The Exorcism Displacement

Disclaimer: I'm not making lots of money for this, unlike the real authours. Can't I just have my DGM clock already?

I promise you they will stop talking soon. I swear this took forever. Is David annoying? I really hate OCs, which is probably why he has no personality whatsoever. He's not important. He's a plot device.

Scroll 3: Lenalee Is Polite (And Very Cute, Too, According To Allen)

"So…" Even David didn't seem as if he could believe it. "You're from a hundred years in the past?"

"And six months," Allen added. "But it certainly seems that way."

"Shit…" David quickly glanced around the office, then reached into his desk and grabbed one of the purple paper aeroplanes that the Exorcists had seen earlier, in the moving thing. Chewing on his pen when he paused to think, the dark-haired man quickly scribbled a message on the paper and tossed it into the hallway. "This is going to be a major problem."

"You made it sound as if you knew why she could do this," Lenalee mused. "Would that mean that you know how she did it? And then, couldn't you send us back?"

"It's not that simple," David told them, running a hand through his wavy hair. "We know the source of her powers – well, that she's a witch – but we don't know the exact spell that she used. None of us are aware of any time-travelling spell."

"Hey, I told you not to call her that!" Lavi protested. "Anyway, witches are from fairy tales. They don't really exist. It's just a nasty word, isn't it?"

"A nasty word?" The Exorcists were met with another mysterious smile, although the prior worry at their situation had not disappeared from the man's face. "No, witches are very real, and they can be any female, really. It just refers to a female who can practice magic."

"Magic… but that can't be real, can it?" Even Lenalee looked as if she didn't believe in it, and she'd defended Allen only hours (years?) earlier. "It's a pleasant thought, but there really isn't such a thing as that."

David groaned and looked back at the door. "I probably shouldn't have told you that – I'm terrible at explanations like these, and if I wasn't supposed to say anything…"

Just then, another aeroplane zoomed into the room. David reached out to catch it, fumbled a little, and then finally managed to eagerly tear the thing open and read the message inside. When he was finished, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in the chair, relaxed.

"Everything should be resolved soon," he told them. "This kind of thing usually isn't a job for the Minister, but under these circumstances, it might be best that he becomes aware of it."

"That we're from a different time, and have no way of returning?"

David nodded at Lenalee's question. "Such a spell would be devastating if it were not known to our side at this time. If it falls into their hands…"

"Side? You don't mean…" Lavi leaned forward, surprised. "There's a war?!"

"None other. And with no knowledge of this world, yet mixed up with magic that should not concern Muggles, you three would be especially vulnerable."

"We've heard that term before," Allen murmured. "Yet we still don't have any idea what it means."

"Ah… it just means a non-magical person," David explained. "Like you three."

"It sounds odd," Lenalee muttered. Allen nodded.

"That's the way things are. Ah, and here-" David was cut off when another aeroplane zoomed into his office, smacking him on the head. He unfolded it and promptly began to read, cursing softly when he finished and crumbled up the violet paper. "I don't believe it… the Minister wants to see you personally… must have something to do with the war; appearances being important and all… can't imagine what that has to do with you, though. He'll be here any minute." At their confused looks, he sighed and began to explain. "The Minister for Magic is… well, he's like the Prime Minister, except for all the magical people. We," he waved around the office, "are in the Ministry of Magic at this very moment. Everyone here works for the Ministry."

"So organized," Lavi breathed, in awe. "I've learned about world governments and their history, but I've never heard of this. Is it recent?"

David shook his head. "There should be a Ministry in the time you came from, as well."

Lavi was speechless. Fortunately, his silence was interrupted by the arrival of a fifth figure.

The door swung open to reveal a man that reminded Allen oddly of a lion. His tawny, bushy hair was streaked with gray, and his sharp eyes were oddly catlike with their golden colour. He strode into the room and nodded at the man behind the desk, who promptly stood up and moved towards the door.

"Good afternoon, Minister," David nodded, gesturing to the seat. "You may interrogate them here."

"Thank you, Potter." The Minister glanced up and down the younger man, finally giving him a knowing look. "You wouldn't happen to be related to-"

"Distant cousins. Fathers were cousins, anyway," David explained. "Never met the boy, though."

"Famous. Completely devoted to Dumbledore, though."

"Pity… with his celebrity support, we might actually be able to do more than just capture minor criminals for the image."

"Indeed, indeed. Ah, but are these the three you were speaking about?" The catlike man had finally noticed the three teenagers in front of the desk, who had turned around to watch the newcomer (having no idea what the conversation was about). "The ones who seem to have been chronologically displaced?"

David nodded. "I tried to tell them about magic," he explained. "They're rather confused."

"No surprise there," the Minister murmured, surveying the trio carefully. "If it really was some kind of forgotten Dark Magic, even a powerful wizard could be perplexed, and magic hasn't changed as much as Muggle technology in the past century." He strode over to the chair behind the desk and sat down slowly, finally nodding to the younger man at the door. "It might be best if…"

"Understandably, Minister. In these days, anyone could be…" He lapsed into silence, finally exiting through the door and closing it behind him. When the sound of footsteps had finally faded, the Minister began to speak, although never completely letting down his guard.

"Not that I believe knowledge of you would be of any use to He Who Must Not Be Named," he said quietly, half speaking to himself. "You're simply three Muggle children who stumbled across a witch at the wrong time, and found yourselves here, in the middle of a war." He sighed sadly. "The official policy of the Ministry is to protect young people, too… you know, if you ever return, it would probably be best for you to forget everything that happened here?"

"She thought of that," Lenalee told him. "Making us forget, but we're from the Order so-"

"The Order?!" The Minister's eyes sharpened, giving him the look of a lion who had seized its prey. "And how would you know of such a recent and secretive organization, especially if you are merely Muggle children?"

Allen, Lenalee and Lavi exchanged glances. "I thought the Order had existed for a long time," Allen said slowly. "Hundreds of years, at least."

"And the war with the Millenium Earl happened thousands of years ago," Lavi added.

"Does this mean there are Exorcists even in this time, too?" Lenalee asked the Minister. He held up his hand, and they became silent.

"Perhaps we speak of different Orders," the older man explained. "These concepts are unfamiliar to me, although historians may be aware of your particular organization. At any rate, this can be decided before you leave. Before your arrival, even the thought of such a spell was inconceivable, but if this is known to any Dark witches or wizards, we must learn to defend ourselves against it by learning of it ourselves."

"So there is a war even now," Lavi said quietly. The other two Exorcists remained silent.

"The one I speak of is between wizards, not Muggles. Most of our kind have lived through the years of torment when He Who Must Not Be Named roamed the earth-"

"Why can't he be named? Ah, sorry for interrupting, Minister," Allen added.

"It draws his attention. However, fifteen years ago, he was vanquished by a small boy whom he could not kill, his followers – known as Death Eaters – were imprisoned, and the magical community enjoyed peace yet again… that is, until last year…" The older man trailed off, anger sparking in his tawny eyes. "He has returned, and this past summer has been filled with the deaths of prominent witches and wizards who have defied him, as well as the destruction of habitations of wizards and Muggles alike."

"That sounds terrible… so much unnecessary ending of life." Ignoring Lenalee's questioning glance, Allen continued, looking determinedly into the Minister's eyes. "Is there anything we can possibly do to prevent this?"

"Three Muggle children? Ha!" An amused smile spread across his face, and Allen quickly grew embarrassed, shifting backwards uncomfortably. "No, the best thing for you three is to stay hidden, out of the way somewhere until the spell can be re-discovered and modified. The Ministry certainly isn't safe for children…" He frowned, thoughtful. "It might look strange for parentless children to be roaming the streets, too – I don't suppose you three are at least seventeen?"

"I am," Lavi said cheerfully, "but those two aren't."

"How unfortunate. And with Dumbledore missing – damn that Potter boy for being so loyal! – ah, but you," he nodded to Lavi, "wouldn't be able to attend, since it would be too much to hope that you were seventeen exactly, or recently eighteen."

"In August," the red-haired boy muttered. "So I'm a bit old, aren't I."

"Yet Hogwarts might be the safest place for you three after all. That's the magical school in England," he explained quickly, seeing the confusion on their faces. "It may be difficult to trust someone such as Dumbledore, but I can't believe that he would allow harm to come to children, even Muggles. Great champion for their rights, that Headmaster." With that, he stood up and walked towards the door, turning around once he reached it to deliver one last message. "I'll send someone to take you to Diagon Alley for supplies… can't have everyone knowing you three are Muggles, after all. Just blend in."

And with that, he was gone, and the three were left to converse amongst themselves for a few minutes.

"Magic," Lavi breathed. "You were right, Allen!"

The younger boy, however, did not seem to be in a triumphant mood. He grinned weakly at Lavi, but had none of the confidence that usually accompanied that smiling face. Lenalee, too, was giving a distinct aura of worry, hands folded calmly in her lap, yet with the same expression that she had worn at the Noah's dinner table back in Noah's Ark.

"So we're separated from everyone again," Allen said quietly.

"Nii-san must be so worried," Lenalee murmured. "I can't imagine how I can contact him."

"Telephone?" Lavi pointed to the device on the desk and grinned, but Lenalee didn't seem to notice it. The smile faded into a sad look, and he reached out to hold her left hand, as he had done in the Ark. "Be strong, okay, Lenalee? There's nothing we can do about this."

"We'll all go home together again, right?" Allen gave her a reassuring smile that didn't quite manage to cheer anyone up, and took her other hand. "We managed it before, didn't we? All we have to do is wait this time."

"I know," she said quietly. "And I can use my Innocence now, too… I shouldn't be feeling so weak, should I."

There was a long silence. "It's hard for everyone," Allen said finally. "So we all have to be strong."

"I know."

And none of them spoke again until the door opened and closed behind them, announcing David's return (he was now dressed in a plain pair of black pants and a black jacket). He didn't greet them, but merely strode over to the desk, ruffled through some papers and finally plucked a few from a pile.

"I'm supposed to take you to Diagon Alley by the Underground," he explained. "I'm sure you don't know what that is – don't be surprised – you can stay in the Leaky Cauldron for a night, that's an inn, until we can find someone to help you buy supplies tomorrow." He gestured to the door, and the three stood up in unison; the two boys released their grip on their companion's hands. "Follow me."

With one last glance at the neat office and the picture of the beautiful cat, the three followed David through the hallways, retracing the path they had taken with Lewis and finally exiting the Ministry into the alley painted with graffiti. Now that they had realized exactly where they were, the Exorcists were more than excited to have a good look at the buildings and technology around them. Everything looked so much newer, and there was so much life in the city! More than once, David was forced to slow down when Lenalee found something interesting in a shop window, or Allen found some new technology. When they finally reached the nearest Underground station, it was almost disappointing to them to have to leave the sights above them.

Being underground, there was nothing to marvel at anymore, so they discussed the sights for a time until Lavi suddenly exclaimed,

"Those carriages – I know what they are! They're automobiles!"

Lenalee and Allen gave him puzzled looks – David was quietly reading a newspaper – and he elaborated.

"Automobiles – they're a kind of carriage, only powered by combustion instead of horses, so you just need fuel to move them… like a train, right? They're really new; I think there are some in France and Germany, but they're not popular at all. It takes a lot to make them, I think."

"Mass production," David muttered from behind his paper. "They're mass produced now. Assembly line."

"What?"

"…Sorry," the man apologized. "Invented in the nineteen-twenties."

"An automobile," Allen said, in awe. "I've never actually seen one before, but I can't imagine that they look like that, back at home."

"They don't." Lavi shrugged. "They look just like horseless carriages, actually."

"They must be very convenient," Lenalee added.

"Seems that way. And successful, too…"

"Stand up; we're almost there." David's voice surprised the trio, but the excitement to be back on the streets of London was stronger than the urge to continue their conversation, and they happily rushed back on to the streets.

A few minutes later, the dark-haired man stopped in front of a small, run-down pub. "We're here," David said in a monotone voice. "The Ministry is paying for you to stay the night, and tomorrow someone will be here to help you with school supplies."

"We're not actually going to study anything, are we?" Lenalee asked incredulously. "I mean – it would be wonderful to study magic and all, but is it even possible for us? Since we're…"

"It isn't. Someone like you could normally never attend that school, but you three don't have a choice. I suppose they'll just… keep you hidden or something. Blend in without attending classes. It'd look awfully suspicious if you didn't have even the necessary supplies," the Ministry worker explained. He opened the door, and motioned for the three to enter. "Most students don't perform much magic anyway. Ah, Tom, afternoon."

David had spoken to a small, bald, toothless old man who was wiping a glass behind the bar and grinning. The man – Tom – made his way over to the younger man and surveyed the three carefully. "These the ones who will be staying tonight?"

"Yes – we can't thank you enough for allowing them to stay, Tom."

"The Ministry's paying me," the old man said, shrugging. "While you're here, you want the usual?"

"No thanks," David said apologetically. "Have to get back to work after this."

"Of course, of course. The Ministry has high standards." Tom beckoned to the trio of Exorcists and made his way towards a passage behind the bar. "Your rooms will be this way. One for each of you, then? Plenty of empty rooms right now… not many willing to leave the safety of their own homes these days."

"Thank you," Allen said hesitantly to David. "For helping us and everything."

David smiled back. "I have some… relatives about your age. I wouldn't want them to be hurt either. And you like cats."

Lenalee tugged his sleeve and motioned for him to follow; he quickly turned his attention to the hall, the wooden staircase that they ascended, and the rooms that they were finally led to: numbers sixteen, seventeen and eighteen. Tom opened the door of the first one and led the three inside. The innkeeper snapped his fingers and a fire sprang up in the fireplace; the three Exorcists jumped at that.

"Just stay in here for now," he told them. "I'll just be finishing up the other two rooms, and I'm sure you three will want to chat amongst yourselves for some time. I'll bring up something to eat later; it might not be a good idea for you three to show yourselves downstairs. We have some… unusual customers on occasion." He winked, and closed the door behind him. The three Exorcists remained standing in the middle of the room until they exchanged glances; Lenalee and Allen moved to sit on the bed while Lavi took an oak chair across the room.

There was a long silence. Allen and Lenalee both watched the fire crackle and spark while Lavi preferred to stare at the floor, occasionally glancing up at the pair, and then the fire. Finally, he spoke, startling the other two.

"We're going to be here for a while, aren't we."

Allen looked up at him. "Not necessarily. It might only be for a few days."

"You heard the Minister, Allen! They haven't even found the spell – and there's a war; that's more important than sending three kids who got into this situation themselves back home!"

"Then there isn't anything we can do about it except protect ourselves, and whoever else we can, right?"

"Don't sound so resigned," Lavi growled as he stood up from his chair. Allen didn't look at him. "Aren't you angry at all?"

"What's the point in it?" Allen demanded, finally meeting Lavi's one-eyed stare and suddenly finding that it was filling with tears. He must really miss everyone, too… "Everyone is safe back home, aren't they? I know there are things I – we have to do there, and so I won't give up on returning home safely with everyone, but I can't let anyone here be put in danger because of that."

"I thought you were stronger than that," Lavi said quietly.

"Allen-kun is strong." The two boys turned to look at Lenalee, who hadn't said a word until now. "He is the strongest person I know, and… he's right, isn't he?" She raised her head, and Allen noticed that she was crying. "Everyone is safe at home, and we're all safe, too. And we will get home this time, won't we? We're not questioning that anymore."

"We could be here for months!" Lavi protested, but he had lost some of the passion that had fueled his earlier argument with Allen. "That's a long time to be separated from…"

"But we're not alone," she whispered, turning to the other two. "We have each other, and everyone else at home is all right."

"We have to protect ourselves for their sake," Allen murmured, placing his arm gently around Lenalee's shoulders. Even though she was still crying, she smiled. Lavi dropped his gaze to the floor again and dropped into the chair behind him.

"I'm going to be strong this time," she whispered to him. "I think I can do that now." He smiled back reassuringly.

"Thanks, Lenalee."

"So you two are going to find the positive side of this?" Lavi interrupted, giving Allen's arm a sly look. The younger boy blushed and pulled his arm back; Lenalee looked as if she was about to start laughing. "That's good, Lenalee! We were all worried about you in the Ark!"

Allen gave him a sideways glance; what happened to the angry Lavi? Had that even been real?

"I can't wait to see the look on that old panda's face when he finds out about this," Lavi continued, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. "Maybe he'll stop calling me a novice and all that crap, since I'll know more than he does."

"Isn't there a rule against that kind of thing?" Lenalee asked him.

Lavi shrugged. "Does it apply to a Bookman?"

There was a knock on the door, and they turned to face it just as Tom entered, carrying a tray with three bowls of steaming-hot soup. Allen's stomach promptly growled, and Lenalee and Lavi both laughed at that.

"Hungry, I see," Tom said cheerfully, placing the bowls on a table near Lavi. "I'll bring up more when you finish that. Just call if you need anything."

"Thank you, Tom," Lenalee said politely.

"Enjoy it," he told them, leaving the room. Allen, as it turned out, was very hungry – everyone was very grateful to the Ministry by the end of the night for paying for everything. When they finally entered their own rooms later that night, none of them had trouble falling into a deep, content sleep.

Allen awoke in the morning to Lenalee sitting on the edge of his bed, looking conflicted about whether or not to wake him up. She had been deep in thought, apparently, so was surprised to see his eyes flutter open.

"Good morning, Allen-kun," she said, beaming.

"…good morning, Lenalee." He sat up in bed and tried to smooth some of the wrinkles out of his shirt. "Is Lavi awake?"

"No, he's sleeping," she said slowly, the smile fading. "Why?"

"Oh – I just don't want to be the last one to wake up," he told her quickly. "Especially since he's known for sleeping."

"I just woke up early, that's all."

Her gaze fell to the bed, and Allen immediately felt a strange, nervous feeling rise in his stomach. Did I say something wrong? "Thanks for waking me up," he said cheerfully, smiling at her hopefully. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Tom said he'd bring something up when Lavi wakes up." She stood up from the bed and crossed the room to the chair where the Bookman apprentice had sat the night before, and Allen felt oddly lonely without her presence. He pushed back the covers and turned to face her.

"That could be a while." Again, he smiled, hoping that she would return it, but she didn't face him. "Lenalee, is something wrong?"

"What?" She looked up, and her violet eyes met his confused silver ones. "No, there isn't – well, I suppose I'm still a little worried about not being able to contact nii-san and everyone else, but – I said I'd be stronger this time, so I will be." The smile she returned was far from confident, but it made that nervous feeling disappear.

"That's good," he said quietly. "That's the Lenalee that I know." Her smile grew warmer, and Allen felt heat rise in his cheeks. That's the Lenalee that I-

"Good morning, you two!" And there was Lavi, opening the door with a loud crash and entering the room to stand right between them. The heat promptly faded and Allen found himself glaring at the older boy; does he have some kind of device that tells him when to interrupt us-

"Good morning, Lavi!" Lenalee's cheerful morning demeanor was back, apparently. "Allen-kun was just asking about you earlier, actually."

"Was he?" Lavi turned to Allen and raised an eyebrow (well, the only visible eyebrow). "Missing my company? Or did you want to find out if you and Lenalee would be alon-"

Allen's boot suddenly found itself sliding across the floor and into Lavi's foot.

"Ow! Damn, what was – did you kick that, Allen?" Lavi hopped on one foot while holding the wounded one and wincing. "That hurt!"

"It did that on its own," Allen said flatly.

"Why did you do that, you bastard?!"

"Why did you do that to yourself? That's just stupid."

"What?! What the hell is up with you, Allen?"

"What's up with you?" Allen merely stared blankly ahead of him.

"No really, what-"

"So energetic at this time in the morning, and on an empty stomach?"

Lenalee eagerly thanked Tom for arriving at the perfect moment, and bringing breakfast, too. The arrival of food quickly ended the argument, and soon the three settled down to eat (although Allen and Lavi seemed to be avoiding each other; was that intentional?) – Lenalee returning the chair to the older Exorcist, of course. They were just finishing when there was another knock on the door, and Tom entered again, followed by the familiar round face of David Potter.

"Me again," he said, apologizing. He was dressed in black again, although wearing a formal suit and tie that contrasted oddly with his earring. "The Ministry wanted Hagrid to come and show you around… didn't think you'd be attacked with him… completely forgot he's a teacher now. There's some bias towards his type, that's why."

"It's good to see you again," Lenalee said in a genuine tone. "At least you're a semi-familiar face in… these times."

"With knowledge of Muggle clothing, too," he added. "Come on, get up; there's a train leaving at four this afternoon, and it's already mid-morning."

Thanking Tom for his hospitality on their way out, the Exorcists were led through the bar area and into a small courtyard behind the pub. David produced a familiar long, thin stick from somewhere in his suit jacket, and began to examine the wall above the dustbin.

"Three above and two to… or is it two above and… can never get it right; haven't used this path in years… ah, this is it!" He tapped a brick with the stick and it suddenly moved and opened up slowly into a large archway, revealing a cobblestone path leading away from it. "This is the entrance to Diagon Alley," he explained. "Full of stores with magical items and the like."

"What was that thing you tapped the brick with?" Lavi asked. "Is it used to produce magic?"

"Yeah, a wand… you should be-" David snapped his fingers and cursed. "Ollivander disappeared a few months ago, didn't he! Poor old man. Ah well, I'm sure the Ministry or Hogwarts has a few spare wands. It isn't as if you can really use them anyway – even if you don't choose them, nothing will be affected."

"Why do we need wands if we can't do magic?" Lenalee inquired.

"Well, it'd look strange if you didn't have them, right?"

David led them through the archway and down the street, pausing to check the list in front of a shabby cart that proclaimed to sell protective amulets on its cardboard sign. "You'll need books," he said finally. "In here."

Fortunately, after asking their ages ("for the years", he explained. "Different classes."), he seemed to know exactly what was required, and the Exorcists amused themselves by looking at magical books until he shooed them out and down the street.

"If Bookman ever gives me enough money, I'm coming back to buy that history book," Lavi said, in awe. "Do you think the Vatican would see it as a necessary expense…"

"The Black Order doesn't seem to exist here," Lenalee reminded him. "And that's assuming that the book is back in our time, and we can access the store, since we're not magical."

"And wizard money is different from yours," David added. "I suppose you could always change it to pounds at the bank, though."

"I need to pay off Master's debts first," Allen muttered.

The streets were nearly empty, filled only by the occasional witch or wizard doing necessary shopping, or by the hawkers in their little stalls. Most of the movement came from the large posters containing moving images of various sinister-looking people; David seemed mostly unaffected, but Lenalee and Allen shrank away from them whenever they passed one. Even Lavi walked quickly away from them.

They passed other stores – David had to physically prevent Allen and Lavi from stopping by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes – and made quick stops in other stores for general supplies that Lenalee said must be for scientific purposes.

"My brother was the head of the Science Department," she pointed out. "I know these things."

"So we're going to be studying alchemy?" Allen asked, awestruck.

"Potions doesn't require magical skill, generally," David informed them. "Useful supplies, too, in case anyone needs to borrow them. Here – cauldrons, scales, some Potions supplies… good thing there's a new teacher this year; the old one might not have let you in. He's teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, though. You won't be taking that."

Allen's face had lit up at the mention of "defence", and promptly fell when David finished the sentence. "We'd have to be able to do magic for that?"

"Precisely… you might be able to get by, Allen, but sixth-year is about non-verbal spells."

"Everyone would know I'm not a witch," Lenalee said sadly.

David nodded absentmindedly and led them to their final stop, which seemed to be filled with those strange articles of clothing that so many Ministry workers had worn.

"Robes," he explained. "Most wizards and witches wear them. Standard article of clothing… you'll need them for school; you can't go around wearing what you are now."

"They're our uniforms," Allen told him.

"And these will be your school uniforms… and those shorts will get cold in winter," he added to Lenalee.

"I always thought her miniskirt would be cold," Allen muttered. Not that he'd ever said anything about it…

"You're not wearing robes," Lavi pointed out.

David glanced down at his suit. "Most younger witches and wizards wear Muggle clothing for casual occasions. It isn't as if you can walk through Muggle-inhabited areas in robes, after all."

"Then how do they get around?" Lenalee asked.

"Apparition. That might have been what you heard of, with that other witch – makes an awful cracking sound, but it's basically a kind of teleportation. You can take the test once you turn seventeen, so all the sixth-years will be attending practice sessions."

"Except me," the Chinese Exorcist added.

"Except you, yes. Well, don't worry; you can always say you're waiting for the summer test."

"But my birthday is in February!"

"I'm sure you'll think of something. Ah, Madam Malkin, how nice to see you again – no, I'm not in need of new robes, although I could use a pair of dress – yes, these three – newly attending Hogwarts-" David's attention was quickly redirected, and the Exorcists patiently and quietly waited for him to finish his business with the shop owner, and let them leave. This time, however, they were actually needed.

The squat woman smiled brightly at the trio and motioned for them to follow her to the back, where she set up three stools for them to stand on. Starting with Allen, she slipped a long, loose robe over each of their heads and began to slip pins into the material here and there, for a proper fit.

"This feels strange," Lavi complained. "Lenalee, you're used to wearing skirts, and Allen always has that long coat, so you wouldn't know…"

"My dresses are tighter than this," Lenalee reminded the older boy. "And anyway, I haven't worn one in months. It looks strange with my hair."

The robes did emphasize her short hair, Allen realized. Even pinned to proper lengths and widths, he'd never seen Lenalee wear such loose clothing (he felt a pang of regret at realizing she'd be wearing this for months, and immediately tried to shut the thought out; Lenalee was cute no matter what she wore! No, wait, that wasn't – he shouldn't be thinking about Lenalee's appearance like that. Right. Komui would not be happy.), and with her new hairstyle, she nearly looked like a different person altogether than the one he had met on that night so long ago.

…She's just as cute, though.

They were soon finished, and David led them back to the Leaky Cauldron with their packages in order to prepare for the journey to the train station; the Ministry had provided luggage for them, if not transportation. Again, it was completely empty except for the bartender, although one old witch did stop by for a drink while they were packing.

The sun had begun its descent from the sky when they said their goodbyes to Tom and walked down the streets of London to the nearest Underground station, although it was still shining brightly when they arrived at King's Cross and found their train.

"Most students take the Express, but that left on the first of September," David explained, shoving three tickets into Lenalee's hand. "It might be fairly late when you arrive, then – don't forget, it's Hogsmeade station. Someone from Hogwarts will certainly be waiting for you there. Oh, before I forget…" He produced a small bag from his suit jacket. "The Ministry has provided a monetary allowance for you three. The school allows older students to visit Hogsmeade village on certain days, and the Ministry sees no reason not to allow you three to go."

"Thank you so much for helping us," Lenalee told him. "You've been so kind."

"And it was good to see you again," Allen added.

"We'll do all we can to return you three home as soon as we can," David promised. "You should board the train, though. It's nearly four."

They did so, found a compartment, and waved goodbye until the train started moving. Almost immediately, Lavi slumped back into his seat tiredly.

"Wake me up when we get there," he told the other two. "It's been a long day."

He tilted his head back and fell asleep. Allen, who had been sitting next to him, gave his friend just a single glance before slipping out of his seat and moving to sit next to Lenalee.

"I don't think he's interested in conversation," the white-haired boy muttered, grinning.

Lenalee smiled back and reached for her bag. "I won't be, either," she said apologetically. "We're already a month behind in school, not to mention years. I'd really like to catch up with some studying."

"It's probably not a bad idea," Allen said weakly. Beaming, Lenalee handed him his own bag of books, and produced a Potions book from hers. "You know, we don't really have to try… it isn't as if this is affecting our future," he reminded her.

"I know." She shrugged, and opened her book to the very first page. "I just want to work hard, that's all."

Well, if she was impressed by that sort of thing… Allen also began to read his own book, although at a much slower pace than his companion, and with more interjections about wishing he had a photographic memory like Lavi.

The sun had long set and Allen had also fallen asleep by the time Lenalee shook him awake.

"We're nearly there," she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" he murmured, still half-asleep. "Aren't you waking Lavi, too?"

An embarrassed flush spread across Lenalee's cheeks. "I will," she muttered, standing up and moving across the compartment to shake Lavi awake. Allen noticed that she had already packed their books, and placed their luggage neatly by the door; had she not slept?

The two boys were still half asleep by the time they stumbled off the train, despite Lenalee's half-hearted attempts to make conversation; she clearly was as tired as they were. Evidently, she had spent the night studying her books, and had apparently made some progress; her one-sided conversations were mostly about something she had read and wanted Allen to know for his own sake.

It was only when the train departed that the three came to the sudden realization that they had no idea who they were supposed to be meeting here. Fortunately, they were the only three teenagers (among very few people) on the platform, and they were soon approached by a… very large and hairy man.

"You three! Yeh'll be the new Hogwarts students, then?" He was holding a lantern despite the fact that the station was lit, and was wearing a heavy overcoat. They nodded. "Follow me. Name's Hagrid. Care of Magical Creatures professor."

"We really appreciate that you came out here at this time of night," Lenalee told him as they exited the station. "You must have classes tomorrow, too."

"Used ter be gamekeeper," Hagrid explained. "I lead the firs' years to Hogwarts every year, too, across the lake."

"Lake," Lenalee repeated, shivering. "We won't have to cross it, will we?"

"Nah, yeh three will be takin' Thestrals. Probably won' see 'em, though."

It was a brief walk to the edge of the village, which was also covered in those large moving-picture posters and the purple notices. In the darkness of the night, they suddenly seemed more menacing, as the white contrasted even more with the black aspects. Even though the streetlamps were lit, the streets were mostly deserted at this time of night. Nevertheless, when they finally left the village and found themselves without even the comfort of light and nearby life, they found themselves longing for even those comforts.

"There's a carriage waitin' for yeh three over there," Hagrid told them, pointing behind a cluster of houses. "I'll follow yeh three there, but yeh'll have to get to Hogwarts on yer own. Carriage won' fit me."

"You can return safely, right, Hagrid?" Allen asked nervously.

"Sure! It ain' far from here, Hogwarts. Thestrals know the way." By now, they could see the carriage, and the faint outlines of vaguely horselike figures in front of it. "Yeh shouldn' be able ter see 'em, though, but they're there."

"Are they… horses?" Lenalee asked him.

"Sort of… yeh don' want ter see them, though. Those that can have seen death, and that's not somethin' mos' have done."

Allen and Lenalee exchanged worried glances; no matter how they interpreted it…

"Then how does anyone know what they look like?" Lavi asked. "Most people don't come back from that." Was it just Allen's imagination, or was the older boy giving his companions a pointed look?

"Oh, not that kind! They can be seen by someone who has seen someone else die," Hagrid explained to the three teenagers. "There aren' many at Hogwarts who have, but…"

"Look," Lenalee whispered to Allen, pulling on his sleeve. "They've got wings. Are we flying there?"

"Don' worry about that." After hearing Lenalee's sentence, Hagrid looked visibly shaken; were none of the three at all concerned or traumatized by seeing death? "Jus' get yerselves to the castle as soon as possible. Yeh've already missed a month of classes."

They climbed into the carriage and Hagrid closed the door behind Allen, waving to them, and disappearing; by his voice, he was talking to the Thestrals. Moments later, the carriage had begun to move and Hagrid and the lights of Hogsmeade had disappeared behind them. Almost immediately, Lenalee spoke to them.

"Now that I think about it, we have seen plenty of death, as Exorcists," she murmured into the darkness. "Most people our age haven't experienced that."

"It's our duty," Lavi reminded her. "Killing akuma, right?"

"Akuma are already dead." She closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment, then opened them again, but would not look at her companions. "We've all seen the deaths of innocent humans, or even humans that weren't so innocent, at some point."

"You mean Road?" Lavi asked her. "That's the only one I can think of that I've seen."

"An entire police force was killed by an akuma," Allen whispered. "It was before I came to the Order, when I was trying to find it, but it didn't affect me at all. And Suman, I guess… and there was a Finder on my first mission… old man, too, but he was old…"

"I've seen Exorcists and Finders die in battle, too," Lenalee replied. "From years ago. And my parents…"

Allen looked at her sadly, although he knew she couldn't see him in the darkness. "At least I didn't see Mana die, that time. I just heard about it later."

"You two are really unlucky," Lavi muttered.

There was a long silence where Lenalee attempted to pull out a book and read by moonlight – unsuccessfully – until she gasped quietly and slammed the book shut. Lavi, who had been sleeping, nearly hit the ceiling of the carriage at that.

"You almost gave me a heart attack, Lenalee!" he said angrily, taking deep breaths. "What's wrong?"

"The castle," she said slowly, fingers gripping the books tightly. "It's protected by anti-Muggle wards. One of the books that David bought us said so – it's about Hogwarts itself; it isn't required material, but he said that it's sometimes hard to get from the library."

"So what? We already know about magic, right?" Lavi shrugged and settled back as if he were about to return to peaceful sleep. "So we should be able to get in."

"We're not even supposed to be able to get near it, Lavi! It's going to look like some crumbling ruin of a castle even if we could find a way past the wards!" Lenalee had flung herself towards the door, in a panic. "We have to tell someone!"

"There's no one here," Allen reminded her calmly. "I'm sure the Ministry is aware of the wards, Lenalee. They wouldn't have sent us if there wasn't a way around them, right?"

"And Hagrid didn't seem concerned, either," Lavi added.

"I suppose." Lenalee didn't sound convinced, but she had slid back into her seat and was merely watching the door while biting her lip nervously. "And there are people in there, so I'm sure someone will find us eventually."

"That's right! Be positive, right, Lenalee!" Lavi grinned at her again. "Do I have time for a nap now?"

"I think we're slowing down," Allen observed. "We might be there."

Lenalee immediately began to pack up her books again, and only just managed to close her bag by the time the wheels of the carriage stopped rolling and the Thestrals halted. Lavi swung the door open and they stepped out onto the grass in front of the school. As soon as he closed the door, the Thestrals ran off again, pulling the carriage behind them. The three turned around to have a look at the place where they would be spending an unknown period of their lives, and gasped.

"Wow," Lavi said.

That fight between Allen and Lavi (with the boot) was actually taken right from the manga, except Allen elbowed Lavi in the stomach instead – it's from chapter 123.

Next chapter, everyone gets settled in. More discussion. Maybe a class or two.