AN: In no way am I connected to Harry Potter or RWBY
Halloween.
Years later, when Harry looked back, he would say this was the day when everything changed.
It started at breakfast. For the first time, all eight Beacon students ate in the Great Hall. Mercury was very quick to shut down the thought that he had gotten away with scarring Malfoy. He was in loads of trouble, as he should be.
Not sure how to respond to that, the topic quickly switched to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Fred and George had been unsuccessful at getting their names in the Goblet and were now taking bets on whose name would come out.
Harry was hoping it would be someone from Gryffindor.
Then it arrived.
The post owls had yet to show up. This one was very obviously different. It carried a black envelope. When they saw it, the professors went white and completely still. The entire Great Hall was silent.
The Great Horned owl flew gracefully down the Hall. It slowed at the Slytherin table. It stopped at Theodore Nott.
With trembling hands, Nott took the envelope and read the contents. Without a word, he stood up and left the Hall.
Only after a few minutes had passed did the noise start. It never went above a whisper.
"What happened?" Harry muttered to George, who was farther down the table.
George swallowed before answering. "A black envelope is a notification from Gringotts. It means that a very close relative has died."
Died?
After a few more seconds, the noise petered back to non-existent again. All conversation had stopped and no one wanted to restart it. The quiet was absolute and suffocating. There was very little movement along any of the tables and most had sympathetic faces.
Five minutes of silence later, the post owls arrived. Painted on the front page of the Daily Prophet was the reason for the black envelope. The photo wasn't informative, only showing a witch and two wizards surrounding something on the ground.
'NOTT MURDERED
In the late hours of last night, the body of Alexander Nott was discovered in south London. Currently, not many details are known, but the body of the upstanding pureblood appeared to be burned to death. Given the evidence, the fire was magical in origin and was in no way natural. It is thought to be the result of very powerful Dark Magic. The suspect and motives are unknown.'
The something on the ground in the picture could be identified as something very charred, but there were no details. It was barely recognisable as a human body.
Harry didn't have a subscription to the Daily Prophet. Hermione read hers and silently passed it to him when she was done. Those acts were repeated all around the Hall.
Was this connected to Voldemort? It was too much of a coincidence not to be.
But Voldemort was known to support the pureblood agenda. That version of him in the Chamber of Secrets proved that to Harry, even if Voldemort was a half-blood. Why then was Mr Nott targeted? A known pureblood?
There was a tap on the edge of the paper.
Harry looked up and nodded, handing it over Ruby's head to give it to Mercury.
Was there bad blood between Mr Nott and Voldemort? Harry's dream made him think that Voldemort was almost in isolation, away from most of his followers. Just Pettigrew and some man that Harry didn't know. He would have thought Lucius Malfoy would be there if he was recruiting his old followers, but he hadn't been. That could have changed.
Mercury stood up, patted his girlfriends on the shoulder and headed out of the Hall. They didn't follow him and turned back to talk to Ren and Blake.
When the food appeared a few minutes later, conversations started again quietly. While some tried to go back to the Tri-Wizard Tournament, especially if Durmstrang or Beauxbatons were at their tables, most remained on the news.
"First the Dark Mark at the Quidditch Cup, now this," Hermione muttered.
Ruby frowned. "Umm…What is the 'Dark Mark'?"
It should be easy to remember that they wouldn't know the current history of their world. It was very obvious they weren't magical, but that could slip Harry's mind sometimes when he spoke to them. Their lack of knowledge wasn't a surprise when he thought about it. For the first few weeks, they would be focused on what has happened in recent years, not a war from over a decade ago.
"We'll explain it later Ruby. It's kind of a long story." Harry did wonder if he should tell them what had happened at Hogwarts in the past three years that didn't make the Rumour Mill, but he wasn't sure. He needed to think on it.
Hermione nodded. "Think of it like a terrorist's calling card."
That caught Emerald's attention, but she didn't ask for more details at the moment. Ren, Blake and Zephyr also seemed to want to ask questions, but chose not to.
For the first time, it crossed Harry's mind to wonder why they were here in the first place. Had they been 'unwillingly dragged here', as Mercury put it, to help fight Voldemort? That didn't make sense either. They would have appeared in his First Year then or even during the first war against Voldemort. So they were probably here for a different reason.
Harry turned back to Hermione. "It's not a coincidence, is it?"
Ron scoffed. "Yeah, but that doesn't make sense. Nott probably fought for You-Know-Who. He was probably doing something dodgy and got himself killed."
Harry frowned in response. That was technically possible, but he didn't like it. If he was an upstanding citizen, surely he wouldn't be doing something dodgy now even if he did work for Voldemort back then.
Unless he was doing something for Voldemort and someone found out.
Maybe another letter to Sirius would be a good idea. Maybe he had heard something that wouldn't be printed in the papers.
"That's…an interesting theory Mercury."
"I could be wrong. But I don't think I am."
Mercury had headed back to their Common Room, where the adults had remained. The picture he had seen was black and white while also leaving out a lot of detail. That was to be expected seeing as kids could see this and, despite the problems he had seen, there must be some sort of censor on publications.
Dark Magic may be responsible.
Maiden power was another possibility.
"The obvious question is why." Ozpin wasn't agreeing. He wasn't disagreeing. "Why would Cinder have been brought to this world also? If she was responsible, why kill Mr Nott?"
Mercury scoffed. "If he's anything like the purebloods in this school, we have a good guess." Why had any of them been chosen to be dragged here?
Qrow chuckled. "She didn't strike me as the petty type."
"Not petty. Merely an act of self-preservation. She isn't going to react to insults or even threats. Spells are another matter entirely and these guys are worryingly trigger happy. One spell aimed at Cinder equals one barbecued Nott. Even if she doesn't know what their magic is, it's easy to read their body language on their intent. They're stupid and confrontational when they don't get their way. Or when they think they have been insulted."
Qrow shrugged. "Kids had to learn it from somewhere."
For the first time, Amber spoke. "It is a very far-fetched theory."
She did have a point. Mercury was quite sure though. He waited a few seconds before answering, thinking on his main reasoning. In honesty, he didn't like it because it meant they would have to cooperate with Cinder, if it was indeed her.
"When Ren was Ancient Runes, one thing he commented on was that 13 is a powerful number. Even for us, it's considered unlucky. Yang and Ruby agreed, though I don't agree with Divination. We were brought here for a reason. It just seems strange that eleven would show up at a school and only one would show up in their government building. They think it was whatever this Dark Magic is because they know the fire wasn't natural. Maiden fire isn't either."
Amber nodded her agreement on that at least.
Mercury had felt flames throughout his entire life. During that battle though, there had definitely been something different when Amber used her Maiden power and not red Dust. He had only caught the edge of it but those wounds had taken even longer to heal than his broken ribs. They shouldn't have done.
"A valid point," Ozpin agreed. "The problem remains: it is only a theory. We don't know. It is possible and I agree, it is even likely. But that's all it is."
Mercury had to admit that. The problem was that they had no idea what their Dark Magic was. It could be responsible and he was just seeing things that weren't there. He was very sure he wasn't, but how did he check?
Hang on.
"Tippy?"
Tippy appeared instantly. "How can I help you, sirs?"
There was a very good chance this was going to lead nowhere, but he would be very annoyed if he didn't ask. "How do house elves know where their master is?"
"House elf is bonded to their master and can sense their magic. They merely follow."
"Could that method be used to find someone?"
Tippy tilted his head. "Possible. Wizard magic is wizard magic but signature is unique. Often, family has similar magical signal and so can be found even if house elf has never met them before. They would need to meet stranger first or have something with their magic to gain the signature. It would take time."
Sounded like looking for a needle in a haystack approach.
"Could it be used to find one of us?" Goodwitch asked, catching on. "Our aura is not wizard magic."
Tippy nodded. "Your aura is energy we can sense. It is possible, but not by Hogwarts house elf."
Mercury groaned. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He wasn't surprised to find it rather one-sided. "Thanks Tippy. Are there any house elves, other than Dobby, that are technically free?" The only one Dobby would happily bond to was the 'Great Harry Potter'.
"Just Winky sir. She works at Hogwarts but is not bonded. She is used to a family."
Winky. From the one time Mercury had seen her, she was beyond miserable and had picked up a very human habit of drowning her sorrows. This would make her happy and give her a sense of purpose, so Ruby would approve. By having a butler, Emerald wouldn't have to put up with the Great Hall if she didn't want to. They could even eat in the Room of Requirement while it mimicked their home in Patch.
"Could you bring her here please Tippy?"
Tippy looked at him for a long moment. Then nodded. "Certainly sir." He popped away.
Qrow raised an eyebrow. "You're going to bond with her, huh?"
Mercury shrugged. "There are many advantages."
Ozpin's face remained blank. "Is that all?"
He knew full well what he was really asking. "Wait until you see her. She's worse than Qrow." While he didn't care for the elf's health, Ruby wouldn't be happy if she found out he had bonded to one of the house elves that were happy while ignoring the one that obviously needed help.
"I take offence to that Silvertongue." The tone made it clear Qrow said it in jest.
"Surprising as it is, you can function…"
There was a pop and the elf appeared. Her ears were drooping, her eyes were glazed and she almost swayed on the spot.
"She can't," Mercury finished.
Knowing the potential these creatures had, it was very frustrating to see one like this.
"Sirs call Winky," the elf slurred.
Mercury kept his voice flat. "I have a proposition for you Winky. Are you interested in becoming my house elf?"
That perked her up. "Sir wants Winky as his house elf?"
On second thought… "Mine and probably Ruby's and Emerald's too." Just to make sure Ruby didn't get upset with him.
Winky nodded enthusiastically. "Yes sir."
That 'sir' was going to get on his nerves real fast, but that was for later. "Fair warning Winky, this is temporary. I'm not taking you back to Remnant with me." Even if he could, it was almost certainly a bad idea.
Winky nodded at that too, not seemingly bothered. "Winky knows sir. That not possible."
"Another thing is that you are to tell me if you are feeling sick or afraid or something like that. Also, if there are problems with a task I give you, you tell me rather than push through and doing yourself harm." Mercury was not getting in trouble with his Gems because the stupid elf was stubborn.
Winky didn't look happy with that. "Winky won't disappoint sir."
Stubborn may be an understatement.
"That I don't doubt. Under certain circumstances, you may have to do it anyway or I'll find a different way for you to do it. Harming yourself is not going to make me happy." And was going to put him in the doghouse. He did not enjoy sleeping alone.
She nodded at that, more cheerful.
"What you do in your spare time, I don't particularly care. Just be careful what you say to other people. We have a lot of secrets." Putting it very mildly.
Winky nodded again, almost proud. "Winky can keep secrets sir. Winky will mostly be in the kitchens. Few come into the kitchens and they don't ask."
Mercury shrugged. "As long as it makes you happy." Quite frankly, he didn't care if she wanted to go ten pin bowling when she wasn't working for them.
That was an interesting mental image.
"Winky will not disappoint sir."
Mercury chose not to comment on that. "So how is this done?"
"Sir needs to accept Winky's magic. Not difficult, but may be odd."
"Go ahead." They had learned that the bond wasn't parasitic in nature. Most never noticed it was there and when the elf was bonded to families, it was undetectable by those wizards involved.
Mercury felt something brush against his aura. It was an odd feeling, almost like water, but it wasn't painful or disturbing. It was just there. Right now, he was blocking it out. To complete the connection properly, he needed to temporarily lower his aura shield.
"That's your magic?" He wanted to be sure.
"Yes sir."
With quite a bit of uncertainty, Mercury lowered his aura shield. To his surprise, it merely felt as if the 'water' graced over his body and then left again. A scan of his aura found nothing awry.
"That's it?" He had been expecting something. He couldn't even sense anything save the Animin bond that connected him to his Gems.
"That's it Master." Winky already looked better. That glaze in her eyes had dimmed greatly.
That's not happening.
"Okay, first thing's first. Don't call me 'Master'." He would rather put up with 'sir'.
"Yes Sir."
He probably wouldn't get anything better. "Your first job is to get yourself sorted out."
"Winky apologises. She will do better and await your call."
"Good. Off you go." Winky vanished with a pop. Mercury then turned to the adults. "My verdict?" Best to get it over with now.
"You handled that well." Ozpin took that calmly. "You will treat her well?"
"Ruby won't be happy if I don't and she's creative with making her displeasure known. Not to mention angering an illusionist is a very stupid idea."
Qrow laughed.
Goodwitch turned her attention to him from the spot Winky had just left. "Be careful Mercury. Having house elves is most likely one step that made the magicals so complacent. Do not pick up their bad habits."
To be honest, that hadn't even occurred to him. "I'll keep that in mind." He was very sure it was the mentality that was the main problem. Wizards saw house elves as creatures to cook and clean for them, little more. Mercury had wanted one to help with whatever objective they were stuck here for. It was a good point though.
Amber also had something to add. "Hermione's not going to be happy with you. She thinks that house elves should be free."
"Even if that causes their deaths?"
"I don't think she believes that. If she finds out, she is going to make her displeasure known."
Mercury rolled his eyes. So Hermione would want to argue with him. Let her. He was aware that was a warning not to do something drastic, but Hermione wasn't dangerous. She wouldn't attack him anyway. "Verbal argument only," he reassured. Qrow was going to have him sitting in Divination as well otherwise.
When Qrow meant History of Magic, he had meant every class he could take without it clashing with the other subjects he had wanted. First Year all the way to Seventh Year. No matter how remarkably frustrating that was, Mercury couldn't complain. He knew he had gotten off lightly and only because they knew it was better to be scarred by Mercury than accidentally killed by Yang. The curfew wasn't much of a hassle, but the amount of hours he had to put in for those essays was nothing short of annoying. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to find so many backwards laws and that was after only a few hours searching.
That being said, he had found other interesting things. He had even found some that were used in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the exceptions that were made for it.
He would call on Winky later, after class. In his opinion 'bond' was the wrong word to use concerning house elves. It was nowhere near that strong. 'Connection' would be better, though it wasn't even that, and that suited him just fine.
Time to return to his Gems.
Harry liked Hagrid. He was a good friend that had the unfortunate problem that he had a very dangerous taste in pets.
So when he saw Mercury right next to the cages where the latest 'misunderstood creatures' were kept, he had to give him a warning. Ignoring Ruby and Emerald, who were by the other crates, he headed straight over.
"Mercury, don't get too close." At least he hadn't been stupid enough to stick his arm in.
Mercury looked up. "What are these?"
"Blast-Ended Skrewts and very dangerous."
"Dangerous huh?" His gaze went back down, clearly curious. "How so?"
"They can burn you, sting you or bite you." Harry took another look. "That's all that's known about them, but I bet they grow pretty big." Was it just him or were there fewer in there than there had been?
"So bad pets but good guard dogs. Gotcha." He moved away from them towards the girls.
Mercury may have a point. Harry would rather fight two Fluffys than one of those fully grown things.
"And these?" Ruby asked, pointing at the crates. "They're adorable."
Harry took a look. "I honestly have no idea." Looked like a cross between a mole and a platypus. Not Hagrid's usual kind of animal. There was probably some destructive quirk to it.
"You are not keeping one Ruby," Mercury stated. Ruby pouted. "Zwei won't be happy." The pout vanished.
"I'll let you keep one of those Skrewts."
He wants one of those monsters?
"And Zwei would probably kill it. Or your Dad would."
Who is Zwei?
Harry frowned. "Wouldn't it burn the house down?" Did Mercury and Ruby live together? If so, how long ago was Mercury adopted or did this Uncle Qrow live elsewhere? That didn't seem right.
"Yang hasn't managed it yet. In fact, that house should have been destroyed a while back."
"Quite a few times," Emerald agreed. "Though when Ruby somehow managed to make a firework out of nothing other than an old box and a few wires was probably the closest."
Ruby sighed. "You know that wasn't what I was trying to do."
Mercury chuckled. "Ruby, you had no idea what you were trying to do."
Did all four members of Team Remedy live together? One heck of a coincidence. And two of the girls were dating the boy, though none were blood related. Harry chose not to think any more on it.
Hagrid put an appearance in then and was excited that all eight Remnant students were interested. He was giving the three present a quick talk on the Skrewts, along with some of the magical creatures that lived in the Forbidden Forest. The others hadn't arrived early.
"Hey Harry!" Ron caught up. "Did you send you letter to S-"
Harry interrupted him. There were others arriving as well as the trio just a few feet away. "Not yet. He sent me a letter today after he read the news."
Sirius agreed and disagreed with Harry. While Sirius believed it was Voldemort related, he didn't think he was responsible. Mr Nott had apparently been one of the purebloods that had claimed that they were under the Imperius Curse, although there had never been a trial or anything to prove it. While there had been some that were, Mr Nott had been one of the ones that Sirius knew was lying. It could have been someone from his numerous victims' families that was responsible and that would partially explain the Dark Magic, if there was any. Sirius seemed unsure about that.
Whatever was the case, Sirius agreed that there was danger ahead. Whoever was responsible must have been very powerful.
Harry turned to greet Hermione and was pleased that no one seemed to notice anything. From Hogwarts anyway. Mercury looked in his direction and raised an eyebrow. Harry chose to ignore him, pretending he didn't see it. He had forgotten that he had very good hearing.
It was a shame Harry couldn't concentrate on class completely. Hagrid had really outdone himself and he meant that in a good way. The creatures were called nifflers and were obsessed with gold, silver and platinum. He had buried leprechaun gold in the ground and had given the winner (Ron) a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate as a reward.
It had been a fantastic lesson and Harry was tempted to get one for Aunt Petunia. He would just neglect to mention the bit where they apparently tore homes apart.
The problem was that Mr Nott's murder was still heavy on his mind. Sirius' words had not been much of a comfort as they should. Apparently events like that were rare even during the war and was almost unheard of in peace time.
Quite a few students were the same. Whispers about the article could be heard throughout the castle halls. Accidental deaths weren't common, but they were shrugged off. This was a murder and a very disturbing one. Was someone trying to send a message?
Was this an isolated incident or would it happen again?
Given his experiences in Hogwarts, Harry thought that this peace time was coming to an end.
With the exception of Care of Magical Creatures, the girls hadn't had any classes that day. As Mercury had had to sit through three hours straight of Binns (Emerald felt very sorry for him), they had taken Ren and Nora on in Conquering Remnant in the Room of Requirement. Blake was in the library while Zephyr was exploring the castle. He loved finding shortcuts and secret rooms, but the Room of Requirement remained Emerald's favourite.
By the time Mercury showed up, Emerald and Ren had been knocked out. Both had moved their chairs around to look at someone's hand, but neither intervened. If Emerald guessed Ruby's strategy right, she would win against almost anyone. Except maybe Nora who was the most insane player ever.
A chair appeared out of nowhere. Emerald and Ruby slid theirs along a little so Mercury could sit in-between them. His arms looped around their waists. Ruby smiled. Emerald leaned against him. That was always more comfortable than it should be.
[Bad luck, bad strategy or Nora?] Mercury asked as he studied the board.
[Nora.] Who attacked their own people to trigger a card to wipe out a group on the opposite side of the map only to expose a fault in that area? Emerald had made the mistake in thinking she had a contingency plan for that.
Ren and Nora probably didn't know about aura reading. It was normally not introduced until Beacon's final year, but certain circumstances (that Emerald fought to keep out of her head) meant that the four members of RMEY had learned about it much earlier, before they even got into Beacon.
All of them could show pictures from their memories if they wished. Mercury alone could show them his actual memories like a first person film. Probably something to do with him being an Aura Wielder. He sensed her mood instantly and so was replaying a melody through his aura. The melody she had hummed to him in the five times he had had a nightmare, but it seemed like he was the one humming it.
It was soothing.
Emerald didn't know how much time had passed. All she knew was that, when she became fully aware of her surroundings again, Ruby had won and the other two were leaving. They wanted to find the rest of their team and they only had an hour before dinner.
While Emerald didn't really want to head to the Great Hall, this was when that Goblet of Fire was picking champions for a tournament. No one would be interested in them. Even so, she didn't want to go. She wasn't even hungry, despite not eating since breakfast.
The Room changed from Beacon library to their living room.
Ruby snuggled more into Mercury's side. "How was History of Magic?"
"Dull. Got a bit of reading done though for that stupid essay. I'm not planning to go back to the library tonight." Good. He was staying with them. "There is something else though."
"Hmm? What happened? Is this about this morning?"
Mercury hadn't said why he left that morning. He just said he was heading back early and not to worry. Something about that article bothered him, but Emerald didn't know what. He would tell them eventually.
"…Sort of. Do you remember Winky?"
"The elf?" Ruby asked.
"The elf. I hired her."
Emerald ran that through her mind, but it was only when Ruby spoke did it click.
"Do you mean…like, bonded?"
"That's not the word I would use. I can't sense a connection or anything like that, but she works for me now. It made quite a difference actually."
"What do you mean?"
"See for yourself. Winky."
When the elf popped in, Emerald immediately saw what Mercury meant. Winky looked much better; both healthier and happier. Her ears were up and her eyes were no longer glazed.
"Sir calls Winky?"
"I did."
"Hi Winky," Ruby chirped. Like Emerald, she could see the difference. "So you're bonded to Mercury now?"
"Sir Merkey is Master, but not bonded like wizards. More of a beacon than a bond. While compatible, bond cannot be formed."
Ruby frowned. "But you'll be okay?"
"Sir's power is compatible. Winky is fine."
So Mercury wasn't bonded the same way wizards did, but Winky still served him? His energy was enough to keep the elf alive? "So what is it like?" Weiss came into Emerald's mind then. "Is it like a butler that has served a few generations of a family?"
Winky nodded. "Exactly. Winky's loyalty to M-Sir. Is a bond without the bond. Winky not a free elf."
That did and didn't make sense. Emerald didn't want to think on it. She could see why Mercury would want an elf, but didn't understand what was different about this morning that made him go through with the act. They had met Winky their second day here.
"So you're happy Winky?" Ruby asked.
"Winky very happy."
"Winky, would you answer the girls' calls or do they need to not-bond bond with you?" Mercury asked.
Emerald had never considered having a house elf. Had Mercury had them in mind while doing it?
Probably.
The elf considered. "Winky will answer when they call, but easier to find if not-bonded bonded."
Mercury nodded. There was the question that remained. Emerald considered the amount of times they had called for Tippy and made her decision. Tippy did have other responsibilities after all and could be called by the others as well. Winky wouldn't answer to them if she worked for the trio.
"What would you prefer?" Ruby asked. There was a slight frown on her features, but it wasn't heavy. She seemed to have come to the same conclusion Emerald had. On top of that, Winky looked a lot better now than when she was wasting away before.
"Winky would prefer to be not-bonded but bonded. Easier that way."
Ruby was quiet for a moment, before slowly nodding. "Okay Winky. How do we do it?"
Mercury hummed. "That may be a problem. I needed to lower my aura shield and you two can't do that yet."
He must have known this since that morning, which meant one thing. "So what's your solution?"
"Winky, what you see and hear is something you can't tell anyone. We don't want our abilities known."
"Winky understands Sir."
Mercury's winged fox appeared by the fireplace. All of his aura went into it. The fox shook its head and stretched its limbs.
"Odd," Mercury muttered. "I'm not doing that."
An Aura Wielder could create aura animals; manually controlled animals made up of his pure aura. Mercury's known ones were a winged fox, a kitten and a dragon like creature (along with a quetzalcoatl and an eagle that needed to be possessed by Emerald or Ruby respectively before they did anything). The kitten couldn't be possessed and had to be moved by thought. The fox had never moved around on its own though. Mercury had always controlled it with his thoughts or possessed it. Unlike-
"You didn't control the dragon though," Ruby pointed out. "That moved on its own both times."
Mercury had originally created it in Mountain Glenn when he had been in a very poor state of mind. He showed Emerald later in the dorm. That had moved around without his input then too, though Ruby had commented it was much smaller. By the sound of it, the one in Mountain Glenn wouldn't have fit in their dorm room.
Now, Mercury shrugged. "I'll think on it later. It's done its job for now."
Emerald could see what he had in mind. Aura transfer: another technique not taught until Beacon's last year and could go horribly wrong to the inexperienced. The three of them weren't inexperienced and were used to the process. To temporarily get rid of his aura, he put all of it into an aura animal.
After she transferred her aura to him, Emerald nodded at Winky. "Go ahead."
That…is an odd feeling.
It passed in a second.
"Winky is your elf also Miss."
That was easy.
Immediately, Mercury transferred her aura back to her. She didn't feel any different and Mercury hadn't noticed anything odd. It was nothing to worry about.
Ruby didn't say anything at first. Emerald knew when Ruby transferred her aura to Mercury as she had been trying to read his aura and that was only successful when he had some to read. Ruby shivered, but tilted her head.
"Thank you Miss," Winky stated.
Ruby nodded. "It's okay. Has Mercury given you any rules or jobs yet?"
"Winky was to sort herself out. Winky is not to tell the secrets of the family." The word 'family' made Emerald blink for a moment while Ruby smiled softly. "Winky is to report whether or not she does not wish to do a job or is afraid of something. Winky may be asked to do it anyway or a different way. Winky can do whatever she wants in her free time."
Emerald smiled. [You really didn't want Ruby angry at you, did you?]
[Nope. I'm hiring a worker, not getting a slave, though it is very close when it comes to these guys. I don't want either of you angry at me.]
Emerald nuzzled him, much to his amusement. She wasn't angry with him over this and she didn't think Ruby would be either. If it was an elf that was already happy, then she probably would be. But an elf that was drinking itself to death? Almost certainly not.
Ruby looked at him. She looked…content. She turned back to Winky. "One final rule Winky: take care of yourself. That includes when you're doing a job."
"Winky understands Miss."
"Good." There was a moment of quiet before she continued. "Thank you Winky. We'll call on you later."
Winky bowed and popped away.
With a sigh, Ruby leaned back and curled up a little. Somehow, she remained in Mercury's embrace. "Are you sure this is a good thing?"
Mercury glanced at Emerald, the spot that Winky just left and then at Ruby. "The alternative was to drink herself to death."
"Yeah, I know." She wasn't exactly happy or unhappy.
The winged fox (which Emerald had honestly forgotten about) jumped onto the top of the sofa and nudged Ruby slightly with its snout. She raised her hand to rest it on its head.
"Did you do that?"
"Nope." Mercury studied it. "I don't know why it's doing that."
Emerald wasn't worried about it attacking them. It was interesting that it was moving without being directed. She watched as it hopped on the floor when Ruby smiled at it and walked over to the door. It lowered itself down when it got close until it was lying down. The occasional twitch of the tail or flutter of wings became the only movement.
Almost hypnotising.
Her breathing deepened as her mind drifted. She let it. They were in a replica of their home. When they were last there, Ruby and Yang were sharing a room upstairs while she and Mercury shared one on the ground floor. They hadn't been back there since they started Beacon, though Taiyang was staying in Vale since…
Since…
White vision. Her torso was stinging.
'One Gem shattered
One Gem to crack and dust'
There was thrumming in her ears. Then the voice.
"I had hoped to have more time with you, but we're on a tight schedule. Don't worry, it won't hu-"
Emerald blinked as she was held closer. Mercury had moved his arm up to wrap around her completely. She was carefully lowered until she was lying along the sofa, her head in his lap. His fingers ran through her hair in a now familiar and very soothing way while Ruby's fingers caressed her cheek.
Her breathing and heart calmed slowly. The stinging faded.
For a while, no words were said. Gentle and loving touches.
"Are you up for dinner with everyone or do you want to stay here?" Ruby asked softly.
Emerald's tongue felt heavy, but she got the word out. "Stay." She couldn't handle a group now. She didn't want to try.
"Sure," Merc murmured. "Relax. You're safe with us."
One of the few good things about finding themselves in a strange world: Ginger and Pepper weren't here.
Emerald didn't realise she had slipped into a doze until she heard a knock on the door. That jolted her up, but not strongly. Ruby had configured the Room and so the only people who could see the door were Yang or Qrow. It wouldn't appear for anyone else even if they asked for it.
It was Qrow. His expression softened a little when he saw them. Did he guess? "Are you three coming to dinner and the 'Champion selection'?" Qrow didn't think much of a magic cup choosing the participants.
Ruby shook her head. "Not today."
Was that a hint of sadness in Ruby's voice? Emerald did remember that she had been greatly looking forward to it. It was a little harsh and very selfish to deny her that. Emerald was (mostly) calm now.
"Go on Ruby. I'll be fine."
Ruby frowned at her. "No, it's okay. I'll stay."
After reading her aura, Emerald was sure. She reached up and cupped Ruby's hand. Running her fingers along the knuckles, she gently pulled it away from her cheek. "Go enjoy yourself Ruby. I'm fine."
"Emerald…"
Reluctantly, Emerald sat up. "We know how much you've wanted to see it Ruby. Go on."
Ruby was clearly very conflicted. On one hand, she had been waiting to see this tournament ever since they first heard about it. On the other hand, she obviously didn't want to leave Emerald. Their boyfriend had never been interested in the tournament and would have preferred to sit out their 'fancy cup fireworks'. It was only because Ruby wanted to see it that the other two were willing to go.
Ruby herself knew this. Finally, she looked at Mercury. Whatever she saw there made her nod slowly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Enjoy yourself Ruby," Mercury responded. His voice was cheerful.
Qrow ruffled Ruby's hair when she joined him by the door. "I'll bring her back before midnight," he joked. Emerald wasn't sure how Taiyang felt about their relationship, but Qrow didn't seem to mind. Then again, Taiyang had loved two women.
Mercury let out a low sound from the back of his throat. "I think we'll be staying here tonight."
While they had been given permission to sleep in this Room, they had yet to do so. They had used it during the day, but had always returned to that dorm originally provided. Tonight though, Emerald agreed with Mercury.
Ruby wasn't smiling as she left, but she wasn't frowning either. Qrow studied them for a moment before leaving as well.
Mercury turned to her fully. "Are you really okay?"
"I've…been better," she allowed. There was no point lying to him. He knew something was off and he could guess the reason, but he wasn't sure exactly what.
He hummed almost silently. "Winky." The elf popped in. "Could you get us something to eat please?"
With a nod, the elf vanished.
Emerald wasn't particularly hungry. "Mercury-"
"You haven't eaten since this morning Emerald."
She was aware of that. She just sighed. She wasn't going to win that discussion. She knew she should, but she didn't think she could. She could at least try.
It was a pasta that Yang liked. Linguine. Emerald was a little sceptical at first, but one taste found that the sauce was actually very light and thin. The meal wasn't as heavy as she initially thought and she did manage to eat all of it. It wasn't long until she felt full. She still finished after Mercury did, even though he started after her.
After Emerald pushed the dish away from her, it vanished.
The Room changed. Rather than the living room, it became their shared room at home. Instead of two single beds though, it was one double with the bedside cabinets moved to the opposite sides.
Emerald looked at it. "I think I prefer it like that." She gave Mercury a gentle push. "Down you go."
Smirking, Mercury put up no resistance as he fell. He did push himself up a little once he was lying down. "Bed's a bit big. Are you going to join me or not?"
Normally she would tease him before joining him. At the moment, she wasn't in the mood. She fell silent and snuggled up to him. She hadn't had any nightmares yet and she hoped they wouldn't start tonight.
Emerald leaned over and picked up a book that was resting on the bedside cabinet. As the original was sitting in their normal dorm in the castle, a copy was able to appear in the Room. Magicals apparently weren't a fan of fiction. What library didn't have fiction books? As it happened, a lot of muggleborns were happy to hand them over after they finished reading them, provided they gave it back. The book Emerald had borrowed was a murder mystery. Quite a few muggleborns had them.
Luckily for Mercury, Emerald hadn't started it yet. Using him as a pillow, her eyes flickered across the page, making sure he could read it too. His finger traced a circle in her shoulder when he had finished a page, but the two read it at their own pace. Peaceful.
They were only a quarter of the way through the book when Winky popped in.
Mercury blinked, surprised to see her. "Something wrong Winky?"
"Miss Ruby asking Sir to come down. Something odd has happened." Evidently Winky called him 'Sir' while using the girls' names with 'Miss'. To be fair, there were two of them.
"'Odd' as in 'wrong'? What happened?"
"Sir's name selected by Goblet of Fire as fifth name."
What.
Emerald looked up at him. "How can your name come out when you never put it in?"
Mercury rolled his eyes. "Evidently the very obvious loophole of having someone else put your name in wasn't covered. Absolute idiots; the lot of them."
"But you're immune to their magic." Even if his name went in, it shouldn't have been able to be selected. "And I thought only three names were picked."
He thought about that for a moment. "I lowered my shield today and yesterday. If my name was already in by then, and it almost certainly was, then maybe that's how it happened." His gaze went back to Winky. "Who was the fourth?"
"Harry Potter."
He really has the worst luck.
"Isn't he fourteen?" Emerald asked.
"That's the Age Line, not the Goblet. As for extra names…" Mercury shrugged. "No idea. Probably someone jealous of Harry. They stare and gossip about him like a zoo animal." He looked at Winky. "Tell her I'm not coming down. I'm not competing. They're not worth my time."
Maybe unknowingly, his arm had tightened around Emerald at those last words.
Winky nodded and popped away.
Emerald lifted the book again. She was sure it wasn't that simple, but there wasn't much use worrying about it. Even if Mercury had to compete for some reason, he would ace the Tasks. They were designed for magicals, not aura users.
"I wonder who did it."
"Could be anyone of age. I've certainly annoyed the lot of them. Could have been someone Malfoy paid. Could have been an underage that threw a paper aeroplane. Let them sort it out; it's what they're paid to do."
Emerald scoffed. "We both know they won't. You'll probably still have to compete." She sighed with a sad frown. "If your name came out, then you're probably bound to it somehow."
Mercury nodded, more resigned that angry. "I know. They lose their magic. If I don't compete and they can't get me out, then skipping it may make me-us-lose ours. I don't want to lose it."
The only magic Mercury had was the Animin bond; a connection to the girls. It had nothing to do with them dating, but Mercury would have been killed if they didn't have it. They had had no way of finding him otherwise and he would have been dead if he was found even half an hour later. Emerald would probably be dead too. At Mountain Glenn, if he didn't sense Emerald was in trouble, he may have chosen to double back to Ruby first.
On the other hand, it had been Ginger Emerald was facing-
Emerald shook her head. "You could just ignore it and nothing will happen."
Mercury shrugged. "Or it could kill me. For three 'tasks', it not worth the risk, especially with our luck. If Qrow or Ruby tell me they can't get me out of it, I'll compete. It could even be fun."
"…You're not worried?"
"Nope. The worst that can happen is that they find out I can be immune to their magic." Mercury rubbed her back. "It'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen to me."
That did calm Emerald. Their aura was a very unfair advantage. They returned to her book.
The question remained of who put his name in and why.
No one was more surprised than Harry when his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Hermione had to literally push him forward.
It was unreal. Like a bad dream.
"Cheat!"
Harry couldn't be in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. There were already three Champions. Harry couldn't be another. He had never put his name in.
"He's not even seventeen yet!"
Harry couldn't have put his name in. He didn't want to be in this tournament.
But when he passed the tables, Dumbledore gave him the slip. It was his name. In his handwriting. Harry Potter.
"Cheater!"
Then the Goblet's flame changed colour again. Silence descended.
Another name?
It was. Another slip of paper was ejected. Dumbledore's arm narrowly missed Harry as he caught the slip. From his angle, he couldn't read it. He didn't need to.
"'Mercury Black'."
What?
The whispers started again. There were no yells this time. Everyone spoke in hushed voices.
There were five Champions in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. How was that possible?
Mercury's a muggle.
Ironically enough, it was that thought that snapped Harry out of his half numb state. He wasn't going to be the only one out of his depth. But how? How did Harry's name come out? How did Mercury's name come out?
"Mercury Black," Dumbledore called again.
Ruby and Qrow stood up, him resting a hand on her shoulder. "He's not here."
All eyes went to the pair.
Dumbledore blinked. "Not here? Then where is he?"
"Probably where we left him," Qrow responded. Ruby left the Hall. "He's never had any interest in this circus."
"He cheated to get in!" someone yelled out.
Qrow scoffed. "He didn't need to cheat; he is seventeen. And how did he get the deranged cup to spit out his name fifth? I can see-"
Professor Ozpin stood up and put a hand up. "Let's not get started Qrow." The man's gaze turned to Dumbledore. "We appear to have five Champions rather than three. Has this ever happened before?"
"It has not," Dumbledore noted. "However, it is irrelevant." Ruby returned and whispered something to Qrow. "He must compete." With that, Dumbledore patted Harry's shoulder and led him to a room he had never been in before.
The other Champions were gathered around the fire. They seemed restless, yet determined.
"Professor?" Cedric had turned around and was now staring at Harry. "What's going on?"
"There has been a complication," Dumbledore responded. He steered Harry to the side. Just in time as the door opened to reveal Mr Crouch, Ludo Bagman, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and Professors McGonagall and Snape. Harry glimpsed Professor Moody behind them.
"Extraordinary!" Bagman gleamed. "Five Champions!"
The three Champions looked very confused at that. Fleur almost seemed insulted. It was Cedric who asked for confirmation.
"Five?"
Dumbledore turned back to Harry and spoke before anyone else could. "Harry, did you enter your name into the Goblet?"
"No sir."
"Did you ask another student to do it for you?"
"No sir." Harry swallowed.
"Of course he is lying," Madame Maxime exclaimed. "How did this happen, Dumbledore?"
"You cannot blame Dumbledore for Potter's behaviour-" To Harry's great relief, Snape was cut off.
"But we can blame him for hiring less than professional teachers that can carry grudges for dead men better than a bird can fly."
Qrow. He had entered with Ruby and Professor Ozpin. No Mercury.
"How dare-?"
"Professor Snape, if you don't have anything intelligent to add other than to point out for the infinite time your obvious loathing of a boy for perceived behaviour that you display every day, I suggest you stay quiet." Professor Ozpin really wasn't happy. "I want to know how Mercury's name came out. As he never entered his name and it somehow came out, I am willing to believe Mr Potter's claim that he was not responsible. What are their options?"
Bagman looked terrified. He visibly squirmed under Professor Ozpin's and Qrow's furious gaze. "Well…err…I'm afraid he has no choice…I mean his name came out-"
"That's all it takes?" Qrow asked, far more serious than Harry had seen him. "What if a Seventh Year entered a First Year? That First Year would have to compete?"
Harry paled. So did Professor McGonagall.
"W-Well-"
Qrow scoffed. "Let no one ever accuse this lot of competence."
"How dare-?"
"I dare because you are claiming that my son has no choice but to compete in a tournament which was stopped because of the high fatality numbers. I dare because you left a murder weapon out where anyone could put an enemy's name in. What if someone unrelated was entered and couldn't be here for the tasks? I dare because it was mostly your idiocy caused this mess. How hard was it to stop someone submitting a name that wasn't theirs? Some kids would think this circus is a great joke, or put someone's name in they don't like without understanding they can be killed. It was a very obvious possibility. Kids, especially teenagers, will do it. And does your Goblet not know there are only three schools? Last I checked, one add one add one add one add one made five, not three."
Pure fury.
There was a very brief silence before it was broken.
"Exactly," Professor Moody responded, very calmly. "Only a very powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked the Goblet into forgetting there are three schools. Those two were most likely put in a category each, making sure both their names came out. They are probably wanted dead."
Voldemort. Was Voldemort responsible for this? Possibly for Harry but Mercury didn't make sense. Those three didn't seem surprised though. In fact, did Qrow and Professor Ozpin just exchange a look?
"Ingenious theory." Professor Karkaroff scoffed. "This coming from a man who destroyed a clock because he thought it was a basilisk egg. These two thought they were above the rules and entered themselves. It is as simple as that."
"And how does the fact that Mercury cannot perform a Confundus Charm fit into your theory?" Professor Ozpin asked. His tone had not gotten any friendlier.
"The boy is a psychopath-"
"Wrong and even if it wasn't, it's completely irrelevant. It is not possible that Mercury was responsible for his name coming out. That fact casts extreme doubt on Mr Potter entering his own name. From what I have seen of his personality, I would say he didn't."
That meant a lot to Harry. They believed him. A smile made its way onto his face. If they could see that fact, the other students would too.
"It doesn't matter," Mr Crouch spoke up for the first time. "His name came out. He will suffer a severe penalty if he does not compete. All five will. The Age Line wasn't part of the original tournament, only added around the Goblet. The age of the Champions has no bearing on the Goblet's decision."
"Excuse me, but what is the problem with the five Champions playing three rounds of rock/paper/scissors or something similar and then redrawing the names?" Ruby asked. She didn't flinch when everyone looked at her. "If the Goblet chose those three to represent their schools, then it will probably pick them again. Or only put their names in from the beginning."
Harry agreed, hope starting to churn in his chest. The idea had merit. The other Champions actually nodded.
Mr Crouch shook his head. "It's not that simple. Each Task must be different and the Goblet can only be lit once every three years. Without the Goblet, there is no Tri-Wizard Tournament. The three countries are in agreement: it must be held this year."
Politics. Harry hated politics.
Ruby frowned, but Qrow put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and he nodded. She sighed and headed over to the corner almost in complete shadows.
Professor Ozpin turned to Dumbledore. "Do you have the slip for Mercury?" It was handed over. "This isn't Mercury's handwriting." When Professor Snape opened his mouth, Professor Ozpin continued. "Would you like us to fetch one of his essays so you can compare it or are we free to move on?"
Glaring, Professor Snape closed his mouth. Then he opened it again. "I can assure you, it is the scrawl that Potter calls handwriting."
Qrow scoffed. "Gee, we're in a boarding school. I wonder where I can find a sample of parchment with Harry Potter's name on in his handwriting, especially with little things called Copying Charms." Then Qrow smirked. "It would seem you could have put his name Snape."
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected.
"When he acts like a professor and not a petty child, I'll consider it."
These guys had become Harry's new heroes. He could see where Mercury got it from. Then again, if they fought dementor-like monsters for a living, they wouldn't be impressed by Snape.
Professor Ozpin considered for a moment. "How does the selection work? Does the Goblet bind to the name on the slip or the magical signature of the one putting it in?"
He was met with blank looks. It was obvious they didn't know. That wasn't encouraging. Harry could choose not to compete and there was the chance it would target the one who put his name in. Considering his luck though, that was a very bad idea. It was almost certainly the name on the parchment.
Ruby returned with an odd expression. She shrugged at Qrow, then gave one nod. He shook his head with an exasperated sigh.
"Survive three 'tasks', huh?" Qrow chuckled. "I'm in agreement with him." Somehow, Ruby had spoken to Mercury and gotten an answer. "What are these tasks?"
Apparently the message had been something along the lines of 'whatever'.
The tension drained out of Bagman. Now he was sure he was out of trouble, he became excited. "The first task is on 24th November, in front of the students and judges. They will be armed only with their wands and will receive information about the second task when the first is over. This is a Task of Courage, so that is all they will be told. The Champions are not allowed to ask or accept any help from their teachers and are exempted from end-of-year exams." He frowned and looked at Dumbledore. "Is that all?"
"Indeed, though there is one thing." Dumbledore turned to Qrow. "Mercury will be permitted his weapons."
Professor Karkaroff wasn't happy with that. "Rules are rules Dumbledore. Wands only."
Qrow scoffed. "We'll decide on the day. It depends on how strictly the others stick to the rules. Wouldn't want to be seen as hypocritical, would we?"
It looked like Qrow expected them to cheat. Cedric looked insulted at that, but most of the others just glared at him. Professor Moody was studying him, almost intrigued. Dumbledore seemed amused.
"If that is all?" Professor Ozpin asked. No one spoke. "Then I bid you goodnight."
"I don't," Ruby muttered under her breath as they left. Harry and the three Champions were probably the only ones that heard her. As she passed, she murmured: "Goodnight Harry. Good luck."
Thanks Ruby.
Harry chose to follow. No one stopped him, so he wasn't needed.
The Great Hall was empty. Harry was thankful for that. He needed time and quiet to think.
His name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. Professor Moody was probably right: this was an attempt to kill him. With his dream this summer, Voldemort was almost certainly behind it. Mr Nott died in a gruesome fashion for some unknown reason. Was that a coincidence? Had Mr Nott been doing something for Voldemort, such as something to do with this tournament?
Why had Mercury's name come out? Was he seen as a threat and to be eliminated as well? Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be happy with what happened to his son. Was this his retaliation? Without the variance magic had, Mercury would do well to survive. Voldemort wouldn't be interested in a few odd, home-schooled muggleborns and none had been mentioned by name in that article. He almost certainly wasn't responsible. But did that mean it was unrelated? Sirius thought that Mr Nott's death was related to Voldemort, but he wasn't responsible.
Harry was aware he was in front of the Fat Lady by muscle memory of the route rather than his eyes. His mind was still elsewhere. "Balderdash."
In hindsight, he should have expected a party. He wasn't in the mood for it. The parties after the Quidditch matches were fun and Harry was often one of the reasons for their victory (or their only two defeats). Those celebrations were earned. This was not. After one too many people asking him how he did it, he shoved his way into the dormitory.
Ron was lying on his bed, fully dressed. He was looking up at the ceiling, but he didn't seem to be seeing it.
"Congratulations."
That wasn't what Harry was expecting. He answered the only way he could. "What?"
"You got past the Age Line. No one else did. So how did you do it?"
What was up with Ron? "I didn't."
Ron wasn't listening. "It couldn't have been the Cloak. Both of us could have used that. It couldn't have been an Aging Potion because that doesn't work."
"I. Didn't. Enter. My. Name."
"Still, that portrait Violet…Dumbledore's letting you compete, isn't he? You and your new best mate. A thousand galleons and eternal glory, huh?"
Having just seen Qrow and Professor Ozpin shut up Snape, Harry was in no mood to deal with whatever was wrong with Ron. "Tell you what Ron. I'll ask my 'new best mate' if he can give you a permenant scar on your face too. Your idiocy is matching Malfoy's yesterday; he may agree. And then if you're lucky, Malfoy's dad can go and kill every member of your family. I'm sure a thousand galleons are worth being the Weasley-Who-Lived."
With that, Harry angrily pulled his curtains together. He knew he would regret what he said in the morning, but right now he didn't care. Those strangers hadn't thought Harry put his name in, even if the initial reasoning came from Mercury's name coming out, but even then they thought he wouldn't do it. They had defended Harry against Snape and Madame Maxime and they barely knew him.
Ron knew better.
Harry didn't want to feel betrayed, so he felt angry instead.
Depressed could describe Ruby's mood. She hadn't been able to get Mercury out of the tournament. She had no doubt he would be fine (and could win), but he didn't want to be in it in the first place. She had failed to get him out of it.
Professor Ozpin had returned to the dorm room to talk to the others. Ruby and Uncle Qrow headed straight for the Room of Requirement.
Would it be a long night? Emerald had been heading for a panic attack that Mercury had managed to prevent, but Ruby knew she wasn't as good as she had claimed. The only reason Ruby had left was so that Emerald wouldn't feel bad in regards to what Ruby had wanted for days. Mercury would have looked after her. But it wasn't the same. Ruby knew she should have stayed.
The Room was different than Ruby expected. She immediately recognised it as home and she wasn't surprised when it clicked what they had done. Maybe this was what their room would look like back at Patch when they returned. Dad wouldn't disapprove. Too much.
Ruby snuggled into Emerald. It was Mercury whose cheek her fingers traced. "I'm sorry Mercury."
"It's fine," he replied with a smile. "We thought they'd be stubborn about it. Stupid idiots."
Ruby remembered Uncle Qrow's furious words. She had felt the same. 'Stubborn', 'stupid' and 'idiotic' were the tamest words they could use. Ruby was willing to bet that quite a few students had put someone else's name in that hadn't been of age, but those had been passed over by the Goblet itself.
Even if Mercury was the only one in that category like Professor Moody thought, then Mercury deserves to be Champion. There had been one record of a Tri-Wizard Tournament in which the Goblet hadn't picked anyone from Durmstrang, with the theory being that none of them were worthy of being selected. The country had been in a civil war at the time, so attitudes and personalities were changing or unsuitable.
That also meant the Goblet thought Harry deserved to be Champion. Ruby could see that. She got the feeling he would be a team leader at Beacon. It bothered her greatly how quickly the school had turned against him. Loads of the younger years had tried to cheat their way into the tournament. Why were they so angry? The second Harry's name came out, Ruby was certain he hadn't put it in. After she saw the look on his face, no doubt would be creeping in about that.
"We tried Silvertongue," Qrow shrugged, sitting on the edge of their bed. "But you can probably imagine how competent they are at being incompetent. There is a chance that whoever put your name is stuck, not you, but they don't know. They have no idea how it works."
Mercury chuckled. "That bad, huh? And they are the ones in charge of unbreakable magical contracts with extreme penalties. Makes sense if they graduated from here."
Ruby sighed, unable to deny it. Malfoy had boasted that connections got jobs, not ability. It should never work like that and the jobs along with the public would suffer. They wouldn't be motivated to learn to be good at those jobs. Emerald wrapped an arm around her, knowing what was bothering her, but she didn't say anything. She didn't need to.
Qrow patted Ruby's head. "I was curious as to how you want to play it."
"It's probably best that I don't win. We have no idea how they would react to that and given their opinions and their positions, we are definitely going to have a problem. I do wonder who put my name in there though. The why would also be nice."
"Ozpin didn't recognise the handwriting, so not one of us. How many people did you tell your surname to?"
"…None actually. Who knows what the others said though? A few students know Ruby's surname and I don't remember Ruby normally saying it when she introduced herself."
"I didn't," Ruby agreed. "Some people struggle to learn first names. No need to confuse things. It's not like it matters here." They come from a different world, after all. There were no blood relations here.
Although, the name 'Black' did seem to interest too many of the students to be coincidence. Was there a Black family in this world?
"It could have been nearly anyone," Qrow agreed. "We're leaning towards an adult. It took a lot of magic to change the school number from three to five. Most likely, you were put in this tournament as an assassination attempt."
Mercury smiled at the choice of words. "It probably won't work, but there are quite a number of suspects if that is the case. What's the First Task?"
"Something that you won't be told about until probably until you're about to do it. It's a…" Uncle Qrow made air quotes here. "'Task of Courage'."
Emerald scoffed. "Task of Stupidity you mean."
"That too," Uncle Qrow agreed. "It's on the 24th November. You're also not allowed any help from your professors, although if they stick to that, I'll eat my flask. Those two head of schools are not in this in the spirit of friendly competition."
"Fun," Mercury responded idly. "Am I allowed my boots?"
"Almost definitely. If they cheat, then they're allowed. If not, I'm sure you'll manage."
"Great."
Mercury didn't sound worried at all. He allowed Ruby to aura read him and he really wasn't. He was cautious as this was something new that he had very little knowledge of, but he wasn't afraid. He seemed to be looking forward to it. He might be right. He had a very unfair advantage.
Harry was the opposite. He was three years too young and didn't have the education the others did or Mercury's technology. He had been in shock when his name was called. He would also have very little support if the reaction from the crowd was anything to go by. Ruby had loathed that reaction, but when she was going to speak up, the stupid cup spat out Mercury's name. At least that did the trick of shutting them up.
Mercury would be more than fine. Maybe they should talk with Harry tomorrow and make sure he was okay.
Despite the excitement of the day, it didn't take Ruby long at all to drop off to sleep. Maybe they should be more worried, but this was Mercury. He would be fine, he could be excellent if he wanted.
AN: It has been noted that the HP side has been taking a backseat. I am aware of this but so far there has been limited influence from the RWBY side and the first few days would be focused on how they respond to that world. Until this chapter, there hasn't been any major differences to HP canon that I hadn't showed and I didn't want to put in those scenes. This will change as their influence spreads.
One thing that bothered me about the fourth book was the number of loopholes in both the champion selection and the ways Harry could have been taken out of the tournament if they really wanted. That did make this chapter more fun to write.
When Cinder dumps Mercury after he was kidnapped, the bond told them the direction he was in and he was found in time. At Mountain Glenn, it was Ginger that Emerald fought on the train and was scarred by. The bond told Mercury that Emerald was in trouble, though not any details on how or why.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading. Any questions, let me know.