Luna Nova Cafeteria
As the detention given to the Red and Green Covens included them being not allowed to leave the campus until they fully served said detention, the six girls involved are stuck in campus for one more day. Though it doesn't really matter to the Red Coven anyway, since they weren't in the mood of going to Blytonbury after the whole fiasco with Annabel Creme yesterday.
Akko decided to take the opportunity to tie up some loose ends with a certain Irish-accented talking staff.
"Shiny Rod, please tell me exactly why you had to shock Diana, even if she isn't worthy?"
"As I mentioned before, that is a long story..."
Not satisfied with the Shiny Rod's response, Akko snatched it off the table, turned it upside down, and slammed its blunt end down on the floor, earning a pained grunt from the staff.
"You've already caused a 'long story' for that whole fiasco involving Cavendish..." Sucy reasonably pointed out for the staff. "I would've force-fed you a truth potion, were it not for the fact that you're an inanimate object..."
"Also, since we're going to be stuck in campus for the rest of today..." Akko, not in the mood for anything exciting today due to yesterday's events, told the sapient staff. "We have plenty of time for plenty of 'long stories'..."
Before Akko can continue, however, a pair of hands from a fourth person excitedly placed themselves on the Red Coven's table, drawing the attention of everyone seated there.
"Annabel Creme! You have no idea how long I have been waiting to meet you!" Declared Elfriede Koch, one of Chloe's Coven mates, as she excitedly looked Lotte in the eyes. "I'm a huge fan of Nightfall! I wanted to meet you in person yesterday, but you disappeared in a literal puff of smoke before I can do so, and I was so sad about it! But imagine my surprise to see you right here, having been one of my classmates this whole time!" Elfriede then moved her face uncomfortably close to Lotte's. "How did you manage schoolwork and being the creator of the world's biggest media franchise?!"
"Umm, Elfriede..." Lotte said awkwardly as she gently pushed the enthusiastic brunette an inch away.
"Never mind that! Can I have your autograph?! What plans do you have for the future of the Nightfall franchise?! What is your favorite plot in the franchise?! Are you going to canonize the fan theory that Arthur is actually gay?! Can you add my OC, Sir Elton Brooker of Joelstein, in the next volume of the novels and make him canon?! How about-"
Elfriede's strings of Nightfall-related questions is promptly interrupted when Sarah Bernhardt, another one of Chloe's Coven mates, suddenly appeared and covered the enthusiastic brunette's mouth with her hand.
"Sorry about that, Annabel..." Sarah apologized to Lotte. "Elfriede is a bit... crazy... when it comes to Nightfall..."
Saying that, the tall redhead then dragged her brunette Coven mate away, while Elfriede squirmed under Sarah's hold.
"Well, I guess you're not the Number 1 fan of Nightfall anymore, Annabel..." Akko commented, then immediately reeled in disgust of being forced to call Lotte "Annabel".
Lotte looked down sadly at her untouched meal. Being indirectly reminded of the Curse of Annabel Creme did not help with her mood. "Am I never going to be able to hear my real name, ever again?" She sadly wondered.
Akko gave Lotte a comforting headpat. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find a way to get it back." She said. "Even if we have to burn that girl, Mary-Ann Lait, at a stake to get it done." Akko added, giving the former author of Nightfall a particular amount of venom when mentioning her real name.
Sucy actually giggled at what Akko just said. "Burn her at the stake? Wow, Akko, you must be my distant relative..."
"If you were actually serious about doing that, then you wouldn't have been made worthy of wielding me in the first place..." The Shiny Rod commented.
Akko slammed the sapient staff on the ground again. "Speaking of being worthy, it's time for you to explain exactly why Diana isn't."
The Shiny Rod let out a sigh (or what sounded like a sigh, as it has no mouth to speak of). "I regret to inform you that I lied and called it a 'long story' because it is very awkward to say: the Descendant of Beatrix has, in your modern day vernacular, mommy issues..."
Akko, Lotte, and Sucy collectively rolled their eyes on hearing that.
"That's it?" Sucy remarked. "The cabbage head has issues with her mom?"
"Is it bad enough for you to deem Diana unworthy?" Lotte brought up a point for the Shiny Rod.
Akko is less than pleased by the answer she just got. With an uncharacteristic scowl on her face, she proceed to slam the Shiny Rod on the ground, earning another pained grunt from it.
"You caused us to get detention because of that?!" The Japanese girl yelled at the sapient staff.
Everyone in the cafeteria stopped what they are doing. Whether they are having their meals, finishing their homeworks, chatting with one another, or just doing things with their smartphones, they all stopped what they are doing to stare at the Red Coven. Murmurs soon followed the scene.
"Is Kagari arguing with her talking staff?"
"What did she mean by 'that'?"
"Does it have something to do with Shiny Chariot?"
"How does Manbavaran and Creme handle their loud Coven mate, anyway?"
The Red Coven girls looked at the other students awkwardly. Akko especially so as she is the one who drew everyone's attention.
"Kagari, would you mind?" An annoyed Avery chastised Akko from the table occupied by the Purple Coven. "We're trying to shoot a video here!"
Indeed, the Purple Coven appears to be set up for shooting a video. Avery is standing in front of a video camera that Mary operated, while Blair looked like she was preparing to toss a bucket of confetti (with a broom animated by magic, ready to clean it all up). Mary is not pleased by the interruption, as she glared at Akko.
Akko stood up and bowed apologetically to the Purple Coven. "I'm so sorry."
Lotte also stood up and apologized. "Sorry about that, Avery..."
Avery dismissed it with a shush. "Never mind." She said. "That video is just a minute long, we could spend the entire day doing reshoots if needed."
"Though I hope you don't repeat this in the banquet next Sunday." Blair interjected.
"Alright, alright, I will..." Akko said as she set the Shiny Rod down on the table, briefly giving it a glare before turning back to the Purple Coven upon realizing something. "Wait. What banquet?"
"Haven't you heard?" Avery spoke up. "Next Sunday, Luna Nova will be holding a banquet to commemorate its 60 years of friendship with Appleton. Headmistress Holbrooke expects us all to give the guys at Appleton a good impression like it has always been."
"Maybe I just wasn't informed about this friendship banquet, which sounds like serious business with how you talked about it." Akko said with a shrug. "But what is Appleton, anyway?"
...
Appleton Academy
"Hey, Louis, have you heard about the inter-academy friendship banquet that will be held next Sunday?"
Louis Blackwell, in the middle of a casual game of poker with his friends in the central courtyard of Appleton Academy, looked up from the cards in his hand when the topic is brought up by said friends.
"What academy is the great Appleton Academy going to have that friendship banquet with?" Louis asked for clarification.
"With Luna Nova, I heard." One of his classmates answered.
Louis thought about what he heard for a bit before putting down the cards in his hand - he would've won with his current deck anyway.
"Isn't Luna Nova that school for witches?" Louis stood up from the poker table and pointed out for everyone. "Whose staff members are rumored to be biased against muggles?"
"If we're talking about witches," One of Louis's classmates brought up. "don't most of them act like it's still the Middle Ages?"
"With only a handful who are willing to accept modern technology?" Another classmate brought up his own point.
Louis crossed his arms for emphasis. "Right. Witches are simply those that cling to the stale, vulgar traditions of the past, with only a handful who are willing to accept advancements." He declared to everyone. "After all, those that wither away while never adapting to a changing society would be terrible matches for ourselves."
With that, the students of Appleton who have gathered around Louis started joining in with their own points.
"Which muggle invention proved to be more efficient than fairy-powered lamps? The lightbulb."
"Which muggle vehicle has flying brooms beaten in every aspect except portability? The aeroplane."
"Which muggle communication method can send a message to its intended receiver in the time it takes a messenger owl to spread its wings? Radio signals."
"What is it that helped the allies win World War 2? The atomic bomb, created by a muggle scientist."
"Whose knowledge and expertise helped put Neil Armstrong on the moon? A muggle called Werner Von Braun."
Louis just stood there, being all smug about it as everyone made their own points that agreed with his...
"Are you guys so sure it's a good idea to insult witches, or even the wizarding world in general, like that?" Then someone in the crowd of Appleton students - a guy with a triangular hairdo - said something different. "I mean, some of us in Appleton have relatives who are witches or wizards, or are themselves wizards..."
That got everyone to stop for a bit.
"You're right, Frank."
"I do recall Amadeus mentioning that he has a sister in Luna Nova."
"Speaking of witches..." One of Louis's classmates suddenly said. "Aren't they kind of erotic too? Like, I've heard a lot about how the feudal lords in the medieval ages were often lured by witches sexually..."
"No, that's totally wrong, Crabbe..." The triangular-haired student, Frank, pointed out for that person.
Louis followed that by giving his classmate a light smack on the back. "Where'd you hear that rumor anyway, Crabbe?! That's as bad as when you suggested we dress up as executioners in last year's Halloween banquet!" He proceeded to chew out Crabbe.
"Right, we're not supposed to ruin 60 years of inter-academy friendship with one politically incorrect rumor." Louis's other classmate remarked. "By the way, Louis, I heard that your dad is invited to the banquet too."
Louis took note of that. "Really, Goyle? My father?" He asked for clarification.
"So is Andrew's dad, I think..." Frank added to that.
"Andrew's father?" Louis sounds surprised by that. "As in Senator Paul Hanbridge? But why? What is the headmistress of Luna Nova up to...?"
"There were also rumors that Luna Nova is facing financial issues, so maybe..." The other classmate, Goyle, said as he then did a "the answer should be obvious" gesture.
"Financial issues, huh?" Louis took note of that.
So yeah, it's canon that Diana has mommy issues. Though you probably noticed, going by Diana's behavior in the previous chapter, that it is probably very different than canon. How? Well, that'll have to wait until a later chapter.
And here's the introduction of Appleton Academy, along with Frank and Louis Blackwell. Unlike the canon version of Appleton, however, this version of Appleton is friendly toward Luna Nova and witches in general (aside from some incorrect stereotypes about witches), with this version of Louis even believing that dressing up as executioners for Halloween is bad (in contrast to canon where he leads his classmates as Appleton's anti-witchcraft executioners).
Yes, Louis's wingmen being called Crabbe and Goyle are deliberate references to Harry Potter.
Also, Elfriede (a background witch that shares Sarah's coven) naming her Nightfall OC "Sir Elton Brooker of Joelstein" is a reference to the fanfic "Spellswitched" by Diana1969, where it is mentioned by Elfriede during her appearance in that fic's fifth chapter.
"Just remember: a believing heart is your magic..."
Afterwords end here.