Hogwarts: Year Seven - A New Age [IC/OPEN]

[Khasinkonia]

Astrid Toujouse
Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square, and Welcome to the Rock: II

As I sat in the airport later that night, I took the opportunity to check up on the many updates I’d received since last checking it at the train station. After a jolly jaunt around London, it was pleasant to sit and scroll. It was always important to be early for a flight, as I’d previously learned thanks to a rather painful sprint in heels to catch my plane to Chicago. That unpleasant recollection always compelled me to arrive early. Although I wanted to call my boyfriend, he didn’t have the same brand of phone as I did, so I couldn’t use facetime. International calls were far too expensive. After messaging him on instagram, I attended to my other texts. One was from Lily, my roommate for the second semester.

Astrid Toujouse
im doing ok. gonna fly to st johns soon to meet up with my family and hang out with some family friends. hbu?

[United Democratic Christian States]

David

David stood there shocked about the information Isolde had revealed to him. He was confused. He couldn't tell if he should be angry at Isolde for not telling him sooner, or Avery for being the asshole who had his girlfriend spy on him and the rest of the Army that no doubt played a big part in reducing casualties.

While he could not mask his face red with anger but, he did want to at least let Isolde have the benefit of the doubt of Avery very much being the dictator of Hogwarts.

"Does Rachel know about this? How much longer before we got caught did he start forcing you to give him information? What did he hold over you're head to force you to spy on us? Was it that letter?" David spewed out in a quite but pissed tone. Before taking a deep breath to try and cool down.

"Sorry luv, I know that is a lot. Please just explain to me how this happened."

[Arlye Austros]

Isolde.
Cardiff.

Isolde had imagined herself crying out of the sheer presure, but instead she smiled, albeit faintly. Somehow, David's reaction was amusing. But then she imagined him being mad at her, and the trace of a smile in her face vanished.
"Don't you worry. I just needed t say it." The two women kept chatting, and one chuckled, as if she laughed at isolde's confession, although she couldn't have heard it. "After I wrote that letter, the one I showed you in the greenhouse, I don't know what happened..." She knew. Ricardo had drugged her. Suddenly the memory of Isolde using that same charm on him returned to her memory. "I set the Three Broomsticks on fire. I don't know if I was fully aware of what I was doing. A bit maybe. Avery got me the week before he caught us, and had me spy on Rachel. Truth be told, I didn't say much. I hid as much as I could, but I can't help feeling he still knows everything that happened in those meetings."

Now that she recalled it, Avery's way seemed odd. He alwways got to know every detail, but how exactly did he know? A terrible fear began brewing inside Isolde's gut. Could Avery read minds? "Between the letter and the arson he threatened to get my mother into trouble. I am not sure he has that authority, but I didn't dare to question it. I just did. I already dissapointed her, I could make her lose her job right after that." Isolde's head hung forward in shame. "So I just did it, and I didn't tell Rachel... I don't think I ever will."

[Miekzhemy]

Lucas Ackerley
Liverpool

"W'ot, an' Grenwald thinks she can jus' set 'em free? Where's she gonna take 'em?"

"I didn' ask..." Lucas muttered with a rub of his forehead. He sank lazily into the cheap reclining chair across from his partner, who sat uncomfortably on the sofa. A half-drained bottle of scotch stood on the coffee table between them, joined by a shot glass. "I only warned her to be careful and went about my day," he went on. "I can' be bothered to put myself an' my family at risk."

Recker sat back in the sofa, finally relaxing for once that day. Though it was likely the alcohol.

"Merlin's beard, man... She'll up an' get 'erself sacked. Or killed! An' fer w'ot? A li'l thorn in th' Averys' side?"

Lucas simply shrugged, briefly holding up his own shot glass. "She wasn't 'aving none of it. 'Course...as morbid as it sounds, she's picked a good time to go about it. Auror corps is busy hunting down all the inmates Darkenstone broke out of prison. We've got a long to-do list..."

"S'pose you're right," Recker halfheartedly agreed. The two promptly went silent for a while, with Recker pondering what Lucas knew he was fixing to ask. "So..." he started again.

"...'ow's Tommy?"

The question made Lucas perk up a bit, somewhat reinvigorated. He gave Recker a peculiar look, before setting his glass on the table.

"Well, the Highlord--"

"Tommy?"

Lucas stifled a laugh. "Yeah, Tommy. He's...erm... Nothing much new with him, I'm afraid. You know; A few lovely little purges here and there of some of his rival families," he coughed. "Like the Foresters, dispatching and recalling of some foreign agents, some structural renovations to the school..."

"Well y'eh, that's their new prison, aye?"

That shut Lucas up for a moment. Recker tilted his head, flashing him a twisted smirk.

"Look mate, we both know that's w'ot Edmund's got it turnin' into..."

"It's gonna come back to bite 'im in the arse," Lucas argued. "And I'm not just talking about the students hatching clever little plans. I've said it before, I'll say it again: They've been underestimating the raw magical power of these kids."

"That Darkenstone bloke, 'e was jus' a sixth year, aye?"

"Mhm... Commanding inferi and slugging around Unforgivables like he learned them in his First Year Charms course. Took that class no time at all to get the feel for apparition..." Lucas showed his palms. "My own daughter has started transfiguring shit with her focking HANDS, Adrian."

He promptly sank back into the recliner, his entire form suddenly expressing that same exhaustion Recker had shown just after Lucas carried him in. Like the cloak he sat upon, his own body was practically draped over the seat, too tired to even move his jaw.

"...'ole focking world's going topsy-turvy, man..."

There was another long pause, eventually broken by a clink of the bottle. Lucas' eyes glazed upward to find Recker handing him a filled shot glass. "Drink it away, mate," he said. "Drink it away."

They held their glasses aloft.

"Cheers..."

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

Henry and Freya

The dimly lit room was nearly boiling from humidity and the fire. Pale smoke wafted from a table set against the wall, it's contents bubling and boiling. Henry Grey stood over it, wearing a dragon hide apron and gloves as he stared at a series of vials through an alchemical mask. A large flask in the center of the set was suddenly filled with mist as the liquid within it underwent a rapid evaporation. Henry twisted a knob and released the gas into a large flask, allowing it to reliquify and mix with a deep purple substance. Removing the flask containing the new formula, Henry brought it over to a nearby cauldron, and emptied it into the pot. Sticking out his hand, he began to chant in Gaelic, causing a spell circle drawn underneath the pot to ignite with a faint golden light. Upon the end of the incantation the light shone brighter for a second before suddenly fading. Henry poured the cauldron out into a small vial, revealing an iridescent purple liquid.

Stepping out of the lab, he entered a large common room within the Grey Manor. Freyja was lounging on a couch nearby. Henry walked up to her and presented the vial, saying calmly "I think I finally did it. Give it a taste." Freya uncorked the vial and downed it, smacking her lips a bit.

"It tastes great, though I fail to see the point in this. If you wanted to make wine you could have just transfigured some water, or better yet, gone down to the cellar."

"It's the principle here that matter Freyja. If I can start to use the old ways to transfigure things, I can use it for other stuff. Soon we won't need to rely on the wands at all."

"Is that why you've had your nose in this book ever since you got back from your 'camping trip'?" Freyja held up a book bound in deep green leather, with aged pages and an aura of magic to it. Henry simply smiled before replying

"Actually no, that's additional research for advanced DADA this year. Avery wants us reading about these 'entities' as Scamander II calls them. Personally I think it-"

The door to the entrance hall of the manor burst open as Thomas Grey, High Lord of Albion stormed into the room with all the thunder of a tempest. Flanked by his wife and a clearly pregnant Elizabeth Grey, Thomas used magic to close the common room's doors and to remove his coat. Henry's mother gave the pair a curt nod and said "Victoria will just have to eat cold today then. I'll go make sure the meal is set."

Thomas rubbed his temples and said "Send Lix to invite Richard as well. I know the potions are a rather busy ordeal at the moment but I'd like to at least speak with him tonight."

Elizabeth finally spotted Henry and Freyja in the room and stifled a laugh "Did we interrupt the two lovebirds-"

Thomas silently cast a spell from across the room, muting his eldest child. He growled at her "You have no right to comment on anything of that nature Elizabeth. You could have been my heir, but no, you had to get carried away with the business I gave you and not only drive Eric away, but half of the pureblood heirs in the country. And you refuse to remove that... spawn from existence. I will not indulge your prattlings tonight. Henry, come here, sit with me."

Henry swallowed air and got up from the couch, removing his alchemical gear as he did so. He sat down on a chair in front of the large fire place, as his father rolled up his sleeves, removed his breastplate, and unbuttoned his shirt a ways. Thomas then poured himself a glass of some form of red alcohol. Sitting down across from Henry, Thomas took a long draw from his drink before saying "I don't think we need to discuss the manner of our relationship. We both know where we stand with each other and any link between father and son is long since gone. So I'm going to treat you like an adult here and I expect some respect from you because of it. As things currently stand, I am left in an unfortunate situation. Your brother has his own empire to manage, your twin is far too sadistic to ever properly rules something and Elizabeth here has made enemies of nearly every one of my subjects. That leaves me in a fair bit of a pickle. Either entrust the future of this country to someone I don't understand when I die, or leave it to you. To my great consternation, you, Henry, have become a far better leader than any of your siblings. I hate to say it, but I need you now, not as my good for nothing son, not as some other loyal underling, as an heir who will challenge my thinking and help me keep control."

Henry narrowed his eyes at his father. The older man chuckled and said "Believe me, I wouldn't have thought those words would come from my mouth a few months ago, but here we are. I suppose it was always supposed to be you as well, as much as I hate to admit it, you are the most like me. Still though, I think I've prattled enough. I'm giving you a choice Henry, and you can take it and for once in your life do something useful, or leave it and spend the rest of your days lounging around on a couch with that Swedish harlot." Thomas looked Freyja dead in the eyes as he punctuated his last sentence by finishing his drink. "You'll do ministry work for the rest of the summer, and you do it well, and I'll guarantee you a less, shall we say invasive, time during your next school year, followed by a nice job when you graduate. I'll even let you choose the department."

Henry's fingers tapped the book he still held in his hand as he thought. Finally, he held his hand up with a simple phrase passing from his lips. "Diplomatic Corps, in a region of my choice."

His father shook the hand loosely and said "We have a deal then. Son."

[Segral]

Ed Wilson

"Your numbers are wrong...again." Ed said exasperatedly as he strode up to Celia's desk, plunking a thick ledger down beside her. "You've once again bungled the exchange for every customer, and I don't even think the Lord Almighty knows how many you've fucked up before today."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Ed!" Celia exclaimed, slamming her fists down on the table as she turned towards Ed. "I don't want a fucking lecture, just tell me where I went wrong, OK?!" she half-yelled, her face scrunched into a grimace of anxiousness.

"Well, judging by this ledger, that could take a wh-"

"Then tell me how to fix it! God!" Celia exclaimed, accidentally backhanding her well of ink off her desk while swinging her arm around. Luckily, the well sailed far past Ed, smashing on the ground and splattering night-black ink everywhere. Both employees stared at the mess, Ed with a look of mild amusement and Celia with a look of pure terror. "I'm not cleaning that up." Ed said with an evil grin, folding as arms as he stared pointedly at Celia.

"Alright, fine. You fix my calculations so I don't get chewed out by Flornuk, and I clean up the mess. Deal?" Celia said, a smile of her own beginning to play on her lips. That was odd. Why was she smiling?

"Deal." Ed said, grabbing the ledger and making his way to his own desk, currently a complete and utter mess. Between all the thickly-bound ledgers, forms, discarded memos, ink wells, quills, spare parchment, and packs of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, there was barely an inch of clear desk space. Staring at the mess in disgust for a few seconds, he pulled out his wand and began wordlessly casting a few incantations, the papers beginning to fly together into neat piles, slide into drawers, and make their way into the garbage, where they were promptly vanished. A minute or so later, he viewed his neat desk with a sense of pride, pleased with his handiwork.

Unfortunately, once he had sat down and actually began sorting out the mess of numbers, his mood went from mildly pleased to irritated and cranky. For one, Celia's writing was minuscule, and practically illegible given the loopy cursive she wrote in. Simply deciphering what she wrote was a monumental task. Surprisingly, she had gotten the foreign exchange rates correct this time, but there were two separate issues this time around. She had forgotten to account for the change in Galleon value again, but more importantly, her math was just...incorrect. Sixes instead of nines, threes instead of fours, two Sickles instead of seven Knuts, it was a complete mess. It wouldn't take a few minutes to fix this, it would take hours, especially because Celia's shift was during peak hours...and that was probably why she was smiling so much when she offered the trade.

He shot a dirty look at Celia, who was now busy grinning to herself as she did god knows what else. Muttering under his breath, he bent his head down and continued to sort out the chart, wondering how stupid he was to have fallen for the trick. The woman had no brains, and she had somehow outsmarted him. Maybe that meant she did have brains? No, that can't be right. People with brains know what 4+3 is. It's 8, everyone knew that.

"Sit up straight, Wilson." said a new voice, a slimy, dry one that emanated throughout every cavity of his body. Flornuk, his superior. Flornuk was your typical goblin, in that he was the result of polygamy, incest, and corporate greed, an endorser and committer of several cardinal sins in this world, and an unemphatic slimeball who would sell his own mother before performing a good deed in their voided husk of a life. Of course, he was still the one who paid Ed, so he would never say any of that to his face, but still, he was a decrepit son of a bitch who Ed wouldn't trust with a bauble. Come to think of it, there was a lot of people in this bank he wouldn't trust with a bauble.

"Yes sir." Ed glumly replied, still only halfway through today's exchanges, his panic at having not finished the work fast enough at a severely mild level.

"I suppose that is Celia's ledger, given the eloquent cursive?" Flornuk said as he approached Ed's desk, a critical eye perfected by years of undervalued gem appraisals scanning over the ledger.

"Yes, yes it is." Ed said, blushing slightly. "I figured I'd fix her calculations so that the higher-ups have more positive things to say in the next evaluation." he explained, trying his best to hide his lie. Truthfully, he didn't have a rat's ass about the evaluations, which were held every three weeks and analyzed each department for "discrepancies in conduct and finances", although they only really cared about the latter when finances were lost rather than accidentally gained. Which meant that their stance on Celia's work output was a 50/50 shot. So far, the last two reviews had been...poor, to say the least, so hopefully trying to improve that dismal score would win Flornuk's approval.

"...Yesss, of course." Flornuk said, clapping Ed on the shoulder hard enough to make him wince. "We wouldn't another poor evaluation, otherwise we all lose a little salary. It's good that you're doing this, promoting a...healthy culture at Gringotts, you understand?" Flornuk said with a belly laugh that made Ed shrivel internally. "In fact, why don't you make this a daily routine? It's just so that we can appropriately control the quality of work coming out of this department, as I'm sure you understand." Flornuk plowed on, not even waiting for Ed's answer. "I'll leave you to it. Don't disappoint me, Wilson."

Ed groaned and slammed his head on the desk aggressively, half-heartedly hoping to knock himself out. He hated this place, he hated it with every bone in his body. He needed a break. It was around lunchtime anyways, a quick stretch outside to the nearest shop to restock on quills and parchment couldn't hurt. The stupid goblins were too cheap to provide him with any, so he had to make do.

It was going to be a long day.

[Mediama]

Astrid Toujouse
Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square, and Welcome to the Rock: II

As I sat in the airport later that night, I took the opportunity to check up on the many updates I’d received since last checking it at the train station. After a jolly jaunt around London, it was pleasant to sit and scroll. It was always important to be early for a flight, as I’d previously learned thanks to a rather painful sprint in heels to catch my plane to Chicago. That unpleasant recollection always compelled me to arrive early. Although I wanted to call my boyfriend, he didn’t have the same brand of phone as I did, so I couldn’t use facetime. International calls were far too expensive. After messaging him on instagram, I attended to my other texts. One was from Lily, my roommate for the second semester.

Astrid Toujouse
im doing ok. gonna fly to st johns soon to meet up with my family and hang out with some family friends. hbu?

Lilian Higgins
King's Cross, London

Lilian had started on her meal by nibbling off the bottom crust of her sandwich, she looked out the café window and stared blankly at the mass of people going about their lives trying to reach their trains or to the outside to get their cabs. Her daydream daze was shortly interrupted by the tri-tone text notification from her phone.

She pressed the power switch, quickly pressed the sequence of buttons that was her pin, and took a look at the reply Astrid sent. That was quick. Lily mused.

She quickly at the very least finished up with the crusted part of her sandwich figuring out what to say as she did so, before she put her sandwich down, picked her phone, and typed out her message, pressing 'send' when she was done.

Lilian Higgins
My dad's on leave, said he had some business in London with the Royal Navy or something, but he's making time for me. Mom's coming along as well. They haven't showed up yet though. ;(

It was then that another instance of the text notification popped up, this time from her dad. She quickly looked into her father's messages.

Dad
Stuck in traffic with mom. Will be there soon.

She smiled a close-lipped smile, before she replied with a simple 'okay' hand sign, and then switched back to Astrid's messages to correct herself.

Lilian Higgins
Just got a message from them, looks like they're coming soon. #:-s
What are you guys planning to do over the summer anyhow?

She set her phone down, but periodically glanced at it as she continued eating her meal.

[United Democratic Christian States]

David

With more and more of Isolde's confession, a mixture of anger, sympathy and guilt entered David. He was angry that Avery would abuse Isolde like he did, but also a little angry Isolde broke their promise to keep no secrets from another. However his sympathy for her overruled any anger, as he imagined himself being used as a pawn of Avery and figured that must of been a horrible experience for Isolde. Which then made him feel a little guilty for bursting out the way he did during the first part of the confession.

Looking at her shaming herself, David moved closer and wrapped his arm around her to comfort her.

"Listen Luv, you did the best you could given the circumstances. Granted I wish you would of told me sooner so I could of helped you. But you still managed to make the best of a bad situation anyway." David said before kissing her on the forehead.

"Now, is Avery going to force you to spy on the army again this year?"

[Arlye Austros]

Isolde

Of course, that was a problem. Telling David was beyond her possibilities. That would have put him at risk. Isolde wasn’t outright threatened, but Avery had a way of warning one without explicit words.

“Is there even going to be an army? I suppose he will want to know what is going on. He is not a man to let loose a tool just because he’s grown tired of it.” She said without thinking too much, but as she spoke, the thoughts materialized in her head. “No… He will want to keep more control of the school this year after what happened. As a matter of fact, him being able to turn the story into his own benefit is nothing short of a miracle. Any sane system would have fired him.”
Something popped back in her mind. The day that whole hell was unleashed on Hogwarts Avery had announced the leaders of the student community. “If anything, David, I believe we have to be able to defend ourselves, but from him…” She was going to continue the idea, of how she was more convinced that Avery was able to read minds. But the chattering behind them, at the bar, swelled and became too disruptive.
“Iechyd Da!” the two women said, obviously drunk. Isolde turned. “To your sister…” The barman said and smiled.
“What’s that all about?” She asked to David, but still looking at them, then the prefect turned. “I think they are even applauding out there…”

Indeed, outside in the Lane some people had started cheering.

[Miekzhemy]

Early June
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries - Janus Thickey Ward
Andrew

The hospital had finally grown quiet.

The past several weeks had seen a steady increase in patients discharged from St. Mungo's. These were primarily Hogwarts students injured during the devastating attack at the end of last term, finally given a chance to return home and enjoy the rest of their summer. The several wards were returned to their respective purposes and, for the first time in a while, the staff were relieved to find themselves able to relax. Not that all was sunshine and rainbows, of course. They still found themselves in the care of Aurors injured in the government's ceaseless struggle to track down the remnants of their enemies.

Andrew, dressed comfortably in his lime green healer's robes, took a shallow breath as he ascended the stairwell to the upper floors. He ran a hand through his hair, now grown to a length that began to cover his ears and touch his collar. He had since considered letting it grow out, if only for curiosity's sake. It actually didn't look that bad, he thought. And after somewhat involuntarily getting gradually back in shape, a slight change of image probably wouldn't hurt.

Strout seemed awfully pleased with his performance since the battle, even more so after hearing of his participation in healing his fellow students during that bloodbath. He wasn't exactly sure whether his gradual desensitization to the violence over the years was a blessing or curse, but the results of his experience remained. Whether it was his magical ability or potion-making, he had kept a level head in times of crisis - calm enough to do his job with just as much excellence as even some of the more senior healers at the hospital. In fact, his age and upcoming term was likely the only thing keeping St. Mungo's from taking him on as a full-fledged healer. For the first time in what seemed like years, he actually felt quite proud of himself.

He couldn't help but wonder what Dad would think if he saw him now...

Andrew stepped into the Janus Thickey Ward on the third floor, treading softly so as to not wake up those that were still resting. Primarily the Reaver girl, who had still since remained blinded by an allegedly backfired curse during the battle. Her eyes, however, were covered, and a special potion sat on the end table next to her bed; a form of Mandrake Restorative Draught mixed with strained and pickled Murtlap Tentacles, the combination of which seemed to thankfully begin restoring the damage to her eyes. Andrew deigned to let her sleep, and continued to the end of the room.

He stepped up to the foot of Rachel's bed, where she had laid quietly for well over a month. An assortment of small gifts and possessions had been left upon the adjacent nightstand over the course of her time here - including a box of chocolate Caitie had dropped off, and her still-surviving aspen wand that Madi recovered. Her face remained just as tranquil as it was when the Draught of Living Death was first administered. It spared her the incredible pain of not only curse burns, but the regrowing of her entire leg, which was now noticeably restored, albeit wrapped tightly in wound dressing. These bindings, however, still covered much of that side of her body, and likely would remain so until further notice as to not agitate the burns any further. But it was a grim truth that all healers eventually had to accept. Damage caused from curses often took years to fully heal if at all, and almost always left scars. Andrew felt a tightness in his stomach at the thought of what her pain may be. How long would it take for her to recover?

But no full recovery would be made in her current state. As Strout had instructed, Andrew stepped up and popped the cork of the vial he had carried into the room. The liquid within was a bright green, and the strong smell of tree bark and roses wafting over the ward made a clear indication; concentrated Wiggenweld.

Andrew gently propped her up with an extra pillow and, pushing a lock of hair out of the way, carefully tipped the potion into her mouth. After making sure she had drank it all, Andrew resealed the vial and stepped away from the bed with another worrisome breath. Strout said it could be anywhere from many minutes to an hour. In the meantime, Andrew took the now empty vial to a nearby sink, beginning to thoroughly wash it out and set it with the other bottles to eventually be collected and reused. But when he turned back to Rachel's bed, his eyes went wide.

She was not regaining consciousness, but outright sitting up upon the bed.

Andrew stood absolutely stunned for what felt like minutes before rushing across the room to her bedside. Her face was practically blank, as if she still had not processed what had happened or where she even was. With sluggish movements, she looked down at her bandaged form, her gaze eventually trailing up her arm. With shaky hands, Andrew felt a knot in his throat.

"...Rachel?"

Several seconds passed in silence, before the long-haired witch craned her neck to her side. Her listless gaze met his look of utter shock. As a faint smile formed on her face, tears welled up in Andrew's eyes.

He threw his arms around her.

[United Democratic Christian States]

David

Hearing Isolde answer his question David was beginning to struggle within himself, Isolde had already said she would more than likely never tell Rachel, and he never wanted to betray her. But he felt the Army needed to know. ESPECIALLY if Isolde was right and the Army needed to defend itself from Avery.

David thought then for a split second that maybe he could nudge Isolde into telling Rachel herself before they were interrupted.

"Think we should check it out Luv?"

[Revlona]

Jacob
After the Battle
St. Mungos

The voices came in muffled, the lights dim, the smells stuffed. The wizards and witches who tended to the boy couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. He didn’t respond stimuli but nothing was wrong with his brain, all he had come in with were a couple deep scratches and a fractured rib. It took the thoughtful mind of one of the witches to find out what was wrong.

She had gone to the aurors who had brought the boy in, asking about how they found him and if they had seen anything that had happened to him. Their answers summed up the problem quickly and easily. The boy had been found holding the lifeless body of a girl similar to his own age, they had shook him, spoken to him, done everything they could to get his attention but nothing worked. Nothing, not until one of the aurors has gone to gently take the girl from his arms. He had lashed out then, screaming like a banshee he jumped upon the auror and used his fists like a muggle to batter at his face, or, he would have if he had not been immediately stunned.

So the boy had been taken from the intensive care rooms and had been placed in a more long term facility, there they fed him and had him drink, merely hoping that he would recover and come out of this state on his own. They waited, a wizard or witch would check on him every few hours but to no avail, the result was always the same, he had not moved. That is until two week after the battle.

Jacob opened his eyes, or he would have if they had not already been open. His tongue farted out from between his lips and moistened them even though he knew it only make their chapped state worse. He moved his head onto its side, taking in the lay of the room he was in. It was a hospital, that much was obvious, but it looked like permanent residency. Their were colorful posters on the walls of moving quidditch players, plants covered the several tables, and there were only a couple other people in the wing.

Jacob went to lift himself into a sitting position but found it to difficult to do with just his core, he felt weak and did not know why. So his hands went to the side of the hospital bed he was in and pressed into the edges, giving him the strength he needed to sit up. He continued to look around, wondering what he should do, what could he do? Finally he spotted a attendant helping one of the other patient across the room and raised his hand, waving it to try and get her attention.

She did not see him so he croaked out with a weakened voice, “H—hello?” Normally with such low volume his voice wound have not carried, but it was a white room and the attendant took notice. Her head whipped around towards him and a broad smile broke out. She turned back to the other patient, said something, and then hurried out of the room. Confused, Jacob watched her go. She would probably return, but when? Of course that was when she returned, leading an excited looking older wizard who looked to be going bald. “You’re awake! I mean conscious!” He said, the excitement spilling over into his voice.

[New Roman Empire]

Adam
St. Mungos

The last several months had gone by in a blur, not even Adam could remember what had happened. Though He really wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing at this point of time. Though he had been sent back to America for awhile. The news of the battle had reached him which only seemed to disturb him more, he saw the papers and what they were saying about the whole thing. Though he would have much rather been there himself. Though he wasn't much of defense against the dark arts, he did have a love for potions to say the least. As he stood outside of the building, he let out a heavy sigh. From what he knew most of the students that were injured had been released to go home for the time being. Boy oh boy, did everything seem to only get worse since I left. Well I guess that we all had expected that to happen, though the extent of this now that was something that I didn't expect. He thought to himself as he scratched the back of his neck. This whole thing seemed to be like a bad dream to him, though he had a small bag that carried several tools and ingredients to for potions.

With that, he took a deep breath before walking into the building and head up the stairs that he was directed to follow. Though he had heard rumors about this whole place, he had never seen it in person. Though I guess depending on who you are and how you thought, that was a good thing. The expedition over the whole matter or well if you could call it that, his visit seemed to have no really improvements from what he noticed. He had gotten slightly taller since last time and worked out a little more. Though the dreams of quidditch has very much left his mind, potions was something that he wanted to focus on and he had talked to Professor Jackal a few times over the years. Man, this is going to be very awkward, I wonder how those two have even gotten along? Hopefully Andrew is out of his depression. He thought to himself as he continued to ascend the stairs until he finally reach the ward he was told to look for.

He pushed open the door quietly as he didn't want to wake up anyone that was still asleep. He let out another sigh as he noticed there were some empty bottles on one of the tables which had caught his eyes almost instantly as he entered the room. Well I guess the people here seemed to have it the worst. Though that is a lot of bottles to say the least. He thought to himself as he then continued to push deeper into the room. Eventually seeing a person in green robes hugging someone on a bed. As he got closer he saw it was Rachel though she was bandaged up. Though the person who was hugging her he didn't get a good look at their face yet. "Well, well its been awhile and it looks like you let William get the better of you or so it seems." He spoke rather awkwardly as this was the first time he had seen her in a while. "Though I for one am glad you made it out of that mess a live." He smiled as he stayed where he was at.

[Arlye Austros]

Amelia Grenwald

The woman could only sit, frustrated, in her chair. Amelia’s eyes were flat on the surface of the table of her desk, not particularly looking at anything. Instead her sight was veiled by an intense recall of the moves she had done, the conversations she had had, the motives that had fueled her efforts. Was it all an endeavor doomed to fail?
“I suppose you would be happy at this.” She muttered, not looking at her collocutor. “After all, it’s been not even a couple of years. Perhaps I was too quick.”
The man looked down at her from the side, smiling despite the heartfelt confession. “Isolde cried a lot. I didn’t. Not as much as she did. I kept telling m’self <<You’ve got to be strong for your daughter. You’ve got to be there for her, not crush down in tears.>> But deep down I wondered if it wasn’t something else.”
The man didn’t answer. Collin kept standing there, with the sunset falling over his shoulders. “Maybe it was that despite your best efforts to help the Muggles I just couldn’t follow your example. After they found you I just couldn’t believe it. I still don’t.” Amelia made a pause. “So perhaps you are punishing me for joining them. For joining Glacies.”
The woman turned to the picture of the man. Collin stood there, holding his daughter in the middle of the field. Isolde held to her dad’s hair, seemingly pulling it as the man bounced and dropped back on the ground. Isolde’s smile was overwhelming to watch. “She’s been blaming me for sure. As if I had betrayed your memory.”

Mior had failed. Somehow the case of the Foresters had been moved far beyond his reach, and now the judge was no longer an asset, but a liability. She had sent him home. Too old to stay for long at Court, nobody would question his absence. She would have to deal with this loose end. But now she just needed to think.
“I can’t just…” She began, but remembered Lucas’s warning.
The Foresters were working for the Ministry against their will, sentenced in a case she knew was vastly flawed and ill-intentioned. If any, they deserved freedom. But she couldn’t possibly openly set them free. She had thought of just spiriting them away by modifying their sentences through Reginald Mior, the judge who saw their case. But it was almost as if somebody gave her away. Lucas, perhaps? Amelia had been waiting for her own arrest for an hour now. But looked at the clock in the wall. She had to work.
Work…

Amelia couldn’t just halt there and stop. She needed to keep moving. Work…
The woman moved through her papers and documents. The motives of her actions returned. It wasn’t to set some family free. It was to lash back at Edmund Avery. But how exactly did freeing the Foresters help to that. She once knew. Now she couldn’t find the answer. Still, that boy, Derek. He was under Avery’s care for the time being. She could only wonder where he was. Didn’t Lucas mention something?

A puppet to Avery as much as Isolde. Amelia could only think of using that to her advantage, and then strike at Avery. She imagined it was first to know first. Amelia finally found it. An old attempt to revive the Tri-Wizard tournament. It had been there at the International Office for years, and nobody seemed interested in it. But it could provide the perfect excuse.

The Glacies property was, by all standards, massive. Of course, apparating wasn’t a thing there. But she didn’t mind. She was used to long walks and inhospitable hosts from her days in Wales. It was also good to breath the clean air of the countryside for a change. The Lady for International Affairs wore a green travelling cloak and boots sturdy enough to keep her feet warm, and apparated at the edge of the Glacies property, standing under the sun and looking at the countryside around. It was as one would expect, trees huddles around hills and open fields running around them. Perfect for riding and maybe even hunting. Amelia imagine it wasn’t wise to just intrude, even by foot. She drew her wand and waved it in the air before aiming in the general direction towards the centre of the Estate. “Aescultate Servuli.”


Isolde.
Cardiff.

The girl kept looking at the door, from where the majority of the clapping came, and some occasional cheering was following. “Yes. Let’s go!”
She stood up and guided David outside. The man behind the bar addressed them. “Don’t mind the drinks. It’s on me. Least I can do now.”
Outside it seemed as if the population of the Lane had tripled in minutes. Usually, Isolde anknowledged, about thirty people would live there. But now it became apparent the wizarding population of South Wales was converging.

“They got the bastards!” Somebody yelled from her left. Isolde saw a man hugging another one in a jovial form, and more people seemed to celebrate as if the red Dragons had won the World Cup. “The Deatheaters are gone! They are gone for good!” Somebody replied from another part, and some idiot opened a bottle from a balcony, making champagne drop before them in a foamy snowfall under the sun.

[Segral]

Ed Wilson

"I'm here to see Jacob. Jacob Strong."

The thin, worn dummy in the department store window, wearing a very outdated green nylon dress and a pair of fake eyelashes that were a little closer to falling off than when he had visited the hospital last year, remained silent. After a second or two, the dummy gave an almost imperceptible nod and jerked its finger back, giving Ed clearance to step into the hospital. He probably looked like an idiot talking to a window, and judging by the stares that everyone was giving him, he did look like an idiot. Whatever, it didn't matter. What the muggles didn't know wouldn't kill them. Glancing sidelong at the jostling crowd behind him, he slowly began to lean against the glass, trying to look as subtle as possible. The crowd began to thin after a few seconds, and Ed was gone.

---

"Sorry to call you in so suddenly," the blonde Healer said, her voice oddly animated and bubbly for someone who worked in a ward for people with psychological trauma. "He just woke up, and we've been trying to figure out a way to help him psychologically. We usually call a friend or someone familiar in to help with the recovery process." she continued on, almost bouncing with each step. She was a tall woman with wide strides, so Ed had to walk as fast as he could to keep up with her.

"What do you mean 'woke up'?" Ed asked, his words coming out a little sharper than he intended. "Has he been in like...a coma?" he asked, his voice softening with a hint of legitimate concern. He wasn't even sure why he cared. He and Jacob were classmates, but they weren't really anything more than that. They weren't close or anything, they weren't even in the same house. He wasn't even sure why they called him in. Was everyone else just too busy, too injured, or dead?

"...Not quite." said the woman, a hint of melancholy creeping into her voice. "He was awake, his eyes were open, but he wouldn't respond to anything. No conversation, no questions, no stimuli, nothing. It was just yesterday when he finally came out of his stupor, started talking again."

"So...why'd you call me in?" Ed asked quizzically.

"Sometimes, seeing a familiar face can help people who are victims of shock. Friends, classmates, coworkers, the like." the woman continued, sidestepping a few Healers sprinting past. "Orderlies. Don't mind them." the woman said cheerfully as Ed turned his head back to look out of curiosity. "Anyways, we called you in here because we know you're in the same year as Jacob, and you lived at the Hog's Head, which is fairly close by. Anyone closer was already in a hospital bed." the woman said with a chuckle, oblivious to Ed's look of mild worry. How the hell did they know he was staying at the Hog's Head? This magic thing was getting out of hand, they were spying on him now? Why would they spy on him anyways? He had nothing to hide, it's not like his life was interesting.

"...How did he end up like this, anyways? Did he hit his head or something?" Ed asked after a brief pause, looking up at the woman to his side.

The woman sighed. "We're not sure. From what I was able to gather, the Aurors found him holding a girl's body, close to his own age." she explained, her words sending a chill down Ed's spine. "Savannah", he thought to himself. Who else's death would've made him turn into a vegetable like that?

"He was just sitting their blankly, staring at the wall." the woman continued. "When the Aurors tried to take the girl's body from him, he went crazy, lunged at the Aurors. They stunned him and brought him here, and he fell back into the stupor for a few weeks. Until now of course." the woman said sadly, another silence enveloping the conversation. "By the way, would you happen to know the girl? I'm sure the Ministry's identified her, but we know nothing of it. Maybe you two were classmates, or knew each other somehow?" the Healer asked earnestly, a brief light shining behind her eyes.

"...Nope, c-can't think of who that would be."

---

Soon, Ed had reached Jacob's room, not exactly the cheeriest one. Sure, there were a few Quidditch posters and potted plants here and there, but the room was a spartan, sterile, almost blinding white. It was like those solitary confinement white rooms, but without the solitary part. Weren't those rooms used for breaking people psychologically? Clearly, wizards were much more powerful than Muggles, but were significantly lacking in the intelligence department. Celia was living proof of that.

Jacob was near the back of the room, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't look good, but nobody would after that long in a hospital bed. As quietly as he could, Ed began to walk up to the bed, his tennis shoes clacking loudly against the polished floor. There was a rickety folding chair clearly meant for his visiting ass, so rickety that Ed was afraid that it would collapse under his weight. Not like he had much of a choice in the matter. He would have to take his chances.

With a grimace, he slid into the chair, the metal squeaking slightly but otherwise giving no sign of buckling under his weight. He looked at Jacob in silence for a couple of seconds, hands clasped. What was he supposed to say? "Hey, what's up, sorry your girlfriend died."? So he didn't say anything. He just sat there for a solid thirty seconds, constantly clearing his throat in an attempt to say something, only for the words to die on his throat. "Why did they call me to do this?"

At last, Ed pulled out a small pack of gum from the pocket of his sweatshirt, pulled out a stick, and unwrapped it, popping it directly into his mouth. "Want one?" he offered towards Jacob, hoping that the "gift" would break the ice, as lousy of an excuse for a gift it was.

[Revlona]

Jacob
St. Mungos
Everything Happens for a Reason

The doctors had fussed over him when he had woken, they had prodded his mind, asking all different questions. When, what, where, how. It had hurt his head immensely but he had answered to the best of his ability, his ability being a simple nod or shake of the head. The doctors soon realized they wouldn't get much out of him and left him to rest, checking in every 15 minutes or so to ensure he hadn't slipped back into his vegetable state.

It had been rather boring, his only real form of entertainment being the decorations of the room. That and the physical and mental exercises the doctors had put him through in order to rebuild his weakened mind and body, sadly there were no such exercises for his broken soul. He saw Savannah where ever he looked, the nurse was Savannah until he blinked, the mirror they brought him showed not his face but hers. His dreams where not even free of her, her death played over and over again in his mind, at the center point, and at blame, was always him.

So it was a relief when a friendly face finally appeared, a face that was not hers. Jacob slowly reached out a hand and took the gum, unwrapping it with his stiff fingers and placing it between his teeth. He smiled as the flavor soaked in his mouth as he chewed. He began to speak, the first time since he had awoken, and stopped. He stopped not out of any reservations of using his voice, but because he had forgotten the other boys name. His mind reached out as it attempted to remember, he knew this boys name and he was frustrated that he couldn't remember. Finally with a sense of happiness his mind wrapped around what he was sure was the boys name.

"Thank you...Ed?" He said, hoping that he didn't just embarrass himself and say the wrong name. He wondered why he had come, they were in the same year of course but they had never had any real interaction. "I don't mean to be rude, but is their a reason you're here? Other than to see me?"

Several Days Later

They had finally let him attempt walking the day before and surprisingly his strength had returned enough that he could support himself rather easily and could walk on his own for a long period of time. This was a very good sign they told him and meant that he was on his way to being discharged. It also meant that they could take eyes off him and put them on others as he was soon to leave this place, allowing him to wander as he wander almost as he pleased.

It was this that lead him to be in Rachels room. The door had been cracked open and he had peered inside, almost not recognizing the heavily scarred girl for who she was. He remembered that Savannah had been semi close to rachel and that was why she was in the dungeons that day. Jacob slowly opened the door and stepped up to the girls bedside. She was heavily bandaged and was currently asleep so he took a seat in one of the chairs beside her bed.

He watched her for a while, trying to come up with things to ask her when she was awake, if she woke that is, he wasn't even sure if she wasn't in a coma. As he had these thoughts his mind drifted and asd was common for him these past few days in the hospital, sleep crept up on him and his eyes closed, chin resting on his chest as he noiselessly slept.

[Britanania]

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

It was nearing midday in the small village. The small rural village, dominated by an imposing church, was by all accounts remote which made the group of strangers who wandered into the area even more out of place in the hot jungle community.

The Angelus bell rang from the church and the villagers dropped what they were doing.

"La campana. Ya es hora de rezar," one of them, closest to the group of outsiders, said as the village commenced their prayer. "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae..."

"I do say, this place is positively medieval," one of the outsiders said, his crisp English accent standing out among the praying villagers. "Are you sure this is the place?" One of the others shrugged.

"Oi, that's what the letter said. I don't read a word of Spanish, so I can't be completely sure."

"Why not ask of the locals, these, what do you call them, pueblos? They might know," yet another said. He approached one of the locals, still saying his prayers, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Good afternoon, could you tell me the name of this village?"

"Que carajo estas haciendo aquí? Largate, cabron!" he said crossly. The Englishmen understood he didn't want to be bothered and shrugged before he returned to his comrades.

"Well?"

"I don't think he spoke English. Anyway, let's try to find a hotel or something. This place is positively queer."

---

A Few Weeks Later: Glacies Estate

Caitie was out riding one of her horses around the grounds of the estate. She had returned the night before but the young woman had little time to waste her summer away and spent most of the morning preparing for the fall term and decided to get some exercise. As she rode around on her white horse, she noticed a few of the house-elves speaking to a woman. Caitie squinted.

"I know her," Caitie said as she rode her horse over and dismounted as she neared.

"Mrs Grenwald," she started as she removed her helmet. "Or, do you prefer Lady for International Affairs?"

[Arlye Austros]

Amelia Grenwald

It wasn’t more than a minute when one of the House Elves approached her, having apparated behind a bush probably.
“Madame…” The elf nodded. Seemed old and tired, but somehow still hanging into existence.
“Good Evening. I come to visit Lord Avery. I was hoping to meet him before the day is over.” She said with a smile, but obviously in a sarcastic way. The elf did catch it, and -annoyed- nodded at her. Amelia walked to him and once close enough they both vanished.

The house appeared imposing before her. <<Yes, that is clearly the Late Minister.>> She thought as her gaze returned to the ground floor. A couple of elves approached her.
“We shall tell the Lady that you have come. In the meantime we may take you to the Great Hall.” A younger-looking one said to her. She had a female voice.
“That would be appreciated, for sure.” Amelia replied. The old-looking house elf addressed her.
“Will the Lady wish for something to drink in the meantime?”
Amelia smiled, realizing the creature had taken a dislike for the way she addressed it, and tried her kindest-looking face as she refused with a hand gesture. “That won’t be necessary, I assure you. I…” She interrupted herself as the girl approached her. She was quick to recognise Catie Glacies, even before she removed the helmet.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, dear. If I can escape titles of office for an hour, I will be most happy… My God you have got taller!” She had, indeed, grown quite a bit from what she could remember. The beach party. How long had it been? Two years? It felt like a decade. “I was hoping to see Edmund. Or your aunt Cordelia at least. Matters of the Ministry, I am afraid.”
She remembered the approximate location of the cottage, somewhere on the edge of the terrain, and her gaze quickly skimmed towards the place it ought to be. Obviously too far to be noticed. “You were out riding, I see. I didn’t take you for one of horses.”

[Britanania]

Caitie: Glacies Estate

The young woman smiled politely at Amelia and bowed appropriately.

"My uncle is busy at the moment, but Aunt Cordelia is in the drawing-room. I can show you the way if you don't mind." Caitie gestured to point the direction and didn't bother wasting Amelia's time with waiting for a reply. Caitie could tell that she had no interest in spending a moment longer in the house than she needed to, although the young woman did wonder if this was really about ministry business.

Why would the head of international affairs need to see the Headmaster of Hogwarts for Ministery matters? Something about it didn't quite add up as Caitie led the way.

"And yes, I enjoy riding, ever since I was a little girl. It was one of the few hobbies I had, outside of the library." Caitie stopped before the door of the drawing-room, where a house-elf waited. The Elf went inside and announced to Cordelia that "Miss Caitie and Mrs Grenwald" had arrived.

Cordelia, stately as always and looking like a slightly older sister to niece, only thirteen years her junior, rose from her seat.

"Amelia," she said politely if stiffly. "If I had known you were coming I would have invited you to tea. Please, sit," she gestured. "Oh, and please stay, Caitlin."

[Arlye Austros]

Amelia Grenwald

Amelia followed Caitie as she listened to her. For a moment she realised how different she was to Isolde. Granted, her daughter was not allergic to books, but she would never choose to stay inside a library if she could be outside. As for riding, it came to her mind that Isolde would rather walk than rely on something that has its own eyes. Either a broom or her own too feet. Those thoughts rushed in the blink of an eye, quickly turning into her wondering if this was a lonely girl, and remembering that her father had died about a year before. She seemed oddly over it.
The house elf announced them, which made her slightly uncomfortable, unused to domestic protocol, but she had learnt to hide her discomfort pretty well and walked to meet Cordelia Avery.

“Yes, I am afraid that is on me. I sent an owl early today, but just an hour ago I was told it may have gone astray. So I decided to come myself, if unannounced.”

She spoke while taking a seat, and diverted her sight looking around. “I don’t recall ever being here. Certainly better than living near the city.” She said to nobody in particular, then looked at Caitie. “I do believe you just came from a trip. Didn’t you, dear?”

[Britanania]

Caitie: Glacies Estate

Caitie followed her aunt's orders as she sat down in a nearby armchair. A group of House Elves walked in carrying a table with a tea set and a tiered stand with a few cucumber sandwiches. The elves placed the table between the three women and politely departed as the enchanted tea set poured cups for the trio. All the while, Caitie kept her eyes on Amelia and looked for any clues.

I've never heard of an owl who went astray. Very peculiar...

"Given the short notice, this is the best I can offer you, Amelia," Cordelia said politely. "I shall have the elves bring some champagne, as well."

"Yes, I've just returned from a trip to Mexico," Caitie replied to Amelia as Cordelia took a sip of tea. "Visiting some ruins, Mayan ones."

[Miekzhemy]

Andrew
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Andrew draped his lime green healer's cloak over a chair, and sat himself down at one of the tables in the tearoom on the fifth floor. Letting out an audible yawn, he dug into the brown paper sack that was laid out in front of him, pulling out a resealable plastic bag with a sandwich inside. Mrs. Ackerley was kind enough to have made him a lunch this time, saving him the extra few sickles on the usual rubbish they served in the hospital.

There weren't that many people up there at this time of the afternoon, save for the occasional visitor waltzing into the gift shop just across from the main kitchen area. The room itself was as quiet as the entire day had been. Part of him wished he had gone out to eat this time. It probably would have gotten his mind off of things...

Andrew sunk his teeth into the bread, biting off a chunk of the sandwich before setting it back down. He pulled over a mug, plucked out the tea bag by its string, and gently stirred the mixture with a spoon. He caught a brief reflection of himself in the liquid, and blinked.


"Avada--!"

"AAAAAAH!" Andrew bellowed as he tackled the Ravencloak to the ground, already stunned by the brick that had clocked him in the cheek. The Ravencloak's hood fell to reveal the shocked visage of a boy who's face could have easily been recognized as an old classmate. He looked up to Andrew, who heaved the brick over his head.

"FUCK YOU!" he brought it down upon the boy's face. With a sickening crack of bone, he lifted the brick up yet again, only to bring it down once more. "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! NGH- AAAAGH!"

In mere seconds, his blind fury burned out, and all that remained of the boy's terrified guise was flesh and blood, dashed upon Andrew's robes and the floor of the Great Hall...


"Bishop?"

Andrew blinked again. He looked up from his tea. Cole, another one of the healers, stood next to him.

"Huh?"

"I'm going on break," he said. "Meals are already out, but do you mind taking care of the Fourth Floor when you're done? Potions, extra tea... The usual this time."

"Oh! That," Andrew swiftly nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll get on that..."

Later

Andrew stepped into one of the fourth floor's wards with a tea pitcher in one hand, and his wand in the other. A few potions were held floating in the air, all of which he carefully moved to rest on a countertop with a wave of his wand.

Jacob was the only one wide awake in this particular one, but he wasn't alone. Ed was visiting that day, it seemed. He vaguely remembered that he had been working at Gringotts for a time, though hadn't exactly found the time or energy to talk with him that much. He poured a single cup of tea and mixed in Jacob's potion - a simple calming drought. It gave the tea a slight lavender hue, and an air of peppermint.

Andrew stepped up to Jacob's bed, coming to a stop at Ed's side.

"How's it going?" he asked rather casually to the both of them. He handed Jacob the tea saucer with the cup upon it.

[Arlye Austros]

Amelia Grenwald

While she wasn’t a stranger to protocol and servitude, as the use of the spell to call on the House Elves showed earlier, it was still something she preferred to keep strictly to protocol and work, not domestic environments. She didn’t have elves in her house in Wales, and the English-countriside culture that Cordelia seemed to enjoy wasn’t her usual habitat. Nevertheless she smiled thankful as the elves laid a snack for them to have while they waited. It was in this process she noticed Caitie’s eyes.

“Oh! I much appreciate it.” She replied Cordelia as she offered to have some champagne. Yet, she wasn’t really planning on drinking any. Her sight turned to Caitie. “Enjoyed it? I could use a vacation myself.” She said before drinking some tea as well. “Alas! It seems I will spend the summer at work. I have even slept at London some night, almost half of the time, really.” The woman dismissed her grievances with a slight smile. “Perhaps once the Hogwarts year is started.” She made a slight pause, as if she was thinking of her own words, and then turned once more to Cordelia.

“So, you have horses here. But I would say this land is large even for that. I have heard there were Granians somewhere in this region, perhaps it is you who justify the rumours?”

Yaxhá Lagoon, Petén Region, Guatemala

A group of eight teenagers marched through the jungle path, slowly climbing the slope leading to the top of a hill. Already the ones int eh front could see the old stone walls at the top. They were barely visible between the thick foliage and having themselves be almost entirely covered with moss and bushes. Yet the blond one stopped to see. Canék didn’t seem to agree with a stop, and turned to the other one as he passed by.

“We are almost there. But we can’t stop just now.” The boy said with strange-sounding Spanish. Julius gasped and nodded. He was at least three years older, but it was better to heed the words of the kid. His father had agreed to lead the strangers to the top. Luckily, Canék’s father, a man by the name of Nahil, came to trust them enough to show them the path. Julius von Markle led a party that now traversed the jungle north of the Lagoon, hopefully to find a way to progress through the Mesoamerican Isthmus.
Nor did he question the European-looking ship that now laid in a bay in the western edge of the Lagoon to the south. The Lucerna waited them in the still waters and covered in a thick fog, but barely two kilometres from the little-known but still visited Mayan ruin, and only six from the well-known Yaxhá ruin at the eastern edge of the lagoon. The fog was made by the ship itself, and they made sure they hid away from the routes used by tourists to reach the isles filled with ruined walls and empty temples. Nahil offered them that area, and further protected them from prying eyes, having left his home in the nearby town of El Remate to aid the escaping teens.

“At least this one might work.” Catalina also passed by the gasping boy. “Come on! It’s only a couple of steps!” She said, speeding through the jungle behind the guide. She was followed by a Mayan man, one of Nahil’s elder nephews, holding a wand. Julius checked his own was still there and ready.
The column kept moving and after a minute and a bit longer they crossed the ruined walls, entering a half-square that was drawn by stone on their side, to the west, but to the dawn left the hill bare-naked. Still under some trees, a bit more of light made it into the forest ground, illuminating scattered bricks and what may have been fanciful stonework centuries before. Some buildings seemed to have rested there, their foundations still resisting, and one wall was fairly well preserved, although it did have a wooden cross resting against it, clearly not local. Before that wall and about centred to the full square laid a stone-brick well.

“One of Tzukán’s Wells.” Canék announced while pointing towards the stone circle. It didn’t have a line handing down and seemed to be abandoned for a long while. “Father says you’ll find it here.”

Julius hoped so. What they tried to find was necessary to survive. The Kalku were almost on them. When the Lucerna tried to cross the Panama Canal they were met with a group of them that blocked their pass. They easily made their escape, as they didn’t seem to have the firepower to stop them. But they would not cross into the Atlantic there. They agreed to take the Mayan Passage. The ship, imbued with the power to move through watercourses even in the most unnatural ways, apparated from lake to lake, and then to cenotes and underwater ways. The last five days they spent moving like that, even one night spent inside a cave. But Ricardo, their captain for all matters, told them that moving further east was not possible. At least not until they could open new routes. And so, they have been searching for a way for two days, as the Kalku drew closer.

“Very well…” Julius waved his wand, and a rope appeared. It crept through the jungle floor and entangled a tree, while he still held the other side. “Any volunteers?”
“I could go.” Fabián, a boy with black hair and freckles, an odd combination in Julius’s mind, stepped forward. But the Mayan one, Canék, nodded and stopped his with an extended arm.
“Nobody that isn’t initiated can go. I know it might sound stupid to you. But my father said our traditions will be respected. The only way you go down there is as a human sacrifice, and we don’t do that anymore.”
Nobody seemed to protest. But Canék did not move.
“Alright… So…” Julius raised his brows as he looked at the boy. He smiled.
“Muyal…”

The man who had escorted them nodded and spoke for the first time in their six-hour long voyage. “I will need complete silence. You know how it works.” The man walked to Julius and grabbed the line. He examined it as if he looked for imperfections. “It will do.”
Canék helped Muyal tie up and secure to the line. Then he leaned on the well and stepped over the wall, sitting before the abyss. “Not a word…” The man said to them before jumping forward and vanishing. The line, which they held, pulled them towards the well.

“You keep it.” Ricardo walked to him on the deck. He seemed better than during the previous days. Julius had been watching the sunset as it illuminated one last time during the day the jungles of Belice. He held the black serpent scale in his hand and looked at it. It was a full day and a half since he got it.
“It is done?” He asked. The captain nodded and leaned on the railings, joining to see the sight. “Anchimallén has been able to open the earth and make a tunnel. I would say it is done.”
The man gave Julius the scale, after he promised he would treat it with respect. The obsidian stone was beautifully carved, with hair-thick lines running through the edges, and resembled an arrow-tip, but was larger, almost his palm. A gift from Tzukán.
“it is impressive that this kind of power works with ours.” Julius mentioned. Ricardo nodded. “Yes. The power of the Lucerna and the Sumpall are based off Caicai. Also a sea-snake. I am sure there is a relationship. We just needed to harmonize the power of Anchimallén with our ability to move through water. I am not even sure he will be able to do it again. But it was something to watch.”

He referred to the bird they brought back from the mountain. A chick of the Alicanto that was now as large as a fully-grown Condor. Except it promised to be larger now. The Alicanto could draw the metal and sediments of earth, and with the scale and the gift of Mayan magic it could do so in accordance to the waterways, and break through the mountain so that the flow could take them from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

“The Kalku will keep chasing us.” Julius reminded him. Ricardo nodded.
“They will, but I don’t think they are strong enough to pose a threat anymore. Not here at least. We should still be careful.”
Except, Ricardo seemed somewhat worried. They had reached the Wallace River earlier that day, and by noon passed underwater north of Belize City. Ricardo took that time to make landfall and find out what was going on to the east.
“Something happened?”
“Yes… Some British wizards were in the jungle to the north. They were found skinned alive. Of course, here in Belize they are worried some wizards were massacred like that. But to the north they say it has to do with La Llorona. That they were taken by her… Perhaps it’s better to leave it at that.” He said while loosing the sight on the sunset.
“Are you sure we should continue then?” He wondered. Ricardo’s plan seemed to rely a lot on things nobody was sure.
“No… But I think we should nevertheless. We can’t go back now.”

[Britanania]

Caitie: Glacies Estate


Caitie looked like she was about to reply to Amelia's question regarding her recent trip to Mexico when Cordelia put her teacup down and interjected on her niece's behalf.

"Yes, I believe it was very informative for her. Caitlin enjoys esoteric matters like history and archaeology, and her marks at school reflect that." Cordelia's tone belied her words; rather than sound like a proud parent, Cordelia's tone was cold, disinterested, and more like a person talking about a prised racehorse than a human being. Caitie for her part remained silent, dutiful even, as she took a sip of tea as Amelia changed the conversation.

"We have many horses on the estate, including magical ones," Caitie replied. "The rumours are all true, of course; we have a team of granians, as well as abraxans and aethonanians."

"Caitlin is a skilled jockey, for her age," Cordelia added, with the same disinterested tone.

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

The Highlordship,
Monday June 10th

Henry strode down the streets of London, a bespoke suit covering his body with his cloak assuming the form of an overcoat, which may have struck a few people odd as he was wearing it on a sunny june day. Regardless, he barely gave them the attention they paid him. He was still rather fuming at his father for making him take the visitors entrance to the ministry for his first day on his summer job. Could have just taken the floo gateway direct to his father's office, but no, he had to make use of the muggle entrance so he knew where it was.

Henry stepped off the street into a back alley, where a red telephone booth stood. Stepping into it, he dialled a number he had written down on a piece of paper. A voice seemed to come from the walls of the telephone booth asking him his name and purpose. Henry responded curtly "Henry Grey, job interview." A silver badge clattered into the coin return as he felt the floor below him begin to shift downward. After about a minute of descent Henry found himself in the atrium of the former ministry of magic. Where once upon a time the room may have been a hustle and bustle of activity, people now only stayed within it as long as they needed to. It was brighter within the room then it once had been and unlike before armored guards stood watch at every corner. From the ceilings hung several deep blue banners each displaying one of Britains magical animals in gold. In the center where once had stood the golden statues of several magical creatures, now only stood one. Made of shining silver, the figure of the late Malvolio Glacies stood in the center of the Atrium, his head hung in a mournful position looking at his feet. At the base of the statue read the words "Duty and Honor".

Henry looked around the room for a moment before a middle aged man approached him. The man may have been quite a looker once, but it was clear that the stress of recent days had gotten to him. His short and well kept brown hair had more than a few shocks of grey to it and he was quite clearly a fair bit skinnier than he normally would have been. He extended a hand to him and said "You must be Henry, we heard that you were coming to work with us for the summer. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

Henry nodded and shook the hand back saying "A pleasure to make yours Mr?"

"Ah- Gwynned. Michael Gwynned."

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Gwynned. You must correct me unless I have gotten something wrong but I was under the impression that I would be going through an interview process before working with you if at all."

"Well, forgive me if I may be a bit praiseworthy here Henry, but your resume more than speaks for itself. Near to the top of your class, saved the school once or twice, very good scores on your OWLs. Why, you're a regular Potter. Which means the interview here is all but a formality."

Henry saw right through the act. The man was clearly afraid of his father, or his father had ordered them to accept him anyways. If it was the first one, then it didn't matter much. If it was the second, then clearly there was a trap here. Sadly, Henry could see no way around it except to spring it. That was the genius of his father. Thomas was never the best spell caster, though he didn't lack in ability. He had never been good at sports. But the Grey patriarch could manipulate men like pieces on a chessboard. Giving a bit of a sigh, Henry nodded and said "Ah yes I see. Well then by all means, lead the way."

Gwynned nodded and gestured for Henry to follow. He smiled as he lead the way. After a few moments of silence he began a speech he clearly had rehearsed. "So, I figured while we head down to the department we could run through some of what our Lordship does and what your basic duties will be. As you surely know, the Lordship of Foreign Relations and Service handles a number of operations in the service of Albion. This includes handeling British wizards who cause trouble in other jurisdictions, managing relations with other Wizarding governments, and providing our yearly contribution to the Ley Line festival are the most prevalent of these. We include several sub-lordships or baronies. It is to my understanding that you are applying with the Diplo Corps Scandinavian section, correct?"

The pair stepped on to an elevator. Henry began his reply "That's right. I figured I could use the spare time to-" he paused as another pair entered the elevator. One was of average height, but had something off about him. His gait had an unnatural grace to it, as though every step was forseen and made with utter confidence. The other was much larger, with thick silver hair covering his head and under his chin, as well as the tops of his hands. The man offered Henry a toothy grin as he stepped into the elevator.

He pushed the button for the other pairs floor and said "Well, you must be the High Lord's son, based on your scent. Welcome to the ministry young Grey." in a horrible rasping growl of a voice. Henry offered a cut nod in response.

The man continued to sniff the air and said "Oooh, your lucky your grandfather was an understanding man, else we may be looking at each other in very different lights, you and I. Mmmm, not that I would have disagreed of course." The elevator opened to the floor the other pair were going to. The other man strode out of the elevator and said in a voice that seemed to emenate from him rather than be simply uttured said "Come Fenrir, we have our business." The tall hairy man said simply "Until next we meet, Grey."

Henry and Gwynned rode in silence until they reached their destination. The older wizard was quite clearly disturbed at the encounter, his faux smile having vanished, replaced with a silent stare at his own boots. Henry merely checked his watch. Greyback might have disturbed an ordinary person, but Henry knew far worse people currently lived within Albion. As the doors opened once again, Gwynned put back on his smile and said "Welcome to our humble little lordship. Ah, here's our man. Alfrid!"

A tall sandy blonde man stood up, wearing deep red robes. His hair was clearly well maintained and tied back in a short pony tail. He also sported a thick but not very long beard. "Ah Gwynned, brought me my new recruit?" said the blonde man in a deep voice.

Henry stuck his hand forward and said "Henry Grey. Pleasure to meet you."

The blonde man shook it and grinned, saying "Aye, I know who you are. Right, I'm sure Gwynned wants to get your paperwork and such done, and then afterward we'll talk about what you'll be doing for me over on Födslorätt. We'll be spending another few days here doing what I'm currently here for, and then we'll be heading back to the North."

Henry nodded and said "Sounds excellent sir." before following Gwynned to do his interview and paper work.