Word Count: 2,057
Former Word Count: 2,658, but very different
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What Might Be Called News
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[September 2, 1994: L. Hall, Room 36, the Altair Institute of Magic]
"Have you read the Sun?" Sei asked Reid urgently. There was no way he could have —Reid had just come back from watching the Hogwarts students, where he had not, in fact, been delivered a copy of the Setting Sun.
"No," Reid said drily. "Summarize it for me?"
"Uagadou was attacked. 14 students are dead, the library is fucked, and they don't know how this happened." Sei summarized.
"Well, shit. Pass me the paper?" Reid muttered. "That's what, the third attack recently? Wait, when did this happen? Why didn't we hear about it from Mercuriel? She always updates us about this—"
"We don't know. That's why I was so urgent about this, I can't tell if she just didn't know —which I doubt— or if she was prevented from talking about it, or had something more important she was dealing with, or what. Aizaguirre hasn't been out either." Sei explained.
"Aizaguirre did just butt in to tell us not to let the Hogwarts students die, but… it wasn't more than a minute. You think there could have been a meeting called or something?"
"If there was a meeting, why didn't Solaris or even Ircoriel cover for them? They're distracted by something else." Sei pointed out. "Best guess is that they'll call us all during dinner and explain what's been happening. I wonder if they're sending relief? ATLAS certainly is, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Admin sent a few students over to MAGI or some other relief program."
"What library did you say got destroyed?" Reid asked. "They'll probably donate books. Gods know we have a surplus."
"The Mastery Library." Sei said, and the two vampires shared a grimace. "Sucks, yeah, but it's better than one of the kiddie libraries. I haven't heard the details about who's dead, but I'd wager they're all older."
"There's that, at least." Reid said grimly. "There's no headway on investigations yet? At least not public, I mean?"
"None that I've seen. Leah's been passing around her copy of the Uagadou Times, since apparently she's the only one subscribed to it. There are several pages dedicated to the dead, restoration efforts, and the investigation but… there's nothing conclusive yet."
"The Sun didn't get a bunch of copies to have in their office…?"
"They requested them. They just haven't gotten here yet— no clue what the delay is, but I wouldn't be surprised if copies of this and the next few issues are going to be demanded everywhere." Sei pointed out, picking up his copy of the Setting Sun and skimming the article again. Reid did the same.
"Two attackers?" Reid sounded surprised. "Since when were Uagadou defenses so lax that two attackers could blow up the library?"
Sei shrugged. "I don't know. There's a lot of those with this story, and I have no idea where… I just, damn it…" he trailed off, but restarted at Reid's inquisitive glance. "There's so few events like this where MAGI or local ops don't immediately get on it and figure out who/what/when/where, right? I'm… I don't know the right word… unsettled, maybe?"
"Ha," Reid jokes flatly. "Look at you, Seifried Varrick, top vampire student at Altair. Unsettled."
"Bite me."
Reid rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I get it. The third attack like this, too."
"'Like this,'" Sei echoed, putting finger quotes around the words. "That's the other thing that's weird. We're connecting the attacks because obviously, how the fuck do three separate people manage to get past defenses that have worked for centuries? But Reid, there aren't any connections. Not in motivation. Not in suspects or offenders or whatever the word is. There's no connection! Except, how else would this happen? Domestic terrorism hasn't hardly happened in the magical world in the past fourty-so years after Grindelwald. And even then, Grindelwald was just Europe, really. Although, I guess Voldemort counted for Magical Britain, though he never really managed to affect anything but Britain."
"Happens in the US a bit." Reid pointed out.
"On a different scale, with different intent. That's not domestic terrorism in the way that blowing up an international school or throwing fiendfyre around in a magical district is." Sei rebutted. "Point is, this much large-scale violence? It's worrying." he told Reid, and then quietly to himself: "Why do I even care?"
"I mean, they're people who got hurt. You like some people, and thus you have a general appreciation for all people." Reid said.
"That was…" Sei narrowed his eyes, thinking. "That was a really bad theory," he decided. "That was probably the most idiotic thing I've heard you say in the past decade. No, I don't suddenly care about everyone who ever lived, Reid. Shit, I don't even care about you most days," he continued over Reid's theatrical mimicry of being stabbed, "You know, I'm beginning to think Marcus is rubbing off on you. And yes, dear, I would love to stab you. "
"Oh, the Marcus I first met a few days ago?" Reid clarified snidely. "He's alright, actually, though he's awfully attached to a bunch of idiot children. Six of them didn't even make it to the school."
"Oh, tell me more." Sei said sarcastically.
"Can I?" Reid asked. "As much as I am complaining about them, and probably will be, it's like watching an ongoing soap opera. It's hilarious. It's all just infighting and giving up and throwing fits about childish things."
"They are fifteen." Sei pointed out. "Also no, I don't want to hear it, Seifried. Best guess is people like you who paid too much attention to them are going to get roped into helping Admin manage the baby wizards."
Reid thought for a moment about the validity of that assumption and grimaced. "Shit."
…
[September 2, 1994: The Setting Sun]
This article has been reprinted in the Setting Sun for the convenience of Altair Associates and with permission from the Uagadou Times.
14 KILLED, 9 INJURED IN ATTACK AT UAGADOU SCHOOL OF MAGIC
The Uagadou Times, Siwatu Sekibo
September 1, 1994
Authorities say two individuals placed a faulty ward-stone in Uagadou Mastery Library, activating it during peak hours. The resulting explosion killed 14 students and wounded nine others, including seven beings under the age of 18. One of the individuals was killed in confrontation with several Uagadou students, but the whereabouts of the other attacker are as-of-yet unknown.
Yesterday (Aug. 31) at around 4:00 p.m. there was an explosion at the Uagadou Mastery Library which killed 14 students and wounded nine others. Three of those injured are hospitalized in critical condition, and four others in serious but stable condition, and the two others have only minor injuries. Those killed have been listed in the obituary, and a memorial service will be held Saturday, Sept. 3.
The explosion destroyed a fifth of the library, including some of the outer wall and support beams. The Mastery Library is currently closed until repairs can be done. Uagadou Administration estimates the completion of repairs to happen within three weeks, though the books lost will take more time to recover.
The attacker that was killed has been identified as Niagh Akintola, former student of Uagadou School of Magic. Akintola graduated from the Uagadou School of Magic three years ago, after only completing the required years. The other attacker has yet to be identified, and authorities have yet to determine a motive.
Classes at Uagadou were scheduled to begin Wednesday (Sept. 7) but have been suspended until Monday (Sept. 12).
There has been no other information recovered at this time.
For more information on the recent spikes in violence, see page 8.
…
[September 3, 1994: The Setting Sun]
THE GRAND WELCOME - HOGWARTS STUDENTS ARE TRAVERSING CONVALLIS
The Setting Sun, Nadia Wilm
As you all know by now from my wonderfully objective reporting, Altair Institute is set to welcome students from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry starting… oh, today. This bizarre choice by Admin has been justified as a method of calming tensions with European magical nations, as Hogwarts tends to lead in "progress" there, as well as being a good opportunity to torture all of us students here attending Altair.
The most common question this esteemed writer has received has been "Why the fuck are Hogwarts students, of all places, being allowed to come to Altair?" After all, they're all younger than the majority of admitted Altair students are, none have passed any of the preliminary exams generally used to test ability, and, perhaps most obnoxiously of all, they've been proven to be —if not outright hostile towards— entirely ignorant of any being other than wizards and witches. Humans.
I don't know if Admin has ever actually been to the Atrium, if even for a moment… but the majority of Altair is, well, not human. And now we are what, exactly? Being tasked with "reeducating" baby magical humans with little experience in the real world? Or, if not that, then tolerating their ignorance and abuse for the next year?
While the Headmasters have made it clear that the Hogwarts students are not going to be held to different standards than Altair students… aren't they already? They were offered three days to traverse Convallis… we got two. They're being offered a week's "grace" so that we don't immediately get them to quit. How is that not different standards? Is there a set date where they'll start being held to Altair standards? But wait, they're being enrolled in two extra classes —admittedly, Culture and Customs (with Sottero of all professors) and Theory of Magic aren't classes Altair students have ever needed, it's much more in the message of these things.
I'm hardly about to say that Admin doesn't have a good reason to invite them here. After all, I'm not entirely sure Deputy Mercuriel (let alone Headmaster Aizaguirre) has ever been wrong about anything. Hell, even Professor Icoriel has been having a laugh out of this, and he's the oldest vampire there is!
But maybe, just maybe, the point is that it's all for comedic relief!
(Look at that topic shift, ladies and gentlebeings, and weep!)
If you've been one of the few dozen students (and teachers! I saw you Profe, Ms. Parker…) then you'll be very aware by now of the Hogwarts students' failings. And that is, of course, their complete lack of any ability or talent whatsoever. One dumbass student got himself scarred by a non-magical hawk. Another group got lost entirely! So few of them made the effort to research Altair's "testing" process to figure out that a hike was involved that a grand total of four of them hauled their things in backpacks?
Do you know how little research it takes to figure out the introduction is a trek through the valley? My baby sister —she was six, mind you— figured it out and warned me about it! Off the bat, most of them made it incredibly obvious how little regard they had for our school. Not only that, but they whinged and wailed all about it when they were told what to expect. From that point on it got nothing but worse.
They split into three groups (logical), two of which proceeded to spend almost the entire first day getting nowhere and bickering all the while. They managed to disturb nests so far off of any frequently used trails that it's like they were looking for them. They gave up on even the weakest obstacles, and even the most docile of creatures scared them.
The highlight of their adventures? Their reactions at being tormented by Altair students. Is that what this year will be? Months of suffering intolerable children, only interspersed with their reactions to mischief? While I know some of you are fans of tormenting the willfully ignorant, I can't help but find it depressing.
I will, however, give credit where it's due. One of the groups, composed of Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Luna Lovegood, and Callisto Potter-Black, managed quite well, and even got here in two days! Admittedly, Ms. Potter-Black is currently (as of this morning, at least) in the Healing Hall and being treated for a manticore sting, and the others are being checked over.
Even with those exceptions, I have to say… the Hogwarts students disappoint.
…