The Case of the Vanished Students
Something was wrong…
The sun had not risen….and students were missing.
Something was very wrong.
And soon both schools were assembled before the Mirror in front of the Dark mirror, a thickened black mist shrouded the mirror entirely as soon accusations, fingers and demands began to get thrown around.
And Dumbledore had enough.
“....SILENCE,” Dumbledore commanded them all, looking over the mass of students as the remaining NRC student body shifted in their spots.
“Heya! I just got back! Neither Yuu or Luna are in the dorm,” Ace gasped, bursting in as Flintwick gasped, dropping his wand as Crewel stiffened.
“And the door?”
“It’s locked, and all it’s functions have been set to auto stabilization,” he told the teacher cryptically.
“...I see,” Crowley breathed, nodding as he walked around the mirror chamber to the new Mirror before the shattered Dark Mirror. “We are in quite the mess.”
‘Someone powerful enough to grab Malleus Draconia and Lilia Vanrouge? I would say so,” Leona commented. “As well as get past our systems that Shroud personally put up?”
“And Yuu,” Silver reminded him, the Hogwarts students raising a brow at that. ‘He might have just discovered his magic, but he is not one to be messed with. He knows how to fight and has the skill to defend himself.”
“Himself, Vanrouge,” Crewel reminded the boy. ‘If Miss Lovegood was threatened, Yuu would be in a bind. As good as he is with magic he has not trained it and he only knows self defense techniques. Not offensive.”
Bull shit, the DA thought.
“....I see.”
“That being said…for anything to get past Yuu and his defenses makes me worried,” Crewel admitted, biting his lip as he looked in the mirror. “Especially since he worked with Shroud and Lilia to make the best protection system in all of Twisted Wonderland.
“I found this in his room though,” Ace suddenly remembered, taking out a small note card. “It's his handwriting…but it’s off?”
“...Let me see,” Trein asked, being the most familiar with Yuu is his writings.
“....Well,” Leona demanded, Trein giving him a warning look before sighing.
‘He placed a cipher within the note. Swapping out words or placing a capital in the middle of a word. He’s placed two fairly simple ones in a complex fashion. He’s no doubt used a numeral value to the letters as well, making it even more complicated.”
“...He had the time to do that as he was being kidnapped,” Rook marveled as Floyd hummed.
“...I don’t think so,” he commented, Riddle raising a brow. “Shrimpy must’ve known something was happening on campus but it was happening TOO fast for him to raise the alarm,” he sang, smiling a dangerous grin as people turned contemplative. “If he had the time then everyone would still be here after all…”
“...He’s not wrong. If he had the time he would have contacted Shroud to sound the alarm or he did and Shroud was already gone,” Crewel growled, brows pinched as Trein worked to undo the cipher. “Meaning he had the knowledge this was going to happen, but no means in sounding the Alarm fast enough to get EVERYONE out of this mess.”
“He’s right! Yuu-san made no use of the interdorm communications or the personal communication lines we all have,” Ortho nodded, looking up from his screen. ‘Last communication on the line isn’t from Yuu at all! In fact the last time he used it was yesterday at 8:47 PM, the message is as follows-”
‘No need Ortho,” everyone called out, the AI nodding as he stopped himself.
“Who was the last to send a message?”
“....Lilia Vanrouge. Time-stamped 9:39 to Silver.”
‘Ah, he was asking me where I was during the party,” Silver remembered. “We were all so busy we were off our phones,” he admitted with an easy shrug as the teachers nodded.
“...That can’t be the last message,” Crewel sighed. “We were up until 11:30 at the party,” he reminded the boy and AI.
“...Last Message was on a private server. Not to be accessed under any circumstance with outside people present.” Ortho murmured out, sheepish as Crewel pursed his lips.
‘...Tell us who the people were,” Sam asked, looking for some information as Ortho nodded.
“It was between Malleus and Yuu. As for the contents, I cannot divulge, but it has nothing to do with Halloween.”
“I see…What was the timestamp?”
“....Final message from Yuu to Malleus was timestamped at 11:55.”
“...That mean’s Malleus and Yuu no doubt were in communications trying to see what the problem was. Makes sense,” Vargas nodded. “They must have thought they could have handled it before it took advantage of them,” he was beside Trein who had a tick on his brow.
“Blasted boy,” he muttered, looking at the paper as Sam came over and whistled with a raised brow.
“...Three ciphers ladened with anti-magic protections. Only someone with skill could undo it…even then it would probably cause it to burst into flames if magic WAS applied..” Sam trailed off, smiling as Trein gave a wry smirk.
“...Indeed,” Trein admitted as Riddle blew up.
“A party! They dare call this a party! All of Night Raven is missing,” he boomed, shaking the candles in the room with the level of his voice. “And they dare to call a party?!”
“...It is what the invitation says. We have no choice if we wish to save our students and end this eternal Halloween,” Crowley stated. “It seems to be the only way.”
“...I will not stand by and allow Lord Malleus to be belittled and made fun of by this stupid farce! Nor will I allow my own friends to be taken advantage of in such a way,” Sebek boomed, Riddle nodding.
“No one takes Shrimpy just when he was about to have the best time in NRC,” Floyd cackled as Rook grinned. “No one.”
“Right, right! Monsieur Kills for Thrills! I say we repay them and get our friends back.”
‘That damned pup is no doubt about to shit himself with how many people he had to protect….let’s go,” Leona smirked, Ruggie snickering beside him as they nodded.
“I guess we have a mission huh,” Ruggie sang, others nodding alongside the rest of them as the NRC teachers smiled.
“...No! No!”
And then it fell.
All turned to see the Hogwarts staff before them, dressed in nightgowns and robes with their wands in their hands.
“....Haaah?” Floyd and Leona demanded, turning to look at them with dangerous glares.
‘You must consult those of higher authority before attempting a rescue on this scale-” Sprout began, coming forward before Leona barked out a laugh.
“I don’t know if you noticed but we are in a damned bubble of our own and CAN’T escape,” Leona sniffed, annoyed at her. “And it’s all NRC students, your girlie being a transfer. So out of your hands,” he smirked.
“That’s right~ White Fish left,” Floyd sang.
“Enough of this. I am commencing the operation to send the remaining NRC students to retrieve our other students. We have some of the best of the best here and I have faith in them being able to accomplish this goal,’ Crowley coughed.
“With that being said, there is a dress code to entering the mirror, soo….” Rook began, clapping his hands as a flash of magic appeared. “Costumes?”
“...Great,” they all sighed, moving to place them on as Trien murmured something to Sam.
‘Right on it!” He clapped his hands, moving to speak to his shadows and the boys changed into their outfits for the adventure, smiling as they donned on the very costumes from the party.
“I can only wonder if our little Trickster has left clues for us,” Rook commented as he fixed his hat.
‘Who knows,” Leona grumbled. “But he might have. My only question is how the hell these guys got Lilia and Malleus, not to mention Yuu. Kid barely sleeps, and Lilia knows tech.”
"That's where I am drawing a blank too,” Trey admitted, fixing up his glasses. “They could have always taken Lilia first, you know. Could have sensed that Malleus and Lilia were people of immense power.”
“...Then they took Yuu last,” Ruggie concluded, a bit confused. “It’s the only way.”
“...They might have,” Trey shrugged. ‘I’m not too sure. Yuu just opened up his magic after all and sure he’s made leaps and bounds, but he’s still new too it. Besides, most of NRC is still under the impression he is STILL magicless.”
“...Good point. Makes sense. Yuu contacted Malleus, nothing on his end and then he works to make a cipher before whatever stole the two most powerful people in Diasomnia comes to take him,” Trey sighed, Ace nodding. “But the thing that makes no sense is why they took Luna. Yuu wouldn’t have involved her, more than likely he would have sent her back to her old dorms or left her to sleep…”
“...Well, we’ll figure it out,” Ace told him, all of them coming before the mirror.
“Before you head in,” Crowley coughed, motioning Sam forward. “We have a means of communication that does not require technology and should prove viable.”
‘Oh man, hitting it with the oldies,” Ace snorted, looking at the looking glass necklaces and Trein coughed. “Sorry, sorry,” he whimpered.
“I will be sure to make this an essay topic, Trappola,” he warned, going back to the note Yuu had left.
“Thanks idiot,” Leona snorted, shaking his head as Ace whined out an ‘I’m sorry’ at the scathing looks he received. “Let’s grab them and go,” he barked, everyone nodding as they each took a locket before heading to the mirror.
“I will be sure to send you any information that Yuu might have left once I have finished this note,” Trein promised them as they went in one by one.
“Thanks. We’ll be back,” Trey nodded, Rook waving goodbye as Silver and Sebek marched on in.
“...I can’t help but feel as if this is something that was expected,” Floyd commented idly, walking in as Trein turned to him with his mouth open for questioning.
“...” He then closed it, something about the note was off and Floyd’s off comment just impounded the thought in him. “He better not have…” he murmured, getting a feeling as to what Floyd was referring to.
“...Hmmm,” Sam smiled, his shadows sniggering in the background as they all vanished and the Hogwarts students were left behind. “Well, I’ll be,” he smiled with a shake of his head.
“What,” Crowely asked, confused as Dumbledore gave a smile.
“Ah, I see,” he commented, Crowley looking between him and Sam like he had no idea what in the hell was going on.
“If you can’t figure it out then how the hell are you headmaster,” Crewel snorted, rolling his eyes as he walked away to be by the mirror.
“...He didn’t have to be rude about it.” Crowley grumbled, moving to stand in line with the Mirror.
Now they wait.
4 HOURS LATER
“.....I AM GOING IN!”
“Someone stop Crewel!”
“Not again.”
“Think something happened?”
“You need to call someone!”
“We have tried, in case you have forgotten! We couldn’t get through and I swear to the SEVEN if you offer to send a goddamned owl I will burn you!”
‘Calm down Crewel!”
"My son is in there!!!”
“ENOUGH,” Crowley boomed, coming between Hogwarts and his own staff. “Not only have we lost communications between our students, it has been far longer than we anticipated. And as much as I wished to avoid this…I must ask for your help in getting our students back,” he turned to Dumbledore who straightened up.
“...I see…”
“We cannot risk our lives for your blunder,” Umbridge scoffed, another teacher nodding as Crewel grabbed his whip before Vargas stopped him.
“Well you see, we cannot leave this bubble until they are returned and need I remind you one of your students is in there with our own?”
“Ah yes! Miss Lovegood has decided to abandoned her own house for a leadership under a muggle-”
“Oh you are just all sorts of racist,” Crowley couldn’t even hold it back anymore, fully done with her.
The snorts behind him told him the others were thinking of the same thing.
“...I beg your pardon.”
‘You heard me,” Crowley ended that conversation as he turned to Dumbledore who looked all too pleased along with the one in the emerald robe. “I implore you.”
“....I am sure I can find one of two of my staff who will be more than well equipped to be able to go in and-”
“We’ll go!”
Twin voices, unsurprisingly from twins, called out as they all turned to see boys with red hair standing up with hands raised.
“...The Weasley Twins,” Dumbledore asked.
“Well…Luna’s a friend,” Fred began, crossing his arms as he stood beside his brother. “And I think it only fair we go in to help her after all the help she gave us for…things,” he coughed.
“Don’t ask,” George begged.
“Me too!” Neville piped up. “I owe a lot to Yuu and Luna for helping me out with some schoolwork and I think it’s time to repay the favor,” he nodded as Sam winked at him.
He knew very well that Neville was a good friend of Yuu’s even if the other was staunch about denying it.
“I see, you three have many skills when it comes to charms and herbology so it would be good to have others versed in other areas of magic,” Dumbledore nodded.
“....I would like to take this opportunity to help out a student of Hogwarts,” Draco called out, coming up as Snape snapped his head to his Godson.
“But of course,” Dumbledore nodded, and Crowley couldn't help but tense.
Dumbledore was tricky.
He was tricky, slippery and most of all he plotted. He no doubt was pushing certain students in the way of others and was always pushing those he saw as having SOMETHING in Yuu’s direction but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out WHY?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Ahhh….Crowley really hated the scheming types…
Pot calling the kettle black much?
Soon enough a small brigade of students were assembled to enter the mirror with explicit instructions to get in and out, composed of some of Yuu’s Hogwarts acquaintances who looked at the mirror with apprehension.
The others along the ride were Harry and Ron, who stood beside a fuming Ginny who was going to milk this opportunity for all it was worth and have Yuu apologize to her for embarrassing her during the DA meeting as thanks for rescuing him. Hermione and Draco were silent as they thought of all the things they would experience and just all the things that have happened in the last few months that have changed their perspective of everything.
“I will go with them. They are merely students and the fact you lot cannot pull out some costumes to be able to go along with your students,” McGonagall scoffed, Snape following her as they rolled their eyes.
“Need I remind you the youngest student here, barring the most notable exceptions, is a 14 year old going on 15? Come off your high horse,” Vargas snorted. “Even then Yuu isn’t normal.”
“Damn right,” Sam snorted into his drink as Trein managed to get most of the note solved.
“I assume we will need costumes as well and-”
The Mirror flashed some light, Hermione yelping as she went close to Fred who stepped back.
“...Ha! It thinks your school uniform is a costume,” Crewel laughed, snorting into his palm as she was led away by another member of staff.
“Well…Go on,” Crowley sniffed trying to hide his laugh. “We are indebted to….you…pfffttt,” he left as the other teacher snickered into their hands.
“...Well, not time like the present,” Fred shrugged, George nodding as they both walked in and were transported into the realm on the other side of the mirror.
“Might as well,” Draco sighed, Hermione following without much fanfare.
The teachers and students alike watched as they all vanished, NRC still trying to calm themselves down from the mirror accepting them as is without their costumes before Trien made the sound of a dying animal.
“Did you decipher his note,” Crewel was on him like a bad rash, Trein glowering at him like he did when Lucius was being particularly annoying.
“You boy is a menace and all those boys he calls friends will be the death of me,” he grunted, shoving it into his former students chest for him to read.
‘What’d he write,” Sam asked, Vargas coming in as they read its contents.
“...I am going to kill him,” Crewel settled on. “Him and his idiot group he calls friends,” he sniffed, crumpling up the note as Vargas sighed.
“I’m docking his grade.”
“Well, he’s in for a nasty surprise for his frost mushroom!”
Hogwarts was left without any explanation.
“...Wicked,” was the first word the twins let out as they looked up at the massive castle before them.
“Something is going on inside, it looks like,” Hermione noted at the large amount of flashing lights on the inside along with a mass of floating ghosts.
“Then we know where they are being held,” McGonagall nodded, taking out her wand along with Snape. “Make sure to use your wands for defense ONLY.”
“Understood professor,’ they chimed, allowing them to take point as they walked down the stone path leading to the open entrance.
In fact it….was unnervingly easy to get to the entrance of the castle.
No guards. No wards. No traps. No spells.
Nothing.
“They could be preoccupied, we best use a disillusionment charm over us and keep Confundus charms on our tongues,” Snape barked, McGonagall nodding as they wordlessly casted the magic over them as the door opened.
“...Huh! I could’ve sworn there was someone out here,” a ghost dressed in all manner of finery commented beside a female.
“Enough of this! You investigated and I want to enjoy all the pleasure that those students are allowing us before this night ends,” she scoffed, the group brushing past them as they floated into the ballroom.
Where they were met….with a strange sight to say the least.
“CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG,” NRC students chanted as a beastman and Ignihyde students went one on one trying to see who would be able to down punch fast enough.
At least,...they assumed it was punch.
“Come on! Go! Go! Go,” Yuu cheered beside Luna who clapped eagerly on the balcony leading to the second floor.
“Savanaclaw doesn’t lose!”
“Come on! Ignihyde is trained for this! No pain no game!”
“Isn’t it gain?”
“Not in our dorm.”
“Fair.”
“Their on the last one,” a ghost cheered out as they all burst out into thunderous roars.
“YUUSUF! YUUSUF! YUUSUF! YUUSUF!”
“DANIEL! DANIEL! DANIEL! DANIEL!”
“This is so fucking ridiculous,’ Cater snickered as he recorded the whole thing beside Trey who shook his head, his hands holding a plate of snacks.
“It’s gonna be one hell of a hangover in the morning. Virgin drinks aren’t really a thing to these folks,” Trey sniffed as Daniel slammed his cup on the table to the thunderous wails of his dorm.
“IGNIHYDE WINS!”
“HELL YEAH,” he screamed, running around in a circle as he took high fives and slaps on the shoulder; everyone was laughing and screaming in joy as music began to play in earnest again and the students filled the dance floor.
“How did that even start,’ Vil shook his head.
“Hell if I know,” Leona snorted from his perch, sulking as his dorm lost to Idia’s who gave him the middle finger. “Yeah, yeah. Enjoy it while it lasts,” he growled in warning as Ortho felt his sensors go off.
“Ummm…I think we have extra people in here…actual people here-”
‘What in the name of Merlin is going on here,” McGonagall boomed, everyone turning to see the Hogwarts group staring at them with incredulous faces.
“....How are you here,” Ace blurted before yelping as Riddle smacked him lightly with his shovel.
“....Poooh,” Floyd sighed, leaning against his brother as Azul felt a twitch. “Our fun is over,” he whined, leaning against Azul who resisted batting him off.
“You had orders-”
‘No one orders us around. We had a plan to get our classmates back and we found them. They just never were taken,” Leone snorted, moving to stand and lean over the balcony with a bored gaze, his smile dealy and full of malice. “So leave and let us have the rest of the night huh?”
“...How dare you-”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Leona grumbled. “The Audacity of us blah, blah, blah. Whatever you want to go off on,” he snorted, others laughing as they all mingled about.
“We demand explanations-”
‘Man, I want to have more fun. Someone shut them up,” Ruggie sighed before two ghosts rushed Snape and McGonagall.
‘Professors,’ the Hogwarts students screamed as they both fell limp onto the ground, the ghosts who rushed them holding them up with some sad smiles.
‘Sorry! But they were putting a damper on our Halloween Party!”
“...Halloween Party?”
“Didn’t Trein decipher my note,” Yuu called down, looking bored as he placed his cheek on a closed fist. “It explained everything!”
“....What?”
“Yeah~!”
Hello Professor!
I am sure you are all worried and what not about us and Luna, but fear not! Some ghosts had come to Night Raven for our Annual Halloween Bash but seemed to have missed it. They worked so hard to get to Night Raven and were quite disappointed with the fact they had missed the party, so Malleus and I thought it would be best to extend the party a bit longer. We are going into the realm of the dead with Malleus’ help and will be taking as many students as possible. If any are left behind do tell them to put on the costumes and come on in. Seeing as all the ghosts are dead, we count them as Adult Supervision and politely ask you not to come along.
We don’t need saving! We are simply having a longer party!
Hopefully you won’t worry!
Much Love,
Yuu Fujimaru.
“....You're joking,” Hermione deadpanned as Ginny was turning a very alarming shade of red.
“Not really. They were really sad, me and Tsunotaro couldn’t help but feel as if they deserved a good ol Halloween bash after all they went through to get to the land of the living,” Yuu told them, looking genuinely confused as Vil rolled his eyes and Rook snorted into his drink. “You're all welcome to join in so long as you don’t cause a ruckus like your teachers did,” he commented, standing up straight.
“...I’m down,” Fred shrugged.
‘Me too….oh, that looks good,” George breathed, looking at the dessert table.
“Come on guys,” Ron called as he rushed after his brothers.
“Come on! Let’s enjoy the party,” Yuu raised his glass with a cheer, others following as the music resumed and the people were mingling once more.
“I…can’t believe this,” Draco snorted, taking a glass of the spiked drink himself before walking to the side as Neville was drawn into a conversation with Jade about mushrooms of all things while his twin gagged in the back.
Malleus hopped onto the organ, playing all the numbers he was required to learn as others laughed, joining on the dance floor to dance some sort of weird dance as people drank, ate and partied like they hadn’t hours before.
Yuu hummed happily as he observed it all, nudging Luna over to Hermione who was speaking angrily to Ginny about something along with another girl who seemed to rile Hermione up even more.
“Who is that?”
“That’s Lavender Brown…not the nicest nor the smartest,” Luna commented, in her own costume once more as the ghost complimented the pair of them in passing.
‘Seems heated,” he noted, Hermione having grabbed her wand and narrowed her eyes at Lavender.
“The thing is….ron has a thing for Hermione but he waited a bit too late and was a bit too bullheaded in getting things along. He let his anger and jealousy get ahead of him and ruined a rather good night for Hermione because of it,’ she sighed, looking sad. “Hermione has a slight crush on Ron, but it seems he likes any attention a girl will give him and since Hermione is his ‘mate’ so to say, he doesn’t consider her as…”
“An option,” Yuu snorted, sipping his wine as Luna nodded. "And his sister is going along with it despite no doubt being friends with her?”
‘I suppose. I only know so much. We are in different houses,” Luna shrugged.
“Why redhead,” he turned to her, Luna looking as confused as him as she gave him another helpless shrug. “If anything she would be better off with blondie overthere,” he motioned to a silent Draco who was stuck to the wall, holding his own against the HEAVILY spiked punch.
“He’s a pureblood.”
“And he knows the damage of inbreeding, he’s not as dumb as the rest of them,” Yuu shook his head. “He values intelligence, I can tell,” he hummed, looking through his wine to Draco who jilted at the feeling of being watched before looking up.
Only to see Yuu looking at Luna as they conversed.
He was going crazy.
“He still is the only heir to the Malfoy family and is expected to carry on pureblood,” Luna informed her dorm leader.
“....Maybe….Maybe not,” he shrugged. “He is to be the next leader, surely he can do things that can push boundaries…after all, he is the only hope for his family,” Yuu gave her a wicked smile that she smiled back to.
“I’m going to dance,” she suddenly spoke, placing her glass down on the bannister before turning on her heel to the staircase, Yuu blinking at how abrupt it was before shrugging, going back to sipping his wine as he watched her go down.
He snickered as she pestered Floyd into dancing with her, smiling as he seemed interested if only to get away from his brother who was holding onto him as he spoke extensively about mushrooms with Neville still. He grinned, taking her hand and bursting out into the dance floor with shouts from him and the occupants, Yuu shaking his head as they began to twirl around in excitement, the band turning it up just for them and other took que as well to follow.
Yuu hummed, noting a presence behind him and allowing the person to walk up beside him, turning and raising a brow in seeing Lilia beside him.
“Hey,” he raised a hand in greeting, Lilia smiling down at him as he watched Kalim pull Malleus onto the dance floor with Cater and Jamil in tow, all of them smiling.
“You are planning something,” Lilia accused him, Yuu blinking before giving a soft smile.
“Already found out, am I,’ he sighed, cracking his neck as Lilia shook his head.
‘Not fully, but I know you are watching the Hogwarts students closely. And you're getting close to a select few for a reason. Not to mention antagonizing them for a reason too.”
“Can’t get anything past you old man,’ Yuu pouted, turning to Lilia who winked at him. “I am, I am. It’s a safety net, so to say.”
“In case you go back to your world,” Lilia murmured, Yuu saying nothing as Lilia grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes.
“My father was a very successful assassin for a good part of his life, only ending it when I was born but he took out a large number of people at the behest of an equally large number of people. Who’s to say none of them where the wizard caught unawares,” Yuu explained, looking sullen as Lilia clenched his hands into fists. “I know you want me to be a kid and I have tried Lilia Senpai, but I am too aware of the harsh realities of life to be a kid anymore.’
“You're creating a safety net for yourself in the wizarding world. Creating connections with people you see as trustworthy,” Lilia noted, looking around. “I see a majority of them in this room.”
“Eagle-eyed as ever,” Yuu grumbled, looking annoyed as he nodded.
“And the Malfoy heir is one of them?”
“Look at him and tell me what you see?”
“....I see a child that is struggling with what he really wants. Does he want to be the Heir to the Prestigious Family that he was born into. Or does he want to have the ability to discover who he really is. He, himself, knows in reality he cannot have both. He knows he must choose between one or the other. As a child he was so sure of the fact that he would be the perfect heir, but now a little bit older, a little bit wiser and a little bit more knowledgeable…he’s not too sure,” Lilia sighed, crossing his arms with annoyance marring his face. “I never understood the thought of parents pressuring their kids like that.”
“Like you are one to talk,” Yuu grunted. "Need I remind you that you never bothered to inform Silver his childhood home, one you raised him in and created so many fond memories in, is practically abandoned?”
Yuu narrowed his eyes as Lilia flinched.
“Not to mention the fact that not even Malleus knew and he too wanted to live in the cabin for a year with Silver after you all graduated before he fully went into the court,” Yuu decided to dig the wound in deeper, Lilia cursing Yuu to hell and back in his head.
“Who taught you to be cruel to your elders,’ Lilia demanded, cheeks puffed out in annoyance as Yuu gave a shit eating grin back.
“My biological father. He was never one for authority. He tends to want himself to be the ultimate authority so he doesn’t have to argue with stupid people!”
“....Haaaa, I’d either hate or love your father, I already know!”
“Tee-Hee,” Yuu smiled, watching as Lilia walked away with a wave only to stop short.
‘Whatever you are planning for the Hogwarts students…I hope it doesn’t involve anything messy,” Lilia warned him, ever the mother hen.
“It’s up for debate at the moment,” Yuu informed him, eyes narrowed in concentration as he thought back to the book Dumbledore had gifted him and all the evidence he and the shadows had collected the last 2 or so months.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“...It remains to be seen. I have two working theories on what I am working one and one is not so nice.”
“And the other?”
“Even worse.”
“....Damn them….let me know if you need help. The Valley of Thorns always repays a debt,” Lilia reminded him, Yuu nodding before watching as he fully vanished before sighing. “I know you're there. Come on out Scion.”
“....how long have you known,” Draco asked, coming into the light, Yuu turning to lean up against the bannister and stare at Draco.
‘Since you arrived two minutes ago,” Yuu shrugged, looking bored as Draco seemed to take it with grace.
“...You're looking into the strange happenings in Hogwarts.”
“You catch on quickly,” Yuu commended him, smiling as he raised a glass to Draco who kept a solemn face.
“I would offer my help, but then again I am a Slytherin and I don’t offer anything for free,” he told the boy.
‘If that’s bait for me to take it, it’s not going to work,” Yuu informed him, smirking as the other clenched his teeth in annoyance. “You're looking for something from me in this exchange and I am going to tell you right up front. I won’t accept you into my Dorm.”
“Why not,” Draco demanded, affronted as Yuu hummed cocking his head to the side as he observed Draco with his bright, almost unnaturally blue eyes.
“Because you don’t know what you want.”
“...What?”
“You heard me. You don’t know what you want.”
“You can’t know that-”
“I get it. I really do,” Yuu said in a good natured tone before his face went blank. “You want to be a good son, even if it means getting rid of who you actually are.”
Draco froze, the words hitting him to his very core as he stepped back and stared down at the floor with a slight shake in his shoulders.
“I know who I am.”
“No you don’t and don’t even bother trying to deny it,” Yuu told him, looking annoyed. “It’s hard, I know it is. You want to be yourself but you know being yourself is going to hurt the one thing you cherish above yourself. Your Family.”
“....I….”
“Until you can find yourself or the self you actually want to be, I can’t let you into my dorm,” Yuu admitted.
“...What?”
“Night Raven College only accepts the brightest and best minds in all of Twisted Wonderland. I might have been a mistake, but then again maybe not. But one thing remains a universal truth in this school. Only those who are able to be themselves without an ounce of fear is able to break through anything pushed in front of them.”
“...I can too.”
‘I don’t think you can and I know that you are aware you are simply kidding yourself,” Yuu told him bluntly, Draco flinching as he clutched the glass tight. “As much as I might need the information on what I am looking into. I won’t do it at the expense of you not fully understanding yourself and your own stances.”
“....Then what about all the other people you have taken in,” Draco demanded.
“...Luna Lovegood is misunderstood and abused by her own classmates. Despite such a fact, she still continues steadfast in her beliefs and how she presents herself to the world. She doesn't care much for the frivolous nature of students much less her own roommates. She’s perfect fine as she is.``
Draco could see that; Luna Lovegood is unbothered by most things and he took a glance to look at her down on the dancefloor below to see her with the one called Vil, the two of them within a waltz. Both of them were laughing as the one called Jack was motioned over, Luna pushing Jack and Vil together with a giggle as they both laughed as well.
“The Weasley Twins…unacknowledged Geniuses that have a penchant for pranks,” Yuu smiled, turning to look at the two as they stuffed all manner of food into their mouths. “They aren’t afraid to cause a bit of havoc, but they are afraid of being themselves, as unrealistic as it sounds.”
“No…I see it,” Draco spoke up. “They hide behind the moniker of Fred and George. They simply are unable to be Fred….and George.”
“...You're smarter than you look,” Yuu complimented him, raising his glass once more. “But you're right. They can’t be themselves because they have always been Fred and George and when you have always been something, it’s hard to not be it.”
“Yeah…It’s not hard to see when you see them when they are not around other people,” he grumbled, Yuu humming as he looked down to see them laughing with Ruggie and Ortho, talking about one thing or another before high fiving one another and going back to the food.
“Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger…a pain in my ass but not one I am actually annoyed with. I actually pity her a bit,” Yuu admitted, turning to Draco who nodded.
‘I pity her too, really,” he sighed, looking annoyed before catching sight of Hermione arguing with Harry and Ron. “She is too smart for them, but then again…”
“She’s desperate for actual friendships and she will settle for anything really. I can tell the friendship is real, because I see it in my own. We have similar experiences, I can know that for certain and I know they do care for one another but there is a bit of a give and take. A bit more take and less of a give back,” he noted, draco nodding.
‘If she was smart, she’d have more ambition in getting what she wants,'' he grunted, looking annoyed for her sake and Yuu smiled.
Good, get him more invested in her.
“Neville Longbottom has a ways to go before he is ever able to even break the stutter he has but he is confident in his own right. He was simply placed into the wrong house. I have no doubt that musty hat that sorts you has grown weary and broken after so much use for so long and mistook him for his father or something,” Yuu snorted. “But nonetheless, he is strong and confident in his own right…you need to be, if your own mother and father don’t even remember you, much less can hold a conversation with you.”
Draco flinched, having heard horror stories of what had happened to some members of the light, having heard of and even SEEN what happened to the former Longbottom Heir and his wife. Driven to pure insanity by his own aunt and the torture curse, the two where fully incapable of being able to live as normal people. They were reduced to toddlers, needing help with most things to be able to function.
“I won’t lie. They might live, but it’s a cruelty to keep them alive, it’s my view at least,” Yuu sighed.
“...You would have them put down,” Draco became disgusted.
“...There is value in human life, but sometimes if a life is full of suffering and constant care…is that really a life worth living? What are they living for…if not for other people,” Yuu gave a sad smile as Draco turned on his heels to leave. “But it’s not my call and I see that.”
“....Pansy Parkinson. Follow her if you want to solve the Hogwarts Mystery. I have kept myself away from them for the time being so I am not privy to anything going on with them and Umbridge.”
“Tch,” Yuu grunted. ‘So she is involved. Great, what I was hoping to avoid,” he grunted.
‘Anything and everything going wrong in Hogwarts is going to be tied to her,” Draco warned him. “And Dumbledore.”
“I could figure that out for myself,” Yuu snorted. “I trust that old fart about as far as I can throw him and it’s not very far.”
“...So you don’t blindly trust him because he helped you?”
‘Of course not. Anyone with a brain can see he has an agenda, as good as he might seem everyone has a dark side, some are simply better at hiding it then most.”
“...I see.”
“Don’t think too much on it. As much as he schemes, it is for the benefit of everyone he comes across…as cheesy as that is,” Yuu snorted, taking his mask and moving to the other staircase. “Enjoy the party and keep in mind what I have said, hmm. I’m not opposed to new people in my dorm. I simply don’t want to baby them to the answers.”
Yuu vanished down the stairs, leaving Draco to his thoughts and the future that lies ahead of him.
‘Find myself…huh?”
Down on the first floor of the Ballroom, Yuu was accosted by ghosts and Malleus, all of them begging him to do a performance. Yuu tried to refuse him but soon a tipsy Ace and Deuce called out to the crowd they would all be singing a song Yuu had created in a fit of boredom.
“I knew it! It was YOU who fucking went through my shit,” Yuu screeched as the ghosts cheered at the prospect of a performance.
“Come on Yuu,” Ace cheered, smiling as he wrapped an arm around him with Deuce on his other side. “A Night Raven performance for the dead to witness!”
“...Fine,” he sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get out of it.
“WOOO-HOOO!!!”
“Play the music!!!”
“Frightened of the Dawn, I make a wish, over and over-” Yuu began to sing as the music began to play, standing before the front of the middle stairs that beheld the doors.
“To bid farewell to the lonesome sky-,” Deuce belted out, on Yuu’s left with a goofy grin on his face.
“And a Salvation for love~,” Ace sang, on Yuu’s right with a bright grin as he waved to a filming Cater.
“My wish is so far,” Yuu sang, turning to Ace as they sang the next line.
“Shining the bright red,” bowing to one another Yuu turned back to them all, grinning as he got into the groove of it all.
“O bells, resound! Carry my wish! Today too, I reached out my hand high up to the warm dream,” Yuu trilled out, hand reaching up to the sky and closing around a light only he knew of.
“Ahhhaaa! If it is allowed,” Deuce and Ace took over, Ace raising his right hand and Decue his left as they began to walk toward Yuu, framing him as they continued to sing. “Whether in joy or sorrow, let’s live together!”
‘A sparkling person’s voice, full of smiles,” Yuu turned, rushing up the stairs past Ace and Deuce who used their outstretched hands to follow him. “O light please guide my way,” Yuu belted out, hand reaching toward the sky as he threw his head back.
The other two gave out some accompanying vocals as the music continued to play, turning on their own heels to face the crowd once more all the while Yuu had made it to the top of the stairs and turned to face them.
“Towards a magnificent morning I’ve been yearning for,” he slowly began to descend once more, Ace and Deuce rushing up to meet him as Cater cat called them and Vil smiled at the performance, already knowing he was going to use this for the next VDC.
“If you open your eyes, let’s start walking,” Ace turned to Yuu who took his hand and allowed him to dip him on the stairs to the cheers of NRC.
“-Along with my dream,” all three of them sang as Deuce took the chance to spin Yuu around.
“O bells, resound,” Yuu waved his right hand to the right, Ace doing the same, both of them smiling bright. “Carry my wish,” Yuu did the same to his left, Deuce following before he centered himself. “Today too, I let my heart dance,” Yuu snapped his head to the front, arms still out stretched as Ace and Deuce spread their arms back up the stairs. “To the cheerful town!”
“Ahaha! Now, it beautifully bloomed,” they both sang as Yuu rushed back up to the top of the stairs. “Whether in joy or sorrow, let’s sing together!~”
“Sharing each other's love like I saw in a dazzling dream,” Yuu ripped off his cape to the thunderous catcalls and cheers of his fellow NRC students and Ghosts, tossing it to the side. ‘Oh light, please guide my way,” he sang with all his head, arms spread out and head thrown back.
Ace and Deuce were beside him, bowing and spinning around as Yuu spun around with his arms spread wide with a great grin on his face.
“To the future,” Yuu belted out, spinning around tightly before falling back, back to the stairs as Ace and Deuce caught him.
Silence.
And then chaos.
“HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS AMAZING!’
“AHAHAH! YUU! YUU! YOU WERE AMAZING!”
“THAT IS A PERFORMANCE!”
‘I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE WITNESSED THIS!”
‘WONDERFUL! THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL HALLOWEEN UNLIKE ANYTHING BEFORE!”
The three soon got back into standing positions, flushed and panting as they all smiled down to the ghosts and students, blushing as they were hounded upon and praised.
“Man, who knew they had it in them,” Epel snorted, Sebek beside them clapping eagerly all the while Lilia was saving it to his personal files under the name ‘My Kid’s Achievements’. Jack was giving them a thumbs up all the while Malleus approached, grinning ear to ear as he embraced Yuu.
“Glorious Child of Man, Truly a glorious performance,’ He complimented him, stepping back to look down at his friend. ‘I ask you to perform this in the Briar Valley,” he humbly asked, Ace and deuce freezing at the request as Yuu nodded.
‘Yeah, sure. We have to ask their parents and all, but I am sure it will be fine.”
‘Dude,” Ace nudged him as Malleus gave another bright smile.
‘I am glad,” he nodded, turning on his heel to address the ghosts. “But I must say, the time of partying is now over.”
“I am glad I managed to see a true idol performance,” a noblewomen commented, holding her cheeks like she was blushing as others clapped for them.
“We have three more years, so I am sure there might be more,’ Yuu winked, getting gasps of happiness as Vil shook his head.
‘Come on,” Trey smiled, fixing his glasses. “Let’s get back and face the music eh,” he raised a brow as Yuu turned pale.
“...Ah…right,” he swallowed, knowing he was in for an asswhooping when they returned. “Should have told Crewel from the moment huh…”
‘Yeah, probably,” Floyd commented as he used Luna’s head as an armrest.
“....I’m so dead,” Yuu sighed.
“Yeah,” all his friends nodded, Yuu cursing them out as the mirror was brought forth and they began to go through one by one.
“Time to face the music,” Malleus informed him as Luna went through with McGonagall and Snape floating behind her.
“Uuuughghhh,” he whined, dragging his feet as the calls and goodbyes from the ghost rang out from behind him and he soon landed in the middle of the mirror chamber.
“I see that it was a success,’ Crowely’s voice was the first thing her heard, Yuu looking up only to cringe at the burning column of fury that was his adoptive father. “Your guardian has some choice words for you Yuu-chan.”
“...ahahaha,” he smiled, hoping it would disable Crewel’s kill mode.
Only it seemed to set it off.
“WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU AND THE LOT YOU CALL FRIENDS! GET OVER HERE TRAPPOLA! SPADE! FELMIER! HOWL! ZIGVOLT! I MEAN IT,” he screamed, their hair flying back at the force of it.
“....Sam,” Yuu asked as his friends froze in utter fear at Crewel’s pure fury.
“...I’d risk it,” Sam nodded, Trein looking between them before he seemed to realize what Yuu had asked his former student.
‘Oh no you don’t-”
“RUN,” Yuu screamed, bursting into full sprint as his fellow first years followed.
“YUUUU!!!” Crewel boomed out as he rushed after the group of six, the group screaming in fear as Crowley faced the rest of the NRC students.
“...I am canceling classes for today. Clean up begins at 1 pm. Get some rest,” he sighed, turning to speak to Luna about what happened to McGonagall and Snape.
“Would you like to rest in Ramshackle,” Luna asked Neville, who held a piece of paper with some book recommendations Jade had given him. “Yuu is going to be busy for a bit and it’s lonely,” she explained.
‘Mind if we crash? We have some experiments we need to check anyway,” George asked, Fred nodding as they walked out of the mirror chamber.
“Of course,” Luna nodded, leading them down the path to Ramshackle, ignoring the screams of a certain group as their teacher whistled, calling his dogs to them.
“Get them! Perdita! Pongo! Get Jack! Anita! Roger! Get my idiot boy! Lucky! Patch! Grab the Heartslabyul duo! Jasper! Horace! Get Epel and Sebek!’
“Ahahah! Down! Down! Anita!” Yuu screamed as he ran like his life depended on it, Roger attempting to jump on his back to stop him.
“They’re fast,” Jack wailed as Perdita and Pongo were gaining on him.
“AAHAHAHAHAHAH,” Ace and Deuce where screaming their heads off as Lucky and Patch nipped at their legs.
'HOP ON MY BACK,’ Sebek boomed, Epel doing so as Horace and Jasper came up behind them.
“I will get you boys,” Crewel screamed, holding two more dalmatians in his hands. “Go! Tibbs! Colonel!” With that he released the last of his dogs as Yuu and his friends howled in pure horror.
“Oh come on,” Yuu screamed, running down the hill as Luna closed the door to Ramshackle.
‘I’ll get some tea on. Do you mind getting some blankets and pillows,” Luna asked the ghosts.
‘No problem,” Shoto smiled, floating upstairs as the others showed them a room with a fold out Chair and Couch.
“Get some sleep, kiddos! Long night,” they laughed, vanishing as Luna came in with some tea.
“Night,” she smiled, the boys calling out their goodbyes as the excitement from the night finally hit them.
‘Man…what a Halloween, right Gred?”
‘Righto Forge!”
“Night,” Neville grunted, flopping onto the pull out seat and falling asleep, the twins soon following.
All turning out the desperate screams of a certain dorm leader.
“HAVE MERCY CREWEL!!!!”
“I’LL GIVE YOU MERCY ONCE YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU THOUGHT LYING TO ME AND LEAVING THAT STUPID NOTE WAS A GOOD IDEA!!!”
They all slept quite well despite all the noise.