Chapter 9: Absolute Destiny

Miles and Javi studied the wand a little longer before they were interrupted by their house advisors to go to the first dinner of the year. "You have to do something about it" Javi whispered to Miles, so that the advisors wouldn't hear. "I know but, what exactly can I do about it?" Miles whispered back, "It's not like I can just not use it." Pent stopped and looked back at the boys, who then smiled back at him trying to appear to be innocent. After a few suspicious seconds, Pent turned back around and continued to lead the boys through the castle.

Miles gripped the pocket of his pants as the wand felt as if it was vibrating. "What's wrong?" asked Javi as they went down a wide set of stairs along with hundreds of other students. "The wand," Miles said, "It's moving." They exchanged worried looks. All of the students reached two large doors the size of houses and there was a pukwudgie standing in front of them. Once all the students had gathered on the steps, the pukwudgie waved his hand at the doors and they slowly opened to reveal the dining hall.

There were seemingly hundreds of round tables, each with eight fancy high back chairs. The students filled the room and ran for seats at the tables. Miles and Javi ran to the closest table to them and took a seat as by now the wand was vibrating rapidly in his pocket. "Hey guys," Drew said sitting down on the side of Miles, "Did you hear? There's a famous kid here. His dad is like a rock star or something?" Miles and Javi exchanged disgusted looks. "We know him…he's our roommate." Miles said holding his hand to his thigh trying to hold the wand still.

As the last of the students were taking their seats, the wind began to change. Then there were flashes of green smoke, then red, then purple, then a few blues and the then finally a single stream of gold. The dust settled to reveal Professor Exeter and the other school professors standing behind a long straight table. The students applauded loudly and the pukwudgies groaned.

"Before we start the first feast, I want to remind you of a few things," Professor Exeter said speaking into his wand which amplified his voice throughout the humongous room, "This is the start of a new year, with new faces and of course new opportunities to learn!" There was mild applause. "But most importantly my dear children," Exeter continued, "remember why you are here. Remember that you are the lucky ones and remember that you have a duty to not only our school, but to yourselves." Exeter raised his wand and said "Bona in aeternum."

As the students clapped, giant silver trays began floating down from the ceiling. The trays of chicken tenders, French fries, cheeseburgers, hotdogs and pizzas landed on by one onto each of the tables. As the last of the trays landed, hundreds of glass goblets floated down from the ceiling. Once they landed on the table, the goblets filled themselves with different liquids. Miles reached out and took a sip out of his goblet. "It's ginger ale," he shouted "just what I wanted." Javi and Drew reached out and tasted their drinks. "Cola," they both shouted. Pent leaned over from his table and told the first years not to get used to that kind of food, that it was only for the first feast, the rest of the meals during the school year are a lot more wholesome.

"What house are you in," Miles asked with a mouth full of French fries. Drew put down each of the cheeseburgers he had in each hand and stretched the top of his sweater to show Miles the embroidered Horned Serpent. "This is awesome, "Miles said eating more fries, "I was worried I'd never see you guys this year, but you're in my house," pointing at Drew, "and you're my roommate," pointing to Javi. The three boys toasted with cheeseburgers and continued to eat away at the junk food just like the other students. The mood at the professor's table however, wasn't so joyous.

"You should have warned them," said Professor Ebony Stewart, a short brown skinned woman with greying dreadlocks, "They have a right to know headmaster." Professor Exeter continued cutting his steak and ignored her. "Fine," Professor Stewart said pushing back her plate, "If you won't…then I have no choice but to." Professor Exeter grabbed Professor Stewart's arm as she went to stand up. "Ebony," said Professor Cervantes, "this is not the time. Let them keep their innocence as long as possible." Professor Stewart shot her a strong look. "Innocence?" said Professor Stewart, "You speak of protecting innocence, while our new MACUSA President is trying to tear this school apart with her new sanctions and regulations. The nerve of that witch!"

"Ebony!" Professor Exeter interjected, "What MACUSA decides, is out of our hands. They have made their decision." Professor Stewart crossed her arms and looked away from the headmaster. "Madam Wollerwick, made the decision for MACUSA. There was no vote! I know! I hear things," Professor Stewart said, "She wasn't much of a student and she won't be much of a president. It's terribly sad what money can buy you in America."

"Ebony, it will be fine," said Professor Morse looking down the table at Professor Stewart. "Fine?" questioned Professor Stewart, "If you think its fine that almost a third of these students will lose out on their magical education for reasons beyond their control, then I fear I have made a friend and colleague with the wrong person." Professor Exeter put down his knife and fork, and then looked at the faces of his worried staff.

"She's right," Professor Exeter said, "We will let the student know of MACUSA's new regulations after two weeks of classes. Until then fellow professors, keep your spirits up and put as much magic into them as you can, while you can." The table of professors all took a breath and then looked out at the sea of happy students, blissfully unaware their school was about to be changed forever.

After the feast, the students returned to their rooms. Javi went to bed first and was snoring within minutes. Bolt stood in the mirror posing with his wand for about an hour then eventually went to bed. Charles Jr created a small flame with the tip of his wand, and twirled it around in circles. Miles wanted to ask him how he did the cool trick, but his pride wouldn't let him. Soon the flame went out and so did Charles Jr. Miles tried to go to sleep, but the wand kept pulsing on his bedside table.

He opened his eyes and grabbed the wand off the table. "What is wrong with you?" Miles asked the pulsing wand. He wanted to inspect it further but he didn't want to turn on the lamp and wake his roommates. Miles stepped out into the hallway and stood under one of the chandeliers. The wand looked the same as when it gave itself to him in the hall of wands. Miles turned around in circles trying to focus the light on the better and he noticed in one direction, the wand pulsed more. He looked and the wand was pointing out of the corridor.

Miles stepped out of the First Year Boys hall and moved around until he found the direction the wand pulsed in. The wand led him down a few more corridors, up some steps then down some steps, across the courtyard and then eventually back into the sorting room. The dark room seemed even bigger now that it was empty. Miles looked up at the towering Horned Serpent sculpture for a few minutes and then wondered around until he found the Gordian knot on the ground. It was back in its stone form. Miles stepped on it and wind started circulating around the room.

He looked around to see what was going on, but all he could see was the wind whooshing around the room. The wind kept getting faster and faster then, all of the eyes of the house sculptures glowed red. "The destiny you desire is not the one of your blood. You must find the absolute. You must find the absolute!" Four different, but creepy, voices said. Then the wind slowed down and eventually stopped. Miles took off towards the hall of wands as his wand pulsed in that direction.

He walked in to see all of the mirrors from the ceiling, walls and floor lay shattered into large pieces. The vines that held the wands had been slashed into pieces and all the wands lay scattered across the floor. Miles kept walking until he reached the octagon center of the room, once there the wand floated from Miles' hand. The wand drew an Infiniti symbol then a number '8' looking shape through the Infiniti symbol. The wand fell to the ground and the symbols flame grew in size. The bright burning symbol then flung itself onto the pile of slashed vines and the whole room was soon on fire. Miles picked up his wand and ran out of the hall of wands as the fire soon started to spread down the hallways. He jumped out of the hall closest to the boy's hall with a fireball shooting out just a second later.

Miles heard a cluster of people saying "lumos," and then balls of light started traveling his way. He ran in the opposite direction and hid behind a column. Miles watched as Professors Exeter, Cervantes, Williams and Morse ran to the hallway leading from the hall of wands. "Oh my goodness," yelped Professor Williams, "The hall of wands, it has been destroyed." The professors all looked closely at the charred hall. "This is beyond a student prank, "Professor Oxendine said as she wiped some of the ash from the entrance, "This is dark magic." Miles gulped hard from behind the column and looked down at his wand.

"What do you want us to do headmaster?" asked Professor Morse. Professor Exeter looked over the smoking hall for a few minutes and then looked to his professors. "Don't say anything," Professor Exeter said ",not to any students, not to any staff. I'll have William and the other pukwudgies, clean up the hall and then block it off." The professors exchanged looks then nodded together. "I hate to disappoint Professor Stewart," Professor Exeter said, "But we can't tell the students now, it's too risky. If this is what we all feel in the pits of our stomachs this is, the safest place for the students is here."

In New York City, in a large empty room on the top floor of the building, twelve people wearing black hooded cloaks stood in a circle and in the middle of the circle stood a single person wearing a red hooded cloak. Eleven of the people raised wands with their right hands and then the twelfth person began walking towards the one in red carrying a wand on a pillow. Once the person reached the one in red, he knelt and presented him the wand. The other eleven people began to chant:

With this wand, you solemnly swear to serve the Sons of Bartholomew, with your heart, your mind and your glory. Et Mundus Eum.

A flash of gold dust flew from each of the eleven wands to the one on the pillow. The flash of wind from the charm blew the red hood off Trey's head. He looked down at the black wand with a gold ring on each end. He reached his hand out but he could not make it go any closer to the pillow. "Take it my boy," said the kneeling one in black, "This is your chance to fulfill your absolute destiny…" Trey tried to reach and take the wand but then he stopped again, this time looking out of the large glass windows in front of him. He pointed his finger out of the windows, and the other twelve hooded figures turned to see three wizards and three witches each sitting on broomsticks outside of the window.

"Aurors!" one of the figures shouted and before they could react, the glass shattered. The aurors wielded bright green bolts of energy from their wands and the dark figures shot back with red. The fight begun and the Descendants of the Scourers had returned.