I know I have a billion stories started but I couldn't help but start this one… popped into my head this morning and I couldn't help but start it! Hope you all like! R&R
I don't own Glee otherwise it would be a Puckleberry story that would currently have Rachel preggo with Puck's baby as they both kick ass in NYC lol… so yeah…
Rachel Berry walked into the choir room with a small, barely recognizable frown on her face. It was a confused frown, one she rarely wore and a small envelope in her backpack was the sole reason for it. She plopped down in the back row in no mood to be her usual dedicated self. She had too many thoughts jumbled in her head and Glee Club was definitely not one of them. Knowing that she had a couple of minutes before her teammates would join her for class, she slipped the gilded letter out of her backpack and unfolded it in order to read it for the hundredth time today.
On behalf of the Sons of Balaam, it is our honor to welcome you, Rachel Barbra Berry, to the School of Antiquity; an establishment created during the Dark Ages to provide the appropriate tutelage for students that were born with special, inane talent. You have proven to the Watchers that you possess the magic our school prides itself on improving. We will help you grow and use the power you possess within yourself, to be amongst the greatest of our kind.
Our school has been designed to be private. You will not find any information on our school except the information that has been provided to you. Your parents will receive their own formal documentation and must give approval in order for you to join us. However, it is also our belief that as a young adult you have the right to make this decision for yourself. Our Watchers will be able to determine whether or not your heart has guided you to us.
It is our hope that you will join us Rachel. Once your parents and your heart make their decision, you will receive further information on how to proceed.
A clearing of a throat brought Rachel out of her reading. She was met with a pair of hazel eyes, slightly narrowed with curiosity. Noah Puckerman sat down quickly beside her and sighed loudly.
'Sons of Balaam are the magicians Jannes and Jambres, from the bible.' He stated almost to himself.
'H-how did you know what this said? Did you take it out of my backpack?!' She asked, upset that her secret was known. He chuckled and shook his head before reaching into his backpack and pulling out his own. She grabbed it quickly and put it next to hers. Except for the name; they were the exact same document; both watermarked with a beautiful gold crest, surrounded by intertwined serpents. 'Oh…'
'Yeah…'He was nervous. Noah Puckerman never got nervous. He really didn't know what to do. Of course he was intrigued, who wouldn't be? But he was a relatively good Jew that went to temple almost regularly and knew the story of the two sorcerers and knew they had been thrown from Heaven. This fact alone, combined with the entwined serpents, gave him a nervous feeling in his gut. However, the fact that he was being recognized for his talent and they were actually offering him a position at a distinguished school instead of a cell at the Lima Correctional Facility was almost enough to negate the nerves. The fact that he was in the same company as Rachel Berry helped him make his decision. 'I think I'm gonna go.' He whispered due to the arrival of Mercedes and Tina.
'I'm scared… what if this is just a joke?' She asked, the fear clear in her eyes. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
'We won't know unless we try.' He shrugged. 'Plus, if it's a joke, I'll kick some asses.' Rachel couldn't help but grin a little.
'I think I had my mind up already but the fact that you're going has made it seem real. Let's do this Noah.' He pulled her into a half hug ignoring all of the strange looks he was getting from the two other Glee members in the room. To be honest, he didn't really care. Sure, he and Rachel had had a shaky past, but truth be told, he was happy she was going. It meant that he wasn't doing this alone and he would have support no matter what happened; two things he wasn't used to but always craved. Just as he was about to tell Rachel what he thought of them doing this, Blaine, Kurt and Finn walked through the door.
'Finn, our invitation is not to Hogwarts, how many times do I have to tell you?!' Blaine said, exasperation etched across his face.
'But dude, it said it was a private school, it said the word magic and the crest looks like Slytherin.' Finn answered as if it was obvious. Blaine and Kurt rolled their eyes and made a beeline for the seats in front of Rachel and Puck.
'I still can't believe I didn't get one… I mean, I love my step brother but I never doubted that I had more talent.' Kurt huffed.
'What are you guys talking about?' Puck leaned over and asked even though he already had an idea. Sure enough, Blaine's eyes lit up and he pulled his own gold letter from his pocket. Puck smiled and high-fived him and motioned towards Rachel. She pulled hers out happily and did a little 'happy wiggle' in her seat that Puck couldn't help but chuckle at. The girl was adorable, even if he'd spent the better part of a year trying to deny it.
'Finn's going too.' Blaine stated, ignoring the fact that his boyfriend was getting more and more aggravated. The conversation ended pretty quickly when the rest of the club came wandering in with Shue hot on their heels.
'Before we get started, I need the following people to come to my office for a quick meeting with Miss Pillsbury… Rachel, Puck, Blaine, Finn, Sam, Brittany, and Santana.' The 7 teens stood and quickly made their way to Mr. Shue's office, all of them wondering if it had to do with the letters they had all received.
'Hey kiddos!' Miss Pillsbury greeted as they made their way inside. There was something off about their counselor. She seemed to have gained a lot of confidence and wasn't fluttering around nervously like she normally did. She motioned towards the seven chairs that were arranged in a tight circle and took a seat on top of Mr. Shue's desk; another unusual behavior; she was always very serious about the location of everyone's bum at all time… they belong in a chair, not on someone's desk where they can spread germs and cause illnesses and oh dear….
'Yo, what's up Miss P?' Finn asked happily as he took his seat.
'You seem very happy Mr. Hudson.' She chuckled and waited for the rest of the group to settle down. 'Now, I need you all to do me a favor and grab your envelopes.' She clapped her hands together with a huge smile and waited for them to pull them out. 'As you all have read, there was a mention of Watchers. Watchers are a group of elite professors that I guess you can say, recruit, special talent such as yourselves. There are about 8 of us but I was assigned directly to this school. See, about 16 years ago we were made aware of seven Gifts having been born. You are those Gifts. I have been there throughout the years, guiding you, helping you grow into the wonderful teens you have become.'
'But I only met you like, a month ago.' Blaine said, cocking his head in confusion.
'Actually that's not entirely true, but I'll get to that in a moment. There are some things that you need to know before you finally make your decisions. Your parents have all given their consent and as the letter states, your hearts have told me that you all decided to attend the school. However, the information that I have may change that… it may change a lot of things.' Suddenly, the excitement each of the kids were feeling lessened and fear began to creep back to the forefront. 'When you read the letter, what was your first impression?'
'That we were going to Hogwarts!' Finn answered first. Their counselor, or Watcher, nodded and turned to Blaine who was sitting next to him.
'I guess I kind of thought it was like Hogwarts too.' He answered dejectedly, sighing when Finn let out a loud 'Ha!'
'Santana?' Miss Pillsbury moved on.
'I thought that someone finally realized I was a way better singer than Man Hands… obviously I was wrong.' She crossed her arms in true Santana fashion and glared at Rachel.
'I thought it was magic school like Blaine and Finn!' Sam interjected quickly to avoid the awkward silence that was building after the mean girl's insult.
'Okay… Brittany?'
'I don't know… I really didn't think about it. I don't think much.' Both Sam and Rachel, who sat on either side of her, patted her shoulders gently. The blonde just smiled and went back to staring at the gold paper.
'I thought it was a music school. I can't imagine it being anything else… it stated it was because of my talent.' Rachel shrugged.
'Me too; oh, and my sick guitar skills.' Puck added.
'That's fine, all of those are great answers and mostly make sense. The truth of the matter is that… well, Finn, Blaine and Sam were the closest.'
'I knew you were crazy but this is pushing it!' Santana said, laughing loudly.
'I know this is shocking but it's the truth. Our school, the School of Antiquity, is a school of magic. All seven of you were born with the gift.'
'This doesn't make any sense… magic isn't real.' Rachel whispered to herself.
'It is very real Rachel. Why do you think I could keep an eye on all of you without you having met 'me' until you started high school here? You and Noah remember your babysitter Mrs. Cohen, right?' The two teens nodded nervously. The counselor held both of their hands comfortingly before she slowly began to take the shape of the elderly Jewish woman that had practically raised them when they were younger.
'B-but… 'Rachel lifted her hand and touched the face of the woman she had been told had died years before.
'Why?' Puck asked angrily. 'Why did you leave?' Everyone knew that the boy had had a rough childhood. His father had left him, his mother and baby sister to fend for themselves and it had turned him into the rebel he was now. What people didn't know was that he felt the first blow of his life when his 'Henny' had left him and Rachel; splitting the children up and forcing him into public daycare. It had happened just weeks before his father left and he would deny it forever, but it affected him in a much harsher way than his father's disappearance ever did.
'I never left NoNo… I just changed.' She smiled softly, kissed his forehead as she had when he was young and slowly morphed into Elena. Rachel gasped and started shaking while Puck turned white as a sheet. 'I'm sorry…' She whispered.
Elena had been Puck and Rachel's best friend while they were in elementary and middle school. The three had been inseparable. Just before High School there had been a terrible car accident and Elena hadn't made it. That is what caused the divide in the two teens over the last two years; they had had a difficult time coping with the loss of their best friend and had changed who they were to get through it; Puck into a badass jock, Rachel into a self absorbed diva.
'I didn't have a choice… you both were relying on me too much and I had four other Gifts to help.' They nodded their understanding but both were close to a breakdown. Elena… or Mrs. Cohen… or Miss Pillsbury turned to face Blaine next who looked petrified. She smiled and changed from the young girl with braces into the Dean of Dalton Academy.
'Ohhhh… that makes sense.' Blaine said, obviously relieved that none of his 'ghosts' were coming back to haunt him like they had for Rachel and Puck. She/he turned to Sam and showed him all of the people she had imitated in order to keep an eye out on him. It went on the same way for all of the kids until they all sat in a shocked silence, all of them trying to absorb what they had just seen. She changed back into the quirky counselor they were all obviously more comfortable with and took her seat back on the desk.
'I know this is a lot of information to take in but we can go around the room and you can ask me any questions you have.' Finn raised his hand first.
'I notice that you uhm, you just changed… but are we going to have like wands or something?'
'Yes actually, you will all get wands. I don't use one when I change because it's a trait I was born with; my own special gift.'
'Like Tonks?' Blaine asked and the ginger smiled.
'Yes Blaine, just like Tonks.'
'I have a question. You said it is like Harry Potter and showed us your magic tricks; and yeah, it would be really cool to be a witch, but are we going to have to like fight evil or are we going to live a relatively normal life?' Santana asked next.
'Well, most witches and wizards do live a normal life but like I stated earlier, you seven are a very special group. I wish I could tell you that you will be lucky enough to avoid any evil but that would be a lie. You were all born into the role of heroes and as such, there will be multiple challenges you will be faced with.'
'Why us?' Rachel asked quietly, the color returning to her face and her shaking beginning to subside. Miss Pillsbury pulled a large stack of folders from the desk and handed one to each of the students.
'Inside of these folders you will find out quite a bit of information about your past and future. All of you share the bloodline of one of the Magnificent Seven, a group that actually started the school during the Dark Ages. As you can imagine, you all have a very strong magical lineage, however, the important aspect is that all seven bloodlines produced an heir during the same year, or more accurately, during the same month.' Puck and Rachel had really enjoyed having the same birthday when they were children, forcing their parents to go as far as having joint parties. They never knew that it would have any other significance other than being 'awesome.'
'When do we start at this school and where is it?' Sam asked while the rest flipped through their new notes.
'The school is in a secret location but I can tell you that it is in America and in the country. You all, if you so choose, will come with me after this meeting and we will get your supplies and head there first thing tomorrow.'
'What about Regionals?!' Rachel panicked.
'I'm sorry Rachel, if you all choose to go with me, you will no longer be a part of McKinley High Glee Club. I can tell you however, that we have an outstanding music program because your ancestors, just like the seven of you, were very musically inclined. They wanted to make sure that their talent was not wasted.'
'Is there a whole magical world? Like in Harry Potter they had bands and stuff.' Britt shrugged.
'Yes Brittany, there is an entire magical world that all of you will come to know. It's a wonderful world filled with a variety of people and creatures.'
'Unicorns?' The blonde asked happily and squealed when Miss Pillsbury nodded.
'What about money? I know my Ma can't afford a special school or more school supplies… she couldn't even buy me a new backpack this year.' Puck stated trying to look like it he wasn't embarrassed.
'Money is no longer an issue for you or your families. You all represent the good of our world and have received inheritances that would put Oprah to shame.' Miss Pillsbury answered. 'Now, we only have about thirty minutes before the portal I created closes, so, we need to make our final decisions. Puck, are you going to accept the offer that has been offered?'
'Yes.'
'Excellent, Rachel?'
'Uhm… yes.'
'Brittney?'
'Huh?'
'Do you want to go practice your magic at magic school?' Blaine simplified for her.
'Oh! Yes! They have unicorns!' She clapped happily.
'Blaine?' Miss Pillsbury continued.
'Of course.' He smiled.
'Samuel?'
'Sure, especially if it means my family can move out of the hotel.'
'Santana, what about you?'
'I'll do it.'
'And lastly… Finn?'
'Hell yeah I'll do it!'
'Then it's settled, why don't you guys go ahead and go grab your bags and we will head out. Please, if someone asks where you are going, tell them that you will answer questions later.'
'But I thought we weren't coming back.' Finn questioned before they headed out.
'You guys are not but I will need to tie up some lose ends. I will come back… as each of you.'
'I don't like that.' Santana said angrily.
'Me either Santana but we don't have time.' That was the end of it. They really didn't have a choice except to ignore it and go on with their new futures. They made their way into the choir room and grabbed their bags.
'Where are you guys going? We still have another hour of practice.' Shue panicked.
'Sorry Mr. Shue… we uhm… we just have to leave now.' Finn stuttered.
'Fine,' the curly haired man rubbed the bridge of his nose, 'just make sure you all practice as much as possible over the weekend.' Puck snickered and received an immediate elbow to the gut by Rachel.
'Yeah, no problem Shue!' He shot to cover his bases and to avoid any future abuse from the pint sized brunette. The strange group made their way down the hallway, the seven teens unusually quiet. They each stopped at their lockers and dropped off their books before continuing to Miss Pillsbury's office.
'Alright, I figured Harry Potter would be your primary frame of reference so I made the portal in a similar fashion. All you have to do is walk into the cupboard and it will take you to a small café. Once you get into the café, please wait for me, I need to make sure that each of you gets through without anyone seeing on this side.' They all nodded but no one moved. 'Sam, why don't you go first?' She finally suggested so that they could get going. Sam shrugged, took a deep breath and walked into the cupboard. Finn decided to go next, followed by Brittany. There wasn't a traffic jam in there so everyone else seemed to be okay with walking through. Blaine went next singing 'I Put a Spell on You' and Santana went directly after the lyric was cut off.
'You ready Little B?' Puck asked Rachel and grabbed her hand. She smiled up at him for using her old nickname and nodded. Side by side they made their way through the passage way.
