When she was twelve years old, Betty Cooper was positive she could do magic tricks. Not your average 'Pick a card!' trick. But real, actual magic. It had started off simple. Her long blonde hair would get too long, and her mother would insist on getting it cut. Betty liked her hair long. She figured she was some kind of bad-ass Rapunzel at that age. But she had reluctantly agreed to a haircut. Betty had watched as golden locks of her hair had been cut to a more manageable length. She didn't exactly hate her new hairstyle. It was easier to brush and tie up. So Betty didn't complain. Though the funny thing was, the morning after the haircut, Betty had woken up to find her hair had grown back. She had stared, puzzled and slightly horrified, as her hair once again reached her she had shown her mother, Alice Cooper hadn't looked too surprised, even rolling her eyes at her daughter.
"Just get ready for school, Elizabeth." Her mother had murmured. When Betty had tried to ask about the strange phenomenon, her mother had shut the conversation down and once again told her daughter to get ready for school. Since then, Betty knew she wasn't completely normal. Her hair refused to be cut, almost as if it was a living thing. It stayed the same length for years, and Betty had gotten used to it being so long. She tied it up, but her ponytail was still long, tickling her back constantly.
But it wasn't just her hair. Throughout her life, Betty had managed to do impossible things, things that are normally scrawled across the pages of a fantasy novel. When she was thirteen years old, she had been on a school trip to the zoo and had been fascinated by the snake enclosure. So fascinated that she had pressed her face against the glass of the cage. Betty wasn't entirely sure why, but she started to talk to the snakes in a different language. Her lips twisting, gibberish in her head which for some reason sounded right, as she murmured to them. And they had listened. One of them had turned around and hissed at her, and she was sure she knew what it was saying. Leave . The word had popped into her head, and she'd been so startled she had managed to stumble into her teacher, who chastised her for wandering from the class. "But, Miss Simpson, the snake was talking to me!" She had insisted.
"Don't be ridiculous, Betty. You do have an interesting imagination I'll give you that." Miss Simpson had dragged her back to her classmates and she'd spent the rest of the school trip thinking she was going crazy. Betty had never told anyone else, not even her mother. Since Alice Cooper had been so quick to ignore the fact that her hair grew back every time it was cut. Betty hadn't really thought about her strange 'magical powers' she had called them when she was a kid. Eventually she had stopped thinking she was some kind of magical witch, and started to take interest in writing and Journalism, and as she grew up, everything seemed to take a more logical sense. Her hair growth was probably due to some underlying condition she didn't know about, and the snakes? She was probably imagining things. After all, Miss Simpson was right. Betty Cooper did have an interesting imagination.
Betty was sixteen now, and still a daydreamer. She leant her head on the cold glass of the cab's window and watched the snow fall get rapidly heavier. At first it had been a light flurry, gently dancing across the windscreen. Though now it was a full-on storm and Betty could already tell her flight was going to be delayed. The cab driver was silent, even when she asked him to turn on the radio and try and get a weather forecast. Her phone had been dead for a while in her lap. Betty had spotted a portable charger at the front, but she didn't have the heart to ask to borrow it. Besides, the cabbie had ignored her for practically the whole car-ride from Greendale Academy.
She was on her way home for the holidays, finally. Betty could almost smell her mother's freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and homemade eggnog. She leant further into the warm seats and squinted through the snow-storm. She figured she was around ten minutes from the airport. If the snow got any worse, which she was sure it was going to, Betty was sure she'd be spending the night in the airport. She had barely any money. Plus, the cost of hotels in New York was ridiculous.
"Are you planning on getting a flight?" The cabbie startled her. He had a rich New York accent she wasn't used to.
Betty straightened up, pasting a smile on her face. She'd been fiddling with her hair. She hadn't bothered tying it up earlier, and left it loose, a golden cascade down her parka. She had a woolly hat pulled over her hair, and her mother's light green scarf wrapped around her neck. The only thing she had forgotten about was gloves. Betty shoved her hands into her parka pockets.
"Yeah, I'm going back home to Riverdale." She smiled at him politely, and the cabbie let out a snort.
"Not in this you're not!"
He growled in frustration when snow started to pile up on the wind screen and the wipers struggled to sweep it away. Betty squinted through the flurry of snow as it whipped around in the wind, piling on the roads as traffic in front of them struggled to mow through it. They were so close to the airport, yet the snow was making it an hour journey. Betty leaned over and pressed her face against the window, frowning. It was just past five O'clock and the sky was already dark. She glimpsed Christmas lights in the distance lighting up New York. When she turned around to took out of the back window, all she could make out was the dazzling blue of headlights as cars flew past them. Probably racing to the airport to try and get flights before they were cancelled. Betty wasn't used to this. The last time she'd been caught in a traffic jam was last summer when Polly, her elder sister, had taken her to camp. The two of them had sat in traffic for nearly four hours in 100 odd Celsius.
Betty almost wished to be back in the sweltering sun, sticking her head out of the window as Polly blasted the radio, singing loudly to the High School Musical soundtrack. Polly Cooper was a free spirit, and Betty loved that about her sister. Polly went against everything her mother said, and instead did things her way. When people had complained loudly and told Polly to turn the music down, Polly had shot each of them the bird and cranked up the volume. Some people had cheered (though mainly the younger ones) and others had started to scream death threats at her sister. Though Polly never gave up. She played every damn song on the CD and then started blasting 90's hits all the way through those four measly hours stuck in the overbearing heat. Betty continued to watch the snow fall. It didn't seem like it was going to be stopping or either faltering any time soon. Maybe the cabbie was right. Betty bit her lip. Her eye was on the portable charger.
"Can I-" she trailed off when the cabbie swore loudly at a van that rushed past.
"Asshole!" he yelled shaking his fist. He sighed and turned to Betty. He was a man in his late forties with dark skin and a permanent scowl. Though he seemed to notice Betty's desperate expression. It was almost as if he had read her mind.
"Sure." He muttered, grabbing the charger and flinging it at her. Betty caught it with a thankful smile.
"I'd use that juice to message your mom, or whatever," the man muttered, as he maneuvered the cab through stubborn traffic.
"Don't be wasting it on Insta-Chat or whatever it is you kids go on these days."
Instachat. She figured that was some weird hybrid between Instagram and Snapchat.
Betty nodded and plugged her phone in, unable to stop smiling. If she was to get stranded at the airport, at least she had her music. There was also the many random gaming apps she had installed for entertainment. She had spent nearly an hour on some mobile Animal Crossing game waiting for her cab, and realized, after figuring out how to collect little fruits, that her battery was 2%. Though the game had been so damn addicting, she had found herself drawn into the strange cartoon-ey world.
After a while of staring at the charging icon, finally her phone's screen lit up with the Apple logo and she sighed in relief.
"Thank you so much." Betty smiled at the cabbie, and he shrugged with a small smile.
"No problem, kid." Then he paused.
"How about you take it? I have a bunch of spares in the back, anyway." He turned to her, and his smile was friendly.
"It's the least I could do," He handed her the charging wire and she took it, speechless.
"I haven't seen one of our kind since yesterday. It was a kid just like you," He chuckled.
"Man, he talked my ear off all the way to the damn airport. I had one hell of a headache afterwards."
Betty frowned in confusion. One of his kind?
She didn't know what to say to that, so she ended up smiling politely, and laughing in all the right places. Once her phone was on, she checked her texts. There was one from her mom, naturally, and then Kevin.
Mom - 5:15pm: Betty, I hope you packed warm clothes. This snow doesn't look like it's going to stop. If you get stranded at the airport, I'll come and get you.
Mom: 5:25pm: Betty, is there a reason you're not answering? Listen, something's come up. I can't pick you up until tomorrow morning. If your flight is delayed I want you to go to the main desk and say you're an unaccompanied minor. They should look after you.
Betty inwardly groaned. She was sure the 'Unaccompanied Minors' suite was full of little kids. Teenagers like her probably looked old enough to look after themselves. Betty was sure her stupidly long hair made her look at least thirteen. Maybe a year older if she puffed out her chest. Betty replied with a simple;
'Okay' and set her phone back down. The traffic was starting to let up and soon enough, the cabbie was parking outside the airport and Betty stared, kind of horrified. Everything was blanketed in white.
The sidewalk was almost knees deep in snow and she could barely even see the building. After hesitating, she grabbed her bag and climbed out of the cab, straight into the bitter wind lashing snow flakes into her face. She bit back a squeak when her boots sunk three inches into the snow covering the sidewalk. Betty ducked her head and shivered as the cabbie jumped out and rushed to the boot, dragging out her suitcase.
"Good luck love!" He shouted over the whistling wind knocking into her. Betty forced a smile through chattering teeth.
"Thank you for the charger!" She shouted, as he drove off.
She watched him for a second, before the cab seemed to disintegrate into the storm. Betty blinked, sure she was seeing things. The roads were teeming with traffic trying to get through the streets piled with snow. But the cabbie had just disappeared. Betty stared, gaping for a moment. She waited for the cab to reappear when she blinked again. But all she was staring at was a long line of traffic obstructing the road and people rushing in and out of their cars, grabbing suitcases and baby strollers.
Her mind was playing tricks on her, she thought, letting out a chuckle. Besides, there was a snow storm. The cabbie had probably turned a corner and she hadn't realized. Her breath billowed in the air, and she watched the streets of New York covered in white, fascinated for a small second, before reality hit her. She needed to get that damn plane before it was cancelled. At the back of her mind, Betty already knew the snow was too deep to allow flights to take off. But she was desperate to avoid being stranded with a bunch of kids for the night. Betty grabbed her suitcase and started to make her way to the airport's entrance, following people dashing inside, sheltering from the storm.
Betty quickened her pace, and couldn't help tipping her head back, her blonde hair being whipped around her face. She stared at the sky as snowflakes battered the air, dancing and twirling. It was almost beautiful.
Betty hurried through the automatic doors, and ran straight into chaos. She skidded to a halt, her chest tightening. All around her was a swarms of people rushing, pushing past each other as they raced to the main desks. There were tannoy announcements every few seconds reading out a long list of planes that were grounded. Betty looked up, spying a timetable of flights, illuminated orange. All she saw were the words DELAYED or NO LONGER RUNNING. Her heart sank when she saw what she had been dreading.
NEW YORK - TO RIVERDALE - DELAYED DUE TO SNOW.
Great. Betty's stomach started to hurt as she glared at the timetable, willing it to change. She started to wander over to the main desk, but there were too many people. If the airport had a soundtrack, it would crying children, grumbling business men and mom's with whining kids screeching at the receptionists. Betty backed away from the overwhelming crowd. Her heart was hammering. There were too many people. She was shoved and pushed as the masses rushed to grab any flight they could, or just stand there and argue with the staff until they were blue in the face. Betty felt her stomach grumble. She was hungry. Though she knew if she was spotted walking around without an adult, even if she was sixteen years old, she'd be carted off to the kiddie room.
She pulled her phone out, catching a text from Kevin:
I'm guessing you're stranded in NY?
Kevin had added a string of laughing face emoji's. Betty scowled at the screen and started to text back, but she was shoved again. This time roughly, by a family of five who were running like their lives depended on it, dragging luggage and bags.
It's a nightmare she texted Kevin, sitting down in the waiting area. She was surprised she had managed to get a chair. Though the majority of passengers were either waiting for plane's that weren't going to come, or yelling and screaming at airport staff. Betty noticed the waiting area was mostly empty apart from some straying people who hadn't decided to cause World War Three at the desks, and a teenage girl around her age. Kevin texted back a picture of himself in front of a warm fire, and she smirked, holding her phone up and snapping the carnage around her. Betty was about to send it, when a cheery voice made her jump.
"Hello!" She looked up to see a young woman in her early twenties grinning down at her. The woman wore a tight blue dress. She had short blonde hair tied into a ponytail and there was a name tag clipped to her chest; Karen. Betty fought back a hiss of annoyance. She noticed at the corner of her eye, the teenage girl had made a run for it. Betty considered following the other girl, but Karen officially had her cornered.
"Honey, are you traveling alone?" The woman cocked her head, her bright smile not faltering for a second.
"You do realize most flights have been grounded due to the weather, right?"
Karen had a voice like fingernails on a chalkboard. Betty fought back the urge to say she was waiting for her parents, and instead gave up.
"Yes, my flight home was cancelled." She said, and Karen's face lit up.
"Well it just so happens we have a special room for kids like you!" Betty winced at the woman's tone. She was either being extremely patronizing or actually thought Betty was twelve.
"Follow me!" Karen trilled, and Betty had no choice. She stood up, grabbed her bag and dragged her suitcase behind her as she followed the woman as Karen weaved in and out of swarms of people.
"What's your name, sweetie?" Karen asked as they ventured deeper into the airport. Betty kept her head down.
"Betty." She mumbled. Then, as an afterthought. "I'm sixteen."
"Still not old enough to be unaccompanied, I'm afraid!" The woman giggled. Betty had an overwhelming urge to punch her in the face. Her stomach started galloping as Karen lead her away from the chaos and down a flight of stairs before Karen arrived at a large grey door on a long corridor that reminded her of a hospital. It was silent and eerie, and Betty almost wished to be back upstairs with the cast of Home Alone.
There was a sign on the door reading; UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
"I'll take care of your luggage, there's no problem." Karen happily took Betty's suitcases with another toothy grin.
"Okay, so we're currently looking at the human kids lounge." Karen smirked at her.
"But that's not we want is it, Betty? You want to be with your magical friends." She winked, and Betty forced a laugh. What the hell was wrong with this woman?
Magical friends?! Betty felt her cheeks flame. How old did she really look? She started to feel self conscious and pulled off her stupid woolly hat. The woman's grin widened. "You have beautiful hair!"
Karen let out a happy sigh and folded her arms across her chest.
"Okay, Betty, You look like a sensible girl. But I'm going to say the rules anyway." Karen cleared her throat.
"Under no circumstances must you use magic, I'm afraid. It's strictly forbidden within the confines of the lounge." Betty stared at the woman, waiting for Karen to start laughing. But the woman looked deadly serious.
After a moment, Betty remembered how to speak. The woman was a nut job .
"Okay?" She struggled to answer seriously. She fiddled around with her phone. Did the woman really think she was some kind of stupid kid?
"Also!" Karen trilled;
"No shape shifting."
Before Betty could reply, the woman was pulling out a long thin stick, like a super size Twiglet, before waving it in front of the door and muttering something unintelligible. There was a flash in the corner of her eye, like someone had just taken a picture, and Karen lowered her stick, before grinning at Betty.
"Okay! Are there any questions?"
Betty shook her head. Still too confused to speak.
"One last thing before you go in," Karen said cheerily. "We have to take precautions, as you must already know. There are kids who sneak them in. Now if you could just hand over your wand." When Betty frowned at her, Karen rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry, we'll put it somewhere safe!" She practically sang.
You mean my magical fairy wand? Betty thought. She considered pretending to pass the woman her invisible wand, to play along with her dumb game. But she didn't have the confidence to do that.
Betty didn't know what to say. She thought about asking the woman if she was on drugs. When she took too long to answer, the woman clicked her tongue.
"Do you not have it on you?"
Betty shook her head, biting her lip. Karen hummed and studied Betty, before her eyes lit up.
"It appears you're telling the truth!" she giggled.
"See, Betty, I knew you weren't trouble! Okay, enjoy yourself!" Karen gave her a little push forwards and Betty felt her chest tighten.
After a moment of deliberation as well as a clear get on with it cough from Karen, Betty pulled open the door and took an uncertain step inside. The door slammed shut behind her without her even touching it. Okay, things are getting super weird.
Once she had stepped over the threshold Betty was hit by a cacophony of noise. Loud chatter and laughter, but also the back end of what sounded like a battle cry. Betty lifted her head to survey the room. Her eyes doing a quick scan. There were kids everywhere. Teenagers either sat on comfortable looking sofas or cross legged on the floor. There was a games console hooked up to a flat screen on the wall playing what looked like a war game.
It was when Betty shifted her gaze, when she found herself face to face with a boy standing in the middle of the lounge. He was in long black robes over jeans and a t shirt with dark brown hair spilling from a knitted beanie. His eyes eyes were wide with anticipation, his lips twisted into a grin as he pointed something directly at her. Betty recognized it automatically. It was the long thin stick Karen had been waving earlier.
Betty didn't notice the redhead who had dived out of the way. She could only stare, stupefied, as a flash of colored sparks zipped across the room and hit the door behind her. She jumped backwards with a cry, shuffling away from the doorway.
The boy ignored her cry and instead let out a loud groan. "Arch, you coward!" He laughed.
"The aim of the game is to intentionally get hit by the spell! That's where you get the thrill!"
Betty watched him, unable to tear her gaze away as he wandered over and helped the redhead up, who was also in the same weird clothes. Though when Betty took a second to look around the room, all of the kids were either wearing black robes or uniforms. Under long robes, the redhead wore a band shirt and trousers. He glared at his friend. Though his lips were curled into a smirk. He was also holding a long, thin stick. Were these kids playing with Fire crackers?
So Karen had banned "magic wands" from the kids lounge but not fireworks?
"Dude, I saw you mouth the Stupefy spell," the redhead grumbled.
The boy wearing the beanie smirked. "You're a smart boy, Andrews."
He noticed her then, standing there like an idiot. "Don't look so scared, it was just a joke," He grinned. Though when she didn't smile back, he rolled his eyes.
"Oh, come on. What else are supposed to do in here?"
Betty didn't reply. She had half a mind to run out and tell Karen that some idiots were shooting fireworks at each other.
The boy's friend, the kid with dark red hair raised his eyebrows at her. She noticed he had a spray of freckles on his cheeks.
"Are you okay there?" The boy tucked his fire cracker into his robes, his eyes widening with a flicker of worry.
Betty managed a nod and the redhead smiled and nudged his friend.
"She looks like she's seen a ghost," he murmured. Though the dark haired boy shook his head.
"Forget ghost," He muttered in reply, narrowing his eyes slightly at her. "She looks like she's never seen a spell being cast before."
The redhead's lips twisted into a smile, his eyes widening in bewilderment. "Holy shit, is she-"
The boy only nodded. "Must be. Did you see her face when she saw my wand?"
Wand. That's what Karen had banned. Was that what they had been holding?
Betty's head hurt. Instead of pointing out the obvious; "I can hear you?" She ignored them and forced her legs to walk over to the couches where the other kids were. She found a seat, slumping down and pulled her phone out. The two boys were watching her across the room. The redhead looked confused, while the guy with the beanie was smirking at her knowingly. Betty refused to look at them and instead checked her messages. She had two texts from Kevin.
Kevin: 6:19pm- DUDE have you seen the snow? Is it bad where you are? How's the unaccompanied minors lounge? (Any cute guys?)
Kevin: 6:35 - you haven't replied to this so I'm gonna guess you were sacrificed to the pagan gods by a bunch of bratty nine year olds.
Betty quickly texted back; I'm not dead Kev. But I am in the kid lounge. It's crazy in here. Kids are playing with-
"So, Muggle. Do you have a name?"
Betty lifted her head to find the two boys looming over her. The dark haired boy smiled at her expectantly. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Betty scowled at the two of them.
"You do realize this is borderline harassment, right?"
The dark haired boy shrugged. "Dude, this isn't bullying. We're just curious how exactly you got in here."
The redhead nodded, dragging a hand through his red curls.
"If anything, we're trying to help you. If anyone in here finds out you're a muggle, you'll be torn apart."
Betty stared at them. Her heart started to pound. The boy's looked serious. Were they threatening her? Why would a room full of teens single her of all people, out?
"Look," Betty's voice was shaking, she couldn't stop it. "Can you please just leave me alone?" She hissed. The boy's looked ready to reply, but another voice interrupted them. This time female.
"Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones," The girl's voice was soft silk. "Is there a reason why you weren't at my daddy's Christmas party last year?"
Betty turned to find a girl slowly making her way towards them. She looked around Betty's age with long dark hair and a devilish smile. The girl wore the same as the boy's; long black robes over a navy dress, tights and boots. The dark haired boy smirked at her. "The ice queen cometh." He muttered under his breath.
The redhead rolled his eyes. "Ronnie, you know my dad's always busy these days."
She scoffed. "Weak answer, Andrews." She murmured, shooting him a playful smirk. "I miss the days when the three of us played together when our parents got drunk on expensive wine and tequila."
"When we were twelve." The redhead muttered. "We grew up, Veronica," he murmured. Before he cleared his throat. "How are things with you and Reggie?"
The girl sent him a withering look. "Jealous, Archie?" She grinned, and the redhead scoffed.
"Not in the slightest."
Betty had only known these kids for ten minutes and she already knew they shared a childhood. Veronica turned to Betty with a bright smile that looked genuine.
"Hey! I'm Veronica Lodge." Her gaze traveled to the boy's, and she pulled a face. "Is there a reason why Andrews and Jones are stalking you?"
"We're not stalking her, Veronica," The dark haired boy said, matter-of-factly. "We just wanna know how a muggle born got in here."
Betty glared at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" She hissed. you sound like you're speaking in tongues."
"Parseltongue?" The redhead smirked. Betty ignored him.
The dark haired kid shrugged. "Alright then, How about you tell me about He Who Must Not Be Named, huh?" He leaned forward, eyes challenging.
Betty narrowed her eyes. "Who?!"
The redhead nudged him, pulling a face like he was sucking on sour candy.
"What the hell, Jughead? The boy complained. "That name was nightmare fuel when I was a kid."
The boy just shrugged. "Chill, Archie. He's dead. Besides, we have our answer." He kept his voice low so only the three of them could hear. Betty ducked her head, letting her hair hide her face. She was pretty sure this was bullying now. Was there an attendant she could talk to?
"She's a Muggle." Jughead murmured. Betty snapped her head up, ready to yell at the guy. Though the words dried up in her throat when Veronica frowned.
"Wait, you're a mortal?" She hissed, her expression fell, and Betty swore she detected fear in the girl's eyes.
Betty finally stood up, pocketing her phone and grabbing her bag. Her eyes were stinging. She no longer cared about the snow, or that Karen would probably cart her back here. She had to get out. She ignored Veronica's question and pushed passed the boy's. Her heart was in her throat. She made it to the door and grabbed the handle, yanking it open. "Wait!" She heard Jughead yell. But she was already running out, slamming the door in his face as he ran over. Once Betty was back on the corridor, she let out a breath which slowly turned into a sob.
What the hell was going on? Were those kids on drugs? Betty went over what she had seen repeatedly in her head. Fireworks made loud noises when they went off. Except when the boy's had been playing with them, there had been no sizzling or loud screeching. It was just silent as the sparks seemed to fly across the room. Wands. Karen has asked Betty to hand over her wand .
"Under no circumstances must you use magic in the confines of the lounge."
Magic. It hit her then, like a wave of icy water. The kids were using magic.
Magic. Real fucking magic. Not magician magic that always had some kind of mind trick. Genuine magic spells. Betty stood for a moment, debating whether to go back inside. She found herself back at the door, grasping the handle. She squeezed her eyes and shut and yanked it open. Except this time, she was looking at a completely different room. There were still kids her age lounging on sofas and playing video games, but there were no magical battles going on between two teenage boys. These kids all wore normal looking clothes in comparison to the others, with their long black robes.
Betty stepped back out before anyone could notice her, and let the door swing shut once again. Karen's words she had ignored earlier were in her head suddenly, clear as day. "This is the human kids lounge." and then the woman had pulled out her long, grey stick- her wand and- and what? Opened a magical room?
A sudden metallic slam made her jump, and then she heard voices, followed by footsteps. Hide . Was the first thing that popped into Betty's mind. Her only option was behind a behind an abandoned meal trolley at the end of the corridor. Before she could hesitate, Betty ducked behind the trolley and laughed at herself for even bothering to hide. She ducked her head when she caught silhouettes walking through the door on the opposite end of the corridor. They didn't look like airport staff. There were two women Betty's mother's age and a man. They wore the same long black cloaks as the kids in the magical kids room (?)
The women were beautiful. There was a blonde and a brunette. Both of them had long hair, reaching their mid back. The man was handsome with pale skin and short dark hair. "Lillian, The orders from the Serpent's were simple. They need Pure Blood's." The man murmured. His voice was soft and calm. Though there was a razor edge to it that sent shivers crawling up her spine.
What the hell was "Pure blood"?
Betty watched the blonde pull a long thin stick - it's a wand, Betty. She quickly reminded herself. The woman pulled her wand from her cloak and held it. Betty saw the end light up with sparks, and she felt her chest tighten, her heart race with excitement. Real magic. "But children?" The brunette stepped forward. She was frowning, her arms folded.
The man chuckled. "Children are easily manipulated, Sophia," he murmured. "Their minds are like play dough we can mold them exactly how we want them."
The brunette sighed. "He's playing a dangerous game, Daniel."
"An army of children." The other woman scoffed. "Hiram has lost his mind."
The man smiled. He and the grin of a shark. Betty could barely stand to look at him. "Let me show you an example," he murmured. Before the door slid open and the three of them took a step inside. Betty didn't move from her hiding place, but she did hear the man's loud voice projecting his announcement. "Children!" He boomed. "I've been informed that your parents are now here to collect you. I'll be taking you in small groups of five so we can handle this quickly and sensibly. Is that understood?" There was a murmur of understanding. Betty felt her stomach clench. What was a Pure Blood and where were the adults taking the other kids?
Betty watched as Lillian, Daniel and Sophia walk back out, this time followed by five teenagers, all wearing the same dark cloaks. They were chatting excitedly, laughing with each other. They were no different from the kids in the normal room . She had a choice, then. She could either turn her back and join the normal kids, forgetting everything she saw- or she could try and warn the special kids. Betty had already made her mind up. Before the door could lock her out of the magical portal or whatever, once more, she jumped out of hiding and dashed back to the door, only just managing to slide herself back through the shrinking gap.
Once she was through and stumbling back into the magical kids lounge, she was running straight into - what had Veronica called the boy's again?
Jughead Jones, one of the magical kids she wished she hadn't met. He was standing right in front of the door, with Archie Andrews stood by his side. When she ran into him, it felt like walking into a brick wall. He staggered back and let out a hiss, before grabbing her arms and steadying her. Jughead looked startled, his eyes widening. "How did you…?" He managed to catch himself. "Okay, that door has a charm on it, there's no way any of us could get through it," his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline. "So what's your secret? Are you some weird Harry Potter fangirl?" The boy rolled his eyes. "Man, that guy has built up a fan base."
Betty had no idea what he was talking about. "No time!" She gasped, interrupting him. "Look, I know this sounds crazy, but you have to listen to me. The people who said your parents are here to collect you? They're lying. I- I heard them." She choked everything out in a rush of breath and the boy's frowned at her as if she had just grown a second head.
"No, but seriously." Jughead murmured, completely ignoring her warning. He folded his arms, a smirk flickering on his lips. "All I want to know is how the hell you managed to get through that door. Not once but twice."
Betty gritted her teeth. "I don't know how I ended up in here," she admitted. When the boy's expression softened, she glared at him. "Tell me what a Pure Blood is."
Jughead blinked. "Excuse me?" The boy seemed to be looking down on Betty, as if he was an superior species to her. Archie stepped in, shrugging.
"A Pure Blood? It's a wizard with no connections to Muggles," he explained. Though the words went right over her head. Wizards. Betty could feel herself starting to inwardly freak out, but she bit down on her lip. Archie continued to explain, despite Jughead's dirty looks.
"Okay, so Pure Blood's are Wizards who claim to have no Muggle blood in their family." Jughead frowned at his friend.
So that explained why they were taking kids. All the kids in the room were Pure Blood's. Betty glanced at Jughead, then Archie, and at the back of the room where Veronica was sitting on her own nibbling on a cookie. She was watching them.
They were all Pure Blood's and in danger.
Jughead sounded pissed. "Why are you telling her all of this?"
Archie shrugged. "I dunno, man. I kind of believe her. Did you see how creepy those guys were?"
Jughead sighed and turned back to Betty. "Okay, if we believed you. I'm not saying we do," he trailed off. "Could you prove it?"
Betty thought for a moment. What had the people who had taken Pure Blood's said?
Betty took a deep breath. "They said they want to build an army from Pure Blood's.." she stumbled over her words. "And- and the order was from The Serpent's."
Archie's eyes crinkled with confusion. "Serpents?" He repeated. "Never heard of them." Except now it seemed Betty had finally grabbed Jughead's attention. He wandered over to the door and pulled his wand from his cloak.
"If we can't get the damn door open, we're screwed."
"So you believe me now?" Betty hissed desperately. The boy shrugged.
"I'm starting to," he muttered. "So have you got a name? Or am I going to have to keep calling you Muggle?"
Betty scowled. "Betty Cooper," she replied. "What the hell is a Muggle ?"
"Another word for human..." Jughead answered dryly. He scratched the back of his head with his wand. "Alright, how the hell are we gonna get this door open?"
As soon as the words had left his mouth, Jughead sprung back, dragging Betty with him when the door flew open, and Betty felt ice slide down her spine. It was the adult wizard's from earlier. The lounge had gone silent. Daniel picked out five kids, asked them to follow them, and then the door was slowly sliding shut. Archie grabbed it before it could close, and Jughead rushed forwards, Betty seeing no other choice but to follow him.
"Hold on a sec, are you guys seriously breaking out?" Betty turned to see Veronica standing with her arms folded, but her eyes glinted with excitement. "Can I come?" She whispered. Jughead turned to her and shrugged. "Sure." He said. "The more the merrier."