Chapter 2

The Third McSibling

Sarah woke up that morning early and fresh. Sarah and Amanda were appointed the girl's dormitory along with a few fourth years, Hermione Granger being one of them. The girls had spoken through the night with their new older friends, discussing American and British boys, while Amanda fawned over Viktor Krum, who she found "mysterious" and "hot".

After a quick shower, Sarah got dressed in her uniform and walked into the great hall with a few books and her backpack. Sarah had already picked her subjects. Specifically, selecting ones that would help her move towards her ambition of becoming a healer.

Sarah took her place at the Gryffindor table next to Dennis and Amanda as they were going over something.

"I thought this year was supposed to be an adventure!" Dennis groaned going over the lesson plan.

"What is that?" Sarah asked looking at a timetable. She bit her cheek, she quickly understood that, her early, had not been early enough.

"Ms. Lincolns…you are late." said Professor McGonagall sternly. Sarah turned around as she saw her grandmother Margery Lincoln's, summer favourite topic— Minerva McGonagall, her grandmother had not stopped talking about her all summer.

"Uh…yes, I'm very sorry professor…I suppose, I'm still operating on American time." Sarah said, her valiant attempt at a joke. However, it wasn't well-received. Who was she kidding, if Minerva was even remotely like any of her sisters…it wouldn't be well-received.

"Tardy is not suited for someone with ambitions as high as your Ms. Lincolns. Now, if I remember correctly, your first class will be in advanced Potions today. After which, please come see me in my office. I will hand over your schedule to you." Minerva stated curtly. Sarah nodded apologetically.

"Of course, except…uh…I don't know where your office…or the potion's class is?" Sarah said stopping Minerva in her path.

Minerva turned to look at her for a second and then smiled. She picked up a banana from the table and transfigured it into a scroll.

"Here you go…this should help." Minerva said handing Sarah the scroll. Sarah unrolled it to find a map of the castle.

"Thank you…!" Sarah said smiling thankfully at her great aunt. Minerva nodded and smiled back at her. She then walked to her seat at the great table, greeting students as she passed.

After breakfast, Sarah found her way to the dungeons and into the Potion's lab, just in time. Taking a seat at the table, she noticed Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom at it. For a few seconds, she panicked, worried that perhaps she had entered the wrong classroom. But the Potion's master was here and the class fell completely silent.

"You will not find any unqualified NEWT students in this potions class. For all "new" seventh years joining this class for the first time. There are rules here, I don't know what you may have been taught…in your various schools. But in my class, there will be no foolish wand waving or incantations. You will work on potions that I tell you to work on, not create concoctions that are a waste of ingredients!"

His voice flowed through like butter. A baritone like Sarah had never heard before. She was very intrigued by what he had to say. His voice, really made her feel like he was a man worth taking seriously. A man, she would never have dared to cross.

A hand shot up. It was Dennis. Of course, it was! All the Hogwarts students in the class looked at him like he had committed the biggest mistake of his life. Sarah looked at Amanda, she shook her head at Dennis as well. That boy, really needed to learn how to read a room! And it seemed like he was going to get one.

"Yes…?" The professor drawled as if expecting an "American Idiot" to break his flow.

"What's your name prof? This is our first class…also if this is an advanced potions class why are there fourth years?" He asked smiling at the professor. What was he doing? Trying to be pals with this man...after they had been clearly warned how scary he was? Did he think he was going be gentle and bubbly like their AIMS professors?

Sarah shot a worried look over at Dennis's table, trying to warn him to shut up before he got the entire AIMS class thrown out. Dennis shrugged at her.

"Mr.?"

"Spector."

"Mr. Spector. My name would be irrelevant to you, if I were to throw you and your schoolmates out of my class this very second! And to answer your second question…next year, you will be moving onto internships and courses where you will be receiving more practical experience. You have been paired with the fourth years, just as a lesson on how to work with other "special-cases" that you will have to face on a daily basis. Seeing just how unqualified you are to be a part of my class already, if you want to continue being here…and possibly for the sake of your schoolmates…I would suggest, you do not interrupt me again while I speak!"

As the professor destroyed Dennis with just a few words, Sarah watched the chalkboard behind him, begin to magically write things down in beautiful long strokes and cursive.

Advanced Potions— Seventh Years

Taken By: Professor Severus Snape
Potions Master, Rank 1, St. Mungo's Hospital of Magical Maladies and The International Magical Medicine Council (IMMC)

Along with his illustrious credentials, the magical chalk noted down two recipes.

"The task today is simple. For most with any intelligence that is. Seventh years will be making invisibility potions. While the fourth years, will be working on Wiggenweld! Wiggenweld, however, is not an easy potion to master, which is why the seventh years, along with making their own potion, will be supervising the fourth years. Any questions? No? How surprising! The recipes as you can see are on the board. You have an hour, you may begin." He said sitting down at his comfortable desk as students began scattering around helplessly for their things.

Sarah pulled out a tool box from her bag that held all her ingredients segregated according to potions requirements, all marked and labelled, a mother who owned an apothecary had to come in handy somewhere.

She began prepping her station with the list of required ingredients while copying down the recipe from the board so that she wouldn't need to keep looking away from her cauldron. Something that Athena had taught her do. Even though she was the headmistress, Athena still found the time to teach potions, students used to love the tips and tricks she left them with through each recipe.

Sarah began by washing her cauldron out and then followed the recipe meticulously. Noticing the professor taking his rounds, she began to quicken the process.

"Sarah…?" Harry called out woefully. Sarah had completely forgotten that she was meant to supervise these two boys.

"Be with you in just a moment!" She said while chopping up a root to add to her potion as finely as she could.

"Wow! You're really good at this!" Neville said impressed as he prepped his own ingredients. Sarah smiled at him as she walked over to the other side of the station.

"What the...! Guys…this aren't the steps to make Wiggenweld…it's supposed to be a green potion…why is yours…purple?!"

"POTTER! LONGBOTTOM!" Snarled the professor from behind. All three of them jumped on the spot turning to the professor.

"I should have known…as usual, you have failed to produce even a half decent concoction…I believe you will have to repeat it!" Snape snarled waving his wand as the cauldron was wiped clean. They grit their teeth silently. Snape then turned to Sarah.

"And you…you realise this is advanced potions…?" Professor Snape snapped angrily at her.

"I do sir." She replied stiffly. Why was he being so horrible?

"You understand what advanced means?"

"I do sir."

"Then why aren't you not following simple instructions? Just by having a fancy box of ingredients doesn't make you a potions expert!"

"I have been following your recipe, sir…"

"Then why haven't you added troll bogeys?" He snarled at her.

Sarah frowned. She went back to her station in a rush, and closed her eyes and cursed her luch. She was out of troll bogeys. The gift she had received from her aunt, had gone away angrily to her mother to sell in the store. Troll Bogeys were an expensive ingredient that was extremely difficult to source. But the fact that her aunt that sent it to her as her 17th birthday gift had not stood well with Sarah. And now she was paying the price for it.

"What is your name?" Snape barked.

"Sarah…Sarah Lincolns…"

"Well, Ms. Lincolns, it seems like you too, fail…"

"Professor Snape!" Said another seventh year from across the room, cutting the professor off.

"What is it Mr. Shorthorn?!"

"Sir…I uh…I have some extra Troll Bogeys that she can borrow…" He said, walking over from his station to Sarah's and placing a piece near her cauldron. He smiled at her, and then walked back to his perfectly prepared potion.

Snape looked distastefully at the young man, who smiled at him and then went back to writing on his parchment.

The professor rolled his eyes and then looked back at Sarah.

"If you want to stay in my class…I will not tolerate carelessness. Be careful of your ingredient list next time. Or I will fail you…just like this time!" He said walking away.

"But sir…" Sarah countered.

"You were not just supposed to make an invisibility potion Ms. Lincolns, you were also supposed to supervise these two completely incompetent fools. You have failed at both!" He said cutting her off.

Sarah had a scathing remark to make, but held herself back. He was right though, she had failed. But she wasn't one to go down quietly.

"I'll make sure both my tasks are complete sir…you said we had an hour…I believe there's still plenty of time left." She replied. Snape looked at her and rolled his eyes.

"For someone competent…" He snarked. Sarah looked at him daringly, she'd show him!

At the end of the class, she bottled up the potion and even finished supervising Harry and Neville through a pretty decent Wiggenweld.

She stood in line to deliver both vials to the professor. He looked up at her.

"I've re-attempted the assignment, sir. I hope you will reconsider." She said placing the vials on his desk. He picked them up and studied them. Then looked back at her, as she looked at him, apprehensively biting her lower lip in anticipation.

"Should suffice for an A." He grumbled.

Sarah nodded and then turned around to gather her things quickly, hoping he wouldn't rethink his decision. Sarah noticed the boy who had helped her looking at her. She smiled at him and mouthed a small thank you. He beamed at her and nodded sweetly.

Sarah looked at the map that Minerva had transfigured for her and began making her way towards her office. She noticed the boy from potions following her. She smiled and waited for him catch up.

"Are you heading to transfiguration? I'm headed there as well." He asked her jovially.

"Actually, I need to collect my schedule from Professor McGonagall, so just to her office. I haven't really opted for transfiguration as one of my subjects…no real use in healing to be honest. Although, I'm pretty good at it…but I had to take Potions instead…if I want to be a half-decent healer." Sarah replied.

"Oh…I love transfiguration…especially the way McGonagall teaches it. She's awesome!" He replied.

"I have heard, she's pretty awesome." Sarah replied smiling back at him.

"I'm Zeus Shorthorn by the way…" He said offering her his hand.

"Oh! Sarah Lincolns." She replied shaking it.

"Nice to meet you Zeus—also thank you! You really saved my skin in there…with Professor Snape!"

"No worries…I realised that since you had such an extensive tool box full of ingredients, you were probably just out of this one."

"Yeah…that box is only because my mom owns the apothecary down in Witch Burn Street."

"That sounds so amazing…I wish I could own an apothecary one day!"

"You're really into Potions?"

"Yes…I find the subtle art of potions to be my forte!" He replied, putting on an impression of Professor Snape, making her laugh loudly.

They entered the Transfiguration classroom having an interesting conversation about their future ambitions, Sarah found out that Zeus too, wanted to be a healer, but specialise in potions.

"Well, here's my stop…uh…I am also head boy…if you ever need anything, feel free to let me know." He said smirking and pointing at his badge.

"Thanks Zeus…you've been too kind!" She said charmingly. She could feel his eyes follow her as she knocked on Professor McGonagall's office door.

"Enter."

She opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. The office was warm and welcoming, decorated with Gryffindor colours and overlooking a part of the grounds. Bookshelves lined the wall as well. One glass cabinet held a quidditch trophy as its centre piece. Sarah smiled awkwardly as she waited for Minerva to finish writing what looked like a letter.

"Hello Sarah, do sit down." said Minerva without looking up. Sarah nodded and took a seat in the armchair opposite Minerva.

"I am…in fact…finishing off a letter to your grandmother…" She said signing the parchment at the end.

"Oh…grandma did say she wrote to you very often." Sarah said smiling.

"Yes, almost every two weeks…it's possibly the best way for us to keep in touch!"

"You could visit us in Boston too…" Sarah said absent-mindedly.

Minerva finally raised her head and looked at the young woman sitting in front of her.

"I wish I could my dear…but Hogwarts keeps me rather busy."

Sarah nodded in agreement. Minerva handed her the schedule she was there for.

"How was your potions class?" Minerva inquired as Sarah placed the scroll in her bag.

Sarah looked at her apprehensively. She was family and Sarah knew would have told Athena the truth if she had asked, so she decided to do the same. Except, possible leave out the details of her dislike for the professor.

"Professor Snape…is uh…an interesting…uh…"

"Professor Snape, is a very high ranking potions master…however what Severus makes up in skill he may sometimes lack in uh…tact…" Minerva replied knowingly. Sarah smiled at her, glad that she had somehow read her mind. She'd put what she was about to say…in the most diplomatic way possible.

"That's one way of putting it."

"Oh…don't worry, I'm sure he'll warm up to you. He's partial towards the seventh years anyway." Minerva said encouragingly.

"He threatened to throw AIMS out of his class…"

"But I do sincerely hope you're right...he has a lot of knowledge that I'd like to learn from." Replied Sarah intelligently. She then began to rise up from the armchair.

"Sarah…" Minerva called out to her before she exited the office.

"If you need anything…or if Athena is busy…please feel free to come to me."

"I wouldn't want to impose…Aunt Minerva." Sarah said unsurely.

"Family, is never an imposition." Minerva replied smiling at the girl.

Sarah beamed at her and then left the office.

Minerva looked back at the letter that she was working on. She then picked up a photo frame that she had flipped when her great niece had entered the office. She placed the frame back where it had been before, looking at the picture in it for a few long seconds. She tore her eyes away from it and stood to walk to her classroom, where the NEWTS students waited for her to begin.

The next day, Sarah sat with her friends at Breakfast, bright and early. She got a polite smile from Minerva as she walked past the table.

"So, are you guys planning on putting your names in the Goblet?" Fred and George chorused, directing their question at Sarah, Dennis and Amanda.

"I already did…" Dennis smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Dennis! Seriously?!" Amanda admonished him strictly.

"What? Isn't that the whole point of this trip? Sarah, come on back me up!" Dennis said asking his friend for support.

"I dunno, Denny…it seems risky!"

"Please, you're just scared of your parents freaking out!"

Sarah shot him a glare.

"I'm not scared Dennis." She replied cuttingly. She didn't like being challenged.

"Come on Sarah…it's alright if you are…besides…it's not like we've got a chance…Emily Florish has already put her name in. Everyone knows she's got real grit."

"Please…Emily is just a reckless fool! And so are you…" Sarah snapped.

"Besides…Sarah's got plenty of grit Dennis…she doesn't need to prove it to anyone!" Amanda said supporting her friend.

"I dunno, Sarah…that sounds like something a chicken would say!" He said teasing his friend by pretending to be a chicken. The table laughed at his antics.

"Dennis! Stop that!" Amanda snapped at him. She could see Sarah get wound up by his idiocy, and Amanda being the logical one of the three of them, couldn't possibly want another of her two friends putting their name in Goblet. It was like planning your own funeral.

"You know what!" Sarah snapped angrily as she grabbed a spare bit of parchment and scribbled something down.

Dennis's smile faltered.

"Sa…what're you doing?" Dennis asked getting tensed. She showed him her name on the parchment and then she began to march towards the room next to the Great Hall that held the burning Goblet.

"Sarah…Sarah…come on…stop…what're you doing…Sarah…don't!" Dennis yelled out to her as he ran behind her.

She was however, much faster on her feet.

"SARAH! STOP! I was just messing around…I haven't put my name in…there…" He trailed off. His mouth was left hanging, and so was Sarah's.

Before he could finish his sentence, Sarah had pulled back the parchment from the fire. But not far enough.

"Ah!" Sarah had yelped as the parchment caught fire, burning her fingers. The flaming parchment had then floated its way into the goblet.

They both stood there, watching the parchment turn to ash.

"Fuck!" Sarah whispered.

What had she just done. Her parents were going to kill her!

"Merlin! What've you done!" Dennis almost yelled pulling at his hair.

"I…I was just…I was just messing around…trying to teach you a lesson…and it just…caught fire!" Sarah replied panicking.

"Alright…alright…let's calm down…it's not like you've been chosen, right? It's not like the Goblet's gonna chose you! There are tons of people from our class who've applied…there's…literally like…I dunno…a hundred!"

"There aren't even a hundred of us Dennis!" Sarah retorted sucking her fingers that had received a nasty burn.

"But…there's literally a 100% chance mate!" said George coming in followed by Fred as the two AIMS students looked at each other.

"But don't worry Sarah…we're entering too!" Said the twins, clinking vials of ageing potion and downing them. The AIMS students frowned in surprise.

They stepped over the age boundary and placed their names in the Goblet. Nothing happened to them, to their surprise. However, the minute they stepped out, the age barrier hit them straight in the chests. They now sported two rather long and impressive white beards.

The four of them walked out of the room and back into the great hall as heads turned to laugh at them. Professor Dumbledore who had walked into the hall for breakfast looked at the four of them.

"Well, I must say…these are quite marvellous." Professor Dumbledore chuckled, amused by their handiwork and sent the twins to the hospital wing.

Dumbledore met Sarah's eyes as he gave her pleasant smile, and then walked out of the great hall following the twins and talking to them about beard upkeep.

Tessra Jones checked her watch, her dark heels tapping on the marble. She grew irritated by the minute.

This woman, Tessra thought.

She was almost always late and it was getting on Tessra's last nerve. All the other 26 were here, enjoying a calm cup of coffee, as the session now came to an end, but not the one she was waiting on! Sometimes, she could really test Tessra's patience!

Today was the day when the 27 Coven would open their doors to AIMS fifth-years and speak to them about their futures. A tradition that had been followed for centuries, a tradition Tessra held great pride in.

AIMS was as important to the 27 Coven, as the 27 Coven was to AIMS. Most members of coven were AIMS graduates, after all.

The 27 Coven were not as simple to understand as their name was. Yes, it was a coven of 27 witches and wizards. However, they were America's most powerful witches and wizards. Each and every member was a renowned magical individual in America, and in a lot of cases, the world. The Coven was unlike any that had ever existed. They understood and controlled some of the world's most exclusive magic. Elemental magic. It had its roots, in ancient sorcery and alchemy, that not many understood. Which is why the Coven's Sigil was a compass with the 4 elements spread across 4 quadrants—Earth, Wind, Water and Fire.

However, elemental magic wasn't so easy to come by, not even for the 27. Within the coven itself, most members did not possess the ability to perform such advanced magic. The leader needed to be a master of an element, to be voted in as a leader. Tessra, was herself the master of two. At the moment, there were only 5 other members apart from Tessra, who held mastery over an element.

But the 27 (as they were informally called) didn't just provide membership to anyone. There was a stringent process. First, there needed to be an opening, of course! This was a rare and tedious exercise in itself. When there was an vacancy, that didn't mean it was open for all. Either one of the members or the leader of the 27 (namely Tessra, in the case of the last 40 years) had to handpick a single candidate, who they felt would be able to complete their trials. Of all these candidates, only one would fill the available position. This one individual, would then have to showcase their skills and capacity for knowledge. They would have to graduate at the top of their class, in two Majors within a short span of two years. Majors that usually took people years to master. The choice of the majors would depend on the individual. Once they were successful, that is if they were successful. The leader would judge your capability and an after a closed-door session with the senior members of the coven, the leader would agree or disagree to induct the candidate into the coven. Once you were initiated into the coven, a gruelling year of training under a mentor (a member from the Coven) and in special scenarios, the leader themselves would work with the candidate to inculcating the knowledge and magic that only the 27 possessed. Most members were picked in their late twenties or early thirties. There was a certain level of maturity that was required to be a part of the coven.

The process was tiresome and definitely not a preferred option for most people. Besides, it wasn't like most people had much of choice, if they weren't picked, meant they were not capable enough to begin with to be a part one of the most powerful coven's in the world. Only one's with true ambition, cunning, daring and grit amongst many other criteria, would even get a chance at an invitation.

This was why the 27 Coven were so well-revered across America, and possibly the world as well. Their history was rich with the coven's role in many victories over dark magic and anything evil. The coven itself was as old as the First 27, all graduates of Ilvermorny, who had formed it, and then had founded AIMS.

In the beginning, it was built, so that they could scout for the best young talents in America to join the coven, but later seeing the potential for education that the professors could offer, it was opened up to all wizard-kind. Since its inception, the coven and its members only used their extremely talented skills for good. And it had been so for the longest time. Of course, there were renegades here and there, but out of all the members that the coven had seen there were hardly 4 or 5 of those. And only one had ever been banned from the coven.

Tessra was growing incredibly impatient now. She watched fifth-years return from their tour of Coven House, that Demetrius (a senior coven member) had taken them on.

"Still not here?" Demetrius asked chuckling as he watched Tessra looking at the clear sky, for any sign of the one she was waiting for.

"No! I really must have a word with her Demetrius…sometimes it feels like she takes me for granted!"

"Of course, she does Tessra…she knows you're partial towards her!" Demetrius chuckled as Tessra tsked in frustration. She knew he was right. She couldn't help it. The woman was her mentee, obviously she was partial towards her.

"She is young and spirited Tessra…she doesn't have the experience we do…don't be so hard on her." Demetrius offered kindly. Tessra shook her head and rolled her eyes at his softness towards her. Once again, cursing herself, she was probably just as lenient, when it came to her mentee.

"All that these children have done since they have arrived, is ask for her! What am I to tell them…they'll be so disappointed!"

"That she is a busy woman…probably out somewhere on some mission like she usually is!"

"Oh, please! That will reflect so poorly on the rest of the coven. You know the rest of them, you know they've all been sullen about her and her achievements ever since the steamrolled over their opinion of her initiation. Besides, they're all probably huddled around their little mugs and cupcakes bemoaning the fact that no one has asked about them and their accomplishments…"

"She…does have a celebrity status Tessra…popular amongst the young'uns…they don't want to hear about potions and arithmancy…they'd rather listen to stories of fighting trolls and dark wizards. In all honesty, I enjoy reading the Daily Bugle, just so I can see her face on it every day." Demetrius chuckled. Tessra shook her head in amusement and mild distaste. She then checked her watch; her blood pressure rose instantly.

"This is ridiculous…she is two hours late!"

"Who is two hours late, Tess?" Asked a female voice from behind them. Tessra and Demetrius turned around to see the woman they had been waiting for. She smiled at them with her stupid charming smirk that had melted hearts across the continent!

"Seriously! YOU! Who else…I can't even begin to…" Tessra snapped angrily. Words failed her as her voice rose and then fell in exasperated anger.

"I don't know what you mean…I've been here the whole time…" She replied lighting a cigarette.

"YOU HAVE NOT!" Snarled Tessra a nerve thumping in her temple.

"Of course, I have…Demetrius gave the kids a tour, the members drank some diluted coffee and ate some dry cake…moaned about me a bunch, and it's time to go home…or wherever else we are actually required to be!" She replied shrugging.

"You…you…know this…because…we do this every year! And because you have been standing behind us listening to everything…!"

"Of course, I have Tess, like I said, I've been here the whole time!" She chuckled; Demetrius joined her. Tessra shot him a sharp glare.

"Don't test my limits...not today!" Tessra threatened. She yanked the woman's hand and dragged her towards the collection of fifth-years. Tessra literally flung the woman at the students as they engulfed her in compliments and curious questions, all at the same time.

The woman glared at Tessra through her aviators. Tessra smiled back wickedly. She knew just how much the youngest member of the 27 hated being hounded. And just how much she hated doing this every year.

"A fitting punishment, my dear leader." Demetrius laughed walking up to Tessra, as he watched the younger woman try and answer the questions bombarded at her.

Tessra folded her hands victoriously and smiled as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

"Is that a phoenix?"

"Yes, she is!"

"What's her name?"

"Burst!"

"What a weird name!"

"Can you show us your Phoenix tattoo?"

"Can you show us some duelling tricks?"

"Can you tell us about your latest mission?!"

"Can I touch your Phoenix?"

"CAN I…"

"Get yourself out of this my dear…" Tessra smirked shrewdly to herself and then walked away, seeing this as fitting punishment for her mentee.