Elements of Harmony
Chapter 25: Diagon Alley
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HOGWARTS, FOURTH EARTH
Minerva McGonagall lay both letters open before her on her desk. One of them contained a response she'd expected, but she was disappointed anyway:
Headmistress McGonagall:
I've inquired into what you asked, but even in these times, now that Voldemort is a terror of the past, the rest of the Ministry is still reluctant to acknowledge anything otherworldly. There are probably records of the Elements of Harmony in our care; it's just that no one is willing to reveal where they are. I'm sure there's also a prophecy about them, or maybe two, but at the rate I'm getting answers, the only way I can know is if I scour the Department of Mysteries shelf by shelf. I'll keep trying. In the meantime, I wish you a school year relatively free of chaos, which Hogwarts certainly hasn't seen in a while.
Sincerely,
Kingsley Shacklebolt
Minister for Magic
The other letter was more pleasing in nature, though it was unexpected:
Professor McGonagall:
I know you had said that due to our 'heroic actions', Harry, Ron, and I were excused from our final year of school and would receive full credit. Harry and Ron, of course, intend to take this opportunity and make the most of it, but I absolutely will not be known as the student who traded favors (of any kind, be they life or death or merely trivial) for credit and got out by only doing 6/7 of the work. It is for this reason that I wish to reject my honorary credit and return to the school to finish term properly. If you'll allow it, you will see me at the beginning of this term. Thank you again for the honor, and for taking the time to consider this.
Sincerely,
Hermione Granger
After deliberation, McGonagall decided to answer Hermione's letter first and Shacklebolt's second. She dipped a quill in ink, drafting her reply.
RIDDLE HOUSE, FOURTH EARTH
"You may all do as you wish," Voldemort told his resurrected fellows as they sat around the dining room table—not as spacious as that of Malfoy Manor, but enough to crowd the entire group in. "However, I shall first need to gather those that have been separated from us…our otherworldly allies."
"And how are you going to do that?" Yaxley asked.
"I have mastered the art of Apparition at the speed of darkness," Voldemort informed his followers. "Were you not aware that I could travel the distances between parallel worlds?"
"I knew," Bellatrix said. "The rest of these duffers might not have been paying attention to your comings and goings, but I knew. You seriously didn't know that we had friends in high places?"
"There were those the…dragon…mentioned," Yaxley admitted, "but I thought that Gorgon and Horvath were—"
"It was a draconequus," Voldemort interrupted, "and you were mistaken."
"Then neither of them deserted us," Scabior realized.
"Each was occupied with a battle on their own world," Voldemort explained, "and it was my impression that both had died by the time we last invaded Hogwarts. It is my sincere hope that the draconequus was not lying. With them on our side, along with other reinforcements—"
"We'd be right unstoppable," Bellatrix finished.
Voldemort rose from his chair. "It is my intent to find those whose locations I know and bring them here," he said. "I will not need your company. Only one will do. Bellatrix, as you have proven a faithful right hand—"
"What, I've been demoted?" Peter Pettigrew whined.
"You displayed weakness toward those who spared your life," Voldemort snarled at Pettigrew, "and it was for that weakness that you were killed before. You are fortunate that I have decided not to kill you immediately—as is Karkaroff." He sent a meaningful glare in Karkaroff's direction; Karkaroff shrank back guiltily. "Of all of you, I would say that Bellatrix, Bartemius, and Christopher were the most faithful…and Bellatrix most of all. Therefore, she shall accompany me to Fifth Earth."
"Fifth Earth?"
Everyone was surprised to hear Quirrell pipe up. He had made it a point to remain in the corner of all gatherings. Most had assumed that he did not want to be there at all, that his reappearance in the faction had been a mistake or a cruel joke. Though he no longer used the stammer he'd adopted at Hogwarts to bolster his image as an innocent, his voice still betrayed doubt and fear, doubt and fear that obviously did not belong among Death Eaters. However, as Quirrell went on, the others became stunned.
"I, too, had mastered Apparition at the speed of darkness," Quirrell said. "As you…as some of you…know, I…I had a fascination with the Dark Arts. I became adept at it, and I knew that Fifth Earth was a wellspring for Morganians…you see, before it occurred to me that Mast—that Lord Voldemort might have survived his first encounter with Potter, before I ever sought him out, I had thought I could raise Morgana le Fay from the Grimhold. I took one apprentice and put him through training for the Rising, but…it was obvious that we couldn't do it on our own. That was when I decided to seek out Lord Voldemort, you see. Giving him life may not have been as powerful as giving Morgana le Fay life, but it was definitely a route to power, and…more accessible. I had intended to go between both worlds, training my apprentice for the Rising while tending to Lord Voldemort, but once he and I…joined…"
"I recall," Voldemort finished. "You said you had other obligations. I told you to forsake them. You obeyed."
"I was afraid of what you'd do if I didn't bestow upon you my…full attention…and you, much unlike Morgana, were a sure thing…"
Voldemort considered this. "So you too have connections on Fifth Earth. This could be of infinite use to us. I suppose it would not do us too much harm to add this apprentice of yours into our ranks, provided he is still alive…yes. Join us, Quirinus."
"WHAT?" Bellatrix shrieked. "But, my Lord, it was just to be you and me! I was your most faithful! Your right hand! I am the only one you can trust!"
"Quirinus presents to us an opportunity we must not overlook," Voldemort insisted, "and while you have given me many years of unwavering service to his two…he sacrificed his body for me, something no one else in this room can claim."
"My hand," Pettigrew said, sulking. He regretted it when he found the business end of Voldemort's want pointing at him:
"Do you wish to argue, Wormtail?"
"N-no…" Pettigrew squeaked. The wand was lowered. Pettigrew sighed with relief, then scowled at Quirrell. Bellatrix also shot Quirrell her dirtiest look.
"Do not give away our position or existence entirely," Voldemort warned, "upon the consequence of reliving your death. Beyond that, whatever you choose to do is up to you. Bellatrix, Quirinus…to me."
"Gladly, my Lord!" Bellatrix, knowing that without the skills of darkness the other two men had, she'd have to touch one of them in a Side-Along Apparition, grabbed onto Voldemort's right shoulder, pressing against him. Quirrell made his way cautiously to Voldemort's side. A look from Voldemort—strangely, one that made Quirrell feel less threatened than the looks given to him by Pettigrew and Bellatrix—signaled that he, too, was to touch the Death Eater Lord, as he had never been to the location where Voldemort intended to bring them. He gingerly touched Voldemort's left shoulder with the tip of his index finger.
Destination, determination, deliberation. Voldemort fixated upon the manor in the parallel world, determined to transport there, and in a blink, was gone, Bellatrix and Quirrell with him.
LONDON, FOURTH EARTH
Down Charing Cross Road was a pub. Half of those who passed it saw it as an abandoned building, in desperate need of repair but with no hope of getting any, and so they walked on, paying it no mind. The other half, however, saw the Leaky Cauldron as it truly was: a place bustling with light and activity. It was here that McGonagall had directed Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. Luna had seen them there, made sure that Twilight's glamour properly protected their Kentauride bodies from the eyes of passing Muggles, paid for three rooms for the six to stay in, and then gone home to Canterlot, leaving the six to their own devices. By then, night had fallen, and the six divided up to their rooms, falling asleep.
Twilight wasn't awoken by the soft filtering of sunlight through the window, nor was she woken by the quiet hooting of Owlowiscious as he sat on her bedpost. No, she was woken when her roommate bounced up and down upon the bed they shared:
"TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT, WAKE UP! WE'VE GOTTA GO GET OUR STUFF FOR SCHOOL!" Pinkie hopped up and down on the mattress. Gummy joined in, though his hops were rather pitiful compared to Pinkie's.
"GAAAH!" Twilight struggled into a sitting position, tucking all four legs underneath her and holding her torso upright. "Pinkie, is that really necessary?"
"I would have thought you would be most excited of all!" Pinkie squealed. "We're going to get our stuff so we can learn magic at Hogwarts! How are you not excited?"
Twilight realized Pinkie was right. "You know what? I really am excited!" She jumped out of the bed, rushing out of the room and down the hall. She and Pinkie knocked on the door of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's room. "Rainbow Dash!" they cried in unison. "Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy poked her head out of the door. "Um, Rainbow Dash wants to sleep more," she said softly.
"Tell them the sun only JUST came up!" Rainbow Dash added groggily from in the room.
"But shopping!" Pinkie argued. "School supplies! Magic!"
"I'll see if I can convince her to wake up," Fluttershy said before disappearing back into the room.
Pinkie and Twilight then pounded on Rarity and Applejack's door. They both answered immediately. "Somehow I knew you two would be up and at 'em at this hour," Applejack said with a smile.
"Let's get this over with," Rarity sighed.
"What's wrong, Rarity?" Pinkie asked, concerned.
Rarity unfolded the shopping list. "You see this? It says we need…plain black robes! Why don't they just admit that the ultimate goal is to stifle my creative spirit? Of all the worst possible things that could happen, this is THE—"
"Why don't we get some breakfast?" Applejack suggested, beginning to move downstairs.
The Leaky Cauldron was filled with humanoids of varying shapes and sizes, from those taller than average to those shorter than average. All wore cloaks of one hue or another. The six were not only the only Kentaurides in the building, but the only ones not wearing cloaks, instead donning their tees.
"Mornin'," the bartender, a man introduced to them as Tom, greeted. "I trust you slept well?"
"Not as long as I would have liked," Rainbow Dash grumbled.
"Just fine," Twilight corrected.
"Breakfast is on the house for you," Tom said, taking out six plates. "Well, technically, your friend Luna covered it until you have some Galleons of your own, which she told me would be soon. Now, is it really true what Luna said? That you're travelers from another world?"
"It feels kinda weird just admittin' it," Applejack said. "We've been keepin' it mostly secret whenever we turn up someplace new."
"It's rather obvious to us," Tom told her. "First of all, you've all got American accents, though that could just mean you're from across the pond. But after that, your bodies aren't like any centaurs I've ever seen. Bright blue, and with wings! That shade of pink! And what are those strange markings, tattoos?"
"Cutie Marks," Pinkie answered gladly. "We get them when we figure out our special talent! Mine is partying, so I have balloons! You have some great parties here, right? I mean, it is a pub and everything!"
"We've been known to have the occasional party," Tom admitted. "Makes me wonder what the other centaurs will say at the sight of you."
"I hope they like us," Pinkie said worriedly.
"Well, that depends on them," Tom pointed out. "Oh, and there's one more thing. Luna only gave me last names for three of you."
"We know," Rarity sighed. "Headmistress McGonagall said that we would all need last names in order to register at the school. But how do you expect me to pick something wonderful and unique enough?"
"You could be Belle," Pinkie suggested. "To go with Sweetie Belle!"
"But I don't want to have Sweetie Belle's name," Rarity complained. "I want my own!"
"I'm not sure why you're so hung up on this," Applejack sighed. "I just went with Apple. Can't you just pick somethin'? We need to send our names over with Owlowiscious before we get on the train!"
"All right," Rarity huffed. "I'll have something by today. What about you, Fluttershy?"
"Any name would be fine," Fluttershy said. "That's why it's hard to pick."
Six breakfast plates were finished, though Fluttershy left her bacon untouched. "Now," Twilight said, "to find this…Diagon Alley. I wonder where in London it is. If we could just find a good map…"
"Diagon Alley won't be on any map," Tom told her, leaving the area behind the bar. "It's been well hidden from Muggle eyes. I'll open the way for you this time around."
He withdrew a slender wooden wand from his robes, tapping the bricks of a bare wall. The bricks then shifted aside, forming an archway that led to someplace Twilight absolutely knew wasn't there on the outside of the building as it stood in London. A bustling, slightly crooked road ran between many charmingly angular buildings.
"Wow…" Twilight gasped.
"Good luck," Tom wished as the six stepped through the archway and into the hidden district of London.
DIAGON ALLEY, FOURTH EARTH
"So let's see," Twilight said, unrolling her list. "First things first, we need to get our money in order. Then we should get our wands, so we can do things like open the Alley ourselves." Struck by realization, she cried, "Of COURSE! Wands! It's a conduit!"
"Huh?" her friends chorused.
"Magic can be enhanced by passing it through a conduit," Twilight clarified. "Like a wand or a magic weapon. A magical item helps concentrate spells and target them to one particular location, and the tighter the concentration of a spell, the more effective it is!"
"Like the Alicorn Amulet was on Trixie?" Rarity guessed.
Twilight shook her head. "Not quite. The Alicorn Amulet was enchanted to have its own powers that were independent of who was wearing it. It gave her extra powers. Wands will actually focus the powers we already have without giving us any extra."
"Let's go already!" Rainbow Dash insisted.
"We do have a large list to get through," Rarity added.
"Right," Twilight said, rolling up her list. "Let's go!"
The first stop, Gringotts, was a tall and imposing white structure braced with columns. Inside, over polished marble floors, wizards and witches did business with the goblin employees, trading coins and moving toward the back to be escorted to vaults.
"I'll handle this," Rarity said. She moved up to the first counter where there was an opening, placing the bits Luna had given her on the polished surface. "Hello! My name is Rarity, and these are my friends. As you could probably tell, we aren't from around here, and our money doesn't quite translate. If you could be a dear and help us get the correct currency, we would all be very grateful, especially myself."
The goblin behind the desk removed one of the bits from its purse. "Do you know what this is?" he asked after a long pause.
"Yes," Rarity said. "Do you?"
"It's a bit," the goblin replied, his tone sounding almost disgusted. "An Equestrian bit. Where did you get these?"
"I don't really believe that is your concern," Rarity said. "If it will alleviate your need to question where we received these coins, we have more than enough to spare for a fee."
"Bribery won't be necessary," the goblin said. "I'll change these out for you…but throwing around things like this isn't exactly going to be welcome around here." He was starting to take notice of the irregularities of those before him, especially Rarity: her purple curls, the triple-diamond mark on her flank, her unusually short height for a Kentauride. "Between you, me, and everyone in Diagon Alley, you're from the Forbidden Forest, you hear? And that's unusual enough on its own."
"But we aren't—" Applejack began.
"Forbidden Forest," the goblin insisted sternly, "and I don't want to hear anything otherwise."
He disappeared for a while, returning with sacks of shining new coins. "You'll already know how these work, being that you're from around here," he practically growled as he shoved them toward Rarity. "While you're here, were you interested in a vault?"
"Not this time around," Rarity declined. "Perhaps later."
As the group left Gringotts, Fluttershy voiced what they were all thinking: "It's strange. We finally found a place where they understand magic enough that we can tell some people why we're really here, like Headmistress McGonagall or Tom. But we still have to keep it a secret from everypony else, even though they know what magic is. I don't want to know what would happen if we said the wrong thing to the wrong person."
"Well, we won't," Twilight assured Fluttershy. "We know we can trust McGonagall and Tom, and from there, our information is on a need-to-know basis. We should head over to Ollivanders."
"So," Rainbow Dash asked, "exactly how excited are you to get wands, Twilight?"
"So excited, you wouldn't even BELIEVE it!" Twilight squealed.
At first, the six had trouble believing they'd found the correct place. Ollivanders was dark, dusty, and abandoned. The only reason they'd even suspected it was open at all was that the door was unlocked. Shelves of boxed wands loomed over the creaky floor.
"I d-d-don't like this," Fluttershy squeaked.
"Maybe Ollivander ain't here," Applejack theorized.
"I assure you, I am in fact here…"
The almost whispery voice made all six jump. Garrick Ollivander seemed to shift out of the shadows. His hair was completely gray, and though his frame was slight, he carried himself with deliberation.
"It's not often that centaurs come to this shop," he said, a suspicious lilt to his voice. "Especially such unique centaurs."
"We're from the Forbidden Forest," Twilight told him. "We're…seeing what human society is like."
"It was my impression that centaurs were quite disgusted with human society," Ollivander replied. "I hope you are finding it at least tolerable."
"More than tolerable!" Pinkie cried, hopping up and down. "This place is FUN!"
"I see…" Ollivander nodded. "And what brings you to a wand shop? Are you, in fact…"
"Looking for wands," Twilight asserted. "We need them to…try out human-style magic."
Ollivander nodded again. "Strange, strange indeed…but all the best stories have started with strange circumstances and strange requests, have they not? These past seven years have changed us greatly, and it all began when a very strange boy entered my shop and claimed ownership of a very strange wand…but I digress. You are here for business."
"So how does this work?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Do we just pick the one that's coolest or something?"
"The witch does not choose the wand." Ollivander shook his head. "The wand chooses the witch." He stepped toward Twilight. "You seem to me like a woman of much magical potential. Would you like to try first? It will take much trial and error, so I suggest that for efficiency, you hand each wand down the line for your friends to try."
"Well…okay." Twilight watched as Ollivander took the nearest wand box and handed it to her. She removed from it a thin stick of wood, one she felt was charged with magical energy. She raised it and lowered it experimentally—and immediately had it ripped from her hands by Ollivander.
"No, no, no," he muttered. "Certainly not. Try this."
The first wand was handed down to Applejack, and Twilight was given another wand. This one was also removed from her as soon as it was granted. The wand was passed to Applejack, Applejack handed hers to Pinkie Pie, and Ollivander placed a third in Twilight's hand.
This pattern continued, the wands being handed down brigade-style, until Twilight raised one wand to find that it shot purple sparks completely unbidden. "GAAAAAH!" she cried in surprise.
"Hmm." Ollivander took the wand from her. "Yes…this is the one for you. Twelve inches. Acacia. Phoenix feather. Unyielding." He stared directly into her eyes, and Twilight felt as though Ollivander was reading her soul. "The phoenix feather adapts to the most varied magic, but is the rarest of the three cores I use. You are indeed something special. Quite advanced, as the acacia betrays, and not one for using magic lightly or for show. And, unless I am mistaken…just as unyielding as the wood."
"I guess that's true," Twilight finally managed to sputter.
She worried that maybe Luna had been wrong, and that her non-unicorn friends wouldn't be able to actually wield wands. However, Fluttershy was the next to produce sparks from a wand; it startled her to the point where she ran behind a shelf to hide from the wand that had chosen her.
Ollivander examined it. "Ten and a half inches. Chestnut. Unicorn tail hair. Quite flexible. So you are a timid one…but most likely drawn to plants and animals, as chestnut wielders generally are. It also suggests to me a talent in flying…which, judging from those wings, is probably not a bad guess."
"Oh, Rainbow Dash is much better than me at flying," Fluttershy insisted, but she still took the wand, gripping it gingerly.
Rainbow Dash was in fact the next to find her sparking match. "Cool!" she cried.
"Thirteen inches, dragon heartstring, cedar. Stiff," Ollivander broke down the details. "Attracted to power…not easy to deceive. Very loyal. Not one I would want to cross."
"Are you talking about me or the wand?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Ollivander didn't answer, for Pinkie Pie's wand had burst into a spark shower and she was giggling with glee. Ollivander explained her match: "Fourteen inches, dragon heartstring, dogwood. Swishy. Quite a loud one…but very playful. Mind you, that is not a wand that will want to be bored."
"Well, I'm not a Kentauride that wants to be bored!" Pinkie affirmed.
Applejack's wand then revealed itself. "Nine and a half inches," Ollivander described. "Applewood—"
"Big surprise THERE!" Pinkie cried, and Applejack couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"…unicorn tail hair, solid," Ollivander finished. "Applewood generally denotes those who are moral, well-loved, and long-lived…but I detect there is a special connection between you and the tree?"
"You could say that," Applejack replied with a knowing smirk.
"It's not faaaiiiir!" Rarity whined. "I'm very magical! How come my wand hasn't shown up yet?"
"It always takes time," Ollivander said, "but I have not yet met the witch to whom I could not match a wand. Hmm…perhaps…" He selected a wand, deliberating over it. "Try this."
Rarity picked up the wand, and it immediately sparked. Rarity's face lit up brightly.
"As I thought." Ollivander smirked. "Thirteen inches, ebony, unicorn tail hair. Hard. Ebony is a wand wood only for the most courageous and self-assured…the nonconformists. The masters of self-expression. Those who dare to be different."
"Well, I should say that is me," Rarity affirmed with a nod. "I would want nothing else."
The group moved to the counter to pay for the wands. "Yes," Ollivander repeated to himself, "strange wands for a strange group. I look forward to seeing what will come of this."
"You say that like you think we'll make the news," Twilight replied, half jokingly.
Ollivander replied, not at all jokingly, "You will."
"Okay, he was creepy," Rainbow Dash voiced as soon as the group had left Ollivanders and moved towards Flourish and Blotts.
"I'm sure he's a very nice person," Fluttershy said with a nod, "but I'm glad it's over."
"On the bright side, we did end up with our wands," Twilight said, caressing her new acacia instrument of magic. "Now on to get our books!"
"This is the best day ever for ya, ain't it?" Applejack asked with a grin. "First magic wands, now magic books?"
"You bet!" Twilight replied joyously.
Flourish and Blotts was quite a charming bookstore, much more well lit than Ollivanders. "Let's see," Twilight muttered once inside. "First, we need our Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, by Miranda Goshawk…"
She led the others to the shelf where one would find "Goshawk", and an array of copies of the Standard Book of Spells in various grades was laid out. Twilight put her hand out to touch one of the copies; her arm knocked into another that was reaching for a different book on the same shelf.
"Sorry!" Twilight cried, looking at who she'd accidentally bumped into: a young redheaded woman with pale skin, copious freckles, and a calming smile.
"It's all right," the redhead replied. "Go ahead."
Twilight took her copy of Grade 1 while the redhead took down a copy of Grade 7. "So you're a student at Hogwarts?" Twilight asked.
The redhead nodded. "Seventh year. I see you're getting the first-years' edition."
"It's…complicated," Twilight said. "Maybe we'll run into each other later."
"Oh, are you going to the school?" The redhead looked a little perplexed, noting that Twilight was much too old to be a first-year.
"Yeah…like I said, it's complicated."
"Well, see you, then."
"See you around!"
Twilight turned to see that her friends had spread out throughout the shop and were each immersed in different books. Fluttershy in particular was hypnotized by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, first jumping in fright upon encountering an illustration of a quintaped and then softening enough to say "Aww."
Finally, all books were collected, and Twilight rifled through the stack of her purchases ecstatically. "Magical Theory? A HISTORY OF MAGIC? I can't wait!"
It was agreed upon, to Rarity's chagrin, that the next stop should be to pick up uniforms at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. The six entered, met a short witch clothed in purple who introduced herself as Madam Malkin, and then explained their need for Hogwarts uniforms.
"Well," Malkin said, slightly taken aback. "I've never sewn robes for centaurs before. This will take some doing…but worry not, I will have your robes for you."
Soon, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy sat on chairs alongside the wall (a surprisingly easy feat, even with such a body structure) as Malkin hemmed a black robe around Rarity, allowing enough extra fabric that the robe draped all the way down around Rarity's hooves.
"Oh, the horror!" Rarity cried. "The equestrianity!"
"I think it looks nice," Twilight said. "It's just plain black. You said yourself that goes with everything—"
"That means it's meant to go WITH things, Twilight! This is just so ORDINARY!"
"Black's good enough for all the other students," Malkin told Rarity, "so it's good enough for you."
"I went to find the other stuff we needed while we waited!" Pinkie announced, bounding towards the others with a pointed black hat on her head. "Look at this! We all really get to wear these!"
"I've always wanted one," Twilight admitted, taking one of the hats.
"And the list said dragon-hide gloves for work," Pinkie went on. "So I got us a bunch of pairs!" She handed out gloves. "They didn't come in any fun colors, though."
"A plain accessory," Rarity sighed, "to finish a plain outfit."
"What brings you all out of the Forbidden Forest and into schooling at Hogwarts, anyway?" Malkin asked. "You all seem a bit old."
"There are extenuating circumstances," Rarity began. "You see—"
"Twilight," Pinkie interrupted, "are you doing what I think—"
"NO!" Twilight quickly slipped the left dragonhide glove onto her hand before anyone else could realize that she'd been distracted after putting the right one on…just staring at it, one hand bare. No matter where she went, it seemed, there would always be something there to remind her.
Before anyone else could comment, the bell over the door jingled and two young women walked in. Twilight recognized the redhead from Flourish and Blotts. Tagging along with her was a girl of about the same age with long blonde hair, milky-white skin, and a sort of dreamy look in her pale blue eyes.
"Ah, Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood," Malkin greeted. "Here for seventh-year alterations? I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit. I've got somewhat of a project on my hands."
"Oh, it's no trouble," the blonde—Lovegood—replied. "We can be patient."
"It's you," the redhead—Weasley—said with a smile. "How's shopping going along, then?"
"Pretty well," Twilight said. "We have most of the parts of our uniforms, all our books, and our wands. You?"
"I think Luna and I have got everything."
"Luna," Twilight repeated. She looked to the blonde. "That's you?"
"Yes," Lovegood said with a nod. "Luna Lovegood."
"I have a very good friend back home named Luna," Twilight said. "Let's just say I think it's a pretty good name."
"So you are becoming students," Weasley stated. "How is that, anyway?"
"This one here was about to explain that," Malkin said, "before we all got distracted by that one and her gloves."
"Well, as I was saying," Rarity went on, "there are extenuating circumstances. We had a certain interest in leaving the Forbidden Forest to see how magic was done among human society, and after a little of this happened and a little of that happened, Headmistress McGonagall got us into the first-year class. It's not something that can be done for just anyone, of course, but we have…special talent."
"I see," Malkin said, though it sounded more like she really didn't.
"So you're going to be Sorted?" Weasley asked. "I assume so, if you're going to be like all the other students. If any of you get into Gryffindor, you'll be with me. I'm Ginny Weasley, by the way. This is my friend, Luna Lovegood. She's in Ravenclaw."
"Lovely," Rarity replied. "Well, I'm Rarity…er…Rarity, and these are my friends Twilight Sparkle, Applejack…Apple, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy…"
"Posey," Fluttershy finished, having chosen a surname for herself at last.
"So how do these four houses work, anyway?" Twilight asked. "Is it just random, or…"
"You're done," Malkin informed Rarity. "Next!"
Rarity took a few experimental steps in her draping black robe. "It will do, I guess," she sighed. Rainbow Dash took her place, eager to have her robe fitting over with.
"How much do you know about the four founders of Hogwarts?" Ginny asked.
"There were four of them!" Pinkie cried.
"That's…technically right," Ginny said in response.
"We also know that Slytherin had some kind of falling out with the other three," Twilight added. "And that's about it."
"Well," Ginny explained, "each of the founders liked a certain value best, and people—or centaurs, in your case—get sorted into the house of whatever founder they have the value of. With some exceptions. The Sorting Hat—that's what does it—won't ever put you in a house where you say you don't want to go. Gryffindor is all about courage, Hufflepuff is about kindness, Ravenclaw is about wisdom, and Slytherin is about ambition. Of course, the houses all have a bit of a…reputation. A lot of Gryffindors were heroes in the last war against Voldemort…you know about that, right?" When the six nodded, Ginny went on. "Hufflepuffs are sort of thought of as…well, not very talented compared to the other houses. And Slytherin's mostly been Dark witches and wizards like Voldemort."
"Well, we all know where Fluttershy's going," Rainbow Dash teased. "Element of kindness, house of kindess, anypony?"
"I didn't mean that Hufflepuffs really WEREN'T talented," Ginny said hurriedly, backtracking. "It's only a reputation!"
"Much like the reputation that Wrackspurts have for eating brain cells," Luna said, completely deadpan. "But that isn't true. They only make your thoughts a little fuzzy for a while. Then they leave you alone."
Ginny had stepped behind Luna, making gestures with her hands while mouthing the words "There are NO SUCH THINGS as Wrackspurts."
"I'm thinkin' it's gonna be 'round lunchtime by the time we get outta here," Applejack observed. "Where would you two go in Diagon Alley if you had a hankerin' for some good food?"
"There are mostly sweetshops," Ginny said. "But if you were going to ask my older brother George, well, he'd say there was nothing wrong with making lunch out of an afternoon at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor."
"What house was George in?" Fluttershy asked.
"Gryffindor, like me," Ginny answered. "You'll hear about him and Fred a lot at the school. They were pretty infamous practical jokers. In fact, their shop is still up and running here in the Alley. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. If you need anything from a joke shop, I'd recommend it."
"I wanna go there!" Pinkie cried.
"And we can tell Fred and George you said hi!" Twilight added.
"Well…you'll only really be able to tell George," Ginny said.
"Why?" Twilight asked. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all guessed the answer, and winced in advance.
Ginny shifted uncomfortably; Luna supplied the answer. "He died heroically in the last battle for Hogwarts against Voldemort."
"Oh…" Twilight felt sheepish. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be." Ginny flashed a smile. "We've all had time for it to sink in. A lot of good wizards and witches died that day. We move on, that's all. Besides, if Fred saw any of us being sad for his sake, he'd probably not let us get away with it. Being a joker and all. He'd try to find some way to make a big joke of it."
Though she knew better to say it out loud, Pinkie Pie wished she could have met Fred Weasley. It sounded to her like he shared her enthusiasm for making people smile.
"So…" Twilight was anxious to change the subject. "Can you tell us more about how the school works? What should we expect?"
"Well," Ginny said, "first, you'll have to get on the Hogwarts Express…"
Finally, Malkin finished six Kentauride-sized robes. The six packed up their purchases, bid a temporary farewell to Luna and Ginny, and moved out to find that it was still rather early in the afternoon. They had enough time to pick up cauldrons, crystal phials, potion ingredients, brass scales, and telescopes before finding lunch—though Twilight was miffed at having to settle for a simple pewter cauldron.
"I mean, I don't want to break the rules," she went on. "I would never go to Potions class with the wrong kind of cauldron! Horrible things could happen! What if certain metals don't react right with the ingredients, and I just blow the whole thing up? At the same time, though, pewter's just not that efficient. Copper cauldrons would be able to brew a lot faster. I mean, a LOT faster. Even Starswirl the Bearded wrote that he always used—"
"Oh, look," Applejack quickly interrupted, "we're here at Fortescue's!"
The ice cream parlor, a small building with several tables set outside it, was labeled "Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor", though it seemed that there had once been other letters in front that were subsequently erased. The six sat down at one of the tables, and a young wizard, looking barely out of school, rushed out to wait on them.
"Hello," he said rather nervously. "I'm Caelan Fortescue…can I take your order?"
"First day on the job, pard'ner?" Applejack asked with a wink.
"First week, actually," Caelan replied. "I'm taking over for my father."
"Oh?" Twilight said, and her friends once again gave the pre-emptive wince as she said, "Did he retire?"
"Well…not exactly," Caelan said. "He was…killed in the war against You-Know-Who…"
"Oh!" Twilight cried, blushing. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said anything! I…let's just order, all right? Food! Food sounds good."
The six placed orders, and Caelan rushed inside to prepare each dish.
"Y'know, Twilight," Applejack said sternly, "ya gotta stop askin' people where their family members are after there's been a war on."
"I know, I know…" Twilight sighed. "Next time I'm about to say something like that, can somepony shut me up?"
"It looks like the war earlier this year really took a lot from this world," Fluttershy pointed out. "Ginny's brother, Caelan's father…I feel bad for them. I wonder how many other people lost loved ones."
"They might all be sad," Pinkie said, tears welling up in her own eyes. "Horribly, terribly sad!"
"We'll see how things go," Applejack said. "We can always lend a listenin' ear to anypony who needs it. But maybe it's like Ginny said and most everypony's moved on."
"Hey, Rarity," Rainbow Dash said, suddenly remembering. "Did you ever pick a last name?"
"Well, I've given it a lot of thought," Rarity said, "and I think I've finally come up with something."
Her friends all leaned in over the table. "Oh?" they said with curiosity.
"Imagine this," Rarity said. "A hush falls over the room. Somepony enters before me to announce my arrival. He clears his throat, in a rather dignified way, and says, 'Presenting…RARITY MAJESTY!'"
A silence fell over the table. Then Rainbow Dash fell over laughing.
"Well, that isn't very nice!" Rarity yelled.
"I like it," Fluttershy said honestly.
"I think it's fittin'," Applejack added.
"I'm sorry," Rainbow Dash said through her laughter, "but it just sounds so…so….hey, Twilight, what's that one word you taught me that means you're trying to sound way better than you are?"
"Pretentious?" Twilight offered.
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said, "that!"
"Not that I think it's pretentious!" Twilight quickly clarified.
"I think it's a GREAT name!" Pinkie cried.
Rainbow Dash climbed back into her seat. "Okay, but seriously," she said, "it's a bit silly, but it's you."
"Are you implying that I'm silly?" Rarity practically growled.
"No more than the rest of us," Rainbow Dash answered with a smirk. "And yeah, you can take THAT however you want to."
"Well…" Rarity noticed Caelan returning with a tray of sundaes. "Oh, Caelan! Those look absolutely delightful, darling! My compliments to the chef, of course! Tell him or her that Rarity Majesty said so."
"Well…I made them," Caelan said, blushing deeply. "I'm quite flattered, Miss Majesty…I…I hope you like them!" He quickly placed the sundaes on the table and ran back into the shop.
"See?" Rarity said. "He likes it."
"You seem to pick up admirers wherever you go," Applejack remarked. "Hey, who knows? What if Caelan's your perfect prince?"
"Well, this isn't how I would have imagined meeting, but I suppose it's possible," Rarity mulled over. "I never will know, will I? It seems like love is just destined to escape from me wherever I look for it."
"Then stop looking!" Pinkie suggested. "That way, it will surprise you! I mean, Twilight wasn't looking for love at all, and she ended up finding—"
"That doesn't count," Twilight snapped.
After lunch, it was decided that a trip to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was absolutely necessary. The building was a great pastel-colored monstrosity, looking like a candy planted among the other shops, and practically beckoned people to enter. The six gladly did so to find themselves in a crowded, well-lit shop stocked with all sorts of goodies.
"Welcome!" a redheaded man, obviously related in some way to Ginny Weasley, greeted. "What brings you lovely ladies in here?"
"George?" Applejack asked.
"That's me!" George said happily, stepping towards the six; they could now see that he was missing his left ear. "Tell me, what strikes your fancy? Are you here looking for something to get revenge on your enemies?" He produced a candy box, holding it out. "Canary Creams! Transforms whoever eats them into a canary. Don't worry, it's only temporary. Or are you looking more for something to improve your appearance?" He whipped out a pink feathered hat, placing it upon his head; his head and the hat promptly became invisible while the rest of his body was clearly there. "Headless Hats! Pretty self-explanatory."
Pinkie Pie burst into raucous laughter at the sight of George without a head. Fluttershy, reminded of the legend of the Headless Horse, cowered behind her.
George removed the Headless Hat. "Or were you looking for something a bit more…practical?" He now held out a beige string with what looked like a molded ear on one end. "Extendable Ears! Allows you to hear conversations from far away!"
"Now THAT," Twilight remarked, "looks like something we could use! Um…how much are those?"
"We're here," Applejack interrupted, "to say hi to Ginny Weasley's brother. We ran into Ginny over at Madam Malkin's, and she helped us out a lot with the information we needed, so we thought we'd pay y'all a visit. Besides, this looks like just the place Pinkie Pie'd be at home."
"Friends of Ginny, eh?" George said with a grin. "Don't s'pose I could convince you to swap out her wand for a patented Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes trick wand, now, could I? You know she'd never expect it coming from people she's just met—"
"DEAL!" Pinkie cried.
"She was right," Twilight observed. "You really are a joker at heart."
"The wizarding world's been just a bit too serious in recent years," George replied. "Someone's gotta keep a smile on everyone's face, am I right?"
"Oh, ABSOLUTELY!" Pinkie cried.
"I already like you!" George told Pinkie. "I take it you're a fellow practical joker?"
"I've done all the best ones I know!" Pinkie affirmed. "I just love making people laugh! This place looks like it has all sorts of ways to do that!"
"But I'm betting there's more here than meets the eye." Twilight looked at George somberly. "Those Extendable Ears, for example. That can be used for more than just a joke."
"Well," George said with a shrug, "desperate times call for the demand of certain items that would come in handy for self-defense."
"We don't know exactly all we're getting into here," Twilight said, "but it seems like catastrophe follows us. What do you have that might be able to help us out in desperate situations?"
"Well, let's see…"
George led the group to a certain shelf. "Decoy Detonators. They run away and explode if you need a diversion. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder…covers the area in darkness. Shield Hats—"
"Finally, something stylish!" Rarity placed a purple Shield Hat on her head.
"—to protect against minor curses," George finished.
"We'll take some of each," Twilight informed him. "After all, we've got Galleons left to spare."
"You aren't ordinary customers, now, are you?" George said with a wink.
"I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that when we walked in," Twilight replied.
"What kind of trouble do you get into that you need all this stuff, anyway?"
"Just enough."
"Ooh, Twilight!" Pinkie cried. "They've got flying hats! FLYING HATS!"
"Well…" Twilight looked through their funds. "We've still got a LOT left over from Rarity's sales. We could divide it up to spend on whatever we wanted here." She tossed Pinkie her share. "Flying hats it is!"
Pinkie didn't stop at Anti-Gravity Hats. She also picked up a fair amount of trick wands and "Wildfire Whiz-Bangs", fireworks that were nearly impossible to extinguish.
"Now, I'm entrusting you with these things," George said semi-seriously as he checked out the purchases, "with the expectation that you'll use them exactly the way I would: to make people laugh and give your enemies hell. After all, with me locked up in this shop all day, I can't very well do it myself!"
Pinkie saluted. "In the name of George Weasley, I'll do my very best!"
"Before I let you all go," George said, "I just happened to get in a shipment of Love Potions today. Can I interest any of you in—"
He didn't understand why all six of his Kentauride customers shrieked "NO!" and ran out of the store.
With the rest of the money that was divided up, the six picked out final touches. Fluttershy bought treats for the familiars at the Magical Menagerie, and also took that time to admire some of the stranger animals, from the furry Puffskein to the dangerous Fire-Crab. Rarity stopped into Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions and left with several loaded bags. Rainbow Dash spent a long time outside Broomstix going back and forth between saying there was no way the Firebolt could in fact outfly her top speed, as the statistics in the display window claimed, and saying that owning one would be very "awesome" indeed—she was finally dragged away when Twilight reminded her that first-years weren't allowed brooms, no matter how old they were, and she wasn't going to break the rules. Pinkie Pie spent her last few Sickles at Sugarplum's Sweets Shop on treats called chocolate frogs and "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans". Applejack decided to save her money rather than spend it, unable to think of anything she needed. As for Twilight, she ended up purchasing several mystic-looking objects that her friends insisted she wouldn't need—"Why do you need a chart of the moon? It's not even the same as our moon!" The last thing Twilight bought was a glass crystal sphere.
"A Remembrall," she said. "If it turns red, you forgot something. Not that I'll need it, since I never forget things, but it might come in handy."
"Does it tell you what you forgot?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well…no…"
"I don't see how that's handy."
"And you NEVER forget things?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Like how to unhypnotize Eugene Fitzherbert?"
"Well…I…you see, THAT time, a Remembrall might have come in handy! Sort of…"
They retired back to the Leaky Cauldron in time for dinner.
HORVATH'S MANOR, FIFTH EARTH
Voldemort, Quirrell, and Bellatrix materialized in the midst of a spacious atrium. The lights were down, casting ominous shadows over the decorated rug and tapestried walls.
"Where…where is this place?" Quirrell asked timidly.
"Still think it was a good idea to bring along the bed-wetting fraidy-cat?" Bellatrix taunted Voldemort.
"I'm not afraid," Quirrell snapped.
"Quirinus," Voldemort said calmly, "this is the residence of a good friend of mine…Maxim Horvath. A powerful Morganian. If anyone could have completed the resurrection and the Rising, it would be he. I had wanted him alongside me in the final battle for Hogwarts, but when I returned here, I was informed that he was deceased."
"Somethin's off here," Bellatrix noticed.
"This world is not on the same timeline as our own," Voldemort explained. "Effectively, we are several years in the future of where our world is…the year 2010, to be exact."
"More than that, though," Quirrell said. "I know this place…I have been here before, but somehow…it's different…"
Thud. The sound of a footstep planting itself deliberately on the ground caused all three to turn—Voldemort and Bellatrix slowly, Quirrell sharply. They beheld, at the bottom of a stairway, a stockily built, dark-haired man in a fur coat and fedora; he held a black cane topped with a glowing gem.
"Thomas Riddle," he said.
"Maxim Horvath," Voldemort replied, a smile growing across his face. "I had believed you dead."
"Lies," Horvath replied. "Any fool should have known I would survive."
"I wasn't told the details, but rather informed that the incident had something to do with the Rising…"
"The Rising," Horvath spat, "is out of the picture. The Prime Merlinean revealed himself, just as I said I had suspected, and le Fay is no more. However…it is of little consequence."
"Little consequence, Horvath?" Voldemort was taken aback. "The witch who inspired us…who paved our path…is of little consequence?"
Bellatrix grinned, beginning to giggle. "She rejected you, didn't she? You tried to get with 'er, and she went and rejected you!"
"I will not be accused of succumbing to such base weaknesses as lust!" Horvath replied angrily. "Now tell me. The takeover of Hogwarts. What happened?"
"We lost," Voldemort said. "We were killed."
"Even though the Horcruxes…"
"Destroyed, all of them. I intend to create more."
"And how am I seeing you stand here alive?"
"A strange power," Voldemort explained. "An Old One. A spirit of chaos. He was able to use the Resurrection Stone in a way that it never should have been used…thus, here we are. It makes me wonder if le Fay is not entirely gone…if I was not, she most certainly shouldn't be."
"It would most likely be up to the Old One," Horvath reminded him. "Still, your idea has merit."
"In her absence, I wish to propose a shift in our alliance. Instead of working across worlds to help each other with our respective goals…shall we focus on one path?"
"What path, exactly, are you suggesting?" Horvath inquired.
"My path," Voldemort answered. "As it always has been. To obtain immortality, to destroy my enemies…and then…to rid our worlds of impurity."
"You're lucky you know me so well and that I have nothing else to pursue," Horvath replied.
"I knew you would be the easy one to convince." Voldemort allowed himself another grin. "Medusa Gorgon, on the other hand…"
"Good luck with that."
"It shall be sorely needed, but I believe we can cause her to turn around…once we find her. I had also believed her dead."
"I thought you'd know better than that. Medusa Gorgon, allowing herself to die? Never."
"I recognize it," Quirrell suddenly burst out. "I recognize this place!"
"Who is that?" Horvath asked.
"When I was first revived, a shell of my former self," Voldemort explained, "he was my body. He may not look it, but Quirinus Quirrell is indeed a powerful seeker of dark magic. A most faithful ally."
"This place," Quirrell went on. "The tapestries are new, and the carpet's been changed…but this was the flat of my apprentice on this world."
"YOU?" Horvath was first stunned, then amused, laughing. "You were the master who abandoned him!"
"Drake Stone," Quirrell clarified. "You knew him!"
"He was useful to me…barely," Horvath answered, spite returning to his voice. "A weakling, magically and morally. He couldn't have gone through with the resurrection or the Rising. And I needed an energy source."
"You didn't…" Quirrell said, horrified.
"The Parasite Spell," Horvath answered. "He may not have made a competent sorcerer, but I assure you, he made a very powerful battery."
Quirrell shuddered at the news of the death of his apprentice. Bellatrix smiled sadistically.
"If we have reached an agreement," Voldemort said, "shall we…?"
"What first?" Horvath asked.
"I thought we'd made it clear," Voldemort reiterated. "Medusa."
"Then we shall."
"Where are we going next?" Quirrell asked.
"Death City," Voldemort replied.
"Fun place, it is," Bellatrix added.
"I should think a place called Death City would be one Lord Voldemort would avoid…" Quirrell said with a shudder.
"Which is why Medusa and I get along so well," Voldemort explained. "We would both love to use Death City as the vantage point from which we could see Death himself…die."
"Let us just get on with it," Horvath said, approaching Voldemort and putting out his hand. Voldemort grasped his wrist, and Bellatrix once again clung to her master, Quirrell gingerly touching him with two fingers this time, as Voldemort took them all on a Side-Along Apparition.
LONDON, FOURTH EARTH
The entire population of the Leaky Cauldron swayed back and forth, raising mugs and glasses high, to the beat of the Celestina Warbeck hit. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity couldn't help but smile and laugh as Pinkie Pie, raising a flagon of butterbeer, stood atop the table, belting out the lyrics she'd only recently learned:
"Oh, come and stir my cauldron,
And if you do it right,
I'll boil you up some hot, strong love
To keep you warm toniiiiiight!"
"I think I'm going to miss her most of all when you leave," Tom said when the song died down and applause rang out. "Never seen the Cauldron so lively!"
"That's our Pinkie Pie," Twilight affirmed.
Pinkie rejoined her friends. "I don't know about you, but I could stay up all night!"
"Except it's midnight," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "and we've gotta catch a train tomorrow."
"Awww…" Pinkie groaned. However, she gave in, and the six climbed the stairs to their rooms.
"We probably won't all be in the same house," Twilight said. "We'll have to be split up."
"But at least some of us should be in the same," Rarity pointed out. "After all, there are only four houses."
"Where do you wanna end up?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I think Gryffindor sounds cool."
"I was partial to the idea of Ravenclaw," Twilight admitted.
"I'll just trust the hat to put me wherever's best," Rarity answered.
"Time's gonna tell," Applejack said, approaching her bedroom door. "Well, g'night, everypony!"
"Good night!" they all chorused, then split into their roommate pairs and settled in for the last night in London.
Chapter 25
· I want to apologize in advance for this chapter. It's mostly going through Stations of the Canon, and in a rather boring way. But I had fun writing it. So…yeah.
· I know Kingsley would be cool with uncovering truth, but he's still got an entire Ministry under him that's scared.
· The Potter Wiki said that it was widely theorized that Hermione went back to redo her seventh year in order to finish her N.E.W.T.s. That sounds accurate, so why not?
· The idea of Quirrell being Drake Stone's mentor has long intrigued me. I mean, I know I had to pick SOME cool backstory for that mentor, and Quirrell makes sense. Now, I know the timing isn't going to add up. Let's just say that some years get lost when Apparating between worlds that aren't in time-sync and when you don't have godlike powers, Dark Matter, or a mist engine.
· I hope I characterized Tom right. We don't have much to go on, after all.
· The idea of conduits was one I had just because pretty much all fictional mages have wands/staffs/rings/weapons that they fire spells through.
· I know no one cares about the wands, but seriously, I spent so much time on the Harry Potter and Pottermore wikis looking up the perfect wands for each pony.
· I couldn't NOT have Ginny and Luna show up. I mean, of course they're going to be in the main story a lot later, but they needed to turn up now. I feel like because out of their friendgroup, they were the only two that were a year behind (the others being Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione; and they don't know Hermione is coming back yet), they'd probably become a dynamic duo of sorts. I was originally going to have them be Prefects, but Prefects can only be chosen from fifth years.
· I know. You're all stunned that I have no plans to put Mozenrath in this storylet. And I even love the idea of him as a Death Eater! First of all, this isn't the only storylet I'm doing at Hogwarts. They have seven full school years to complete, plus some messing with time. Second, he's still on Twi's mind. Third, this is the first storylet where I kind of start playing with the fact that not every villain will appear on every world. Even Discord has to take a break eventually. I'll be juggling which villains (and eventually heroes) will take center stage for each storylet and what overall arc each storylet contributes to most.
· The robes are black. No house colors. No stuff under them. THEY ARE THE BOOK VERSION. That is final.
· Copper cauldrons brew things faster because that's how it works in Pottermore.
· Caelan is my OC. I wanted Fortescue's to be open, but Florean is dead for certain, so I decided to give him a son that always wanted to join the family business.
· I love making Twi socially awkward. I feel like it's totally in character for her NOT to pick up on when a subject is touchy.
· Fluttershy's last name, "Posey", comes from a previous generation pony she's based on. Same with "Majesty".
· The reaction to the love potion is based on the "Hearts and Hooves Day" ep, which reveals that love potions in Equestria are, predictably, very damaging things that can hypnotize a pony forever and impair his/her judgment.
· Remembralls strike me as counterproductive. They don't tell you WHAT you forgot!
· Yeah, I'm loading them down with gear in case they need it later. You're thinking I'm planting Chekhov's Guns. I'm actually stocking up for "just in case" as much as they are. I have no plans for this stuff yet, but if you were an adventurer, you'd get all the useful things, right?
· An explanation of timing: first, Quirrell mentors Drake. Then Quirrell finds Voldemort and becomes his body. Quirrell dies. Voldemort is resurrected by Pettigrew. Horvath escapes from the urn Dave trapped him in. While the events of Sorcerer's Apprentice are going on, Horvath is dealing with Voldemort as well. Voldemort never got the details of what happened when Horvath tried to release Morgana, and thought he died in the attempt. Voldemort progressed to the battle at Hogwarts and died. Then…present day. I know that doesn't make 15 years since Drake was abandoned, but again, it makes 15 years on HORVATH'S world and 7 on Voldemort's. The worlds are not in time-sync.
· Why is Horvath not dead? Because there's a stinger in Sorcerer's Apprentice where he goes back to get his hat. And that's how you know he's not dead. Disney did it, not me!
· Horvath really is feeling spurned romantically by Morgana, but he'd never admit it. At least not now.
· I assume he took over Drake's apartment as his lair because that just makes sense. And also, he's the kind of guy who'd redecorate (re: take down all the posters Drake had of himself).
· I actually love Drake. I don't intend to leave him dead. He just has to stay dead for now.
· Medusa Gorgon, as you may have guessed if you're familiar with Soul Eater, is from the manga/anime Soul Eater. She's a witch with an affinity for snakes, which is why I like giving her connections to Voldy.
· Death City is the main world/city/thing from Soul Eater. Everything happens in or around it. And the personification of Death does live there. There are certain reasons I like to cross Soul Eater with Harry Potter…they will become apparent later. (Besides Medusa and Voldy, I mean.)
· That last bit in the Leaky Cauldron is supposed to be a few days later, right before the train to Hogwarts leaves. Still going with my headcanon that Apple family cider is alcoholic and Pinkie holds liquor really well. And yeah, I did just have her do a double-entendre laden song, but it's pretty much the only song we have LYRICS for in the wizarding world!