Dear Mr. Davis,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a fifth-year student.
Term begins on September 1st.
Preliminary supplies have been collected for you and will accompany you on your journey to the castle.
As you are aware, the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery prohibits the use of magic by those under the age of seventeen outside school. However, due to your unique circumstances, the Ministry has graciously agreed to allow Professor Fig to help you hone your spell-casting before escorting you from London to the castle for the start-of-term feast and Sorting Ceremony.
Sincerely,
Matilda Weasley
Deputy Headmaster
~~~~
Even after reading the letter so many times that he could perfectly quote it word for word, it still didn't seem real. After years of waiting, Maxwell Davis was finally accepted into one of the most prestigious magic schools in the world: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
According to Professor Eleazar Fig, his mentor, it was uncommon for a child like him to not develop magic until later in life, aka late bloomer. However, it was practically unheard of for a student to join the school in their fifth year unless they were a transfer student.
And now, here he was in a nearly empty street, patiently waiting to start his journey as Professor Fig scrambled about, fretting over every little thing under the sun.
"Ah, there we are," Eleazar announced as he finished his rounds. "Got everything packed and ready to go. It's hard to believe how time has flown since the Ministry chose me to be your mentor and I must say, you're handling yourself very well with your wand, considering that it is a hand-me-down. But I am very sure once you have your wand, which you will be able to purchase in Hogsmeade, you'll find something more suitable to your liking. Are you ready to go?"
Maxwell nodded. "Yes, sir. I must ask, though. Why exactly are we on this street of all places? You said something about waiting for someone...but whom?" He asked.
"A dear friend of mine is coming along with us. He was a part of the Hogwarts Alumni like I am and I have a feeling he will be a great addition to your studies." Professor Fig explained.
As soon as the words left the elder's mouth, a man in a slightly disheveled suit and tie appeared out of thin air, a nauseous expression was on his face as he tried to get his bearings. A girl about Maxwell's age was with him and she seemed too excited to show any signs of what Professor Fig had called Apparation sickness, unlike the man she was traveling with.
She had long brown hair that tumbled in waves down her shoulders. Her blue-gray eyes seemed to sparkle in the hazy light of the street, reminding him of the sea after a storm. Her faint yet gentle smile made him feel a little warm. As she met his gaze, he immediately felt his heart stumble in his chest as he bashfully looked away, breaking free of her spell.
"George, good to see you, lad! Maxwell, this is George Osoric. An esteemed member of the Ministry of Magic in London." Eleazar greeted as he patted his friend on the back.
"Eleazar, finally found you," George spoke once he recovered.
"I hope my instructions on how to find us weren't too cryptic."
"Well, it took a few tries, but I managed to get myself on the right track. Ready to go, Eleazar?" George asked, cutting Maxwell off as Professor Fig loaded the girl's luggage onto the carriage.
"I am, but it's probably best we continue this conversation once we are on our way to Hogwarts. You never know how keen people can be." Professor Fig murmured as George climbed into the carriage before the kids followed suit.
Within moments, the carriage lurched to life before taking to the sky, the passengers unaware that they were being followed.
~~~~
The carriage creaked and swayed in the turbulent winds as the girl and Maxwell listened to Professor Fig and George talk.
"I'm so glad I caught you before you could head to Scotland." George chuckled.
"Just barely." Professor Fig smiled.
As the men continued to talk, the girl watched Maxwell, but she knew right away that his mind was elsewhere, prompting her to stay quiet.
"So who is your young charge here, Eleazar?" Maxwell heard George say once he looked away from the window.
Professor Fig nodded before gesturing to Maxwell. "This is Hogwarts' newest student. Maxwell Davis."
"New?" George blinked in surprise.
"Yes, sir. I am starting Hogwarts as a fifth-year student." Maxwell smiled.
"Well, what an amazing coincidence." George beamed before turning to the girl. "Miss Rebekah Cardinal here is starting Hogwarts as a fifth year as well."
"Extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary." Fig mused.
As the men continued to reminisce about their years as students, Maxwell and Rebekah turned their attention to each other. Maxwell was on the verge of releasing the barrage of questions he had for her, but then something caught his eye.
"Have you seen this, Eleazar?" George asked, his voice serious.
Maxwell noticed a newspaper in the balding man's hand as a photo of a sinister-looking goblin glared back at him, sending ice through his veins. The text that was emblazoned around the photo made it even more chilling.
"Ranrok's Goblin Rebellion. Truth? Or Gobbledegook?"
"I have. Opinions differ on how much of a threat Ranrok truly is." Fig frowned.
"Ranrok?" Maxwell repeated.
"A goblin with very corrupt ideals. Especially towards wizards and the rest of humankind." Fig explained briefly.
"I believe he's a highly significant threat. Goblins are known to hone a kind of magic wizards and witches can't truly achieve so they can be a force to be reckoned with. I am hoping to convince my colleagues at the Ministry of Magic about him as soon as possible." The man then became solemn. "Eleazar, it was because of your wife...that I know about all of Ranrok's activities."
"Miriam?" Fig asked, his eyes widened at the mention of his late wife.
"Yes.....and she was Miss Cardinal's mentor for a while before....before she died."
"I see... she must be the student she mentioned in her letters towards the end..."
"I believe so. She was asked by the school faculty to help Rebekah hone her skills so she could keep up with the other students. If my guess is correct, considering this turn of events, the faculty placed young Maxwell under your watchful eye, yes?" George asked.
"That is correct. According to the staff, no one has ever heard of a student being admitted into Hogwarts so late. Especially two."
"Nor have I. Well, Mr. Davis, you couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Professor Eleazar is not only an exceptional teacher, but also an incredible wizard."
"And you are a notorious flatterer." Fig chuckled.
"I can also say the same about Miriam, God rest her soul." George frowned.
Fig turned to Rebekah. "So you knew my wife before she died? How?"
Rebekah frowned. "She lived in the neighborhood I grew up in. In Wiltshire." She spoke, her familiar accent caught Fig and Maxwell off guard.
"Wait. Are you....American?" Maxwell asked, immediately regretting his remark in fear that he offended her.
"No...but my parents are. I have lived in Wiltshire all my life, but my parents moved there from Richmond, Virginia before I was born. Mrs. Miriam was one of my neighbors and I would visit her every chance I could. It was because of her that I found out I was a witch after I somehow caused books to fly in the air and all the lanterns in her house to explode. She claimed that I have a very strong form of magic and she taught me everything I knew. Sadly.......she disappeared not long after I received my owl from Hogwarts. It wasn't until a week later that I found out she...." Tears streamed down Rebekah's face as her voice caught in her throat.
Maxwell started to pat himself down as he searched for something. He never used it, but he finally found a handkerchief to give to her, a gesture that made him blush a little as she looked at him in confusion.
"Here." He spoke gently. "I think you need this more than I do."
She dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief as she looked at him. She could tell that he was not exactly the emotional type...but she could see that he had a very kind heart, which he kept hidden for some reason.
"There is also one more thing I wanted to show you, Eleazar. Before I could respond to Miriam's letter, this was sent to me." George took out what looked like a canister with a strange symbol on it. "It had arrived via her owl, but had no correspondence. I believe she was trying to get rid of it quickly before it could fall into the wrong hands. Or in this case, Ranrok's hands. It's protected by some form of magic so I cannot open it. Hopefully, you can make heads or tails of it."
Professor Fig examined the strange canister carefully. "It looks like goblin metal. Now what would Miri-"
"What's that?" Maxwell asked.
"Like I said, Maxwell, it's made of goblin metal. Haven't you been paying-"
"No, that glow." Maxwell interrupted, pointing to the canister.
Professor Fig and George looked at him strangely.
"Glow? I don't see a glow." Fig frowned.
"Nor do I," George said.
"Well, I do," Rebekah mentioned.
Maxwell gently took the object and together with Rebekah, he slightly examined it. The second their hands touched the canister, it was almost like a switch was activated and it opened, revealing a strange key that was shaped like the symbol they had seen moments before.
"Merlin's beard!" George gasped. "How did you-"
"Wait. We don't know exactly what it is." Fig interrupted. "We don't know if it's cursed or anything. We should show this to one of the faculty members at Hogwarts. Maybe they can give us a clue about-"
As Professor Fig continued to speak, Maxwell felt ice in his veins once again as the shadow he saw earlier fluttered in his peripheral vision. Before he could react, he grabbed Rebekah and held her close to his chest just seconds before the carriage was ripped in half, the missing piece....as well and George was in the jaws of a massive dragon!
Maxwell and Professor Fig held onto the walls inside the carriage for dear life as their feet dangled helplessly off the edge of the splintered ledge. They knew it was just a matter of seconds, but it felt like minutes seeing the dragon, holding the other end of the carriage in its mouth.
The driver tried to go faster, but of course, it was pointless, trying to out-fly a dragon.
Maxwell watched in horror as the dragon crushed the carriage in his jaws, making him realize George's fate. He could feel Rebekah trembling violently in his arms as she clung to him. She then looked up at the window behind them and saw what looked like skeletal pegasi materializing out of thin air, which caused her to scream in terror.
Maxwell's heart sank when he realized what she had seen. Thestrals. Creatures that only appear to those who have witnessed death. And they just saw-
"MAXWELL!! REBEKAH!! JUMP!!!" Professor Fig yelled before he leaped out of the carriage with the students following suit.
Maxwell continued to hold Rebekah close as they fell, using his body to shield her from harm. He could feel the heat of the dragon's flames as it incinerated the carriage they had just escaped from. This was it, he concluded. This was how they were going to die.
"The key!!" Fig yelled, breaking his thoughts as the man grabbed his hand just seconds before everything went dark.
~~~~
Maxwell jolted awake as he felt as if his heart was in a vice. His breathing was heavy and painful as he began to take note of where he was. A circular stone room with windows on all sides, canopy beds draped with burgundy curtains decorated with golden lion motifs, and worn posters of various Quidditch players from around the world that were plastered to the walls. He was in his dorm room at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his new home away from home. He could still hear the booming voice of the Sorting Hat as it boldly cried "Gryffindor" for all the world to hear moments after being placed on his head.
As he finally got his bearings, he rested his forehead on his knees as he tried to calm his breathing. The images of his ordeal still haunted his thoughts.
The dragon...
George's death...
The Thestrals....
Ranrok...
The Vaults beneath Gringotts....
The mysterious castle ruins in the cliffs of the Scottish highlands...
The glowing flame-like mark...
Rebekah...
That did it. The second the girl with the blue eyes came to mind, it was as if his heart immediately began to settle down. Her kind smile, the faint dusting of freckles on her cheeks, the soft curls of her chocolate brown hair, her stormy blue eyes...
What was it about her that affected him so much?
"Davis?" A voice spoke as one of his roommates, Newt Seaford, sat up and rubbed his eyes, his strange blue hair was partially sticking to the left side of his face due to the drool that had dried on his cheek. "What are you doing awake?"
Maxwell frowned. "I guess I had that nightmare again."
"The one about the dragon?" Newt asked.
He nodded.
"Hey, I know what happened was terrifying, but you're at Hogwarts now. You and that Rebekah girl made it here safe and that's what should matter most. You're ok, mate." Newt reassured.
The young wizard only shrugged. "I guess." He then rose out of bed and walked to the nearby corridor
"Whoa, whoa, wait, where are you going? If Professor Matilda or Professor Fig found out you were leaving-"
"I'm just going to the Common Room. I need some air." Maxwell replied before making his way downstairs. He could feel the warmth of the fireplace as he sat on the couch near the center of the room. In the quiet of the space, he could hear the soft snores and sleep-induced murmurings of the people who were immortalized in the plethora of paintings that covered the walls.
As his thoughts continued to stir around in his anxious brain, he felt like he was being watched. Looking around, he noticed that there was one portrait in particular whose resident was wide awake. It was an older woman with neatly coiffed strawberry blonde hair, and silver eyes that reminded him of starlight. She was dressed in a Medieval Era gown and a matching veil pinned into her hair. Her name was Valencia Fairlight, one of the many professors listed among Hogwarts' extensive alumni, and she was among the first people to welcome him into Gryffindor House.
"Good evening, Madame Fairlight." He greeted somewhat half-heartedly.
"Good evening, young Maxwell. Is something troubling you?" Fairlight frowned.
He gulped. "Have you.....have you ever had to keep a secret.....one that was so serious that if you blurted a word of it to anyone, it'd endanger their life? Or worse?"
Fairlight nodded. "Oh, you have no idea. I have kept so many secrets from students and professors over the years that it's practically ridiculous. Can you imagine holding onto wishes, classified information, or even gossip for over six centuries? Before my real self's passing, since she was originally a spy for one of the Scottish lords during the First War she made me promise that whatever secrets anyone would entrust with me, they would never be revealed to anyone, even long after they're gone."
He chuckled. "Yeah. I can imagine that would be difficult. But have you ever revealed a secret before?"
Fairlight thought for a moment before nodding once more. "I have. Only when it was earnestly asked of me."
"So if I tell you anything now.....you'll never breathe a word of it to anyone?"
"Absolutely. Whatever secrets you harbor within your heart, I promise I will never reveal them, unless you request otherwise." Fairlight vowed as she curtsied elegantly.
He took a deep breath before speaking his mind. "The truth is.....if you remember people asking me about being attacked by a dragon....that fact is indeed true. Professor Fig, my friend Rebekah, and I were attacked by a dragon....and Professor Fig believes the attack wasn't by happenstance."
"So Eleazar believes the attack was orchestrated by someone?"
"Yes, and he also believes whoever sent the dragon was targeting me and Rebekah."
"Who would be targeting you, though? And why?" Fairlight worried.
Maxwell grimaced a bit before he continued. "Professor Fig.....well......he showed Rebekah and me a box. One was made of goblin metal.....and it was glowing. However, only Rebekah and I could see the glow."
Fairlight gave him a look. "A light that only you two could see?"
"Yes. When we opened it, inside was a key with a strange symbol on it. We were about to discuss it further, but then the dragon showed up.....the look on Rebekah's face when.....the Thestrals....when Mr. Osoric...."
"You don't have to go into those details, my dear." Fairlight comforted. "I know it was probably a traumatizing moment witnessing such a tragedy. You may continue with what happened afterward."
He nodded before taking a deep breath to compose himself. "As we fell, Professor Fig grabbed us and the key and suddenly, we appeared at the coastline of the Scottish Highlands."
"A Portkey." Fairlight mused.
"Yes, that's what the Professor called it. Anyway, we made our way through the caves along the coast until we saw a broken bridge leading to what was once a castle. After the Professor fixed the bridge, we investigated the ruins until Rebekah and I found the strange symbol again, but this time, it was on a wall and it had the same peculiar glow. When we got closer, it was like a window appeared, revealing what looked like a massive room with a chandelier. Suddenly, we ended up in the room and it turned out it was Gringotts."
"The bank in Diagon Alley?" Fairlight asked.
"Yes, and Bargruff, the goblin at the desk, was waiting for us. Said that the key opened one of the vaults in the farthest reaches of the bank. Rebekah, the Professor, and I investigated the vault and at one point, we ended up separated. It took some trial and error maneuvering through the dark. If it wasn't for the wisps of light I saw guiding my way, I wouldn't even be here now.
"After facing an army of enchanted armor that stood in my way, I found a strange archway that led to a large room that had pillars that looked like twisting trees made of metal or stone. At the center was a basin and a vial was floating above it."
"A Pensive. A device that is used for memories." Fairlight mused.
"Yes. That was what the Professor called it. After he poured the contents of the vial into the Pensive, we saw a memory of a man building the room with magic. And saying that only those who can see ancient magic like him are worthy of the knowledge he was leaving behind."
"And you think the ones he found worthy are you and Rebekah?"
Maxwell nodded.
"I see. You may continue." Fairlight noted.
"After seeing the memory, we were ambushed by a goblin named Ranrok."
"The goblin that has been terrorizing wizards and witches?"
"Yes, we managed to evade him and escape with our lives....but we ended up on the path leading to Hogwart. It was then the Professor made us promise not to tell anyone about what had occurred. I know I am breaking my promise to him by telling you, but.....I had to say something."
"I can understand. Information like that can weigh heavily on your heart. I can sense that much in you." Fairlight frowned. "But don't worry, my dear. I have eyes all over Gryffindor House and I can assure you that not a soul has heard this entire conversation. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you, Madame," Maxwell murmured, relief washing over him.
As silent fell upon the room once again, Fairlight's face crumpled in thought. The wizard watched as she began to pace around in her portrait, the only sound heard was the swish of her gown as it slowly graced the floor beneath her feet with every step. Suddenly, her pacing stopped as her eyes sparked, meaning she had an epiphany.
"I might not be of much help, especially since this mystery man you saw was probably alive years after my time....but I do want to at least gather information on your behalf. Maybe one of the portraits in Hogwarts might have been from that man's era and may have heard whispers about him."
Maxwell frowned. "But....but I thought you said you promised you'll never reveal any secrets."
"That is true....because I am not going to tell anyone. I'm not even going to dare tell anyone. All I need for you to do....is describe to me the symbol you and Rebekah had seen on the portkey box and the ruined wall. Then I can ask anyone if they know anything about it. If they do, I will relay the information I have gathered back to you."
Maxwell smiled. He then rushed to grab a quill, an inkwell, and a piece of paper before sketching the symbol by memory. "Is this enough?"
Fairlight smiled after examining it. "That is perfect. I promise I will do everything I can to help with this investigation."
"Thank you, Madame Fairlight. But what about Rebekah?"
"If I happen to cross paths with her, I will tell her that I am a friend of yours and that she is safe with me."
"And what if she doesn't believe you."
"Oh dear, you're right." Fairlight grimaced. "I don't want to put her in further danger."
"I'll think of something. Until then, just act like nothing is going on for now. I'll think of something. Just give me time."
"How about the next new moon? That way, you will have more time to plan things out."
"That's brilliant." Maxwell sighed. "Thank you, Madame Fairlight. And please......be careful."
Fairlight looked at him with a soft, but serious look in her eyes. "Oh, my dear Maxwell, I believe it is I who should be telling you that." She spoke, her concerned tone sent chills up his spine as he returned to his dorm. Unfortunately, while telling Fairlight the truth did help ease his mind......all he felt now....was an overwhelming sense of dread.