Chapter 3: Explanations
A few seconds later they were in America. Another second later they were in the field which the Avengers Compound was. Sylvia pocketed her wand and made the wind to take her and Matilda flying towards the building.
She wasn't too sure for how Muggle ward worked, but she was sure that there would be something there to announce their arrival to the people inside. That turned out to be true, because Friday's voice came and not long after Captain America came too.
"What are you doing here, kids?" Steve Rogers stared at them.
"First off, we're not kids. To the point, we want to help with saving half of the universe." Sylvia replied.
"Girls, this is not a plaything, it's a war. You could get killed. Where are your guardians?"
"Both my parents are dead, most of my relatives are not very nice, and I'm definitely not going back to a family that lied to me for eight years and supported my mother's murderers." She said.
"And you?" Cap tried with Matilda.
"I don't even know who my parents are and I'm not going back as well." The Potter girl said.
"I don't care this is a war. This is about saving trillions of lives. If you're worrying that we can't fight, then I can prove you wrong right now. I've defeated a fifth-year at the start of my first-year in many duels." Sylvia continued, "And we're of age, just found out yesterday morning."
"You never told me that!" Matilda turned to her.
"Slipped out of my mind. I crossed the Age Line, but that's beyond the point. We're joining and you can't send us away." She said firmly, ignoring his blank look at "Age Line".
"Stark? We've got a problem here." They heard him mutter as he pressed on his earpiece.
"Big problem or small problem? We're working on the times at the moment." Came Mr Stark's impatient voice.
"See it for yourself, Tony." Cap sighed. A few moments later Mr Stark came as well.
"Why are you back, kids?" Mr Stark stared at them.
"I repeat, we're not kids." Sylvia hissed, "We want to help."
"Nope. Not happening." The Man of Iron said.
"You let that... Spider-Man help." Matilda pointed out.
"Without my permission." Mr Stark cleared.
"We're joining." Sylvia repeated, "You recruited Peter Parker when he was fifteen, which is our age right now."
"You can't join a war just like that." Mr Stark told them.
"So, you think wizards don't have wars?" She smirked, "Perhaps Mr Ollivander didn't tell you about the First and Second Wizarding Wars and the time he got kidnapped because he's the best wandmaker in the world, or when the Dark Lord and Dark Lady rose and killed loads of innocents while the Dark Lord made Horcruxes by killing people to be immortal, and when Grindelwald came to power for two decades for 'The Greater Good', along with the Death Eaters who serve the dark and kill anyone that gets in their way, and recruited giants, dementors, and werewolves, or the time when the 'R' nearly took over the powers of the Cursed Vaults, or when a pack of werewolves attacked the school, killed a teacher and infected a student. I doubt he told you about the Unforgivable Curses, which contained a spell that can kill in six syllables, the torture curse, and a spell that can make people do whatever the caster wants. Our wars are even more dangerous than yours, for magic caused more problems than it had solved."
The two men were shocked at the list, and Mr Stark spoke again, "I don't see a chance of sending you away."
"Yup." Matilda nodded.
"We're not going anywhere until you agree that we can help. Matilda can control all metals, and I have power over the elements, air, fire, water, and earth." Sylvia added.
"We're doomed." Mr Stark said to Cap, "I need to think about making non-metal suits now."
"And just how are you going to get electricity without metal wires?" She sniffed.
"Right, kids – "
"Girls, if you please."
"– you can come, but it doesn't mean I'm letting you join." Mr Stark said.
"Can Friday test our age, Mr Stark?" Sylvia asked suddenly, "I need to know the truth."
"Calculating age." The voice said and she felt something scan her, "Your age is one thousand three hundred and twenty-nine."
"Told you, we're not kids." Sylvia sighed.
"Someone gets Thor." Cap said a bit urgently.
"One thousand three hundred and twenty-nine." Matilda repeated in disbelief.
"I expected it to be bigger than seventeen, but I never expected myself to be that old." She said, also couldn't believe it, "I think you might be something about that as well."
"Over a thousand years old? I don't think so." Matilda gapped.
"How old is Thor?" Sylvia asked.
"A thousand five hundred and something." Cap replied.
"You don't think I'm of Asgard, right?" She asked desperately.
"If you're Asgardian then what about me?" Matilda was worried too.
"How old did Friday say you are?" Thor came to them.
"A thousand three thousand and twenty-nine." Sylvia said again.
"Impossible." The God of Thunder muttered.
"What do you know about this?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes.
"No, you can't be." Thor grunted, "'Tis impossible..."
"What, pray tell, is impossible?" Matilda demanded.
"I think she's one of yours, Thor." Mr Stark spoke up, "Her age matches."
"I just found out I'm a Black and now you're telling me I'm of Asgard?" Sylvia stared at them, "I'm a Goddess?"
"Of nature or elements, from what you said." Mr Stark clarified.
"But I was born as the child of Regulus Black and Martha Malfoy, how is that possible?" She looked up.
"Your father died thirty years before you were born - in 1979, while you were born in 2007 - that's not supposed to be possible." Matilda reminded her.
"So, I was sent down to – what you call it – Midgard?" Sylvia asked, "That's why I have those crazy powers? Whoever sent me, tell him or her that it's the best choice they've ever made, and got my mum killed."
"What about me?" Matilda spoke up, "Um, Friday?" The AI reported her age as well, and it turned out with the similar result.
"So, if we're Asgardians, may we help?" Sylvia brought the main matter up.
"Are you doing to defy my people?" Thor pipped up again.
"I guess not." Mr Stark said, "Don't mess with anything."
"Thank you, Thor – or should I call you Your Majesty now?" She looked up to the King of Asgard.
"No need." Thor said, still trying to get the whole "two more Asgardians" thing through his mind.
"You're a very Slytherin Ravenclaw, you know that?" Matilda muttered as they walked into the building.
"'Course I know that. I'm Sylvia Nyphadora Black, and Blacks belong in Slytherin." Sylvia replied.
"Sirius Black doesn't." Matilda pointed out.
"Well, he's disowned." She said.
"Blacks are really insane." Matilda murmured.
"Say that to Aunt Bella, not me, and she's Lestrange now." Sylvia chuckled, "Like Potters are any better."
"Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived!" Matilda exclaimed.
"And how many stupid things has he done to save the world with loads of luck?" She retorted.
"I'm out." Mr Stark raised his hands in defeat in front of the conversation he doesn't understand a thing.
"There are Black relations in Hufflepuff, just for a matter of fact." Matilda braced a new point.
"Yeah, but Teddy is a Lupin, not Black." Sylvia pointed out, "There are Potters in Slytherin too."
"Not in direct relation. Dorea Potter was a Black that married to the Potter family." Matilda said.
"I meant Albus. And all pureblood families are related somehow, remember? Though Cadrella Black was disowned for marrying Septimus Weasley, while marrying Potters and McMillans in Black family doesn't." She smirked.
"That's exactly how Blacks are insane, disowning people for doing anything related to Muggles." Matilda sighed.
"Correction, it's blasting people off the family tree. But I haven't burned anyone off yet." Sylvia raised her brows.
"Are you two done yet?" Thor yawned.
"Nearly. Family matters is very serious, you know." Matilda's eyes twinkled.
"Potters doesn't care about it, from what I know." Sylvia rolled her eyes, "I think we should tell her that we know, otherwise they'll find out we've left anyway. Are you going to get the floo powder or the parchments, Alumy?" She turned to serious mode.
"We're telling McGonagall now?" Matilda frowned.
"In case we don't make it. I think we'd better owl her." Sylvia said, "Are we using Nightstripe or Hoot?"
"Wait what?" Cap stared at them blankly.
"We need to explain a few things to our Headmistress." Matilda said simply.
"And where exactly is your school?" Mr Stark asked, "We can't find a thing about your past records."
"I need an Unbreakable Vow from all of you if we're going to explain this, and I don't want to do it twice." Sylvia told the three men, "I assume Mr Ollivander never said a thing about our school, for it is Unplottable – you can't find it on any maps and Muggles, non-magical people which are called No-Majs here, can only see it as a pile of trash or will suddenly remember something important and walk away."
"Is Nat back with him yet? Rabbit and the blue one is outside." Thor suddenly asked.
"Yeah, with Hawkeye." Mr Stark replied, "They should be here any minute now."
"And here they come." Cap looked over to the direction where the agents were coming from.
"Wait, who's rabbit?" Matilda asked.
"He's a talking racoon. I' don't think they've got those in Asgard, talking ones or not." Mr Stark replied, "They're here." He announced and a blue-skinned woman, a racoon walking on two legs, and a man in a grey machine came in, "The racoon's Rocket, that bluey is Nebula, that's Cint, Hawkeye, and the other is War Machine, Rhodey." Mr Stark introduced them, "Guys, this is Sylvia Black and Matilda Potter, and what did you call her just then?"
"You mean Alumy? That's her nickname. Mine's Gloomywing, Gloomy for short. We all made our nicknames based on our patronuses – our soul animal – but Matilda's is based on her powers." Sylvia answered.
"I think you can explain now?" Mr Stark said as Dr Banner and Scott came too.
"Yes. I have two conditions: one, this whole thing is top secret, we've been living underground since the middle ages, and no one of your kind can ever know about it, none of this conversation leaves this room; two, do not tell SHIELD, we're not going to become the centre of some scientific research, we've seen what they've done to loads of people. To be sure, I need some Unbreakable Vows. I don't know if they work on other species, but it's still necessary." Sylvia said to everyone and preformed the Vow on each one of them, with Matilda as the witness.
"You don't have to believe it, but we're witches. You've seen our wands and magic – not the powers – and like I said, witches and wizards have a secret community, away from the Muggles and No-Majs, who are non-magical people like SHIELD and normal citizens." Sylvia started, "The only reason no one outside of the community apart from very few occasions have noticed us, is that we can perform magic. Memory Charms, Unplottable Charms, Muggle-Repelling Charms, wards, all sorts. Technology can't detect those because they're Muggle as well. When Muggles have noticed something, like when a dragon broke out of its Unplottable place, Obliviators from the Ministry of Magic will either wipe their memories or plant false ones.
"British witches and wizards go to a school named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, located in Northern Scotland – don't try and go looking for it, because you can't find it and even if you somehow do, you'll get your memory wiped. There are other magical schools throughout the world, like Ilvermorny in America and Drumstrang somewhere in Northern Europe. They can choose to be home-schooled, but the majority goes to schools to learn magic. In Hogwarts, we have four houses: Gryffindor for bravery, Ravenclaw for wit, Hufflepuff for loyalty, and Slytherin for ambition. We're both in Ravenclaw.
"Our main sport is called Quidditch, played on flying broomsticks and a bit like football with two mad balls that smack players, three hoops for goals on each side, and a tiny ball faster than lightning that would only end the game when someone catches it. I'm the Quidditch team captain for Ravenclaw.
"For Magical Creatures, most of your imaginary creatures does exist, like I've said a few days ago. Winged houses, unicorns, centaurs, goblins, merpeople, dragons, fairies, and phoenixes, they're all real. I've got a few in my trunk but I don't want to destroy this building by releasing the Peruvian Vipertooth – the smallest and most poisonous breed of dragons."
"Wait, you've got a dragon?" Matilda cut in.
"Yes, and for your information, a Nundu, a Chimaera and a Basilisk too." She replied.
"You've got four of the most dangerous creatures in the world, you know?" Matilda glared at her.
"I know, but they're tamed, or at least listen to me, and they're all not full grown yet." Sylvia smiled proudly, "Probably came from me being Goddess of Nature. So, that's about it. Oh, and don't think Hogwarts is a magical paradise, because its safety rate is really low. A stone was placed in the castle for a year with protections a few eleven-year-olds could break through, there's a Chamber with a monster that can kill you by looking at it, a mad tree that hits whoever gets close to it, and a forest full of danger. No Muggle devices work in the school grounds and the castle. Any questions?"
"I believe you." Cap looked up, "No one could make up such a logical story in ten minutes."
"Can you prove it?" Black Widow asked, looking curious.
"I'd better use verbal spells for this. Grab something. Anyone. Anything. No, not the Stormbreaker." Sylvia pulled out her wand and pointed it at Cap, who was holding up his shield, "Expelliarmus." The shield instantly flung out of his hand and Sylvia caught it with her free hand. "Disarming, it comes in handy." She then vanished a teacup, made a book coming flying to her, summoned a Thestral patronus, and turned the book into a kitten and back.
"Believe it now?" Matilda looked around the gathered people as the patronus disappeared into silver vapour and faded.
"We've got to write the letter now if we want it to arrive the day after tomorrow. We'll leave you to think about this, I know it can be hard to take in." Sylvia went out of the room with Matilda.
"Okay, how in Merlin's name are we going to explain to her? She doesn't even know we're out of the Ollivanders, nor that we know who we are!" Matilda asked as they sat down in a spare table and prepared the parchments and quill.
"We'll tell her the truth. McGonagall can't stop us now." Sylvia sighed and made the quill write on itself supported by air force. '
Dear Professor McGonagall, it wrote,
We are sorry to say that we have discovered the truth lately, about our biological families. We believe you know the truth already.
But that is not all. We have left the Ollivanders on our own act but cannot tell you where we are due to certain events, but we have just found that we are not only a Black and a Potter, but Asgardian children that has been sent down to Earth for some reason. We believe you do not have an explanation to this, but we must say that family history is not the reason to kill a mother and kidnap an innocent child to make it an orphan. We have cancelled the Blood Adoption in Gringotts because we found out it was actually a ritual to track us.
We will attend the next schoolyear with the permission of ourselves, as we're both of age in Midgardian years.
Your sincerely,
Sylvia Black and Matilda Potter
"That was a bit demanding." Matilda commented.
"Yeah, but I can't find any other ways to explain." Sylvia shrugged. "We're using Hoot, right?"
"He's faster." Matilda agreed and attached the rolled-up latter to the screech owl's outstretched leg before muttering "Impervius" and tapped the letter. "Go straight to McGonagall's office, don't show up in the Great Hall. Rest on the way when you're tired and get some food. Go for a treat in the owlery if you want to and come back after enough rest."
The owl hooted and flew out of the window for the longest journey of his life.
"Now what?" Matilda turned to Sylvia.
"Do you want to see them?" She smirked and turned her trunk into normal size and set the form to "Zoo" before opening it, "Come on!"
"Don't expect me to – AHHHHH!" Matilda screamed and closed her eyes firmly as she climbed into Sylvia's personal Magical Creatures' place.
"It's fine, she won't kill you." She reassured her and turned to the Basilisk, which was only five-foot-long, "Don't kill my sister, okay?"
"I'm not really your sister right now." Matilda muttered and slowly removed her hands from her face.
"There's Toothfull." She pointed at the scarlet red Vipertooth who extended his half-grown wings in welcome, "And that's Hermia." The Chimaera purred, "That's Northey." The lynx sized Nundu dipped his head. "You know Sherell," The Swooping Evil circled around them before curling up in Sylvia's hand, "Scorch is the phoenix, and the Basilisk is Tanisha."
"Where did you get all these?" The Potter girl asked in astonishment.
"Miya gave me Sherell for Christmas, I found Tanisha's egg in the Chamber of Secrets, Toothfull's from when I went to the dragon taming place and found his egg abandoned, Northey and Hermia are from Forbidden Forest, there's like everything in that place, and Scorch is from the ashes I found in a Fiendfyre. They mostly thrive in here themselves, and I sometimes come down to check on them. Nightstripe sometimes comes in too." Sylvia looked around the forest and mountains, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"So, this is what you did when you went to the Room of Requirement so often. How?' Matilda breathed.
"Remember that I'm the Goddess of Nature? I created this place. It was the first time I used earth powers." She replied.
"Nice zoo." Someone outside of the place called.
"Yeah, I figured that out. Undetectable Extension Charm, I did a big one on this." Sylvia called back and flew out, dragging Matilda along. It was Natasha, Black Widow.
"Impressive." The agent commented, "Want to join us on figuring out what time we're going?"
"Sure, we really need to get our mind off a few things." Sylvia agreed before Matilda could say anything. The Potter girl sighed and followed them.