A/N: We hope you enjoy this new fic we've been working on for quite some time now! We think it'll be a good read while getting ready to go trick-or-treating or partying tonight. Happy Halloween, everyone!
On a dark, stormy night...
The chilly Autumn wind blew through colorful leaves and carried them to wherever it was headed. The streets were lit up by smiling pumpkins, dancing skeletons, and other Halloween decorations. The sound of children's laughter, crinkling of candy wrappers, and the voices of parents could be heard in neighborhoods all across Massachusetts for the night.
A little girl dressed as Tinkerbell walked up to a neighbor's door, accompanied by her friends in costumes ranging from witches to ghouls to goblins.
Ding-dong. The little Tinkerbell rang the doorbell and an eerie silence followed. The small children looked to one another, confused and frightened by the lack of a response.
"Rargh!" roared the neighbor from inside, opening the door to reveal it was a middle-aged man dressed as the 1985 version of Teen Wolf, costume complete with varsity jacket, werewolf makeup and sunglasses. "What do you say?!"
"Trick-or-treat!" said the delighted children, giggling as their neighbor filled their pumpkin pails with lollipops, hard candies, and fun size chocolate bars.
"Happy Halloween, kids," said their not-so-scary werewolf neighbor.
This was the type of good, wholesome fun that hundreds of thousands of No-Majs were having on this All Hallows' Eve. Unbeknownst to them, something mysterious and not altogether normal was lurking in the woods of Mount Greylock. Shrouded in a hazy mist away from the eyes of an unsuspecting No-Maj population was the elusive Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The majority of the Ilvermorny student body was vacationing at home for this Halloween, spending some well-deserved time off with friends and family. A certain group of students, however, were taking this opportunity to do what they do best—cause trouble.
The interior of the Ilvermorny school was filled with an atmospheric horror theme: small pumpkin string lights and plastic skeletons adorned the dimly lit halls. Mock cauldrons were placed in front of most classrooms, enchanted with a steam charm and bubbling sound effects. The halls were pretty empty this evening, but one student was on her way to meet up with some friends.
This was Nina Blake, 14. She had tawny skin and her signature jet-black hair was fashioned in a long braid in commemoration of her Quechua roots. She was a proud member of the Thunderbird house but tonight, she was dressed as a Gryffindor—Harry Potter, to be exact—complete with a lightning bolt-shaped scar she had drawn on her forehead with mascara and a Hedwig backpack.
Nina moved forward on her path. For some reason, she felt that the halls looked more intimidating than usual. While walking, she spotted Jason Kwon, a 16-year-old Wampus, talking away on his phone.
Normally, you could see that he had fair skin, dark hair and a cherubic face, but his features were currently obscured by his Merlin costume: an oversized indigo robe, a pointed hat, and a long, white beard.
"My pleasure," she overheard him say with his characteristic Australian accent.
"Jason," called Nina.
"I'll talk to you later," said Jason, finishing up his phone conversation before hanging up. "Hey, Nina. You look… appropriately wizardy."
"Thank you, I try," she replied. "Now let's find scaredy-cat Chris."
Jason followed after Nina as she continued down the hall until they heard whimpers from up ahead. They followed the sound, eventually finding a curly-haired boy they recognized cowering on the floor. It was their friend Chris Nieves, 15, a somewhat dorky Horned Serpent.
"What are you doing here, Chris?" asked Nina.
"I'm hiding because I hate Halloween," huffed Chris. "Why do people like to get scared anyway?"
Nina and Jason chuckled at Chris, finding the timid boy's frustration funny.
"I forgot to introduce myself," said Nina, clearing her throat. "Some people call me the boy who lived, but you may call me Harry Potter. Who might you be?"
"I'm Vivi," replied Chris, playing along. "The enigmatic black mage from Final Fantasy IX!"
Chris waved his wooden staff confidently. He was wearing a large, tan pointy hat that flopped down near the end. He had on a blue jacket with a turned-up collar, and green and white striped pants with brown boots that resembled clown shoes.
"And where's Erin?" asked Jason.
They could hear a chainsaw revving up from behind them. The sound grew louder and louder until it was deafening. A figure obscured by darkness ran towards Nina, Jason and Chris, who were now all paralyzed in fear. The closer the assailant got, though, the calmer Jason and Nina became.
"Surprise, bitches," laughed the chainsaw-wielding girl as she approached her friends.
This was Erin Harris, a 14-year-old Thunderbird and Nina's best friend. Blessed with beautiful dark-brown skin, Erin was the type who never took anything too seriously, having an irreverent sense of humor that made her quite popular with her classmates.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?!" blurted out Chris, feeling his heart beating out of his chest.
"Isn't it obvious?" replied Erin, flailing her chainsaw around. She was wearing a schoolgirl costume, sporting fake blood on her face and blouse. "I'm Zoe Benson, the next Supreme. Like from American Horror Story."
"That show peaked years ago," said Jason. "But at least you picked the best season."
"Thank you, Jason," smirked Erin. "If there were a zombie apocalypse, I would consider saving you first."
"Speaking of witchcraft," said Jason. "Did you guys forget the memo? I thought we were dressing up as famous wizards from my Chocolate Frog Cards, which is why I'm the legendary Merlin."
Jason held the Merlin card up, twirling around to show off his costume. Nina stepped up to Jason.
"Oh ho ho," said Nina defiantly with an embarrassing attempt at a British accent. "But that's where I've gotcha, me ol' chap—Harry Potter IS on a Chocolate Frog Card!"
Jason manically fumbled through his cards to verify this claim.
"I guess you're right," he said, sulking as he shoved his deck of cards into his pocket. "I was talking to Erin and Chris, anyway."
"Yeah, yeah," said Erin dismissively before turning to Nina. "Now where were you planning on taking us again?"
"Oh, right," said Nina. "Follow me."
The four students made their way to the school entrance, pushing open the extravagant Victorian double doors.
"Careful," warned Chris.
"What do we have to be careful for?" asked Nina. "Professor Bennett loves us. Watch and learn."
Nina led the pack as they confronted Professor Tai Bennett, an olive-skinned man of Maori descent who taught Potions class. He was imposing in size but loved by many of the students for his kind demeanor.
"If it isn't the Sacred Quartet," joked Professor Bennett.
"Ooh," said Erin. "So you've heard our nickname. Kinda catchy, huh? We sound like superheroes or something."
Professor Bennett shook his head, trying his best not to laugh. These four were always up to something.
"Why aren't you kids with your families?" he inquired.
"We have no lives, sir," said Nina as her friends solemnly nodded.
"You'd be doing us a big favor," added Jason. "Just for tonight?"
The Professor rolled his eyes, unable to hide the smile spreading across his face.
"Alright," he said, feigning defeat. "But please don't do anything... inappropriate."
"Inappropriate?" said Erin innocently. "I... I'm afraid I don't even know the meaning of the word."
Professor Bennet allowed them through. The four students walked past the marble statues of Ilvermorny's founders, Isolt Sayre and James Steward, which flanked the entrance. Chris felt an impulse to look back at the statues.
"Is it just me," said Chris. "Or do the statues look… alive?"
"You're just being paranoid," chuckled Nina.
The granite Ilvermorny castle was looking more sinister than they remembered under the pouring rain. High above them, there was a waxing crescent moon casting it's light down on the world.
The four students lumbered through the mud and rain to the infamous snakewood tree in the courtyard. It had twisty branches and leaves that draped over them like large lemon wedges. Nina stopped her friends before the tree.
"I..." said Nina, struggling to speak.
"What?" said Chris, visibly shaken. "What is it?!"
"I can feel my scar burning," she responded, rubbing her forehead.
Just then, a student dressed as Voldemort came rushing out of the bushes at full speed.
"Abracadabra!" yelled the pretend Voldemort.
After realizing what was happening, Chris began shaking his head judgmentally.
"Too soon," he sighed.
Nina did a secret handshake with "Voldemort," making Jason and Erin laugh at the ridiculousness of this scene.
"Thanks for that, Voldy," said Nina.
"Anytime, Potter," said pretend Voldemort. "Happy Halloween, guys. I'll be off taking over the world now."
Nina, Jason and Erin said their goodbyes while Chris just crossed his arms, irritated by all the shenanigans he'd been subjected to tonight.
"Where was I?" wondered Nina aloud, looking to the snakewood tree. "Oh, right. Hundreds of years ago, Isolt Sayre, one of Ilvermorny's founders, stole Salazar Slytherin's wand from her evil aunt."
"She brought it with her on the Mayflower to America so she could escape her aunt's wickedness," chimed in Chris with a clinical knowledge of the story. "But she was found anyway, and her aunt rendered the wand useless out of spite."
"That same wand was buried right where we're standing," said Nina. "And it grew into this snakewood tree."
She climbed the tree and broke off a twig. Jason, Erin and Chris all gasped, shocked by this gesture.
"What are you doing, Nina?" said Chris.
"We need this for our experiment," she replied as she got back down on solid ground. "Let's go to the library."
"Our costumes are all wet, though," complained Erin.
"I can cast Ventus when we get inside," offered Nina.
"Oh, right," said Erin. "Alright. To the library we go!"
"Actually," offered Jason. "I know somewhere even better."
The four students were very careful as they tiptoed through the very dark library. Jason got to a shelf deep in a corner of the History of Magic section.
"Argentum impurus," he whispered.
The secret password made the bookcase spin open to allow them in. It was a study room the size of a small classroom.
"It pays to be at the top of my class," bragged Jason. "I know where all the secret studies are located."
Nina rolled her eyes as she and her three friends sat on the floor. She pulled out some scented candles and a Ouija board out of her Hedwig backpack, earning chiding laughter from Jason and Erin. Chris, on the other hand, was not so amused.
"For real, Nina?" said Erin, giggling at the hunk of wood her friend was holding. "That's the type of shit No-Majs believe in."
"They also believe in witches and look at us," said Nina. "Here comes the fun part."
"Incendio," said Erin.
A flame sprouted from her hazel, unicorn hair wand. She used it to light the candles, noticing they gave out a decadent Christmas cookie scent.
"This smells good," she commented. "But… it's not very Halloweeny."
"I got them on sale last year," said an embarrassed Nina. "Don't judge. Now, let's sit and hold the planchet."
Nina placed the twig she had broken off from the snakewood tree on the Ouija board. One by one, Jason, Erin and Chris placed their hands atop Nina's, holding onto the planchet together.
"Is there someone with us?" asked Nina. The four students could feel the planchet move on its own to the word "yes."
"This is a joke," said Chris, more as an affirmation than a question.
"Shh," said Erin. "This is fun. Um… are you alive?"
Nina, Jason and Chris looked at Erin as if she had three heads. To their surprise, the planchet moved to the word "yes."
"Alive?" said Jason, thinking aloud. "How are you alive?"
A look of horror spread across the four students faces as the planchet began to move erratically under their hands: P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N.
"Possession?" echoed Nina. "Does that mean you're... evil?"
The planchet started circling around, landing firmly between the words "yes" and "no."
"So that's what this is about?" asked Chris, shooting an accusatory look at Nina. "Don't say it."
"Are you..." continued Nina, allowing her words to echo through the dead silence. "Salazar Slytherin?"
At breakneck speed, the planchet shot up to the ceiling. The room began to shake violently, causing books to fall off the shelves.
"I'm done!" yelled Chris, dashing out of the room.
"Wait for me!" shouted Jason, sprinting after Chris.
"Come on, girl!" screamed Erin. "You know what happens to people like us in horror movies!"
"Fine!" said Nina. "But this is a fire hazard. Aguamenti!"
A stream of water sprayed from the end of Nina's dragon heartstring birch wand, extinguishing all the candles before she ran hand in hand with Erin.
The very second the four students left, the room became still. Strangely, mysteriously still. On the ground lay Jason's Chocolate Frog Cards, a green aura enveloping them. An ancient, disembodied voice weathered by time and experience began to hiss at the cards in an unintelligible language that sounded like… Parseltongue?
The Chocolate Frog Cards started to levitate, spinning around the room wildly until they jetted out of the library.
Tired from all the excitement of the evening, Nina made herself cozy in her bed. Just as her consciousness slipped, she felt the bed melt away underneath her, replaced by a hard plastic seat and cool air. She felt a lap bar settle snugly on her legs. She opened her eyes to find herself on what she could only describe as a dark ride like the ones at Disney World. At first, she was in complete darkness.
"Is this your first time here?" she heard someone say from the seat next to her.
"Yeah, this is all new to me," said Nina, trying but failing to see the source of the voice.
"Well, hang on," said the old man's voice. "Because it's a doozy."
Soft blue lights from the ceiling turned on, displaying the current surroundings: Nina was in a dark, slightly foggy forest. She heard owls and grasshoppers, feeling that the forest was generally alive but asleep. The cart slowly swerved to avoid hitting the trees and came to a cottage in a clearing. It was a quaint two-story cottage, a perfect place for a small family to spend a vacation.
When the cart arrived in the clearing, the lighting became warmer and more lively. Squirrels and birds were happily living their lives in the woods. As the cart neared the cottage, the door opened on its own and allowed them in. Not a single soul was inside but there was proof that people called this place home. There was a dinner table with eight chairs gathered around it, and a cauldron full of soup was boiling in the fireplace.
The cart headed for the staircase made of wooden log steps and entered the room upstairs. It was a bedroom. The cart continued moving, this time towards the large oval window at the end of the bedroom.
"Wait," said Nina, beginning to panic. "Why isn't it stopping? Why are we going there?"
Nina pulled at her restraint but it wasn't letting up. She screamed and shielded her face with her hands as the window shattered. The cart continued but made a slow descent to the ground.
"I'm okay," sighed Nina, relieved to be unhurt.
The shock of this event made her laugh nervously. She grew silent when the cart reached the ground because the sunny afternoon became a raging nightstorm. She wiped the rain off her face and saw a shadowy figure hiding behind the cottage run away into the woods. In front of her, Nina saw a swamp and felt the cart steer towards it, beginning to sink into the murky waters.
"We're gonna drown!" screamed Nina as she desperately scooped water out of the cart. "Help me!"
"I'm not going to drown," said the man in the seat next to her. "I'm already dead."
Nina finally looked at the man to see who it was: Merlin. He was a transparent figure, simply fazing through the cart to avoid drowning.
"I can't help you here," said Merlin. "Good luck!"
Nina continued pushing the water out of her cart and back into the swamp but it was no use. She futilely pulled at her lap bar as the water level rose to her neck. Trying to save one last breath before her head was completely submerged, the last thing she saw was the green, spectral face of Salazar Slytherin coming straight at her from the sky.
Nina screamed, propelling herself awake. Her mind brought her back to her room that she shared with Erin. It was decorated with fun pictures of previous trips and orange walls.
"Erin!" said Nina as she sat up in bed.
When she looked over to Erin's bed, she screamed. A pumpkin face with a jagged grin and deep set black eyes stared back at her. A closer look revealed that it was simply a cartoonish Halloween pumpkin sheet mask that Erin was wearing.
"Calm down," said Erin, peeling off the mask. "It's just skin care!"
"Forget about that," said Nina anxiously. "I had a terrible nightmare. I was in, like, this thing. A rollercoaster train or something and I was on one of those rides at Disney World. There was water and I was going to drown and before I drowned I saw a ghost's face!"
"Who?" asked Erin.
"Salazar Slytherin!" said Nina.
Erin gasped and what followed was an uncomfortable pause. Erin gathered up the courage to speak.
"It was just a dream, right?" she said. "It doesn't mean anything."
"I don't think this was just a dream," said Nina. "It felt like… a vision. I have a really bad feeling it has to do with that goddamn Ouija board."
"I told you we shouldn't have played with ghoulie ghoulies," said Erin, trying to make her friend laugh.
It didn't work. Nina was very much still traumatized by the whole ordeal. That was when it hit her.
"We forgot to say 'goodbye' on the board," said Nina.
Over in the Wampus chambers, Jason was fast asleep on his bed, still wearing his Merlin beard. He was alone for the night because his roommate was vacationing at home for Halloween. He could faintly hear an older man's voice.
"Huh?" asked Jason, rubbing his eyes as he rose from his pillow. As he lay his eyes on the source of the voice, he began to scream at the top of his lungs.
Thus marking the end of this Halloween night in Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Jason's voice could be heard from outside his window but it was so late at night that no one stirred awake.
From outside Ilvermorny castle, all looked well. Not a single soul inside was privy to the ghostly wisps floating outside around campus grounds, using the late night sky as their own kind of invisibility cloak...