The Three Kings: Resist

Disclaimer (1): Yu-gi-oh! Duel Monsters is owned by Kazuki Takahashi, Studio Gallop, Nihon Ad Studios, and TV Tokyo. Harry Potter is owned by J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Arthur A. Levine Books, and Warner Bros. Please support the official releases.

Disclaimer (2): Captain America is created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The Toronto Star is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. The Royal Ontario Museum is owned by the Government of Ontario.

Warning: Mentions of political prisoners, child abuse, loss of occupation, assassination attempts, infidelity, canonical character death, and inbreeding.

Prologue: In the Meantime

Sidonia Heir Missing?

Taken from Acta Diurna, September 2013

Marcellous Sidonia has not been made a public appearance for nearly three months. Marcellous is the heir apparent to House Sidonia and heir presumptive to the Papas fortune. Anyone with information is encouraged to speak to their local Auror office.

Marcellous was last seen at the House of Seanus during a party celebrating the conception of Quintus and Otacilia Seanus's heir. It is believed that Marcellous left the celebration early after falling ill, though he was seen later that night traveling the streets in his litter while in the company of a young woman.

After the arrest of Marcellous's father by his ambitious half-sister, the Vestalis Maxima Luccenia Sorio, rumours are flying as to whether... (ctd. page 3, column 2).

Britain Pulls Out Of Confederation In Light Of Mage Threats
Taken from The Daily Prophet, December 2013

On Friday afternoon, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge announced that Great Britain would be leaving the International Confederation of Wizards.

"After careful consideration, the Ministry has concluded that this is the best protection that we can offer our citizens," said the Minister during the press conference. "By insulating ourselves, we can preserve our way of life for future generations - away from the mage threat."

This announcement comes following several months of deliberation by the Wizengamot. A Ministry insider confirms that in the upcoming months, we can expect to see the beginnings long-term isolationist policy being put into place. This will include the closing of Britain's borders to outsiders… (ctd. page 4, column 1).

Arthur Hawkins Fired Pending Investigation
Taken from The Quill, January 2014

Arthur Hawkins, Headmaster of Ravenwood Magical College, was fired late last night following a lengthy deliberation by the school's Board of Governors. This comes months after the revelation that he willingly gave his granddaughter, the wizard-born mage Rebecca Hawkins, to the Department of Mysteries, nearly resulting in her execution. Hawkins had been Headmaster for almost three decades and was universally well liked and respected by his students.

"We are not taking a stand for mage rights. That's not what we are trying to do," said Olive Horn, a member of Ravenwood's Board of Governors, when asked about the Board's intentions behind Hawkin's firing. "Instead, we are asking if a man who gave a child to an organization such as the Department of Mysteries should be Headmaster of one of the most prestigious schools in America."

"We were all really shocked," said Colin Rivers, a student at Ravenwood. "Mr. Hawkins was always such a nice guy. We never thought he'd have someone killed."

The Hawkins family released an official statement, stating that they were as unaware of the Department of Mysteries true intentions towards Rebecca Hawkins, just as everyone else was. They say that they have taken steps to regain contact with Rebecca, only to be met by silence on the mage front. The Hawkins family is refusing to further comment at this time.

However, sources close to the family have claimed that… (ctd. page 8, column 3).

China Leads The Charge: The Future Of Mage-Wizard Relations?
Taken from Morning Beijing, March 2014

China's Xiang Li has become the first Minister of Magic to conduct open negotiations with the mages of San Francisco, following the historic Confederation Broadcast last summer.

Li announced his decision in last night's Ministry bulletin, along with a shocking reasoning behind his choice.

"My son is a wizard-born mage. I put him through the Department of Mysteries' conversion program because I believed it would help him. However, if I had known what was happening, I would have bought him the first Portkey to San Francisco that I could find," Li revealed as his son, Jingyi Li, stood beside him. "I was wrong about magehood. My son and I are going to have to live with my mistake for the rest of our lives. But I refuse to stand still any longer!"

Li says that in a week's time, he will be meeting with the mage co-leader Atem in San Francisco to discuss China's future as an ally to their cause. When asked about whether he will request that the mages return his country's gold, Li responded, "We owe them reparation. Frankly, the money is a good place for us to start."

British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, responded to Li's declaration this morning, stating that Great Britain will no longer be doing business with China and is encouraging other countries to follow suit… (ctd. page 2, column 1).

Russia's Gringotts Closes Its Doors: The First of Many?
Taken from The Daily Prophet, April 2014

Gringotts Wizarding Bank locked their Russian vaults for the last time yesterday after spokesgoblin, Rannot, confirmed that the Russian branches would be closing indefinitely.

This comes after the mage thief, Bakura, drained the accounts of five wizarding families following their alleged attacks on wizard-born mages in the months following the Confederation Broadcast.

"It is not good for business," said Rannot. "We cannot keep our doors open for a clientele that refuses to trust us."

When asked where the Bank's workers would seek future employment, Rannot answers, "I don't know. Perhaps America?"

This closure seems to be the start of an upward trend as more and more witches and wizards feel that their gold is safer away from the clutches of mages. When asked to comment on the matter, concerned citizen Lucius Malfoy said, "We must keep ourselves safe from the growing threat of the mages. If that thief Bakura wants my gold, he will have to try and take it from my hands and not those of an incompetent goblin."

Lucius Malfoy has recently donated one hundred thousand galleons to the Ministry's relief fund for those who were financially impacted by the mage theft and is offering double that to the brave soul who would bring the thief Bakura to justice… (ctd. page 8, column 3)

Palamo Under Fire: Ex-Husband Sues For Custody Following Assassination Attempt
Taken from The Quill, June 2014

Minister of Magic Reyna Palamo made history three years ago after becoming the first female divorcee to hold the position. Now, only three days after Adam Morin's botched attempt on her life, Palamo might become the first Minister of Magic ever to lose custody of her children while in office.

Palamo's ex-husband, Tavell Cross, is the former Head of the Department of Magical Cooperation. According to sources close to the pair, their marriage fell apart after nearly a year of mutual infidelity and conflicting political interests. Palamo was granted full custody of their daughter, Chanara, and their son, Marco, after Cross re-married his scandalously young former employee, Angelina Mina.

However, in light of recent events, Cross has taken his ex-wife to court and is suing her for custody for their children, claiming that they will be safer with him.

When asked, Cross's lawyer said that his client is only thinking of what is best for his family, "Mr. Cross does not want for his children to be caught up in the dangers associated with Ms. Palamo's political career."

Both Palamo and Cross refuse to comment on their ongoing court battle and are asking for privacy during these trying times.

However, a Ministry insider confirmed that yesterday… (ctd. page 10, column 4)

Nicolas Flamel And Wife Die At The Age Of Six Hundred And Ninety
Taken from La Providence, July 2014

Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, passed away in Devonshire, England early yesterday morning. The Flamels were well-known alchemists and the only known makers of the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance capable of creating, amongst other things, the Elixir of Life which the pair had used to extend their lifespans across several centuries.

A small private funeral will be held in two weeks time at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the couple will be buried on the grounds alongside members of Perenelle's family.

Both of the Flamel's were gifted Beauxbatons alumni and made substantial contributions to the school over the years, transforming the old muggle covenant into the stronghold of magical learning that it is today… (ctd. page 4, column 1).

Shawn Pendergrass: A Look Behind The Revolutionary
Taken from Oracle, July 2014

While sitting in Shawn Pendergrass's apartment, you would never expect him to be a member of one of America's most prominent wizarding families.

"Dad's not exactly happy with my line of work," Shawn grins as he sets a cup of cocoa down on the table in front of me. The mug is muggle in origin, displaying a comic book character with a circular red, white, and blue shield. "I moved out once it became obvious that we weren't going to reconcile."

Shawn's father, Neal Pendergrass, is the current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Neal is also seen as a figurehead of America's anti-mage leanings, a direct contrast to his son's ideology.

Since the Confederation Broadcast, Shawn Pendergrass has been working tirelessly to protest the treatment of mages throughout wizarding history and push for significant reform in America's policy concerning wizard-born mages.

"It's ridiculous. We can't just shove our heads in the sand and ignore the world around us," Shawn says. "We have been sentencing our brothers and sisters to years of torture to fix something in them that the wizarding world views to be abnormal. But its not. Mage magic is just as natural as our ability to use a wand - maybe even more natural if you believe what that British Curse Breaker is saying. This is intolerance at its finest and it needs to be stamped out."

Of course, this leads me to bring up his older sister, Chelsea, who is one of seventy-three suspected American wizard-born mages who disappeared on the night of the Confederation Broadcast.

"Chelsea is safe and that is all I'm going to say for now. What matters now is making sure that there are never any more children who have to suffer as she did," Shawn says.

When I ask him how he plans on going about that, he introduces me to his roommate and best friend, Royce Land.

It's not the first time that I have met one of the three wizards who lived inside the mage borders of San Francisco. Only a month ago, I was able to interview Delphia Caro in her new home on Oahu Island. Delphia had focused our interview on talking about her experiences with individual mages, telling stories about love and family and comradery in times of peril, giving us an insight into the humanity that mages possess despite the wizarding world's attempts to ignore it.

Royce Land reminds me so much of Delphia when he speaks, talking of his time inside San Francisco with a strange sort of reverence that only comes when remembering life-changing events.

"We're going to be working with educators to help the next generation to better understand what is going on and how they can work to change wizarding attitudes towards mages for the better. We've reached out to the Chinese Ministry and they've been very willing to help us out. All of this is going to be happening alongside Shawn's political outreach program," Royce tells me.

I ask the pair if they believe that this is going to change anything - after all, The Quill 's latest poll puts the pro-mage rights faction of this country in the substantial minority.

After a few minutes, Royce answers, "It doesn't matter what the press says. It doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. It doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell the whole world, 'No. You move.'"

It's an impressive speech. Royce laughs when I tell him that.

"Thanks. But I can't take the credit for it. That's all Steve Rogers - but you have to say, he makes a damn good point."

I have no idea who Steve Rogers is, but he sure doesn't lack in conviction.

And neither do Shawn Pendergrass or Royce Land. Together, they've managed to… (ctd. page 2, column 1).

Italy Opens Its Borders: Vestalis Maxima Repeals Pureblood Protection Act
Taken from Oracle, June 2014

After her historic rise to power, Vestal Luccenia Sonia has been making waves throughout the Italian Forum Romanum by using her abilities as the leader of the Vestal Virgin to appoint herself as Minister of Magic, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the title. Most recently, the Vestalis Maxima has repealed the controversial Pureblood Protection Act.

Enacted in 1936 by Minister of Magic Agrippa Seanus, the Act declared that no witch or wizard of foreign blood would be able to marry into the Italian pureblooded families, either great or lesser, on pain of death. It legalized marriages between full-blooded siblings within the remaining for great Houses of Zabini, Sidonia, Papas, and Seanus, even going as far as to encourage it over matches outside a family. Agrippa Seanus was known internationally for his belief in wizarding blood superiority and championed the movement to expel muggleborns from Italy upon their discovery, lest they intermarry with those of 'cleaner' bloodlines.

The Act came a fraction too late to stop the marriage between Cassiopeia Black and Herius Zabini, which marks the last time someone of 'unclean' blood married into one of Italy's great houses. Vestal Luccenia brought up this marriage during her debate, stating that the children of Cassiopeia and Herius (Lartia, Caius, and Agrippa Zabini) had not experienced many of the health complications associated with the Italian pureblooded families.

"We can no longer ignore what our bodies are telling us," Luccenia said as she announced the repeal. "We are dying because of our obsession with blood purity. Isolating ourselves to the outside world was a mistake."

The repeal has gone uncontested, a surprising feat considering the extreme conservatism of the Italian wizarding community. This may be due to several factors, including Luccenia's purge of Ministry officials connected to the four great pureblood houses at the start of her reign, as well as the arrest of her father and predecessor, Titus Sidonia, who remains imprisoned to this day.

However, darker rumours are floating around the Forum. There have been whispers of a secret movement to… (ctd. page 4, column 2).

Come To The R.O.M! New Egyptian Discoveries Paint Legend In New Light!
Taken from the Toronto Star, August 2014

The Legend of the Three Kings is a story that has been told in thousands of languages and hundreds of countries worldwide, making many historians sure that these three figures were a bit more than legend.

"It's like the classic flood myth. If every culture has one, then perhaps our ancestors were describing an actual event and not, in fact, trying to tell a story to frighten children before bed," says Shada Inanna, co-presenter of the Royal Ontario Museum's newest exhibit. He and his partner, Ishizu Ishtar (who was not well enough at the time of the interview to give a statement), wish to not only provide proof of the legend with their collection but also to shed light onto the lives of the Kings and those that surrounded them.

Some of the key attractions include the three crowns supposedly worn by the Kings themselves, a Medjay sword belonging to the Dragon Princess (the King Commander's female successor and eventual wife of Pharaoh Seth), and several knives used by the Thief King and his men.

The exhibition's most dazzling piece is a massive stone mural, depicting a scene from the Egyptian myth. Standing nearly twenty feet tall and spanning the entire length of the room, it is easily the centerpiece of the collection.

The exhibit can be viewed on the Museum's lower level. The spacious room is uncluttered and lowly lit, allowing for a quiet trip back into a time of myth and legend. The doors open on October 31 following a private viewing on the 28th.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow. Buy Yours Now!

And we are back, baby!

First of all, I'd like to thank those who reviewed for the final chapter of Strike: Moonfirekitsune, Safiruu, Gamma Cavy, green lilah, Rita Mu, dragomira, anita15, Tz342, and Dana Sto Helit. You guys are awesome!

Ladies, gentlemen, and all those in between: welcome to Resist! It takes place roughly a year or so after Strike, so I figured that you would appreciate a little bit of a catch-up chapter before we enter individual story arcs.

Just so that everyone knows, here's a little break down of the newpaper names. Acta Diurna is the wizarding newspaper of the Forum Romanum. The Daily Prophet is, of course, the canonical British wizarding paper that is operated by the Ministry of Magic and swings it's political alignment according to the whims of whoever is in charge. The Quill is an American wizarding paper, and while it is not controlled by the Ministry, it is heavily right-wing. On the other hand, we have Oracle which is also American-based. It is a new paper, only having started up in the last year or so as a direct result of the Confederation Broadcast and is run entirely by witches and wizards in their late teens and early twenties who lean toward the left. Morning Beijing is the morning issue of the Beijing Star, a Chinese wizarding newspaper controlled by their Ministry of Magic. La Providence is an independent but popular French wizarding newspaper. It normally leans toward a centralist position, but we are only really seeing its obituary section here. And finally, we have the Toronto Star, which is a real-life non-magical newspaper with a liberal political alignment.

And so that you don't miss anything, I'm going to be posting the first chapter of Compilation tonight! For those of you who don't know, Compilation is going to be a series of short stories (and sometimes meta essays) that run alongside the Three Kings series.

Until next time,

AlcatrazOutpatient