The bell rang and Merida was ready for Transfiguration. She had to admit that this subject was fun compared to her other classes. The first half of the previous year required memorising spells and theories. The final few months last year was all about using those theories to transform objects into another. Merida's favourite was turning the matchsticks into needles; she planned to use that knowledge to transfigure sticks found in the forests into arrows. She'd never run out if she achieved that.

The Slytherins were all in the classroom, waiting for the others to come. Professor Bunnymund was already there, writing on the board with diagrams and notes.

The first Gryffindor was Lily, who looked spooked out. They Slytherins already heard the rumours. Professor Gothel was going to ruin Charms and there was nothing that could be done. It had been only five minutes since the second period began, and rumours were spreading like a disease. Eventually, the rest of the Gryffindors came, talking about Gothel, which annoyed Professor Bunnymund.

"Can we begin the class?" Bunnymund was reviewing the notes they learnt last year. He then checked attendance to make sure everyone was present. He also had a feeling that Gothel kept some back because the class was a little too quiet.

"Who are we missing?" asked Bunnymund.

Astrid stood up to respond. "Jack and Christopher. They got in an argument with the new professor and earned detention."

"An argument?" Astrid shook her head.

"Not exactly, Professor. Christopher was doing the talking—as usual. Jack didn't do anything, but smiled like the rest of us."

"Detention is normally reported to Professor Moonhaven, who's acting as the Head of Gryffindor while North is gone. After that, Moonhaven should be deciding when they serve detention, which shouldn't interrupt their schedules." Bunnymund explained.

"So that new professor is wrong?" asked Flynn. "Shouldn't we do something?"

"No, Rider. There's nothing I can even do about that."

"What do you mean?"

Bunnymund began pacing around the classroom, pausing his lesson. It was fine since it was the first class of the year, so they were in no rush.

"The Headmaster, Professor Lunar, has a strange way of thinking. This year, he had just announced that North was not going to be at Hogwarts, and now, someone new is taking over. If he asked me, I would've told him that it was a load of crap." Professor Bunnymund then sat on his desk.

"So who did he talk to?" asked Astrid.

"North knew of course. He also spoke to Pitch and Professor Thorburn, the Divinations professor." Bunnymund answered.

Merida felt a wave of shock pulsating through her skin. She felt the goosebumps growing on her arms. Professor Black and Thorburn were always mentioned with bad news. This was another clue she had to remember. If Rapunzel's mother was hired, with those two knowing, then this was definitely not a good sign. She could feel it.

"So where's North? And why did he have to leave?" asked Flynn.

"That shouldn't be your business. What you should know is that I think hiring someone new was a bad move from Lunar." Bunnymund hopped off the desk and continued the class.

Revising the work from last year was quick. They were already learning a new spell that was considered useful for them. Bunnymund demonstrated the spell, and waved his wand over a letter and said, "Indago, Astrid Hofferson". The letter transformed into a paper plane and flew towards her.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with that spell. The only twist in this lesson is making the letter turn into something else other than a paper plane. For example…" Bunnymund casted the spell on another letter that was lying on his desk.

"Indago, Flynn Rider." The letter floated and students watched closely as it transformed into something else. There was an extra piece of blank paper that merged with the letter, probably to make the transformation easier.

It transformed into a paper rabbit, which hopped its way towards Flynn. He picked it up and read it, giving a strange expression with what was written on the message. He glanced over at Astrid and they were sharing the same thoughts.

"The possibilities with your creations are endless. I don't expect for you to successfully deliver your message, since it's difficult, but you should be able to create something by the end of class. Surprise me please."

The students tore out pages from their notebook, writing on them and then attempting to send it over to the person nearby. Merida heard names getting called all over the place, but she didn't hear her name unfortunately. If Jack was here, he'd be trying to send it to her and vice versa.

"Indago, Heather Leifsson." Merida focussed, as the letter began hovering. It folded poorly into an animal in Merida's mind. She quickly took it back, otherwise people would've seen her atrocious work. She focussed again on the pile of papers and it was now working.

The letter was floating as a perfectly folded dove. It began floating towards Heather and Tailfire's table, but it lost flight and dropped on the ground. She was slightly disappointed, but there was no way other people in the room could've casted a perfect delivery, unless they were directly next to that person.

Isabella Tailfire noticed the letter and picked it up, returning it to Merida. Tailfire apparently tried to picture a fireball, but ended up incinerating her letter, so she decided to picture a crane.

Merida looked back and saw Xander with Lily. They weren't talking, which confused the red-haired girl. Merida could've sworn they were friends, but the tension was obvious. They weren't even talking about whatever they were planning against the Dark Weapon. Xander sat silently and didn't even try to attempt casting the spell.

A paper dragon was approaching Merida, but it fell on the ground. Astrid left her seat and picked it up. It belonged to her and she was trying to get it to the front tables, where William and Quinn were. On her second try, the whole class watched and it successfully landed on Quinn's palms. The class applauded and Professor Bunnymund was impressed.

"We don't use this method because they usually weigh more, since you use more paper. It would either take long or fail halfway to its destination. Imagine you were sending it back home." Bunnymund watched as in front of everyone were their own creations. He then saw that Xander did not have anything.

"Why don't you try, Yates? You should at least participate." He waited along with the class. He loved doing this to Xander because it not only agitated the child, but it also motivated him to participate.

"Sorry." Xander grabbed his wand out of chagrin and began waving it over the letter. He didn't say an incantation, but the paper was ready to transform. It turned into a snake, but it wasn't made out of paper. He had managed to turn that piece of paper into an actual snake.

The snake slithered across from the back of the room. It reached the second row of desks and made its way on Merida's. It watched her, with its slanted pupils. People were beginning to worry, until it morphed back into the letter it originally was.

Merida opened it and was wondering what Xander wrote for her.

Rip it once if Yang told you. Rip it as many times as you can if she did not.

Merida did as the note instructed. The class was confused and thought she ripped it out of anger, which was what Xander was intending. If she ripped it once, it was a hateful message. If she ripped it many times, it was a private message that had to be destroyed afterwards.

"Not exactly what I was expecting, but it managed to get delivered, and it was a complete transfiguration without the incantation. Impressive, Yates, but I'd suggest using your words more carefully to not tick Dunbroch off."

"Understood," replied Xander.

Merida's only class on Monday was finished. She was heading back to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where she remembered the exact tree she was near before Transfiguration began. She parted the bushes and took out her bow. She had a quiver that held her arrows. She now yearned to be able to transfigure sticks into arrows.

She drew the bowstring and aimed carefully at the tree branch. She could see the minor dents on the wood caused by her other arrows. Usually the first arrow was tricky, because she literally had no targets unless she drew it. The second arrow had a target. All she had to aim for was where the first arrow landed.

She wasn't feeling tired, unlike the other Mondays. She made sure to eat as much during breakfast so she wouldn't have to go back before lunch. She even packed an apple with her from the kitchens, just in case she was feeling a little peckish.

"Merida!" called Hiccup. She wasn't turning to look at him because she was in the middle of making another shot.

Last time when Merida decided to look at whoever called her, she scared the living daylights out of her driver, Daryl. He then advised her to never do that again, or people would think she was intending to aim at them. At least he did not report it to Elinor; he would never do that.

She missed. Merida muttered a curse under her breath, so Hiccup wouldn't hear. Eventually, she'd not get so easily distracted from her targets. One day she was going to never miss. The arrow that missed went further into the forest, but it wasn't that important to retrieve. It reminded her of her very first arrow when she was young, before the bear, Mor'du, attacked.

"Rapunzel's not here yet?" asked Merida.

"I'm guessing her mum kept her back, and did Jack really did get a detention?"

"Aye. It's his first time too." Merida confirmed. She released another arrow and it struck the target as expected. Jack was always quiet during class last year. Even after the Burgess Sweep, he didn't do anything bad to the professors during class.

"You've got an audience," said Hiccup.

Merida was already aware of the two watching her from the distance. She looked over and saw that they were now headed towards her and Hiccup. It was John and Yang, who both had free periods.

"Enjoying the show?" asked Merida.

"It's pretty sick!" replied John. He had Quicksilver equipped on his back. Perhaps he was planning on using it soon.

"Where are your friends?" asked Yang.

"Where are yours?" asked Hiccup.

"Xander's in the library, researching a few things. Lily is being Lily, making potions in the dungeons." Yang took out her orb and wanted to confirm her statement.

"Could you show us where Rapunzel is?" requested Merida, packing away her bow and pulling the arrows off the tree.

"Rapunzel's the blonde one?" asked John. They were appalled with his memory.

"Rapunzel Gothel, present." There was no reaction from the Prophecy Record. "Damn. I've been practicing so many times, but I can never really see Rapunzel through this. Let's try Jack then… Jackson Overland, present."

The orb shined in numerous colours, before showing Jack in the Charms classroom, writing lines for no apparent reason. They wondered if Gothel made him do it; if so, where was she? There was another next to Jack. Judging by the sound of his voice, the person next to Jack could've been Christopher. He also had long hair that reached his shoulders, and there was only one male in Gryffindor with hair that long. It was definitely Christopher.

"Chris is pretty nice and quiet around us, but around teachers, he often argues. Last year it was always with Professor Bunnymund," said Yang. "His friend, Will, is always sticking his nose in people's businesses. I suggest you guys stay away from him."

"I know Christopher. He actually went to primary school with me," said Merida.

"Really?! I don't see you guys talking to each other." Yang said.

"We were never friends back then. I didn't even know he was a wizard. I think the same went for him, unless he was aware of the Dunbroch family and kept quiet."

"Who's Christopher again?" asked John.

"He had Charms with you last year!" yelled Yang. John still had no clue and Yang said his name on the orb, waving it into John's face so it would get etched into his memory. "Look at it! Look at it!"

Yang calmed down a little and was ready to show them how Jack got detention. It would also reveal what happened to Rapunzel.

"Jackson Overland, today, 9:30 am." They saw Gothel enter the classroom, where only Jack was visible. He was sitting next to Rapunzel, and in front were two other females they couldn't recognise, until they heard the voice.

Gothel spoke about her method of teaching Charms, which brought disgust over their faces. Christopher began arguing with Gothel, which was expected of him. He received detention and sat back on his seat.

"Do you think this is funny? Mr Overland?" asked Gothel.

Jack wasn't asking for trouble judging by the way he spoke. They could also see his eyes constantly looking back and forth at Rapunzel.

"Why are you watching, John?" asked Hiccup. "Weren't you there?"

"Yeah, but as you can see… I'm very bored right now." John replied.

Yang skipped the lesson until they saw the end of Jack's class. He stayed back with Christopher, arguing with Gothel that detention wasn't to be done now because they had to go to Transfiguration. Gothel argued back and forced them to stay, otherwise they'd receive steeper consequences.

Gothel kept Rapunzel back, which explained why she wasn't seen around a lot, but it didn't answer why she wasn't with them at this moment. Rapunzel was talking with Gothel, but Yang couldn't get any close to be able to hear their conversation. She didn't know how to view Rapunzel nor did she know Gothel's full name.

"Pascal, present?" asked Yang. The orb viewed the chameleon, camouflaging on Rapunzel's shoulder. They never noticed his presence; he was always there, but not entirely visible.

"Do you believe in the will-o'-the-wisp, Rapunzel?" Gothel asked.

"Yes," replied Rapunzel. She was trying to say something to her mother. They all sensed something stuck inside her mind, and she wanted it out.

"So how did you start believing in the wisps all of a sudden?" questioned Gothel.

"My friend…"

"Which friend?"

"Merida. She's from Slytherin and is the Princess of Dunbroch." Rapunzel said. The silhouette was fiddling with her fingers. Both of their postures were slightly bent, meaning they were keeping this confidential.

"Oh, the girl with the curly red hair."

Gothel left the room, and Rapunzel stood there, watching Jack write those lines Gothel asked them to copy many times. She too left the classroom, heading somewhere none could predict.

"Ten minutes forward," said Yang. They then had their answer. Rapunzel was in the library, studying with Anna. She must have forgotten about meeting Merida and Hiccup outside, or she was just not in the mood for it.

Yang stopped her Semblance. "This professor who was eager to hold detention left the students unsupervised. Unbelievable."

The bell rang, meaning they were watching the past for almost thirty minutes.

In the library, where mainly the second year Ravenclaws dwelled, Rapunzel browsed through the books by herself. She was hoping to find information on Corona, the kingdom near her home. Gothel always forbade Rapunzel leaving the house. She was allowed outside once, but she wasn't allowed to leave the village.

They were all kind people—the neighbours—which she constantly told herself, but something was off. The adults Rapunzel met at King's Cross and at Hogwarts were different. Everyone at her village was always noticing Rapunzel as if she was the centre of attention. In this world, nobody noticed her, which placed Rapunzel at ease.

Stay, Rapunzel. This house is the safest place from the dangers of the world.

Things were definitely wrong about her village. She couldn't look up anything about her hometown since she didn't even know the name. She always referred to the place as 'Home' instead.

She found a book relating to Corona, but didn't find anything interesting. She flicked through the contents while taking a seat near the Restricted Section. She wondered what hidden secrets were buried in that room. There was probably some that were going to help Rapunzel find out the truth.

The pictures of Corona appeared lively. There were happy people celebrating across the markets and she wanted to go see it herself. King Frederic and Queen Arianna seemed like lovely rulers, since nothing bad had happened to them during their years of ruling. Rapunzel should have thanked them all these years for exhibiting a marvellous view outside her house with the lanterns.

She believed they were stars at one point, until she charted them each year. They were only appearing on a specific day in June, but that was all she gathered from watching them. She soon found out they were lanterns, but she always called them stars, just because they sounded special.

There was a page about Corona's Potion, which she had heard constantly from students last year. Whenever she was asked about her home, she couldn't think of anything, so she told them she was from Corona instead. They then asked if she had been in the castle, or if the legend of the Corona's Potion was true. She had never asked, so maybe now was the best time to educate herself of this legendary potion.

The book explained that the potion was created by single teardrop from the sun, growing into a flower, but no other sources confirmed this phenomenon. It healed the Queen of Corona from an illness, so legends said that the Corona family knew of the potion's existence. They knew whether it was true or not. They also might've known the method of creating this potion if it wasn't a myth.

The Corona's Potion was important because it was known to cure everything. This included Black Sand, which was a skill mastered by Pitch Black, the Potions professor. Rapunzel felt a sudden realisation. The day she saw the first death of a boy. He was infected with Black Sand, from a person called Darkcharm. Her mother also attempted to cure the person with a mysterious potion. It could've been the Corona's Potion, but nothing was confirmed yet. There was a section explaining how Corona's Potion also stopped ageing, like a potion that granted immortality.

There could've been a connection to why her mother didn't allow for Rapunzel to head near Corona. Maybe she was afraid Rapunzel was going to reveal the location of Gothel's house. What did Gothel have to hide? Maybe she knew how to create the Corona's Potion, and that she stole the formula from Corona to stay young. It explained why her mother looked old on one occasion, then young the very next minute.

This was also risky, as it was a completely big stretch. Gothel's potion could've been anything but the Corona's Potion. It could've been that the visitors were just customers, interested in Gothel's remedy.

Rapunzel then thought about the Black Sand caused by Darkcharm. If Darkcharm was just a code name, then it could've been the one person she knew who could conjure Corruption Magic. This was a Semblance, so it was unique for everyone. What if Darkcharm was Professor Black?

John was holding onto his weapon. He was ready to show it off to his friends, Merida and Hiccup especially. Anna helped him with everything technical for the Dusk Weapon to work, and now he was going to repay the favour. This year was going to be about helping Anna design her first Dusk Weapon. The building process would have to wait until next year.

Quicksilver was made up of mainly two silver rods. They were almost as tall as John, and at the end of the rod, was a trigger. This trigger was where the retracted blades were, which only appeared when he pushed a button near the blades. At the other end of the two rods were holes to act as a barrel; it was where the Core Magic shot out. This current form was the Ranged Form, which John nicknamed the 'Shotgun Form'.

John fired the weapon as it was, and it was effective. It was like an actual double-barrelled shotgun. His friends noticed that the Core Magic did nothing to the environment. It created force that pushed the branches and scared the birds, but it was unable to shred the bark or burn the ground.

"Core Magic was not made to destroy. It affects people by draining their own Core Magic, like a leech. If a lot was fired on someone, then it will immobilise them." John explained.

"So that thing is also the broomstick you flew last year?" asked Hiccup.

John nodded. He pushed a button and the weapon began unravelling. The two rods rotated slightly and the blades extended out to where the trigger was. He sat on the weapon and flew it around the castle, proving that it was still functional.

John was one of the people who thought of many conspiracies relating to the school. The Forbidden Forest—that was in view—was always agitating him. Seeing the vast forest blanket a huge portion of the land made him feel uneasy. There was obviously something worth hiding in the forest that the professors were keeping secret. It was the best explanation why the forest was out of bounds.

His friends were impressed, except for Yang. He landed and they asked if his weapon was able to do any more tricks. He was glad they asked because his weapon had one more form, his favourite one.

John pushed another button and the broomstick started transforming again. The two rods parted with only one joint to keep it together, pivoting the two to make them extend double its length. The blades were on each end, alternating its direction, like a fan. John held it up high, and his Melee Form was called a Bō Form, which was in the form of a bladed bo. A bo was a staff that people used for martial arts. They were archaic and mainly used during the days of Japanese feudalism.

"Interesting," said Yang. "What do you call it?"

"Um, Quicksilver, of course."

"I'm talking about the weapon it's based on."

"Oh… I don't know. Some people call it a bo."

"Is that so? Then what do people call it in China?" questioned Yang. Hiccup and Merida didn't know where Yang was going with this.

"Um, I don't know." John said. They could see a drop of sweat coming down his forehead.

"That's okay. If you're unfamiliar with your roots then—"

"I know my roots," interjected John.

He began spinning the staff, causing his friends to back off. The blades were sharp and they knew better than to stand close. Merida then noticed small holes near the blades. The original holes were now sealed off because the two rods were connected. She now had an idea how this weapon was going to be used.

John fired Core Magic, and the force of the Core Magic propelled the weapon, making John have to spin the weapon faster. The speed was dangerously fast, as he threw the weapon. Its momentum was strong and it flew far away. He had some kind of remote in his hands and the weapon was responding to his command. It curved towards him and he caught it with no injuries. John stopped the spinning and Quicksilver folded back into its Shotgun Form.

"So the professors let you keep that? Isn't it odd knowing one of their students own a weapon?" asked Merida.

"Nah, it's fine. If I'm continuing Dusk Studies, then it's right that I own one."

"So it's a no?" asked Merida.

"It's a no. Just don't go telling people that I turned it into a shotgun and bo," suggested John.

The tree that Merida was firing at fell over, and the group inspected the damage. There was a clean cut, which they all knew the cause of it.

"You did not just do that," said Merida while slowly turning her head. All John saw was malice in the Slytherin's glare.