Author's Note: This will be a Jackunzel and Mericcup story, but relationships will not be explored until Year 4: The Frozen Core.


From a small cottage, a chameleon crawled into view for his owner to notice. Rapunzel stared at her chameleon, deciphering what his expression was trying to tell her. Pascal aimed his green tail towards the door, meaning Rapunzel could be expecting a visitor, but she was never allowed to open the door. Only her mother, Gothel, could open the door, while Rapunzel had to be locked in her room. It had been that way ever since she could remember, but it never bothered her.

Whenever she was locked up, Rapunzel would stare outside the night sky, where a castle was in the distance. The castle belonged to the King and Queen of Corona. Rapunzel had wished for a long time to leave the house, to explore a castle, or even to stay at a new home that's not in Germany. Rapunzel heard the infrequent squeaks from Pascal, demanding for her to head to the door.

"You know I can't, Pascal." The chameleon frowned at her.

Rapunzel sighed before walking to the door, daring herself to touch the door handle. She peeked underneath the door instead, causing Pascal to sigh and leave the cottage. He acted as if he could read her mind. Rapunzel rested on the dinner chair for Pascal. He returned while dragging an envelope with his mouth.

"Mail? What's so important about this one? You know Mother would burn them if they were meant for me." Rapunzel turned the envelope over, noticing a red seal as she read the writing.

"It's for me?" Rapunzel saw Pascal nodding with enthusiasm. She allowed Pascal on her arm, before racing to her room, clutching onto the letter.

"This is it… isn't it, Pascal?" asked Rapunzel rhetorically.

The seal was broken, as Rapunzel pulled out the letter that was meant for her. She scanned it and saw that it confirmed her acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rapunzel felt a mix of joy and fear; she looked around and found a place to hide the letter.

Rapunzel's mother was the cause of Rapunzel's paranoid nature. Whenever she asked her mother to leave, she would receive punishment. To most children, punishment would mean getting sent to their room or having their toys confiscated; Gothel did neither. For Rapunzel, punishment meant being locked in the dark or getting abused until she cried out every drop.

"Behind the mirror looks good; Mother would never see past it." Pascal puffed his chest up as a sign of approval, and to give her all the courage she needed.

Before sticking the letter on the back of the mirror with a bit of glue, Rapunzel began thinking again. How on earth would Rapunzel be able to go to Hogwarts without her mother's magic? How would she be able to go without her mother knowing?

"I can't, Pascal… Courage is supposed to be being able to face your fears head on. I have to ask Mother for permission. She would've wanted for me to be like her, right?" Pascal presented a disappointed expression, as he would've loved the idea of going behind Gothel's back, not that the witch knew he existed.

When dusk arrived, Rapunzel waited in her room as her mother prepared dinner. She held the letter in her hands and submissively walked out to the kitchen. The seconds it took to approach her mother felt like hours. All that was audible was her own heartbeat and her mother's humming.

Gothel turned around with a confusing look as if Rapunzel shouldn't have disturbed her. The piercing grey eyes placed Rapunzel in a petrified state. It started to feel like days before she could speak. The utmost important rule for not getting punished, was to speak clearly and to not mumble.

"Mother, I found this lying near the door," said Rapunzel, with eyes averting her mother's. The thumping of her heart increased.

"Near the door?" Rapunzel's heartbeat raced to the point where she knew it was going to end horribly.

"Yes, Mother. It said that I am accepted into Hogwarts. Mother, I know that I am not allowed to leave home under any circumstances, but I feel as if I should give Hogwarts a try so I could learn how to pro—"

"Yes." The thumping stopped. Rapunzel finally glanced into Gothel's cold stare; grey eyes clashed with green eyes.

"Yes? I don't under—"

"Yes, you may leave to Hogwarts." Gothel stretched out her arms for a hug. Rapunzel leaped in and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist. Rapunzel couldn't hold in her tears; for the first time in forever, her mother finally understood. Gothel wiped off Rapunzel's tears and then stroked her daughter's long blonde hair. Fear always made time slow for Rapunzel. Love on the other hand made time pause for eternity.

When the tears dried up, Gothel pulled Rapunzel out of the embrace.

"I have to go." Gothel left to get her black cloak.

"Go? Go where at this time?"

"Don't question me, Rapunzel!" ordered Gothel as if she had shot a bird flying back home. Gothel waited until Rapunzel had realised that she had to pack things for her mother's trip. When Rapunzel was finished, Gothel opened the door and turned around.

"I will be back first thing tomorrow before dawn returns." Gothel touched Rapunzel's chin to reposition her face, so she had to look directly at her mother.

"I love you my flower," said Gothel, waiting for Rapunzel's reply.

"I love you more."

"I love you most." Gothel kissed Rapunzel's forehead and then pulled the hood over her head.

Rapunzel watched her mother's figure enter the woods. Only the green lamp illuminated Gothel. Pascal grabbed Rapunzel's attention and gave her the face of hope.

"It's finally happening, Pascal. I'm finally going to a castle outside of Germany. Who knew, right?" She peered back into the woods and her mother was not there anymore.


Shadows engulfed the landscape for a brief second. Hiccup Haddock quickly found shade as an innate response towards the shadows. He waited for a few seconds until making his way to the forge.

"Hiccup!" Hiccup turned around and saw Fishlegs heading to his direction. Fishlegs was the same age as Hiccup; he was Hiccup's only friend on Berk. Fishlegs was large for an eleven-year-old and taller than Hiccup, which really wasn't saying much considering Hiccup was the shortest among the children of Berk.

"Found another undiscovered species of flower on this very small island, Fishlegs?" Fishlegs didn't react to Hiccup's usually sarcastic questions.

"They're coming… the letters…" Fishlegs was catching his breath.

Hiccup looked into the sky but saw no signs of the letters. Maybe it had already arrived. Hiccup ran back home without Fishlegs. All the houses of Berk were similar in terms of design, but Hiccup's house was the most recognisable. Berk was not only the land to some of the few Viking groups; the island was also a habitat for the most fearsome creatures on earth: Dragons.

Hiccup searched his house but found no letter. Fortunately, neither was his father, so that meant there would be no awkward interactions. He was beginning to panic a little. What if he was never a wizard in the first place?

The stout Viking with the giant, braided, red beard was also the leader of Berk, Chief Stoick the Vast. He was also the person Hiccup called: Dad. Hiccup's name was not given to Hiccup because of his scrawny physique. The name was to scare off trolls, as they believed hideous names would provide such effect.

Hiccup heard the voices of other children outside his house. The constant bickering already gave away who they were, the Thorston Twins of course. Hiccup observed through his window and saw the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, 'sister twin' and 'brother twin'.

"As I was saying, Sis: Only one of us is going to Hogwarts. We signed a contract as a constitution that we—the most important subjects of this land—are going to different schools." Tuffnut rolled out a piece of parchment, with writing too small for Hiccup to read—not that it mattered to him.

"Tuffnut, the rules don't matter anymore. We didn't know that Hogwarts was the only magical school left in the world." Ruffnut picked up a rock, waiting for the right moment to hurl at her twin brother.

"Oh but there is no turning back. Years ago you also agreed that if any of us broke a vow, then they would quote 'sleep on Dragon Island… with Gothi' unquote." Tuffnut saw the rock and ducked. Ruffnut made a run for the contract to rip it up.

"Ah! What is wrong with you, woman?! I will have authority!"

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Tuffnut usually didn't talk in that sensible tone, only when he wanted to annoy people.

Hiccup then saw an object coming his direction. His instincts warned him that it could be a dragon ready to burn down his house. His instincts were wrong.

A paper plane landed on the bed in front of Hiccup, perfectly white and seamless. It began unfolding in front of his eyes and Hiccup picked up the envelope. Hiccup exhaled as a sign of relief, he was now going to have a new life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hiccup wondered if Astrid and Snotlout got theirs yet.

If Hiccup's only skill on Berk was working at the foundry with Gobber the Belch, then he wasn't going to make his mark. Hogwarts was the perfect opportunity, as he had the chance to explore his mother's side; it might've be something he was finally good at. Stoick the Vast had no magic in him, meaning Hiccup was a half-blood. According to Fishlegs, blood purity was a big deal at Hogwarts, the main cause of bullying.

Many Vikings trained dragons to develop bonds. In the past, killing dragons was the source of fun, until a courageous Viking ended it and showed a better way. That Viking was Hiccup's mother.

The main reason to Hiccup's marginalisation was not because of his strength, or the relation he shared with the Chief. Hiccup had a fear of dragons; no matter how hard he tried to fit in, every conversation was about dragons this and dragons that. The children also went through hazardous training to defend themselves against dragons, which wasn't a breeze for Hiccup. They had to learn combat—not because they still hunted and killed dragons for sport—but because of their enemies, the Outcast Tribe, led by Alvin the Treacherous. They too have learnt how to train dragons, but their motives weren't for relationships built with trust; they trained dragons to destroy Berk.

The cold breeze entered the room, so Hiccup weighed down the letter with a tiny axe he—for some reason—owned solely for that very purpose. Winter was coming soon; but luckily, while Berk freezes, Hiccup would be at Scotland, where it would be warmer than here. Meaning anywhere was safer than Berk's frostbiting wind that could even attack the spleen. Hiccup never had frostbite as of yet. He hoped it would stay that way.

The horn sounded nearby for the entire village to hear. People began heading to the foundry, where Hiccup and Gobber worked. Upon reaching there, they geared up with weapons and prepared for battle.

"Outcasts," muttered Hiccup. He went outside and could see an array of boats heading to Berk.


The clouds above the London sky obscured the sun. Merida rode on her horse, Angus, and fired her arrows into the targets she had placed around the field. What she loved the most about this was the feeling of the wind passing through her unruly red hair.

Merida stopped Angus and could see her chauffeur waving at her to come back. She groaned, knowing that her mother wanted her back home. She missed living in Scotland, where she always saw her father.

Fergus Dunbroch, Merida's father, worked with other clans to monitor the distribution of magical creatures. If there were any abnormalities then he would report his findings to the Ministry of Magic, an organisation that people would best describe as the 'government of the wizarding world'.

Merida and her mother, Elinor, left Scotland to live a modern lifestyle. She had the demon bear, Mor'du, to thank for that. Now all she could do was go to primary schools with people not like her, and to practice being a princess. It wasn't all fun and games being the Princess of Dunbroch. Having a mother as the queen was even harder because of all the strict rules.

Living in luxury didn't please Merida either. She would rather live in the wilderness, learning how to take care of herself with no responsibilities. Despite living in London for several years, nothing could get rid of Merida's Scottish accent.

The ride back home took a while. Merida didn't speak to her chauffeur until halfway there.

"What does my mother want now, Daryl?" asked Merida, but felt as if she already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that. It isn't like those other times when she wanted to lecture you. This one was a tad abrupt, so please expect the unexpected, Your Highness."

"Please…" Merida slouched her head to the side and lied down while the car was still going.

"It's beyond too late for me to be called 'Your Highness' now. Living a normal life in London just makes it sound weird."

"Please remember that your mother wanted you to be safe—not that you needed it—but know that it was because she wanted what was best for you," said Daryl. He knew her best since he had seen her use that bow of hers.

After the gates were opened, and upon entering the main door, Merida headed to the living room, where Elinor was waiting for her. Merida's mother had long brown hair that could reach her feet, if she straightened it from the braids.

"Mum?" asked Merida. Elinor stopped reading and was almost shocked that her daughter came.

"Merida?! Sorry love, I was too busy reading your father's letter." Elinor placed the note down while plastering on a smile; it was almost creeping Merida out. Elinor handed another letter to Merida, letting her read it herself.

"Hogwarts…? Accepted…? Wasn't the chance of me getting in close to naught?" Merida watched as her mother stood up to take Merida's hands.

"Yes, Merida. But your father and I have always been looking forward to this day. You might enjoy it there."

Merida was lost with words. Sure she wanted to leave the house and to experience the wizarding world, but this letter made everything sound rushed. Just like that, her mother was allowing her to stay at a boarding school back in Scotland, where she would make most of the decisions herself. She probably thought her mother was relying on that high chance of not getting accepted.

"I know it's all so sudden. To be honest, I wasn't expecting that you were even going to be accepted." Elinor sat down and took the letter, positioning it neatly on the table, signalling for Merida to sit down with her.

"You weren't? Because of Year X, right?" Elinor nodded.

"Ever since Year X, magic has been declining. Your father and I were lucky to have gone to Hogwarts, otherwise we wouldn't have met. Honestly, we were betrothed, but I wouldn't have liked him as much if I never went to Hogwarts with him."

There was a short pause. Merida knew exactly what Year X was. It was the war that took place on 2400, and with the letter X being the twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet, made the name fitting.

"Which reminds me, Merida… would you like to try casting your first spell? I'd go deranged to miss out seeing your first time using magic." Elinor handed Merida a wand, Elinor's wand.

"Um… what do you suppose I do with it?" Merida held the wand, like a baby holding a pencil for the first time.

"You are going to try and cast a spell on this letter I just wrote. It's for your father. Just wave in this motion and say 'Indago, Fergus Dunbroch'. Then picture your father's face." Merida did exactly what her mother said, but there was no result. There was another pause after Merida's attempt.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this 'Indago' spell," commented Merida sarcastically for her mother to laugh.

"I should have remembered. Wands work better to their true owners. Don't worry, Merida, we'll go to Diagon Alley next week to get your supplies, including your wand. I could've remembered that it would've been fine to people who were alike. I guess it's true that you've got your father's side." Elinor packed up the letters and Merida left the wand on the table.

She was wrong about one thing. Sure Merida looked more like her father, but it was her mother's personality she inherited.

"Mum?"

"Merida?" Elinor had just finished handing the letters to Maudie, the maid.

"Why don't we just mail the letters instead of using spells?"

"Simple. We don't want anyone intercepting the letters. In the past, wizards and witches used to use owls to deliver the letters. But ever since Year X, the Dark Weapon had killed the owls or swapped real messages with fake ones, leading people to traps. Today, we abandoned using owls just because of the fear of the Dark Weapon. Some say that the Dark Weapon are still here, planning for their next move." Merida was always interested in the stories of Year X; they were better than her father's stories of fighting the demon bear called Mor'du.

"Still believe in that, do you?" asked Merida. Never did she think that an evil group of people were still out there. Doing nothing for almost 100 years and then striking sounded far-fetched to Merida.

"Of course I do, Merida. It did happen 93 years ago. Turning letters into paper planes not only increased evasion, but it was also a faster method."

After the talk, Merida was about to head back to her room. Before she did though, Elinor stopped her.

"Where do you think you are going, young lass?"

"To my room…" Merida hoped she wasn't going to hear what she had anticipated.

"Just because you are about to go to Hogwarts does not mean you are free from your lessons. Wash up and see me in the study room." Merida moaned before walking up the stairs. She hoped the day she got to Hogwarts came sooner.


Summer was about to end for Jack. He loved winter the most. Today, he had just played with the local children of Hawthorne, with his seven-year-old sister, Emma. That night, when Emma had just gone to bed, an unexpected visitor came to greet the Overland household.

"Jack! Come over here please." Jack heard his mum and raced to the hallway, seeing both his parents and a man that towered over them. The man could barely fit through the doorframe.

They made their way into the dining room and Jack sat on the chair, waiting for his parents to explain why a large man twice their size had visited. He was older than his parents, but not too old to have wrinkles or a walking stick.

"What's going on?" Jack leaned in forward for an answer.

"Going on? I am pleased you asked. Name's North, Nicholas St. North." North reached out his hand and shook Jack's hand. They were colossal compared to Jack's.

"Jack… Jackson Overland," said Jack, in an attempt to mock the man in a subtle way.

"Saint Nicholas… no it couldn't be," thought Jack. North had a long white beard. He also wore a large red coat with a black fur hat. That man couldn't be Santa Claus, could he?

"Well, Jackson Overland… I'm here to see you, to talk to you about magic. Do you believe in it?" asked North. Jack had realised this man was speaking in a Russian accent.

Jack was definitely confused. He glanced at his mother and father in case they were pulling some kind of joke on him—well… his dad more specifically. They had a calm yet serious face, meaning Jack had to take this solemnly.

"Magic? This isn't some kind of joke, is it?" Jack was desperate for answers.

"I wouldn't blame you if you said no, Jack. From what most wizards know, magic does not work in areas other than Europe." North handed over a letter to Jack.

Dear Mr Overland

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1.
Yours sincerely,

Tara Moonhaven
Deputy Headmistress

Jack's eyes shot up to see the three adults watching him. They knew it was a lot to take in.

"A magical school?"

"Yes, and it is your choice to learn magic there."

"I don't think we are able to pay for this," said Jack in a guilty tone. It was a main issue for Jack's family, paying to support the household. Jack and Emma's school fees certainly did not help.

"You do not have to worry about that. As far as I know, Muggle families do not have the currency for the magical world anyway. I'll personally pay for your fees for Hogwarts, since we are desperate for more students."

"Muggle families?"

"Muggles, the term we use for people who aren't magical. The point is, Jack, the wizarding world is in search of many people outside of Europe, since they never find out that they're magical. And Hogwarts is a wonderful school to stay at."

Jack was about to agree on going, until he realised why his parents created a downcast atmosphere around him and North.

"This school is in Europe isn't it? You said magic only works there."

"Correct, but to be more specific, magic only works in the United Kingdom. I know that you don't want to leave your family, but this is a wonderful opportunity for not only you, but your whole family too."

North was right. Jack was already told that the payments were covered. If Jack continued elementary school and then continued to college, the payments would reach impossible values, especially in America.

"I'll do it," said Jack, with a smile on his face. His parents were proud of him, happy that he was willing to experience a journey on his own. Their boy was finally growing up.

"Ha! That's wonderful to hear!" North shouted as if this was the first time someone had done him a favour.

"How many people rejected you today?" thought Jack.

"Here, take this. I created it especially for you." North handed a wand to Jack. Jack held it and gave it a wave. Nothing happened. Just as he expected, either magic really didn't work here, or this man was a complete lunatic.

"How do you suppose I get to Hogwarts? A plane sounds expensive and a little bit… how should I say this… technical… for wizards to use."

"You are indeed not going to be taking a plane, Jack. Instead, you will be using something called Floo powder." North couldn't continue explaining until he informed Jack about it.

"You have a fireplace, no?"

"No."

"Well, not a problem. I am able to use magic on a fireplace so you can use it for transportation. There is an area a couple of hours from here, where you can use a fireplace. That place has no Muggles around, so it'll be safe. Remember this, Jack: On the 21st of August, I will come over to teach you how to use Floo powder. Meanwhile, we will also have to go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies." Jack nodded in agreement.

"Is this all going to be a secret… you know… from the 'Muggles' around here?"

"Yes, it's best to keep this a secret from the Muggles. If you believe your sister might tell other people, then you should also keep this a secret from her too."

Jack didn't know if Emma would tell, so it was safer to not tell her at all. Jack would instead just tell her that he was heading to a boarding school in Europe, which wasn't lying if he thought about it.

"Now back to the Floo powder business. When I come over, I'll take you to the fireplace, which will take us to an area in Europe: The Leaky Cauldron. I have already booked a room for you there, so you can make yourself at home while you're there before school begins. What's more convenient is that the Leaky Cauldron is adjacent to Diagon Alley."

Soon, Jack's parents began packing up the house before getting ready for bed. North was about to leave before he stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Jack, do you believe in legends or fables? The ones when you were young?" North waited while Jack thought to himself.

"Honestly? I stopped believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy when I was eight-years-old… you know… when my childhood ended."

"Well Jack… your childhood might have to stay with you for a little longer." North left and Jack kept his words to himself. North was not implying that they were real, was he?