“The Guardians of Greylock”

The group walked slowly towards the stones, partially because they didn’t know what they were walking towards, and partly because they were so tired. It became clear that the stones ahead of them were quite large, and each irregularly shaped. “What are these?,” My_Butt asked. “They look ancient.”

As the group neared, they could see that what they’d mistaken for just stones were actually four statues, each seven feet tall and intricately carved in different materials beneath the vines. They were arranged in a circle facing a small, slightly raised, pedestal-like platform in the center.

Proudly, Urthbert announced, “We call them the Guardians of Greylock.”

Urthbert indicated for My_Butt to remove the vines from the front of the closest statue, which seemed to be made of an opaque golden beryl stone. “This is the Thunderbird,” he said as she uncovered the massive wings. “Wait till you see the storms they create. The Thunderbird delights in deeds of greatness, and favors those with an adventurous soul.”

Wulfkat and Jgundz began clearing off the next statue - a strong, proud panther-like creature with six legs, made of a deep purple hackmanite stone. “That’s the Wampus, carved out of a color changing stone. It'll turn white when the light is gone. You don’t ever want to tangle with her. She’s impossible to kill, and quick as a thunderbird’s lightning too. The Wampus looks for strength in body and character, and favors warriors,” Urthbert advised.

“The Horned Serpent,” he went on as the vines were removed from the giant snake made of a marbled teal chrysocolla stone. It had horns like an antelope and an opalescent, spherical jewel embedded in its head. “It’s said to have many magical abilities – invisibility, hypnotic powers, even control over the weather. They reside in lakes and rivers, though I haven’t seen one for a long time. The Horned Serpent favors those with a scholarly mind.”

Urthbert began to get excited as the vines were cleared from the last statue. “This one’s the best,” he said, and it was clear why he thought so, for it was a seven foot tall pukwudgie. “That is the Glorious Pukwudgie. He can disappear and reappear, transform into a porcupine, and create fire! We’re excellent with arrows too. Pukwudgie favors those with a healer’s heart.”

“These are pretty neat, I guess,” Lilsweetypie1992 said looking around.

Urthbert looked like his head was about to explode. “Pretty NE…?,” he blustered. “Can’t you feel it? You said you were a witch!”

Laughing at the look on Urthbert’s face, Lilsweetypie1992 said, “Feel what?”

“The magic!,” he shouted.

“What do they do?,” Wyldroots inquired, circling the Thunderbird statue.

Urthbert rolled his eyes. “I don’t know! I’m not a wizard, now am I? I thought you lot would have some ideas.”

Dapperwulf cleared off the pedestal to reveal an inlay of gold depicting a Gordian Knot in the center. He stepped up on the pedestal to get a better look at the Wampus statue’s head. “The detail is remarkable,” he mused, teetering on the edge.

The Wampus statue opened its stone jaws and roared fiercely in Dapperwulf’s face, causing Dapperwulf to fall backwards off the pedestal in surprise. The perimeter of the clearing faintly pulsed with light for a moment and faded, and then the Wampus statue was silent again. Unmoving.

“What did you do?,” Urthbert asked excitedly.

Brushing off his breeches, Dapperwulf got up and said, “Nothing. I just stood here,” he explained, stepping back up on the pedestal, “and leaned in like this and…” The group waited to see if the Wampus would move again, but it was completely silent.

“Let me try,” Arielluma volunteered. Hopping up to replace Dapperwulf on the one-person pedestal, she slowly leaned in to the Wampus’ face. The Wampus remained silent again, but a new sound began to her left, like the scraping of stone. She turned and saw the Thunderbird slowly extending its wings. Again, the perimeter pulsed briefly with a faint light, maybe slightly brighter than the last time. After beating its mighty wings three times, the Thunderbird once again reverted to stillness.

“I think…” ventured Saeraphine hesitantly, “… was that a protection ward?” Turning back to the wide-eyed pukwudgie happily witnessing, she said, “You called them the Guardians of Greylock. Why?”

Urthbert shrugged his spikey shoulders. “That’s what I was taught to call them. My grandpap called them that, and his grandpap before him. Maybe even my grandpap’s grandpap’s grandpap, if the Guardians were here then. If you need a reason, I guess it could be because this is Mount Greylock, and the statues are… well, imposing in a way. But more than that, I don’t know.”

“Oh!,” Yume exclaimed. Addressing Saeraphine, she said, “You think the statues—”

Saeraphine interrupted. “Yeah, which would explain why the light—”

“Exactly,” Yume rapidly replied. “But we’ll need more tests—”

“Agreed,” Saeraphine finished. “Volunteer subject?”

Yume nodded.

“Huh?” Catskull interjected as Yume set off for the pedestal.

Yume climbed up and stood in the center, waiting expectedly. At first nothing happened, but then the jewel on the forehead of the Horned serpent glowed faintly and the Wampus opened its mouth slightly, remaining silent. Both statues stayed that way, as if waiting for something. There was no pulse of light around the perimeter.

Yume furrowed her brow in thought, and Saeraphine steepled her fingers in front of her face as she considered. This was not the outcome they had been expecting. “Maybe… choose?,” Saeraphine finally said.

Yume looked between the two statues, considered for a moment, and then declared, “Horned Serpent.” The Wampus’ mouth gently closed while the jewel on the Horned Serpent’s head blazed with prismatic light as its stone coils began to move. The perimeter was illuminated again, this time undoubtedly proving it was getting brighter with each flare. “I think we can accept that as confirmation,” Yume said, smiling as she exited the circle to rejoin the others.

“What are you guys on about?,” Geminiswede said exasperatedly.

“You know how Hogwarts has defense spells worked into the castle? The knights have animation magic to give them movement in dire need, and there's a protective barrier around the grounds?,” Saeraphine quizzed.

“Well I do now…,” muttered Sinnybri.

Forty6and2 leaned over and said in an aside, “Maybe you would’ve known sooner if you weren’t so busy pranking second-years from the other houses,” to which Sinnybri only grinned mischievously.

With a twitch of a smile, Saeraphine continued, “This is similar to those spells. This clearing has a protective barrier around it – that’s the flash of light we keep seeing around the edges. The Statues act as the spell anchor, supplying power to the barrier. Every witch and wizard has different strengths, so the Statues seek out those strengths to decide which anchor will claim that person’s power to reinforce the spell. I think they chose those creatures because each type needed comes from people with those traits the creatures are associated with.”

The313 jumped in, “Those things take our magic?!”

“No!,” Yume assured her. “It just…,” she paused searching for a clearer way to describe what had happened. “It connects you briefly to the ward to strengthen it in whatever way you can best contribute. I felt a small tingle in my fingers, and that was it. Did you feel it too?,” Yume asked Arielluma and Dapperwulf.

Arielluma replied, “Yeah… I mean I guess so. I just thought I was regaining feeling after carrying Urthbert up that last part.” Urthbert let out an indignant harumpf, thinking Arielluma was implying he was overly heavy.

“I was too busy falling to notice. That Wampus is loud,” Dapperwulf supplied.

“So the more people who go up there and… well, I guess it’s sorting us by our traits in a way like the Sorting Hat, isn’t it? So the more people who get sorted, the more powerful the protection?,” Sammich_v2 wondered.

“If we’re right, and I think we are, then yes.” Saeraphine thought for a moment and then added, “I mean, there are always things that could break through a barrier, but it will at least protect us from natural predators – bears, wolves, and such. And eventually if it’s strong enough, possibly magic, too.”

“Oh great,” Sinnybri said throwing her hands up in the air. “Never mind the crazy lady who’s after us, I forgot about the fecking bears and wolves. I’ll be having me some sweet dreams tonight, won’t I?”

Rbratt06 made her way up to the pedestal with a determined, “Let’s do this.” The others carefully watched to see which statue would “claim” her. Urthbert started clapping when “The Glorious Pukwudgie” statue raised his pointed arrow to the sky, but stopped when he noticed some from the group laughing and quickly returned to his customary scowl. Again the protection barrier flared as the new magic was added to its supply. Stepping down, Rbratt looked relieved. “I barely felt that at all,” she said cheerfully.

Looking around at the rest of the group, Rbratt06 said, “Alright, who’s next?”

_____________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 4
by Rbratt


“To Town”

With brand new wands in hand, the group (both spellcasters and pukwudgies) began to build their shelter on the peak of Mount Greylock with the stones they had painstakingly gathered around the statues. While they were able to utilize many natural resources found in the forest, it soon became apparent that additional supplies were necessary in the construction of the building, as well as for what would be required inside - furniture, books, decorations, and the like (though nothing too fancy as this was just a temporary home, they repeated to themselves.) While the local natives had been helpful providing wand ingredients, they didn’t have the items that were now being requested.

After turning away from one of the tribe leaders forlornly, Saeraphine turned towards Urthbert. “I know we passed by a few small colonies on our way here, but do you know where the closest one is that has a decent trade shop?”

Urthbert thought for a moment. “Well, there is Pocumtuck - which translates to Deerfield in your language. It’s about a two-day walk from here. A few of us Pukwudgies can guide you there, but we won’t enter the town.”

“Oh, why is that?” Rbratt06 approached, carrying some medical herbs she just received in trading with the native healer.

The group walked out of the natives’ territory as Urthbert explained. “Deerfield is a completely No-Maj population. You won’t find anything remotely magical there. And, if the settlers there get a whiff of it, they start acting very paranoid, as if magic was evil!” He snorted at the thought. “We’d be hunted down if they saw us, so we steer clear.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Ches18 remarked. “You’re such remarkable, helpful creatures. Almost like the house elves back at Hogwarts.”

My_Butt smirked. “Sure, ALMOST like the house elves. At least they had cheery dispositions and begged to wait on you hand and foot.”

Urthbert stared at her blankly. “I know not what creatures you speak of, but if they willingly want to be around you, they must be dense.” The group laughed as they headed back to camp. After writing up a list of supplies to look out for, as well as packing items to trade, Yume asked for volunteers to make the trek to Deerfield.

_____________________________________________________________________

“A Plague Upon Your House!”

As the group neared the town, the Pukwudgies stopped abruptly. “This is the closest we’ll go.” Urthbert stated. “You’ll have to go on without us. Just don’t do anything stupid because we won’t be able to save your hides.”

“Awww,” Vatrilla13 said dryly. “Thanks for your concern.”

Everyone walked cautiously into town, trying to act as No-Maj as possible. A resident attending to his horse saw them approach and eyed them suspiciously. “Hello. What brings you to Deerfield?”

Coop925 stepped forward. “We’ve just made our way to the area looking for some land of our own. We need supplies to complete the construction of our home, as well as items for the interior. Can you direct us to the general store?”

The No-Maj man relaxed a little bit. “Oh, you’re here to purchase then? Well, we won’t turn away that! But…” He looked around at the empty street. The group suddenly realized that they were the only ones outside, which was odd. “A strange malady has hit our colony. Many of the residents have fallen ill. So, I suggest you get on with your business and leave before you catch it, as well. You’ll find the goods you need two streets down, to your left.” With that, he led his horse away and disappeared into a stall.

“Oh no!” Lilsweetypie1992 lamented. “That’s so sad. I wonder if there’s anything we can do.”

“I’m not sure if that’s even such a good idea,” Tahm42 responded. “This is a No-Maj only village. If we do anything out of the ordinary, we may be hunted down, just like how they would react if they saw the pukwudgies.”

The group fell into a thoughtful silence. “Well,” Westpancake said. “Let’s make our way to the shop, and we’ll go from there.”

The shopkeeper was friendly enough and appreciated doing business, as it had been slow lately, but she also warned the group to leave as soon as they could so that they wouldn’t get sick. Finally Forty6and2 blurted out, “What kind of disease is this exactly? Don’t you have something that can heal everyone?”

The shopkeeper looked taken back for a moment by Forty6and2’s outburst before recovering her composure. As if she were glad to address the elephant in the room, the shopkeeper began talking in a rush. “I’ve never seen the like before! It began a few weeks ago when Gregory Barnum - oh, that foolish boy - went wandering out into the woods alone. He was gone for days; no one could find him! Suddenly, he came stumbling back into town rambling about DRAGONS of all things! But, the sight of him made all the respectable women faint!” She paused for breath, looking as if she might faint from the memory herself. After a moment’s recovery, the shopkeeper leaned in conspiratorially towards the group and loudly whispered, “He was covered in bumps, and his skin was this revolting green and purple hue. It’s not natural, I tell you. We called the doctor to see if he could figure out what was wrong with the dear boy, but no such luck. All it did was cause the doctor to fall ill - and now, it’s been spreading like wildfire!”

The shopkeeper began bundling the last of the group’s items. With a glum sigh, she continued, “It seems that half the town is sick in bed, if not dead already - bless them. And the other half has quarantined themselves inside their homes. It’s bad for business, it is! If you have half a mind,” she finished resolutely, “you’ll leave before you catch it too!” With that, she shooed them out of the store and slammed the door behind them.

The stunned group stood there for a moment, processing what just happened. Finally, The313 spoke up. “Is it just me or does that sound eerily similar to--”

“-- Dragon Pox?” Sue_01 finished her sentence. “Indeed, but that’s a wizarding illness. It doesn’t make sense for No-Maj to catch it.”

“Unless there is more magical blood in this colony than people care to admit,” said Dapperwulf. “If the No-Maj here are really that fearful of things they don’t understand, it’s conceivable that if there are witches and wizards here, they would want to keep a low profile.”

“Whatever the case,” Rbratt06 chimed in. “We should help them as much as we can. Dragon Pox can be fatal. This whole colony will suffer immensely if nothing is done.” The group nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go back to the pukwudgies then and collect the ingredients to make the cure,” WyldRoots said.

“Yeah,” tmeadows_08 nodded. “Before we get infected, as well!”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Like Thermonuclear Warfare?”

As the group made their way out of Deerfield, they decided that half of them would return to Mount Greylock to deliver the goods, so that the construction of their new home could continue. The other half would stay in the area for a couple of days to find ingredients for the Dragon Pox cure. Thankfully, a native village was nearby so acquiring more magical ingredients wasn’t too difficult. Once everything was collected, the cure was ready to brew. “This will take a few hours,” Rbratt06 said. “Why don’t we play a game to pass the time?”

_____________________________________________________________________

“The Cure”

As soon as the cure was finished brewing, the group that had stayed behind headed back into Deerfield. The colony was silent as, again, no one braved the outdoors. “Um… I guess we can go back to the general store and see if the owner is still available,” CatSkull suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and headed in that direction.

Occasionally, they spotted eyes peeking out of the windows of the homes they passed, but no one came out to greet them. They quietly entered the store, which was unlocked, and looked around for the shop owner. They heard rustling in the next room, so Coop925 called out a greeting. There was a surprised squawk and the owner came bustling out, a load of goods in her arms. “Oh, it’s you lot again,” she said a bit out of breath. “What can I do for you?”

“Well,” Sinnybri began. “We thought about the illness that has troubled you-”

“It’s a curse, I tell you! Such a tragedy!” The shopkeeper interjected, fanning herself with a free hand after she set things down on the counter.

“And, it sounds similar to something that happened in England not so long ago,” CatSkull stated. “We have medicine that should be able to help out.”

“My goodness! That would be wonderful! So, what kind of malady is it?”

“It’s dra…. It’s a rare type of pox,” Tahm42 explained. “We definitely weren’t expecting something like that here, but thankfully we know how to cure it.” She handed a large bottle of the cure over to the shopkeeper. “Let’s heal this town!”

The group got to work and went door to door handing out a bit of the Dragon Pox cure at a time. Soon, all the residents had been visited and immediately, positive results were being seen. After a few more days, the pox was nowhere to be seen. Sadly, many did perish from the illness, but many were also saved, thanks to the cure.

The townspeople came up and thanked the group. Hands were shaken, hugs were given, gratitude was expressed. “Thank you so much for healing our family and friends,” said one of the townsmen. “You are always welcome here. If there’s anything you need, please let us know.”

A petite elderly woman stepped up to the group as the crowd of patrons dispersed. As soon as there was no one in earshot she said, “I know this was no ordinary pox. I’d recognize Dragon Pox anywhere. And, since you were able to make a cure, that makes you…” She fell silent as a No-Maj resident passed by. “Anyhow, I’m glad you arrived to help. Unfortunately, my dear daughter didn’t make it. I would have done something, had I possessed the knowledge. Even with things being tense between us and the natives, I would have done anything…” her voice trailed off as she remembered her daughter. The group stood there for a moment in silence, respecting the elderly woman’s unfathomable loss.

“If you know who we are, does that mean you’re-” Geminiswede ventured hesitantly, before the woman interrupted.

“I’m nothing but a Squib,” she said hastily, her cheeks flushing red. There was a little bit of spite in her voice when she said the word “squib”, but it was impossible to tell if that was directed at herself because of her lack of life-saving knowledge that could have helped her daughter or if it was because of the exclusion squibs faced by the wizarding community. “But... my son-in-law knows about magic. He’s not afraid of it like everyone else around here. He’s a No-Maj himself, but he loves...,” she stopped for moment. With tears in her eyes, she corrected herself, “Loved... He loved my daughter dearly. She was a witch herself, you see…I couldn’t teach her more than the basics, but she still figured out things on her own. She was brilliant, truly. If only she’d had proper schooling!” The elderly woman clasped her hand to her heart, remembering her daughter’s untapped potential as a few of the tears she had been bravely holding back escaped unbidden. “My friend, Ms. Lackey, she once said ‘If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.’ I understand what she meant now…”

Tahm42 gingerly put her arm around the grieving mother’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

The elderly woman accepted the comfort Tahm42 offered. Breathing deeply, she again addressed the group. “But that’s in the past now. Her husband has been gone on business, though hopefully he received my letter about Stella, so he should be making his way back here. Maybe you’ll meet him one day. I think he would like you all. His name is William…”

_____________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 6
by Saeraphine


“Victory”

We’ve won. The words reverberated around the clearing as everyone realized the enormity of that statement. The group had successfully defended themselves from Gaunt and freed her dragon. In amazement, everyone looked around at each other before a mild cheer went up from a Wampus. With the spell of quiet disbelief broken by that cheer, the rest of the exhausted friends let out exclamations of victory.

However, moments of triumph are often fleeting. Yes, they had defeated Gaunt and reasonably believed that she would never be seen again, what with her having been shot in the center of the chest with a poison arrow while being carted away by a vengeful dragon, BUT now they also lacked proof that could reverse their fugitive status. There would be no confession from Gaunt about her misdeeds that would clear the names of those that had defeated her. As this realization spread around the group, the celebratory air was weighed down.

“I know it’s a little late now, but what if we agreed to take some veritaserum?” Ches18 asked practically, sitting back on the grass.

Westpancake shook her head dejectedly. “They’d never believe the answers we gave. Veritaserum is only really useful when it’s administered unexpectedly to the recipient. Even if we had gone back the next morning after the Hogwarts attack, they could have said we had prepared for it. Maybe closed off our throat to prevent it from going down, or used some spell to counteract the effects.”

The pukwudgies and a disheveled William walked over to the wizards. Although he had some rope burns and a myriad of cuts and bruises, William seemed to be otherwise unharmed. Although he hadn’t made it back to speak with his mother-in-law in town, Gaunt had taken to gloating the entire time she had William captured. He was aware that not only was she the one to blame for his wife’s death, but that these wizards before him had cured the terrible disease she had unleashed upon his home. And now, they had gotten justice for his Stella.

He was in their debt twice over, and he hadn’t even met them yet. Now was his chance, but he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. “They’re just people,” he thought to himself. “Just people… who fight dragons. And evil. With sticks... that can control the elements…. Just wait until they finish their discussion and go for it. Make friends with these people.”

Tahm42 let out a sigh, settling down next her daughter. “Well, if there’s no other option, I’ve heard of an advanced magic that extracts memories so you can view them. What about that?”

Jgundz considered for a moment. “I think you’re referring to using a pensieve, but that’s not a common item most wizards have laying around. And that can still be tricked too. A wizard could extract the memory, and then alter it with magic.”

“We could let them extract it directly in person, but we’d have to find someone we trust to do it so they don’t alter it to make us look guilty. Too bad we don’t know who we can trust on the Wizarding Council,” Tmeadows_08 stated. “And even if we did know who to go to, I don’t know how we could safely get to them without being intercepted.”

“We could trust the Headmaster,” Yume said matter of factly.

West reeled at this statement coming from Yume. “What?? After all this?! You can’t be serious.”

Yume explained her thinking. “We know that the Headmaster is not in league with Gaunt because if he was, Gaunt wouldn’t have needed to take over the school. Yes, Headmaster Spectre made some stupid calls based on faulty evidence, but he’s a Hufflepuff. Just because he’s gifted at magic does not mean he’s gifted at critical thinking, and it is in a Hufflepuff’s nature to believe people are being honest until it’s proven otherwise. We just need to prove otherwise. He’s on the Wizarding Council. It could work.”

"But you're assuming we could even get close to him. Our faces were plastered all over in the Daily Prophet. We'd never be able to get to him so he could extract our memory without being intercepted," Lilsweetypie1992 said.

William realized this was something he could assist with, and spoke up. "I could do it."
All eyes turned to him as the wizards remembered they weren't alone. "Do what?," Coop925 asked, puzzled how this No-Maj could help them.

"I can help prove your innocence. I'll go visit the person you need, and let her extract my memory," William offered. "That witch went on and on incessantly while she had me captured. I know what she's done to you, to my town. I saw her enchanting the dragon up close. I think I pretty much know it all, and if not all, at least enough. Wherever it is that I need to go, no one will be looking for someone like me. I can do it."

The wizards exchanged looks. Saeraphine spoke up first. "It could work actually. He's right. He's not known. And none of Gaunt's conspirators would be paying attention to a muggle."

“Yes, but how exactly would we get him there? How would we know he was safe? We can't send him in blind," Dapperwulf interjected.

"I uh, may have a friend who can help with that," Sinnybri volunteered with a smirk.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Old Friends, Forever Friends”

It had been two months since the wizards had bid farewell to William at the Dockside Alehouse before he'd left to clear the names of all of his newfound friends. In the couple of weeks before his departure, he had stayed with the group at the top of Mount Greylock, and had been given all the information he needed to navigate the wizarding world until he could meet up with Sinnybri's friend.

"When you first meet him, he may be a little intimidating. He's a giant, but he's a gentle giant who's a devoted family man. Just don't go spreading that information around, or Mike would never forgive me for ruining his disreputable reputation as a tough smuggler! He's definitely helped me out of some tough situations though. Once you go to this address, be on the lookout for a cow cat with a heart shaped mark on his left paw. That's Sir Arthur. He's the most gentlemanly cat you will ever meet, and whatever you do, do not laugh at his high-pitched meow. Treat him with respect and he'll lead you to Mike. Mike'll already have gotten my letter, so he'll know what to do," Sinnybri had explained.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Righting a Wrong”

It had been unclear how a wizard smuggler could help with getting to the Headmaster until Sinnybri revealed the secret to his smuggling success - he was an animagus who was able to transform into an owl, an animal whose presence at Hogwarts would go completely unnoticed. With some careful planning and sharp wits, he could guide William directly to the Headmaster's office unseen.

Now, William was returning after a whirlwind experience, hiking up Mount Greylock to the ruined shelter housing the wizards at the top. He'd written them a letter before he'd left Scotland detailing the progress that had been made and had sent it by the raven Mike had provided.

In the letter, he talked about how Headmaster Spectre had immediately proceeded to petrify William upon discovering him in his study, unfreezing just his mouth so William could explain his presence. Spectre didn’t unpetrify William until after having extracted and viewed the memory, but once he had, Hogwarts was a flurry of activity.

Furious at being duped, Spectre had rounded up the those in league with Gaunt at the school and thrown them into the dungeon. Breaking down in tears, the previously imperious’d Slytherin spy gathered the courage to confess, adding further proof of the innocence of those who had fled with a firsthand account of the night’s events. She had been released from the spell around the time that Gaunt had been defeated, but had continued to act like she was in league with the traitors for fear of her life. Now with the weight of the shame and guilt lifted, she could begin to heal from the terrible ordeal she had been through.

Soon after the action at Hogwarts, Spectre had taken William and the memory to the Wizarding Council itself, causing quite a stir by bringing in a muggle to the governing body. Those mentioned by Gaunt in the memory during her boastful ramblings were immediately seized.

“No!” one of the seized councilmen had cried indignantly. “It’s a lie! They must have altered his memories! They’re liars! Traitors to Hogwarts! We can’t allow them back at Hogwarts! They’ll corrupt the other students! They’ll-”

Headmaster Spectre had cast an unimpressed look the councilmen’s way. “Councillor, tell me something. Do you think me blind? Or just plain naive?” The councillor turned a violent shade of beetroot red. The headmaster continued, “I assure you, while you are loyal to Gaunt, my loyalty lies with my students.”

Looking to rest of the council, Spectre had announced, “We have made a grave error, one I intend to make amends for. Everyone has the right to their opinion, and of course you may feel free to voice yours, but it will not be on my, or this council’s time. We will be reaching out to these students, and if you truly feel this is something you cannot stand behind, please feel free not to return. After all, none of us would want to deal with the unpleasantness of having you removed by force now, would we?” She had smiled sunnily.

And with that, the group of fugitives had become known heroes, names officially cleared and even celebrated. They were now invited back to Hogwarts with a sincere apology from the Headmaster. William had reflected how he’d be disappointed to see the wizards go, but was happy that he had been able to help them and repay a small part of the peace they’d given his town.

He’d gotten to the top and stepped into the clearing, feeling a weird resistance as he did so. He looked around wondering what he’d just stepped through, when a figure zoomed high in the sky above him on a broom. It was My_Butt! She gave him a hearty wave before turning back around. The resistance he’d felt must have been some sort of notification spell. “It’s him! He’s back!,” My_Butt shouted, zooming back towards the shelter ruins…

Wait… William froze in place. Where the shelter ruins should have been now stood a sprawling castle of white-grey stone. This castle was not imposing and dark, like the towering Hogwarts that needed to brave the Scottish weather. This castle had a light and airy feel to it, with a multitude of windows all around to take in the spectacular mountain views. It was maybe three stories tall, punctuated with magnificently tall towers here and there, and was set up in a long V-shape to maximize space while utilizing natural light.

Flabbergasted, William began walking towards the castle. A structure like the one before him would usually take years to build, and these wizards had done it in a mere two months? He was astounded by what these wizards could accomplish together, and once again, felt a twinge of regret that they would be heading back to Hogwarts soon. How silly to build something so grand only to leave it behind.

_____________________________________________________________________

“This is the Beginning”

The wizards had begun to gather outside the castle at My_Butt’s news of William’s return. Dropping his pack, William was swept up in many hearty hugs and was the receiver of many thanks.

Beaming, William said, “I’m just really glad it all worked out, and that Headmaster Spectre didn’t curse me with something that had more permanent consequences! I’m so glad I could help you guys go home.”

“About that... we are so grateful for your help. We can now move freely and see our families without worrying about endangering them. However, once we received your letter, we realized - we don’t want to return,” Arielluma explained.

“There are so many people who could benefit from our help here,” Rbratt06 continued. "And there is so much we could learn too from the local tribes."

Dapperwulf nodded in agreement. “And, even with our names officially cleared, we would still have to deal with those who questioned our innocence. Not that we couldn’t correct them, mind you. We could easily put them in their rightful place, but who has the time to educate the sheeplike masses? It’ll be much more fun to educate those here, who are willing to learn.”

William asked in shock, “You’re really not going back?! And what do you mean, ‘educate those here’?”

Saeraphine laughed, “Did you really think we were going to live in this huge castle all by ourselves? We’re creating our own school of witchcraft. This...,” she said with a sweeping gesture, taking in the building behind her, “... is Ilvermorny, the first school of witchcraft and wizardry in the New World, founded entirely by Slytherin. It’s still a work in progress, but we can add on as we go.”

“There’s something special we want to show you,” Rbratt06 said, directing William’s attention to the tallest tower of Ilvermorny. “That is our Astronomy tower, now known as Stella’s Stele. We’ve dedicated it in the memory of those we have all lost too soon to the heavens.”

William, touched by this gesture by the wizards, took a moment to compose himself. When he was collected, he looked to the group with gratitude. “Well then,” he said with purpose, “You are going to need a liaison with the No-Maj community. And you’ll need a way to supply this place if you really are going to fill this with students. You don’t have a local wizarding community to support you like that Hogwarts does. So I volunteer my services as your local No-Maj representative and supplier of Ilvermorny. I saw some land near the base of the mountain that would be perfect for a nearby settlement. It also could become a central location in the trade routes as a stop on the way to Deerfield.”

Sue_01 looked at William with concern. “We appreciate the offer, surely. But you don’t need to uproot your whole life for us. We’re resourceful.”

“I was scouting for new opportunities while I was away and Gaunt hit our town. I have experience running a trading post, and I think this is fitting,” William supplied. “I want to do this.”

Saeraphine looked excited. “Then it’s settled. Ilvermorny would be delighted to have an alliance with William’s town. Once you decide what’s needed, we can send a few wizards to help you get started.”

William smirked. “I like that. Williamstown. I may use that.”

With that, a stern faced, wrinkled pukwudgie poked her head out of the front door. “There you all are. Lazy stick wavers, just standing around absorbing the sunshine, eh? This heap of rubble isn’t going to clean itself, now is it? Quit your lollygagging and get to it!”

Tmeadows08 sighed, “Yes, Grandmam. Coming.”

“Who is that?!” William asked in astonishment. “And wizards have chores?”

“The pukwudgies have decided we won’t survive without their assistance. That’s Urthbert’s grandmam. She is.... fiesty. I think I’d rather face Gaunt again rather than upset her…,” Talhonjik explained.

“Come on William. We’ll give you the grand tour. That’ll be a good enough excuse to escape Grandmam’s wrath for now,” laughed Vatrilla13, gesturing for William to follow inside.

As the group of friends, magic and no-maj alike began to start up the steps for Ilvermorny, Wind_luver pointed out into the distance, “Everyone! Look, the dragon!”

Over the forests in the distance, the dragon could be seen spiraling, basking in the warm sunlight of the afternoon sky. Since the wizards had freed him, he was seen more and more frequently as he recovered from his captivity. Sometimes he would circle around Ilvermorny, but as their protector in the sky, with no aggression in his movements.

So much had changed in such a short time, for all of them. As they took a moment to watch the graceful spirals of the dragon, there was a feeling in the air that hadn’t been present for a long time. A feeling of acceptance, camaraderie, and contentment.

A feeling of belonging.

Saeraphine threw open the entrance doors revealing the statues in a chamber within. “Welcome to Ilvermorny.”