Bethany Moore and the Twilight Wand Janey Johnson
Chapter One:
The cold wind bit into Bethany Moore's face as she was pulled outside by a man in a cloak. The peaceful orange and pink sunset hadn't warned anyone of the coming battle; most of the students had been ready to go to bed when the invasion occurred. Dusk was long gone and had been replaced with what seemed like an irreversible dark. Looking back at her family, Bethany could tell that she would not see them for a while. Tears that had been close to appearing now fell on her cheeks while she stared back at her castle home against the midnight sky. Bursts of red and green lights came from the windows of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, causing Bethany to speed up.
"Just a little further," said the silver-haired man, a member of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, or MACUSA. They ran until their calves felt numb; branches of the mountainous vegetation caught on their robes. The MACUSA member turned around to cast a shield charm between them and the growing fight at the castle.
"Is it time?" asked a panting Bethany, looking into the face of her bodyguard. She stared forlornly at the school in the distance, wishing her family could join them in the escape.
"Yes. Hold onto my arm tightly. We're going to need to make a few attempts at apparition before we cross the sea." Bethany gripped white-knuckled onto the man's arm, taking one last chance to soak in a final glimpse of home. With a loud 'pop,' the two traveled into the night.
Bethany did not mind apparition as much as she thought she would. It felt like squeezing into a bottle until you popped back out on the other side. The two could not travel very far apparating, so they stopped multiple times throughout the New England coast. The green summer beauty of the forest was a deep contrast to the chaos Bethany had just seen. How she longed to just sit in the stillness of the forest and process what happened. About five minutes into their journey, the agent finally stopped in a remote part of Maine along the coastline. Hushing Bethany's whispers about apparating for the first time, the man scanned the surroundings for any sign that they had been followed. Muscles relaxing, he stalked along the tree line to catch sight of their transportation to England. Motioning for Bethany to follow, the man pointed to a red coat tied to the branch of a great oak tree.
"Is that a portkey? Do no-majes ever accidentally find it?" Bethany whispered, observing the glowing skyline of a ski town filled with no-majes.
"Yes, it's a portkey, and no, it's a local legend in town. Wizards would come up here and vanish, which caused residents to believe that some monster would eat them without leaving a trace. Pretty interesting theory, but it's way off." He held out his calloused hand for Bethany to shake. "We didn't get properly introduced back at the school. I'm Matthew Carter, a MACUSA Department of Mysteries and Prophecies agent. Pleased to meet you."
Bethany shook his hand. "Bethany Moore, 5th year at Ilvermorny."
"Okay, on the count of three, please grab the coat and my arm." She had to stand on her toes in order to reach the coat, but soon she was ready to grab hold of it. "One, two, three!" Matthew yelled over the noise of the portkey opening. Bethany gripped tightly once more as she was whisked over the ocean's rocky waves.
Opening her eyes, Bethany saw that she was standing in the middle of an abandoned street glowing with the first hints of dawn. While taking in the sights and smells around her, Bethany noticed a clock tower in the distance as well as a giant Ferris wheel. "We're in London," Bethany said in awe. Leading the way, Matthew opened the chipped door of an old inn. The place looked worn, but homey, with an older man at the counter. He tipped his head to them and opened a registry.
"We're seeking the Alley," Matthew implored.
The man nodded, "Ah. The beginning of the school year, eh?" Matthew mumbled a 'yes' as the old man pointed to the back door. "I trust you know how to get there?"
"Yes, thank you," said Matthew, pushing open the rickety door to the back of the inn. A gigantic red brick wall stood blocking the view of London Bethany had been hoping to see.
"Quite a beautiful landscape isn't it? I'm sure customers are thrilled to look out their windows!" Bethany exclaimed to Matthew. He chuckled while feeling along the wall with his hand. His eyes narrowed until he struck something in the bricks that pleased him.
Matthew tapped his dark wand onto three bricks along the alley wall, focusing intently on the seams between the slabs. Suddenly, a whirring noise began and was followed by the bricks unfolding into a wide opening. Bright lights and delightful smells met Bethany and she realized where she was.
"Diagon Alley!" Bethany exclaimed. The old man smiled as she stepped forward onto the cobblestone street brimming with life.
"Thank you. Here's a tip," Matthew told the manager, handing him a galleon.
"Many thanks," the old man winked. The pair of American wizards entered Diagon Alley, blending into the small crowds forming to enter shops when they opened. Big marble buildings marked as a large bank crowded one lane of the street, while historic shops ran down the others. Newer buildings with big advertising stands, entrancing aromas, and updated architecture pocked the road as well. A blinding sign labelled 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes' drew Bethany to its window. Love potions, candy, and trick cards were floating around inside. Before Bethany could observe anymore of the curious shop, Matthew tugged her arm.
"We're not here for fun, only to get things for your next school year. Remember the danger you're in."
Bethany nodded, "I know. It's just that my family and I planned on coming to England before this whole thing started. I wish they were here."
"I know," Matthew's face softened and his fatherly side showed, "but if you were my daughter, I would want you to be safe. I know your parents; they'd rather you not worry about them, at least until you're taken care of."
Guiding Bethany down the street, Matthew opened the door to a bookstore with a forest green front named Flourish and Blotts. The walls were stacked with books ranging from cooking to cursing, health, herbology, and dark magic. Luckily, the storekeepers had organized piles based on years, attempting to lessen the commotion of school shopping. Matthew grabbed a few new textbooks for her fifth year of school, including: A Standard Book of Spells: Grade Five, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Intermediate Transfiguration. Bethany had the other books needed for fifth year already; her parents were both teachers at Ilvermorny. Her father, Adam Moore, taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, while her mother, Amy, explained the mysteries of the No-maj world. Thinking about her family filled Bethany with sadness. She'd been rushed out of the castle without knowing if her friends or family had made it out of the fight, and it was worrying her. As an adventurous Thunderbird, Bethany hated running from a duel. She especially hated feeling helpless, but both the English Ministry and MACUSA refused to let her do anything.
Seeing the discouragement on her face, Matthew steered Bethany over to an interesting looking shop called 'Ollivanders' with a display of multiple types of wands in the front. Matthew opened the door for Bethany, setting off several bells overhead. Piles of wands filled cubbies throughout the room and even were strewn all over the ground. The shop was deserted, as it was barely dawn, except for one ancient man hunched over a worktable stacked with wands. Looking up at the pair, Mr. Ollivander smiled and put on his large glasses.
Whispering over her shoulder, Bethany asked Matthew, "I already have a wand. What are we doing here? It would be a lot easier for me if you told me the plan."
Matthew nodded, but remained vague about his answer. "Do you know about what the no-majes police call 'witness protection?' Well, we're trying to do something like that, but since the people who are after you can trace you by magic, we have to take extra precautions."
"Are you going to—" she started to ask but was interrupted by Mr. Ollivander.
"Can I help you find a wand?" he asked kindly. "My guess is that you need one quickly." His elderly frame may be failing, but a glint in his eye revealed great knowledge and understanding. "I also see that you're not from around here."
"Is it that obvious?" Matthew asked worriedly. Mr. Ollivander laughed and shook his head.
"Not to others, at least until they hear your accent, however I could tell by this young woman's wand, a beautiful Aspen and Thunderbird tail-feather. Judging by the craftmanship of the tree engraving at the base, I would guess that Shikoba Wolfe sold you this."
"Yes! That's amazing! It was one of her most temperamental thunderbird wands!" Bethany exclaimed.
"Thank you," he bowed. "Now, with such a wand, why do you need me?"
Matthew spoke before Bethany could squeeze another word in. "We would like an extra wand for Bethany to use while studying in England. I know it's unorthodox, and if you want, the Ministry can explain better about exchange student policies."
Mr. Ollivander nodded and seemed deep in thought. "I am not what I used to be." Ollivander grabbed a cane next to him, planning on standing up. "Jesse, we have customers!" the ailing man called. A man in about his twenties came from the back of the shop holding a few dusty books in his arms. He had dusty blond hair and was tall, almost as tall as the biggest shelf.
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander?" the young man questioned.
"Please help me with our guests," he motioned to Bethany and Matthew. "Forgive me, this is my apprentice Jesse. As I said before, I'm not what I used to be; being 112 years old ages you." Bethany was shocked by the old man's age, but it wasn't uncommon for wizards to live slightly longer than no-majes. Her own grandmother was 101. "Jesse, please take my arm."
The two men walked over to the aisles of wands. Ollivander reached to one of the bottom shelves, shuffled a few boxes around, and held out a green box labelled 'Walnut.' "Try this one made from Walnut wood and Unicorn hair, two of the most compatible elements."
Gripping the base, Bethany cast a basic Lumos spell. At first it seemed that nothing happened, but soon all of the lights in the room dimmed to a dull glow. The bulbs then burst, which, considering she had only cast the illumination spell, the wand was not seeming to be a great partner for Bethany. With a confused look on his face, Mr. Ollivander took back the wand.
"That occasionally happens. Maybe a Beech wand with a Phoenix feather would help hone your powers," Jesse suggested.
Again Bethany held a new wand, and with a little more hesitation cast the Lumos spell. Suddenly, the air turned frigid and ice started to climb up the walls of the shop. The wand nearly leapt out of Bethany's hand when Mr. Ollivander reached for it.
"Let me look in the back. I'm sure we'll find a perfect substitute wand for you." Ollivander promised. He and Jesse disappeared into his back room, leaving Matthew and Bethany alone to finish their earlier conversation.
"I don't want another wand. It's like a best friend to me and using another feels like treason." Bethany exclaimed angrily. Her wand warmed in her hand, signaling that it had felt her surge of emotion. Matthew took out his pine wand and sighed.
"Wands have a special connection to their owners, that's for sure. However, you also saw how quickly Ollivander recognized your wand. The Twilight Creed has studied you and the others, meaning that they are most likely tracing your wand as we speak."
Bethany understood, but didn't like his answer. "So, basically, I can't use my wand for the rest of my life? What if they never give up? These people scare me, but not enough to live in fear of them."
"If I was in your position, I would be terrified. These people are merciless and seek to destroy the balance of wizard and no-maj kind. You haven't had to clean up after they raid a home or vault; they leave no witnesses." Matthew put his hand on my shoulder. "I have a daughter and she's an auror here in England. She told once that the key to beating the bad guy is to be smarter than they are, to last longer than they can."
It dawned on Bethany that she knew Matthew had looked familiar. "You're Ellie Carter's dad!"
"Yes, and she wrote to me so much over the course of her first year teaching at Ilvermorny about you and your family that when no one else wanted to fight against the Twilight Creed, I volunteered."
Bethany felt ashamed for being so uncooperative with the one person who was trying to help her. "Thank you," was all she could muster.
Ollivander and his assistant returned with two wands. One was Chestnut wood while the other Fir. The old man held out the Chestnut wand with a wrinkled hand. "I believe that the Fir will fit the best, but let's try the Chestnut first, just to be sure."
The Chestnut wand already felt off when placed in Bethany's hand, and its reaction seemed to mirror that. The fireplace roared to life, but with purple flames that reached out to grab nearby items. Jesse put out the fire and took the Chestnut wand quickly from Bethany's outstretched hand.
The Fir wand was about ten inches long with a Dragon Heartstring core. Reluctantly, Bethany grasped the fir wand and cast the Lumos spell for a fourth time. A bright glimmer of light radiated from the tip of the tan wand, making Bethany smile as she finally found a wand she could use without destroying anything. Ollivander grinned as well, but with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
"This wand usually chooses those who need protection in times of dire need. I wish you the best of luck, whatever your reason for moving to Hogwarts may be," the shopkeepers shook both of their hands.
After paying Ollivander a few galleons, the two bought new school robes to fit Hogwarts standards and picked up spare necessities. No matter how much she tried to enjoy being at Diagon Alley, Bethany couldn't help missing her blue and cranberry Ilvermorny robes, the familiarity of the castle, and, most of all, her family. More and more wizarding families appeared on the streets of the alley, reminding Bethany of what she longed for. 'Pull it together. A Thunderbird is brave and does what needs to be done,' Bethany told herself.
The two had finished the bulk of their shopping by six in the morning, leaving them plenty of time to move undetected to Hogwarts by nightfall. "We have one more stop before we can get going," Matthew said. "I think you'll like this one though."
As a fifth year, Bethany was allowed two pets at Hogwarts. Her quirky Barn Owl River was stuck at Ilvermorny, along with most of the belongings that Bethany had to leave behind in the rush of the attack. Even if she had wanted another owl, as soon as Matthew saw her eying one, he reminded her that she was not permitted to send any mail while at Hogwarts. If she needed to hear any news, it was to be sent by a MACUSA or Ministry owl.
A small vendor near the entrance to the owl emporium was selling 'rare' animals that were labeled 'great for new wizards.' Matthew encouraged her to purchase a small pygmy puff or a frog, but she just shook her head.
"What about this one?" Bethany asked, pointing to a kneazle with bright blue fur.
"I don't think those are allowed inside the school. Besides, it could be a pretty recognizable pet if the Twilight Creed found out about it," Matthew said. Stooping down, Bethany saw an adorable yellow chicklet looking creature with a few red feathers on the top of its head.
"This one is small enough so she can't carry mail," she told Matthew. "It would also blend in with the other owlets." He nodded and proceeded to grill the vendor about the animal.
"If I knew it wa' an animagus, I' wouldn' be selling it," the seller answered in her rough accent. "Me 'usband thought it was an owl at first, but it 'asn't grown for months. It's harmless though."
Matthew studied the anxious baby bird until he was satisfied by its innocence. He even cast Revelio on her, but she only hiccupped at the spell. "Okay, Bethany. She's yours."
"Aww, she's so cute. How much for her?" Bethany asked the vendor.
"Two galleons will do it," she settled. As Matthew picked up the cage, the chicklet looked like it was excited to finally be getting a home away from the busy alley.
"What shall I call you, chicklet?" Bethany wondered aloud. "Your feathers are so fluffy that the name 'Downy' could work." The puffy yellow bird began squawking angrily, until Bethany replied, "Okay, so not Downy."
"His name is Hikaru. Me 'usband said that the man who sold it to 'im called the bird Hikaru," the woman said, motioning to the bird who had begun whistling excitedly as its name was said.
"Hikaru…I definitely wouldn't have guessed that one." The woman shrugged as Bethany lifted the bird cage.
After thanking the vendor, the trio crossed the road in order to return to the inn. The pavement shone in the rising sun, causing Bethany to bump into a group of people walking by. A young woman, about Bethany's age, helped collect the books strewn across the sidewalk.
"Sorry!" Bethany exclaimed, taking the textbooks from the girl. It wasn't until then that she saw what the young woman looked like. Bethany saw the girl's curly teal hair first, then her dark skin, and deep amber eyes.
"No problem!" replied the girl. "You look about my age, but I haven't seen you at Hogwarts yet. Are you new?"
"Yeah, I'm a transfer student," Bethany answered, shyly. Unable to resist, she asked, "I like your hair, is it produced by magic?"
The girl grinned, "My mom taught me all I know about transfiguration, and she's the one of the best in the Ministry. Without magic I'd have the same features, but with brown hair and hazel eyes. My name's Kathleen or 'Kat' Smith, what about you?"
"Bethany Moore."
"Well, see you at school, I guess!"
"See you!" Bethany smiled. The girl skipped off with her friends, blue hair streaming in the wind.
Bethany ran to catch up to Matthew who had been watching from the alley wall. "You're already making friends, Bethany. That's a good sign, isn't it?"
"I guess. Matthew, my last best friend was secretly working for the Twilight Creed, so you can see why I'm not too excited about making new friends."
Matthew nodded. "Well, as your protector I would tell you to distance yourself from everyone, including me, but as a father, I want you to be as happy as you can in this situation. Don't let the difficulty of your situation take away the good parts of life."
"Thanks Matthew," Bethany said, her eyes welling up. "That's what my dad would have said." He smiled and turned to face the brick wall again.
"Three up, two across," he mumbled as his pine wand skimmed the clay. The wall opened up for a second time, leading them into the back of the inn, which Bethany now could see was called 'The Leaky Caldron.' In the early daylight she also noticed the tears in her no-maj clothes along with the multiple scrapes lining her skin. A group of adult wizards pointed at the particularly big cut on her arm and looked as if they were going to say something, but Bethany rushed into the tavern before they had a chance.
"Do you think we could go wash up somewhere? People are giving me weird looks," she told Matthew.
"I know, and wish we could, but our orders were to get you to Hogwarts as soon as possible. I just need to talk to the manager here about the exact directions, and then we can disparate out of here."
While searching for the innkeeper, Bethany watched a group of boys enter the busy tavern laughing hysterically. She could see a man outside struggling with his coat; it seemed to be glued to him! Before she could go help, one of the young men in the group came back around the corner. 'Do people here really hate no-majes that much?' Bethany thought. Racing to catch up with him, she hoped that the boy hadn't come back to ruin the poor man's day anymore.
She found the boy at the window, muttering a spell under his breath with his wand pointed right at the man.
"Excuse me? Don't you think he's had enough? What kind of coward are you, attacking someone who isn't able to fight back?" Bethany shouted at him. He looked surprised, his cheeks turning bright red. People around them started staring, excited for a good show. She didn't give it to them though, hoping Matthew didn't notice the attention she was getting. "Finite Incantatem!" she muttered, causing the no-majes' jacket to unstick. He looked relieved enough to cry, but instead, he promptly removed his jacket and stuffed it into his bag. Turning back to the boy, she glared.
"I was letting him go, but I couldn't get the spell right." He noticed her doubting face. "Believe me, my friends are cowards, me being the most cowardly of all." Bethany nodded, noticing that Matthew had found the innkeeper and was now looking for her. "Look, I'm sorry. My uncle is a muggle and I'd never do anything to hurt them, but my friends don't share the same views." He looked with hopeful blue eyes into her brown ones, and she could see he was at least partly telling the truth.
Sighing, Bethany replied, "I believe you, but barely; Maybe you should reevaluate your friends?" she paused. "My name's Bethany, by the way."
"It's Corey Bennett." He held out his hand and Bethany shook it hard. "I might just take you up on that challenge. I've got to look for some better friends this year." His brown hair covered his eyes as he smiled at Bethany, but he shook it out of the way. As he left, she found herself thinking of her friend Thomas, who had helped in the escape of Ilvermorny. Thomas got into trouble a little bit as well, but always took the important things seriously, like family and friends. She missed Ilvermorny as well as her friends. 'I don't miss all of my friends,' thought Bethany. 'One in particular put me in this situation.' Before she got lost in thought, Matthew patted her shoulder.
"I got the directions; let's go." He glanced at the people around them, analyzing who might be a threat to the mission. His eyes narrowed when he saw a group of older witches and wizards dressed in silk robes who were also searching the crowd. "We're going to need a place to disparate in, so we don't draw attention to ourselves. Most people use floo powder to get in and out of here," he muttered just as green flames erupted from the fireplace, revealing a family of wizards. Taking Bethany by the arm, Matthew guided her to the top of an old wooden staircase. There were hotel rooms lined with wizard luggage as people began to settle in for the day, mothers holding yawning infants, fathers struggling with the newly purchased items, and teenagers messing around with coveted 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes' merchandise.
Finding a linen closet at the end of the hall, the two cautiously closed the door and stuffed their own purchases inside with them. The small space smelled like dust with a faint hint of carnival scent from Diagon Alley, and Bethany almost choked on the powerful aroma.
"Take hold of my hand, please. We're supposed to meet someone in Hogsm-" He was interrupted by a pounding on the door, which Matthew quickly cast a protective spell on. The banging continued, but both of them kept focused on disaparating. Bethany gripped Matthew's arm, not wanting to get spliced, while Matthew repeated directions to himself. The old door wasn't holding up well; the attackers had started casting spells now, causing large cracks to form. Holes were forming out of the cracks, and Bethany could see silken robes through the debris.
"Ready?" Matthew whispered. Bethany nodded and made sure she had a firm grasp on her school supplies, including a panicking Hikaru's cage. Just as the small group disaparated, the closet door burst open, revealing, to a disappointed crowd of Creed members, nothing but ruined sheets.