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"Fourteen more days of summer," Lucretia informed them at breakfast one morning to a chorus of groans."That's bullshit," Magnus said defiantly. "Summer started fourteen days ago, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise." Merle laughed, and Lup started chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!", but Magnus was serious-- well, sort of. He wouldn't fight his little sister. But he could've sworn the term just barely ended.It was a big day, as far as their busy summer days went. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was arriving at the castle. Magnus didn't know much about them, but anything had to be better than Voldemort, right? -------------------- The doors to the Great Hall flew open with a bang.A figure cut a dramatic silhouette in the entryway before marching in. Magnus craned his neck, trying to get a better view of the new professor.He was wearing shimmering blue robes, with perfectly coiffed hair and a winning smile."That's Gilderoy Lockhart," whispered Cap'nport."Isn't that the author of all those textbooks?" asked Lup incredulously. "What's he doing teaching us from his own books?""Self-absorbed, much?" Taako sneered, stealing a danish from Magnus's plate."We probably shouldn't judge him--" began Lucretia.Taako cut her off. "Uh, no thanks. Taako is fully aboard the judgement train.""He does seem like a bit of a douche," commented Merle as Lockhart made a big show of kissing McGonagall's hand."If he's actually strangled werewolves with his bare hands, I'll shit a brick," said Magnus decisively. No true hero should be  that self-absorbed. --------------------Besides being generally annoying, Lockhart was also full of irritating questions: "What're the seven of you young'uns doing at school already?" and "I know you're eager to meet me, but the term hasn't even started!"Magnus left Davenport fending off the questions and booked it out of the Hall, Lup and Taako hot on his heels."Fuck that guy," said Lup conversationally once they made it out."Yeah," Taako agreed. "Who wears sparkly periwinkle and accessorizes with gold?"Lup had a mischievous look on her face. "Well, that one time-- cycle 29--"Taako clapped a hand over her mouth, smiled at Magnus. "She's clearly delusional. I don't know what she's talking about.""Lucy has a sketch of it," Magnus informed him, utterly failing to hide his delight at how horrified Taako looked.He dropped Lup, sprinted back towards the Great Hall. "Lucy? Lucy!"Magnus offered Lup a hand up. As she took it, she asked, "Does she really?""Nah," he grinned."Ooh, sneaky," Lup said appreciatively. --------------------They'd finished school shopping and summer homework at Davenport's insistence. All that was left for the summer was to relax, enjoy the sun, and avoid Lockhart as much as humanly possible.Every time he wandered over to their group, they scattered. Running to the library, the common rooms, and, in Magnus's case, the forest.Magnus loved the forest.It was simpler than the nuances of schoolwork. Easier to be himself.There were animals! And huge old trees! Rocks to climb, trails to explore!(There was a reason they called him a Ruff Boi, and it wasn't all because he liked hitting.)He followed along with Hagrid a lot of the time, half for the company, and half because Fang was such a cute dog.However, even the wonders of the forest couldn't stop school from coming. --------------------Lup called a team meeting in the dungeons a few days before the school year began. Magnus found himself shoved right up against her potion, watching the blinking white light."It's stopped moving," Lup informed them. "And it's here at Hogwarts, or at least very close by. I've been working on a modified version of Lightfinder that should let us zoom in.""So... now we just have a huge fucking castle to look through?" asked Taako, leaning up against Magnus."It's better than a huge fucking plane," she retorted."This is great, Lup," Davenport said quickly. "We'll work on searching the castle manually while you work on the modification.""Well done, babe," said Barry, giving her a hug."So, are we like, finding the light, or..." Magnus asked, looking around the room."Sure," replied Cap'nport. "Go for it."Magnus rushed out. --------------------Their initial search for the light brought no results. They did flyovers, walked the corridors, trawled the grounds. It soon became rodent that Hogwarts was too restless, too dense. They'd have to wait on Lup's new potion. --------------------Carriages pulled by thestrals trundled up to Hogwarts, bringing with them a horde of students.And as much as Magnus hated school, he loved his friends.He joined the throng gleefully, elbowing his way over to the Gryffindor second years.Hermione ran up to him before he could even say hi. "Hello Magnus I hope you had a good summer have you seen Harry or Ron?""No, sorry, I--""Alright thank you bye!" And she was off.Magnus grinned. She reminded him of Lucretia, sometimes. Always on the go. Fiercely protective of her friends.Harry and Ron were nowhere to be found, which was weird. But Magnus still fell comfortably in with the other Gryffindors-- Dean and Seamus and Neville. Lavender and Parvati and Lup. (Hermione was still frantically searching the crowd.)They swapped stories of their summers as the students filed into their seats. Dean had played on a comp soccer team. Seamus had roamed the Irish countryside with his siblings. Parvati had henna up and down her arms, courtesy of her younger cousins.Magnus made up a story of a cozy home life with dogs by the fire.(He wished it were true.) --------------------     The Sorting Hat sang:     "Hogwarts was built/ by founders four/ coming together/ with purpose sure/     To carve a school/ from hate and scorn/ has left their names/ now carved in stone/     Hufflepuff/ our lady fair/ her legacy/ beyond compare/     To take those patient/ souls, who work/ hard, and never/ will they shirk/     Gryffindor/ a dashing knight/ his name in story/ burning bright/     He asks the brave/ and strong of heart/ to fight the battles/ others start/     Ravenclaw/ that sainted name/ a million students/ proud proclaim/     Takes children who/ like her, before/ create and learn/ until they soar/     Slytherin/ from common folk/ who fought and rose/ above the yoke/     Takes those who crave/ a bigger part/ and refuse to follow/ another's heart/     The founders working/ hand in hand/ raised the best school/ in all the land/     It flourished, until/ their purpose dimmed/ tossing bonds/ to the winds/     To restore the glory/ of before/ we all must seek/ for something more/     Be patient, kind/ and brave of heart/ curious, and crave/ a higher part/     One house will not/ all good provide/ but hand in hand/ withstand the tide/." --------------------Magnus didn't know any of the incoming First Years, so the Sorting seemed to drag on for ages. The only mildly interesting thin was Ron's little sister, Ginny, joining them in Gryffindor. He gave her a high five.Finally, though, the food arrived. Without Ron there, Magnus had full claim on the chicken legs, and he gleefully tore into them. --------------------In the common room that night, Magnus found out that Harry and Ron hadn't been at the feast because they'd been busy piloting a flying car to Hogwarts."I didn't even know that was an option," said Lup, looking miffed. "They stole your thunder, huh?"She winked at him. "At least they can't steal my pun-der!"Magnus collapsed in a heap, laughing.

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The term began gray and cold, and the classes weren't much better.      Lockhart started his first lesson with a quiz, because of course he did.      And it was a quiz about himself. Un-fucking-believable.      1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?     How the fuck was he supposed to know that? He scrawled, "Red," because that was his favorite color.      2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?     Fuck this test. Magnus didn't know-- didn't want to know-- another fucking thing about Gilderoy Lockhart. Secret ambition?     "To have a happy family with lots of dogs and a spouse that I get to grow old with."     3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?     "Fought the Power Bear."     And on, and on, and on, until:     54. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?     "December 14. A dog."     And then, for extra petty points, Magnus drew a stick figure flipping the bird at the bottom of the page.      Pixies.      Pix-fucking-ies.      Magnus had dealt with pixies his second week there, with Hagrid. All it took was a net, not--     "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"     Predictably, it had absolutely no result. And perhaps even more predictably, Lockhart booked it without cleaning up his own mess.      Magnus helped Neville down from the chandelier. Used his cloak to trap a couple of them.      He hadn't liked Lockhart before class. But now? He was officially on Magnus's very short hate list.      (#2, just after the Hunger.)     (Decades later, Lockhart would become #3, thanks to a defeated Governor and a bomb.)      Fall was a good time of year.      Orange leaves crunched under Magnus's feet. A chilly wind blew, rustling bare branches. The smell of pumpkin spice was constantly in the air.      He knocked on Hagrid's door.      The man opened it a few moments later, grinning down at Magnus.    "Bin wonderin' when you'd be 'round again."     Magnus smiled back, already feeling more at home in Hagrid's cozy cottage. "School's a dick."      "Probably shouldn't be swearin'," commented Hagrid, though he wink he gave him ruined the effect. He pulled out a plate of cookies.      "So how's the forest? And Fang? And the grounds? And--"     "Woah," Hagrid chuckled, taking a bite. "They're doin' good. I'm growin' some pumpkins for the Halloween Feast, wanna see?"    "Fuck yeah!" Magnus leapt to his feet.      The squashes were huge, Boulder-sized. Much bigger than he was.      "Bin givin' them a bit o'help," he admitted upon seeing Magnus's incredulous look. "I'm gonna care them into Jack'o'Lanterns the day before. You be interested in helpin'?"     He couldn't hide his grin. "Of course!"     Magnus's smile lasted approximately four seconds, until he saw something behind one of the pumpkins. His face drained of color. "Um... Hagrid...?"     He turned, following Magnus's gesture. A decent-sized spider had taken up residence between the squash and it's vine.      "Don' tell me you don't like spiders," said Hagrid, using a stick to gently scoop up the web. "I used to raise one."     Magnus nodded shakily. "All the, the legs... and the eyes..."     Hagrid put the spider outside the garden. "'S funny, really. They're just misunderstood."      Ron's wand had snapped when his car crashed, which was unfortunate. However, it did have frequent, hilarious side effects.      (Magnus knew he shouldn't be laughing, but really. How could he not?)     After all, Rob had just accidentally hit Lockhart in the face with a spell. Magnus wasn't sure was the original spell was supposed to be, but it's result was fuckin' hysterical.      Blue, shimmering hair was everywhere.      Sprouting out of his head.      Forming a magnificent handlebar moustache, and a less magnificent goatee.     Magnus was personally offended that Lockhart had sideburns.      However, it dealt a big enough blow to his vanity that he ended class early, and that was worth it.      October began with Lup's ears pouring smoke.      Magnus soon found out that it was thanks to a Pepperup potion, and not because her head was on fire.      Unfortunately, he didn't find out until after he'd dumped a pitcher of water on her.      (Her face was priceless. He could've done without the revenge, though.)

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Rain began to fall, and didn't stop. It dripped off the castle, soaking the fallen leaves, filling the lake. Drenching students on their way to Herbology. The Quidditch players arrived back in the common room covered in mud.But despite the dreary weather, life was good. Magnus was learning more about magic than he ever thought he would. He had his family and friends with him. Exactly the type of life he'd be happy to live for another 70 years. It got even better when Hermione explained that Halloween was a holiday similar to the Midsummer Carnival. He could dress up!Which mean pulling off the same heist he'd been doing for the past 70 years: Grand Theft Taako.----------Magnus laid his plans carefully. Made sure Taako had a transfiguration lesson with McGonagall. That the Slytherin Quidditch team had practice. And found out the password from a long gossip sesh with Pansy. He even left his Gryffindor tie in his dorm room, proud of his stealth. "Legacy," he told the wall that led to the Slytherin common room. It slid open silently, and Magnus rushed in.----------He wasn't really sure where he was going. So he marched right up to the nearest Slytherin, an upper-year hijabi girl, working on an essay. "Excuse me, ma'am, could you direct me to the first year dorms?"Rustic hospitality out the ass. She glanced up at him, eyes narrowing. "Who're you here with?""Oh. Uh. I'm waiting for Taako?"She pointed a a door across the room. "Be back to your own dorm by curfew.""Uh. Yes, ma'am."As Magnus hurried to the door, he heard her snicker.---------- The door was labelled "First Year Dorms", so it seemed legit. Magnus pulled it open, revealing a foyer area. A large fountain sat in the middle, coins glinting at the bottom. Huh. Pretty extra. It was also pretty cool, and Magnus felt a little bit jealous the Gryffindor dorms didn't have one.(Could they do a chocolate fountain? That'd be baller.)Now all he had to do was find Taako's door. Some had name cards. Some didn't. Of those that didn't, Magnus figured the one plastered with female Quidditch players wasn't it. Or the one backed with a sparkling black velvet. Magnus hesitated at a rhinestoned door, but when he saw Taako's door, he knew. Who else would have a mongoose as their focal point?Magnus put his hand on the knob. Opened the door. And found himself pitching forward-- and falling, and falling, and falling.----------And stopping. Magnus was in a space that wasn't particularly dark or light, hot or cold. He couldn't be sure if he were sitting or standing or lying down.Huh. A vaguely familiar voice spoke from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Please state your name.""What the fuuuuuuck?"Muffled giggles. Then, "Your name, please.""Magnus Burnsides. What's your name?"The voice sighed. "Why were you attempting to enter Taako Youknow-Fromtivi's residence?""Grand Theft Taako. Duh."The person speaking lost all sense of composure, laughing. "Grand... Grand what?""Grand Theft Taako. I'm dressing up as him for Midsummer.""Huh?""Uh, Halloween."And suddenly Magnus was out of the empty space. He found himself lying on his back next to the fountain, Pansy and Blaise standing over him. Behind them, Taako's door hung open. Pansy pulled him to his feet. "Taako theft, huh?""Wait, that was your voice?""Uh. Yeah. Duh. You wanna explain?"Magnus laughed. "I'm gonna steal some of Taako's clothes. Dress up at him. It's gonna be great.""Want help?""I mean, I don't want to get you guys in trouble--"Blaise waved a hand in the air. "You already tripped the alarm. Be thankful Taako wasn't here for that-- the two of us can always just... not tell him it happened.""Oh. Cool, then!"Raiding Taako's wardrobe was much easier with Pansy and Blaise there to offer fashion advice.----------The Halloween feast was, by all accounts and purposes, magical. The Jack'o'Lanterns Magnus and Hagrid had carved grinned spookily. Bats fluttered overhead. The tables were covered in pumpkin-flavored everything. Magnus had eaten approximately two pies. His Taako costume was pretty great, too. Taako looked annoyed, and flipped him off. Magnus grinned and flipped him off right back. Full and happy, he joined the throng of students headed to bed. As he rounded a corner, the crowd paused. He elbowed his way to the front. Writing on the wall. A dead cat. Draco Malfoy shouting something foul. Someone crying. "THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE."

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What was it with bad shit happening on Halloween?-----Nobody in Gryffindor tower slept that night. They stayed in the common room, all refusing to admit they were afraid of the blood on the wall. All refusing to be the first one to leave.Swapping rumors that steadily became more and more wild. "It's a Slytherin thing," said one of the Weasley twins confidently. "Something creepy happens?""It's the Slytherins, every time!" Finished the other twin. Lup glowered at them. "No, it's the ministry," said an upper year student. "It's all a test to see how Dumbledore reacts.""Psh, you're crazy," scoffed Sean. "It's Filch. He sacrificed Ms. Norris to raise the monster.""No way," argued Lavender. "Didn't you see? He was crying.""But where'd the blood come from?" Magnus wondered loudly. Nobody answered. Nobody wanted to know the answer.-----An emergency team meeting was called in the library. Lucretia had used her search spell to find the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. A giant monster. Slytherin's design to cleanse the castle. His infamous hatred of muggleborn. "Taako, you're in Slytherin. You didn't say you were muggleborn, right?" asked Davenport. "Uh, no," he said. "Halfblood for ch'boy."Davenport breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, then. It'd be most dangerous for you to be muggleborn right now, I think. But with a muggle-hating monster on the lose, anyone who claimed to be muggleborn should be careful."Silence. Then, with a sigh, "Who said they were muggleborn?"Magnus and Barry slowly raised their hands. "You two don't go anywhere alone.""Not even the bathroom?" Magnus asked, aghast. "We've been living together for 70 years, Magnus," Lucretia said dryly. "Privacy is a social construct that no longer exists for us.""Yeah, good point. But still--""Okay, no bathroom," said Davenport, sounding tired. "Lup? How's the potion?""Brewing," she replied. "Give it another month.""Could the monster have anything to do with the light?" wondered Merle, very off topic. "If we're just sitting around listening to old man conspiracy theories, I am out," said Taako, standing up. "Byeeeee.""Yeah, Cap'nport. We good?" Lup asked. "Sure. Knock 'em dead."Lup raced out of the library shrieking, "License to kill!"-----Magnus didn't really have anywhere to go, and he was under strict orders to use the buddy system, so he ended up hanging around the library with Lucretia. She was working on a shield spell-- "Protego!"-- while he tossed bits of parchment at the flickery, unstable shields she was producing.Pince passed by a few times, and Magnus had to appreciate how nice it was that they weren't getting yelled at. Especially if he wasn't the one who'd had to suck up to the teacher. He had just hit Lucretia in the face with a bit of paper when Justin Finch-Fletchey barreled into him, sending them both crashing to the floor. "Oh, sorry," said Justin as they clambered to their feet. The other boy looked... shaken. Like he was running from something. "You okay?""I-- yeah. Yeah. You're Magnus, right?""The one and only!""Be careful around Potter, y'know?""Huh?" asked Magnus, very confused. "I-- you're muggleborn, right?""Yeaaaaaah?"Justin looked nervously at Lucretia, lowered his voice. "People are saying Potter's the Heir of Slytherin. And I told him I'm muggleborn.""But-- Harry? Didn't he defeat Voldyshorts or whatever his name is?"Justin paled. "Don't say the name! But. Yeah. Potter. Us muggleborn a gotta stick together, y'know?"He shot another suspicious glance at Lucretia. "This is Lucy," Magnus told him helpfully. "No, it's not," she sighed, dropping the shield she was projecting. "It's Lucretia. You're... Justin?"He nodded nervously, and booked it out of the library. Lucretia and Magnus watched him go. "People are scared," she said quietly.-----Lup and Magnus were walking back to the Gryffindor tower after dinner a few days later. She made a really, really bad pun. He shoved her shoulder lightly, and she shoved him harder, into the wall. Magnus laughed until he saw a steady stream of spiders just inches from his face. "L-Lup?" he said, backing away. "Yeah--oh, shit!" She seemed delighted. "Where're they going?""Let's, uh, not find out?" he squeaked. -----It hadn't even been a week since Davenport's order that Magnus and Barry use the buddy system. Magnus was already sick of it. It wasn't a prison, but it sure felt like one, confined to the view of Lup or Merle or Lucretia. He loved his family, he did. But damn he could get sick of them. Besides-- they weren't the security officer. He was. And with everyone else protecting him against an invisible threat, well-- Magnus couldn't help but feel like he'd failed.-----Three days later, after Taako complained all the way up to the Gryffindor tower, Magnus went to Davenport himself. He hopped on his (no-longer illegal) broom, soared out the window. Davenport tugged the window open. "Magnus, get in here, what did I say--""I know, Cap'nport, I'm sorry--""--past curfew--""But I can't do this anymore."A pause. "...what?""I'm done being protected," Magnus told him firmly. Cap'nport sighed. "With Slytherin's monster on the loose, we can't--""I know," Magnus cut him off. "I know.""So what do you suggest--""We stop the monster," said Magnus. "Nobody's safe with it out there. I say we fix that."

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Things We Know:
-Slytherin created the Chamber of Secrets-Slytherin hated muggleborns-a monster lives in the Chamber of Secrets-Chamber was opened by "the Heir"     >Heir left message during Halloween dinner. Rules out IPRE, Weasleh twins, Malfoy, Lav, Parvati, Seamus, Dean, Ernie, Justin, Cedric, Neville, all teachers     >Doesn't rule out Harry, Ron, Hermione, Marcus... Literally all other students -"the Heir" is going to try to get rid of muggleborns.-------Magnus looked up at Barry. "Can you think of anything else?"Barry shook his head. Magnus picked up the parchment. "Look at us, being productive!""Yup," he agreed, reading over their list again. "Not gonna lie, bud, we don't have a lot to go off."He shrugged. "Being a hero's all about trying do the impossible.""That's definitely not the Hero Cycle--""Hey!" Magnus softened his tone. "All we can do is try. So why not give it all we've got?"-------School continued in a fog. Magnus went to class, attempted his homework. Lup brewed Estrogen for herself and Testosterone for him. Puberty blockers for both. He wished Taako would hurry the fuck up with his transfiguration lessons. His forest expeditions had been halted by the buddy system, so he watched winter begin from afar. The sun set early. The grounds frosted over. Gryffindor played Slytherin in Quidditch, a fast-paced game with a bunch of fouls. Lup and Taako bedecked themselves in red and green. Magnus waved a flag and cheered wildly as he watched a Bludger follow Harry through the air. The Weasley twins danced in midair-- the Quaffle scored-- and the Bludger slammed into Harry's arm with a pain Magnus could imagine all too well. But he caught the Snitch anyway, and Magnus found himself screaming alongside the rest of Gryffindor, thundering the bleachers. And then his least favorite teacher decided to interfere, and suddenly Harry was spending the night in the Hospital Wing. Magnus resolved to carve him a duck.-------The monster took its' first victim in the dark.-------Magnus showed up the next morning with two ducks in hand-- one for Harry, and one for Fisher. Only two beds in the Hospital Wing were occupied. He went over to Harry, gave him the carving (he was way more excited about the simple gift than Magnus would've thought) and made some small talk. A couple minutes later, he headed out. As Magnus passed the second person in the wing, he recognized them. Colin Creevey. The over-enthusiastic first year. The one who reminded Magnus of a puppy.Not moving. Hands clutched motionless in front of his face. As though he were frozen in time. "What the fuck?"Madam Pomfrey hurried in, drew the curtains around Colin. "Nothing for you to worry about, dear. Run along now!"------Magnus left the second duck next to Colin's bed.-------"Sounds like Slytherin's monster," Davenport said grimly at the emergency meeting Magnus called. Lucretia looked up from a stack of thick books she was searching through. "Yeah, I'm not finding any spells that could freeze a person.""Rad," said Lup, blowing a bubble. "So what kind of monster is it?""Dunno," Magnus admitted. "If we knew what specific effect it had on Colin..." Lucretia trailed off. "Did Pomfrey specify?"He shook his head glumly. "I got kicked out.""They keep, uh, medical records, don't they?" asked Barry. "Because if they do...""Are you implying what I think you are, babe?" Lup asked in apparent delight. "Heist! Heist! Heist!" chanted Magnus. "Hands in?" said Lup. One by one, the crew of the Starblaster piled hands. "Three, two, one-- Heist!""Shh!" said Madam Pince.-------Merle grumbled as he kept watch."Why do I have to--""Shut up, old man!" Magnus hissed, putting his ear up to the door. "This is silly," whispered Lucretia. "We can just ask Dumbledore--""Nope! Heist!"She sighed. "At least it's just the three of us.""Yeah! Stealth!" "Guys," Merle called from the end of the hall. "Can you go?""Oh. Right!"Magnus opened the door, and stuck his head in. Lucretia stuck her head in, on top of his.-------The Hospital Wing was mostly empty. The curtains around Colin's bed were drawn. The door to Madam Pomfrey's office was shut, and the light inside was on. "Okay," Magnus stage whispered. "Plan Delta Beta Fish.""We never made a plan called that," Lucretia hissed back. "It was Eagle Plan and Not-Eagle Plan, and you know it!"From down the hallway, they heard Merle's distinctive voice. "Oh, hey, uh... Frederick? And... Georgey? Watcha doing?""Just trying to get to the Hospital Wing," said one of the twins."If you could, uh, slide over," said the other. "Shit," whispered Lucretia, pulling Magnus through the door and shutting it behind them. "The records are in the office, Lucy, what happened to the firework distraction--"Lucretia punched him in the face. "Fuck me running, Luce, what--" he blubbered through a mouthful of blood, hands clasped over his mouth. "Madam Pomfrey?!" She called, tugging him forward. "Magnus fell down the stairs!"Ooh, sneaky.

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Despite the Hospital Wing vein nearly empty, Madam Pomfrey was kept plenty busy. Magnus bled profusely. The Weasley twins each had a broken arm (Pomfrey didn't even ask for an explanation). The three of them held her attention long enough to allow Lucretia to ease in through her door. But then-- "You three stay here. Mr. Burnsides, I've got a poultice in my office--"The office where Luce still was. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "I have a lot of allergies," he shouted, causing a sharp stinging in his face and a whole lot more bleeding. "What's in it?""Nothing allergenic," she called over her shoulder. "Well, let's not be hasty," said one of the twins. "What if your mystery cure kills him?" asked the other. The nurse sighed, but thankfully turned back around. "If you really want me to recite an ingredient list while he bleeds--""Yes, please," said Magnus, pinching his nose. She took a long breath before recounting a very lengthy list of plant names he didn't recognize. But her attention was no longer on her office. More concerning, though, was the attention of the Weasleys. They weren't looking at Colin's curtained bed, or at Madam Pomfrey's recitation. Rather, they both watched the office door closely. And they were still watching as Lucretia exited. He spent the next hour trying to avoid the Weasley Twins' curious glances.-------"Paralysis," Lucretia told them triumphantly at the next crew meeting. "And I've combed through the library for a monster capable of creating such a symptom.""Do you want a dramatic drumroll, or..." said Taako, sounding excited under a thick veneer of boredom. "A basilisk," she replied grimly, and pulled out a book. Read the description. "That makes... very little sense," frowned Barry. "I mean, it being a basilisk checks, but how'd a huge snake get to Colin?""And Ms. Norris," added Merle offhandedly. They all turned to look at him. "...what?" Davenport finally said. "She's paralyzed," he repeated, looking confused about their confusion. "And Creesh said that only direct eye contact kills. Reflections paralyze.""So it could've been--""The water in the floor!" Lup crowed, hugging Merle from behind. "But, how'd a snake get to Colin?" Magnus repeated.Nobody answered. Nobody knew.-------Classes continued in a nervous, feverish stage. Now that Magnus knew what the monster was, he checked around corners with the handheld vanity mirror he always carried. He didn't let his friends go anywhere alone. What if the basilisk got them like it got Colin?And, even worse, what if they didn't see the reflection? What if it actually turned them to stone?He bugged Lup until she taught him some evocation-esque spells. Started carrying his knife around again.-------They signed up to stay at Hogwarts over winter break. And Magnus was excited for the break from school, even if they would still be in a basilisk-plagued castle. The last few days of classes crept by. Magnus yawned through Charms, slept through History of Magic. Stirred his potion in a stupor before something explode. He didn't even think, just reacted-- grabbed Parvati, his partner, pulled her under the table, thinking:Oh shit,the HungerNot here, nono no no. But then it was gone. Magnus and Parvati peeked out nervously to see a classroom half coated in Swelling Solution. Most of the students had been splashed, and were beginning to bloat. "Thanks," she said shakily, eyeing Seamus's chipmunk cheeks. "Oh. No problem!"Magnus didn't need to get a Deflating Draft from Snape, which was probably why he saw Hermione slip back into the classroom, robes bulging with something hidden.-------Dueling Club was announced, and fuck yeah Magnus was interested!Lucretia talked him out of bringing his axe, but the club still felt like an itch, a need. Finding out it was a magic only dueling club was honestly a little disappointing. And, as if to make it worse, Lockhart was teaching.He posed and preened on his platform, smiling and waving to the crowd. Ugh. What a douche.-------Magnus partnered with Merle. They bowed, wands raised. "One-- two-- three!""Expelliarmus!" Magnus shouted, echoed by Merle a half second later. And, to his great surprise, Merle's wand clattered to the floor. Behind them, Lup shouted, "Yeet!" and Taako's wand was flung all the way to Lucretia's feet. Lucretia picked it up, tossed it to him. Looked at Lup quizzically. "That's not the spell. How'd you--"Lup winked. "Magical intent, babe. Remind me to teach you the theory some time.""Nerd alert!" shouted Merle in a horrible impersonation of Lup's voice, or possibly the voice of a dying goat. They were hushed by Snape directing their attention to the platform. Harry and Malfoy were up there, being roped in to Lockhart's demonstration. "This won't end well," said Taako gleefully. And, because why not, Malfoy conjured a snake. And then Harry spoke to it. Someone screamed. The snake vanished in a puff of smoke. "Parseltonge," Lucretia murmured. "Enemies of the Heir..."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A blizzard struck the very next day, cancelling Herbology and confining the students to the castle. Lup was eager to use her free time to check the brewing process of Lightfinder 2.0, and Magnus figured he may as well tag along and visit Fisher.(Plus, he'd probably die of teenage angst if he had to listen to Oliver grumble about Marcus and his unfairly cute smile one more time.)Snape was teaching a lesson when they arrived."Should we wait for him?" Magnus fretted to Lup. "I don't wanna be rude about breaking into his office, y'know?""It's not breaking in," Lup said, rolling her eyes. "It's all about confidence, babe. We're gonna walk right through the class, into the office.""But won't we interrupt?""Not if we seem like we know what we're doing.""Are you sure?"Lup winked at him, and marched in.Magnus marched after her. Well, sort of slunk, trying to avoid the curious glances from a couple dozen fourth years.Snape's only acknowledgement of them was a curt nod, and then they were in.Magnus let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "We did it!""Mags. I... yeah? We walked through a room?""And it was sick!"Lup rolled her eyes again. Magnus imagined she probably did that a lot her first time being a teenager, too.He left her stirring Lightfinder 2.0 in a complicated patter. Walked over to Fisher's tank.When they saw him coming, the jellyfish lit up."Hey, buddy," said Magnus, sitting next to them. "How ya doing?"A happy spin."Oh, that's good. Snape taking care of you okay?"A spin, and one tentacle pressed up against the wall."Oh! I got you something!"Magnus placed a carved wooden duck on the lip of the tank. He'd used some of his newly-acquired magics to fancy it up a little. He demonstrated-- pushing the beak to make a quacking sound, pushing the tail to make a fart noise.(What could he say? He was only 12, after all.)Fisher grabbed the duck, twirling joyfully. Magnus leaned back in his hands, and watched them dance.-------All Magnus's protection efforts had been for naught.He hadn't been able to save them.He didn't--He wasn't there--Three figures laid on the cold stone floor, paralyzed. Surrounded by a throng of students that Magnus and Lup forced their way into.The suspicious Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley.The shimmering, ghostlike form of Nearly-Headless Nick.And a silhouette Magnus would've recognized anywhere, even de-aged.Short.A bit chubby.Wearing the most awful Hawaiian print shirt Magnus had ever seen.Merle.-------He and Lup-- and the rest of their crew-- followed Merle's floating stretcher to the Hospital Wing.Lucretia was frantically scribbling in a pair of levitating journals and muttering to herself. Magnus only caught snippets-- "... through the ghost... non-lethal... large range, large snake... staying hidden?"The rest of the crew wasn't much better off.Barry walked in silence that was worse than muttering. Feet marching a perfectly even line, back as straight as he was. A huge difference from his casual half-jog.Lup and Taako had linked arms in something like desperation. Her wand kept lighting on fire, and his bookbag kept shifting between materials. Magnus didn't even think they noticed.But Davenport's reaction was worst.He was walking right next to the stretcher, desperately clutching onto one of Merle's hands with both of his own. He didn't respond when Magnus tried to comfort him. Didn't even look up.-------Madam Pomfrey was wonderful, though. Got Merle and Justin into beds. Didn't even try to enforce her 5-visitor rule.At some point, sitting there, Davenport had started talking. So quietly Magnus had to strain to hear."Merle, I-- no, no, no, not yet, please, no, don't leave me here, 7 years without you, no. Please. Please."-------The team-- minus Merle-- met a few days before the weird conglomerated holiday of Candlenights/Christmas. It felt too serious without Merle. Too dark.There was one bright spot, though."So, Lightfinder 2.0 is done," Lup told them, unwrapping a vial of shimmering blue liquid. "I've got a bit here, to show you."She pulled out a piece of vellum, and upended the potion onto ur.In careful red lines sat a map of Hogwarts. Six black dots clustered together in one room. Another sat single. And, across the castle, blinked a white one."We're the black dots," Lup explained. "White's the light.""Do we want to, uh, do this without Merle?" asked Barry.Taako turned to look at him, eyes hard. "Barold, we've got no other choice."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was another heist.This time, though, it was the culmination of their mission-- retrieving the light. Which meant it had to be even more carefully planned than the infiltration of the Hospital Wing had been.Barry and Lup did recon on the room shown in Lightfinder 2.0. It turned out to be a room off of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, it's door locked.Lucretia and Davenport selected the day and time-- during lunch on Christmas Day. Logically, Lockhart should be out of the classroom at that time, and it wouldn't be too suspicious if they missed the meal.They all prepared, too. Frantically learning any spells they could. Magnus practiced hexes on cushions, and threw his knife at a dartboard over and over. They were as ready as possible.But it still felt like they hadn't done enough.----------The six of them didn't open Candlenights presents that morning, too busy staking out the room. Davenport his behind a nearby statue of a hunchbacked woman. Taako and Lucretia camped in the bathroom across the hall. Barry sat innocently on a window ledge, pretending to study. Lup stood guard behind a pillar at one end of the hall. At the other end of the hall, Magnus did the same.Lockhart left to a late breakfast. Returned. Stayed in his quarters for a while, doing Pan-knows-what. Magnus used the time to work on a duck for Merle.And then, Lockhart left for lunch.Once the teacher was safely out of sight, Magnus emerged from behind the pillar, beckoning the others forward. Down the hall, he saw Lup doing the same.Lucretia took point on unlocking the door, Barry and Taako at her heels. Magnus, Lup, and Davenport stood guard in a loose circle, wands at the ready.The door clicked open.They moved forward, Magnus tugging the door shut behind them.The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was eerie in its stillness. Empty desks. Walls plastered with posters of Lockhart, all grinning and posing. Light wavering in through frosty windows.Lup pulled out a vial of Lightfinder 2.0 and consulted it."It's up there," she whispered, pointing at the staircase in the back of the room. "In that room, against the far wall."Lucretia nodded, once, and their group moved forward.----------They were forced to spread out on the staircase, Lucretia first, wand up. Davenport and Magnus followed her, their own wands constantly in motion, targeting and retargeting potential threats.The other three took defensive positions at the bottom of the stairs. Prepared to drive back any threat entering the room.Lucretia tapped her wand to the keyhole. Closed her eyes. Muttered a long, complicated spell that Magnus had never even heard of.It took her a few minutes of complicated wand motions and quiet words, but finally, they heard a quiet click. The universal sound of an unlocked door."It's open," Lucretia said, and grabbed the handle. Pulled the door open.She didn't even have time to get her wand up before she was hit with a spell and blasted backwards.----------Lucretia seemed to fall in slow motion, her 12-year old self suddenly so, so small. The force of the attack pushed her backwards, over the balcony banister.Her glasses flew off her face, robe billowing, hands grasping desperately.Magnus lunged for her. Missed.Taako turned his head at the noise, saw Lucretia plummeting towards him--and time resumed as she slammed into him, sending them both to the floor.Another spell fired from inside the room, just missing Davenport, charring the wall behind him."Get the light!" their Captain ordered. "Barry, guard! Lup and Magnus, with me!"Lup vaulted over the railing as Davenport ducked under another spell.Magnus ran up the stairs, took a second to watch the rhythm of the spells targeting Davenport. Judged the timing. Breathed out.And Magnus rushed in.----------A living space, in mild disarray.Posters of Lockhart.Dusty Windows.And a beautiful light on the back shelf, firing off spells at them."Formation Rogue!" shouted Davenport.70 years of drills hadn't fully prepared them.Magnus, without a shield, pulles a mirror off the wall. Holding it in front of him, he ran towards the light, sending the bursts of malevolent spells scattering through the room.He knew Davenport and Lup should be behind him, putting up shield spells, dispelling magic, taking out the threat. But, looking back, they were preoccupied dodging the spells that were fragmenting wildly through the room.Magnus had to do something.He pushed against the spells, forcing his makeshift shield closer and closer to the light.(Damn his weak 12-year old body!)But then he was there, could feel the welcoming presence of the spell-spewing light--and Magnus slammed the shield down on top of it, sending mirror bits flying, grabbing it up in a bear hug. Desperately clutching at the light.And then there was silence.----------He didn't know why the light had stopped firing spells at them, but didn't pause long enough to figure it out. He scooped the light into his pocket, followed Lup and Davenport out of the room.Lup resealed the door behind them while Magnus raced down the staircase, desperate to make sure Lucretia and Taako were okay.They were both awake, and sitting. Merle wasn't there to say so, but Magnus was pretty sure that was a good sign."Taako! Lucy! Are you guys okay?"Taako rubbed at a lump in his head, and flipped him off. He was good.But Lucretia just looked up at him, hands limp. Eyes empty. "Who?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Your name is Lucretia," Lup said softly. "Lucretia Director. You're 12 years old. My name is Lup. I'm your friend."They were in the Hospital Wing, after having gone straight to Dumbledores for advice. Lucretia had been hit with the memory-removal spell: Obliviate.No cure yet discovered.All they could do was take her to Madam Pomfrey-- lie about what caused her amnesia-- and pray to any gods they believed in for a cure.If only Merle were there.But he wasn't, he was paralyzed four beds down, waiting on the mandrakes.Davenport had the light safely secured.Lup talked gently to Lucretia.And Magnus cried.It was his fault.He never should've let her take point.He should've been there, shielding his little sister.He was the Protector, that was his only job--The curse should've been his.----------It was Taako's idea to use the journals.Magnus was happy to do the grunt work of hauling the 100 most relevant ones from the Starblaster to Hogwarts. It felt like penance.----------Nobody opened Candlenights gifts that year. They sat neglected under the tree until Magnus packed them away, still wrapped. He'd open his-- allow himself that small joy-- once Merle and Lucretia could enjoy Candlenights, too.(A little voice in his brain knew they'd come back, knew it'd be okay in another five years--)But all Magnus could see was that beam of light--bursting out of the roomslammingslamming into Lucretia--and how smallhow young she looked as she--as she--as she fell.---------They had four days.Four days before the term started again and everyone would want to know what'd happened to Lucretia.There was only one thing to do: everything they could.Lup and Barry re-taught her magic. Not remembering any, her technique became... odd. She could produce advanced shields without blinking an eye, understand her library searching spell in a split second-- yet struggled to levitate a feather.Davenport taught her the basics of their mission, and how things worked in the Ravenclaw tower.Taako, with a mind of ready gossip, reminded her of the names and important details about their fellow students.(It was lucky Lucretia was so smart, smart enough to absorb this information as best she could. If the spell had hit Lockhart, well...)And Magnus taught Lucretia who she was.Her name and age, sure.But also how she wrote with both hands.Loved to paint.Sang when she was doing something boring.Didn't take anybody's shit.And he could tell she was trying, trying so hard. She read and re-read the journals she'd written and forgotten. Memorized names and spells.(But sometimes, no matter what you do, it's simply not enough.)Lucretia tried, and tried, and tried. They all did.But she never remembered.(There could be nothing worse, Magnus thought, than forgetting. Being forced to give up all the things you knew. Losing yourself entirely.)----------School resumed, cold and frosty. Lucretia's forgetfulness got blamed on a nasty flu. She held out.Magnus threw himself into his protection duties. He walked Lup to breakfast, then ran to the Ravenclaw tower to walk with Davenport and Lucretia. If he hurried, he could get to the basement in time to catch Barry and Taako.He checked around every corner.At night, when he couldn't sleep, he patrolled the halls.His grades slipped because how could he do his homework if Barry had Astronomy, what if he never came back--He got detention for being in the halls at night. He never went to the detentions, because Davenport had Quidditch practice, or Lup wanted to work on a potion to help Lucretia, or Barry needed to walk around the grounds for some fresh air.Someone-- Dumbledore, Magnus fignited-- was voiding any further punishment for not going to detention.Magnus stopped to thank him, once, but had to run off halfway through because Lucretia was going to the library and nobody was with her------------He was walking Taako back from the greenhouses, feet crunching on frozen grass, even the other boy had had enough.He pulled Magnus aside, waited for the line of Slytherins to return to the castle."Stop it," he said, hands on hips."What?" asked Magnus, looking nervously at Hogwarts. "C'mon, we gotta go, Hufflepuff has Charms--""Magnus, stop it!" Taako shouted."No, we need to go--"Taako cast a spell, and suddenly Magnus was lying on his back, stuck to the ground."Let me go, you asshole!" he spat, struggling to move. "Lup--""Would agree with me." Taako squatted next to him. "Maggie. My dude. What class does Gryffindor have right now?""DADA-- I'll go walk back with Lup when it's done--""And what house are you in?""... Gryffindor?""Aaaaaaaand...""Look, it's a stupid class, I don't need to--""Agreed, but that's not the point, thug. Listen. When was the last time you went to class? Any class?""I, uh. Astronomy?"Taako nodded. "Because Lup was going there and nobody else needed to be escorted through the castle like a fair, wilting maiden.""Taako-- let me up, please--" Magnus was crying-- "I gotta go walk with Barry--"Taako stood up. "Nah. You're killing yourself, bubelah.""I'm trying to save--""I know! You're trying so goddamn hard to keep us all safe you don't even think about yourself!""I don't matter--""Will you fucking stop?!" Taako was practically shaking. "You matter to us, okay?! Merle wouldn't want this! Lucretia wouldn't want this! Fuck, none of us want this!"The pressure holding him down loosened, but he didn't get up. "I just... it's my only job..."Taako did his best to help Magnus to his feet. "You gotta protect yourself, too." He wiped angrily at his eyes. "Ugh, my mascara. Fuck your."Magnus half-laughed, half-sobbed as Taako helped him back to the castle.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Hermione was in the Hospital Wing, too.  Magnus couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed sooner.  She wasn’t paralyzed, though-- she could talk, from behind her carefully drawn curtains. He started carving armfuls of wooden ducks for every time he visited.
 
One for Colin.  One for Justin, and one for Nearly- Headless Nick.  One for Merle, whose hand had frozen with the middle finger up.  And a final one for Hermione.
 
But their friends in the Hospital Wing were safe.  No, it was the rest of the school that Magnus was worried for.
 
They knew that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk.  They knew the meager defenses that could be taken-- don’t look directly in it’s eyes.  Look into a mirror. A puddle of water. Shut your eyes altogether.
 
And they’d told Dumbledore what it was.  Even so, the Headmaster hadn’t taken any precautions.  Magnus was the Security Officer, he could’ve given him a

list

-- give all students mirrors to look around corners.  Track the snake, and kill it. Pause the school year, remove the kids from the building, and hire an exterminator.  A million possible options, and he’d done none of them.

Magnus was cornered by the Weasley twins one dreary January day on his way to lunch.
 
They pulled him aside, into a quieter hallway, away from the student body.  Magnus let them-- they clearly had something to say.
 
“So,” said one of them pleasantly.  “Young Magnus.”
 
“How do you do today?” asked the other.
 
“Uh, pretty good,” he said, looking up and down the corridor.  The Grey Lady floated serenely by, barely sparing them a glance.  “Can I... help you gentlemen?”
 
The Weasley twins shared a grin.
 
“We’ve got a couple of questions to ask you,” said the one on the left.
 
“About, hm... some

sneaking

activities,” finished the other.
 
“I, uh...”
 
(Magnus could feel Davenport’s voice telling him to deny everything, Lup’s shout to punch and run, Lucretia’s.... Lucretia.)
 
“We’ll get to the point.”
 
“You,” one twin poked his nose lightly, brotherly, “and that Ravenclaw nerd girl were sneaking into the Hospital Wing.”
 
“And you had the Plant Kid be the lookout.  Mind telling us what was up?”
 
“Honestly?”
 
“Yes, please,” they said in unison.
 
“Uh... wewantedtofindoutwhatwasparalyzingpeopleandnobodywouldtellus--”
 
“Information gathering, huh?”
 
“Looks like it, Fred,” said the twin that was apparently George.
 
“A noble cause as any.”
 
“

If

he did anything with the information.”
 
“Or maybe he’s still planning.”
 
“A Gryffindor making a plan before acting?”
 
“How very Slytherin.”
 
“Hey, I like rushing in,” Magnus interjected.  The Weasley twins looked down at him, as though just remembering he was still there.  They looked at each other for a long moment.
 
“So what did you want the info for?” asked Fred.
 
“I... wanted to find a way to stop it.  Stop the basilisk.”
 
“What’s that?” asked George.
 
“Besides Slytherin’s monster, of course.”
 
“Uh... a pretty big snake.  Thing. That, uh. Freezes people with it’s eyes.  And we think this one’s huge, because it can paralyze three people at once--”
 
“It’s alright if you don’t want to tell us,” said Fred, leaning up against the wall.  “Just don’t make up such a silly lie.”
 
“I’m not

lying

!” Magnus protested indignantly.  “It’s in the library, in 1000 Beasts and Where to Find Them!”
 
“Hm,” said George, glancing over at his twin.  “Well, we’ll give it a look. And then come have another... little

talk

.”
 
“Actually,” interjected Fred with a smile.  “We had another conversation topic, didn’t we, Georgie?  All of Young Magnus’s friends.”
 
“Oh, yes,” George agreed, and the two of them suddenly seemed very threatening once again.  Much like Lup and Taako had when Magnus first met them. “All of your... friends. In all of the houses.”
 
“Uh, yeah?  Why wouldn’t I be friends with them?”
 
They sighed in unison.  “Maggie. Bud. There’s a reason we stick to ourselves.  And it’s because the Slytherins are always plotting--”
 
“--and the Ravenclaws are too smart to be anything but boring--”
 
“--and the Hufflepuffs are only good if you need something.”
 
Magnus stood as tall as he could, which was admittedly not very tall.  “You and your shitty reasons need to fuck off.”

February rolled around.  Madam Pomfrey was more and more optimistic about the paralyzed people the more the sun shone.  The mandrakes were maturing, and soon enough they could be unfrozen. Soon enough Merle would be back.
 
(Magnus was used to Merle leaving early to go on parlays.  But he’d only ever been missing a year. To go the last five years on this plane without him, well...)
 
No further attacks came.  The IPRE crew plotted and replotted plans to discover the Heir, to capture them.  To trap the basilisk. To find a way to stop the madness. But all of their plans hinged on another attack-- not a good thing, certainly.  But it would give them a direction. If Lup could get anything at all from the Heir or the basilisk-- skin, clothing, blood-- she could attune it to a new batch of Lightfinder 2.0.
 
And so the castle waited with baited breath.  
 
Magnus tried to distract himself.  He trained frantically. He turned in the assignments he missed after Lucretia, after Lucretia...
 
He started going to class again.  He still sat close to his friends, ready to jump up between them and any danger.  None came.
 
He knew that Lucretia was struggling.  She had reverted to how she’d been before their mission, before the year of the Judges, before the year she became more herself than she’d ever been.  Lucretia was quiet, now, bordering on silent. Her razor sharp wit remained hidden. She didn’t speak unless spoken to.
 
And that was his

little sister

, how could he have let this

happen

--

February 14th dawned as innocuously as any other day.  Magnus expected nothing more out of it than the usual Starblaster shenanigans-- Barry and Lup’s annual competition to be more sappy than the other.  Taako habitually having a one-night stand with someone on-plane or, on the planes without humanoids, having Gay Day with the crew. Nail painting and face masks and gossip.  
 
(He really, really hoped Taako wasn’t aiming for the one-night stand this year.  He was twelve.)
 
The walls of the Great Hall were covered with large, lurid pink flowers when Magnus and Lup walked in.  He stood in shock for a long moment as she burst into cackling laughter, bending over double, clutching her stomach.
 
“Uh, Lup--”
 
“Look at Lockhart,” she wheezed.
 
His robes matched.  
 
Someone ran into Magnus from behind.
 
He turned to see Taako, hands firmly clasped over his eyes, attempting to leave the hall.  “Nope,” he protested loudly. “Nope! This fashion catastrophe does not deserve to be seen by my glorioius eyes.”
 
Lup winked at Magnus, then reached over and tickled her brother.
 
“Lup!” he shouted indignantly, hands flying down to fight her off.  He screamed again when a dozen grumpy looking... dwarves??? entered the hall, all wearing tiny golden wings and carrying a harp.
 
“My friendly, card-carrying cupids!” Lockhart beamed from the teachers’ table.
 
“Oh, Pan,

why

would he do that?!” Taako moaned.
 
Magnus was examining the dwarves.  They were like Merle, but... not. “Isn’t this kinda racist?”
 
“Are they delivering into classes?” Lup wondered, grinning mischeviously.  “And do they

sing

?”
 
“I’m sure,” said Magnus, still mildly horrified.  Pink was one of his favorite colors... but this was one of the few times he’d ever recommend moderation.
 
She grabbed his arm, tugged him towards the Gryffindor table.  “C’mon, babe. Time to go write the cheesiest love songs known to man.”
 
“Can we steal some from old planes?  Because that one-”
 
“It’s gotta be

original

,” she replied, looking pained.  “Copying is cheating! Barry’ll know!”
 
Magnus smiled, and let himself be pulled.

The song arrived while the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were in Herbology.
 
Lup stood on her stool, grinning, as the dwarf marched right up to Barry’s workstation.  Barry turned red as it sang:

“There once was a man named Barry/

And he was allergic to dairy/

And yet I still love/

That face like a dove/

Who I cannot wait to marry.”

“That’s called a

limerick

, nerds!” Lup crowed gleefully.
 
Barry buried his face in his hands, shaking with muffled laughter.

His revenge came later that night, when the entire Gryffindor tower had been charmed with dancing pink hearts.  According to Lup, the ones in her dorm wouldn’t stop complimenting her.
 
It took Percy Weasley four days to figure out how to get the charm down.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As the days warmed, it began to seem as though the Heir had given up. No further attacks came. Hermione left the Hospital Wing.Magnus remained wary, though. He knew the power of a sneak attack. He didn't want to fall victim to one.The IPRE crew were delighted to learn that the Mandrakes were almost mature. Magnus would never admit it, but he'd missed having Merle around.And once the cure was complete, their little family could be, well-- almost whole again.----------Easter holidays brought with them the choice of third year classes. The six of them sprawled out at the Hufflepuff table (it got the best pastries) to discuss it."I'm dropping DADA," Magnus said delightedly."You can't," replied Taako. "You gotta keep all these classes.""Ugh."Despite having to stay in DADA, where Lockhart preened and posed and taught them absolutely nothing, Magnus was exited for new classes.He signed up for Care of Magical Creatures without a second thought-- and then proceeded to spend the rest of the holiday debating about his other class.He asked his crew what they were taking. Wanted to have a friend in the class with him.Lup was doing Ancient Runes and a Potions Lab.("I didn't even know that was an option," Magnus told her. "Oh, it's not," she grinned.)Taako signed up for Divination and Arithmancy, as well as planning to sit in on the 5th year Transfiguration classes.("Wait, I thought you swore off math. A couple decades ago?""Uh, yeah. But this plane uses Base 10, so... nothin' to it.")Davenport chose the same classes as Taako, citing the mathematics of piloting and the importance of foresight. He signed Merle up for Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.(Magnus had a sneaking suspicion that Davenport signed Merle up for Divination, not because he would particularly enjoy the subject, but so they could have a class together.)Lucretia, who was still quiet and withdrawn, signed up for Divination and Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes.When Barry signed up for everything except Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, the six of them got called into McGonagall's office.----------"Your class schedules are fairly... unorthodox," the Deputy Headmistress said. "Davenport, Taako, Barry-- Arithmancy and Divination are held at the same time. Would any of you be willing to switch a class?""Uh. No thanks," said Taako. The others nodded their agreement.McGonnagal signed a little, turned to Magnus. "Mr. Burnsides. You only signed up for one class. Have you selected another?"Magnus shrugged. "I dunno. I-- I'm a protector, y'know? And none of the classes offered really do that.""Defense Against the Dark Arts--""Is a waste of time because of Lockhart," Lup said bluntly.McGonagall sighed again. "Please, Mr. Burnsides.""I...""You could always do Arithmancy," Taako grinned.Magnus stuck his tongue out at him, looked around the group.Ancient Runes with Lup and Barry and Lucretia.Arithmancy with everyone but Lup and Merle.Divination, with everyone but Lup.Or Muggle Studies, with Lucretia.She was the only one taking it.And the nervous look in her eyes told him she'd noticed that, too.(He'd already let her forget, let her...)He couldn't leave her alone, not now."I was thinking Muggle Studies."----------Next year's class schedule couldn't be changed. Taako, Davenport, and Barry had all signed up for overlapping classes.McGonagall told them not to worry about it, that she had a possible solution. Asked them to talk to her about it during the summer.----------Magnus was playing Exploding Snap with Dean and Seamus and Ron one spring evening. They carefully stacked cards until an upper year bumped the table, sending it up in flames.Somehow, only Seamus's robes got charred."You bloody English bastards, rigging the deck against me--"The other three lost their shit.They got bullied into going to bed a little bit later by Percy Weasley. Grumbling half-heartedly, they made their way to the dorm room.Inside was a scene of utter chaos. The contents of Harry's trunk had been dumped on the floor. His bed had been stripped, his drawers emptied.It was messier than Taako's room, which was saying something."What happened, Harry?" asked Dean."No idea," he replied.But Magnus knew what searching a room looked like. Someone had been looking for something of Harry's.And only other Gryffindors knew the password to get into the tower.----------The next day was the much awaited Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch match. Magnus happily joined the throngs of cheering students, waving a red pennant.As excited as he was to watch the game, though, he still worried.About Merle, paralyzed. Lucretia, obliviated. About a Gryffindor student who'd stolen something from Harry.The two teams were just mounting their brooms when Professor McGonagall ran out onto the field, holding a megaphone."This match has been cancelled," she announced. "All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of House will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"Magnus found Lup. Stayed by her during the exodus. He didn't know what had happened. But he'd be damned if another person he loved got hurt.----------A double attack had paralyzed Hermione and Penelope Clearwater.----------The Common Room ran rabid with fear and speculation.The potential of closing Hogwarts if the Heir wasn't stopped.Overheard gossip that they were found just outside the library.Lee Jordan blaming the Slytherins, suggesting they be kicked out of the school.----------"We need to get to the crime scene," Lup told Magnus quietly, eyes hard. Hands clenched into fists. "We need something for Lightfinder 2.0."Magnus nodded. "Grab your broom."Lup and Magnus rushed out.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The hallway to the library was dark, eerie. Torches flickered, sending ominous shadows cascading across Magnus's face.It was silent, too. Quiet enough that his shoes squeaked and he wished he'd had some rogue training.But it was too late for what could have been.He and Lup inched towards the corner, each holding a mirror in one hand and their wand in the other. Hopefully, if the basilisk was still there, they could avoid death by getting paralyzed.They checked around the corner, where they knew the crime scene to lie. No basilisk.Magnus motioned towards Lup, and they crept forward.The library doors were closed, making the corridor feel vast and tiny at the same time. There were no signs of scuffle-- no blood, no dirt, no ripped fabric. It had been a silent battle that claimed Hermione and Penelope.Standing there, though, perfectly still in analysis, Magnus and Lup could hear something.A sort of... shuffling, scratching sound. Quiet, almost inaudibly so.Magnus held his breath, and Lup inched further down the corridor. He hoped her keen elven hearing would still work with modified ears.Her face lit up. Magnus let out his breath in one loud whoosh.Lup motioned them forwards, wand and mirror at the ready.Their shuffling footsteps muffled whatever sound they'd heard. Slowly, so slowly, so carefully, because this right here was the only way to protect his friends--Magnus and Lup paused at the next corner, cast dark and shadowy. Lup closed her eyes against the basilisk's possible gaze, poked her head around the corner.He heard it too, now-- a renewed scuffling sound. That seemed to be--"Growing louder," Lup hissed, and they flattened themselves against the wall. Mirrors up, nervously eyeing the still-empty hallway to their left.The constant noise seemed to reverberate through the empty corridor, reverberating off of every stone and door. A quiet hissing had begun, like a loose tap.Like a snake.Magnus and Lup locked eyes for a brief moment. They didn't have to speak to know the truth of the situation: This was their chance.This was it.----------Thank Pan the basilisk was looking down, and not directly at the mirror Magnus held.He closed his eyes almost immediately, poked Lup to get her to do the same. In the brief glance he got, though, he'd seen it-- a huge, dark green snake, approximately hug-sized. If you wanted to hug a snake with poisonous green eyes and glistening, dripping fangs.The snake that was coming down the hallway.Directly towards Magnus and Lup."Just get a sample," Lup whispered. "We don't need to kill it, not yet. Not without--""The others." He knew.They'd planned as they flew out of the Gryffindor tower, plotted as they unlocked a window and hiked through the silent halls of Hogwarts.But the basilisk was here.Sure, Magnus knew the plan.But that snake-- that thing-- was the one hurting his friends.Their names seemed to run a monotony in his mind.Colin and Nick and Justin and-- and Merle-- and Hermione and Penelope and--Magnus leapt around the corner, eyes firmly shut, wand aloft."Baubillious!"He didn't need to see to know that a bolt of sharp, white light had burst from his wand, seeking its target. He didn't need to see the basilisk's damage to hear it's sharp hiss of pain.And Magnus didn't need any of his senses to know that Lup had his back.----------The basilisk's hiss of pain.The tense taste to the air that made Magnus dive aside, crashing to the floor. The shattering of his mirror.He could feel the rush of air as the snake breezed past him.Tasted sweat. Heard Lup grunt.That wouldn't do.Magnus rushed to his feet, plunging toward where he assumed the snake to be. Cast the spell again.The snake's responding hiss was lower this time, smoother. Magnus fought to keep his eyes closed."5 o'clock!" Lup shouted.Magnus lunged aside.There was a sickening crash as-- he assumed-- the basilisk slammed into the wall behind him."Get a sample!" she shouted, and a brief thought flashed through his mind-- how does she know-- but the snake hissed again and it was all Magnus could do to jump away from it's mouth.He heard Lup blast a spell. Heard the distinctive thump of things hitting a wall.And Magnus pulled out his knife.He'd tried using magic like he'd been taught.But in the moment, desperate to get the sample to track the monster to protect the school-- Magnus reverted to what he knew best.He readjusted his grip on the handle of the knife. Paused to listen for the snake.It hissed, and he heard it move-- away from him.And Magnus heard the first half of Lup's scream.----------He dove towards them, knife gripped tight. Felt it hit the snake, tore it down.Blood dripped onto his hands.And Magnus realized with a resolute certainty that he had no backup plan. He wasn't meant to fight the snake, not now, and certainly not alone.He needed to get out of there.He needed to get Lup out of there.Magnus shoved the bloody knife back into his sheath.Steadied his feet under him, a million plots and plans running through his head.A distraction. A trap. A lure. A way to get the snake away from Lup.Magnus let out a feral roar, as loud as he could. The shifting of the basilisk's scales moved towards him."Want some?!" he shouted, voice echoing. "Come get it!"As Magnus rushed out, he heard the basilisk follow.----------He raced blind through the hallways towards the open window where he and Lup had left their brooms.Magnus grabbed one in each hand, put a foot up on the windowsill, and leaped off the edge.The brooms caught him beneath his arms, tugging painfully, but keeping him aloft and moving. Magnus kept his eyes squeezed tight shut until he could no longer hear the basilisk moving inside the castle.He turned the brooms back towards Hogwarts, an awkward endeavor. All he had to do now was to hopefully get to Lup before the basilisk decided to come back.----------The library corridor was, thankfully, empty of any giant snakes.Magnus dropped the brooms on the floor next to his newly opened window. Ran for the corner, heedless of his lack of mirror. He needed to check on Lup, he'd heard her get hurt, needed to make sure she--He skidded around the corner and to a halt.Lup lay on the floor, motionless. A shattered mirror next to her hand.Magnus screamed. Ran for her.She wouldn't move.Paralyzed.Paralyzed and frozen and goddamnit not Lup, not Lup so full of life and energy and Lup who knew how to use Lightfinder 2.0--Why not him?----------Magnus carried Lup to the hospital wing. His tears dripped down onto her frozen face.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Madam Pomfrey took one look at Magnus’s tear-streaked face, the blood staining his robes, Lup’s motionless form in his arm.  Ushered him into the Hospital Wing. “Another attack?” she asked, preparing a bed. He nodded, gently setting Lup down.  Her face was turned down to her hand, expression frozen in a scream, a grimace. “We were... we were...” he realized too late he hadn’t come up with a convincing lie, but the Matron didn’t pry, just nodded. “Shall I call in her brother?” “Oh.  Yes, yes please.” Magnus was still crying silently, sitting at Lup’s bedside, when Taako raced in.  His hair was askew, pajamas a rumpled mess, feet bare. He didn’t even look at Magnus, just rushed to Lup’s bedside, clutched at her hand desperately. “Lu... Lu, no...” he murmured. “She is merely paralyzed, Taako,” said Pomfrey in a way that was meant to be gentle.  “The mandrakes are almost ready. It won’t even take a month.” “A month?” he snarled, looking up at them, face twisted with rage, with sorrow.  The same expression Magnus had seen 26 times before, once for every death of Lup.  “A month?” If Pomfrey was angered by his outburst, she didn’t show it, just nodded and retreated a little ways.  Taako turned his attention to Magnus. “Tell me what happened.” Magnus swallowed, swiped a hand across his face.  “We... we’d gone out, looking for... for something to attune to, uh, Lightfinder 2.0.  To track the snake. At, by the library. And...” “The basilisk came.”  Taako’s voice was colder than stone.  “Because you didn’t make a fucking better plan that didn’t fucking involve Lup getting paralyzed.” “We didn’t mean--” “No, this one’s on you, thug.  You’re the fuckin’ protector or some shit, right?”  Taako scrubbed angrily at his own eyes. “That was your only fuckin’ job.” It felt like something vital inside of Magnus, something that made up his very essence, had snapped clean in half.  “Taako...” “Just tell me you got your fucking sample.” “I... yeah.”  He produced the bloody knife like a peace offering.  Taako, still caught up in the loss of Lup, sneered at it. “Can’t even fuckin’ bottle a sample.  Typical.” He swiped an empty potions bottle from a cabinet, rinsed it out.  Filtered the blood in, and tossed the knife back to Magnus, who barely plucked it out of the air in time. “We’re gonna use your shitty sample and Lup’s fucking potion and track this fucking snake, okay?” Magnus nodded.   “And you’re gonna stop looking like a fucking kicked puppy and come do your protector shit so I don’t get eaten or bled on while we break into Lup’s workroom.” “I-- I thought--” “You don’t get this!  You don’t get to grieve over her!  That’s not yours, bud.”  He turned to Pomfrey.  “Hey, Matron. Call Barold fuckin’ Bluejeans down here, puh-lease.” “Taako, I-- I tried, I swear I did, and... and this wasn’t supposed to happen--” “I know!” he roared, then shrunk back. “Ah, fuck.  Listen, Maggie... I just...” “Yeah,” Magnus said.  “I know.” He hugged Taako, and although neither of them would ever admit it, they cried like that, clasped together next to Lup, until Barry arrived.--------------------Barry brought with him a lot of things. He brought panic and fear and loss. He brought a hair tie for Taako, and a handkerchief to offer Magnus. He brought Davenport and Lucretia. “What happened, Magnus?” asked Davenport, and the others clustered around to hear.  Taako didn’t budge from his vigil next to Lup. “Lup and me--” “Lup and I,” Lucretia interjected quietly. “Lup and I went to where Hermione and Penelope got frozen to try and find something the basilisk left behind so we could put it in the potion and track it and then the basilisk showed up and we had to fight it and I stabbed it and Lup saved my life but then she got paralyzed and I couldn’t see and I yelled and drew the snake away and then jumped out the window and--” “That’s enough,” Davenport said.  Barry offered Magnus another handkerchief.  He blew his nose gratefully. “Matron says a cure within the month,” Taako said, not looking up at them. “Could Lup lich out while she’s paralyzed?” asked Lucretia. They looked at her.  “I... I doubt it,” said Barry finally.  “She’s not... technically dead.” “Oh.” She looked crestfallen.  Magnus hugged her gently, and let go as she stiffened. Barry took a deep, shaking breath, looking down at Lup with something like desperation.  “I guess the only thing to do now is to... make sure she didn’t waste it, yeah?” “We gotta make that fuckin’ potion,” Taako said.  “She wouldn’t want us to sit around like... like a bunch of fuckin’ sentimental idiots.  Not if... not if we could help.” “That’s... very good of you to say, Taako,” Davenport told him. “Ugh.  Fuck off.”Magnus offered Taako one of his handkerchiefs, and he took it with a glare. “Should we wait until morning?” asked Lucretia.  “More people in the halls means, well... less chance of attacks.” “Sure,” Davenport agreed.  “Team meeting tomorrow over breakfast.  I guess... Ravenclaw table. There’s the... the most of us.” “Please just fuck off,” Taako said again.  “Just... I’ll be okay in the morning, I can... fuckin’ recover and shit, just...” They left Taako and Barry sitting silent vigil over Lup. ------------------------------ The next morning brought terrible news, almost as bad as the loss of Lup. Overnight, Hagrid had been arrested as the Heir of Slytherin and taken to Azkaban.  A wizard prison where the bars contained your body and your worst thoughts held your mind captive. “I just don’t see how it could be Hagrid,” Davenport said.  “If he was busy being arrested last night, he couldn’t have been controlling the basilisk.  And he’d never have it attack Magnus.” “Unless the basilisk doesn’t need the Heir to control it,” offered Lucretia.  “And all the Heir does is let it out and put it back in again.” “It wasn’t Hagrid,” Magnus said firmly.   He didn’t know much, didn’t know why the Hunger chased them or why they still followed the light, but he did know this. “It might’ve been,” Taako sniffed, glaring at Hagrid’s empty chair. “Or it might not,” Magnus rebutted. Davenport stopped their argument before it could even really begin.  “Even if the Heir is gone, the basilisk is still in the castle. We need to go attune it’s blood to the Lightfinder 2.0.  And then, we need to either tell Dumbledore where it is--” “He won’t listen to us,” Magnus muttered angrily. “Or we need to deal with it ourselves.” “It’s, like, a real big, powerful snake,” said Taako.  “Not gonna lie, homie, I’m not sure we’re high enough level to do that--” “At the very least,” interjected Barry, setting down his huge cup of coffee, “We can stop further attacks.” “Ugh.  Fine. Let’s just go... brew a fuckin’ potion, I guess.” ------------------------------- Taako showed up the next morning with a vial of Lightfinder 2.0 and a cut across his cheek that he’d tried and failed to conceal with makeup.  He plopped the bottle down on the breakfast table, eyes hard. “Here it is-- the shitty little thing Lup sacrificed her life for.” “She’s only paralyzed--” “I fucking know, Capn’port,” he snapped.  “Just take the potion and do your protector shit.  I did my part.” “What happened to your face?” asked Magnus. Taako was all too quick to deny it.  “What’re you talking about, thug? Nothing happened to my face.” “Disguise self doesn’t work in this plane,” Lucretia observed, then blanched as Taako turned to glare in her direction. “O- fucking- kay, alright!”  he threw his hands in the air.  “Let’s all yell at Taako because he’s clumsy.  Fucking friends you are.” “Taako,” Barry said gently.  “You're a flip wizard. You can tell us what happened.” “Ugh.  Just... house politics, okay?  Fuck off.” Magnus’s brow furrowed.  “Taako, if stuff in Slytherin is so--” “I’m handling it, okay?  Look at me handling it so fucking well!” Taako grabbed his breakfast plate and marched over to the Slytherin table, head held high. “Should I go after him--” “Just let him go,” Barry advised.  “He’s hurting.”“I wanna help--” “And if he doesn’t want to be helped, you’ll make it worse.” Magnus sat with a quiet huff.   Davenport cleared his throat.  “Let’s see this potion.” Barry uncorked it carefully, poured it out onto a clean plate.  The crisp red lines that marked the walls of Hogwarts sprawled out.  Magnus saw the black dots representing them, placed carefully in the Great Hall and the Hospital Wing. Saw a long, thin white line directly on top of the red lines of one of the walls.  It was close, too-- up in the corridor by the Charms classroom. “Kids’re going to be going up there soon,” Magnus said, looking at the members of the crew who were still there.  “We gotta do something, gotta get it out of the hall--” Barry grabbed his bag.  “Let’s go.” ---------------------- The corridor was empty when Magnus rushed around the corner.  Lucretia followed, carefully holding the plate level so they could see the map.   “It says it’s still on top of this wall,” she murmured, pointing at the blank stone wall in front of them.  “I don’t see how...” “It’s on this level, right?” asked Barry, and she nodded confirmation. The four of them stood there, staring at the perfectly blank wall.  When Magnus looked down at the plate again, the basilisk’s line had begun to move slowly away, always remaining on top of the wall. Barry had his thinking face on.  “Could it be... hm.” “In the wall?” asked Lucretia quietly, automatically shrinking back as though her answer were wrong. Barry’s eyes lit up.  “Yes. Yes!” And Davenport, ever the engineer, said, “In the pipes.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

And then Dumbledore was gone, too.  Removed by the school officials for being unable to protect the student body from the basilisk.  Most of Gryffindor house moped-- Magnus couldn’t make up his mind.
 
Dumbledore had been their first advocate on the plane.  The first adult to trust them, the first adult to offer them a place, a helping hand.
 
But he had also ignored Magnus’s advice.  Advice that could’ve saved Hermione and Penelope and Lup.  He couldn’t help but hope the replacement headmaster could at least... try.
 
McGonagall took over for the time being.  Malfoy wouldn’t shut up about having Snape be the headmaster-- and though Snape didn’t seem opposed to the role, Magnus had been reading people for approximately 94 years.  Snape was only putting up with Malfoy. Humoring him.
 
----------------------------------------
 
They had followed the basilisk to it’s hangout, the Chamber of Secrets, which seemed to be directly below a girls’ bathroom.  Lucretia went in to stake it out, and discovered nothing more than an out of order toilet and a crying ghost that she comforted for a bit.
 
(Magnus wanted to go in to visit Myrtle, too, but Percy Weasley kept walking by, glancing suspiciously at him.  Too risky.)
 
They watched the light every waking hour, passing it like a hot potato between crew members who weren’t in class-- to head off questions-- and who weren’t Taako-- who was still being hounded by the Slytherins.  And still wouldn’t tell Magnus what had happened to make him need to fight for such a precarious position in a social hierarchy.
 
The snake mostly chilled in the Chamber of Secrets, which Magnus could get behind.  Hanging out at a place you liked? Cool.
 
But since the basilisk seemed reluctant to come out again, they couldn’t find it’s entrance.  And Magnus was left in an awkward lurch, knowing the monster was there, but unable to do anything at all.
 
All there was left to do was... wait.  
 
Wait for the mandrakes to mature so Lup and Merle could awake.
 
Wait for Taako to get off his high horse and tell Magnus what was wrong in Slytherin and let him help.
 
Wait and desperately hope that one day Lucretia would wake up with her memories and confidence back.
 
---------------------------
 
Magnus was woken one early morning by Barry’s owl, Jorts, dropping a letter on his face.
 
He rubbed at his eyes, unfolded the letter.  Jorts hooted happily, soared out of the tower.
 
The letter was clumsily scrawled, and the ink smeared onto Magnus’s hands.  It read:

Mags,

Basilisk on the move,

Transfig. Corridor.

Oh, shit.
 
He was certainly awake now.
 
Magnus leapt out of bed, not bothering to change out of his pajamas-- a matching flannel set patterned with puppies-- and grabbed his wand with one hand, his knife with the other.   Why hadn’t he thought to get a new mirror?
 
There was no time for that, though.  Not as Magnus raced barefoot down the stairs to the common room, rushed past the handful of early risers in various states of sleepiness puttering about.
 
He’d seen plans-- and lack thereof-- go badly, but all he could think was of the basilisk, the snake in the hallway, the students who’d be in the hall soon-- all he could hear was Lup’s cut-off scream.  The way Merle looked so still, so unnatural. The way Lup and Merle-- arguably the most active crewmates-- were frozen.
 
Magnus left plans to someone else.  Barry, Davenport, Lucretia. They could handle it.
 
Magnus preferred action.
 
--------------------------
 
Lucretia stood just outside the corridor, wand in one hand, Lightfinder-- Snakefinder?-- 2.0 in the other.  She examined it carefully, then looked up at Magnus.
 
“It’s at your ten o’clock as you enter the hall,” she whispered.  “Captain Davenport and Chief Engineer Hallwinter--”
 
“Didn’t he have that changed on, like, cycle four?” Magnus wondered.
 
Lucretia glared at him a little, then shrunk back.  “They’re at the end of the hall. They’ll jump in once you go in.  Don’t open your eyes-- I’ll be calling directions from here--”
 
“Coolio.”
 
He rushed around the corner, just remembering to squeeze his eyes tight shut.  Aimed at his ten-o’clock, shouted, “Flagrante!”
 
From further down the corridor, Magnus could hear Davenport and Barry entering the fray.  All around him echoed the sounds of the shifting snake, scales rough and grating on the stone floor.  
 
He dodged and swiped and cast spells, only occasionally managing to hit the basilisk.  Lucretia called directions from around the corner-- “Magnus, left!”-- “Barry, six o'clock!”
 
They kept each other alive as they inched the snake away from the classrooms, away from the corridors that would soon be filled with students.
 
It wasn’t hard to drive it away-- in fact, it was almost too easy.  The snake seemed to be shying away from Magnus, turning its attention towards Davenport and Barry.
 
“Push it back to the Chamber!” Lucretia advised.  And, once Magnus got behind it, the snake slowly allowed itself to be corralled.  
 
And then, as they turned a corner, it was suddenly gone.
 
“You can, uh, open your eyes,” Lucretia said, catching up to them, carefully balancing Snakefinder 2.0.  “It’s back in the wall.”
 
“Sick,” said Magnus, sheathing his knife.  He took a moment to assess the damage-- a spattering of blood.  Barry’s cheek was bruised. Davenport’s carefully styled hair was in disarray.  “Successful mission, team!”
 
“I think it might be scared of you, Magnus,” noted Davenport.
 
Magnus flexed.  “I would be too!”
 
“Or because you managed to hurt it earlier,” input Barry.
 
Magnus flexed again.  “Or--”
 
--------------------------------------
 
There was a problem besides the snake, and the problem had everything to do with the fact that Lup was paralyzed.
 
Lup made all sorts of potions in her basement laboratory. Lightfinder. Healing and harming and agro potions.
 
And, most importantly to Magnus-- she brewed Testosterone for him.
 
And he was almost out.
 
Which was an issue.
 
He didn’t feel comfortable approaching Snape to ask for it.  Didn’t know where he’d buy any. Lup had been his only supplier on this plane-- and with her gone, Magnus was out of options.
 
He went to Taako.
 
Taako had been standoffish since Lup was paralyzed.  He avoided the IPRE at meals, sat exclusively at the Slytherin table.  He sneered at Magnus whenever they passed each other in the halls.
 
Which wasn’t cool, not really.  They were a family.
 
(But Magnus knew Taako, knew how much he lost when Lup was gone.  Knew how Lup rounded out his rougher edges and smoothed over his angry temper.)
 
He caught up to him after Potions, sprinting down the hall, bag hitting his back.  “Taako!”
 
Magnus grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn.  Taako sighed to Daphne and Blaise, and said, “What do you want, Burnsides?”
 
“Uh, can I talk to you?  Alone?”
 
“Do you want us to wait?” asked Daphne, glaring at Magnus as though she were debating her best plan of attack.
 
“Nah, Taako’s good.  I’ll catch you at lunch when I’m done talking to this buffoon.”
 
The other two Slytherins left, and Taako led Magnus around the corner to a more secluded hallway.  He didn’t meet his eyes.
 
“What do you want, Magnus?” he asked sharply.
 
“I, um.  I.”
 
“Fucking hell, Maggie, talk!”
 
“Fucking hell, Taako,” Magnus mimicked, “Stop being an ass!”
 
“Don’t tell me what to do!” he snapped.  “I’m fucking staying alive here, thug! Let me do that however I need to!”
 
“Staying alive... what?”
 
Taako sighed, and some of the malice left his eyes.  “Look. I’m in Slytherin, right? And we’re not all buddy-buddy like you Gryff’s are.  If you want to be respected, you gotta earn it. And, and... Lup...”
 
“What about her?” he asked softly.
 
“You got her fucking paralyzed,” he snapped, “and now everyone in the house thinks we’re muggleborns.  Which, heads up thug, not a safe thing to be in Slytherin right now!”
 
“Daphne and Blaise seemed fine with it.”
 
Taako sighed a little.  “Yeah. I mean, I guess they’re okay, some of the time.  But-- just a heads up-- I’m spreading the rumor that you’re a muggleborn, and she had the misfortune to be walking near you.  She’s a halfblood. I’m a halfblood, too, if anyone asks. We clear?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
Magnus must’ve looked upset, because Taako sighed again.  “Shit, I’m sorry, Maggie. But... you understand, don’t you?  We can’t be... connected, not anymore, not like this. Talking alone in corridors-- great.  Midnight adventures-- sure. But things’re changing. Y’know this Voldemort fellow? And how he’s back?”
 
Magnus nodded.
 
“Well, he sets up this... divide... between houses.  Especially us and you. And I’m already on thin ice with Lup.”
 
“Oh.  I can... just not bother you.”
 
“No, it’s cool.  Hit me up.”
 
“I need, uh, more T, and Lup...”
 
Taako’s face softened.  “Oh, shit. Fuck. Damn.  I’m sorry, I can, uh...”
 
“D’you know where Lup might have some, uh, stored?  Or have a recipe? I didn’t want to go into her lab without permission.”
 
He rolled his eyes dramatically.  “You Gryffindors are such rule followers.”
 
“Hey, I’m chaotic good!”
 
“Huh?”
 
“Let’s just go to her lab?”
 
--------------------------
 
Taako sighed.  “Mags, did you open my Candlenights present?”
 
“Uh...”  Magnus couldn’t think of a single reason that would be relevant.  “No? I wanted to wait and open presents with Merle?”
 
Taako sighed again, long and deep.  “Maggie, I love you, you’re my unofficial brother, but you're a fucking idiot.”
 
“Wow!”
 
“In a nice way.  Hey, go open the present, yeah?  And then hit me up.”
 
“I need T in, like, a week--”
 
“Don’t you trust me?”
 
“No.”
 
Taako grinned.  “Smart man. Well, open it today, then.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus had piled his Candlenights presents in the bottom of his trunk and subsequently forgotten about them.  He pried open the lid, eager, desperate, to find Taako’s present and why Taako had looked so smug about it.
 
He had to dig through a thick layer of residue-- broken quills, scarves, boots.  A couple dozen sketches of different dogs that Lucretia had made for him. The Charms homework that was due two weeks ago.  And, tucked into the corner, a clumsily wrapped pile of presents.
 
Taako’s was the smallest of them all, barely a piece of wrapping paper folded over on itself.  Magnus extracted it carefully, prised it open.
 
Inside was a single piece of parchment.  It read:

Maggie--

I’m in the Transfig room with Minnie McG every Tuesday 3-5.  Show up one of these days and I can show you what I’ve been working on.

Your favorite flip wizard,

T-to the double A- ko

Magnus grinned.  He’d said earlier that day that he didn’t trust Taako, but that had been a lie.  He knew that Taako liked to seem untouchable, separate, and it was fun to humor him.  But really?
 
This was his brother.  He’d trust him with his life.
 
And he’d trust him with whatever unorthodox solution he had found.
 
-----------------------------------------
 
Magnus skipped Herbology the next day in order to be early to McGonagall’s classroom.  A horde of sixth years filed out, and Magnus slipped in after them.
 
Taako wasn’t there yet, but McGonagall was.  She sat at her desk, marking papers, and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
 
“Can I help you, Mr. Burnsides?  Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”
 
“I, uh, yes ma’am.”
 
“Yes to which?”
 
“Uh... both, I think?  Taako told me to come here, that he had a, uh, solution for an issue I’ve been having...”
 
Her face softened.  “Excellent. He’s told me quite a bit about this, and he’s done it once already.  It makes me wish he were around when I transitioned.”
 
“Wait... what’s this ‘this’ that Taako’s doing?”
 
McGonagall smiled mysteriously.  “That’s for him to tell you, I suppose.  I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”
 
“Please?”
 
She shook her head, and went back to marking papers.  Magnus perched on the edge of a desk, swung his legs. Every few seconds he glanced at the door, as if looking at it more often would bring Taako there faster.
 
“You’re welcome to help me, if you like,” McGonagall said dryly after a few minutes of this.
 
“Sure!”  He had nothing better to do, why not?
 
Seeming mildly surprised, but also... grateful, she handed him a grading key and a thick stack of parchment.  “First year papers. Make sure they’re at least ten inches long.”
 
They sat in companionable silence for a while, grading papers.  Magnus found that it was actually pretty fun, if hard to decipher the handwriting.  Luna Lovegood’s paper appeared to be written in an entirely different language altogether, with little sketches of fantastic animals bordering it.  But it was ten inches long, so that had to count, right? Ginny Weasley’s was way too short, just a few sentences scrawled in a shaky hand. Magnus felt bad marking her down for it.  He was friends with Ron, and she seemed like a good kid.
 
He picked up his quill.
 
Messy handwriting was the easiest to imitate.  
 
Magnus pretended that he was marking corrections as he added a few more sentences onto Ginny’s assignment, making it long enough that he could give her points for it.
 
Hopefully McGonagall hadn’t seen.  When he looked up, she was looking over at him, but didn’t say anything.  He swallowed hard, moved Ginny’s paper to the side, and picked up Ritchie Coote’s paper.
 
--------------------------------------
 
Taako arrived half an hour late with a half-eaten bagel in hand and a bruise over his eye.  The door slammed shut behind him, and his heels click click clicked across the floor.
 
“I’m glad you could make it, Mr. Youknow-Fromtivi,” said McGonagall drily.  “Mr. Burnsides here was been waiting.”
 
“He’s known me for years, you’d think he’d be used to it,” Taako replied with a smile.
 
“I’ll take those papers back, Mr. Burnsides,” she said, standing up.  “And then you two are welcome to take the lab. Goodness knows nobody’s using it anymore.”
 
“Thanks, Minnie,” Taako said as Magnus handed over the papers.  “We’ll be out of your hair soon.”
 
“It’s Professor McGonagall,” she said in a long-suffering tone that Magnus was pretty sure hid a smile.  “And you’re always welcome to use the lab. Or, if you need other help...”
 
She was eyeing his black eye, but Taako didn’t react like he had to Magnus, just smiled, and pulled him into a side door.  
 
Taako flicked his wand, and the sconces on the walls lit up, illuminating a small workroom, with a large workspace in the middle and bookshelves all around.
 
“So,” Taako said.  “My wonderful, fabulous, brilliant Candlenights present that you didn’t open until fucking yesterday.”
 
“What happened to your eye?”
 
Taako winced.  “Do you want the present or not?”
 
“Yes, please.”
 
“Okay.”  Taako moved back, and Magnus knew by the look on his face that he was preparing for theatrics.  “So. As you well know, I used my rad transmutation magic to make Lulu a smokin’ new bod back home.  And on this plane, magic’s fucked up, so it took me a while to figure it out. But.”
 
He snapped his fingers, and from his wand burst a diagram of the female human body.  “It’s taken me hours upon hours. More than I slept, probably. But have a looksy.” As Magnus watched, the diagram morphed smoothly to male.  “It regulates hormones, too, so that’s a good thing.”
 
“I... Taako...”  Magnus was at a loss for words.  He didn’t know how to express his gratitude-- how could he?  This was everything he’d wanted for the past two years.
 
Taako was grinning.  “I know, I’m pretty great, natch.  So, you in?”
 
“I-- yes, of course-- I--”
 
“Hop up on the table.”
 
Magnus did.  “Do I need to strip, or...”
 
“We’re twelve,” Taako deadpanned, and smirked as Magnus blushed.  “Kidding. Mostly. But, nah, you’re good.”
 
Magnus put his tie back on, and Taako raised his wand.
 
-----------------------------------
 
“Where were you?” Davenport asked Magnus at dinner, glaring up at him.
 
“With Taako!  He--” Magnus glanced over to where Taako had been moments before to find him gone.  Across the Great Hall, he saw his braid swinging as he sat down at the Slytherin table.  “Oh. He made me the right body!”
 
Barry high fived him, and Davenport glared at both of them  “You skipped Herbology, Magnus.”
 
“Yeah?  I’ve got a couple of priorities?”
 
“You can’t argue that that’s a good priority--” said Barry.
 
“But you didn’t tell us where you were going,” Davenport said, not smiling.  “Magnus, why would it be bad if someone disappeared and the rest of us didn’t know where they were going?”
 
Oh.
 
Shit.
 
The basilisk and the fucking murder castle.
 
“I, uh, didn’t think of that?”
 
“Well, do think of it the next time, okay?”  his face had softened, and he passed Magnus the plate of chicken.  “We worry about you. We don’t want anyone else paralyzed, or dead this early on.”
 
“Well,” Magnus said around a mouthful of meat, “I don’t plan on ever dying.”
 
Lucretia laughed for the first time that Magnus had heard since her memory was erased.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

That evening, Professor McGonagall reminded Gryffindor that exams would take place in a week. Magnus looked over at Parvati and Lavender. "Did you guys know this was coming?"Lavender shrugged. "I heard they might be closing the school, so I could honestly care less."Parvati patted her hand reassuringly. "Sorry, Mags. It's just... different without Hermione and Lup."Magnus nodded, and wrote down the times of his exams. He didn't intend to study. His priority list was full of basilisk, after all.------He was writing a long overdue essay in the Common Room when Ginny Weasley came up to him. She looked smaller than ever before, with big dark circles beneath her eyes and cardigan buttoned up wrong."Th...thanks for fixing my essay," she said, perching nervously on the edge of the couch."No problem!"She didn't say anything more, but she also didn't leave. Just sat there, small and alone, fidgeting with the cuffs of her sleeves."Um. You okay?"Ginny nodded, then shook her head. "I, uh--"She was interrupted by the couch being tipped over. Magnus's essay went flying, and he watched the ink bottle soar from where he was pinned under a pile of cushions. It hit the back of Angelina's head, who jumped up with a scream, shouting at the Weasley twins who'd pushed over the sofa.Magnus helped Ginny to her feet. She didn't stay to watch the (frankly entertaining) yelling match, scurrying out the portrait hole.He moved to follow her, but was caught by a hand on the back of his robes. George Weasley. Or Fred. He still couldn't tell them apart."So, Maggie boy," the twin said conversationally, pulling him away from where Angelina and the other twin still screamed, ink now dripping down both of their faces. He followed his gaze. "Fred's getting into it, huh?"So this one was George, then."I've been thinking about what you said."Huh?" Magnus had literally no idea what he was on about."About the other houses," he said, sounding almost... nervous? "And I wanted to apologize to you. We were jerks about it.""Oh! Apology accepted!"------The Mandrakes had been harvested, and their restorative potion would be prepared in the next three days. Sprout spent a good part of her lesson bemoaning Merle's absence, as "he would have been such a help."(Magnus wanted Merle back, too, but was also ridiculously glad that he hadn't been allowed near plants that had living roots. He'd seen far too much over seventy years.)As a precaution, teachers led classes through the halls. It was annoying, because it put an end to team meetings. They communicated now through notes in class and Barry's owl.But following the rules was flung to the wind when Jorts soared into the Gryffindor common room one afternoon.All the note read was:
DADA corridor
Too scrawled and hurried to even sign.Magnus grabbed his wand and his knife an ran, leaving his bag out and homework unfinished.Priorities.------He ran into Davenport and Lucretia, sprinting down from the Ravenclaw tower. They didn't talk, just ran faster, robes flying, hearts racing.Barry was pressed up behind a column, plate of Snakefinder in one hand. "DADA class isn't down there," he whispered. "Snake is."None of them were looking down the hall, but they all heard the shout. "Abra-ca-fuck-you!""...it doesn't show our positions," mumbled Barry in something like shock, then shouted, "Taako!"He shoved the plate into Davenport's hands and sprinted around the corner, Magnus on his heels.He couldn't see, but Davenport did a good job calling directions, and he could hear.Taako's grunt of expert ion. The scarily fast whoosh of Barry's spell. His knife, hitting scales and then flesh. Lucretia's panted breath.And a strangely familiar voice-- where had he heard it?-- shouting something that sounded like hissing.The snake fled. Once Magnus could no longer hear it's scales, he opened his eyes. Davenport hurried around the corner.Barry sported an impressive bruise on his cheek. Lucretia was cradling one of her arms. Magnus's ribs twanged.Taako lay on the floor. Magnus rushed to him, scared to see--Taako lay paralyzed on the floor, a pair of shattered glasses with colored lenses next to him.Magnus screamed.------Somehow they got to the Hospital Wing. At some point Snape-- his head of house-- turned up, examining their motley crew with a sneer, which softened as he looked at the Twins' paralyzed forms. (Lup, his prodigy. Taako, a Slytherin. Frozen, dark and cold.)"Nobody hears about this," he told them, eyes hard. "Do you understand me? Nobody. Hogwarts is closing, and Taako and Lup's parents arrived early to withdraw them.""What?" asked Magnus."Their parents--""What do you mean, 'Hogwarts is closing?'" interrupted Davenport tersely.Snape sighed. "Ginny Weasley has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. The four of you-- well. Stay in the Hospital Wing. Safer than bringing you to your common rooms.""We have a plethora of skills," offered Davenport, falling back easily into his Captain persona. "Surely we can aid with her retrieval."Snape almost winced. "There will be... no retrieval.""Horseshit," Magnus said angrily. "Horse! Shit!"Snape left to words much too loud from Magnus and a deafening silence from everyone else.------Magnus turned to his crew. Merle, Taako and Lup were laid out on hospital beds. Barry clutched the plate of Snakefinder with white knuckles. Davenport's face had closed off. Lucretia just looked... scared."We can't just let Ginny die," he said, and it wasn't a question.Davenport shook his head. Slowly, sadly. "There's nothing we can do. We need to stay at Hogwarts until the Mandrakes are ready, and then we're taking the light and leaving.""No," said Magnus."No," said Lucretia."Uh. No?" asked Barry."This castle has actively tries to kill all of us," Davenport pointed out."So we need to be here to protect the other students," Magnus rebutted."There's so much more to learn," added Lucretia, back to her shy voice.Barry shrugged. "I just... I don't want to abandon this school.""We could vote," Lucretia suggested quietly when Davenport didn't reply. "Once everyone's... awake."------Magnus wasn't usually one for introspection.This year, though, he'd been forced into it. Every fight he'd fought was within. Within Hogwarts, with the Heir and the basilisk. Within the crew, with Davenport and Taako.Within himself, at that very moment.The life of one Ginny Weasley versus Davenport's orders versus the very real possibility of Magnus's own death.(He'd come back. She wouldn't.)Orders were nothing but words when there was a life on the line."Look over there!" Magnus shouted, pointing at the window.And Magnus rushed out.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus raced away from the Hospital Wing. A loud crashing sound made him turn, only to see the doors held shut with some sort of shielding spell as Lucretia ran towards him.“What’re you doing?!” he shouted as they booked it through the empty halls towards Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.“Coming-- with you--” she panted, matching his pace.“Lucy, that’s not safe--”“I know!” As they rounded a corner, she stopped and glared at him. “And I don’t know a lot of things. But I know you’re my friend. And I’m not letting you get hurt.”She had a fierce look in her eyes, a look that years later he would come to associate with Madam Director.-----------------------------------“Oh, hullo Lucretia,” said Myrtle gloomily when they entered. “You brought a boy in here?”“Yes, this is Magnus, he--”“You’re not gonna kiss him, right? That’s gross.”Lucretia shook her head solemnly. “I am very ace and also very interested in girls.”“Hail and well met!” said Magnus.Myrtle eyed him distastefully. “Hullo.”“Myrtle, have you seen anyone else come in here?” Lucretia’s voice was strong, confident. “Someone with Ginny Weasley, maybe? Little redheaded girl?”The ghost shrugged, perched on one of the sinks. “I haven’t seen her today, but I spent a while sulking in the toilet.” She pointed at the toilet. “I do see her a lot, though. She’s always over by that sink, muttering.” She pointed at the sink. “I tried to talk to her but she was so rude and--”Myrtle burst into tears.Lucretia moved forward, gathered the ghost into what would have been a hug had she been tangible. “Did you ever see her leave?”She shook her head.-----------------------------------Magnus certainly wasn’t a scientist. Wasn’t even a wizard. Had a +0 to intelligence. But he’d always been good at reading bad situations. Figuring out who exactly needed to be punched.Ginny Weasley had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets to die.The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in this bathroom.Ginny spent a lot of time in this bathroom, enough that Myrtle would take notice.(Ginny-- a perfectly shy, nice girl, from all of Magnus’s interactions with her-- had been unspeakably rude to Myrtle. Out of character.)Ginny who spent time by the sink was now taken into the Chamber to be killed.“Let’s check out the sink,” he suggested quietly.-----------------------------------They found a snake carved into the faucet.They found out that Myrtle was killed by two yellow glowing eyes in that very area.“This is it,” Magnus said in frustration. “This is the entrance! If we could just get in--”Lucretia had shrunk back into her shy personality. “Is there a spell of anything?”“I dunno, I just--”Three people barged in through the bathroom door. Magnus, Myrtle, and Lucretia spun to face them.“What’re you doing here?” asked Magnus and Ron at the same time.“Ginny,” replied Harry and Lucretia.Myrtle and Lockhart had twin looks of confusion on their faces.“We’re trying to get Ginny out of the Chamber,” Magnus clarified. “It’s through that sink, but we don’t know how.”“Well!” said Lockhart jovially. “You lot seem to have this covered, I’ll just--”Ron dug his wand into his side. “Nope.”“Why’s he here?”“This’s his bloody job,” said Ron with a sneer as Harry poked around the sink. “And we found out he was obliviating people to take credit for their accomplishments.”“I didn’t!” protested Lockhart. “I just found a magic stone that did! And I couldn’t let their achievements be forgotten, could I?”Lucretia-- calm, quiet, shy Lucretia-- pulled out her wand and levelled it at him. “I don’t know much,” she said in a voice like steel, “But the light doesn’t control you. You control it. It was your choice to-- to--”“Lucy?” asked Magnus, a little afraid of her expression.“You fucking took everything from me!”There was a loud grinding noise behind them, and a large tunnel open where the sink had stood.“Is this it?” she asked in a dangerous tone.“Uh, yeah,” said Harry nervously.“If anyone’s dying, you’re first,” she spat at Lockhart. A bolt of silvery-white light erupted from her wand. It wrapped around the professor and flung him into the hole.“Lucretia,” said Magnus softly. “Are you okay?”She turned to look at him, lowered the wand. Her eyes were glassy. “He... he...”Magnus embraced his little sister as she cried. Harry and Ron stood uncomfortably for a few moments as she got herself together.She took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go save Ginny.”-----------------------------------By the time Magnus tumbled to the bottom, Lockhart had a wand pointed directly at Ron.“The adventure ends here, boys!” he shouted gleefully, too fast for Magnus to rush or Lucretia to cast and-- “Obliviate!”The wand exploded. Magnus grabbed Lucretia, pulled her backwards.When the dust cleared, Magnus, Lucretia, Ron, and Lockhart were on one side of a solid wall of broken rock.“Ron!” shouted Harry’s muffled voice from the other side. “Magnus! Are you okay?”“Yeah!” Ron yelled back, eyeing Lockhart, who was lying dazed on the ground. “I think Lockhart got hit by the spell, though, so I dunno--”Lucretia, in a very unlike-Lucretia manner, kicked the professor.“Ow!” he said, but didn’t get up or otherwise react. A fierce grin crossed her face, and she kicked him again.“What now?” asked Ron desperately. “We can’t get through-- it’ll take ages--”“Wait there,” said Harry’s muffled voice. “If I’m not back in an hour...”“We’ll find another way in to get you,” promised Magnus.“We’ll work on shifting this rock,” said Ron in a tone that was probably supposed to be confident. “So you can-- can get back through. And, Harry--”“See you in a bit.” The quiet crunch of his footsteps soon faded as he presumably worked his way further into the Chamber.Magnus couldn’t believe it. They’d gotten so close-- tracked the basilisk, lost Merle and Lup and Taako, fought the snake, made it all the way into the Chamber only to be stopped by some fucking rocks.Magnus kicked the wall. Behind him, Lockhart said, “Ow!”-----------------------------------“Okay, stop,” said Ron. “Uh, Lucinda--”“Lucretia.”“Sorry, uh, Lucretia. Stop kicking Lockhart.”“You don't understand, he erased my--”“Stop!” Ron shouted. “Magnus, just... just stop. We need a plan if we’re gonna help anyone.”“Fine,” said Lucretia in a voice Magnus knew was bordering on tears.“Okay,” he replied. “Okay. We gotta move this rock without collapsing the tunnel. And we gotta watch Lockhart, in case he--”“I’ll watch him,” she offered, angry glint in her eye. Ron looked dubious, but agreed.Magnus tore into the rocks with an anger he’d rarely tapped into. If he were in there with Harry he could help, could help save Ginny and kill the basilisk and do everything he was supposed to do.(Maybe you’re not the hero this time, a small nagging voice in his brain said. Maybe you’ve done your part.)There might be some truth in that, he thought as his knuckles split and nails ripped and rock piled around his feet. What’s braver-- to always rush in, or to stay back and trust someone else to do it?(He tore down a wall bit by laborious bit and knew the answer: waiting there was more painful than anything that could possibly be happening in the Chamber.)-----------------------------------Harry returned with a phoenix and a sword and the Sorting Hat. He returned with blood and ink on his robes and Ginny Weasley in his arms, pale and frightened but very much alive.Fawkes pulled them back up out of the Chamber. Magnus gripped tight to Lucretia with one hand and to Ron with the other. They were maybe halfway up when she said, “Oh, no,” in the most apathetic tone possible. Looking down, Lockhart had slipped out of her hand, and was plummeting back down the tunnel, a flutter of lilac robes and blonde hair and a dazed smile.On solid ground back in Myrtle’s bathroom, Harry confronted her about it. “I know you didn’t like him, but you didn’t have to kill--” “I didn’t!” Lucretia protested, and if he hadn’t known her for seventy years, Magnus might have believed it. “My hands were bloody and he slipped and-- and--”She started crying, which made Ginny start crying, and Myrtle demanded that they all get out of her bathroom at once.The phoenix led them through the still-empty halls of Hogwarts to McGonagall’s office. They were a motley crew, covered in dust and ink and blood, and she and the Weasley parents and Dumbledore were utterly shocked to see them.Harry told the story in bits and pieces. Finding the diary. Hagrid’s framing, Aragog. Tom Riddle. The Chamber. Lockhart’s ‘accidental’ demise.Ron and Ginny left with their parents to the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore pulled Harry aside, leaving McGonagall alone with Lucretia and Magnus.“Thank you,” she said. “I, just... thank you.”Magnus shrugged. He wasn’t even the hero this time around.“I assume I won’t be charged because Lockhart’s hand slipped?” asked Lucretia.Something like a smile crossed the professor’s face. “Absolutely not.”-----------------------------------Magnus was in the Hospital Wing when the Mandrake potion was administered.(Thankfully, Davenport had given up on yelling at them once he saw what shape they were in.)Merle woke first, rubbing his eyes and asking how much he’d drunk. Then Lup, who didn’t listen to Madam Pomfrey telling her to stay in bed as she raced to Taako’s side. And, finally, Taako, who called them all saps and threatened to charm all of their hair purple.(“Could you please?” Magnus asked hopefully.)Exams were cancelled. Davenport clung desperately close to Merle’s side.Gryffindor won the House Cup, with Ravenclaw and Slytherin tied for second. Merle and Barry-- the only Hufflepuffs Magnus really knew-- weren't that torn up about losing. Merle just didn’t care, and Barry was too overjoyed that Lup was back to care about anything else.Dumbledore called the seven of them into his office the day before the Hogwarts Express left. “Thank you for all the service you have offered our school this year,” he said. “I understand you have recovered the light you sought?”“Yes,” said Davenport with a nod. “We thank you for your hospitality.”“Oh, I’m not kicking you out,” said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. “In fact, I would like to merely reassure you that all of you will always have a home at Hogwarts. You still have five years left here, correct?”“Uh, yeah,” confirmed Barry.“In that case, we would be delighted to host you for the rest of your magical education. I do have a proposal, however.”“What’s that?”“Perhaps you should take the summer off?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Summer break!  Summer break! Summer break!”  Magnus was standing on the deck of the Starblaster, revelling in the sheer freedom that being in the air provided. “Yes, we’ve heard,” said Davenport from behind the wheel.  “Could someone please tell me where we’re headed?” “Disneyland!” shouted Lup. “Hawaii!” suggested Merle. “I don’t know where those are!” Davenport said.  “Taako, do you have the maps?” “No, I didn’t do my only job.”  He plopped a large atlas down on the floor.  “Duh. Which one d’you want?” “Disneyland!” “Hawaii!” “Disney world !” “It’s not a whole world, Barry, we would’ve noticed by now--” “No, it’s a place--” “ Fake news--” “Fuck off, Merle!” “Where’re we going?!” he shouted again, and the crew silenced.  Davenport turned around in his chair, looked them over. “Where’s Lucretia?” “I’m over here,” she said from down the stairs.  After a moment or two, she came up, journal firmly clasped in each hand. “Where do you want to go?” Lucretia shrugged.  “I, um, I don’t really care.” “What about doing Disneyland and Hawaii?” Barry said.  “We can hit Disney on the way there, spend a few days. And then spend the rest of the summer on the beach.” “Is it bad that I’ve never heard of these places?” Magnus wondered. “Nah,” said Merle.  “They’re native to this plane.  Some of us asked around for suggestions, though.” Behind them, Lucretia retreated back downstairs. Davenport watched her go, sighed quietly.  “We need to work on helping her,” he told the rest of them softly.  “She killed Lockhart. And she’s just... feeling lost, I think.” “I’ve got a thing I’ve been working on,” said Lup, “But I won’t be able to finish until we’re back at Hogwarts.” “Well, let’s come up with more ideas.  Make sure she feels included.” “We could go to a bar?  Get in a fight?” “ No , Magnus!” the crew shouted. ---------------------------------- “So, what exactly is this... Disneyland thing?” Magnus asked Lup as they crossed a dark blue ocean. She lit up.  “So, Hermione told me all about it.  She’s never been-- at least to this one-- but apparently there’s, um, roller toasters?  Coasters? Something like that.” “So you... roll toast?” Lup face-palmed.  “No, she said it’s like... a really fast, small battlewagon.” “And we get to drive!” “No!” “Why do you sound so excited about that?” “Because it flings you along tracks faster than you should be able to survive !” ---------------------------------- They landed in a large parking lot.  Davenport and Barry layered shielding spells and illusion spells and muggle-repelling spells over every square inch. “Do we have muggle money?”  asked Lucretia. They all looked at each other. “Uh... Davenport?” asked Barry. “I thought Lup--” “ I thought Merle--” “Why would you ever intrust me with anything you wanted to happen --” “He’s got a point, y’know--” “Didn’t Taako?--” “Uh, fuck no--” They finally found a pawn shop a few blocks away that took their golden galleons and exchanged them for flimsy paper money. “I don’t see how this is more practical,” Barry said, frowning over the stack of green bills.  “It can tear.” “It does stack better,” Magnus pointed out.  “And it’s got some old men on it. Any women?  Nonbinary folk?” “Hm... doesn't look like it.” “Then yeah, this shitty masculine money sucks.” (Decades later, Magnus would remember stacks of paper that could be exchanged for goods and services.  Not remembering their name, he’d call them Magnus Bucks.) ---------------------------------- When they finally got into the park, Magnus was enraptured.  Costumed people were everywhere, backdropped by soaring tracks and brilliantly decorated buildings.  Everything smelled delicious, like cinnamon and some spice he couldn’t identify. “I’m never leaving,” he announced, staring around in awe. A few roller coasters later-- where Taako screamed bloody murder and Lucretia smiled for one of the first times that summer-- they found themself on a bench by a blue castle, eating churros. A park employee approached them.  “Excuse me, kids, do you have adults with you?” Uh, fuck. “Yes!” said Magnus. “Where are they?” Lup shoved Davenport forward.  “He’s, um. A short person.” “Ah, yes,” he said, straightening up as best he could for a tiny kid in plaid shorts and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt.  “That’s me.” The employee smiled in a way that told Magnus they were just doing their job, and a few minutes later they were in the lost children tent. “So, where’s your folks, kids?”  asked a big burly employee who vaguely reminded Magnus of a police chief.  “Six of you alone doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Six? Magnus was seconds away from pointing out there was seven of them, before taking another look around the room. Davenport and Merle sat quietly, hand in hand.  Lup and Taako perched on the edges of their seats, their tension at being trapped palpable.  Barry did his usual thing where he exuded anxiety. But Lucretia was nowhere to be seen. (Like the Judges, Magnus thought, but quickly tried to thing of something else.  This wasn’t that, this wasn’t that, this wasn’t that, this was a kid’s amusement park and nobody was going to die--) ---------------------------------- In strolled a woman.  Tall, dark-skinned, wearing a formal blue dress, with wrinkles aplenty on her face.  “Thank you so much for finding my charges, Captain,” she said in a tone dripping with gravitas.  “They have a tendency to run off. My apologies.” The woman signed a few forms, made small talk with the Captain, and soon enough the seven of them were walking out of the tent.   “Who the fuck are you?” asked Magnus. She pulled out a thin white wand, waved it over herself, and Magnus watched in awe as her glamour melted away.  Lucretia. “Fuck yeah, Lucy, rig the system!” He grappled her in a hug. “You guys have magic too,” she wheezed, but leaned into the embrace. ---------------------------------- All too soon it was evening.  They made sure nobody was watching, and levitated themselves up to the top of the Ferris Wheel to watch the fireworks. “This was a good idea, babe,” said Barry.   Lup leaned more into him.  “I’m full of them. Hey, Taako, how old should you be before you kiss?” He shrugged.  “Dunno, twelve?  Thirteen?” “At least eighteen--”  Merle burst out, protective dad instinct palpable, but it was much too late.  Lup and Barry, seventy years in love, had already embraced. Magnus reached over and covered up Lucretia’s eyes.  “Adult stuff.” She laughed a little, pulled his hand away, and covered his eyes.  “ Adult stuff .” ---------------------------------- They spent the night in the air, half to avoid the muggle police and half because sleeping on the Starblaster felt like home.  Davenport set their course to drift towards Hawaii, and the steady hum of the bond engine lulled them to sleep. ---------------------------------- The chain of islands were gems of green in a bluer sea than Magnus had ever seen.  He leaned up against the deck railing, trying to get a better view. “Woah...” Merle wandered out, shirtless and chubby.  “Why do we hafta go back to school, hm? We could just stay here for the next five years.” Magnus looked over at him, at the way he looked at the islands.  Merle looked at them the same way he looked at Davenport. ---------------------------------- They managed to rent a beach house without it coming out that they were all literal children.  The rest of the summer passed in a state of bliss. Taako surfed.  Barry swam. Lup lit bonfires with evident glee. Davenport and Merle loved each other in their quiet way.  Capn’port charted the stars. Merle... charted the local flora. Magnus snuck up on people every now and then hissing “Magnus!”  But the majority of his summer was spent hanging out with his little sister.  Lucretia. They learned to climb palm trees and built the biggest sand castle possibly ever and cried and cared about each other. The season passed with joy, and all too soon it was autumn again.