This Chapter: The Cullens make a dangerous-run. And their unknown female enemy is a scheming, manipulative b****. Shocking stories. Adsila's brother Keme and Angela meet another Adsila Sizemore who gives some warning and advice.


To Emrys myrdin: C'était le père de Carlisle. Il n'aurait pas pu s'échapper si facilement. C'est comme un culte, il ya un attachement fort, peu importe comment il était horrible. Et comme les cultes étaient si fanatiques, c'était compréhensible.

To NicoleR85: Thank you.


Disclaimer: Do NOT own anything belonging to the genius of J.K Rowling or to Stephanie Meyer. Hold your hippogriffs, thank you!


Well, Esmé and the rest of the Cullens including Alice and Emmett had to pile in the cash to pay the fine. Or bail them out.

Money wasn't a problem. MACUSA had kindly volunteered, just after they let Rosalie out (though they made it quite clear that they would keep tabs on them all) that they would modify the hospital's memories so that Carlisle would appear to be on paid leave. As for them asking questions on why and when he would be back, they had confunded them.

The problem was converting the money from dollars to Dragots. It was taking some time.

And not everyone was happy.

Rosalie was subdued. Obviously, it could have been the fact that she had to tell her story in front of a very large crowd, including the werewolves she didn't always like. And she despised pity. She loathed it. And there was also the fact that her brothers, sister-in-law and father were in still in prison, where she had just been released from.

Esmé sighed.

"Nothing we can do about it." Rosalie made a sound similar to a grunt in response.

"So… Do we stay in New York?"

"Until we free them," Esmé said determinedly. "Surprisingly, your father's okay with it. I think they said he's not going to stay there for long. None of them are… Except maybe Edward will stay a little longer than the others."

"He's a surprisingly fair man," Alice muttered. "Even though I feel it's a bit harsh, even I have to admit the president's quite… Not like the hu- No-Maj one."

Esmé suppressed a shudder when she remembered the beach-blond, brash, obnoxious, boorish, loud and insulting man that had been elected over a year ago. At least he was dismissing claims by the NSPS that magic was real.

If he ever discovered that ordinary human No-Majes weren't the only ones to exist in the world…

That would be bad.

Esmé brought herself back to the present moment.

"How long will this take?" She asked the wizard.

"Not long," he replied, and promptly, with a popping sound and a rush of swirling colours, disappeared.

Esmé pressed her lips together.

Just then a wizard in a long coat came rushing in. He ran past them, followed by several loud cracks and rushing colourful swirls, several wizards appeared.

"What's going on?" Marcus Weiss, who was standing guard nearby, demanded.

"Trouble!" The first man barked. "Algaves is dead. Weber and Sizemore found the bodies along with the wolves. It appears he's been tortured."

The vampires' hearts dropped and their temperatures felt colder than normal.

"Damn them." Weiss muttered. "I'll report with the president. Wilkinson, Grimsditch; you standby on alert. Get ready to receive any messages and orders. The rest of you: come with me." And with that, they headed off as fast as they could and disappeared.


Edward tossed a rubber ball- not magical, the way some prisoners do. What choice did he have?

He was probably going to be in there longer than the rest of them.

Bella, Carlisle and Jasper would soon get out, that thought strengthened him.

He then saw a group of wizards and a few witches rush past his cell, along with Marcus Weiss.

A witch intercepted them. "I'm sorry, but the president is in a meeting."

Weiss cursed. He stepped forwards. "And you don't think that he doesn't share information with me?" He demanded.

The witch's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Weiss." She stumbled over her words in her rush. "This way." She gestured and they ran off.

Edward frowned. There's something not quite right there, he thought.

Too bad he was useless. His power had been suppressed and limited to whoever was in that cell.

At least he could get a moment's peace, he thought. With so many different minds, some screaming and yelling, others flashing such bright, loud pictures, and so many different people, this was the only time he could enjoy some peace and quiet.

I swear, if I wasn't a vampire, I would go crazy by now.

But what if it was related to Adsila.

Edward frowned. Slowly, he stood. He peered through the bars of his cell without touching them.

He couldn't help it. Some part of him, that wasn't worried or fearful for his loved ones, felt guilty.

He shouldn't feel guilty. The normal part of him felt that Adsila deserved whatever she was getting for landing his wife, his father, brother and himself in prison. At least Rosalie got out. That part arrogantly told him that it was worth it, and Adsila got what she asked for.

But did she? Edward bit his lip. She didn't even attack them, before Edward jumped on her. She just barely had time to send out a signal before he ripped the wand from her and knocked her out.

And now she was being tortured by the NSPS. Possibly dead in a painful manner as well.

Edward's teeth bit harder on his lip. She deserved it, she asked for it, she asked for it…

For informing about a potential threat and the fact that classified information was passed on easily? A voice scoffed. And torture? And execution? Did anyone really deserve torture?

And death like the criminals he dealt with? Remember your years, the voice mocked.

That's what landed you in here, he thought.

Damn, it really was his fault.

Everything was his fault. Of course, MACUSA wouldn't let it slide. Did he really think he could get on with his life and not pay for what he did? For everything he did?

For getting Bella's life in danger? He didn't know he would create a hybrid child- a Dhampir. But he knew it was dangerous. MACUSA probably thought it was like assisting and encouraging suicide.

And now Bella was in prison because she defended him, from Adsila.

At least Nessie was safe.

But…

And Adsila was Seth's imprint, Edward thought, more guilt flooding through him. Seth who had been so friendly as compared to the other wolves… Seth who had stuck to defend them more than once…

Where was he now? Edward asked himself. If he was free- and Edward knew he was- he would be tracking Adsila. A wolf would do anything to save their imprint.

A loud cracking sound ensued, interrupting him out of his thoughts.

"Sir!" a wizard shouted.

"Sir- there's-" Just then a flash of red light hit him squarely on the chest and he flew backwards, either dead or very unconscious. Edward jumped up, startled.

He growled, leaning forwards in an attack position.

"At ease, boy." A woman's voice drawled. "I'm not here to harm you."

Edward stiffened. "Who- who are you?"

He watched as she knelt down and she pressed her wand to the man's head. Her eyes closed.

"Ahhhh…." She murmured. "So that's where it is, what a shame."

She looked straight at Edward. She had dark hair and dark eyes. Her face was pretty, but there was no way of telling how old she was. She could have been in her twenties or thirties. There was no way of telling. She just seemed ageless even to vampire. Her dark eyes glittered.

Stepping in front of Edward's cell, she took a deep breath and raised her hands.

There was a creak and then a groan as the walls surrounding Edward shook and shifted. Dust and debris splattered down on the ground.

"Wh-" Edward's eyes were massive as he realised that the witch was breaking him out.

Murmuring words that seemed powerful, ancient and powerful both, the witch continued on.

Bars of light burst and shone all around Edward's cell, but the witch didn't seem to notice. She closed her eyes and more lights appeared- like force-fields in Sci-Fi movies, but they eventually began to shimmer and fade- every single one of them. The witch continued and suddenly, loud cracks erupted and the bars of the cells strained, like they were struggling to get free.

And they did. They flung out and landed on the ground in front of the witch with a loud crash. Dust, debris and everything clouded the area, but Edward could see that the witch was smiling.

His eyes were massive. "You-"

"To the right and then left," she said abruptly. "First you'll find Bella. And then Carlisle and Jasper. I suggest you hurry, you see, MACUSA would be tipped off even without me telling them."

Edward's eyes bugged further at that. "What-"

At that moment the witch leaned over the motionless wizard. "Stunned. Of course he won't remember any of this, but... SECTUSEMPRA!"

Edward gasped when he saw several gashes rip through the man's body, jagged wounds. The smell of the blood hit his nostrils as it oozed and pooled onto the floor. "Why the heck did you do that?!"

The witch looked up at Edward and smiled. "I suggest," she said calmly. "You go."

Sirens blared. Her smile widened, before she disappeared.

Edward's look was horrified, as he realised she wasn't breaking him and his family free.

She was framing him.


"BELLA!" He called out, frantically. He ran to Bella, and he saw, wide-eyed, that there was a motionless wizard in front of her, even though there were no wounds.

Her cell had been broken too.

Bella turned wide and shocked eyes onto Edward. She ran to him and they embraced. "Edward- I-"

"I know," he growled. "Let's go get Carlisle and Jasper!" They ran off.

Wizards appeared in swirls of colours and cracks. They shot jets of light- deadly spells no doubt- at them as they ran. Bella gasped but they both kept running. Edward knew he could take no chances; there was a big chance that their spells would harm them.

"COME ON!" He shouted. They dodged the spells, which was surprisingly hard as some of the jets and beams of light seemed to have followed them, while others rained debris onto them- whatever could block them. It was clear that these guys had been very well-trained.

Eventually, Edward had managed to follow the witch's instructions. While she was framing him, he had no doubt she wanted to see him escape. There would have been little point of going through so much trouble.

He found Jasper and Carlisle, who looked just as stunned.

"This way," the witch's sing-song voice appeared.

Edward froze dead. She pointed, smiling, to a staircase that had appeared out of nowhere. "Hurry."

She disappeared again.

They ran as fast as they could up the stairs, dodging screaming witches and wizards, jets of light and more objects falling towards them.

Esmé frowned as she heard sirens. "What's going on?"

"Esmé!" That was Edward's voice gasping. Esmé eyes widened when she heard it. The rest of the Cullens gasped. "Esmé, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice!" That was Carlisle and Jasper's voices in quick succession.

Wizards shot jets of light from their wands, and some from their hands as they appeared. The golden phoenix statues on the pillars shrieked and dove for the runaway vampires, along with other things: brooms, mops, buckets, dusters, et cetera. And magical creatures including goblins and House Elves threw their own spells at them which they miraculously managed to evade.

"We need to get out of here!" Bella shouted.

Esmé's eyes widened further, before she instantly realised they didn't have much time.

They ran out of there. Jasper took a deep breath and concentrated on his power, unleashing it on the ones blocking them, so that anything they felt- fear, panic, despair, grief- pushed them aside, like rag dolls. They ran out onto the streets.

Only to find something smashing onto them.

"THERE!" A voice shouted.

Next thing anyone knew, a ray of magical energy threw them back, and all sorts of beams of light, streamed out of the wizards wands.

Everything exploded into light.

A woman wearing a mask of gold appeared and somehow, the mask managed to mould her features perfectly, like it was molten gold. "You required my assistance?" She asked. Her accent was British.

MACUSA aurors and all sorts of wizards and magical creatures subdued them in no time.


Edward heard snippets of voices.

"He's too dangerous…" "…The others…" "… Won't be happy…" "Tell Quahog and Weiss later…""...Deal with him first…"

"Yes sir." One voice replied, and Edward felt something grab him roughly by the wrists and bind him tights. Same with his ankles.

"No!" He shouted as the shield broke. "It wasn't me! It wasn't any of them! Let them go!" He bellowed as he saw the rest of his family being restrained.

But a long strip of something erupted from one witch's wand and flew to his mouth gagging him tightly, so that even his teeth and venom could not destroy it.

"Soon, Heidi." She soothed the vampiress.

Heidi growled. "If he is the one… I want proof and I want him to suffer by my hands."

"You'll get your proof," she said ushering her to another room.


It was a blank white room. At least one quarter of it stood on solid tiles. The Cullens, magically bound and gagged were dragged into the room.

"Subdue the rest of them!" The witch in charge snapped. The other witches and wizards- in white clothing- shot spells at them to prevent them from using their powers.

Edward shouted something through the gag, twisting violently, trying to get to them.

"Remember, don't do anything… Yet." She whispered to Heidi. "Let them make a run for it. We'll be waiting for them at the end of the journey. You have to keep your end of the bargain." She reminded Heidi.

Heidi reluctantly agreed.

"This one first," The witch in charge stated. "Don't worry, son. This won't hurt a bit." She stepped forwards, and pressed her wand to Edward's temple.

Slowly pulling it away, a long, glistening, wavy silver thread grew out from Edward's head making him freeze. Bella's eyes widened as she saw the witch toss it in front of them.

Onto the thick black liquid that covered the rest of the three quarters of the room.

It fell, causing smooth, thick ripples. A shimmer of light appeared, glittering and glowing, before a face emerged in the dark liquid.

It was a woman's face. An oval face with a slim, straight nose, high cheekbones, full lips, and strong jawline. Her hair was like polished bronze. She looked like Edward and remarkably like Nessie. But her eyes were green.

The vampires' eyes widened as they saw her face in the liquid.

"Edward," she crooned, holding out her hand to the tiny, bronze-haired boy in front of her. "Come on, now. It's bath-time."

And they walked off, hand in hand.

The image shimmered and faded, changing into something else. The woman, dressed in Edwardian clothing- no pun there- but heavily pregnant, holding Edward by the hand. "You want a gingerbread, don't you, darling?" Toddler Edward eagerly nodded. "Hold tight to my hand now," she instructed, just as she was about to cross the street.

A screech of tyres, a rattling sound, and a car nearly collided with them. Elizabeth Masen- Edward's mother- gasped, and held Edward to her, over her pregnant belly, both children she cradled protectively. But it was too late.

But something pulled them out of the way before the car collided with them.

"Are you alright?" A musical voice asked. The voice of a female vampire. A red-haired woman hovered over them, her hair a sharp and shocking contrast to shades of dark and blonde. She helped them up.

"Yes, thank you," Elizabeth Masen gasped. "Miss…" She smiled. "Victoria."

"Edward," Suddenly Elizabeth's sweet voice called to him. "Edward, come, meet your baby sister, Victoria." The scene had changed. Edward's mother was sitting up in bed. A dark-haired, dark-eyed man hovered close to them, smiling happily and beckoning his son to come to them.

Toddler Edward moved forwards.

The vampires watched entranced.

And then the scene changed. It was Bella and Edward getting engaged then married. Baby Renesmee. Happy memories.

"You like it, don't you?" The witch crooned to Edward.

Edward nodded numbly, hypnotised.

That was when a chair materialised out of nowhere: a floating chair, hovering towards them. "You want to get in?"

Bella yelled something but was muffled through the magical gag.

Edward nodded and stepped onto the chair. The fluid started to rise.

Bella and the others watched, wide-eyed as Edward sat on the floating chair and it moved backwards. The memories on the liquid shifted and changed.

It was Victoria again. Edward confronting Victoria. Except this time she wasn't smiling. She was looking at Edward with absolute hate.

Edward was speaking to her, goading her softly. Then Edward ripping her head off and setting on fire, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Heidi hissed sharply.

The witch beside her concealed her smile.

"Remember," she warned Heidi. "This will have to wait for later. Otherwise, your vengeance will not be complete."

The liquid rose even higher, forming arcs around Edward, growing into a sphere.

"Now, I think," she muttered to herself. Invisible, protected from anyone's hearing too, she shot a spell at one of the executioners.

The witch gasped in surprise, stunned, as her wand flew out of the air, and sailed onto the black fluid, dissolving any memories. Edward blinked, and yelled in shock.

Just then, with one arm free, Bella reached out and knocked her other captor unconscious. Another tried to shoot a spell but Bella was too fast. She knocked him out too. Jasper managed to free himself in no time, Emmett and Alice as well. Rosalie and Esmé came next and then Carlisle.

The liquid rose in an arcing fashion around Edward and his chair. It did not look remotely welcoming and nice now. It started to burn holes in Edward's chair.

"EDWARD!" Bella shrieked.

"Jump!" Carlisle shouted desperately, even though the liquid was rising faster now.

Edward leapt.

He landed on the other side.

Bella sobbed tearlessly as she held onto him. Esmé too. They all did.

She materialised in front of them.

"YOU!" Edward snarled.

"Who is this?" Rosalie asked.

"She framed me!"

"And set you free." She replied simply. "They're coming now. I suggest you go." She disappeared.

Edward and Emmett cursed.

"Come on!" Bella grabbed onto his hand and they ran out of there.


"And that's what happened?" Emmett sounded incredulous. "She set you free and then framed you?"

Jasper frowned. "If that's the case, why did she save you- and all of us? You were about to be executed."

Bella shivered, and so did Esmé. Edward reached out and held her close, even as he had to suppress a shudder at the memory.

Forget beheading, hanging, electric chair, gas chamber or shooting. That was far worse.

"That execution," Rosalie murmured. "That thing… Your memories."

Edward nodded tersely.

Bella's eyes widened as she gasped. "Edward-"

"You had a baby sister." Rosalie said, stunned. "And… Victoria? Was that Victoria? That saved your life?" Bella sounded stunned.

"It appears so," Edward whispered. Human memories were blurry and unfocused when vampires recalled them, but when these wizards retrieved it…

Even the memories he could not recall.

"Victoria?" he whispered shocked. The woman he had loathed and whose existence he had cursed for a long time, who had hunted his Bella down and made their lives miserable…

She had saved not only his, but his mother's and unborn baby sister's life? And his mother had named her daughter after her.

Edward reeled from the shock.

Sensing this, Carlisle reached out to touch his arm. "Don't think about it," he instructed. "Did she do anything with Jacob?"

Edward shook his head. "I couldn't read her thoughts," he said in frustration. "I couldn't read anyone's thoughts."

"I think they know you can read thoughts," Rosalie said darkly. "That's why they were careful."

Carlisle agreed. "They probably have magical ways to block you from their minds."

"Not all of them." Edward frowned. "But some of them."

Carlisle stood. "We need to find the wolves," he stated. "And Seth."

Edward and Bella flinched at the mention of his name. He would not be happy with them, for all his previous support, at what they did to his imprint.


"Dead." Angela hissed. "What do we do now?"

"We keep moving, we can't afford to fall behind," Keme said decidedly.

Seth and Leah glanced at each other.

"We should be nearing my Aunt Adsila's." Keme explained. "She'll take us in."

Leah was a bit wary. After all, Adsila's family Keme including, were not happy that Seth had imprinted on her. Judging from the look on his face, Seth was too.

"Just how many Adsilas are there in your family?" Leah mumbled.

"Including my sister, and baby daughter, five." Keme answered. "The first was a president of MACUSA, the second a famously good-looking enchantress who had adventures, not just ending up in high society and the third- who we're going to see now- is a famous wand-maker. She was married to Thiago Quintana- one of the four celebrated wand-makers of the twentieth century. He made wand cores out of the spines of White River Monsters. She works on a variety of cores and wand woods instead."

"Uh-huh." Leah pretended to understand what he was talking about.

"Wands are made of magical wood encased over a powerful core," Angela explained. "Taken from a magical creature. The wandmaker finds magical wood by help of a bowtruckle: a creature that inhabits trees that contain magic. They don't take the whole tree down, they just give some woodlice to feed the bowtruckle, in payment for taking some of the wood. Then they also take cores. The spines of White River Monsters, Snallygaster heartstrings- they're dragon-like creatures who live in rivers, Rougarou hair- they're dog-headed monsters who live in the Louisiana Bayou- Jackalope antlers and more."

"Jackalopes?" Quil muttered. "Those things exist?"

"They most certainly do," Angela confirmed. "Many things that are considered 'myth' or nonsense by No-Majes are in fact, real. Adsila Sizemore III is the best in the market right now."

Soon they arrived to a deserted alleyway.

"Stand back," Keme ordered. He tapped his wand onto the fake bricks of a wall in front of them, in a strange pattern. Soon the fake bricks began to shift and melt away, curling back to reveal another alleyway that was more like a street.

It was deserted. Keme moved purposefully down the street, the others following him. Leah spotted shops advertising spellbooks, cauldrons and potion ingredients, magical clothing, pets including owls, rats, cats and lizards (owls?) and much more. Normally she would have lingered, even in the dark, fascinated by these things and what they were selling but now…

Keme stopped in front of a store. He knocked and pushed open the door.

A bell jingled as he came in. Inside was made of wood, musky, fresh and strong in scent, freshly-scrubbed floorboards and all. There was a counter in front and shelves behind it. The various shelves were stocked with thin, narrow boxes that could not possibly hold shoes, so Leah knew what they held.

"Aunt Adsila," Keme called out. "It's Keme."

"Funny seeing you here," a woman's voice mused.

Leah spun around, at the ready for an attack. But the speaker showed no sign of hostility.

It was a woman with dark, bright and brilliant eyes. You could tell she was highly intelligent by her eyes. Her hair was a mixture of glistening black and silvered threads. Her face was gorgeous, but worn and aged.

"Aunt Adsila," Keme took a deep breath. "I assume you've heard the news?"

"Who hasn't?" She asked sharply. "You're clearly not here to buy a wand: redwood, ten-and-a-quarter inches, wampus hair core. Powerful for duelling and combat. That's your one, isn't it?"

Keme nodded tightly.

"And your sister's wand: cherry and thunderbird tail feather, ten-and-a-half inches, supple and firm." Adsila- Number Three- sighed.

Keme nodded again. "I actually have it here," he said hoarsely, producing his sister's wand. "I need to give it back to her… When I find her."

She nodded sadly, but with strength in her dark eyes. She turned to Angela.

"Angela Weber: Laurel and White River Monster spine, eleven-and-a-quarter inches, slim and swishy. Brings out hidden qualities to the most steadfast and resilient, performs powerful magic. One of the last ones made in a collaboration by me and my husband." Adsila Sizemore Quintana sighed.

Then her eyes turned to the wolves. "Who are these? I assume they're not here to buy my wands?"

"No," Keme said shortly.

"Unless…" She turned a suspicious gaze to Angela. "Are they-"

"The wolf-shapeshifters, yes."

Adsila Sizemore Quintana straightened.

"Why did you bring them here?" She asked Keme.

"Grandfather's insistence," he muttered. "He said if we worked together we would be able to find and save her."

She looked grim. "You've tracked her whereabouts?"

"We're close," he assured her.

"Not close enough." His aunt retorted. "Otherwise you wouldn't have had to take a detour into my shop. Are you here to ask me what I've learned? Because I tell you, I've seen very little No-Majes throughout my lifetime- in America and abroad- I studied under Ollivander's in Britain- that's what gave me the idea of working with multiple wand cores and woods, though my stubborn-as husband didn't like the idea." She snorted.

"As I was saying, I don't see many No-Majes. But I've been to the underground- it's not easy you know, procuring certain types of wand cores. Eventually we have to resort to rather dangerous means to collect them. So I learnt something. The NSPS are not your biggest threat- they're falling prey- puppets in the hands of someone."

Leah straightened. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean to say, that there's been talk of a fanatical group that are sick of the International Statute of Secrecy," Adsila the Third replied. "People who are sick that it's always the No-Majes who are protected and not them. People who feel like we're being cheated. After all, No-Majes have learnt to fly now. They have television. Microwaves. Phones. Electricity- never mind that magic makes too much electric currents go crazy. Movie Theatres too."

"But we're catching up," Angela admonished. "The Atlan-"

"I know what they've given us, the new adapter innovations- but they're based similarly to what you'd find in the No-Maj world and not all wizards like that- they want something that comes from us. We used to be ahead of the No-Majes, Miss Weber. But now, I think we've fallen behind. And many people are not happy with it, and that the International Statute of Secrecy was unable to give us wizarding television until very recently. Now this group are also- even more- sick of the NSPS. They want revenge on the No-Majes for being forced underground for centuries." The wolves stiffened. "And for hunting and killing them. That's why they're taking revenge- but it's not going to be the quick and easy slash to the throat, or the Killing Curse- oh no." She stared them down.

"They're planning something much more painful. That's why they're aiming not only for revenge, but total destruction of the No-Maj world."

"That's impossible," Angela heard herself saying.

"Really? That came very close- twice," Adsila the Third reminded her. "The Global Wizarding War, the First and Second Wizarding Wars, and don't say that they were all in Europe." She said sharply.

Keme and Angela went white. "We can't have another war," Angela whispered.

"No," Sizemore Quintana agreed.

"Definitely not. But there are things that were left unresolved from those wars, including in the United States of America."

"But Aunt Adsila," Keme protested. "There's hardly anyone who's a Pure-Blood here in the United States- ever since the Salem Witch Trials, most American wizards moved overseas to escape the craze. That meant the ones who were left had to marry No-Maj-borns or at least Half-Bloods and Squibs, even No-Majes until Rappaport's Law came up. How can they possibly expect to be Pure-Blood Supremacists? It's not like Europe, Asia, Africa even Australia and Oceania. We're a mix here. We're a democracy." He looked at each of them.

"We always have been."

There was silence.

"I meant Anti-No-Maj groups," his aunt replied. "Not necessarily Pure-Blood supremacists. Even No-Maj-borns suffer under their oppression. Look at the Obscurus in the twenties. And there's reports of another Obscurial now. And that these people are taking advantage of it." She gave them a warning look.

"With the end of the Second Wizarding War in Europe, word reached overseas. We might have barred entry to the United States at that point, stood in-check at No-Maj airports but that will never stop the word from spreading. People were inspired- encouraged by Voldemort and Grindelwald. They dream of a world where they don't have to stay in the shadows underground. Where their children won't be hunted."

"At the expense of mass-slaughter?" Angela gasped. "Not all No-Majes are bad."

"No, but generally they're not very good at sharing the world." Adsila Sizemore-Quintana replied.

"You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. I'll prepare some food and then you can sleep." She waved her own wand, and some lights flickered off. A candle floated out of nowhere, hovering in front of her as she told them to follow her.


Keme helped his aunt. The wolves watched in wonder as placemats and napkins floated and landed in place. She was cooking a meatloaf, and they watched wide-eyed as she assembled and cooked it magically in no time at all.

They ate dinner, and Sizemore-Quintana sighed.

"I think Adsila might have stumbled into this too early and too soon."

Keme bristled, so did Seth. "She's more than capable."

"That she is," his aunt agreed. "And more than talented, capable and intelligent. But she's… Not ready. I warned her. Take a break, enjoy your life before you rush into this. You've only just graduated- she's eighteen, you know." She said sharply. "And she wanted to get into this dangerous job already?"

Keme sighed, exasperated. "That's what we all told her. But we knew she's more than highly capable of handling it, despite being young and inexperienced. She loves this job- she's always been fiercely independent. She doesn't like to rely on anyone- not to keep her safe- anything. She won't just sit down when things are bad."

"You're right." She nodded. "That's what we all love about Adsila." She stood. "Keme, dear, could you help with the dishes?" Angela stood, offering as well.

The wolves stood, but the famous wandmaker held out her slim hand and gestured for them to sit down.

"Which one of you…" She trailed off.

"That would be me," Seth said awkwardly. But there was no hostility in her gaze. She just sighed.

"I won't say I'm happy with this turn of events- with the fact that you're her soulmate, without her even knowing or approving of this choice." She stated bluntly. Seth winced. Leah bristled.

"I know you mean well," She continued. "But you don't know Adsila. And you don't know the world she's a part of. Do you really want to risk this?"

Seth looked at her in the eye. "I'm willing to take the risks," he said. "If you all will give me a chance-"

"And that's what I'm going to tell you- I am willing to do that." She stated. "Love for us isn't the same as No-Majes. There aren't that many- what do you call them- divorces?" She sighed. "Marriage is binding for many of us. Remarriage rarely- if ever- happens. And while that might suit you just fine, Adsila is strong, and she's fiercely independent. She might not like this idea of having a soulmate so early in life either."

Seth bit his lip.

"She won't sit down in a fight- she won't tolerate someone always trying to shield and warn her during a fight. She likes only partnerships and teamwork. You won't ever be able to stop her from going anywhere she likes. Or getting some space for her own. Do you know how her parents died?" She asked him quietly.

Seth said: "She said that they were killed in an accident."

"They taught her to cover things up well in her department," the wandmaker sighed. "But no. They were part of the expeditionary force that went overseas during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. They were captured by Death Eater sympathisers in America, however, when they returned. They were tortured, and eventually murdered- not with a quick spell- but in a gruesome manner. That's why Adsila and her brother were raised by their grandparents."

The wolves were silent.

"Her brother went as part of the forces overseas, during the Second Wizarding War," Sizemore Quintana continued. "And he had a wife too. She's just had twin babies- the girl also named Adsila." She rolled her eyes. "His wife was captured- tortured and murdered. He couldn't save her. He was very bitter about that. He still is. I swear, I've never seen him smile. And then a cousin- Ahanu Wanalosett-" Quil stiffened as he recognised the name of Claire's father. "He was hunted down and killed too."

Sizemore Quintana sighed. "Love isn't easy. It's hard. It's tough. But Ahanu knew that. So did Keme's wife. And his parents. And sometimes, it doesn't mean obsessively holding onto them. It doesn't mean trying to shield them from every little falling piece of debris. Or constantly sticking to them like doxies to a mouldy cloth. No, sometimes it means letting them go." She stared him down.

"I've known Adsila longer than most people," she stated. "It doesn't always come straight away. Mine didn't: I hated my husband at first sight. I hated him even when I loved him. And yet… He was the love of my life. He still is. I'll never love again. But if he didn't love me, I would have let him go. I wouldn't have clung to his robes like a desperate madwoman, mad with love. That's obsession. That's infatuation. And while they're a part of love, they're not the whole bit. Love is letting someone go when they need you to do it. Sometimes temporarily. Sometimes permanently. If you don't they suffer. The wound isn't cleaned or healed. It's allowed to fester, because you can't bear the pain of getting it cleaned and closed up." Sizemore Quintana said frankly. "That's not love if you aren't able to let go. And if it's that bad, then you'd better let go, before everyone who cares about you suffers too."

Leah shifted uncomfortably.

"So I want you to promise me: woo her if you must. But give her some space. To breathe, to grow. To find herself, and you may not like it but you can't always be there. If you love her, let her go. If she accepts your heart, then let her go from time to time, to do her work. Even if it kills you, because it's so dangerous, because she'll wilt, wither and die without it. Be partners, not possessive ones. If she doesn't accept you, then let her go- for good. Promise me you will never set your sights on her again, because the two of you will suffer if she is forced to do so. Let her go, because that's the right thing for love to do."

Seth was stunned into silence by her words.

She stood. "It's late. Come, I'll show you where you'll sleep."


No- As I've said, I'm not doing a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them- the witch-enemy is more manipulative than you think. Thiago Quintana was one of the four celebrated wandmakers of America when Newt arrived there- his wands had the cores of White River Monsters- a real-life cryptid. And yes, with all the Adsilas... Hahaha! I just thought it would be cool! There are many important and respected families with names that are used more than once, not just royalty.

As for the lack of Pure-Blood Supremacy in America- J.K Rowling said that this was because after the craze of the Salem Witch Trials which never completey ended, many wizards fled North America. The result was that they had one of the smallest wzarding communities in the world, as Puritan Muggles or No-Majes decided to all move there. So they had to marry Half-Bloods or No-Maj-borns to survive.