No. Carewyn honestly grew out of sleeping with stuffed animals rather early -- she stopped at the age of three, not long after Jacob first went off to school. She was much more prone to tucking her Paddington bear into its own tiny "bed" on the windowsill under a spare scarf rather than hugging it herself as she fell off to sleep.
6. Sandwiches or soup?
Carewyn loves soup in the wintertime. Her mum Lane was especially prone to making up a pot of Scotch Broth on cold nights, and Carewyn ends up learning more vegetarian-friendly soup recipes after becoming legal partners with Orion.
20. Who's your MC's non-NPC bestie? Any other MC?
Well, for one, Jules Farrier @cursebreakerfarrier is Carewyn's honorary Slytherin Sister! She could see no one better suited to be Bill's other half. Carewyn also befriends fellow Slytherin Night Rhea @night-rhea through Quidditch friendlies and Ravenclaw Cato Reese @catohphm through baking in the kitchens and both Sarahi Silvers @dat-silvers-girl and Wendy Gordon @drinkyoursoupbitch post-Hogwarts. Carewyn's brother Jacob also becomes close with Sarahi's brother Jacob and Ellie Hopper's family @thatravenpuffwitch, especially her grandfather, Lugh Hopper.
21. Does MC prefer Muggle or Wizard Music?
Ugh, Carewyn would HATE being asked this -- because yes, although she has more favorite Muggle bands than wizard ones, that's largely because the Wizarding World's music scene is so much smaller and less diverse, compared to the Muggle World's! She adores the Weird Sisters and deeply appreciates the talent of artists like Celestina Warbeck, Lorcan D'Eath, and Spellb🔮und, and yet she also loves the Eurythmics, Elton John, Queen, KISS, AC/DC, David Bowie, Carly Simon, and so many others. She hates the thought of having to choose, because if the Wizarding World's music scene could just open themselves up more to different influences the way the Muggle music world has, she thinks they could be just as great.
I had to make a drawing of Sarahi tying a Rakhi on Jacob, so I made it into a card for my cousins in advance. While the cards are for my cousins alone, I decided to share the comic part.
Jacob, you had ONE job. Just the one. Protecc the smol sis! You are very bad at it. You know that.
But Sarahi is baby so she appreciates the attempts anyway!😊
Mama, think you could recommend another song for Sarahi? And songs for Olivia Green and Jacob Silvers too, if that's okay?
Sarahi Silvers - "Ai no Senshi" by Yoko Ishida
"Oh no! Why has it turned out this way?
Now I'm burning up inside...
I'm in love (and strongly so),
And I want to have sweet dreams, but
They won't allow it -- it's their fault!
As I thought, it's up to me to do this...
With my own hands, I shall crush evil in defeat!
That's right! Until then, I must persevere...
Awaken, oh, young soldier!"
This song was originally featured in the second season of the original Japanese run of Sailor Moon, called Sailor Moon R, and...yeah, doesn't this translation just perfectly suit Sarahi, when it comes to dealing with R? She's got a love story unfolding with Barnaby and she just wants to enjoy her time at school with him and her friends like a normal girl...but yeah, thanks a lot, R, you're forcing this little princess to become a soldier to fight you. Now she's going to kick your rotten arses. 💛
Olivia Green ~ "Footprints on the Sand" from The Prince of Egypt (musical)
"It’s not that I want glory
Or the world to know my name,
But maybe just to leave things
A little changed from when I came,
But it’s not my lot -- use what you’ve got --
And all I am is
Footprints on the sand -- ripples on the river --
Echoes of a sound from a distant fading chime..."
Okay, so first things first. My version of Olivia Green is going to be nothing like the game, largely because I developed her long before we met her in the game (basing her loosely off of my deceased aunt the same way Jacob was based off my uncle) and, let's be honest, the game has told us just about nothing about her yet. But one important thing about my personal version of Olivia is that she had the noblest, most selfless, and most heart-felt reason to help Jacob and Duncan with the Cursed Vaults of the three of them. Naturally all three of them thought it'd be good to help the school, but Jacob as the "Brain" of the group was also fascinated by the mystery and hidden knowledge of the Vaults, while Duncan as the "Body" role was motivated by his passionate dream to become a well-respected Cursebreaker post-Hogwarts. Olivia was the "Heart" of the three, and she wanted to help for more humanitarian reasons, since she -- as a Muggle-born -- had fallen in such sincere love for Hogwarts school and couldn't stand the thought of anyone trying to hurt it. She never had much interest in being recognized for her efforts, being wise enough even at that age to know fame and glory wouldn't bring her true happiness, but she truly wanted to be a force for positive change, all the same. Although both Olivia and Jacob are Ravenclaws, Jacob is much more of the voraciously curious, genius-intellect type, while Olivia has far more embraced the wise, philosophical bent of her house, understanding herself and others better than many adults three times her age.
Jacob Silvers ~ "One Man Army" by Andreas Johnson
"Now...nobody loves you like I do --
Nobody knows you better...
When you'll fight, I'll fight for you!
I will be your one-man army..."
Jacob Silvers is best brother!! I just love how this song evokes pure loyalty, while also addressing that not only will the singer be there for the person they love, but that that person also was there for the singer when he needed it most too. And that is absolutely Sarahi and Jacob's relationship -- they'll always be there to help each other fight their respective battles.
I would LOVE to hear about your version of jacob - lottelight
@lottelight Thou wouldst like to know more about my book-smart, people-dumb spaceman? *giggles like an idiot*
1) Being an absolute disaster bi, poor Jacob Cromwell has never been very good at expressing his feelings to any subject of his affection, largely because it takes him a while to even acknowledge his feelings are romantic to begin with. (I pity his boy best friend Duncan Ashe SO much, I truly do.) He’ll frequently try to do stupid things or show off around people he finds attractive like a child acting out to get attention, sometimes consciously and sometimes not. One such example was when Jacob tried to impress a cute server at an Indian restaurant by ordering the hottest curry on the menu and then dousing it with the hottest red sauce they had available. All that, and the girl still didn’t give Jacob her number. D’oh!
2) Jacob may be an eccentric, daredevil scholar with a sloppy, “slacker” sense of dress, but contrary to his rebellious, devil-may-care image, his music taste is decidedly bubblegum. His favorite band and ultimate guilty pleasure is ABBA (sure-fire way to make this guy smile, sing, and/or dance: put on “Mamma Mia!” “Take a Chance on Me,” or “Dancing Queen”), but he also enjoys artists like Barbara Streisand, Don McLean, and the Osmonds.
3) If Jacob was confronted with his worst memories the way MC is in the Sunken Vault in-game (which, FYI, is very different to how I see the Sunken Vault), one memory would be his father, Evan Bach, losing his temper and saying that all Jacob ever does is cause everyone else trouble. Jacob was very, very shaped by that particular exchange, as well as what led up to it, more than he’d likely ever admit. As a kid, because of his temperamental childhood magic that was labeled as active misbehavior and Jacob plugging out from his classes and teachers in response to their unjust punishments, Jacob was seen as a no-good punk by just about everyone. When he received his letter and learned the truth about his magic, Jacob finally understood why he was so different from everyone else and was excited about the prospect of learning more about what he could do and reinventing himself into someone who could be a “winner” instead of the screw-up he’d been before. One of Jacob’s greatest insecurities is how much of a failure he feels he’s always been -- it makes it very difficult for him to acknowledge he’s unable to do something or put aside his own pride for the sake of the greater good.
4) Speaking of Evan, Jacob raised his younger sister Carewyn more than he ever did, since Evan dropped out of Carewyn’s life from an emotional standpoint when she was born and then abandoned his family when Carewyn was a toddler. When Carewyn was first learning how to talk, Jacob greatly enjoyed having passionate, spirited debates with her completely in baby talk.
5) Jacob has a long list of enemies, but one of the people who irritates him the most on that list is his old dormmate, Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart was always the most popular with the ladies out of the Ravenclaws in their year, and his arrogance, laziness, and vanity drove Jacob up the wall, particularly when Jacob easily ran intellectual circles around Lockhart in just about ever subject and yet Lockhart still acted like he was the most talented wizard in their year and in the whole school. Add on top of that that Lockhart was several inches taller than Jacob, who is akin to Edward Elric about his modest height of 5′7″...and yeaaaaah, one can imagine that Jacob loathed old Gilderoy. He never finds out that Lockhart modified Carewyn’s memory once, but rest assured if he ever did, there’d likely be an attempted murder. When Lockhart ends up in St. Mungo’s, devoid of any memory of who he is, Jacob takes vindictive pleasure in making fun of his old dormmate behind his back, referring to any time where someone forgets something important as them having a “Lockhart moment.”
6) After the Cursed Vaults and R are dealt with, Jacob becomes something of a vagabond wizard, traveling the world as a magical researcher and part-time Cursebreaker. His travels result in him crossing paths with Ellie Hopper’s grandfather Lugh @that-ravenpuff-witch, who ends up becoming something of a surrogate father figure for Jacob. As an ex-Gryffindor with a bold, adventurous spirit himself, Lugh takes great amusement from Jacob’s “daredevil scholar” attitude and frequently lets Jacob trip all the traps he can in whatever tombs they work on together, as he knows full well the younger man will probably get super excited studying how all of them work. Lugh and Jacob also both end up fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of the Second Wizarding War. When Lugh dies while fighting four Death Eaters at once, Jacob Cromwell takes violent revenge, blasting Dark curses at all of the Death Eaters in the vicinity with his two wands. It takes Jacob a long while to calm down afterwards so that he can properly grieve Lugh’s loss.
7) Jacob Cromwell is close friends with Sarahi Silvers’s brother, also named Jacob @dat-silvers-girl. Dynamic-wise Akemi and I have compared their relationship to that of Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, with Jacob Cromwell being the more eccentric free spirit and Jacob Silvers being more down-to-earth and loyal. Jacob Cromwell is always the person to encourage and help out with Jacob Silvers’s more, er...“interesting” inventions.
8) After the Cursed Vaults are dealt with and Duncan is finally able to rest in peace, Jacob remains good friends with Olivia Green. He writes to her almost as much as he does his sister Carewyn.
9) Jacob is BIG on the King Arthur mythos. One of his favorite book series is The Once and Future King by T.H. White, and his favorite Disney movie is The Sword in the Stone.
10) Jacob’s wand is Aspen and dragon heartstring, 13 inches, pliable. Dragon heartstring as a core tends to learn new magics quickly, create powerful, flamboyant spells, and be somewhat more susceptible to the Dark Arts than unicorn hair or phoenix feather, all of which perfectly suits intellectual, but aggressive Jacob. Aspen wands have a reputation of belonging to talented magical duelists, and Jacob fits that image perfectly as well. As an adult, Jacob even studies under a Navajo wizard in America who teaches him how to duel with two wands simultaneously. From that point on, Jacob duels with both his Aspen wand and a second wand made of Blackthorn and Wampus cat hair.
I... I can't find my favorite gif set of the seal that saves people from the BIG SAD. So imma send a BEEG virtual TACKLE HUGGO!!!!
And throw hearts at you...
(ﾉ≧∇≦)ﾉ ﾐ 💞💖♥️💕💗💞💖♥️💕
Also, if you're up to it, headcanon for mama-bear Carewyn and smol Sarahi?👉👈
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!!🤗
Awww -- thank you for this, darling! *virtual huggle* ♥️♥️♥️ I am feeling a lot better today, and trust me when I say that the love you and others have sent really has meant so much. Thank you, so much.
Now then! Sarahi-puff and Carey-Bear!
Sarahi and Carewyn first met at school through working with (and singing to) creatures in the Magical Creature Preserve, but post-Hogwarts, their older brothers helped them reconnect and become closer friends as adults. Sarahi’s brother, Jacob Silvers, was an Auror who ended up colliding with and working alongside Carewyn, who served as a lawyer for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Meanwhile, around the very same time, Sarahi and her other half Barnaby collided with Carewyn’s brother, Jacob Cromwell, at the Romanian Dragon Preserve after Jacob -- while traveling the world as a magical researcher examining the chemical composition of different magical creature venoms -- requested some help in wrangling a Peruvian Vipertooth so he could extract some venom from its fangs. Carewyn sent along a letter to Sarahi about having met her brother, and Sarahi suggested that all four of them get together sometime so the two Jacobs could meet. Sure enough, the two men soon became the best of friends!
Send me one of my characters, I’ll give you a headcanon!
The incantation echoed off the walls of the Vault. Green lit up the darkness as it made it's way towards Jacob...
"BHAIYA, MOVE!!!"
But the spell never made its mark. Jacob felt a push to his shoulder moving him out of the way.
And when he came to, he had to face what he feared most for years. His scream rang out.
"SARAHI!!!"
...................
Ok first of all: THIS IS AN AU. Even if life and death is a choice at the end of the game, Sarahi will live, okay?? I won't let Canon Sarahi die (again)!
I have no self control. Sometimes I wanna draw angst. So I drew the Sarahi dies AU.
I mean, I could start this as a Dead!MC challenge if anyone wants to do it? I doubt it but I'd like to see other people's too. Whether it is canon or AU.
"Blimey Pip, look at you! You haven't changed a bit!" - Jacob
This is how Jacob saw Sarahi when she freed him from the portrait Vault. My sister is still cute little munchkin!😃
Smol Sarahi and little plastic wand and paper wings. SMOL CUTE CHILD!!❤️❤️❤️
All of this took about a 100 layers. I don't even know how my painting app is working anymore. Well it did crash multiple times but fortunately I was saving regularly.
"We can't leave without you!" Miss Silvers exclaimed.
"We can't?" Jacob asked, raising an eyebrow.
Miss Silvers gave him a look. "No, we can't." She stated, and shot a spell behind me, stunning an 'R' member who was attempting to ambush me.
"I didn't think your students were this stupid, Patricia." Cassandra jabbed.
"YOU'RE stupid!" Jacob spat, coming up next to Miss Silvers.
"Fantastic comeback Bhaiya…" Miss Silvers commented.
"Take your little fight up with me Cassy." I hissed, trying to keep the students behind me.
One could almost see the steam coming out of Cassandra's ears.
"DON'T. CALL ME THAT! REDUCTO!"
"CONFRINGO!!"
Our wands crossed streams, and while I had to keep my focus on her, I could see her other accomplices getting ready to attack as well.
"BOMBARDA!" Miss Silvers yelled, and immediately afterward I was able to blast Cassandra back. I realised that Miss Silvers had cast the spell at her feet, which not only startled her and helped me throw her back, but it also stunned the other members.
I suddenly felt a tugging on my arm.
"They won't be out for too long! Hurry, Professor!" Miss Silvers pleaded, being the one who was pulling on my arm.
I decided not to waste time arguing with Miss Silvers if this is what she wanted. But I was glad she wanted to save me, even if I didn't deserve it. My students smiled at me and made some room so I could also hold on to the Portkey.
Every moment of this reminded me of why I chose them over the 'R'. I'm glad I made this choice.
And so I did what the students wanted me to do. I held onto the Portkey as well-
"Think you're tough, do you little Silvers!?" I heard Cassandra sneer. I turned my head to see her pointing her wand at the roof above us. "I'll show you a real blast! BOMBARDA MAXIMA!!"
The roof above us was collapsing. "PROTEGO MAXIMA!!" I shouted, creating a dome above us all protecting my students.
"PROFESSOR RAKEPICK!" Miss Silvers yelled for me, when she realized I wasn't holding the Portkey anymore.
In that moment the Portkey activated, and took all the students away, hopefully back to the safety of Hogwarts.
I may not have been able to escape, but I had no regrets. I did what I wanted to do. My students would be safe… for now.
I will protect them from the 'R' for as long as I'm alive. I'm ready to fight Cassandra and her lot here until my last breath.
In the meantime, I hope my students will be alright. I closed my eyes for a moment.
"Good luck, Curse-Breakers."
……………
Sarahi POV
"OOMPH!"
When the world around me finally stopped spinning, I landed hard on the floor as if I just fell from a great height. Granted, I think I did.
I shook my head a few times just waiting for the room to come into focus. The first thing I noticed when my vision cleared is that the Portkey has landed us right in the middle of the High Table in the Great Hall, and that everyone who was still there this late, including my friends, were staring at me and my team, who were also stirring and trying to get up on their feet. Merula was the only one who stayed put, which is good. She needed the rest after what happened.
"Sarahi!" Rowan called me. "You're all back! What happened!?"
"It's… a long story…"
"Are you alright… uh… Merula, was it?" Jacob was asking Merula.
"Yeah, yeah… I'm good. I just need a moment to catch my breath." Merula answered.
I crouched down next to her. "You need more than a moment!"
Merula shook her head and tried to get up. "I'm fine, Silvers, seriously! You're worrying-"
"BULL! You stay put! Penny, could you get some help please?"
"Yeah, I'll do that!" Penny answered and ran off.
"Who are you?" Tulip asked, walking up to my brother.
"Oh! Uh. Jacob Silvers, Miss!" He answered nervously, instantly getting into an attention pose.
"You can relax, Bhaiya. She's my friend."
"So you found your brother after all! Nice to meet you, Jacob. We've heard a lot about you."
"Should I take that as good news or bad news?"
"What happened in the Vault, Sarahi?" Rowan asked, crouching next to me and Merula. "And where's Professor Rakepick?"
Merula and I shared a look, as we both had the same idea about what her fate was. I shook my head and subconsciously fiddled with the Eye of Horus pin on my cardigan.
"She… I don't think she made it. We tried to bring her back, but she stayed behind to save us. It's… a long story." Some of my friends came around us, confusion written on their faces.
"Bill, I think we need some space. Is that alright?" I requested.
"Sure, Sarahi. I'll tell everyone what happened. Come on, everyone..." Bill led our friends away, leaving me, Merula and Jacob alone.
"I wish mum were here…" Merula stammered.
I sighed. "I know… you'll be alright. I'm here for you."
"Ugh."
"Is that 'Ugh, I'm hurt'? Or your usual 'Ugh, buzz off'?"
"It's just- I don't even know what hurts more! The fact that Rakepick lied to us, the Cruciatus Curse, or that she's probably dead by now!"
I sighed. "It was like getting hit in the face with giant bricks."
"I still can't believe she did that." Jacob mumbled, grabbing both our attention. "I was just about ready to murder her after what she did. I promised myself I'd take her down if I ever got freed. And then she does… well, that."
"She saved our lives, Bhaiya."
"Exactly! She saved our lives! Which I was fairly certain she cared nothing about! You both MADE her care. How did you manage that?"
"I have no idea." Merula answered. "But I think Silvers' description of being hit in the face with bricks is probably the best definition we're going to get right now."
"Are you still hurting because of the Curse, Merula?" I asked.
"Not… really. To be perfectly honest, Silvers… my head and back hurts but… for the most part, I've already forgotten. I think I'm more hurt by what happened to Rakepick."
"Same… I'm… I'm going to miss her."
"Well, there's another thing we agree on, huh, Silvers?" Merula remarked, slightly smirking at me.
I smiled a bit. "I think we can both thank Rakepick for that. But maybe there's the slightest chance that she escaped?"
"Did you see how much more powerful those 'R' members were? The chances looked slim, Silvers."
I sighed and shook my head. "You… you have a point."
"And as for you…" Merula said to Jacob. "You're the famous Jacob Silvers. What is that hair?"
Jacob's expression changed to one of annoyance. "Let's just say that the last time I was in that Vault, that dragon burnt off my dignity along with my hair."
Penny ran up to us, with Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey.
"I… ran all over… didn't have… time to tell them." Penny muttered between breaths.
"Miss Haywood told us enough to know that you needed help. What happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked us.
"It was chaos. We were all in the Cursed Vault, and Professor Rakepick-" I explained, but I got interrupted.
"Madam Rakepick did this to you, Miss Snyde?" Professor Dumbledore asked instantly.
"Wait, what, NO!" Merula exclaimed. "It was another 'R' member! Professor Rakepick called her Cassandra. She used the Cruciatus Curse on me…"
"You didn't let me finish, Professor…" I muttered. "If anything, Professor Rakepick saved our lives. She told us that she's an 'R' member and-"
"I knew that witch was up to something." Professor Snape drawled.
Merula and I both facepalmed. It seemed that our Professors had already been suspicious of Rakepick, and rightfully so. But she was a hero in our story.
"Stop accusing Professor Rakepick!" Merula cried. "She saved our lives!"
"Merula's right. So if you will let me finish-" I said, shaking my head at Professor Snape. "You were only half right, Professor Snape. Yes, Rakepick was an 'R' member. She confessed that to us in the Vault. But she did a heel turn and went against the 'R' to save us. Somehow the other 'R' members found out immediately, and they apparatted into the Vault to attack us. We fought for as long as we could, but just as we were about to escape, Professor Rakepick stayed behind and sent us out with the Portkey."
My head fell as I finished my recount. Jacob placed a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.
"Where is Rakepick now then?" Professor Snape asked.
"She stayed behind to hold the 'R' members off. I don't know if she's going to make it…"
"So… Rakepick winded up saving you lives?" Professor Snape looked more confused than Barnaby's usual confusion.
"No, she winded up trying to kill us." I responded sarcastically. "Of course, she saved our lives! Isn't that what I've been trying to say this whole time? Should I explain in French!?"
"That… won't be necessary, Miss Silvers. I see your point."
"And I can see that you found Jacob Silvers in the Vault?" Professor Dumbledore commented, noticing my brother.
"Next silly question?" Jacob retorted, crossing his arms. "Of course she did. You can see me here, can't you?"
"I suppose I should probably talk to you-"
"No! I'm not talking to you Professor Dumbledore!" Jacob exclaimed, looking annoyed. I didn't understand why he was so angry. "The more I talk to you, the more time I waste. Everyone knows helping your students is beyond you. I'm glad I'm not anymore."
He turned to me. "Princess, you NEVER let him control you. If Professor Dumbledore here had his way, nothing would ever get done."
"As much as I agree with you Bhaiya… why are you so angry?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Sarahi, but last time I saw Professor Dumbledore, I got expelled and everything went to crap. I don't want to talk."
"We can deal with this situation later…" Professor Dumbledore mumbled, mostly to himself, but I heard.
"It's straight to the Hospital wing for you, Miss Snyde." Madam Pomfrey demanded.
"Do I have to…?" Merula mumbled.
"Yes, you have to!" I told her. "And Jacob, you're going to the Hospital wing too."
"Wait, why am I going?" He asked.
"Bhaiya… six years in a portrait. You ought to relax, and straighten out, just for a little bit."
"But-" He tried to make an excuse, but I gave him a stern look before he could.
"Alright! Alright, I'll go!"
"I feel like I should come along-"
"Sarahi! Come here! It's Ben!" Rowan called.
"Go on, Princess. Your friends need you." Jacob told me with a smile.
"Are you sure? Both of you?"
"We'll be fine, Silvers." Merula reassured. "Go see Copper."
……………
Oh. Oh no.
Why would he do that…?
I re-read Jacob's letter about twelve times, and I still couldn't believe it.
That… IDIOT! Papa is waiting for us and he just- left!? Just like that!?
This can't be right!
Dear Sarahi,
I know, I know. You have questions. But after recovering, when Professor Dumbledore tried to force me into talking with him, I just couldn't stand it. I can't stay here. Rakepick did us good by protecting us from some of the 'R', but the rest of them will catch on eventually. It's much bigger than just Cassandra and her lot. I want to be there for you and keep you safe, but I can't do anything while staying in one place. And I certainly can't go home. That would mean leading the 'R' straight to our safe place, because they will never stop following me. I can't let them get to the next Vault. I hope you understand why I had to go, little princess. Please don't tell Papa that you found me. I'll find you again soon, I promise. Until then, please be safe. I love you very much.
Jacob
How can he say he loves me when he just abandoned me again!? Rakepick sacrificed everything to keep us together and he just-!
This is all Dumbledore's fault. Jacob's right. Logic is lost on that man.
But then again, I only just got my brother back. Only to lose him again?
This isn't what Professor Rakepick has died for. She died to keep us safe.
I only hope it won't be in vain.
I still have the Eye of Horus pin she gave me close to my heart.
I'll take the lead, Professor. I'll try not to let you down.
……………
Timeskip to Year 6, Chapter 18…
Sarahi POV
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!" I yelled. My Unicorn Patronus shot out of my wand, lighting up the area around us, but beautiful as it was, it just wasn't powerful enough to ward off all the dementors surrounding us.
Merula was also using her Patronus. Despite the fact that it was incorporeal, it was rather effective in pushing back the dementor at the very least.
But no matter how hard Ben, Merula and I tried, we couldn’t do it. There were just so many of them.
“It’s no good!” I yelled. “My Patronus isn’t powerful enough to banish them all!”
“And when you drive one back, another just comes to fill its place!” Ben responded.
“What do we do!?” Merula asked, shivering. The fear was getting to her. I understood why.
This was a doomed scenario. Dementors were surrounding us, and none of us had a Patronus that was powerful enough. I couldn’t see any way out.
I am afraid. Only a miracle will save us.
The three of us backed up as much as we could. Merula looked like she was about to cry. My heart ached and I grasped her hand, and Ben’s too. We just turned around, and shut our eyes holding each other’s hands, waiting for the inevitable…
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”
Our attention was grabbed by a familiar voice, and we turned around to see a Lioness Patronus make her place between us and the dementors. It roared so fiercely, it drove away every single dementor surrounding us in a bright flash.
“A Lioness patronus…” I mumbled to myself.
The Lioness glowed brighter, and as it faded away… I couldn't believe my eyes... Rakepick emerged from it.
“PROFESSOR RAKEPICK!” I yelled out. I don’t think I have ever smiled so big in my life.
Next to me, it was easy to see how chuffed Merula was to see her too.
“Looks like I made it just in time.” Rakepick remarked, smiling at us.
After I thought she died in the Portrait Vault, I was so happy to see her again that I ran up to her and actually gave her a hug. As did Merula.
I think we shocked Rakepick at first, but she quickly relaxed. She held us and returned it with a little laugh. “Ah, it’s good to see you too, Miss Silvers, Miss Snyde. You too, Mister Copper.” She said, looking at Ben, and then back at us.
“We thought we’d never see you again, Professor Rakepick!” I gushed, as Merula and I both loosened our grips.
“Madam.” Rakepick said.
“What?”
“I’m not your Professor anymore.” She clarified, shaking her head.
I laughed. “It’s a habit now. You’ll always be our Professor.”
“How did you escape the Vault!?” Merula asked, still smiling away.
“Ever heard of apparition, Miss Snyde?” Rakepick answered smugly.
“What happened after we left?” Ben asked, walking up to us.
Rakepick sighed. “That’s… a long story. But first of all, please tell me. What in the name of Merlin are you three doing in the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night?”
I scratched the back of my head, looking at Merula and Ben. “That’s a long story of our own.”
"Tell me the short version."
"Well…" I started, but then we heard some rustling in the bushes behind us.
"What is that?" Merula asked.
Professor Rakepick looked alarmed and pointed her wand at the tree where the sound came from. "Who's there?" She demanded.
The spy peeked from behind, and after noticing Professor Rakepick, they walked up to us.
"Rowan!?" I yelled. "What are you doing here?"
"Were you… were you following us, Khanna?" Merula asked.
"Yes… I was. I'm sorry, Sarahi." Rowan apologized, looking nervous. "But I was really worried about you when I found out that you were going to look for 'R' and Jacob in the forest. So I followed you. And uhhh… nice to see you again, Professor Rakepick."
"Likewise, Miss Khanna." Madam Rakepick said, giving her a respectful nod, in lieu of her lack of surprise.
"Rowan, what were you thinking!?" I scolded, grasping her hands. "You should have at least told me! What if something bad happened to you?"
"I'm sorry, but I knew you didn't want to involve me, but I couldn't shake off that feeling that something bad might happen to you."
"You were looking for Jacob in the forest, Miss Silvers? Isn't he with you?" Rakepick asked me, looking rather confused.
"Unfortunately, he isn't with me, Professor Rakepick. He left shortly after we returned to Hogwarts from the Portrait Vault because he was convinced that 'R' was following him." I informed her. "The reason we're here is because of this…" I held out the black quill note I had found in Jacob's room earlier. Rakepick took it from me and looked it over.
She read it as I continued. "It was probably meant for Jacob. Apparently an 'R' member wanted to meet with him. I thought he would be in danger, so we decided to come and intercept the meeting. But nobody came. And then the dementors… I assume that you already know about the Japanese wizard who escaped-"
Rakepick nodded understandingly. "Kitsueki, yes, I know. He was an accomplice of mine in 'R' before he was caught and jailed. And I think I see exactly what's going on here."
"What is…?" I asked.
"First of all, this is just one of the reasons I don't like the Ministry. Whose bright idea was it to let that many dementors lose? And secondly, this was a trap. A trap set specifically for you, Miss Silvers."
"I knew it… That's why Merula and I came with Sarahi." Ben said.
"And why I followed…" Rowan mumbled.
"What kind of trap?" I asked.
"The same kind of trap that I was luring you into. Your love for your brother. They planted this in his room because they knew you'd find it and come for him. Miss Silvers, as much as it pains me to say this, I think your brother was right about the 'R' following him. They have been trying to hunt me down as well, which is why I have been hiding since I escaped."
“That’s actually what we want to know. How did you escape? I mean, other than apparition?”
“The short version? I knew I was doomed in that fight. If I died in there, Cassandra would go back and tell our superiors everything. The same would happen even if I escaped. So after immobilizing them and waking up the dragon, which you left alive, Miss Silvers-”
“I will never kill a creature. Ever.” I interrupted.
“Fair enough. I woke up the dragon, left them to their fates, and escaped. A bit of spying later let me know that while Cassandra made it out, a lot of her group didn’t.”
“I see… that’s rather fortunate, I suppose.”
“Miss Silvers, that day when I chose to join you, REALLY join you, I promised myself I’d protect my students for as long as I am alive. Which includes now. This Black Quill was a fake made to mislead you.”
“I have another concern. Remember the threat I got last year? That one of my friends would die? Professor, they haven’t given up. I got a threat again from a white quill from Sickleworth. They still want to ‘collect’ a friend’s life.”
“Not on my watch, they won’t!” Suddenly her eyes widened. “Wait- Sickleworth!? How did Sickleworth bring you a quill?”
“Jacob said that ‘R’ was using him to deliver messages. In fact, the last time I saw him, he said he was going to follow Sickleworth.”
“They’re using MY niffler!? They’re using him to find me. They know Sickleworth will run straight to me! And while I don’t really care if they do, how DARE they use my niffler!? Was Sickleworth alright when you saw him, Miss Silvers?”
“Sickleworth was fine, though I’m fairly certain even he is upset by your absence. Maybe you should come back to Hogwarts with us?”
Professor Rakepick shook her head. “I will walk you all back to the edge of the forest. No one here will attack you all while I’m here. But I cannot come back to Hogwarts. I have to keep moving to hide. Let’s go.”
“No one will attack? Was someone meant to attack Sarahi?” Rowan asked, as we all started making our way back to Hogwarts.
Professor Rakepick looked behind us for a moment. “I am certain someone was. And they can’t anymore. I will make sure of that. In the meantime, there’s a lot that you all should know…”
-------------------------
You got the Best ending!
Want to see what happens if you had chosen something else?
What would happen if Sarahi left with her friends?
What would happen if Sarahi stayed?
(And for those asking, yes, I am assuming that Victor Kitsueki was the Japanese assassin. It’s just my own theory.)
