Warren was a little surprised at the people that showed up a the base of the whomping willow. Alistair was rubbing his metal arm next to Beatrice, who was picking at a piece of leaf that lodged itself into Julian's messy hair. He shouted and smacked away her hand each time. Robbie and Lacie were arguing with each other as usual. Edmund stood by himself. He gazed down at the graze, his right shoe tickling the top of the blades. Calista leaned with her legs crossed on a tree stump, examining the rest of the group like a sculptor peering of their latest work of art.
Robbie looked up at Warren. His taut face fell, and he slunked almost behind Lacie. Calista, noticing the quiet student, glared at him. Warren stared back, his blank grey eyes surrendering nothing.
"Where's the princess at?" Calista asked.
"Sorry I'm late," Laila said. She, unlike the others, had taken off her robes. in place was a leather jacket with plaid pants and a grey sweater vest. Her yellow dress tie flapped around in the blustery breeze. Behind her, Callie was in tow with her hands clasped together.
"Any reason for the wardrobe change, Annie Hall?" Calista asked as she smoothed out her robes and stood up.
"Robes are hard to run in," Laila stated.
"And we may be doing that more often." Edmund said.
After a few moments, the group found themselves in a gaggle at the base of the tree. "So why is everyone here?" Lacie asked. I mean, my brother just wanted to tag along, but you all?" She gestured at the rest of them.
"Making sure Alistair doesn't lose a leg to go with his arm," Audrey pointed at him.
"Cant lose our quidditch captain," Beatrice said as she jabbed a finger at Alistair's human arm. "Also, Julian has yet to be put in mortal peril yet. It seemed fair."
"I can handle myself!" The small and vivacious boy chortled.
"So why'd you bring us here?" Calista asked towards Laila.
"Hagrid told me somethings being hidden in here," Laila said as she gestured towards the taller Ravenclaw next to Edmund. "If its Warren's ring, maybe we can put an end to this."
"And how is that?" Calista challenged.
"Well, if the person who owns the ring gets these powers, and Warren is the chosen one," Callie began.
"Then he should be the one to stop these spirits and wake Aisen up," Laila finished.
"You know what," Alistair said. He threw his hands up and started to head for the opening at the base. "I think we should go in. forget the questions. we'll figure it out when we get to it."
"I agree," Robbie said as he head towards the base as well. "End this nightmare."
Lacie huffed and flung a twig at her older brother. "I'm not going in there. It's probably all dank and icky in there. Mud and zombies and dementors and all of that stuff. It took three hours to do my hair," she said as she pointed at the French Plait her brunette hair was done up in.
"Nobody cares," Laila said. "We just need to get the ring and get out. Besides, Hagrid said only dementors were there."
Edmund cleared his throat. "I think Miss Burghley is right. We need to have a real plan. What if there's a dragon or something worse in there?"
"Aren't you Gryffindors supposed to be brave and stupid and all that?" Julian chirped.
Edmund considered those words. He shivered at the site of the black abyss that went underneath the tree. Truth be to himself, he never thought of himself as that brave. His entire time at Hogwarts so far, he had been one of the safest, most cautious individuals. He never got in trouble and never cost his House a point. Yet, Aisen was one of the few people in his life that was a friend to him. Not only that, but he looked and looked eyes with Alistair. That beautiful boy from Slytherin that never gave him the time of day. The one that wouldn't even dream of being in the same castle as himself. He gave him a heart-stopping smile as tilted his head.
"Edmund, Aisen would be so happy you went in to get him. Doing that for your friends is brave, right?"
Edmund had another deep flaw: peer pressure.
Even with Alistair's sweet words, he was still hesitant. Eventually, Calista threw her hands up and announced that she was going to hex all of them into oblivion if they didn't all go in. So, after some major prodding, he was staring at the dark entrance to the tree. All of the students lined up to head in.
"So we should go in pairs or trios," Calista said. "In case we get lost, we can at least hang on to whoever we are responsible for."
"I-I think I'll stay with Warren," Callie said as she stepped towards the stoic man's side. "In case anything about Magical Runes is involved."
"I'll go with them, too," Laila said as she flicked her wand out. Warren raised an eyebrow towards Laila.
"Why?" He asked.
Laila shrugged. "So you can beat anyone up for us."
Calista rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'll go with this blonde over here," She gestured towards Alistair. "So he doesn't get into anymore trouble."
Alistair gave off a gentle smile as he stepped towards her. "Worried about me again?"
"Puh-leeze," Calista rolled her eyes as she jabbed a finger in his chest. "You need adult supervision so you don't die or something stupid. Make no mistake, the only reason I'm here is to make sure none of you die. Or if you do, it's at least properly reported in the semester's Hogwarts Fatality Report. Our school loses millions of galleons a year from faulty injury claims and I'm not going to be witness to it."
"Robbie, go with Leonhardt." Lacie tugged at her brother's shoulders.
"Why?" Robbie exclaimed as he wiped Lacie's fingers off him.
"Because," Lacie said. She pulled Robbie away and turned her back from the others. "I made an Unbreakable Vow."
Robbie gasped. "You what? With him?"
"Of course not," Lacie said as she wiped away a bead of sweat. The day was becoming more humid as the charcoal clouds hung overhead like a thick wool blanket. "With his sister. I promised that Alistair wouldn't be killed. In return, I got the next season's Flor Delacour Winter Wonderland collection."
Robbie pursed his thin lips together. "Makeup? That hasn't even come out yet?"
"I know, but Audrey Leonhardt made friends with this girl in Germany last year that is friends with some other friends who know her publicist. And she got me the latest collection. But you're better at Dark Arts than me."
"Lacie, you made an Unbreakable Vow for makeup?" Robbie practically shouted. "And, by the way, I cheated on my OWLS last year."
"Everyone knows that, stupid," Lacie spat in a hush. "But you're still better than him at it."
"Why can't you do it? You made the vow."
"Because I can't stand him."
"And I can?" Robbie's brown eyes twitched. "He's basically the worst thing that's ever happened to Hogwarts. And that includes He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Robbie," Lacie said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it into hers.
They looked at each other for what felt like a lifetime. Robbie, as full of himself as he was, would climb Mount Doom for his sister. If it truly made her happier, he would do it. Not to mention, she was giving him puppy dog eyes, and he would rather drown in the Black Lake than have to say no to her puppy dog eyes.
"This better be quick."
The teams were drawn up. Calista, Alistair, and Robbie would run in first. Right after them, Callie would hide behind Warren while Laila would sulk behind them. Lacie and Edmund would be dragged in by Beatrice who would try to stop Julian from screaming at anything that leaped out from them.
"Alright, so we know the drill," Calista said. "Any hint of trouble, make sure the people behind you know. And if anything really goes wrong, go back to the castle for McGonagall."
"Hagrid," Laila crossed her arms. "He won't rat us out. And we won't be put in detention for the rest of our lives. Also, it was kind of his fault we know the ring is in there. He would be in as much trouble."
Calista nodded. Taking off her black robe, she hung it on a low branch to the side. Smoothing out the white dress shirt she was left in, her indigo tie bristled in the thick wind blowing to her right. She stepped to the hole and took a plunge into the dark void first. Admittedly, she was nervous. For her, what mattered was that this was her mission. It was a mission to save the castle and possibly a boy. She could end this wild goose chase right here. Like a vacuum sucking in a piece of dirt, she slid into the hole.
Robbie looked back at his sister and bit his lip. She gestured at him to head in. Robbie took a running start and dived like an olympic swimmer into the hole.
Alistair rolled his eyes. "Moron." He simply jumped down into the crevice.
What Alistair was expecting was to hit the ground or slide onto the debris-filled ground of the pathway through the tree.
He did not expect to fall out of a refrigerator.
Alistair yelped as he smacked his head on the hardwood floor. He flopped himself upright like a dying fish and turned back to the fridge. Open, it seemed normal with a few pieces of bread and salted ground beef in a translucent pot seated on a rack in the fridge. Around the rest of the room, he realized he was in a kitchen. A humble, barely used kitchen with a gas-powered stove and an iron furnace burning heat into the quant area. A beige counter with a lime-green counter top ran around the perimeter closest to the open window. Golden sunlight flowed from the window above the porcelain sink, slightly tinted from years of use.
What made Alistair gasped was a calendar hanging over a ruby rotary phone. Not only did he notice the language being different than Hogwarts, but the date was as well.
März 1944.
"Leonhardt. Over here."
Alistair got up and leaned over the sink. Poking his head out the window, he looked down and saw Robbie crouching in between the shrubbery and the yellow paneling of the house's foundation.
Alistair shunted himself through the window and crashed next to Robbie in a very ungraceful fashion.
"Where are we?"
"You tell me. I thought we'd be underneath a tree."
"Did you notice that calendar," Alistair said.
"What cal-."
"March of 1944. It said it in German, too."
Robbie gulped. "So are we...back in time?"
Alistair's heart dropped as he whipped his head around. Calista was nowhere to be seen.
"Are you sure you aren't lost?"
A voice speaking in German lifted itself over the quiet street. Alistair poked fingers through the shrubs and looked out at the cobblestone road. The street was quiet; a few empty shops with boarded up windows lined the street. Across from them, Calista stood in silence by a wheelbarrow of hay, a stone-faced expression plastered on her. She flapped her hands around in deliberate motions. In front of her, a tall, steel faced man with a black military uniform and black hat peered down from his large nose to Calista. Somewhat tubby, he was hunched over as he narrowed his eyes at the unusual girl.
"Perhaps I should get a translator for you," he said.
Alistair crawled out from over the bushes. Before Robbie could do anything, he slipped away and rolled over the top of the shrub. He jostled himself across the street as Calista tried to perform more sign language.
"Do you have your papers? Maybe we can go back to our quarters and we can find out where you're supposed to be."
"Scharführer! Heil Hitler!"
Alistair jumped right next to Calista and flung his right arm upward. At an angle right towards the military man's face, he flashed a perfect salute.
The man flashed his rotten, crooked teeth and returned the salute. "Heil Hitler. Rottenführer Leonhardt! It's so odd to see you out of uniform."
Calista could only glare at Alistair as he let out a fake chuckle. She had already figured out this was a scene that occurs in the past, but why was Alistair being recognized? Alistair, meanwhile, knew his German was not perfect, but it would suffice in this instance. He scratched the back of his blonde hair and reached over to Calista's shoulder. Wrapped around her, he brought her lithe frame towards his. "Every good man needs a day off. Need to get ready for the big...battle soon."
"I must admit, Leonhardt. I heard things about your proclivities, but I never thought you'd find attraction in a deaf woman. Or should I say, girl. She hardly looks over seventeen! Much younger than the Miss last week."
Calista did not know what was said, but she imagined it wasn't good. She flashed a dangerous look in her eye, telling Alistair he had some explaining to do later. Alistair only responded by ruffling her hair.
"The...er...aryan race has many perks, including aging much slower as you yourself can attest to."
The out-of-shape and balding man chortled until he started coughing from his smoker's lungs. Beads of spit nearly hit Calista in the face, and she grimaced while trying to avoid his breathe. "Very well. Don't keep her along too long. After the Officer's ball tonight, you must meet us by the Bridge to go over the defense against the Belgians and Americans. They should be here within days."
Alistair laughed. "Yes, Scharfürher. Heil Hitler," he saluted.
The officer returned the salute and marched away. As he headed down the main street of the the town, he stopped and turned around.
"A quick observation. You looked taller yesterday."
Alistair thought quickly. "You know what they say about those boots. They add ten inches."
The man laughed and waddled away.
Calista grabbed Alistair by the collar and dragged him over to the other side of the street. He grunted as his feet slapped the cobblestone jutting out from the surface of the road. Noticing nobody watching them, she flung him into the bushes. Robbie spun himself away from his hiding spot as he made room for the intruders. Alistair crashed with his back on the foundation and fell to the ground while crushing a few twigs. Before he could say anything, Calista crawled down and pressed her knees on each side of Alistair's slender frame. She whipped out a wand and pointed it at his throat.
"Spill."
Alistair licked his lips and hovered his hands over his chest in protective fashion. He wore a nervous smile as his voice trembled.
"My dad always told me I looked just like my grandfather younger. I guess we were brought he-."
"You were a Nazi!" Robbie whispered.
"No, my granddad!" Alistair said.
"You're granddad was a Nazi."
"Yes! I mean, no. He wasn't!"
"We should go and kill your grandfather right now. He probably did horrible things," Robbie said with furrowed eyebrows.
"No, but if you do that, I might not exist!"
"Not the worst trade off," Calista said.
"Look, you two," Alistair said. He struggled to get up. Calista scooted back as the Slytherin boy pushed his back onto the house siding. He brushed off the twigs on his shoulder and wiped a piece of dirt from the corner of his lip. "My grandfather was a spy for the Wizarding resistance during the World War. He worked with the French and I think I know why we were here. Well, I don't know why we are here, but I know why we are in this time. My ancestor did something, and I think we have to help."
Calista put down her wand. She hated to admit it, but she perhaps overreacted. Surely, there was no way Alistair had anything to do with this. After all, he was to simple-minded to devise any scheme involving time travel.
Robbie, however, was unsure how to feel. Yes, he joked about Alistair being a Nazi since he was from German descent, but he didn't know that was true. Despite this, he was sure this was as much a problem with him as anyone else.
"What does any of this have to do with Aisen?" Robbie asked. "What does this have to do with the ring?"
Calista held her head. It was in literal pain as a thud bumped into her forehead like a bursting subwoofer. "I have no idea. Maybe the past is an important thread with the ring? Or the people involved in it? I don't know, but what do we do now."
She turned to Alistair. "Is anything supposed to happen today?"
Alistair gritted his teeth. Now thinking back to the calendar, he noticed the date was circled. He had no idea the importance of the date, but he knew something important involving his grandfather was going to happen. Was his grandfather here? Did he have to play the roll now?
"Here's another question," Alistair asked more to himself. "Where are the others? And since when did you know sign language?"
It's back!
So...I have been a little negligent. I apologize. Moving, getting a new job, all off these things cause issues with updating regularly. And I am very sorry.
I think since things are more stable I can focus on this more, but before I do. I must ask this: do you care? Do you still want to see this? If not, I had a plan for starting up another SYOC, maybe in the My hero Academia part of the world. In fact, maybe I would incorporate some of the characters here into that.
Do you want me to keep going? Please let me know? If I get enough reviews, I will. Otherwise, i will move on.
But aside from that, what did you think? What is going on? Do you like where these things are going? Are you intrigued? What did you think of the dialogue, writing, everything?!
Please review! Let me know!
Thank you, and I can't wait to hear from you!