Notes 1: I'm tired of Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts, EVERYBODY MOVE!
Houtarou and Mayaka attend Mahoutokoro School of Magic now! I mean, there's a school of magic in Japan, right? but for some reason all the kids get sent to Hogwarts? In the UK? Which is like an eleven hour flight away and then a train ride from London to Scotland? Do you understand the inconvenience? Because I do, so I'm gonna write these two attending this Japanese school, damn it!
Chitanda's in Beauxbatons because she's got the money to, and Satoshi's in Durmstrang because you know deep in your heart that he would pull off a stunt like this. "Oh, neat-o, this school has historical proof of dark wizards? Interesting, I'm going to join!" Look me in the eyes and tell me he would, because he would!
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the skeletons that allow your imagination
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vii
integrate into their world
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headcanon credit: me
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headcanons
- Potions Championship AU; Mahoutokoro School of Magic!Houtarou and Mayaka, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!Chitanda and Durmstrang Institute!Satoshi
- or, Chitanda and Satoshi show an interest in Houtarou and Mayaka but these idiots think it's a plot to win the championship
- better known as rivals (?) to lovers AU
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Teams
Mahoutokoro — Houtarou and Mayaka
Beauxbatons — Chitanda and Kaho Juumonji
Durmstrang — Satoshi and Jirou Tanabe
Koldovstoretz — Masashi Toogaito and Fuyumi Irisu
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1
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This is too much effort, Houtarou thinks as he listens to the instructor of the Potions Championship drone on and on.
The challenge of the championship is to solve the tricks and follow tips to complete their potion — going on a scavenger hunt around the maze-like garden, avoiding deadly plants and beasts wandering the grounds, avoiding incoming spells from one another. Houtarou almost wishes this was the Triwizard Tournament instead of the Potions Championship, both are equally deadly and risky, but the Triwizard Tournament would, at least, have a ball and good food. But then again, the Triwizard Tournament takes space over several days, while the Potions Championship is only a one day event.
Mayaka elbows Houtarou slightly, aiming perfectly at his ribs. Mayaka never misses, but when she's someone her height, Houtarou wouldn't put it past her to have a certain advantage in eye-level.
"Ouch,"
"Are you listening?" Mayaka whispers. "You better be,"
Houtarou doesn't make an effort to reply.
He doesn't blame Mayaka for the slight jolt in pain either. Houtarou knows Mayaka is serious about the championship, it only happens every seven years and has now expanded to not only accommodate students from Hogwarts, Koldovstoretz, Uagadou and Mahoutokoro, but also —
His green eyes flit to one of the many pairs of students lined up beside them.
"Oreki," Mayaka starts whispering again.
Houtarou swallows a sigh. She can't harp on him when she's not paying attention to the instructor too. "I'm listening." He replies.
"Who are you looking at?" Mayaka asks, straight to the point as always.
"No one,"
She gives him a piercing glare, one that tells him that he will suffer her wrath if he does not give her an answer.
"It's just Satoshi," Houtarou says.
His sister had insisted Houtarou take up a pen-pal like her. Hers was from Ilvermorny and Houtarou's correspondent was from Durmstrang.
The letter exchange habit wasn't hard for him, he had practice with Tomoe when she had spent a year abroad at Ilvermorny, but after three years of friendship, Houtarou still thinks Satoshi is a bit too wordy. Satoshi writes so much that sometimes Houtarou feels like he may as well become Satoshi's private diary.
"Do you remember him? Satoshi Fukube: my pen-pal? There; the skinny one that's grinning too much." Houtarou states the same time Satoshi flashes a smile at both him and Mayaka from across the garden.
Mayaka's cheeks turns a slight pink, and Houtarou would have snorted if Mayaka hadn't said, "Are you sure you're not staring at the Beauxbatons girl? The one whose hair isn't braided?"
Houtarou doesn't fall for the bait.
"Her name's 'Chitanda-san', right?" Mayaka says, her fierce gaze is aimed at the side of Houtarou's face. She's probably still embarrassed to get such a charming smile from Satoshi. "You shouldn't stare at her too much. She's a Veela, Oreki. I can understand why you'd be gaagaa over her, but I need you to get your head straight and focus. The Potions Championship is a two player game, I can't have you distracted!"
Houtarou scowls at Mayaka's scolding. Yes, he knows Chitanda is a Veela, anyone with eyes can distinct her magical properties — her shiny hair; the glow of her skin; and with her dark hair pulled into a low ponytail and her witch hat tipped stylishly to the right, he can see the slight point of Chitanda's ear tips.
"I'm not going to get distracted," Houtarou whispers back, a little irked. Though, now he doubts himself, just a little.
"With all the knowledge you've gained," The instructor says, ending his long speech and snapping Houtarou back to the present. "Please wish the best of luck to your fellow champions and head to your designated hedges!"
Several hands are shaken and words of encouragement are thrown about. Satoshi and Houtarou both wave at each other, Satoshi's being more energetic.
Mayaka bows deeply each time. Houtarou thinks Mayaka relished in the fact that she didn't have to look at the Dumstrang boys in the face. Especially when acknowledging Satoshi, but Houtarou has no proof, just a gut feeling.
The last cordial exchange the Mahoutokoro duo has is between the pair from Castelobruxo, and then Houtarou and Mayaka take their spots and enter the Enchanted Garden at the sound of a horn blasting.
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Truthfully, Houtarou never imagined he would be the other half of the pair to be picked to attend the Potions Championship.
Though it gives him a nice opportunity to sightsee and visit another country, he's not the type to follow his older sister's footsteps in travelling. He wouldn't say his lifestyle is colourless, but he also wouldn't say that he'd be the type to own a sycamore wand either. He's sure if he did own such a wand, it would combust into flames from his lack of exciting engagements.
For a long time, Houtarou considered his ability to master potions good luck. But now, he thinks, he can't use that excuse anymore. Not with Mayaka expecting him to pull his weight. Not with Mayaka expecting them both to win this tournament. She's really aiming high.
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The first stage is wandering through the maze and finding their potions table, along with instructions to the first ingredient needed. But, of course, it doesn't go as smoothly as Houtarou hoped it would as the instructions are written in the form of a riddle.
The good news is, Houtarou does well with deciphering mysteries and he enjoys reading a bit of poetry so understanding the blasted thing isn't as complicated. The bad part is —
"It looks like we'll have to defeat some sort of guardian." Houtarou says to Mayaka.
She raises a brow. "Is it guarding the ingredient we need?"
"Maybe. It's the most likely scenario."
"Do you know what the ingredient is?" Mayaka asks.
Houtarou tilts his head, combing through the archives of ingredients he can name at the top of his head. "I think it's —"
Mayaka shoves without warning.
And Houtarou topples like a skyscraper building into thick foliage, his ankles and brown shoes barely peeking out through green leaves. He barely managed to mutter, "Ibara?!" when the ground starts to shake and quiver.
He quickly realises, Troll!
"Stay there," Mayaka says, then runs ahead, knowing Houtarou would never survive being chased.
Without words being exchanged, Houtarou already knows what Mayaka's plan is: Lead the troll away from the slug who can't even jog ten steps without wheezing, and hope the troll is distracted by her to not sniff him out among the flowery bushes.
Then Mayaka is yelling and waving her arms, making her tiny body as visible as possible. The troll takes the bait and Mayaka does not slow down or underestimate her chaser.
Houtarou does not waste Mayaka's efforts. He stays, frozen, barely seeing bits of the creature's limbs through leaves before the ground stops shaking.
Is it gone? Houtarou thinks, waiting half a minute.
He attempts to detangle himself when he feels something hook around his arms. Why of all times is reaching for his wand the hardest now? God, if he has to battle against a tree with claw-like branches, he'll never make it in time to help Mayaka!
But despite his struggles, he's pulled out of his hiding spot and greeted by a lovely face.
She's strong, Is the only thought Houtarou can think of when Chitanda rightens him.
"Come on, I know a spell that will cut through those hedges, we'll be able to save Ibara-san in no time!" Chitanda says, clearly not as dazed as Houtarou is.
"Now, hold o — ohh!"
Chitanda doesn't linger, she grabs Houtarou's hand and pulls him, leading the way through flowers and shrubs and tall trees, the hem of her powder blue dress fluttering and her poplar wand pulled out.
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Mayaka's heart hammers in her chest as she races forward, hoping the troll will be just as disorientated as she is.
The path she is taking stretches towards unspoiled hills and long grass that beckons a hand to run through the itchy greenery. If she wasn't running for her life, she would have stopped to admire the field.
Who would have guessed such a place would bring me such anxiety? Mayaka can't help but think, fumbling to think of spells to paralyze the troll.
Then, a hand shoots out, catching her sleeve and tugging her behind a tree. She yelps as heat flushes against her tiny body and someone's palm presses against her mouth.
"Shhh," The person says.
Mayaka's mind races, her thoughts are as loud as the students chattering in her school halls.
"Fukube-san?"
There's a pause on his side. The silence almost unnerves Mayaka into thinking that he froze out of fear that the troll is near. And then Satoshi smiles.
"You know my name?" He whispers, amused despite their current scary situation.
She speaks through the spaces of his fingers, "I do,"
"Did Houtarou tell you about me?"
"Somewhat."
"You're Mayaka Ibara-san, right?" Satoshi asks, though it didn't sound like a question.
"Yes, but —" She replies.
"But?"
"But — What are you doing?"
"Helping you hide," Satoshi states matter-of-factly. His brown eyes fly to the creature stalking them a distance away. "That's a Forest Troll. You can tell by its green skin. Fortunately, it's less violent than a Mountain Troll. Unfortunately, it means it's smarter too."
"So, do we stun it, or continue laying low? We're losing valuable time being indecisive."
Satoshi lets out a low chuckle at her straight-forwardness. "We're in imminent danger and winning the championship is on your mind?"
"I know what I signed up for." Mayaka says bravely.
He shifts his gaze to her. "You're an interesting person, Ibara-san."
Mayaka feel heat crawling up her neck. The squeak rising out of Mayaka's throat barely escapes when powder blue robes catch her attention. Mayaka's gaze shifts to a Beaubaton girl pulling an alarmed looking Houtarou, and the squeak transforms into a gasp.
"Merlin's beard," Satoshi curses under his breath.
"Did you hear something, Oreki-san?"
Realising the risk Chitanda and Houtarou are currently in, Satoshi yells, "Run, you two!"
But it's too late. Too late. Because the troll spots Houtarou and Chitanda, and roars a deafening sound.
"Oreki-san!" Chitanda gasps, wounding her fist tighter around Houtarou's robes, while Houtarou stares.
Time does not slow down like in those muggle movies Mayaka is so very fond of. Nothing in Mayaka's life is ever slow aside from Houtarou, and that might just be his downfall today.
Without a second thought, Mayaka whips out her wand. Right now, she needs to reach Houtarou before the troll does. Right now, she needs those two safe. Zap! goes her red oak wand; blinding sparks of red shoot out and the stupefying charm goes flying in the air. The hit is accurate, striking the beast square in the chest.
The spell works in an instant and not a second later, the troll is stunned. And so are the non-Mahoutokoro students, though it has nothing to do with her spell, they're more amazed by her lightning reflexes.
Being among the two that's not taken aback, Houtarou zaps the troll with another stunning spell for extra precaution, names the object hanging by the troll's belt and watches Mayaka scamper towards it.
"The ingredient," Houtarou utters with urgency, pulling on his arm and snapping Chitanda out of her trance.
"Oh, right," Chitanda mutters, releasing her hold on Houtarou.
Satoshi soon follows suit, recovering from his initial shock too. The troll is frozen mid-roar, he still looks frightening and dangerous, but the task is simple and over before the four teenagers know it.
One moment, there is a threat for all of them to become pancakes, then the next moment, they're raiding a forest creature for clues. It's only when they round a few hedges do they stop running to rest.
"You and Oreki-san make a good team," Chitanda compliments though her smile appears shaky.
Mayaka wishes she could return the gesture, but seeing as Chitanda is all alone, she can't say much. Did Chitanda and her partner get split up?
"It's nothing," Mayaka says and gets an 'oh, you're so modest!' expression from Chitanda.
"Red oak!" Satoshi exclaims, appearing in Mayaka's view. It's so sudden that she has to take a step back. "Your wand is impressive, Ibara-san, just like you!"
Mayaka nods. She feels odd getting these compliments. Aren't they supposed to be rivals?
Mayaka is well aware that she's the 'doer' of the duo. She disarms opponents and does all the physical stunts needed to go on to the next challenge. Houtarou is the brains, tasked to figure out riddles and consider what ingredients they need to complete the potion. Maybe Satoshi and Chitanda are trying to gather information on their opponents? If that's the case, then Mayaka cannot have these two loitering around them.
"Where are your partners?" Mayaka asks.
Her question sounds honest. It's not hard to do when there's genuine curiosity about it. The worried tone in her voice helps too, though she's more concerned about her and Houtarou being compromised, and not where the other Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students are.
"Oh!" Chitanda exclaims as if realising her situation. "Kaho-san is probably looking for me. I should send a flare with my wand to alert her where I am."
"Tanabe-senpai is possibly doing the same for my disappearance as well," Satoshi chimes in. "I'll send a flare too, but —" He gestures to Mayaka and Houtarou. "— you two should probably head back to your table. The second clue may be available to you now. We wouldn't want to slow you down."
Mayaka agrees and Houtarou doesn't have much to add. The four of them wave to each other and mutter encouraging words like 'good luck' once more.
And as soon as the Mahoutokoro students round the corner, away from Chitanda and Satoshi, Houtarou feels at ease. They've cleared their first task, after all, but Mayaka doesn't seem any less wound up.
"You were drooling," Mayaka says in a 'snap out of it' tone.
"What?"
"You do realise that Chitanda-san is trying to get on your good side, right?" Mayaka says.
Houtarou's expression twists. "She is?"
Mayaka gives him a frown. "It's so obvious. If this was the Triwizard Tournament, this would be the reason why the Goblet of Fire wouldn't have picked you."
Houtarou opens his mouth but holds back saying, 'It wouldn't pick you either,' because that would be a lie.
"Don't you think they're showing too much interest in us?" Mayaka continues.
"Maybe."
"Do you trust Chitanda-san?" Mayaka asks Houtarou.
He shrugs, earning a glare. Houtarou asks back, "What about Satoshi? Do you trust him? You looked a little cosy with him when I went looking for you."
"W — Well, you shouldn't have looked for me in the first place! You should have stayed put!" Mayaka shutters. Though, Houtarou isn't sure if it's from anger or embarrassment. "I —" She takes a deep breath in. "I don't think we can trust anyone." Mayaka answers, back to her usual blunt self.
"Are you saying they're our enemies?" Houtarou asks.
"I'm saying — this is a competition," Mayaka replies. "So you should keep your guard up."
"They helped us take down a troll."
"And? They can still weasel information from us. Your head's not straight because you think Chitanda-san is pretty."
Houtarou doesn't argue on this. So, once again, he shrugs.
"Focus, alright?"
"I get it." Houtarou says, "It's just you and me versus the world."
Mayaka's nose wrinkles. "Don't put it that way."
He returns her expression with a blank one.
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2
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If Chitanda had not been so passionate about Herbology as she currently is, she supposes the new riddle could be a tough one. But with her green thumb, talent for academics and Divination foresight friend Kaho Juumonji, it appears this second task will go well-enough.
"It wants us to look for a plant." Juumonji says after her bondi blue eyes had skimmed over the text. "Do you have any idea what kind?"
Chitanda's big eyes scan over the riddle once more before she looks around the garden maze. They're surrounded by tons of flowers, trees and vegetation but there is only one plant that fits the description.
"I think so." Chitanda confirms then smiles at her friend. "Do you think you can use your divination skills to guide us towards it?"
Juumonji looked so sure of herself as she grins back. "Of course!"
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The Venomous Tentacula, also known as 'The Slapping Plant' has a bit of a reputation. Its shoots are venomous, its spikes deadly and its bite strong enough to stun an adult. It has a lot of negatives. Despite all this, Chitanda is grateful that its roots are sunken, making it immobile. Don't get her wrong, it can be fatal. There are a recorded amount of deaths, however the plant generally does not strike unless provoked. So imagine her surprise when she sees yellow smoke and hears the sound of struggle.
Reading her mind, Juumonji grabs onto Chitanda's upper arm. "Eru, no."
"But someone might be in danger!" Chitanda reasons.
Juumonji holds Chitanda's gaze but ultimately surrenders. They follow the noise and come across a Koldovstoretz student collapsed on the ground and the Venomous Tentacula burn to crisps.
"What happened?" Chitanda gasps, causing several heads to turn to her. Among them are Houtarou and Mayaka.
"What are you doing here?" Houtarou asks.
"We noticed the smoke," Chitanda replies on behalf of her and Juumonji.
The other Koldovstoretz student twirls around to the two girls. "Can you help us?"
"Of course!" Chitanda says. "Tell me, was your partner bitten, stung or pricked?"
"Bitten ... I think. I don't — I don't have a solid answer to that, it happened so fast. I didn't even know the plant had a mouth ..." The student replies, he's uncertain.
"It's okay, Toogaito-san," Mayaka tries to assure him but Toogaito only shakes his head.
"We don't know if things will be okay! Irisu's life might be in danger!"
Chitanda's eyebrows quirk together. "If your partner is bitten, then she's most likely just stunned. She'll recover and there won't be any issues."
"R — Really?"
"Yes, but I need you to think hard, Toogaito-san. If your partner was stung or pricked, then we'll need to act fast. The Venomous Tentacula has dangerous properties."
Toogaito starts trembling. "Okay, okay. I'll —" He took out his wand, not even sparing a minute to reconsider. A bright spark shoots out in the sky, similar to the one Chitanda and Satoshi had shot out, except this one is red instead of blue.
Chitanda's stunned by his hasty action, it seems Mayaka and Houtarou are too.
"You're forfeiting the championship?" Chitanda asks. It's clear to everyone that her intention was never for Koldovstoretz to drop out.
"You didn't have to." Juumonji seconds this.
"Irisu will probably yell at me later, she hates when I act too emotional." Toogaito says, probably noticing their surprised faces. "But, I don't care. Losing a dumb game is better than losing her."
Houtarou manages a stiff nod and Juumonji blinks in return.
A pair of wood nymphs appear a heartbeat later, their long wooden limbs extending then retracting. They walked over the maze's long hedged walls to get to the students, a quick and efficient method. One nymph cradles Irisu in its arms and the other offers Toogaito a ride on its broad shoulder.
"Thanks for trying to help us," Toogaito says.
"I hope Irisu-san gets better!"
"Me too!" Toogaito tells Chitanda before he too disappears over the hedge.
Houtarou and Mayaka can only stare, amazed by the sight, unfamiliar with wood nymphs.
However, as it's the norm at Beauxbatons Academy, Juumonji brings their attention back to the plant in flames first. "Who killed the Venomous Tentacula?"
"Oh no, I forgot about that!" Chitanda gaps, wide eyed. Reality seems to have struck her.
"Um," Houtarou hums.
"I did. I killed it," Mayaka answers. "Was that a bad move?"
Houtarou and Mayaka share a look. They hadn't planned to set it on fire. They had stumbled upon the plant when it looked as threatening as a piece of broccoli; that is, if they ignored its giant eyeless head, the protruding fangs from its mouth, and the spikes from its vines.
It was only after Toogaito and Irisu had come into the picture did the duo consider doing anything. Toogaito had haphazardly reached for the Venomous Tentacula, prompting it to come alive, acting like the mandrake plant and the whomping willow tree in a conscious and sentient way. It bore its fangs and snapped its long thorny vines. Of course, Irisu had jumped in front of Toogaito, pushing her partner away in time.
That's when Mayaka's reflexes came to play, the fire-making spell ready at her lips. Houtarou didn't even have time to move, both his hands on his hips.
"Were we supposed to not kill it?" Mayaka asks, looking worried now.
Houtarou turns to the girls as well, perhaps burning their obstacle was an error.
"I mean, it's in the championship's description that we have to defeat beasts, right? And we just defeated a troll, so …" Mayaka answers, her voice dropping and trailing off.
It sounded too mean to discuss the plant's death in front of its corpse. But, she means what she says. The plan made sense in her mind.
Here's the thing — before anyone acted, Houtarou and Mayaka had stood a few feet away, wondering why on earth would the Potions Championship's staff put such an obstacle in their way. It was very apparent that they were up against an overgrown flower. A plant that has its roots stuck to the ground. A plant that can't run away.
Chitanda slaps a hand on her forehead. "You were supposed to use the severing charm to stun the Venomous Tentacula and sever its vines! The leaves are an ingredient for the potion!"
"What?"
Houtaoru feels sweat gathering at the back of his neck while Mayaka's tone hints at nervousness. Chitanda appears to be a Herbology expert and the fact that she's scolding them makes the two feel worse.
"We knew the second trial wouldn't be easy," Houtarou begins his explanation "It said to look for a mystery weed, which sounded like a needle in a haystack job thanks to our green environment, but we figured it was only a scavenger hunt that would lead us to a guarded treasure, not … gathering its leaves."
Mayaka immediately grabs the front of Houtarou's robes, shaking him rather violently. "Oreki, what are we going to do?! Have we stifled our chance of advancing to the next stage?!"
"You're panicking,"
"Of course, I am! I did not come all this way just to be thwarted by a mere vegetable!"
Leaning into Chitanda's ear, Juumonji whispers, "These are the people who helped you defeat the troll?"
Chitanda shushes her partner out of politeness then asks, "Do you see another Venomous Tentacula close to us?"
"Yes, it'd be stupid for the championship staff to only have one Venomous Tentacula. This is a big maze. I bet the troll that separated us in the first trial wasn't the same one you defeated either."
"Do you mind if I tell the Mahoutokoro students about it?"
Recognising the dismay, Juumonji can only shrug. "Do what you want."
Chitanda offers her friend a squeeze on the shoulder before sharing the alternative plan. "Ibara-san, Oreki-san? Please, if you don't mind, Kaho-san can lead the way to some more leaves."
"You'll help us?" Mayaka asks, sounding both amazed and relieved as Houtarou pries her tiny hands off him. "Why?"
"The same reason we offered our assistance to Toogaito-san and Irisu-san. There is no rule that states we shouldn't help each other. I strongly believe that we should work side by side." Chitanda answers, "Plus, I would like to return the favour from the first trial."
"Oh." Mayaka says, blushing. She feels bad for suspecting Beauxbatons of having any ulterior motives. "Uh, thank you."
At this, Chitanda smiles. "We should hurry though, I think we've used up some time by calling help for Irisu-san."
Mayaka nods.
With one hand holding onto her pointed witch hat, Juumonji runs ahead and Chitanda guides Houtarou along like a mother duck, pulling him with interlocked hands. Houtarou's gaze never strays from the view of Chitanda's back and exposed pale neck.
Mayaka does not resist either, too pumped up on adrenaline to think otherwise. A part of her reasons that she should save her fighting spirit for the next challenge. The other part wants Chitanda to be right.
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"Do you still think we can't trust Chitanda?" Houtarou asks as he sprinkles the venomous leaves into their bubbling potion, stirring it accordingly.
Mayaka is quiet for a moment, and then she speaks, "I'm not sure anymore."
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3
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Satoshi has never expected the Potions Championship to go smoothly. Logically speaking, magic has always been haphazard, dangerous and wonky; so he genuinely did not have a concrete plan going into this whole thing.
If anything, he figured he could just cram as many random spells and facts as he can digest and hope for the best. The red flares being shot into the sky should have been his first warning that the third and final challenge would not be easy. The second is the near-by screams —
"Chizpurfle!"
— which causes him to run to safety, getting separated yet again. It appears he and Tanabe-senpai aren't fated to show their teamwork skills today.
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"We meet again," Satoshi says to her right. His red uniform and fur cape a contrast, standing out among the green foliage.
"Fukube-san!" Mayaka sputters, out of all the people to run into!
"Oh, you can drop the formalities. Call me 'Satoshi'," He says with a large grin.
"I —" Mayaka gaps. "I couldn't."
"A nickname then?" Satoshi suggests. "I know Dumstrang is known for its old traditions, but you can be comfortable around me."
"Um,"
Mayaka thinks she trusts Chitanda and Juumonji. Satoshi may be the friendliest person Mayaka's ever met, she wouldn't say it out loud, she finds Satoshi cute, but looks can be deceiving. Right now, it'd benefit her better if she looks at his wand.
Mayaka's eyes wander to the wooden stick in Satoshi's grasp. Looking at someone's wand may be the easiest way to decipher their personality. His is natural looking, as if plucked as a branch and given life.
"Is that pear wood?"
"It is!"
Mayaka's shoulders drop at this given information. It is said that those who own pear wands are likeable people. Perhaps she went into this championship too tightly wounded? Everyone seems so nice.
"How about I call you 'Fuku ... -chan'?" Mayaka asks, softening up.
Satoshi nods. "I like it. Are you alright with me addressing you casually?"
Mayaka nods back in return.
"Thank you, Mayaka." Satoshi says and Mayaka pretends his words don't send a shiver up her spine. "Did you notice the Chizpurfles?" Satoshi asks, switching topics skillfully.
"The crabs? Yes, they're a difficult obstacle."
"Castelobruxo and Ilvermorny have already forfeited the championship. I think another school had done so in the second trial too." Satoshi says, proud of the data he's gathered in the midst of things.
"It was Koldovstoretz," Mayaka tells him.
Satoshi's smile grows wider.
"Five schools are still in the game then?" Mayaka says before she starts re-counting in her head to double-check. Mathematics can be as complex as magic sometimes. "Beauxbatons, Hogwarts, Uagadou and us?"
"Yup,"
"Do you know much about Chizpurfle?"
Satoshi's brown eyes glow and he says in a voice that sounds like he's reciting from a textbook, "They're generally known as parasites that are attracted to magic. However, I think their carapaces play a part in this whole thing, they're used as ingredients in certain potions."
"Ah, their attraction to magic explains why I saw a Chizpurfle eat a Hogwart student's wand." Mayaka says then asks, "Carapaces?"
"The upper section of the exoskeleton,"
"Oh. How are we supposed to get the carapaces?"
"I'm not sure, it's particularly difficult to split open."
Mayaka munches on her lower lip in response.
"It's okay, I bet we can find someone who can provide an answer." Satoshi says and guides her along. They pass through rows of hedges and an abundance of blooming flowers, some of which may or may not be poisonous. "Are you worried about Houtarou?"
"Oreki will be fine," Mayaka says, short and simple.
Satoshi turns his head at this, an eyebrow rightfully raised.
Mayaka should mimic his expression to show him that she is capable of more complex emotions. She's not dodging the question because she's afraid of giving information, Satoshi probably already knows Houtarou inside and out. The boys have been pen-pals for years and Houtarou hasn't changed that much since first year.
"You see," Mayaka says slowly, "Oreki is independent."
This is the best she can put it without going into detail. Not that she can't, but she would rather avoid it. It's too mushy.
She remembers hearing about the Potions Championship being announced by their headmaster and then asking Houtarou, "Do you think you'll get picked?"
"No." Came his response, shaking his brunette head. "I'm nothing special. I'm pretty average. It'll be a surprise to me if I get picked to come along to the event."
Mayaka recalls staring at him, wondering if Houtarou was a person of humbleness or low-self esteem.
And then after Houtarou had been selected, she remembered him telling her that he was lucky. Saying he might give up the position because he knew he'd struggle to keep up with all the mental gymnastics. He only stuck around after hearing that the possibility of him winning is extra credit to his grades. Meaning, he wouldn't have to extend himself further than this one day. He could slack off in his studies for the rest of the year and still come out with a decent grade.
She bets Houtarou regrets this decision now. If he had known the Potions Championship would require all this running, he likely wouldn't have joined. He may have stayed on the school grounds to do nothing but read.
But she's glad he came.
;;
"Crabs can't climb, right?" Houtarou asks in a low whisper.
Chitanda nods. There's so much she wants to say to him right now, but it's best that they keep their conversations short. She isn't sure if the creatures will hear them. Do crabs even have ears?
"You don't have to help me anymore, you know. You did your part with the Venomous Tentacula,"
"I only helped you retrieve an ingredient, you did much more for me than that." Chitanda says matter-of-factly. "Oreki-san, if it weren't for you and Ibara-san's quick reflexes, I would have been seriously injured by the troll. I feel responsible for walking us into danger."
"That was all Ibara's work, not me."
"Nonsense, you stunned the troll too."
"No. Mayaka's the one who has talent." Houtarou says, finding himself baffled. He didn't think he'd refer to Mayaka so casually as enchanted crabs are scarfing down other student's wands.
But he means what he says.
Mayaka aims to be on the Toyohashi Tengu Quidditch team. Mayaka looks danger in the eyes every time she hovers over the turbulent and stormy-conditioned sea, insisting on playing a worshiped sport. Mayaka is brave even in her words.
Mayaka excels, and Houtarou had expected Mayaka to be chosen for this championship.
It wouldn't be Mayaka's first time having something spectacular pick her. After all, Mayaka's impressive wand chose her. Red oak wands don't let just anyone wield them. Anybody who's anybody knows that the true match for a red oak wand is a person who possesses unusually fast reactions. She is the kind of person that is good to have in a fight.
"There must have been a reason why you were chosen as one of the candidates for the championship." Chitanda presses on, her voice soft.
Houtarou's gaze shifts. "I'm alright in Potions. I guess I'm good at deduction too, but it's a muggle skill."
"And what's wrong with having a muggle skill? I see deduction like Divination. You can predict the future." Chitanda says.
"I suppose."
He raises his eyes and finds himself staring at Chitanda. And suddenly, he wishes this was the Triwizard Tournament again. Something tells him that Chitanda would look stunning in pink.
He keeps finding himself by her side. Is she someone he can't ignore?
"So, how are we going to get ourselves out of this?" Chitanda asks.
"To be honest, I would have forfeited long ago if I wasn't so afraid of Ibara yelling at me." Houtarou answers.
Not-so-secretly deep down to his toes, Houtarou doesn't think the reward of a Gold Cauldron nor the privilege to display their potioneering talents is worth it. The consequences of getting injured and potentially dying doesn't seem to equal the benefits. He should have just followed in Toogaito's footsteps.
"These Chizpurfles seem indestructible." Houtarou sighs.
Chitanda blinks at him. "Did you say 'Chizpurfle'?"
"Yeah, I remember Satoshi rambling about it to me in a letter. It was seven pages long. Why?"
"Venomous Tentaculas eat Chizpurfles!"
A beat drops. A red flare flies up in the sky. Another school has forfeited.
"You're — kidding," Houtarou says slowly.
Chitanda's smile reaches her eyes. "No, I'm not."
Houtarou pauses once more, then says, "I need to tell Ibara."
;;
The four of them manage to lure the Chizpurfles to a Venomous Tentacula. The plant holds most of the crabs at bay, gobbles them up and then spits out their carapaces once the meat is eaten.
"We have our last ingredient!" Satoshi cries out in triumph.
Mayaka throws her hands up in delight and Chitanda hugs Houtarou without a second thought. He accepts it with his arms stiffly to his side.
;;
4
;;
Uagadou School of Magic wins.
Satoshi says it's no surprise. The students of Uagadou are so powerful that they don't even need wands, magic just shoots out of their fingers or through hand gestures. The Chizpurfles had nothing on them, the students could still cast spells unlike the other schools once their wands were eaten.
"Are you disappointed?" Mayaka asks as soon as the Gold Cauldron is handed to two smiling Uagadous.
Houtarou doesn't take his eyes off the magical relic but answers Mayaka with a shake of his head.
"No." He says. "You?"
"A little." She admits.
He hums in response. "Do you think you would have won if you were partnered with someone else?"
Mayaka tosses him a strange look. "You need to push those thoughts aside. The teachers knew exactly what they were doing when they paired us together. Out of everyone at Mahoutokoro, you were assigned to go with me because you're my equal."
Houtarou pulls out his wand. "But I only used my magic to do minor things."
"You did enough," Mayaka says, patting the tall boy on the shoulder.
Houtarou's attention is still elsewhere when he notices Chitanda standing in the spot Mayaka previously was.
"Cherry wood?"
"I beg your pardon?" He asks.
Her cheery expression blooms, indigo eyes shining. "Cherry wood?" Chitanda repeats, noticing his wand. She seems at awe.
"It's nothing impressive," Houtarou answers, trying to hide it under his robes.
She looks at him, suddenly serious. "Cherry wood is a wonderful wand, Oreki-san. You shouldn't speak so ill of it."
He only looks away as a response but a light punch on the arm tells him to be social.
"You should listen to Chitanda-san," Mayaka says, "She's right, you know?"
Behind her, Satoshi appears.
"Good game, you three." Satoshi beams, joining the chatter.
"Thank you," Mayaka and Chitanda replies while Houtarou hums.
"Oh, come on, Houtarou, show some enthusiasm!" Satoshi thumps Houtarou's back with a few pats. "You usually have so much to say on paper!"
"You two write to each other?" Chitanda asks.
"Yeah!" Satoshi answers. "Believe it or not, Houtarou is actually a very interesting guy! He's an excellent pen-pal!"
Mayaka lets out a snort but Chitanda seems to be pulled in by the tidbit.
"Would you mind if we write to each other?" Chitanda asks.
"What?" Houtarou chokes.
"I mean, all four of us! So much happened today. I was able to bump into Oreki-san in most of the trials, but I didn't really have a chance to see Fukube-san or Ibara-san as often. Who knows what could have happened while I wasn't looking?!"
"Oh, I have so much to tell, I wouldn't mind exchanging letters. The more the merrier, right?" Satoshi agrees, "Plus, I will admit, I'm very interested in hearing what Mayaka has to say."
Mayaka lets out a small squeak in return and Houtarou can only stare. They may as well have been stunned by a spell.
"Write to us, won't you?" Chitanda asks.
;;
wand types
Houtarou — cherry (cherry wood is highly praised and a sought after wood among Mahoutokoro students in Japan. these wands are considered expensive, possibly because of the wood it is made out of)
Mayaka — red oak (the perfect duelling wand. its ideal master is someone who is fast when it comes to reflexes, quick-witted and adaptable)
Satoshi — pear (pear wands produce wands of splendid magical powers. possessors of pear wands are usually popular and well-respected. they are also the most resilient)
Chitanda — poplar (poplar wands rely upon, of consistency, strength and uniform power, always happiest when working with a witch or wizard of clear moral vision)
Tomoe — sycamore (the sycamore makes a good questing wand, eager for new experience, and losing brilliance if engaged in mundane activities. it is a quirk of these handsome wands that they may combust if allowed to become 'bored'. as may be deduced, the sycamore's ideal owner is curious, vital and adventurous, and when paired with such an owner, it demonstrates a capacity to learn and adapt that earns it a rightful place among the world's most highly-prized wand woods)
;;
end
;;
Notes 2: I've been suffering from writer's block for this one-shot for about a year now. The urge to settle this series has always been there but writer's block is what it is and honestly there is no defence. My gut did tell me to pick up this series a few months ago but I decided to wait a little, the reason for this is going to be explained in the next paragraph. I'm going to talk about a serious issue because I feel that I need to address it. For those of you who are well-versed in the Harry Potter fandom and J. K. Rowling, I think you know what I'm going to share my thoughts on. I'll keep this as short as possible as I know a lot of you read fanfic as a way of escapism. You can skip my notes altogether if you don't want to bring real world problems into this setting, but this is important to me.
The J. K. Rowling is transphobic issue reached my ears the same time it reached most not-into-J.K. Rowling fandom people's ears. I think in June 2020? I sat down to educate myself and listen to trans people's thoughts on this as I did not want to be influenced by hearsay (social media is known for making stuff up for the sake of drama without any supporting evidence and taking things out of context), but I also did not want to support something that would hurt a community.
I decided to turn to video analysis on YouTube, listened to both sides who argued on J. K. Rowling's behalf. Mainly Jessie Gender's analysis videos, and Blaire White's. I was conflicted until I watched videos by Samantha Lux and Sam Collins who debunked Blaire White's views. The videos were about J. K. Rowling's new book and provided proof beyond Tweets. After all this research, I do personally believe the tweets, her new book's messages and J. K. herself is anti-trans.
I know a lot of people have struggled to decide on what to do. Some either stop supporting the author all together; some separate the art from the artist; some have decided to continue reading the books with the knowledge and caution that what the author is spreading is problematic, and some straight up ignore J.K. Rowling and do their own thing.
Personally, I don't support J. K. Rowling, I do not support her anti-trans thinking and I will not buy anymore of her merch. I'm not a super fan. I haven't picked up the HP series since I finished reading in secondary school. (I've been using wiki as reference for all my fics so far because it's easier and free. Also because I've lost 4/7 of the books and there is no way I'm spending money.), but I do own the train ticket and use it as a bookmark.
I would fit myself in the category of 'separating the art from the artist' and 'digesting HP material with the knowledge and caution that what the author is spreading is problematic' as I enjoy reading DracoAstoria fics, I reblog HP posts on Tumblr for its creativity and aesthetics, and I enjoy the HP world-building and lore. So if you see me writing HP AUs, the content is for the fandom who are supportive and positive and not anti-trans.
In the wise words of Daniel Radcliffe, "I really hope that you don't entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that."
With that, this series is complete. This is my last one-shot, fittingly ending at seven. Thanks for sticking around, reading and reviewing :)
— 27 October 2020