Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
The Hogwarts Express was at it once more, chugging away northward, pulling its precious cargo of magical children to their education. Many of the carriages were full of reunions, greetings, and the like, but the topic of conversation for all was the same: The recent escape of one Sirius Black from Azkaban, the only wizard to ever achieve it.
It was big news, even months after the fact, and all were curious about why he had done it and where the dark wizard would go. Almost all universally agreed that the deranged wizard would hunt down Harry Potter at some point, to enact revenge for his master's demise. At least, that was the popular theory running up and down the train.
But near the end of the train, next to the baggage cart, was one compartment whose inhabitants were not talking about the recent escapee, or how it would affect the coming school year. Only one occupant was sitting within, staring out at the passing countryside, glum, for his summer had not gone how he had hoped.
Alexander Dantes, third-year Ravenclaw and muggle-born, was reflecting on the unpleasant summer he just had. His younger brother David turned eleven just after the holidays began, and the young boy was filled to the brim with excitement. The reason was simple: He believed that he would be receiving a Hogwarts Letter like his older brother Alexander did.
David's birthday came and went, and the little boy reasoned that Hogwarts would send his letter with Alexander's so as to save the owl a trip. He somehow maintained an excited energy throughout the holidays until the third week of August when Alexander's letter arrived, bearing his new book list and a permission slip for his parents to sign.
David eagerly snatched the letters from his hands and read through it, looking for his name and a welcoming message. He found nothing. David flipped the parchment over, reasoning that perhaps they wrote it on the back but found not a single blot of ink. He didn't understand.
Alexander's father Adrian stayed behind that year with David and Jack, while his mother, Cynthia, took him to Diagon Alley for his supplies. When they returned, David gave him such a look of anger and betrayal that it felt like a physical slap to the face. That his younger brother refused to speak to him for the rest of the summer holidays, hurt even more.
How could he explain the truth to his younger brother, Alexander wondered. That the magical world was a beautiful place of impossibilities but filled with so much hatred and scorn for impure blood, their blood. That he would be hated for something he could not control, that he would be treated like dirt by fools?
Alexander didn't know. He also hoped, although he felt an immense amount of guilt for it, that Jack would not receive an invitation to Hogwarts in two years. It would be the height of cruelty to both of his brothers, in two different ways, and he feared it would tear the family apart.
He shivered. Despite the earliness of the day, the sun had somehow vanished, taking with it its warmth. His breath came out in little puffs of fog, and as Alexander looked out the window, he was surprised to see ice forming on the glass. The Hogwarts Express suddenly screeched to a halt, throwing him back in his seat, and the lights cut off.
A darkness seemed to drift outside the window, and as it neared Alexander grew colder. It passed, but the warmth did not return, instead only intensifying. With mounting horror, he realized that whatever was causing this was boarding the train.
Dark shapes seemed to float past the window, and with each one a fresh wave of chill swept over him. Alexander cupped his hands before him and used his wandless magic to create bluebell flames. They flickered feebly in the cold, but their warmth helped Alexander recover a little. His spellcasting seemed to excite one of the dark shapes as it halted before the door, reaching out with one ghastly shaped hand to open it.
A blinding light appeared in the corridor, chasing the dark shape away. The light brought a comforting warmth that chased away the perversive chill, allowing Alexander's handheld flames to warm him up rapidly. He dispelled them a moment later as the overhead lights turned back on and the train began to move.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
It was during the Welcoming Feast that Headmaster Dumbledore told the students what the foul creatures were. Dementors, put in place to guard Hogwarts against Sirius Black. They did not care friend from foe and would attack anyone who exited Hogwarts or Hogsmeade after hours. Alexander was not alone with the phantom shivers at that announcement, and he suddenly felt less eager to visit Hogsmeade this year.
The feast was subdued this year, although not without cause. Still, Alexander ate his fill before leaving, having no desire to stay behind with his housemates, or even to stay with them in Ravenclaw Tower. Outside of meals and classes, he would not associate with them at all, after the events of the last two years.
Which was why Alexander made his way to his secret rooms. He had long since cleared the failed necromantic creations from it, turning it into an excellent study area. There was a pile of cushions he used as bedding, and while lumpy, it was enough to let him sleep. And most importantly of all were the weak wards and spells he cast upon it to hide and protect him from curious eyes.
This last fact was important because when Alexander stepped into his private space, he was surprised to find a small creature using magic to dust. It wore a clean pillowcase and looked quite similar to a goblin, but seemed less threatening overall. It must have been the lack of sharp teeth and cruel eyes.
"Oh! Sir has returned before Mopsy could finish the cleaning! Forgive Mopsy, young sir!" the little creature exclaimed. The name for the creature trickled into Alexander's mind.
"You're a House Elf, right? Mopsy, was it?" Alexander asked. While his heart was racing from surprise, he reasoned he wasn't in danger. Yet.
Mopsy nodded her head like a bobble-head. "Yes, sir! Mopsy be a Hogwarts House Elf. I's be making these rooms clean for sir since sir claimed them!"
Alexander nodded in understanding. "And you haven't told anyone I'm here? You don't have to report to anyone?"
"No, sir! House Elves be keeping silent since we like troublemakers. They always make mischief we can all enjoy!" the House Elf explained.
Alexander digested that. "So you go around cleaning up after wizards? Why were so many rooms filled with old experiments, notes, and things?"
Mopsy shrugged. "Sometimes wizards be asking House Elves to leave things be. We don't mind."
"Right. Well, thank you for cleaning my space for me. I appreciate it," Alexander said. Mopsy bowed low.
"Oh, young sir is too kind. You be calling Mopsy if you need anything!" the strange creature said. It bowed low again before disappearing with a pop.
Alexander looked at the spot in amusement for a moment. "What a strange little creature."
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
The first class that Alexander went to that year was Ancient Runes with Professor Babbling. While the subject was endlessly fascinating to him, he was very disappointed to discover they would be doing nothing but memorizing the runes he had learned in his first year for the next three months. They would be copying, translating, and charting out their historical significance throughout wizarding history before they even began to learn how to carve the runes.
For someone like Alexander, who had been forced to self-study the subject for his own protection since his first year, it was immensely disappointing. Still, one thing of note did happen in the class. Alexander did something he had never done before: He raised his hand to ask a question.
"Professor," Alexander began, mindful that he needed to be polite, "how are runic languages created?"
Professor Babbling almost smirked. She looked at the class, a mixture of all four houses on account of how small the class size was. "Does anybody know the answer?" she asked.
No one answered her, not even Hermione Granger, who looked quite vexed she did not know the answer. Professor Babbling did smile now but focused on Alexander.
"That's because nobody does. There is a standing reward among those who hold Rune Masteries to induct anyone who can provide and prove the answer. It's a question that's been asked for centuries, and the answer has always eluded us. Considering how diverse the known runic languages are, it should not be difficult to answer, yet it somehow is. Perhaps someone in this class will figure it out. I'll point out that a Rune Mastery trumps an Outstanding in your N.E.W.T.s any day of the week."
The class buzzed excitedly, but Alexander already knew none of them would discover the answer. They were novices, less than novices, and he included himself in that. Professor Babbling's words were just meant to encourage them to study harder. Still, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to the answer to his question.
Arithmancy, in comparison, was a letdown. Professor Vector, a woman who neared Professor McGonagal in age, started the class with a muggle math test of all things. It might have been written on a piece of parchment, but Alexander knew enough Algebra to recognize the formulas written down. He suffered through filling it out and turned it in with the rest of the class, who were all looking lost.
Professor Vector began to lecture as she viciously marked wrong answers on the tests before her. She seemed to take a fiendish delight in marking the students down but seemed to stumble partway through her monologue on the history of Arithmancy. She stopped speaking while she rechecked an assignment, and Alexander felt a cold chill run down his spine as she looked straight up into his eyes.
"Mr. Dantes. I had wondered if I would see you in my class. I had hoped not, but we rarely get what we want in life. Still, I will not abide with cheating. Ten points from Ravenclaw. Filius and Minerva warned the staff about you years ago, but I see time has not improved you," she muttered darkly, before returning to the tests.
Alexander felt himself trembling in rage at the accusation but chose to remain silent. His peers already thought him a liar, and arguing with a professor would just land him in detention. He'd settle for learning the subject and ignoring his classmates, who were shooting him glances from all around the room.
"Ah, Ms. Granger!" Professor Vector crowed. "This is exactly what I expected, my dear. Still plenty of room for improvement but a good start. You'll go far," she said, giving Hermione a warm smile.
Alexander suppressed a sigh as the lesson continued. Well, at least this day couldn't get worse.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
The only other notable class Alexander had that week was Defense Against the Dark Arts, with the new teacher, Professor Lupin. He had shaggy brown hair, numerous little scars over his face and hands, and his clothes were rather shabby, but he seemed friendly enough. Lupin was leading the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class to the previously unknown Hogwarts Staffroom, for a lesson on boggarts. Supposedly it was a big hit with the Gryffindor and Slytherin class that finished it earlier in that day.
The lesson and spell were easy enough; Ridiculous didn't require great magical strength, just a funny image in mind to be used as a template. While Alexander was surprised they would jump into a practical class this early in the year, he reasoned Lupin was a more hands-on teacher, which could explain the many scars he had. Lasting reminds of past misdeeds and all that.
So Alexander lined up with the other students, curious and filled with trepidation as to what his great fear would be. The line advanced far too quickly for anyone's liking, the boggart rapidly turning into spiders, snakes, even a muggle lorry that was speeding toward them. But then it was Alexander's turn.
The boggart swirled, and Alexander readied his wand, which was mainly just a prop to hide his wandless casting. The boggart began to stabilize and solidify, finally assuming a shape that Alexander dreaded with all his being.
His brother David looked back at him, his face and eyes burning with hatred as he glared at Alexander. "I hate you, Alex. I wish you'd never come home," the boggart said. The voice was exactly like David's.
Alexander froze. He could feel his heart dropping in his chest and his blood turning icy in his veins. Fake-David's words echoed unpleasantly around his head, and it wasn't until he heard snickering from behind him that he remembered where he was.
His jaw tightened. Alexander raised his wand and slashed it violently forward, forgetting to say an incantation entirely and just throwing raw magic and fury at the boggart. Fake-David's eyes bulged dramatically for just a moment before the boggart violently exploded into wisps, dissolving into nothing and shocking the classroom into silence.
"Ten points to Ravenclaw," Professor Lupin said, his voice slightly stunned. He shook his head and spoke firmer. "For finding an alternative way to defeat a boggart. Well done."
Alexander said nothing as he grabbed his book bag. His peers quickly parted before him, and he left the room, burning with shame and fury and loss.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Alexander made his way down to Hogsmeade, curious about what an entirely magical village would be like. Despite the chill of the Dementors, it was a pleasant walk, which helped distract him from how utterly awful he felt right now.
Despite understanding the material and completing all of the assignments to perfection, Professor Vector refused to grade him fairly. She had joined Professor McGonagall as his least favorite professor, as neither woman bothered to read the assignments he turned in, merely marking them Troll and passing them back. It was only his practicals in Transfiguration that kept that grade up, but he had no such luck with Arithmancy, which was a theory-based course. It wouldn't be until his seventh year that they began to touch on practical uses, which meant Alexander was screwed until then.
Every lesson so far, Professor Vector would give Alexander a nasty look before beginning the lecture. At first, she'd call on him to answer various questions, thinking there would be no way he could know the answer. Her face when he correctly answered math problems on the board, in front of everyone, would always remain a treasured memory of his. Unfortunately, it only drove her to believe even more firmly that he was cheating somehow, and continued to call on him.
After a few weeks of being able to answer correctly at their basic level, Vector began throwing more complicated problems in. Alexander had never been more thankful he was still learning non-magical studies on his own time than he was then. Due to her persistent need to prove he was cheating somehow, he was advancing his math skills far beyond his year mates, who looked lost during lessons now.
It came to an end last week when her whole personality seemed to flip, and she ignored him entirely. She wouldn't speak to him or make eye contact, and the corner he sat in was treated as if it didn't exist. She continued to mark his homework and exams as failing, but it was the best Alexander could hope for at this time.
Which led to him leaving the castle. He needed the fresh air and to get away from his fellow students who wouldn't stop staring at him for "Professor Vector's Meltdown" as it was being called. But as he walked the streets of Hogsmeade, he felt even more disappointed.
Were it not for the fact that he could see an adult wizard levitating a sign onto a building, Alexander would not even know this was a magical settlement. It wasn't even something that could blend in with the non-magical world, as it was extremely dated in design and layout, and the occupants looked as if they belonged two hundred years in the past.
Sitting outside of a shabby-looking pub, Alexander pulled out a stray piece of parchment and began to sketch what a real magical village looked like in his mind. The buildings floated around one another in rings, their orbits slow and lazy. Figures walked on bridges of light, or even outright flew to where they needed to be. It was a ridiculous image, but Alexander found himself enchanted with the idea, and continued to sketch more. A shadow fell over his parchment.
"Alexander? What are you doing?" Hermione Granger asked, looking down at his paper in puzzlement.
He stuffed it into his pocket. "Just drawing a thought I had, why?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, I meant leaning against the Three Broomsticks. You'd probably have an easier time drawing inside on a hard surface."
Alexander shrugged and opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a distinctly unwelcome voice. "Hey, who are you talking to, Hermione?"
Ron Weasley stepped up beside her and looked down at Alexander. The redhead put his hand on Hermione's arm and smirked down at Alexander.
"Ron, you know Alexander! He's in Ravenclaw, you met him last year," Hermione gently reminded. She made no effort to remove Ron's arm, and Alexander felt his stomach twist unpleasantly.
"Oh yeah, I remember now," Ron said, a smirk growing on his face. He looked at Alexander with vicious eyes. "The guy who is jealous Professor Vector likes you more!"
Of all the things Alexander expected Ron Weasley to say, that was not one of them. "What?" he asked.
Ron nodded eagerly. "Yeah, because she caught you cheating on the first day of classes. It was all over the school. You should have known better than trying to overshadow Hermione. She's brilliant."
Any scolding on Hermione's mind faded as she blushed red at the compliment. "Oh, stop it, Ron."
Alexander felt like he was going to be sick. He rose, pushing past the pair, and walking away.
"Where are you going?" Hermione's voice called out. Alexander didn't stop.
"Leave him be, Hermione. He has to settle on being second best to you," Ron Weasley boasted from behind him.
Alexander couldn't hear anymore. He didn't want to hear anymore, he just wanted to be alone.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
If Alexander ever found Sirius Black, he was going to murder him with his bare hands.
When he got back to Hogwarts, all he wanted was to be alone, with no one to bother or annoy him. Ignoring the Halloween Feast entirely, he went to the library to distract himself with anything, grabbing the first book that caught his eye and burying himself in it. It took hours for his stomach to settle, but it eventually did, and he realized with some amusement he was reading the book upside down.
He would have stayed there longer had he and the other students not been shepherded out by Madame Pince, who looked quite cross at having to leave her library, before escorting them to the Great Hall. Apparently, Sirius Black had attacked the Fat Lady, the portrait guarding Gryffindor Tower, and the whole school was to be searched. Which lead to Alexander being trapped, all night, in a room with the very people he was hoping to avoid.
Alexander dragged his sleeping bag as far away from Harry, Hermione, and Ron as he possibly could and spent the night staring up at the roof of the Great Hall. He watched comets and planets whirl through the starry sky, galaxies forming and dispersing over millennia. He found himself filled with a painful longing to sail among the stars, exploring new worlds and leaving this one behind.
Between one thought and the next, he slipped into his dreams.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
The next time Alexander walked into the Defense classroom, he was surprised to find Professor Snape standing behind Professor Lupin's desk instead of the drab man.
"Professor," Alexander said, nodding his head respectfully. Professor Snape sneered but otherwise ignored him as more students arrived.
The class began, and many of the students, Alexander included, were confused by Professor Snape's sudden switch of their curriculum, choosing instead to teach them about werewolves. Alexander dutifully took down notes, wondering why the sudden change in topics, before focusing on the attributes that usually signify a werewolf in human form.
Untidy and excessive body hair, a slight curvature of the canine teeth, fresh cuts and bruises around the full moon, and healed scars everywhere. Professor Snape added a few more, unofficial traits, such as the inability to hold a job, shabby clothes, and body odor, but Alexander understood why the professor changed their lesson:
Because their regular Defense professor was a werewolf.
Alexander found himself surprisingly unbothered by this information. He reasoned that at least Headmaster Dumbledore was aware of it and chose to allow the students to be exposed to said werewolf. That Professor Snape was here today, proved that lessons on the full moon would be covered. Which meant it was allowed, or nobody cared enough to put a stop to it.
Alexander shrugged. It's not like it would impact his life.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Alexander's second trip to Hogsmeade was no better than the first. Other than the Three Broomsticks and a dirty looking pub, the only real attractions were the shops, and they mostly catered to ridiculous things, like jokes or overpriced books. Overpriced, in this case, meaning Alexander would need to sell his parent's house to afford them.
So he instead chose to wander between the houses, just getting a general idea of the village's layout. It was an exercise in futility, as there weren't even stone roads to follow, but Alexander spent his time trying to understand the design. It seemed like any time a wizard wanted to build a house, they just found an empty plot of land, put up a few walls, and then claimed it as their own. It was utterly absurd.
He turned a corner and found an actual rubbish bin, overflowing with trash. The fact that wizards would throw away this much trash, instead of recycling or vanishing it boggled the mind. Actually, with Vanishing Charms, it was all the more practical. So focused was he on the concept of wizarding waste, that Alexander almost didn't notice the woman digging through the bin.
"Boo," she said when he finally made eye contact. "What, never seen a woman dig through the trash before?"
"No," Alexander replied.
"Well, take a picture, it'll last you longer!" The woman giggled to herself. Alexander examined her scars and hairy arms and hands. He belatedly realized that she was similar to Professor Lupin.
"You're a werewolf, aren't you?" he asked, curious.
"Yes, sir, little wizard. And judging by the fact that you haven't run away screaming yet, I'm going to guess you're not a Pure-blood. Are you a halfsies or a mud puddle?"
Taking a moment to decipher that, Alexander answered, "Mudblood."
She nodded approvingly. "So was I. Until the big baddie bit me. Had to leave Hogwarts, I did! But I stayed close. The forest was kind to me..." she trailed off, lost in her thoughts.
So she was a muggle-born who went to Hogwarts before she was bitten. Alexander didn't notice she was closer until her smell overpowered him and made his eyes water.
"Boo!" she shouted, trying to scare him. Alexander didn't move. "Ah, you're a brave one. But I see blue. So maybe you're a smart one?"
She trails off thoughtfully, looking at Alexander carefully. "Come find me in a few years, and I'll turn you. Give you a good home; keep you safe!" She cackled.
"I have a home, with my family in the non-magical world," Alexander said.
She gave him a sad smile before turning and walking away. "So did I."
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Shaken for many reasons, Alexander signed up to go home at Christmas time. Despite how things were between him and David, Alexander desperately wanted to see his family again and remind himself that they were okay. Which was why, a few days before Christmas, he found himself stepping off the Hogwarts Express and eagerly hugging his mother.
"It's good to see you again, Alex," Cynthia, his mother, said. She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Everyone is going to be so pleased to see you again."
"Even David?" Alexander asked, surprised. He felt his hope falling at the sad expression on his mother's face.
"He still hasn't gotten over it. Your father and I have tried to talk to him, but he's being difficult," she explained before changing the subject to his studies.
The trip home passed swiftly for the pair, and Alexander made sure to thank his mother for sending him his non-magical assignments throughout the year.
"It's good you brought that up," his mother said, pulling onto the street where their home was. "Do you remember that test I sent you to do a few weeks ago?"
"The one that gave me a headache?" Alexander complained good-naturedly. "Yeah, I did it and sent it back. You did get it right? Owl mail is usually pretty reliable."
"Yes, I did, and I still stand by my stance that owls make better pest control than message deliverers. Anyway, I sent it over to my friend Margie at the local university so she could help me decide on what you should study next. She wanted to know when I started tutoring an undergraduate."
Alexander was shocked. "What?"
Cynthia nodded as she parked the car. "She was amazed when I told her it was your work. Said it made sense you were going to some elite boarding school in Scotland if this was the quality of your work. She wanted to know if you picked a discipline yet."
"What?"
His mother began to giggle. "When I told her, over the phone mind you, that you were locked for four more years at your school, she began ranting at her T.A. to find out where you are so she could poach you. So expect a visit from her sometime after New Years."
Alexander joined in with his mother's laughter but could scarcely believe it himself. Margie Hannon was a rather nice woman that his mother went to school with. They were good friends, and she would occasionally visit to have tea with his mother. Their conversations always fascinated Alexander and were why he was such a voracious reader. His mother was very fond of telling the story of how he fell asleep on top of a dictionary when he was seven.
As they got out of the car, Alexander grabbed his mother's attention. "I'll talk to David, mom. I think I know how to fix this."
She gave him a small smile and a gentle hug before helping him drag his trunk inside the house. The warm sensation of home washed over him, and Alexander basked in the feeling. It was everything he yearned for, and he felt himself relaxing.
"Oh, it's you," David said, glaring at him from his perch on the stairs. Alexander gave him a small smile.
"David, just who I wanted to see. Could we talk? I have something important to tell you."
Interested despite his feelings otherwise, David tried to look casual. "What about?"
Alexander sighed. "A secret. That only you and I will know."
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Leaving his trunk in the hallway, Alexander took David up to Alexander's room and closed the door, giving them some privacy. Alexander looked around his room and once more felt like a stranger in his own home. He shook off the feeling to focus on David, who was sitting on the floor against his bed. He joined him.
"My first year at Hogwarts was miserable," Alexander said, shocking David so much that he turned to look at him, wide-eyed. "I had no friends, still don't, and I was being bullied without mercy by seven older boys."
Alexander's hands shook. Briefly, the faces of Argo Gibbon, Kevin Rowle, and Albert Tripe flashed before his eyes, all seventh years now who occasionally cast spells at him. Alexander bore their attacks in silence and was already plotting on how to ruin them.
He shook himself and focused on the present. "Every night they'd drag me out of bed. They'd hit me and curse me, and call me a Mudblood. It's the vilest insult they could call someone of my heritage, a magical born from non-magical humans. They tortured me this way for months."
Alexander found his eyes growing wet as he described what the seven boys did to him as an eleven-year-old. David's little head leaned into his arm, and Alexander could feel two wet tracks of tears leaking through his shirt. Alexander took in a deep, shuddering breath and continued.
"It was dad who gave me some good advice. You have to stand up to bullies. Otherwise, they'll never let you rest, they'll never stop. You have to make them hurt," Alexander trailed off as he remembered what he did to Robert Hilliard and Henry Duny.
"You see, the two oldest boys snapped my wand that first night in Hogwarts. And when I came home from Christmas Holidays that year, they snapped it again. They told me I was unworthy of magic, that I was nothing.
"That angered me. But that's when I began to figure out how I'd hurt them. They were so obsessed with their magic, their superiority, I knew that if I took it from them, it would destroy them. So I planned, I enacted, and at the end of the year, I ensured it that their wands were snapped and that they would never be able to graduate Hogwarts."
Alexander wondered if he should tell David more, to show how dangerous and violent the magical world really was but decided against it. He still had his innocence. Alexander wouldn't take that away.
Instead, he wrapped an arm around his brother. "I know you're upset you can't learn magic, but if the trade-off was you having to experience that? I would never allow it. You're too good for the Wizarding World, David. I love you."
"Love you too," David mumbled. The two brothers sat like that for some time before their tears stopped. "Thank you for telling me this. Are you mad I was mean to you?"
"Never. I just never want you to have to go through what I did. You mean too much to me," Alexander said, his throat dry and rough, but emotionally feeling better than he had for months. "We good?"
"We good," David said. He sniffed the air. "Mom's making cookies! Race you!"
Alexander laughed as David raced out of his room, headed toward the kitchen where the delicious scent was coming from. He slowly got to his feet before making his way over to his dresser. Pulling open the top one revealed a jumble of socks, left behind for one reason or another. He gently shifted them aside to reveal a small leather bag underneath it all, on a long cord.
Opening it up and shaking it out over his open palm, a tiny red crystal fell in his hands. It was only about as big as his thumbnail, but it glinted in the evening sun. Alexander returned it to the pouch and put it around his neck.
It was time to bring the Philosopher's Stone back to Hogwarts.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
AN: Start of Year Three.
I hope you're all enjoying the story!