Author's note: I've always played a bit fast and loose with the date setting of this fiction. Canonically speaking, Harry Potter is set in the 1990s. Chara, however, falls in 201X, meaning Frisk falls after that. I'm of the opinion that moving Harry Potter's time forward doesn't matter too much. Dumbledore's a bit older – the only person we know canonically to be alive in WW2, but muggle technology doesn't play a big part in his series (outside the Playstation Dudley hurls from a window in the first book). Frisk, on the other hand, has a smartphone that is vital to her plot (and Alphys watches anime on discarded DVDs).
I had to pick one, so I elected to set it closer to modern day. I hope this doesn't completely ruin the story for you. I stuck a similar note back in chapter 1 of "Saviour" some time ago. I guess I needed it here too.
While I'm on the subject – and you have my apologies for bringing it up.. let me just say that reviews and PMs are the lifeblood of a Fanfiction author. I'd love your comments so I can make this series the best it can possibly be. And as always: Thanks For Reading! - TZ
After the weekend she had, getting up on Monday with classes to focus on came as something of a relief to Frisk. After getting dressed in her school robes, she pocketed some of the Honeydukes candy that her siblings had bought her while she was at the Oxtobys, and headed down to the common room.
Chara and Asriel were down there already, looking at the notice. "Educational Degree #24," Frisk read aloud before reading the rest quietly to herself. It was a literal disbanding of every club, study group, and sports team in the school. "What?" Frisk mumbled to herself, "Why?"
They turned away from the notice board, heading for the great hall and breakfast, "Do you think," Asriel said, a cold look forming in his eyes, "There's any chance she'll let us keep the soul magic club?"
"No," Chara said grimly as they went through the portrait hall. "That self-important froggit doesn't like any of us."
"Chara..." Frisk said, "Ms. Umbridge is still human, and our teacher." She wanted to scold her sister a bit more, but her heart really wasn't in it. As much as Frisk wanted to be polite, she actually couldn't disagree with anything her sister had just said. "I'll still try," she told them.
Asriel and Chara exchanged a knowing look.
It did not escape Frisk's attention as they entered the great hall that there was a great deal more commotion than usual. "Look," Asriel said.
Frisk followed Asriel's paw towards the middle of Gryffindor table, where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Neville, and Dean Thomas all seemed to be gathered in a single spot having an animated discussion. But just as they headed down the table to find their own seats, the group broke up again. Frisk even saw a couple of Hufflepuffs start to make their way over to the group as well, before being waved away by an irritated looking Hermione.
"What do you suppose that was about?" Frisk asked, as they took a group of empty seats near where Opal was sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Asriel and Chara both shrugged and began to get their breakfast underway.
The only conversation piece at the table that morning was the "Educational Decree #24". While part of the question was "Where were the first 23 decrees?". The other part of the question was made up of smaller queries like, "What prompted this?", "Quidditch Teams?", "Does this mean Professor Flitwick will have to make us reapply to choir?".
Frisk sighed, looking up at the staff table. There was actually a small line in front of Ms. Umbridge. There was a large Slytherin at the front of it. By his build, Frisk guessed that he was a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and a few other people Frisk didn't recognize were behind him. Having finished her oatmeal, Frisk made herself make good on her promise and joined the small line that still remained in front of Ms. Umbridge. She felt really small as the teacher looked over the large table, bearing an uncomfortable looking smile.
"Yes, Ms. Dreemurr? What can I help you with this fine morning?" she asked, sweetly.
Frisk looked up at her with her most determined gaze. "I'd like to talk about having the soul magic club reinstated."
Ms. Umbridge tilted her head. "Soul magic club, Ms. Dreemurr? What's that?" she asked. The smile didn't leave her face.
Frisk wasn't sure if she was kidding or testing her. "Soul Magic was developed by the Underground's monsters, it draws on the strength of one's spirit to create spectacular..."
Ms. Umbridge held up her hand. "Does it require a wand, Ms. Dreemurr?"
"What?" Frisk said, "Uh, no?"
"Then it is not magic. Magic requires the use of a wand," Ms. Umbridge told her cheerfully, as if she'd just won an important debate.
Frisk was taken aback. She wanted to protest, but was reasonably certain that making an argument would just get her further in trouble. "Okay... call it a Soul Focus club. It's just a name, after all. I want to share..."
"If it's not magic, it shouldn't be taught in this school," Ms. Umbridge said, cutting her off a second time.
"But... the headmaster..." Frisk said, further in shock.
"Inquisitor Umbridge," said Professor McGonagall, sitting next to her. "A quiet word." She spoke in low tones as Ms. Umbridge's smile slowly vanished.
"He asked the minister?" Ms. Umbridge said, irritatedly, "He only asks the minister if he already knows the answer is yes."
"That as may be," replied Prof. McGonagall firmly. "But he did, and Fudge gave his express permission for Ms. Frisk to teach her Soul harnessing lessons. I am sure you don't want to gainsay him."
Ms. Umbridge said nothing as the bell rang, marking five minutes until class. "Very well. I shall think about it, and have an answer for you by lunch. What day, time, and where do you hold this little meeting?"
"Wednesday, just after classes. Ms. McGonagall allows us to use the Transfiguration classroom," Frisk replied politely, "and thank you, Ms. Umbridge."
"Hem," she said, looking over Frisk's shoulder.
Frisk took the hint, and went to grab her school bag.
From there, she made haste to the dungeon for her Monday double potions class. Today's lesson was on the exstimulo potion... "A weaker variant," Professor Snape explained. "The stronger variants are OWL and NEWT level, respectively. These potions can grant a very brief surge of magical power in the drinker. However, as the re'em is a rare magical creature, its blood is a controlled substance, so it is not a common potion. However, the school's stock has run low, and thus here you are. Directions..." he flourished his wand. "Are on the blackboard. Begin."
As Frisk worked on the potion, she had an initially pleasant conversation with Steven, at least by comparison to her conversation with Ms. Umbridge. Steven talked about his first trip into Hogsmeade, visiting the shrieking shack, and having the chance to buy his own sweets at Honeyduke's. There was a brief pause to grind up some bitterroot, depositing the resulting fresh powder in the cauldron, and continuing to stir.
During this time Professor Snape stopped over their table, examining their ingredients. After he'd hovered for several seconds, Frisk was sufficiently unnerved to ask "Are we doing okay, Professor?"
"You are... adequate. I am looking at your blood." He paused to let their eyes go wide. "Sometimes, less ethical herbal merchants cut Re'em's blood with muggle oxen blood. This makes the potion far less effective. If one is familiar with the substance, one can tell the difference between the two by the coloring. I shall..." he wrinkled his nose. "I know someone who will investigate this for me. Carry on."
After the distraction, and the Professor had moved on, it was Frisk's turn to talk about her weekend. Frisk didn't lose her composure this time. She'd slept on everything, twice, and it made the story of Tony Macintosh and Anne Roberts, if not truly easier, at least less likely to move her to tears. Maybe having to keep some of her attention on her cauldron helped.
"You should probably tell someone about the incomplete memory charm," Steven told her as he stirred. "Dad is always worried about breaches of magical security. But I understand about family, even non-magical ones. I have a cousin who's a squib..."
"A squib?" Frisk asked. She knew she'd heard the term, but couldn't pull where and what it meant at that exact moment.
"Someone born to a wizarding family without the ability to use magic," Steven clarified. "It's not usually a happy situation, for anyone. A lot of the pureblood families..." he paused, letting Frisk guess what names filled in that particular blank, "Take that as a sign that someone's not been living up to magical standards. But in reality, nobody really knows why some people have magical talent. I mean, take the Creevey brothers in Gryffindor. Two muggle-borns in one family is unheard of."
There was more adding of ingredients as Steven got his thoughts back in order. "My parents are more of the opinion that it doesn't matter their magical talent, family is family. So that... that I get," he finished. "I got it with Asriel, and I get it here, too."
"Does that mean you'll help me?" Frisk asked eagerly, pushing the fact she was asking him to break the law out of her mind.
"Uhm," Steven looked somewhat taken aback. "I mean, I don't have any idea how."
Frisk's face fell.
"But I'm willing to help you figure something out, I mean, if something occurs to you, or me," Steven promised. "Though I'm not sure how I keep ending up in these situations with you," he told her.
"I'll take that," Frisk said, smiling again. "Thanks, Steven," several minutes later, they bottled their potions, both light blue with the pleasant sound of popping air bubbles, and placed them on Professor Snape's desk for grading, and returned to their desk for clean up. Then it was on to Charms, while Steven headed to his Muggle Studies elective.
Frisk received two notes at lunch. The first was the official approval for her reformation of "A Soul Magic Club"... which would continue to meet on Wednesdays between final class and dinner with an advisor assigned by the High Inquisitor.
Frisk was pretty sure that still meant Professor McGonagall.
The other note was much stranger. It had been handed to her by Opal before she even sat down. "Don't ask me about this right now," she whispered as she handed it over.
In deference to her request, she waited until they'd both sat down at their house tables to eat before reading it... and it was just a request to meet Hermione Granger in the library after the afternoon's lessons... and the suggestion that Frisk and her siblings would be interested in joining them too.
"She's sitting right there," Asriel said, nodding up the table to where she sat, eagerly discussing something with Harry Potter. "Why can't she ask herself? And why does she want us there?"
"I'll bet it has something to do with this morning," Chara said, "And more than that, something to do with our High Inquisitor's proclamation."
"I suppose there's only one way to find out," Frisk said, and when Hermione had finished lunch, and was heading to the courtyard, Frisk made to follow her.
It was much windier, and colder, in the Scottish highlands than it had been in London yesterday. Frisk pressed her robe around her as she looked around, before spotting the three of them sheltering near a wall.
"Hey Frisk. What's up?" Harry asked, spotting her approach, and quickly cutting off whatever conversation he was having with his two friends.
"Uhm, I was looking for Hermione, actually," Frisk said, explaining about the note she'd gotten from Opal.
Hermione didn't seem surprised at all. "Oh, about that? Sure. We can meet in the library just after classes." She glanced at Harry and Ron. "Opal was actually on the list, Ernie suggested Opal would jump at the chance, but I couldn't find her in Hogsmeade last weekend."
"Uhm, she was with me, actually," Frisk said apologetically. She gave a short explanation of why she had been allowed to leave the castle environment, to the trio's apparent interest. "Anyway, I'll let Opal know. Thanks, Hermione."
The library was comparatively empty when Frisk arrived. Hermione was already there, of course, her head down in a book on ancient runes. Opal was already there as well. She had a defense against the dark arts in front of her, but it wasn't the one that had been assigned by Ms. Umbridge, but the one they'd used the previous two years, by Professor Lupin and the fake Moody. Frisk sat down next to them, and she was joined by Chara and Asriel a minute or two later.
After Chara sat down, Opal looked up and scanned the library. "Ms. Pince is at her desk," she whispered. "No one else is around."
"Excellent," Hermione said. "I'll be quick. But before I begin, I ask that you keep this secret from the Hogwarts 'Grand Inquisitor'. Please."
Opal and Chara promised quickly. Asriel's eyes were a bit wide, and he glanced at Frisk and Chara before he gave his promise. Frisk echoed her own a moment later. If it was something truly awful, Frisk could always go to the headmaster without breaking it, after all.
Frisk listened attentively as Hermione made the case that their education at Hogwarts was being impeded by a lack of actual training in Defense against the Dark Arts. And that particular class was needed now more than ever, now that... and here Hermione struggled for a moment.
"The big V," Frisk said quietly "is back.". Her failure at finding a way to save both Harry and Cedric at the end of last year was looming over her.
"Yes," Hermione said, "Thanks. 'The Big V'," she repeated. "So Harry has thwarted him multiple times, and escaped him last year. And he has volunteered to train us in actual anti-dark arts spells." From inside her book, she produced a folded piece of parchment, which seemed to contain a list of names. Frisk recognized a few of them, every single Weasley was on it, from Fred to Ginny, her friend Luna. In fact, just about everyone who had gone to save Asriel was on the list, especially as Opal was looking enthusiastic.
"This is our agreement that we won't tell either the ministry or Umbridge, and that we are a member of the group,"
Opal began to rummage immediately for a quill.
"Is that really a good idea?" Chara asked, "having all our names in place like that?" Though she began looking for a quill herself.
"Maybe," Hermione said, slowly. Maybe she hadn't considered the question. "But I think it's valuable to know who's a member of our group and who isn't. Are you all in?" she asked the Dreemurrs, pushing the parchment to Opal for her signature.
"I don't know," said Asriel. "I want to. I'm already on a kind of probation with Ms. Umbridge here, even if Mr. Fudge gave his direct approval. On the other hand..."
"Dementors," Chara said acidly.
"You have the right to be able to protect yourself," Hermione said.
"Hermione," Frisk said, "can we have time to think about it. I mean, of course we're not going to tell Ms. Umbridge, or anyone else in the ministry, but..."
"Please, I know I'm already on shaky ground with the High Inquistior, no matter how much I have the headmaster's direct endorsement," Asriel said. "I would like some time to think."
"I think that's okay," Hermione said gently. "I know you've had a rough weekend, Frisk. I think we're going to have the first meeting real soon, if Harry can figure out somewhere to hold it. So you should decide as quickly as is reasonable.
"Thanks Hermione," Frisk told her.
"And Opal, I'll be in contact when we know when and where," she said, looking over at the librarian's desk.
Nodding to each other, they mostly made their way, separately, out of the library. Hermione, naturally, continued to study her rune book, after folding and hiding her parchment once more.
"We should join them," Chara said, once they were clear of the library. "We really do need to learn to protect ourselves. I know you're uncomfortable with fighting, Frisk, but you can't always just run."
"I... actually think so too, even if I don't know if I should join you," Asriel said. "There's a lot of 'Floweys' in this world, Frisk. As important as it is not to kill, it's important to be not be killed, too."
"That is nonsense," Chara said. "If we're in, you can be in..."
"I think we should ask Mom and Dad," Frisk said.
"Really?" Chara said as they headed up the common room to drop off their school books before dinner. "You're going to ask permission before you break the rules? Only you, Frisk," Then she grinned.
Asriel and Frisk laughed.
"It's a good idea," Asriel said, "I mean, it's not like we have to wait for an owl to go and come back," he said. "May I do it?" he said, having given it a bit more thought. "I'll make sure they tell you as well."
"Sure," Chara told him, with Frisk's nodded agreement.
So saying, they headed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room.
They had their reply from Asgore before they went to bed that night. "We lost two of you before, and with the dementor attack over the summer, and the reemergence of Voldemort and his Death-Eaters, we agree with Chara. You have the right to know how to defend yourselves, be it with soul magic or wand magic. If the ministry doesn't see fit to teach you, and you have a safe way to learn yourself, Toriel and I encourage you to do so,"
"Just make sure it is a safe way to do so," appended Toriel.
Frisk hid her cell phone back in her school trunk, and went to bed. Hermione might still be up in the common room, glowering at the twins "Puking Pastels", but Frisk could give her signature in the morning.