Chapter 9: We're in Scotland

Elsa loved her first day of school. Each class introduced a new subject of knowledge, and she hungered for more. She had caught up with Jack earlier and got the scoop on the subjects he attended in the morning but didn't quite believe him that History of Magic was a magical sleep inducer or that Professor Snape had vampiric mind control powers.

While waiting for supper, she lounged in Ravenclaw common room, reading a book about Hogwarts when she accidentally stumbled upon a piece of information that shook her world: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was located in the Scottish highlands.

She slowly let go of the page, her fingers stiff from the intense way she held the book. She couldn't believe that after all the effort they made to escape, they had come right back.

"It's freezing," a student sitting next to her complained, and Elsa realized that she accidentally lowered the room temperature with her mood. Losing control like this didn't happen to her often, and she didn't know how to undo it. All she could do was to leave.

She headed for the Great Hall, where she hoped to find her brother. Yes, he was already there. She marched up to the Gryffindor table, grabbed Jack by the arm, and dragged him out. He must have sensed her urgency because he let himself be hauled out without a word. Once in the hallway, she checked if they were alone and finally released him.

"Do you realize where we are?" she asked, panic sinking its claws into her.

He rubbed his arm and raised an eyebrow at her. "Looks like a hallway to me."

She hit him on the same arm, and he winced. "This isn't a joke, Jack. Not everything is a joke!"

She closed her eyes, took a long breath, and tried to calm herself down. It wasn't right to take out her nerves on her brother. "Jack, we're in Scotland."

His eyes bulged. "What?" he shouted so loud that an echo of it bounced around the walls and continued echoing in her head long after it had been said. He pulled on his hair with both hands. "So stupid. So stupid," he muttered with closed eyes. "We were going north for hours. I should've known. " Then, he looked back at her pleadingly. "We should have asked her where this school was."

Elsa felt exactly the same. They were so excited to come here, they never stopped to question the school's location. She was supposed to be the smart one. She failed them both.

"What are we going to do?" Jack turned on the spot and paced in a small circle, both hands still in his hair. "How close are we?"

"I don't know. They use some kind of magic to make it impossible to put Hogwarts on a map."

That type of magic wouldn't be enough to hide them from their mother, Elsa was sure—not when they were in her territory. It had taken them weeks to get out of the highlands the first time. Could they use Hogwarts Express to get back to London? What if it was too late? What if their mother had already gotten the wind they had come back? What about all their plans of making friends, learning magic, building a new life?

In moments like this, she needed her brother. He was always the one person who made her feel safe. She made him stop pacing and hugged him.

"Do we run?" she asked into his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Where do we go?"

"What are you two up to?" a voice made them jump, and Jack reflexively squeezed her tighter.

They turned their heads around and found McGonagall just two feet away. They stared at her dumbfounded as she narrowed her eyes at them. What did she want?

"Follow me," she said and walked down the hall, without looking back, expecting perfect obedience. They exchanged a look, shrugged, and did as they were told.

She led them to her office and motioned for them to sit at two chairs in front of a large desk. It was a small room with a large fireplace, which at the moment thankfully was not lit.

McGonagall closed the door and sat in her chair, all straight and proper. "Did my ears deceive me or did it sound like you were planning to run away? Again. Care to elaborate?"

Elsa slumped in her seat, having no words. Were they planning to run away? She wasn't sure.

Jack's hands were in fists on his lap. "You don't understand, Professor."

"Please, enlighten me. I do believe I am competent enough to follow."

The woman's lips were tightly pressed together, which accentuated the few wrinkles on her face. This was her stern face. She would not tolerate any of Jack's snark today. Her brother was able to get away with nearly anything over the summer, but ever since they arrived at Hogwarts, McGonagall had assumed the role of a strict teacher. It would take more than Jack's charm to placate her now.

Jack exchanged a look with Elsa with a silent question. How much should they tell her? Elsa hated holding back the truth from the woman who had been so kind to them, but they couldn't tell her their mother was the most powerful being in these lands without exposing what they were.

"We did not realize that this school is in Scotland," Elsa said. "We can't be here."

"What exactly is your problem with Scotland?" McGonagall asked, looking from him to Elsa.

Jack swallowed. His face was composed but anxiety wafted from him like a scent. He picked up a quill from the desk and turned it around in his hands.

"We're not safe here," he said.

McGonagall sighed and shifted in her seat. "I'll have you know that Hogwarts is the safest place in all of the British Isles." She waited for a beat and added, "Besides, you've been in Scotland all summer long."

Elsa's heart fell. She had apparated with them back to her home, robbing them of an opportunity to see where they were going.

"Your house? Your house is in Scotland?" Elsa stood up. "Why didn't you tell us where you took us? You brought us right back!"

"Sit down, young lady," McGonagall said calmly. "If you don't recall, you refused to tell me where you escaped from. This is an excellent time to correct that omission."

The woman's sharp stare could bore a hole through Elsa. She sat back down and exchanged a look with Jack who accidentally frosted over the quill in his hand but hadn't noticed yet.

They were so close to their mother right now. What would she do if she found them? She was likely furious that they escaped. Did she sense their presence during the summer? Were they closer now than they were in McGonagall's house? There were too many questions in Elsa's head to think properly.

"Professor, just how close are we to Ben Nevis?" Jack asked calmly, but the witch immediately understood the significance of his question.

Elsa held her breath as a pulse thudded in her ears. This was a lot more information than they had ever given her.

"Not very close," McGonagall said. "Perhaps a hundred miles away."

Jack stared blankly at a wall, oblivious to the frost that spread on the desk under his hand.

"Her powers were too weak to sense us in the summer," he muttered to himself, "but winter will be here in just a few weeks."

Elsa's mind was in a fog. It was a cruel joke to be given a taste of what they wanted so much and have it taken away.

"I'm scared," Elsa admitted.

"We're together," he assured her and took her hand in his. "We'll be okay as long as we stay together."

But his confident words did not stop the spread of the frost which overtook the whole desk.

"Jack," Elsa reminded him.

He looked around and groaned, seeing the mess he was making.

"Sorry," he murmured. The frost momentarily stopped spreading, but he didn't know how to undo his magic either.

McGonagall cleared her throat, "I won't let anything happen to you, children. You're safe here."

Elsa squeezed his hand and remembered what she'd read about the school today. "Hogwarts is surrounded by wards that protect it from being found, right?"

"Yes," McGonagall said. "A Muggle would only see castle ruins."

"But can the school hide magic from those who can sense it?"

"With all the magic intermingled within Hogwarts, I presume no one could pinpoint your magic signature from the outside. You are better hidden here than you could be anywhere else." The witch stressed her next words. "If you'd like a more definite answer, I'd need a more specific question. It would help immensely if you told me who you are afraid of. You can trust me. I only want to protect you."

The twins looked at each other, thinking the same thing: 'Is it time to tell her?'

Trivia: Ben Nevis is a mountain. You'll find out why it's relevant later on, but for now, I'll satisfy your curiosity with this funny little find:

Uncyclopedia Ben Nevis

Type it into your favorite search engine and enjoy the article.

You're welcome.