"Hey, Wiess?"
"Yes, Laura?"
"What do you think of magic?"
I lowered my book and looked across the library table at her. "What kind of question is that?"
"Well, seeing as it was all kind of dumped on you a week before school started, and I've heard it can be a world shaking revelation to people. . . I'm just concerned about how you're handling it since you have a no-maj background."
"If only you knew the truth." "It can do some cool stuff, and it is interesting, but I do kind of wish I hadn't learned about it."
"Oh come on, you know you like it."
"Can't I be stuck in the middle for now?"
"Hmm, I suppose so. Have you thought about what you're going to do once you graduate?"
"No, I haven't." I closed my book and thought about it for a moment. "Maybe I can learn how to make anything I want with magic and become an unparallelled combatant, duelist, or something like that. What about you?"
"I want to become a representative for the Magical Midwest, like my father. I want to teach the rest of MACUSA about no-majes, since they don't seem to know much and could really use the information."
"Like guns?"
"Yeah. Maybe just get them here for a crash course with Professor Smith."
"And take their wands for the class."
"And maybe you could be Professor Smith's assistant!" A moment later, both of us started chuckling at the idea. "Oh, that would be so much fun."
"Yeah, but it would take something really big to make that happen, and I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon."
The silence stretched for a few long seconds before Laura changed the topic. "So, how has Noir been treating you since the duel?"
I thought back to the numerous Stupefies I'd taken and the times I'd been pressed against the wall with magic. "Pretty much the same as before. I don't know why her crew is staying with her after she lost with the advantage of me being uninformed. She must have promised them some really good stuff, or have some kind of charisma skill."
"Maybe challenging her to another no-maj duel with you setting the rules could break her influence?"
"Turn the tables and force her into a fair fight. I like that idea. The uniforms are too concealing though. She could hide something. I'll have to think about it."
Elsewhere
"Okay Autumn, let me tell you about my plans."
Autumn nodded. She would have spoken, but it still hurt to talk, despite the regular healing spells and terrible tasting potions she'd been getting. Her left eye was a lost cause, but with time, she would be able to speak again, and that was the better of the two losses to recover.
"The goal is quite simple: blow the lid off the statute of secrecy and permanently expose the existence of the magical world to the no-majes in one move. Getting there, however, will require two armies. We have an unwitting testing ground available with a decent variety of possible defenses, and MACUSA won't bother us out here." At Autumn's confused glance, Salem clarified. "The Magical Congress of the United States of America. From what I've gathered, they pay little to no attention to this part of the country, and since I was able to successfully revive here, I truly believe it." Autumn nodded at the explanation.
Salem continued. "Now, if we are going to succeed, we'll need two armies: one of human followers like yourself, mage and no-maj alike. You will be the ones who scout things out, infiltrate, gather information, and prepare places for attack. The second army will be one that's made of largely mindless magical creatures, and will need to be tested. As I said, MACUSA won't come down on us, even if their best representatives from the region say something. Hopefully." Salem sighed. "This one way conversation's getting us nowhere. Do you want some Chinese food?"
Autumn nodded eagerly.
"I'll go get us some lunch then. For now, return to your books." Salem apparated away to go get the food.
Autumn, meanwhile, got up and went over to the study. Salem had given her some interesting spell books. They weren't what she imagined they would be, since they taught her how to cast instead of being used to cast, and even had training wands with them. The cartoon witch on the box and in the books, somehow, understood that Autumn couldn't speak, and seemed content to guide her through the wand motions and teach her about the spells. At least she was able to practice the wand motions, and was doing well there.
If there was anything Autumn didn't like about her situation, it was her temporary inability to cast anything. She wanted to speak painlessly again so she could make things fly around at her command. She could feel her magic, especially when she held her wand, but waiting for her throat to heal and having to wait on the basics that were right in front of her was very frustrating.
Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about anyone looking for her. Salem, using something called Polyjuice Potion, one strand of her hair, and a bit of other magics, had managed to change the dead witch to look like her, and had set up her faked death. According to the newspapers Salem had snagged, it was a mountain lion that had gotten her. With how much she walked through the forests, it made sense, and nobody would look for her, especially since the closed casket funeral was already done, according to the obituary. If the magic wore off now, nobody would know.
After nearly half an hour, Salem returned. Seeing the ancient witch suddenly and casually appear with a plastic bag of cheap Chinese food, while not new, was amusing. Setting aside the book in favor of food, she started on her lunch: fried rice with all the things in it.
Salem started another lecture, or maybe a history lesson, as they ate. "I started my campaign to expose the wizarding world over three hundred years ago, and back then, I was willing to wage war against the no-majes, just to show that magic was real. If it wasn't for my death at the Salem Witch Trials, I would have done it too." Autumn gave her a quizzical look. "Yes, I died there. I was the only real witch that died there. I had a plan. I had the best angle of attack for maximum destruction. I had nearly everything I needed. And now? Well, I'll have to thank everyone who killed me back then. I've read up on the dark lords Grindelwald and Voldemort. They were both after destruction, power, and control, same as I was. They were blinded by their lust for all of those, and so fell accordingly, and I've read up on their history."
Salem put down her plastic fork and fumbled with the chopsticks for a bit before going back to the more familiar utensil and continuing. "Pair that with all the advancements no-majes have made, and my original plan of rampant magical destruction is no good anymore. I need to take a more subtle approach before engaging in destruction."
Autumn considered Salem's words before making the universal gesture for money.
"No, Autumn. I can't just buy influence amongst those with power."
Autumn shook her head before looking around, and settling on her training books. Taking two of the training wands out, she held them like chopsticks.
"Selling magical things to no-majes? I have thought about it, but I haven't come up with anything that wouldn't tip off MACUSA. Maybe you can figure something out later?"
Autumn nodded and went back to her lunch. She really wanted to talk again.
