"Over there, Flynn," requested Professor Toothiana. She was walking around in the West Tower with Flynn, who was sentenced to detention for stealing a book from the library yesterday. The West Tower was located near Toothiana's office, where all files and books were neatly sorted and even colour coded.

Flynn carefully placed a new pile of tomes into a shelf. He noticed the lack of dust on the surfaces and in the air. Before cleaning out the West Tower, Flynn had to do the same job but in Toothiana's office.

"So why are you the only professor to call me by my first name?" asked Flynn. Toothiana was sorting out books on the other side of the room.

"Most professors are tired of the 'second name' act. I guess I'm one of the first to give in. It's honestly tiring to call you Mr Rider. Although, my records tell me that you changed your name when you were little. Care to tell me a little bit about that, Mr Fitzherbert?"

Flynn paused and looked back at her; she wasn't looking at him and was still arranging the books.

"I hated my name and wanted to change it to something cooler. There's nothing else to add to that," said Flynn.

Toothiana now got Flynn to compile sheets of parchments. She gave him the parchments in order while all he had to do was keep them neatly in a pile. His only concern was the risk of getting paper cuts.

"Want to know more about this tower?" asked Toothiana.

"I guess." There wasn't anything better to do.

"The West Tower used to be an owlery, where students were able to keep their owls and send letters to their families. Unfortunately during that war on Year X, we received information that the Dark Weapon intercepted messages. Therefore, by not using owls anymore, the Dark Weapon will never find out where certain students live. Now, the West Tower is used for—well, extra storage. We still use owls at the Hogsmeade Post Office, but the amounts are very limited. We use a spell to turn the letters into paper aeroplanes instead, to both make the letters harder to find and to make the deliver time quicker."

Flynn's attention drifted away in the middle of Toothiana's explanation. All he thought about was the Dark Weapon.

"Why are we still afraid if they don't exist anymore? Why isn't wizardkind using owls again?" asked Flynn.

"That's the way the world works, Flynn. If a colony of ants build a nest near the shoreline of a beach, they will live happily in peace until the waves hit. After that, they will migrate with the rest of the colony. Answer this question, Flynn. If you were the queen ant of the colony, would you order them to move back to the shoreline?"

The answer was plagued all over the air for Flynn to not answer.

"We're just hoping that the next wave isn't as big to reach us again." Toothiana smiled and handed him a letter. "Give the ants a reason to fear, and they'll move."

"What's this?" Flynn flipped the envelope but it was blank. Whoever made this letter was obviously in a rush. The folds were all creased.

"Your friend gave it to me, telling me 'Do not give this to Flynn before he finishes what he has to do for detention'. Whatever you plan to do, don't get yourself into any kind of danger." The two left the West Tower and Flynn opened the letter on his way back to the common room.

To Flynn

Congratulations on finishing detention with my Head of House.
I hope you haven't forgotten about the 'bet' we made.
You will do it right? I mean, you said that it was going to lead you to wealth.
I really can't wait to be bowing down to you when you're richer than me.
I'm kidding. Have fun! Tread carefully.

Anna

Flynn hid the letter in his pocket when he got to his dormitory. The Slytherin common room was hidden behind a wall of stone bricks, only requiring a password to enter. The rooms were dimly lit with an ambient sound of the Black Lake, directly on the other side of the common room walls.

It was smart of Anna to have not mentioned the bet in details. He concluded that Professor Toothiana read the letter before passing it on to him. Why did she warn him to stay safe? The poorly folded letter could've also been a sign that it was already opened before getting resealed. Perhaps Flynn's criminal life at Corona made him suspicious and always overthinking.

Jack was on the broomstick belonging to one of the Beaters of Gryffindor. He was given permission from Nod to have a bit of a fly around the Quidditch pitch. Merida was also with him, challenging him in the various aspects of flying such as speed. Although, it was proven to be pointless because the speed was dependant on the broomstick, which one of them didn't own yet.

They both had Flying before, which was why they were so motivated to train their flying skills more after that class. Without Frondman, they were able to perform the most daring tricks, which appealed to the students watching from the seats.

"So you're considering joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team next year?" asked Merida, slowing down to stay at an audible distance with Jack.

"Yeah, Nod will be able to teach me and if you get in, we'll be able to go against each other."

"Okay, but what position?"

"I'm thinking either Chaser or Seeker, but Nod is already a Seeker, so I'll see if there's an opening for being a Chaser," answered Jack.

Jack and Merida were towering above the entire pitch. Jack watched the Black Lake when he noticed something in the waters. The rainbow flashes that occurred on the surface ceased while Jack noticed strange creatures flying around in the sky. Jack didn't question the lights nor did he think about the flying creatures, even if they were alien to the wizarding world. It was time for Jack to accept that everything didn't need an explanation in this world.

Nod approached them and told them that it was time for the Gryffindor Quidditch team to have their practice. Their match against Hufflepuff was after the winter break, but not making the most of their time would heavily affect their performance.

"So… if you're planning to send a letter to your family at North America, I suggest you do it now since it takes a while for a letter to get from here to there." Merida suggested. They were handing the broomsticks back to their original owners before finding a seat to watch the practice.

"I will, don't worry. Doesn't matter if it gets there late because I'm going back there for Christmas anyway," said Jack.

Merida began laughing; the sound of laughter from someone like Merida was pleasant to hear, almost like an accomplishment. The problem was: Why was she laughing?

"Did I say something funny?" asked Jack. Merida stopped and apologised.

"It's just, I thought about what I was going to go through if I returned home. I'd have to have those lectures and live under daft rules, all of them leading to not being able to have fun. It's funny how this boarding school that teaches magic has more reasonable rules compared to home," said Merida.

"Don't you miss your parents?"

"Course I do. But it'll only be my mum at home. Dad's normally further up north in Scotland and Maudie's here in the infirmary. I'll write mum a letter to say that I'm fine and that I decided to spend time with my friends."

"What are students meant to do when they stay at Hogwarts?"

"Hmm, what was it I was just thinking of? When my mum stayed on her first year with Dad, the professors made it lively and feeling like it was 'home'," said Merida.

"The professors as in the same ones?" asked Jack.

"Not all, Jack. Professor Gobber is one I know that wasn't there when my parents went. He might've been back at Berk with Hiccup's dad. Gobber doesn't have magic, just so you know."

"He's a Squib?"

"Aye." The weather became colder and Merida tucked her hands in her sleeves.

"How does he use magic when he teaches Care of Magical Creatures?"

"He doesn't. He teaches the students how to use magic against creatures, but he has 'different' methods of handling his creatures."

Just outside of the Quidditch pitch, in the giant open field, two students were casting spells of vicious flames. Hiccup was practicing his Fire-Making Spell with Isabella Tailfire, trying to cast the same one that caused the accident at the Transfiguration Courtyard yesterday.

"Hiccup, it might be useless to constantly practice that same spell. I know more spells relating to fire you know," said Tailfire. She preferred going by her last name because of a particular word.

"I'm sure you'll be able to teach it to me. But I want to do this spell right first." Hiccup said. He stopped casting the spell and focussed solely on the hand movement.

"And it is right. It's just the power compared to yesterday's is lacking." Tailfire stretched and watched the sun; dusk was coming in a few hours. "I feel as if you're trying to achieve something else other than powerful magic, Hiccup. You're not practicing the hand movements, are you?"

Hiccup stopped waving his wrist and faced Tailfire, smiling as if she was right. "You got me."

"You're trying to cast nonverbal magic, like Xander." Tailfire was silent. She held a glass jar that glowed blue close to her.

Tailfire ended up convincing Hiccup to learn a new spell. The more he learns, the more he might discover how to become a natural. The spell Hiccup was practicing now was the spell to create bluebell flames, also known as cold fire.

Tailfire conjured the first flame in the air. The ball of fire danced as she held it in her hands, letting Hiccup touch it. The flare was comforting to Hiccup, he felt at ease as it illuminated his hands.

"So how is this spell going to help me defend against people like Dagur?" asked Hiccup, continuously waving his wand while chanting out the incantation Tailfire told him.

"It won't burn the victim if that's what you were hoping. But it will burn and spread on fabrics such as clothing. I'm sure people like Dagur don't plan on sticking around when their clothes catch fire. What's even better about this spell is that it's waterproof, so he'll have no choice but to run around like some crazy person while his 'friends' kick the life out of him."

The success rate for Hiccup grew as he practiced more. He was proud and wanted to show what he learnt to his friends.

"I hope I'm not sounding impatient, but did you manage to talk to Xander?" asked Hiccup.

"Unfortunately, no. Even though I'm in Slytherin with him, he's unapproachable during class and I can't seem to find him outside of classes. I've also searched for the arrogant Hufflepuff but there's no sign of her either," answered Tailfire.

Before this practice session was arranged, Hiccup had requested Tailfire to ask Xander if he would've wanted to teach Hiccup. His knowledge of nonverbal magic might've been of use to Hiccup in the future.

"That leaves a big question: Where is Xander during the breaks?" asked Tailfire. A question that everyone wanted answered.

"So how are you skilled with fire-based magic? If you don't mind." Hiccup asked.

"I was born in England. Does that sum things up?" asked Tailfire. Hiccup remained silent.

"England is always cold… most of the time. Also, magic is accessible in England, so that's how I'm ahead of most students with fire-based magic."

"Well where I'm from, it's always cold. I think Hogwarts is quite warm compared to Berk," said Hiccup.

"Oh, I forgot you're from that dragon island. I'm actually not sure if I'd rather sacrifice perfect weather for fire breathing creatures," said Tailfire, tightening her grip on the glowing blue jar again.

"I'm sure I'll manage without the dragons if I chose to live at England," joked Hiccup, but she didn't know that he was afraid of them yet.

"Well, I think we can call it a successful day today because it's getting real cold now. I really hope you succeed with that spell you learnt today. I look forward to be seeing your progress." Tailfire left after Hiccup thanked her. Hiccup took a closer look at the jar she held. It was a bluebell flame that was contained, keeping her warm all the time.

The sun was bright, but the air was frigid. Flynn was ready to head into the Forbidden Forest alone so he'd gain all the fortune for himself. Upon making the first few steps into the forest, the light was fading and it felt like as if it was already nighttime.

There was something that caught Flynn's attention, overpowering the sounds of snapping branches and chirping birds. The sight of blue glowed nearby. Flynn followed it but he noticed that the blue was fading in every direction he approached.

Flynn took another step but his foot got caught in a large tree root, causing him to fall on the ground. Flynn's vision was fuzzy because he started seeing doubles. On his attempt to get back up, he slipped again back to where he was. He was really confused with his luck today. Was this his fate? To never succeed at all? Why was Flynn trying so hard?

Flynn stayed on the ground as the blue disappeared from his sight. He lost the energy to get back up. He felt as if he belonged with the Slytherins, as selfish and cruel like Dagur. But he didn't feel like one of them. Being sorted into Slytherin did catch him off guard; he wanted to be a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff. He also wanted to be someone people would admire, or someone who was caring. This was why he changed his name.

Flynn remembered why he was like this, why he was always robbing from markets or from libraries. Flynn wanted to be rich so he could provide for the people at the orphanage, who all sacrificed everything for him to get to this school. So far, so good. The orphans looked up to Flynn as the older brother; he was the only one to be a wizard.

The motivation returned now that Flynn remembered whom he was doing this for. The short moment of feeling like a failure ended. He now broke things into simpler pieces, which was the only thing he had to do right at this point. Step one was getting up. He ignored the forest, the absent wisp, and the dangers he might run into.

Flynn clawed into the dirt and stood back up. The wisp was gone, but all he thought about was where he last saw it. Flynn ran as fast as he could and trusted his gut to where the wisp might have gone.

The blue glow came into view. Flynn was pleased with his new method as he turned to every direction to where he saw the wisp. The blue became intense when he got closer, but he had ignored the fact that he was now deep in the forest. He wouldn't know his way back when it became a priority.

Flynn stopped and slowly approached the blue glow. It wasn't a wisp, which brought his excitement down. Merida had told him that the will-o'-the-wisp were like tiny balls of blue fire, and he believed her because she had encountered them before.

"What is this thing?" muttered Flynn. It was a clump of something blue, which was twitching. The curiosity caused Flynn to try and approach the thing, but the ball unravelled and spread wings.

The creature darted at Flynn, but its body phased right through his body. It was an eagle, which was transparent and could glow blue. The eagle flew into the air and Flynn noticed that there were more of them above him.

Flynn heard an old leaf get crushed nearby, but only his own steps could make those sounds. If there was a similar sound nearby, there was someone or something nearby too. Flynn saw a shadow moving through the trees.

Keeping quiet, Flynn manoeuvred through the trees to pursue the figure. Those black cloaks were described many times in the stories he had read back at Corona. These motifs usually depicted a dark wizard, which Flynn and his brothers and sisters despised. It was the travellers or heroes who they wanted to become, and Flynn was the closest from the orphanage into being a hero if he took down this dark wizard.

The dark wizard disappeared and so did the blue eagles. Flynn was catching his breath until he realised that he was close to the edge of the forest. He should actually thank the dark wizard for leading him back.

Little did he know of the wisp's presence, floating at the edge of his vision the second he left the forest. The wisp watched the student leave as it too left the scene.

"Guys I'm telling you, there's a dark wizard lurking around in the Forbidden Forest!" yelled Flynn. He was glad that he was able to speak to someone about it at least.

"Really now? And where exactly did this 'dark wizard' go off to?" asked Bryan. They were the first people Flynn would tell. The Stabbington Brothers weren't from Flynn's orphanage; instead, they lived outside of the walls of Corona with a group of bandits.

"I don't know where he or she went, but I know what they're capable of. This wizard can summon illusions to throw off their victims and probably kill them after that!" Flynn knew he was exaggerating, but he couldn't help it.

"And here you are, all in one piece after facing the dark wizard from the forest." The Stabbington Brothers were laughing. They left the Slytherin table and headed outside the Great Hall, maybe planning to break a few rules before dinner.

Flynn scanned the Great Hall to find anyone who would believe him. Maybe if Flynn had a bit more evidence to support his claims, he wouldn't doubt himself either. He thought about the black cloak that flowed loosely from every movement. Everyone wore a black cloak, but not during their free time. Flynn then remembered one particular student to wear a cloak every time except for when he slept.

Flynn saw Jack and Hiccup, the two who got caught in a conflict with Dagur, which Flynn missed out on because he wanted to access the Restricted Section.

"Would they believe me?" Flynn thought. He stood up and approached Hufflepuff table.

"Hey, I know we've never spoken together before but I need to tell someone or I'll go crazy."

"Tell us what?" asked Jack. Flynn hesitated but did his best to get the words out.

"So I was in the Forbidden Forest half an hour ago and I saw something strange." Hiccup and Jack leaned in. "I saw something that looked like a dark wizard…"

"Dark wizard? How?" asked Jack.

"Well, he—or she—wore a dark cloak and casted some strange spells. That dark wizard escaped when I chased it. For some reason when I lost it, I found my way back."

"And how sure were you that this thing wasn't a shadow or another creature?" asked Hiccup.

"Very sure. I was close enough to see the fabric. And here's the clincher: That wizard casted these eagles that attacked me. But the eagles couldn't touch me. Instead, it went through me like a ghost. I think the wizard used these spells to confuse me so it could escape. The blue—"

Flynn stopped himself when he saw the jar of blue fire next to Hiccup. He was already suspicious if Hiccup was the creator of the blue eagles, and that Hiccup was the dark wizard. But Flynn ignored it because the blue fire was more vibrant than the pale blue emitted by the eagles.

Hiccup and Jack noticed the sudden pause in Flynn's sentence. They assumed that he had nothing left to say.

"So I know you wanted to tell people to get it off your chest, but why us exactly?" asked Jack.

"Black cloak and strange spells. Sound familiar?"

"Xander." Jack said while looking around in the Great Hall. "But his Core Magic are green snakes, not blue eagles. Maybe it's a Ravenclaw you saw."

Hiccup thought about what Tailfire told him while he was practicing.

That leaves a big question: Where is Xander during the breaks?

"Another Xander that's in Ravenclaw? That doesn't sound good," said Hiccup. "It's likely that they're working together. But then again, you said it went through you without anything happening. It might've not been Core Magic."

"Meaning?" Flynn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"It's likely that it was still Xander, but he used a different spell. So, what do you suppose we do, Flynn?"

"I think we should figure out where Xander is during the breaks. He's elusive and potentially dangerous towards everyone including us." Flynn said. "We learn about him then we learn things about this mysterious dark wizard in the forest."

"A student like him might only be found in areas where not a lot of people stay. I'm guessing we'll find him most likely in areas that are restricted. If he ran away from you in the Forbidden Forest, I'm sure he won't be there for a while." Hiccup said, keeping his hands against the warm jar. "He wouldn't be outside right now, would he? It's freezing right now."

Xander entered the Great Hall alone. He sat on the Hufflepuff table near them where Yang was waiting for him. Luckily they were far enough for Yang not to hear, unless she had super hearing. Jack spotted something in Yang's hand, some kind of globe.

"I guess another time we should investigate?" asked Jack.

"Agreed," said Hiccup.

The next day was Saturday, meaning that there were no classes. Jack, Hiccup, and Flynn had informed several students who agreed to help them with the search.

Jack's job was to head to the Astronomy Tower, where students were prohibited to enter unless they had classes. Strangely, Astronomy for some year levels was held during the afternoon instead of midnight. It wouldn't have worked if Professor Lunar taught seven classes in five midnights.

The tower was a wonderful place to stay as Jack found the view soothing. Despite the edge having a parapet to prevent any accidents, Jack had a clear view of the entire area in front of Hogwarts like the sky; he had never seen outside clearly before because of the darkness.

Jack noticed a lot of activity outside at Hogsmeade. There were murders of crows flocking around the sky in a strange pattern. Jack assumed that it was a performance, like the ones outside the cities in America. Whatever it was, it ended before Jack was able to figure it out.

Jack then saw Anna and Rapunzel walking around the empty field. He then quickly headed down or else a professor would've caught him. He was extra careful to not make a sound when he went up and down the stairs; he was even barefoot to minimise sound.

Jack heard the sound of something heavy moving, as if the stairs were falling apart; he even felt the steps vibrating against his cold feet. Jack quickly went down but found nothing else. The entire corridor was empty.

Rapunzel and Anna were exploring the Hogwarts grounds, but there was no sign of Xander as Hiccup suspected. There was no way people would be spending their time outside in the cold.

"I guess the snow is late this year," said Anna.

"I've never touched snow, only seen it from inside." Rapunzel said.

"Well you're lucky, that's for sure. Arendelle has the best weather during the summer. But when it's winter, the fjords freeze so that there's no access to Arendelle except for Floo powder, but that's one person at a time."

"What do we do now?" asked Rapunzel.

"Well, we should wait for the others. Maybe they'll find something. I don't think anyone mentioned a place to go to after they were done."

The two had the outside to search. They searched the greenhouses and even the Quidditch pitch, but both places had locked areas. Jack had the Astronomy Tower. Hiccup had the library. Merida had the dungeons. Flynn had the Slytherin common room. And Astrid had Gobber's hut and the stables.

The girls saw Flynn running to them, out of breath. Moments later, he showed them what he found in the dormitories.

"What's that?" asked Rapunzel. Flynn took out a green book and they saw some diagrams.

"It's a spellbook, but not just any spellbook. It's Xander's writing right there." Each page presented a different spell.

"Rapunzel was it? That book you're carrying, can I borrow it?" asked Flynn.

Rapunzel knew why he wanted it but she was hesitant. It was her personal drawing book that contained the drawings of the floating lights. "Um." She didn't know what to say. She never left the book on its own except for that time when Jack kept it in his dormitory. He never mentioned anything about what was in the book, so she assumed he never opened it.

"It's okay. How about you give just one page so we won't have to see what's inside then," suggested Flynn.

Rapunzel breathed out and wondered why she acted so protective of her book. She tore out the middle page and handed it to Flynn. She was glad he understood without her explaining herself.

"Thank you." Flynn smiled and placed the page in front of him. The two girls gathered around him and waited to see what he planned to do with the page.

"One page means two spells can be copied, but which two is the question." Flynn flicked through the green book.

"Copy? I hope you know a spell that can do that." Anna said. Rapunzel watched as Flynn took out his wand and continued flicking through the pages. One page caught their attention.

"Stop! Wait!" yelled Rapunzel. Flynn looked back and her and flicked back one page.

"This one?" asked Flynn. Rapunzel nodded and they read the page.

"The Snow Charm. Jack's been searching for this spell but it was nearly impossible. Is it possible to copy this one for him?" asked Rapunzel.

"No problem. I wouldn't want another hailstorm in the Great Hall," said Flynn. He waved over the page while saying an incantation and ink began appearing on the blank page, moving around to replicate the page Flynn waved over.

"How did you learn this spell?" asked Anna.

"That book I stole. I remembered a few things before Mr Qwerty got it back," answered Flynn. "One more spell. Your call, Blondie, since it's your page."

Rapunzel had a strange reaction to that name. She went through the pages and found one that was definitely intriguing to all the students.

"This one?" asked Rapunzel.

Flynn looked closely at the page and his eyes opened wider than before. "Yeah, that one for sure." Flynn flipped the page of Rapunzel's book to a blank side. He got the page copied before leaving to return the entire book so Xander wouldn't notice. He felt lucky this day. It could've been chance, or it could've been the blue eagle he encountered yesterday.

"What page did you copy?" asked Anna.

Rapunzel flipped the page to show Anna. "It's the spell we've all been wondering about. It's Core Magic."