Gigi Lestrange stormed down the aisles of the Hogwarts Express. She was in a mood today, and Salazar help whoever got in her way. She was currently on the lookout for her best friends and fellow Slytherins, Dani Vicieux and Alli Whittoy. They were supposed to have been waiting in their usual room for her, but they were nowhere to be found.
How is Cerberus supposed to function with only one head? Gigi thought angrily.
Despite being annoyed, she couldn't help but chuckle darkly at the nickname. Some of the other Hogwarts students had begun calling the trio Cerberus less-than-affectionately a few years back. In Greek mythology, it was the name of the three-headed hound that guarded hell. It was meant to be an insult surely, but the three girls were more than happy to adopt the nickname as their own.
Now, if only she could find the other two.
She hastily swung open a compartment door, only to glare at the fourth year Gryffindors inside. Neville Longbottom stood quickly, whether in shock or fear she wasn't sure. She placed a well-manicured hand on the boy's chubby chest and shoved him back into his seat. Spinning on her heel, she slammed the door behind her.
She had started to grow impatient when halfway down the aisle she heard Dani's laughter ringing from nearby. She quickly moved to open the next door.
"I should've known I'd find you here," she sighed.
The room was full of Slytherin Quidditch boys, and Dani was currently draped across the lap of a seventh year, Theodore Nott. He was running his fingers through her long ash brown hair. She looked up at Gigi and flashed a dimpled smile.
"Ah Gigi, so nice of you to join us." Theodore said with a smirk. "There's plenty of room on my lap for one more."
Gigi rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Nott." She delicately raised her middle finger at the boy before turning back to Dani. "Where is Alli?" she asked.
"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," a voice purred from the doorway.
Gigi spun around. Alli was leaning against the door frame with her signature smirk plastered on her face, and a mischievous sparkle in her icy blue eyes.
"How've you been, G?" Alli asked. "I haven't seen you since the World Cup."
Behind her, Gigi heard a few muffled laughs. None of them had been shocked by the death eater attack that summer. Most of their parents had been behind it after all.
Cerberus had been together that night. Alli's father worked for the Ministry of Magic and had gotten the girls prime box seats for the event. About an hour before the attack, security personnel came to guide the girls out to a car that was waiting out back.
None of them asked why. The good thing about being friends with Death Eaters' daughters, was they generally knew when to not ask questions.
"The rest of the summer was uneventful," Gigi finally responded.
"Well from what I hear, the school year will be anything but." Alli teased, a knowing smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
Dani quickly slapped Nott's hand away and sat up.
"What do you mean, Al?"
"Well my father says Hogwarts will be hosting a very special event this term," Alli said.
Her words were met with nothing but blank stares. Alli grinned again, clearly pleased that she possessed information the others did not.
"It's called the Tetrawizard Tournament. It's a competition involving four wizarding schools. One champion from each school is selected to compete. Apparently, its super dangerous."
The group mumbled to themselves, but were quickly cut off by an impatient Gigi. "Get to the point, Alli," she snipped.
Alli glared at her, but didn't protest. She had been lavishing dragging the news out, but even she wouldn't risk bringing out Gigi's temper.
"Well, father tells me that it's coming to Hogwarts this year...which means so are the other schools."
This time the group's reactions were far less reserved. Dani squealed.
"How exciting," she gasped. "Fresh meat."
The group laughed. They weren't sure if she was talking about new victims to torture or men to seduce, but either way her enthusiasm was contagious.
Gigi paused her laughing long enough to ask another question. "Did your father tell you which schools would be participating?"
Alli hesitated for a moment. This time it wasn't to drag out the suspense. She seemed actually frightened to tell her friend the answer.
"Well I know Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are coming from France and Bulgaria respectively..." she said, but then stopped again.
Gigi's temper flared, her dark amber eyes flashing.
"Spit it out Alli, or I swear I'll crucio you."
She was probably kidding, but Alli decided not to risk it.
"Well...he mentioned St. Drausinus's Reformatory might be allowed to participate this year as well..."
Her announcement drew gasps from the other Slytherins in the car.
"Those halfbreeds and freaks?!" Nott shouted.
"Hush," Dani scolded. "Any of us could have ended up there too if our parents had been caught."
The teens continued to clamor around her, but Alli had kept her eyes focused on Gigi.
Her friend's face had gone white, and she had dug her nails into her palms hard enough to draw blood.
"Everyone out," Gigi ordered. She refused to lose her composure in front of the others. When nobody budged she stood and grabbed the collars of two of the boys standing nearby. She shoved them both out of the compartment and gestured for the others to follow, except for Alli and Dani.
Dani reached across the compartment and grabbed her hand gently. "Are you okay, G?" she asked. Gigi took a deep breathe and pulled her dark hair up off her neck.
"I'm fine," she breathed. "But it's best you both be prepared. My cousin is coming to Hogwarts."
Thousands of miles away, Calico squirmed on the hard plastic seat of the enchanted subterranean train. They'd be at Hogwarts in just over 16 hours, and Cal was sure her backside would be numb by then. She hadn't expected St. Drausinus's to transport her and her classmates in luxury, but she also hadn't expected this metal death trap either. The aluminum bullet train shook and rumbled as it passed through the earth's sedimentary layers, causing the fluorescent lights inside to flicker.
Thanks to the magical charms placed upon it, it didn't need a track or tunnel to run. It merely passed through the solid underground like a ghost, and the muggles in the towns above them were none the wiser.
Calico reached down and touched the cuff on her ankle that kept her chained to her seat. All of her classmates were similarly attached, only to be freed for bathroom breaks on the long journey. Calico feared however, that even that small luxury would be taken away soon. The last boy who asked to relieve himself had used the opportunity to attack one of the Guardians.
The boy, a 15-year-old named Trevor, had jumped on his victim the moment he had been freed. Calico had watched as he bit into the Guardian's ear and ripped it from his head. Trevor still had the detached ear in his mouth when he was knocked unconscious by another Guardian's stunning curse. They had dragged him from the train car, and he hadn't reappeared again.
Probably locked in solitary now, thought Cal.
All that remained from the altercation was the Guardian's blood that had been left splattered across the laminate floor.
The incident hadn't fazed Cal in the slightest. She had seen far worse during her time at St. Drausinus. She couldn't muster any empathy for the boy either. He was a fool to lose his shit now when they were so close to the first taste of real freedom any of them had in years.
Calico's thoughts were interrupted by her best friend Kailah Ivankoff, whose mahogany curls fell over her eyes as she leaned in closer.
"Check out the newb," Kailah whispered.
Across from the two girls sat a third. She was small and thin, with honey hair and innocent deep blue eyes. She was tugging at the metal bracelet around her wrist, clearly agitated by the hard surface rubbing against her skin.
Every student at St. Drausinus was required to wear an Obstinum. The thick iron cuff prevented the teens from using any wandless or supplemental magic. They were a necessary precaution at a school where nearly half the students possessed powerful magical abilities.
Calico watched as the girl continued to pull at the band.
"That won't help you know," she said when she finally grew tired of watching the girl struggle.
The stranger jumped, seemingly shocked by the sound of Cal addressing her, but she quickly regained her composure.
"I have sensitive skin," the girl said.
Kailah snorted. "You'll get used to it. We all have."
"But my abilities aren't dangerous," the girl insisted. "I'm a healer! Why do I have to wear one of these?"
"Take it up with the headmistress sweetheart," Kailah sneered. "You're one of us now, and that means you get to wear our pretty little accessories too."
The girl stared at them, wide-eyed and relatively calm. Cal wondered if the reality of her new situation had really set in yet. She tried to imagine what brought such a naïve soul to the reformatory in the first place.
"What's your name?" Cal asked the girl.
She gazed back at them tentatively before answering.
"Kahlan," she said. "Kahlan Amnell."
"So you have wandless healing abilities, Kahlan?" Cal asked.
Kahlan nodded, her knot of dirty blonde hair bobbing.
"And how'd that happen? Your parents have a potion go wrong?" Cal pressed.
Kahlan hesitated.
"I...I'm not sure," she said. "I never knew my parents. I grew up in a monastery out in the country."
"And they sent you here?" Kailah asked bluntly.
"No!" Kahlan exclaimed, but then she hesitated. "At least, I don't think so. I was picking wildflowers in the fields, when two of those men in white cloaks showed up out of nowhere. Then I was waking up in the headmistress's office being told I'm a danger to society and that magic is real."
Kailah choked. "You didn't know about magic?" she asked.
Kahlan shook her head.
Cal gazed at her curiously. "Then what did you think your healing abilities were?" she asked.
Kahlan shrugged. "Miracles," she replied nonchalantly.
Calico and Kailah broke out in hysterical laughter, tears coming to both of their eyes. They would have been rolling on the floor had it not been for their restraints.
"...Miracles!" Kailah gasped out. "What a load of hogwash!"
Before Kahlan could argue, one of the Guardians sent warning sparks flying out of his wand. "Quiet!" he shouted angrily, glaring at the three girls.
Kailah stuck her tongue out at him and Calico rolled her eyes, but Kahlan seemed to shrink back in fear.
"The men who brought me here looked like that too. Are they the teachers here?" Kahlan questioned.
Cal snorted again. "Not a chance. The giant oafs in the white cloaks are Guardians."
Kahlan looked at her blankly.
"Seriously?" said Cal. "They didn't give you some sort of rundown when they brought you in?"
The dark blonde shook her head.
"Merlin, I know they're a bit preoccupied with the tournament, but they usually at least go through the basics," said Cal. "Well, let me formally welcome you to St. Drausinus's Reform School for Troubled Young Witches and Wizards," she greeted sarcastically. "Those guys in the white cloaks are Guardians. The school says they're here to 'guide us on the path of righteousness,' but really they're just glorified prison guards," she finished.
"Why would we need prison guards?" asked Kahlan innocently.
Kailah grinned maliciously, and the sparkle in her dark gray eyes made Kahlan uneasy.
"Oh sweetheart, didn't anyone tell you? We're dangerous. It's in our blood. Everyone here is either a child of crazy, bloodthirsty criminals, or a victim of magical experimentation. Some are even lucky enough to be both. Just ask Cal here."
Kahlan sat back in her seat and swallowed loudly. She was now eyeing Calico far more warily than before.
"Your parents were criminals?" she asked.
"Correction," said Cal. "My father IS a criminal. He went off the deep end and massacred at least twelve muggles before I was born. Of course he was also a devout follower of the Dark Lord before the whole Potter situation."
For what seemed like the hundredth time since they had begun talking, Kahlan merely stared at them in confusion.
"The Dark Lord? The Potter situation?" she asked.
Cal sighed heavily. "Stories for another time sweet one," she said.
"So your mother sent you here?"
"No," Cal clarified. "My mother is dead. She passed away giving birth to me. Since my father was too busy withering away in Azkaban..."
"Wizard prison," Kailah clarified before Kahlan could ask.
"I was raised by my darling Uncle Regulus and Grandma Walburga," finished Cal.
"Unfortunately for my friend Cal here, her family was seriously into experimenting with dark magic, and she was just too perfect of a guinea pig to pass up," Kailah said while faking a somber look.
Kahlan was beginning to look gravely overwhelmed. "So...now you have magic too."
Cal rubbed her temples. Newbs required way more patience than she was used to having.
"All witches and wizards have magic, Kahl. But some of us, like you, me and Kailah here, are Dimagi. We have what might be called 'bonus abilities,'" she explained. "You can heal, and Kailah can conjure fire."
"And you?" Kahlan whispered. She seemed almost fearful of the answer.
"I make sane people do crazy things." Cal answered vaguely, but she offered no further explanation.
"Basically we got fucked up, and now we can all do wicked magic without a wand," Kailah added gleefully.
"A wand?!" Kahlan exclaimed. "But I don't have a wand!" Her blue eyes were wide with worry, like a child who forgot their lunch on their first day of school.
"Relax newb," Kailah retorted. "They'll probably issue you one when we get to Hogwarts."
Kahlan scrunched her face at the nickname but relaxed back in her seat.
Cal watched her enviously. She tried to imagine how exciting it must be to discover you were a witch for the first time. She thought of how thrilling it would feel to learn how special you truly were, even if it was here at St. Drausinus.
Cal had always known what she was though. Her uncle and grandmother had made sure of it. But by the time she turned 11 years old, the chaos and destruction she created around her was too much even for her psychotic relatives to bear. That was when they sent her to St. Drausinus. She was their problem now, and Cal had made sure to be exactly that these past five years.
But behind the walls of St. Drausinus, Cal had always been limited. Her powers were limited. Her freedom was limited. But all of that was about to change. After this Tetrawizard Tournament, nobody would ever limit Cal again.