered they all felt some sort of chill go down their spine.
“Rather nice place he’s got,” Justin commented, looking at all the lacquered wood furniture and portraits all over the wall. He caught sight of some and walked over, they looked like birthday photos with the kid in question dressed in the stupid dorm unifroms they used and sitting with the dorm leaders. He was smiling in each of them and he had to think…
He’s never seen the kid smile before.
“All of these doors are locked,” Blaise sighed, jiggling the handle before grabbing his wand. “Alohomora,” he sighed, the door clicking open to reveal a rather impressive personal library. “Jackpot!”
“Alohomora,’ Ron murmured, opening the door to a personal potions room with a large amount of specimens and cauldrons bubbling, no doubt the ones that require long simmering periods. “He reminds me of Snape,” Ron told Seamus who nodded, looking around at all the notes and alchemical equipment with a bit of awe.
“Looks like a study,” Dean murmured to Justine who nodded, pulling out his own wand for an Alohomora spell that opened it with ease, them going in to see a ‘computer’ with various school work around it as well as more shelves filled with books and a rather nice desk that they imagined Malfoy Sr. having in his own office. “Blimey! You think he was living like a king,” Dawn chuckled, sitting down in the leather chair and striking a pose. “Yes, yes. I don’t care for that equation,” he laughed, Justin snorting as he heard some people move upstairs.
They continued going through the rooms of the house never going past the second floor as the girls started time and time again during their stay that he only ever used the first two floors and the other two were simply storage for him really.
“Find his room,” Bliase called out, Dean, Seamus and Harry coming in to see a rather normal looking room wth…
“Is that a vanity?”
‘He’s got more makeup then my mother,” Blaise snorted, picking up some foundation with a grossed out look. “He really is one of those….peculiar ones.”
“Nothing here,” Ron sighed, dropping a notebook down as the result came out and to a door that Ernest Macmillan was struggling to open up.
“Just use Alohomora,’ Blaise sighed, the other turning to him with a look that said ‘I am trying’, muttering the spell over and over again.
“UNAUTHORIZED SPELL USAGE, PLEASE INPUT CODE.”
“Huh,” they gasped, looking around as Harry and Ron stumbled back to one another.
“...The bloody hell was that.”
“PLEASE INPUT THE PASSCODE AND BIOLOCK.”
‘What,” Justin asked, confused as they looked around.
“PLEASE INPUT THE PASSCODE AND BIOLOCK.”
“....I am so confused,” Seamus decided.
“WARNING, WARNING. UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN ENTRY. UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN ENTRY. INPUT DEACTIVATION CODE.”
“What is going on,” Dean asked, looking around as the air got colder.
‘Hoooo, we have some warm blood coming in and trying to mess with Yuu-chan’s stuff,” an annoyed voice snapped, all of them turning to see a fat ghost with no discernable features appear.
‘Honestly, and I thought those girlies were bad!”
‘They…they broke into Yuu’s rooms! Bad! Bad!”
Two more ghosts, both skinny but one was certainly taller than the other, appeared with angered faces and objects around them began to rattle in their annoyance.
“We…He asked us to come in and check on things,” Blaise coughed, smiling as he took charge.
“Hmm, Yuu chan did huh,” the fat one asked, not believing them.
‘Yes! He told us of his trip to town and said if we wanted to make up for that horrific comment that our fellow student made, we would look into his most used rooms and make sure all his potions and spells where fine,’ he chuckled, looking relaxed as the gaggle of them nodded along.
“...I see, I see,” the taller one nodded. ‘Yuu-chan doesn’t need us then huh?”
“He could’ve just said that people were coming, would have made things easier for all of us,” the shorter one commented as the fatter one smiled.
‘I guess we can leave the security code for them, then,” he chuckled, Blaise’s smile falling as the smaller one punched in some sort of code and then the hall turned red.
It stayed like that for a moment before all of them covered their ears in pain as a horrific shrieking sound went through the house, some people fell to their knees at the sound. An alarm like noise from muggle fire trucks began to sound all around them as a voice spoke to them, making their hearts drop.
‘INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT. ACTIVATING DEFENSE LOCK IN SECTORS A-1 TO A-8. ACTIVATING DEFENSE LOCK IN SECTORS B-1 TO B-8. LOCKDOWN MODE ACTIVATED.”
The ghosts laughed, smiling as they waved them goodbye as gates began to slam down over the windows one by one, the students yelping as they all rushed down the stairs and halls to the door, the voice still screaming at them.
‘INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT. ACTIVATING DEFENSE LOCK IN SECTORS A-1 TO A-6. ACTIVATING DEFENSE LOCK IN SECTORS B-1 TO B-6. LOCKDOWN MODE ACTIVATED.’
“Damn those ghosts,” Blaise screamed, rushing out as the final person escaped just in the nick of time for the gate to close down on the front door, locking them out when it would have locked them in.
‘Bloody hell…”
“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!!!”
All of them flinching, turning to see the potions master Divus Crewel painted a rather impressive red while their heads of houses stood behind them.
“This…This is a protected building and there are many protocols to be considered to go in. You could have died,” he was frothing at the mouth. “Priceless artifacts, mystical heirlooms and all manner of important items are stored here for my boy to research and you have the gall! The GALL to come in and prance about when he is gone like a bunch of thieves? How dare you! How dare you,” he seethed.
“They were looking for dirt on Yuu-chan,” the fat ghost came out, the head of houses blinking at the sight of him. “They broke into all his rooms aside from one.”
``And the one?”
``You know it quite well Professor,” he told him.
``No one got in,” he demanded, Trein coming up beside him in worry.
‘Not like they would have, we planned to give them the scare and get them out before they got past the first lock,’ the skinner one noted, coming out of the invisible plain.
“Guess they didn’t account for the fact there was a biological lock, needing a specific person’s DNA to even open the first of seven locks,’ Crewel sighed, the Hogwarts staff looking at him like he was mad. “Yuu has just left for his week vacation, I do not want him coming back on the verge of an aneurysm. Let me handle this and keep this a secret from Yuu for the time being.”
‘Right,’ the three ghosts nodded, heading back into the house where the flashing stopped and the gates rose up showing the inside of the house once more.
It didn’t last as all the blinds were shut in an instant and the door slammed closed with audible locks.
It then opened, a note hastily slammed on the outer portion of the door before it slammed shut once more and they beheld what it said.
STAY OUT! VISITORS NOT WELCOMED UNTIL OCTOBER 15TH.
HAUNTINGS WILL HAPPEN.
GOOD DAY.
‘I will speak to Headmaster Crowley about putting up a ward,” Trien sighed, moving to leave. ``One that will inflict a shock on unruly pups, who think they own the place.” He sneered, Lucius in his arms giving a vicious hiss to them all as he left.
“Good,’ Crewel grumbled. “And now…you four,” he turned to the heads of houses. “Gather up your dumb pups and follow me.”
He began the trek down the path from Ramshackle, the students heading to their heads of houses with down cast gazes and looked to one another in fear.
They really pushed it.
A FEW DAYS LATER
“I’ve never actually been to town, but it’s nice,” Yuu hummed as he looked out the Manor’s windows from the sitting room. They had been there for the last 5 days, finally heading to the beach as the weather had warmed up enough.
“It is. But it’s hard to even get down without some sort of ride,’ Vil admitted, placing his makeup bag down beside the large vanity in the room. “Haaa, last warm days before the chill seeps in. Good thing we came when we did.”
‘I am looking forward to it,” Yuu grinned, sitting down beside Vil who grabbed his hair to brush it. “We have a few days but the beach trip will knock us out for sure,” he breathed, looking around as they hastily packed some snacks, towels and anything else that came to mind.
“Have you seen MockingBird?”
‘No, why,” Yuu whispered, looking at Vil who had a dour look on his face.
“Nothing, but we need to be careful. It seems our fame is becoming a bit too much,” he admitted, tying Yuu’s hair up as the boy grabbed his phone to look at the site.
#Dormleaders
#ViceDormLeaders
#FirstYears
#InFamous23
“Really,” Yuu grumbled, looking confused and unsure as Vil shrugged.
“I haven’t dared to go into the trending hashtags, Seven Knows what is in them,” he grumbled, putting his bag away to grab his sun hat. “You learn not to at a certain point, or you becomes obsessed.”
“Hmmm.”
“Come, come,” Lilia crooned out, smiling as he stood in an absolutely atrocious swimsuit that screamed he was doing it on purpose. “Let’s head out! Come, come!”
All of them grumbled, having learned his secret and how powerful he actually was; not to mention that he was older than all of them combined and times by 2. They ended up just letting him boss them around, not wanting to piss him off or get in the way of his mood swings.
Yuu followed, head in his phone as he read some of the posts that people had after the Tournament.
*OMFG! They are soo cool!
*They were so amazing on the field, they seemed to forget they were supposed to be in an exhibition match and just wanted to dunk on one another.
*Friendship my dude.
*Yooo! Yuu is pretty good on a broom! He could be a pro with more training!
*They are so fucking overrated, the fuck have they done?
*I think that Deuce guy has it hots for Ace! You can see it!
Okay that one was pretty funny and pretty accurate to be honest.
*OMG! Yes totally!
*Yuu always looks so depressed, he needs to be with kids his own age and not in NRC.
*Like they are all nearly adults and he’s like a decade younger than them! He shouldn’t be in NRC away from his family!
*He needs to be off of social media! Being this well connected at this age is a recipe for disaster!
*Dude, it was right after the game. They are going to be tired and the next photo is all of them laughing.
*Did any of you see how hard they were playing?
*He’s actually really nice, but always thinking about new equations and formulas all the time, I saw him at a summit and he told me.
*He is pretty excitable but he uses all his brain power like…90% of the time, which leaves him tired.
*I would love to speak to him about Alchemical Equations, he’s done some amazing work.
*They are all so hot.
*Did you hear the rumor they are making palettes based on the Great Seven! All of them are gonna be models!
*I am so going to grab the lipsticks!
*Screw lipsticks. Official photos? Honey, give them to me! Take my Money!
Yuu pocketed his phone with a smile, shaking his head as he plopped down beside Ace who was slathering himself with sunscreen under the harsh gazes of Vil, Trey and Riddle.
Yuu smirked before shivering as their eyes flashed and heads snapped toward him, chuckling as he tried to walk away only to be grabbed by Deuce who smiled a smile that said, ‘if I suffer, then so are you’, before he dragged them over to the blanket where Vil manhandled him onto the blanket as he slathered him sunscreen himself.
“Gotta love a beach trip,” Cater called, snapping a photo of them as Yuu gave him the finger. “Ooh! Bad Yuu!”
“I’m being mother henned right now. Not in the mood.” Yuu grumbled as Vil hissed at him to be nice to Cater who was smirking the entire time. “No,” Yuu deadpanned, looking up at the massive sun hat Vil was handing him. “I don’t need it!”
“Wear it!” He hissed.
People laughed as they got into a bit of a tug-o-war with one another, neither wanting to give up before Yuu grumbled and sat down, allowing Vil to place the item on his head without any more protest.
“Anyways,” Cater sighed, plopping beside Yuu as Floyd gave a war cry and ran into the ocean with Riddle in his grips the Housewarden screaming for Trey as he tried to get away from Floyd. “Looks like Halloween is going to be a riot this year.”
“Any idea on what your dorm will be?”
‘I don’t kiss and tell,’ Cater winked, Yuu snickering as he winked back.
‘Me either. So don’t even bother,” Yuu smiled, seeing right through Cater who gave a silent ‘yeow’ and grinned right back at him. “You excited, last year was pretty good…despite the overblot that happened.”
“Yeah, well this year is not gonna have any problem at all you hear me!” He grinned, bright and cheery like usual. “Now…are you alright?”
“...This again-”
“Don’t lie to me,’ Cater turned serious, looking out over to the ocean where various members were either swimming or lounging in floaties, Vil among them. “You might be able to fool most people, but you are most certainly not fooling me or Lilia,” he snorted, looking up to see Lilia smile at him before going back to monitoring the ‘kids’ as he lovingly called them.
“...It’s nothing.”
‘It’s not nothing. She called you a slur and she was a bitch about the whole situation,” Cater told him.
“No you don’t get it…it’s how people are back in my home. Being gay like I am…like we all can show one another…it’s not done,” he stressed, Ctaer turning to him.
“...Did your parent’s abuse you,” he finally asked, Yuu shaking his head.
“No…my father experimented and my mother…she was too drunk most of the time to know what the fuck was going on,” he snorted. “My father was no saint but he loved me…” he trailed off.
“...We love you, Yuu,” Cater told him gently.
“...I know,” he sighed, head hung between his legs as he contemplated everything. “I…just need some time alone? Tell everyone I went to look for Conch shells?”
“...Okay,” Cater called, Yuu smiling as he got up and walked down the beach.
He smiled at the sounds of arguments and Azul screaming to Floyd he was not going to transform as the eel was prodding him to do it. It got fainter and fainter until it vanished all together and he found himself up a forest path to the village, no doubt sa back way to a secret area in the beach. He continued to hum a small tune as he climbed the path, a falling sun not too much of a worry as he had about another 2 hours or so.
He reached a small grove, smiling at the exclusive nature and sat down, looking at the su with a smile as he enjoyed the silence and basked in it.
But it didn’t last.
“...So Mockingbird was right,” a voice he hadn’t heard in at least half a year spoke.
“Absolem,” he said, getting up to see the blue haired teen come out from behind a wall of bushes. He was dressed in the casual RSA uniform, his infamous pipe in his hand as his bright purple eyes assessed Yuu.
“...Hey,” he said, taking a drag of the pipe before blowing out a swirl of blue and purple smoke. “Long time…”
‘Yeah,” Yuu swallowed, trying to bury the last memory of the teen he had away but it didn’t work.
“...I….I really like you!”
“Ehhh…you…I….Kid, look…you're 11 and I’m 14…I’ll be in Royal Sword Academy as well…”
“But…Riddle and Chen’ya-”
“They’ve known one another for years, besides they don’t have…you know.”
“We don’t know one another really well and…and…well…you…you are…You're magicless.”
“...Okay…”
“Sorry kid.”
“I hate you.”
‘I really don’t care.”
“Congrats on the win,” Absolem said, sitting down on a log as Yuu stayed standing. “You're pretty good on a broom.” He smiled, like he was trying to appease Yuu but he wasn’t having it and crossed his arms in annoyance.
“Why did you seek me out,” he demanded, not wanting to draw this out longer than it needed to be.
“...I’m sorry,” he sighed, looking down at the ground as he pursed his lips. “What I did was shitty and I shouldn’t have disregarded your feelings like I did.”
“...Playing the bigger man now are we,” Yuu asked, crossing his arms as he shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal.
What an ass.
‘I was an ass.”
“...yeah, you were. And now you're an even bigger ass,” Yuu kicked up some rocks as Absolem raised a brow, looking at him in full with a scoff.
‘I am trying to be the bigger man here and apologize for hurting you. I would like to be friends again and maybe we can try things out-” he began but Yuu shook his head.
“I was a clueless idiot when it came to crushes and love when I confessed to you, but I know how it works now. I am rich, famous and have connections to places you wanna get to in life,” Yuu interrupted him, face pulled into a sneer as he snorted. “You're banking on me still being that kid but I am not.”
“...obviously not if you let those ravings from Schoenheit dictate how you live your life and how you love,” he scoffed, leaning back with an annoyed face. “They might be powerful and famous, but all those people you call your friends are nothing more than bad eggs.”
“...really now,’ Yuu whispered, looking at Absolem like he was insane. “Those bad eggs wanted to beat the shit out of you for breaking my heart, but I convinced them it was puppy love. Shall I convince them otherwise.”
``You're just proving my point,” Absolem told him, pointing his pipe at the boy. “They are just using you, and when they get what they want they are gonna toss you. It’s only a matter of time before you come to RSA. I can help you, you know,” he said.
“...You don’t know a damn thing about what happens in NRC. All of you are stuck up princely assholes that think that being kind is all there is to being a good person and you're so wrong,” Yuu told him, face pulled into a sneer that had Absolem clutching his pipe tight.
“Now you are being fed lies-”
“Your an ass, Niege is an ass, those dwarves that followed Niege are blind little followers and by god, I hate how all of you think I need to be saved-”
‘You do, since they seem to be making you think that beauty and power is all that matter-”
“It is what matters. As well as intelligence, integrity and morality. All of which every single person in NRC has, but YOU refuse to see it,” he accused.
“They don’t Yuu. They are good at lying-”
“And so are you lot. Good at placing false persona’s on and deceiving people to think you are all well and good. Better than those from NRC and all around better people-”
‘Stop it.”
``Not to mention all of you seem to love dunking on NRC for our lack of teamwork but you are going to get a shock during the inter school tournament,” he warned the other, the teen scoffing in disbelief as if he couldn’t believe Yuu at all.
“Fat chance.”
“And you are going to wallow in your fucking pity when I become the most accreditted person in Alchemy, shoving it into your face that I will always be better-” Yuu bega to ramp up his rant before Absolem seemingly reached his limit to being nice.
“SHUT UP YOU MAGICLESS FREAK,” he finally snapped, standing up as Yuu stumbled back. “This! This is why you are going to end up fucking alone because you always fucking brag and you always have to show people you are better. Well sometimes people can be morally better!”
“Like you,” Yuu challenged.
‘Yeah! Like me! I actually give a damn and show people some kindness before ripping into them after I get to know them but you! You!”
‘What,``Yuu demanded. “What about me huh?!”
``You're not even worth my time!”
“Good! Fuck you,” Yuu snarled, turning to head out before Absolem could say anything else.
He took a random path, not even realizing he was going further and further into the forests as his mind was going a hundred miles a minute. He finally stopped once he realized he was closer to town than the beach and crossed his arms, willing away tears as memories of his past home came back in full force. Finding a stump he sat down, rubbing away the few tears that escaped as he muttered cursed about Absolem.
‘Asshole!”
“...Be careful, or someone might wash your mouth with soap,” an old voice spoke and Yuu turned to see Dumbledore come out with a smile.
“...You flew here,” he asked, Dumbledore smiling.
He wasn’t to give and tell.
“Sort of. I came here to give you something,” he explained, coming to sit beside Yuu with a smile. “Something that might make you feel better.”
Yuu’s face went lax at the sight of a wand being produced from his expansive robes; the man smiling as he held it out to him and urged him to take it.
``This has a very rare core in it,” he began, Yuu looking up to him as he still held the wand. “I thought unicorn hair might be the best for you, but I was…I was overcome with the sense that the core within this would be best suited for you.”
“...And the wood?”
“...It’s special too. I made this wand with thought about all you have done, will do and think to do,” he explained, taking Yuu’s hand and placing the wand within it.
Yuu gasped, feeling a surge of power go through him and felt lightheaded, Dumbledore watched him with sharp eyes as yuu struggled to gain control of his breathing once more. Shaking his head he gripped his want and forced himself to calm, the winds around them he had subconsciously summoned subsided and the air stilled.
“...You are perfect for this wood, I would think. Though I am no Ollivander,” he smiled.
“...What’s in this wand,” Yuu asked.
“...Elder wood, 14 ½ inches, Phoenix feather core. Unyielding flexibility and a swishy texture to it,” he hummed, Yuu smiling as he looked up to the man.
‘Is that supposed to mean something?”
“...I wish to tell you a story,” he began, Yuu turning to him as he held the wand in his hands, unwilling to let it go. “And I would like you to understand that many people feel it is a story; but I have long since known it is not.”
“...But you keep it a story for the greater good?”
“Because I have seen two great men….boys, two intelligent, ambitious and wonderful boys turn to darkness in the pursuit of this reality turned to story.”
“...You mean three,” Yuu said.
“..Maybe.”
“And what story are you telling me,’ Yuu asked.
‘The tale of the three brothers, a tale of greed, desire and selflessness.”
“...I see.”
Three brothers, traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight, reached a deep treacherous river where anyone who attempted to swim or wade would drown. Learned in the magical arts, the brothers conjured a bridge with their wands and proceeded to cross.
Halfway through the bridge, a hooded figure stood before them. The figure was the enraged spirit of Death, cheated of his due. Death cunningly pretends to congratulate them and proceeds to award them with gifts of their own choosing.
The eldest brother, a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. Death granted his wish by fashioning the Elder Wand from a branch of a nearby elder tree standing on the banks of the river.
The second brother, an arrogant man, chose to further humiliate death and asked for the power to recall the deceased from the grave. Death granted his wish by crafting the Resurrection Stone from a stone picked from the riverbank.
The third and youngest brother, who was the most humble and wise, did not trust Death and asked for something to enable him to go forth without Death being able to follow. A reluctant Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Invisibility Cloak.
The three brothers took their prizes and soon went their separate ways.
The eldest brother traveled to a village where a wizard whom he had quarreled lived. He sought out a duel and fought the wizard using the wand, instantly killing the latter.
Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the eldest brother walked to an inn not far from the dueling site and spent the night there. Taken by his conscience and lust of the Elder Wand's power, the eldest brother boasted of this wand gifted by Death and his own invincibility.
That very night, Death transfigured to a murderous wizard. The unknown murderous wizard crept to the inn as the eldest brother slept, drunk from wine. The wizard slit the oldest brother’s throat for good measure and stole the wand. That was when Death took the first brother.
The second brother returned to his home where he lived alone. Turning the stone thrice in his hand the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him, much to his delight. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, committed suicide by hanging from his house' balcony so as truly to join her. That was when Death took the second brother for his own.
Death searched for the youngest brother as years passed but never succeeded. It was only when the third brother reached a great age, he took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. Greeting Death as an old friend, they departed this life as equals.
“...Your wand is the Wand of Death,” Yuu laughed, smiling sadly as Dumbledore nodded, the boy looking at his own wand. “A wand made of Elder wood…”
“Indeed. Only people who are truly special have such a wand,” he told the boy.
“...Power destroys, longing brings madness and being humble brings you peace,’ Yuu said, moving to lean on Dumbledore who nodded. “You longed for something that soon would turn to madness that you turned away from. Power has destroyed what you once longed for, and now you stay humble so you might have peace.”
“...I find myself marveling at the perception of students nowadays, you know,” he hummed, not moving Yuu off as he leaned further into him.
“I once longed for something, you know,” he told Dumbledore. “I once longed to be normal. To be stupid and struggle and…I don’t know.”
“To be exceptional is not all that bad. People fear what they do not understand,’ Dumbledore informed him.
‘It hurts though.”
“It does.” he agreed, holding Yuu’s hand as he sighed into his shoulder. “Before I leave, i have something that might interest you, a book.”
“...From your world?”
“A book on forbidden objects,” he stated. ‘Those imbued with dark magic-”
‘No such thing. Magic is always dependent on the user. Everyone placed NRC as Dark Magic users because they are stronger magically but that is because we put a focus on training yourself. Unlike RSA that puts a focus on helping the community,” he recited with ease, Dumbledore nodding.
‘I agree,” he told him. “But many in my school do not see it as such.”
“...Maybe that’s why it was so easy for the big bad man to come up and make a war that is so stupid and irrelevant, nothing more than for him to have some power because he was bullied in scho-.....” Yuu trailed off, Dumbledore huffing as he knew Yuu realized it.
“One of the two,” he told Dumbledore.
“Yes.”
“...Am I your third attempt?”
“No,” he chuckled, handing the book over to the boy. “Not even in the slightest. You are already well past that stage,” he assured him, smiling bright as he got up. “You have a great number of friends who are willing to give you a beatdown should you require it.”
“...What friends are for. Am I right?”
“Absolutely,” he winked, turning on his heel and vanishing with a pop.
“...Dark artifacts, their effects and how to spot them,” he murmured, looking at the book in contemplation as he began his walk back to the beach house. “Should be a good read, I have exhausted almost a majority of Vil and Crewel’s books, this should be good to pass the time.”
He nodded to himself, smiling as he actually felt so much better.
Yeah, it was ending up to be a good break and it seemed like it would continue.
TWO DAYS LATER
It didn’t
“...THEY WHAT,” Yuu screamed, rocking the foundations of the school as Crowley flinched and Vance sighed, having been alerted to the break in as a proxy to Yuu since he had control over his finances along with Crewel.
They were fashion friends after all.
“They broke into Ramshackle. Now I know you are not happy-”
“Of course not! One the first day I leave? They didn’t have the decency to wait a day or two,” Yuu demanded, Vance looking at Crewel who nodded and he flinched.
Oh dear.
“I understand their circumstances are unique, but perhaps a bit of Night Raven punishment is needed,” he began, allowing Crewel to stew and get his thoughts together.
“And how would I go about doing that? They are not bound to a dorm or dorm rules, Mr. Schoenheit.”
``That Rosehearts fellow with his Unique magic should be good enough,” he offered. “They can focus on their more academic classes-”
“They are an all Magic institution Vance,” Crewel interrupted. “They need it for everything.”
“...I still say let Rosehearts at them,” Vance stated, Crewel nodding as he agreed but he was a teacher of the institution and he needed to be a voice of reason.
Crowley didn’t count.
“....I am unsure if that is a good course of action-”
“They are in Night Raven! We have been nice to them for way too long,” Yuu whined, having enough of them. “I want them punished! I will keep hounding you until you agree to it Crowley,” he growled, the man yelping before he nodded, saying he would speak to Dumbledore on the matter.
Turns out, Dumbledore had enough of his students as well and agreed to it without protest, gathering all the culprits up without problem and presenting them before the Dorm Leader who was confused.
“If I may inquire why I am here? I have yet to finish unpacking,” he crossed his arms, confused, concerned and annoyed as Yuu turned giddy.
“Guess who broke into my dorm the same day that we left,” he sang, Riddle blinking in confusion until he registered what Yuu had said and he turned RED.
“WHHHHAAAATTT,’He screamed, shaking the school as Yuu nodded, turning to them all with a vicious grin as he pulled up a tablet and showed Riddle the security footage.
All of them paled seeing themselves on video, their voices and tones mocking as they did just that and mocked Yuu and everything about himself. Ron and Blaise swallowed as they had been the first ones to use the opening spell on his rooms.
A few students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff shivered at the deadly look they received when they were seen going into Yuu’s bedroom and looking around at all of his random stuff, even going through his drawers and the like.
Justin whimpered when he was seen in his study, acting like a big shot before the air turned dense and Riddle rounded on Ernest Macmillan who whimpered as his collar was grabbed and he was pulled down to eye level with the dorm leader.
‘How dare you try and get into that room! I won't give you the joy of knowing what is in it but I shall ask you this! If your beloved mother had died and all her possessions were within that room, perfectly preserved, still smelling of her….would you want someone to go in on a while,” he demanded, the boy shaking his head as Riddle pushed him back and took out his pen.
“I am sure you already figured it out, but for my friends from the other school, I will explain,” Corwley began, coming up as the Hogwarts teachers itched to help their students. ‘As you have broken a rule that is so important that we can no longer accept any excuses you will be punished via a dorm leader. Seeing as Yuu has no dorm members, he has no rules. But he is an honorary member of Heartslabyul, thus making Riddle Roserhearts his dorm leader by proxy.”
“Seeing as you have harmed a student of my dorm, you will be punished as such until I deem it you have repented enough,” he ground out, magic swirling around him as Yuu cackled.
‘Good luck in classes assholes,” Yuu cackled, holding his stomach as Riddle pointed his pent at them.
“It’s time to give you your sentence. The verdict comes afterwards. Are you ready? Off With Your Head!”
In an instant over a dozen students had collars on them, all of them yelping as they felt WRONG and some fell to the ground, holding their heads as they groaned in pain.
“Until I deem the time served as enough, you all have no access to your magic,’ Riddle stated.
‘...I beg your pardon,” Minerva demanded, coming up to kneel beside Ron who was panting in pain.
“My Unique Magic, Off With Your Head, summons a collar that seals away someone’s magic,” he explained. “It's no problem in my own dorm, as we have a split class with magical and non magical curriculum that we do and we don’t practice spells 24/7. But seeing as you all do…I see this a fitting punishment.”
“H…How are they going to do their tests! Their spells! They need it for charms! Transfiguration!”
“...They will just have to sit back and study,” Riddle nodded. “Come along Yuu. I think some talk over tea is needed.”
“This is overstepping bounds!” Flintwick gasped, trying to get Riddle to take the magic off but he had long since left with Yuu, both of them unwilling to entertain him as they vanished from sight.
“I cannot allow this-”
“But I can.” Dumbledore stepped forward, coming to stand between Crowley and Umbridge who had taken out her wand. “This was no mere exploration. That was breaking and entering on private property,” he told her. “We have had many chances, and they have squandered it. I will not allow them to do what they wish any longer. I have left any and all punishments to Night Raven.”
“...th…You cannot-”
“Can I transfer,” a voice asked.
Heads turned to see Luna Lovegood there with a smile on her face, waving as she walked up to Dumbledore who received her with a bright smile.
“Might you repeat that my dear girl?”
“I asked if I could transfer to Yuu’s dorm. I liked it there. It was fun,” she smiled.
“Miss Lovegood-”
“I’m not picked on by him and he lets me do my own research without stealing my notes,” she ignored her head of house, looking up at Dumbledore hopefully.
“I am afraid that it would be very complicated, especially when we go back,” he told her, Crowley nodding as Crewel crossed his arms.
“I really wanna learn though. I go to the library all the time and the groundskeeper gave me a plot of land for my garden I am growing,” she hummed, Crewel sighing as he tapped Crowley on the shoulder.
“She might be a good influence on Yuu. As much as I respect his friends…they all share a brain cell and Yuu has it most of the time.”
“I will not allow a student of Hogwarts to be taken from us, especially from me-”
“She may attend Night Raven classes at the acceptance of the Headmaster. I am sure that her teachers will be fine with her doing the test spells along with her classmates at the appointed time. It might be good to see how a fresh take on magic might help one with their own,” Dumbledore smiled, turning to Crowley who hummed.
“Dumbledore!”
“Silence,” he warned, Crowley nodding as he turned to Luna.
“I will speak to Yuu. But I think he will be willing to share his space with you once more if you respect his rules and have a keen eye for innovation and research,” he nodded, Luna smiling as she gave one back before skipping off.
“Dumbledore-”
“We will speak on this later,” he told them, turning on his heel as the others watched.
“I will have so much fun,” Luna sang before fully vanishing, grinning ear to ear as she passed by Draco who was sullen and withdrawn.
“...She can join huh,” he murmured, looking up to see Snape and Umbridge looking murderous and being thankful he wasn’t anywhere near his father or in the position to contact his father.
He didn’t like how he knew the conversation was going to go.
This was his chance to…
Actually make something of himself.
To be someone.
To be Draco.
Not Malfoy.
“Something a matter, Yuu?”
“..I don’t know…I feel like I might get dorm members…”
‘Yo! Crowley must have approved my application to transfer dorms!”
``What was that Trappola!”
“Crap!’