Academics and Athletics
When Lynn Loud first set out for the Boiling Isles, she had a pretty good idea of what she was getting into, thanks to Lisa's probe footage. From this, she knew of a magic school where witchlings go to learn their craft, so it came as no surprise when she and Lucy found themselves going to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. It also came as no surprise that Lucy would immediately fall in love with the place. To her, this was like stepping foot into one of her fantasy novels. However, blending in here would not be easy, as the dress code required a cowl and coloured uniform be worn to indicate which magical tracks the student wearing the uniform chose to study.
"OK, here we are at bootleg Hogwarts. Are you finished geeking out yet?" Lynn derided.
"Not yet. Hold on…. OK, now I'm done. Should be simple to get in, read a few books in the school library about the Order and then get out. Easy as can be," Lucy recounted.
"One problem, we need disguises," Lynn observed. Both Lynn and Lucy thought about their options for getting in un-noticed, then a thought came into Lucy's head.
"Lost property should have some spares in our size," Lucy considered.
"OK, that's a neat idea, but where would we find lost property in a place like this?" Lynn queried. Just then, Lynn had a light-bulb idea of her own. "If this is anything like our school, spare school gear can be found in the gym, right by the laundry machines," Lynn suggested.
"This is a magic school. They probably use spells for that," Lucy dismissed.
"Are you two new enrolees?" came a voice from behind them. Lynn and Lucy turned to see a bespectacled witch dressed in green with a black robe and another, male witch similarly dressed, only in light blue instead of green. Lucy then had another brilliant idea, one that circumvented the need for disguises.
"Yes, we are new enrolees. I'm Lucy and this is my sister Lynn. We're looking to start here as soon as possible," Lucy improvised. The green-robed witch then examined them both carefully, particularly around Lynn's ears.
"Wait a minute, you two are human. How is that possible? We didn't see you come through the portal door," the witch realised.
"There's a portal door?" Lynn asked.
"Willow, we're forgetting something. I'm Gus, and this is Willow. We're students here. She studies plant magic, while I focus on illusions. What are you two looking to study?" Gus inquired.
"We don't know yet, but I happen to be a dab hand at divination and potions. Are they taught here?" Lucy answered.
"Oh, absolutely. You'll want the Oracle and Potions tracks. Fun fact; previously, you could only choose one in the old days, but since Principal Bump introduced multiple track studies, you can choose any or all of the main nine tracks," Willow explained.
You can choose from Oracle, Illusion, Potions, Abomination, Plant magic, Bard, Healing, Construction, and Beast-keeping," Gus added.
"That's all well and good, but I'm a sports gal, although the Beast-keeping track sounds fun," Lynn rebutted.
"If that's your angle, this school has a Grudgby team, if you can handle Boscha's attitude. I happen to be the captain of the Flyer Derby team if you find her too obnoxious, and I won't blame you if you did," Willow replied.
"Anyway, where do we go to enrol?" Lucy probed. Lynn then leaned in closer to whisper in Lucy's ear.
"You sure about this, Luce? We don't actually plan to study here, right?" Lynn queried.
"You can back out if you want. I'm hoping I can board here. Still, this is the best option we have," Lucy responded.
"OK, fine, I'll follow your lead," Lynn agreed.
"You'll need to see Principal Bump to take your entrance exam. If you can master at least two spells, you should be good to go," Gus explained.
"Two spells? Is that it? This should be a cinch. Bring on that exam!" Lynn bragged. On the way inside, Lynn leaned in closer to Lucy again. "If you tell anyone at home I said that, Edwin's gonna meet with a rather nasty accident," Lynn threatened. Lucy was too busy grinning with excitement to give a response.
Meanwhile, Annie, Delilah, and Bianca descended the hidden staircase in the Sorceress' lair to the hidden chamber that Annie had uncovered by accident. The staircase seemed to go on forever, and there was no telling how far they were underground. Eventually, they arrived at the foot of the stairs and continued down a candle-lit hallway until they came across an enchanted door.
"I should be able to break these. Give me two minutes," Bianca said, then got to work disenchanting the door. While she chanted various spells, Annie and Delilah pondered on the Sorceress and her failed plan.
"Did she ever say anything else upon arriving at the Draco Vinculum?" Delilah wondered.
"Nothing. Sometimes I wonder why High Justice Red was insistent on sparing her. She tried to murder baby dragons to keep herself alive, for Ancestor's sake," Annie answered.
"Still, a lifetime in the dragon prison should be sufficient punishment, even if it is a drain on resources," Delilah mused.
"Plus, we liberated the Reclaimed Worlds from her iron grip, redeemed her apprentice, and made loads of new allies. Wins all round," Annie summarised.
"What do you make of the new ruling council?" Delilah asked.
"Councillors Sheila and Bentley are more than level-headed enough for the eccentric Agent 9 and the dutiful, but trigger-happy Sergeant James Byrd. As for Bianca, she's wise beyond her years, and compassionate to boot," Annie complimented.
"Why, thank you. I'm done now. We may enter when ready," Bianca notified. The door, now disenchanted, opened, and Annie, Delilah, and Bianca stepped over the threshold. They were not prepared for the sight that befell them. On the surface, the room looked like any other, full of books in shelves and an alchemy table. However, the room also contained what looked like the same communications equipment that the Sentinels use when talking to the Court of Ancients.
"This seems out of place. This is dragon magitech. Where did the Sorceress get this?" Annie queried.
"Beats me. Doesn't look like she kept any record as to who she was talking to, according to these journals," Bianca answered.
"Let me see those," Delilah interjected. She inspected the Sorceress' journals for clues. Delilah found three entries that were of particular note:
It has been a thousand years since I banished the Dragons from my Realms. I am no closer to finding a solution to my fading magic. I fear that without help, I will most surely perish. In my most dire moment, a stream of purple light erupts from the dimensional weak spot of the Realms. I journey to this light, and someone called the Dark Master speaks to me and tells me of a way to not only restore magic to the Realms but make myself immortal. He tells me the answer lies in the wings of the dragons born during the Year of the Dragon. That time is almost upon the Realms. I must act now. My apprentice, Bianca, will be tasked with collecting the eggs, though I must conceal the true nature of my plans from her. She is too empathic for her own good, despite my best efforts.
"How would the Dark Master know anything about dragon physiology? Either he studied it extensively before his fall or…." Bianca surmised.
"…the Dark Master was a dragon himself. Yeah, we're still coming to grips with that knowledge ourselves," Annie finished.
"Hold on, I'm reading the next entry," Delilah pressed.
Bianca has performed her task admirably. All the eggs have been scattered across the Forgotten Worlds, and magic is returning. It would have been a flawless operation, but the purple dragon and his cheetah companion followed Bianca through. They are now journeying through the Realms, rescuing all the baby dragons and sending them back to the Dragon Realms. At this rate, I'll be right back where I began. Worse than that, I'll be gone by year's end. I sent Bianca to deal with them, but all she's done is try, and fail, to scare them away. Even her monsters fail to dispose of the purple dragonling, whom the Supreme Warlock tells me is named Spyro. Like I care what his name is!
"The Supreme Warlock was guiding the Sorceress the whole time? And I thought the Malefic Order was comprised solely of witches from the Boiling Isles. Just how many do they number? What worlds have members of the Order in their ranks?" Annie probed.
"Better question: how does the Supreme Warlock know of Spyro? Aside from his adventures here and in Avalar, he's never set foot outside the Dragon Realms," Delilah posed.
"That narrows down the list of suspects, then. Maybe we should have a chat with Spyro, see if he has any insight," Annie suggested.
"The Sorceress never told me about any 'Supreme Warlock'. Who are they?" Bianca questioned.
"They're someone we've been trying to track down for a while. They lead a group called the Malefic Order, a fanatic cult working to bring the Dark Master back to the land of the living. We thought they comprised of desperate witches seeking to depose Emperor Belos of the Boiling Isles. Now I'm not so sure," Annie briefed.
"Hold on. I'm reading her final entry," Delilah hushed.
Spyro has rallied the kangaroo Sheila, the penguin sergeant Byrd, the yeti Bentley, the lab monkey Agent 9, and their allies against me. Bianca has turned on me, and they are close to my lair. I must conceal this secret in case I lose power and either I am killed or incarcerated in the Draco Vinculum. My research must not die here. The immortality spell is nearly complete. I just need those wings. Any dragon wings will do, even Spyro's, according to the Supreme Warlock. In the end, it comes down to me or him. Only one of us can emerge victorious in the coming battle. He comes for me now. I must prepare.
"Wow, Spyro has even deadlier enemies than he thought. If the Supreme Warlock has him in their sights, he must be protected," Annie stated.
"Spyro can handle himself. He isn't the Purple Dragon for nothing. Still, whoever the Supreme Warlock is, they must have a grudge against dragon-kind. Could it be Ripto?" Delilah guessed.
"It's possible. He hates dragons, Spyro especially, since he removed him from Avalar, and had access to Avalaran orbs. He could be supplying the Order with everything they need," Annie theorised.
"It would be a surprise if that midget was the one we were looking for. Do you think the Sorceress knows?" Delilah asked.
"Even if she does, the Draco Vinculum's off-limits to all except the Court and the Sentinels the Court selects, and we aren't either. Is there anything in here that can help us track down the Chronicler?" Annie replied. Bianca then rifled through a series of scrolls until she found something of interest.
"Yes, here. I have good news and bad news. Good news is the Sorceress tracked him down to some place called the White Isle, a remote island on an ocean realm," Bianca informed.
"That's a cinch for us. It has been a while since I rocked my mermaid form," Annie recalled.
"Bad news is the Isle is realm-locked, and even if you did find a portal to get you there, the Isle also has disillusionment charms and memory modifier spells put in place. Anyone who manages to find the Isle either has no recollection of their visit or completely loses their minds," Bianca relayed.
"Did the Sorceress ever find a way to shield her mind?" Delilah asked.
"If she did, she didn't write it down here," Bianca answered.
"Then the next step is clear; we need to interrogate her," Delilah resolved.
"That would involve getting into the Draco Vinculum without clearance. How are you going to pull that off?" Annie probed. Delilah smirked a little.
"I met one of the Sentinels stationed there in a tavern. Long story, but she owes me a favour," Delilah responded.
"I take it this was before you met Crystal?" Annie asked hopefully.
"Crystal introduced us," Delilah clarified.
"Alright then, let us journey onward," Annie remarked, not wanting to know details of this particular encounter.
Back at the Boiling Isles, Amy and Zella found a quiet hiding spot to call Sylvia on their orbs to report in. Zella had relayed the good news of Belos' death to Sylvia, causing her to break out into song and dance for five minutes and rant about how they should've been the ones to do him in. Regardless, Sylvia was glad the deed had been done, but she was less than pleased to hear Zella's report on the Loud sightings in the Boiling Isles.
"What in Ancestor's name are the Louds doing there?!" Sylvia demanded.
"It's just two of them. There is no sign that they are here in force. This isn't a repeat of the Bill situation," Zella assured.
"What do you expect me to tell the Court? The last human that set foot on the Isles effected a regime change. The one before that nearly committed mass genocide. They will not be happy," Sylvia recounted.
"Lynn and Lucy Loud are harmless. If anything, Lucy seems right at home here," Zella calmed. Sylvia sighed heavily.
"I bet she does. Where are they now?" Sylvia inquired.
"Last I checked, they were on their way to Hexside," Amy replied.
"You're kidding?! OK, fine, go there yourselves, ascertain their goals, and try and persuade them to go back home. The Isles are messy right now and they don't need any more human interference," Sylvia instructed.
"And if they prove un-co-operative?" Zella asked.
"Drag them back to the Loud House kicking and screaming if you have to," Sylvia rebutted and terminated the call.
"Someone's getting impatient," Morgan teased.
"Between Annie and Delilah doing a runner, and more humans on the Isles, my patience is stretched thin. Tell me some good news," Sylvia pleaded.
"Shawn and Crystal are here, as you requested," Morgan updated.
"Oh, thank the Ancestors. Send them in," Sylvia replied. Morgan opened the door to Sylvia's office and let in two Sentinels. One, a male named Shawn, had eight green eyes, matching hair, black skin, and tiny horns on his head. Beside him was Crystal, a female Sentinel in short, icy blue clothes which Sylvia always wondered why she wore because of her ice powers.
"You summoned us, Sylvia?" Shawn spoke first.
"Yes, I did. Are you two aware that Annie and Delilah have left on a seemingly urgent matter?" Sylvia queried.
"No, we weren't. Did they tell you where they were going?" Crystal asked with a tone of concern.
"You mean they didn't tell either of you where they were going?" Sylvia realised.
"Not a word, no. I'm guessing they didn't tell you," Shawn answered.
"That's not the Delilah I know and love," Crystal interjected.
"Nor is it like Annie. What's going on, Sylvia?" Shawn probed.
"That is why I summoned you two here. I had hoped you would tell me, but it seems you are just as in the dark as we are," Sylvia concluded.
"As far as I know, Delilah never said anything to me indicating that she would take off like this," Crystal informed.
"I see. Shawn, what about you? Has Annie said anything that would cause you concern?" Sylvia questioned. If Shawn had to tell the truth, the Amphibia mission sprung to mind, though he wasn't sure how to word it to Sylvia. His uncomfortable silence was broken with Sylvia's continued questioning. "Shawn, if you know of anything that would make Annie ditch her post, please say so now. Do not make me use my truth touch on you," Sylvia implied. Shawn sighed heavily.
"I may know what made her act like this. She learned something during the Amphibia mission that caused her great distress," Shawn disclosed.
"And that is?" Sylvia probed. Shawn knew that it was pointless to hold this in any longer, so he decided to break the truth to Sylvia.
"I'm going to tell you the same thing Annie learned in Amphibia, but be warned, you will not like it," Shawn braced Sylvia, Morgan, and Crystal for the bombshell of their lives.
At Hexside, Willow and Gus were escorting Lynn and Lucy to Principal Bump's office. While Lynn was not impressed with Hexside, Lucy wished she had more eyes than two. She was enamoured by everything Hexside had to offer. Sentient lockers, flying papers, spells being cast everywhere. True, it looked nothing like the fantasy novels and movies Lucy partook in, but in her view, Hexside was actually better than all of them combined. They made it to Principal Bump's office. Willow knocked on the door a few times.
"Enter," Bump's voice came from behind, signalling that they had permission to come in. Willow, Gus, Lynn, and Lucy stepped foot into Bump's office, who was delighted to see Willow and Gus, but puzzled at the arrival of two children he had never seen before. "Who do you bring before me, Willow, Augustus?" Bump inquired.
"They said they were new enrolees. I present Lynn and Lucy Loud. Sisters, apparently," Willow responded. Bump then looked over some papers on his desk.
"Funny, I don't see their names on the list of applicants. Let me get a good look at them," Bump replied. He then got up from his desk and inspected Lynn and Lucy closely, something Lynn had some aversion to.
"You know, I'm getting pretty sick of the people here staring at my ears. First it was Candyfloss and now you. What, you've never seen a human on the Boiling Isles?" Lynn asserted.
"Calm, Lynn, we look strange to these people. It's only natural for them to take an interest," Lucy eased the tension.
"Also, who's Candyfloss?" Gus probed.
"That one girl with the funny-coloured hair that works at the library," Lynn clarified.
"Oh, you mean Amity," Willow guessed.
"Anyway, if I were to admit you two, you wouldn't be the first humans I'd take in as students. That honour goes to Luz Noceda, arguably one of my favourites," Bump stated.
"I've met her. She definitely seems unique amongst the residents of the Isles," Lucy recalled.
"The other professors and I will watch your entrance exams, as well as Boscha and Willow as sports captains, provided you're still interested," Bump offered.
"Very," Lucy accepted without hesitation. Lynn, rather hesitantly, nodded in affirmation.
"Then follow me to the auditorium," Bump guided. He then escorted Willow, Lynn and Lucy to the auditorium, while Gus returned to Illusion class. Once at the auditorium, Bump introduced the professors of the nine main tracks at Hexside, who all just nodded or said 'hi' while taking notes. Willow and Boscha took seats at opposite ends of the audience. It was clear to both Lynn and Lucy that those two did not like each other. Lynn found Boscha even stranger than Amity. For one thing, she had a third eye on her forehead that Lynn had to try very hard not to stare at.
"More humans? Is this school starting an inter-dimensional exchange program or something? Can they even do magic?" Boscha scoffed.
"I'll magic you, three-eyes!" Lynn shot back.
"Save it for your audition. You're up first, Lynn," Bump directed. Lynn then took a deep breath, got out her wand and said the first spell that came to mind.
"Incendio!" Lynn yelled. Nothing happened, save for a tiny puff of smoke coming out of her wand. Lynn started to get really nervous, a feeling she was not accustomed to. Lucy face-palmed out of embarrassment. Willow shot her hand up.
"Luz showed us those movies when we were stuck in the Human Realm. Magic here doesn't work like that," Willow observed.
"I know that! I was just showing how not to do it," Lynn rebutted, trying to save face. She then remembered the spell she cast on Plague Bringer when she attacked Lincoln at school. She made the same circle she did back then with her wand, but again, nothing happened. As it so happened, Amity happened to walk by the auditorium and saw Lynn flunk her entrance exam.
"Hmph, knew you'd beef it," Amity belittled.
"What'd you say, Candyfloss?!" Lynn retaliated. She then pointed her wand at Amity, and a blasting curse shot out of the tip, barely missing Amity by inches.
"Watch it, breadhead!" Amity retorted. She then drew her palisman staff, eager to finish where they left off at the library, only for Bump to intervene.
"Enough. Believe it or not, I've seen worse. We'll be in touch. Next," Bump called for Lucy to step forward while the other professors took notes on Lynn.
"If she is anything like her sister, this has been a waste of time," Boscha remarked scornfully. Lucy took a deep breath, then waved her wand. The lights in the auditorium all went out, then Lucy conjured a pair of bright wings made of dark purple light on her back, which she used to levitate herself a few feet into the air. The professors were visibly impressed, as were Willow and Boscha. Even Lynn was astounded, but Lucy was not done.
The wings grew in size, then wrapped themselves around Lucy. She then rapidly spread them out again, and bats made of bright blue fire erupted and flew around the auditorium, bizarrely managing to avoid setting anything alight. Bump and the professors applauded this show. Lucy then set herself down on the floor and conjured a cauldron filled with a brewing potion. Lucy then got out a potion brewing kit she had on her, put in a few ingredients, and then the cauldron started emitting lights of all colours of the rainbow. Then, the brew started bubbling and soon it was splashing everywhere. Under normal circumstances, this would be a failure, but Lucy managed to control the liquid, guiding it with her wand, and transfigured it to create ice sculptures, even making them glow with the coloured lighting. The ice sculptures started moving about the auditorium of their own cognisance, until Lucy turned them to liquid, dispensed it into chalices, and levitated them towards the professors, Bump, Willow, and Boscha. Out of instinct, or curiosity, Willow took a sip.
"Hmmmm, tastes like strawberry soda of the Human Realm," Willow compared. She then cast a plant spell that seemed stronger than as she intended.
"That's my patented power-enhancement potion. Makes spells ten times stronger for a short while. Helpful in a pinch," Lucy explained. She then conjured up a broomstick. "And for my grand finale," Lucy added. She then mounted the broomstick, flew around the auditorium, and re-lighted all the bulbs she dimmed when she started her exam. Once she landed back on stage, the professors wasted no time giving her a standing ovation, and Bump even conjured Lucy a starter Hexside uniform. Lucy took a moment to admire it in the mirror. Even Amity, who had stuck around to watch, had been awestruck by Lucy's performance.
"She's good," Amity observed.
"Good is an understatement. By the Titan, I haven't seen magic that powerful in one so young in twenty years! After all that, how could I not enrol you? Welcome to Hexside, Lucy Loud," Bump complimented.
"Thank you, Principal Bump. It would be an honour to attend this school," Lucy replied.
"The honour would be ours to have you. Please, let me show you back to my office so we can talk about what tracks you want to study," Bump then proceeded to escort Lucy back to his office when a bat, not one of Lucy's conjurations, flew in and landed on her shoulder. The bat then nudged her cheek affectionately. Lucy patted its head in response. A boy Lucy did not recognise then came running into the auditorium. He looked to be as old as Leni or Lori but had a scarred face.
"I am so sorry about this little guy. He's always been an oddball, but it seems he's chosen you," the boy stated.
"Ah, Hunter, allow me to introduce our newest student. Lucy Loud, this is Hunter, formerly known as the Golden Guard, now he's our palisman keeper. Coincidentally, that is one of his charges sitting on your shoulder, and his assessment is correct. This palisman has indeed chosen you. All that is left is for you to reveal your deepest wish to it," Bump clarified. Lucy then took the bat into her hands.
"I wish to deepen my relationship with magic, to learn how best to use it, so that I may understand Great-Grandma Harriet better, and to use my abilities to defend my family against the darkness to come," Lucy disclosed. The bat then transformed into a palisman staff which Lucy took as her own.
"Normally that doesn't happen until a witch's teen years. You are exceptional indeed. Now all that's left is to give your palisman a name," Hunter noticed.
"OK. I believe I shall call you Edwin," Lucy bestowed the name unto her palisman. Edwin the bat then detached from the staff and smiled in approval, then rested atop Lucy's head.
"Boscha, why don't you show Lynn around the campus. The other professors and I will see to Lucy and get her started," Bump instructed.
"Yes, sir," Boscha acknowledged. She guided Lynn out of the auditorium while Bump and the professors went to the principal's office to speak with Lucy. Lynn tried her hardest not to yawn during the tour Boscha was giving. Equally, Boscha seem discontent with having to escort a trials drop-out around the school.
"You know, I would ask you to at least pretend to be interested, but that would make me a hypocrite. All I want to do here is play Grudgby, but they insist I actually study something," Boscha bemoaned.
"Ugh, tell me about it. I have 5 MVP awards at home, but all Principal Ramirez wants is for me to get my grades up. It's not my fault I only think in sports terms," Lynn sympathised. Boscha smiled at this statement. At first, she thought of Lynn as just another weak witch, but if she was a fellow athlete and had the same competitive drive she had, they might just get along. In fact, Boscha had an idea.
"Would you be OK if we skipped to the Grudgby field part of the tour, and you tell Bump you saw the whole place? If anything, it'll save time," Boscha proposed.
"Heck yeah! Question; what is Grudgby?" Lynn agreed.
"See for yourself," Boscha indicated. Once they were at the sports field, Lynn could indeed see for herself what Grudgby was about. She saw two other witches dressed in what looked like football uniforms throwing a ball around and trying to get it into a triangle-shaped goal whilst avoiding deadly traps. Lynn liked the look of this. Nothing like a little danger to get the adrenaline pumping.
"Now THIS is more like it!" Lynn remarked enthusiastically. Boscha chuckled at Lynn's excitement.
"I knew you'd like this. Why don't we get you acquainted with the game? First, I'd like you to meet the team. Bump already introduced me. I'm Boscha, team captain. The witches you see over there are Skara and Cat, and we're the Hexside Banshees," Boscha introduced.
"Nice to meet you all. How do you play this game?" Lynn inquired.
"It's simple; each ball thrown through that goal scores 10 points. The most points scored in four 15-minute periods wins the game. However, traps laid around the field, as well as the opposing team, will try to stop you. It is up to your magical ability and your team-mates to get you to that goalpost with your limbs intact," Boscha outlined.
"Errrrrrr, that last part's an exaggeration, right?" Lynn probed. She then saw an axe trap go off and got her answer.
"Don't worry, no-one's died playing this sport. Not in centuries, anyway," Boscha assured.
"Cool. Hey, Willow mentioned a sport called 'flyer derby'. What's that?" Lynn asked. Boscha then pointed to another field where the Emerald Entrails were practicing. Lynn could make out witches flying on their staffs trying to grab a flag and put it on a goalpost. Lynn found this very boring.
"There's Willow's flyer derby team, the Emerald Entrails. Can't see the appeal, personally," Boscha answered.
"Me neither. That's just flag football on broomsticks. Where's the contact? Where's the adrenaline rush that lets you know you're alive?" Lynn compared. Boscha laughed heartily at that remark.
"A girl after my own heart," Boscha complimented. She then cast a spell that saw Lynn change from her usual jersey and shorts into a Hexside sports uniform. "Come, practice with us. Call it your welcome party," Boscha invited.
"Don't mind if I do, chief," Lynn accepted. She went through a series of training drills with the Banshees. Bizarrely enough, her magic started working. Lynn was able to deflect an axe trap, slice through some plant matter, and stop a team-mate from crashing onto the ground by slowing her momentum. Even Boscha had to admit that Lynn's magic was comparable to that of a native witch, even if she did need a wand to cast it, most of the time, as Lynn retained her wandless abilities. All the while, Amy was covertly observing her from the bleachers.
"Oh, son of a Gnorc, this isn't good. I hope Zella has better news," Amy said. After about an hour of exercises, Lynn and the Banshees decided enough was enough.
"You're good, Lynn. If Bump lets you in, I'd quite happily have you on the team," Boscha offered.
"That would be sick! This Quidditch-like sport rocks!" Lynn remarked. Skara then raised her hand.
"Question: what's Quidditch?" Skara probed. Lynn grinned from ear to ear, salivating in the prospect of showing these fine athletes a whole new sport. Amy facepalmed from the bleachers.
"It just got worse," Amy observed.
Meanwhile, Lucy was sitting down with Principal Bump and the rest of the academic staff, who were all pitching Lucy their respective tracks. Lucy was listening intently, but also had a twinge of guilt in her heart. The professors here all seemed genuinely enthusiastic about having her in their class, but all Lucy wanted was to find out more about the Malefic Order. The original intention seemed to get lost in the spectacle of this place, and the excitement at the prospect of actually studying at a magic school.
"As you can see, Hexside's curriculum is vast and covers a whole array of magical arts. We are equipped to handle any student's needs and desires. Of course, we will take your unique traits into consideration during your time here with us," Bump concluded the session.
"My thanks. As I'm sure you're aware, magic doesn't come naturally to all humans. Either you're born with the gift or you're not. My family only learned of their magical heritage last year, and that was because my great-grandmother sealed our abilities away," Lucy replied.
"I'm sure she must've had a good reason. If you don't mind my asking, how did you unseal them?" Bump queried.
"It's a long story involving a Nightmare King's magical artifact, me falling under a dark influence, a magical plague, and an Awakening Spell, but I've moved past it. We all have," Lucy answered.
"If you ever feel like sharing, my door's open. Now, have you chosen which tracks you wish to study? Or, if you're feeling brave, like Luz before you, you can go for all nine," Bump urged. Lucy paused to think, and then the guilt came bubbling to the surface and Lucy realised she couldn't keep up the charade anymore.
"Principal Bump, esteemed professors, I owe you an apology. I came here under false circumstances. While the prospect of studying here is legitimately intriguing, I came here with one objective in mind; to learn more about the Malefic Order," Lucy confessed. Bump and the professors were taken aback, but not overly angry or upset. In fact, they were mostly unfazed.
"The Order? They're extinct. What's more to learn?" Bump asked, puzzled by Lucy's revelation.
"With respect, no, they are not. We met them. We fought them. We…almost lost our brother to them," Lucy corrected. She started crying softly, which Bump must've noticed because he handed her a box of tissues, which Lucy used to dab her eyes with.
"You're serious, aren't you?" Bump probed, to which Lucy could only nod in confirmation. "Please, tell me everything," Bump pressed. Whilst this meeting took place, Zella was watching from the shadows. When Lucy told Bump about the Order, she had to struggle not to cry herself, which would be very bad for everyone in the room, as Zella's tears were deadly to everyone except her.
While Lucy was spilling her soul to Principal Bump and the faculty about the Malefic Order, Lynn was busy explaining the rules of Quidditch to Boscha, Skara, Cat, and three other players that Boscha had rounded up, who introduced themselves as Edric and Emira Blight, and Matt Tholomule, when Lynn told her they needed seven players. Lynn had gone over the basics first. Three Chasers passed a ball called the Quaffle between them and tried to get it between one of three hoops to score ten points. Lynn, Skara, and Emira volunteered to fill that role. A Keeper defends the hoops. This was left to Matt. A Seeker tried to catch a ball called the Golden Snitch to earn their team an extra 150 points and end the game. Boscha was to play this part. All the while, two Bludgers would fly around and try to knock players off their broomsticks, or staffs in this case. Cat and Edric were nominated as Beaters. Their job was to beat the Bludgers away from their team-mates using bats and aim them towards the opposing side. Overall, Boscha liked what she heard.
"I will concede, you humans can come up with some interesting sports. There's just one problem; you don't have a palisman staff," Boscha admitted.
"Didn't that Hunter kid have an artificial magic staff? Maybe Lynn could use one of those," Skara suggested.
"Come to think of it, Hexside does keep some of those on hand for students yet to receive their palismans. Yes, I think Lynn should borrow one of those," Cat agreed.
"Yeah, about Lynn. There's one thing we've been meaning to ask her. Is it true you've taken to calling Mittens 'Candyfloss'?" Emira inquired.
"You call her 'Mittens'?" Lynn replied.
"Don't mistake us, we're not here to defend her honour or anything. We're mainly here to meet the girl who came up with that nickname. Genius stuff, we must say," Edric complimented.
"I'm only here because Gus keeps going on about how great human sports are. I swear, ever since he got stranded in their world for a few months, he's been more obsessive than ever," Matt ranted.
"Come off it! I've seen you two together. You think it's cute," Emira teased.
"Translation, Lynn; he's here to show off to his boyfriend," Edric joined in on the fun.
"I am not!" Matt flatly denied, but the redness on his face said otherwise.
"Anyway, I propose an exhibition match to introduce this sport to the Isles. I know Glandus has been itching to get one over on us since we decimated their Grudgby team last year. They'll go for it, no holds barred. I can send the challenge over on Penstagram right now," Boscha suggested.
"It could even be a fund-raising event. All proceeds could go to the Isles restoration fund. Belos and the Collector may be gone, but they did a lot of damage during their time here. There's still so much to fix. This exhibition match could bring in resources as well as increase morale," Emira added.
"Nothing like a trial by fire. OK, do it. Are the balls ready?" Lynn allowed.
"I tried to match your descriptions as best I could. Tell me how I did," Matt responded. He handed the Quaffle and Snitch to Lynn, while the Bludgers were safely restrained with binding spells, although they were struggling to break free. Lynn tossed the Quaffle up into the air and caught it a few times. She also let the Snitch fly around a little while before Boscha flew up to catch it. Matt even set up the scoring hoops at each end of the field precisely to Lynn's instructions.
"You got it all down to a T. J.K herself would be proud. Nice work, kid," Lynn praised. Even though the Harry Potter movies weren't Lynn's favourite, and she would often fall asleep about half-way through, she did enjoy the Quidditch matches, particularly the ones in the first two movies. She felt robbed when Goblet of Fire omitted the match between Ireland and Bulgaria, and vowed to punch Mike Newell in the face for not including it if she ever met the guy.
"OK, challenge has been sent and the Glandus team is all in. All that's left is to get you your artificial magic staff," Boscha updated. She went to the supply closet to get out a staff that Hexside keeps for flying practice. When Lynn saw the staff in Boscha's hand, she immediately tensed up and started breathing heavily. It looked like the staff Plague Bringer used during their duel, except the sphere atop this one was red, not green. Nonetheless, unpleasant memories bubbled to the surface.
"Lynn? Are you OK?" Emira asked with concern. Lynn snapped out of her funk and took the staff.
"Nothing," Lynn deflected.
"You sure?" Boscha probed.
"It was nothing," Lynn insisted.
"OK, if you say so. You should get familiar with that thing before the game. It won't be too long before Quidditch makes its Boiling Isles debut. Edric, Emira, help her out if you please," Boscha requested.
"Aye aye, boss," Edric quipped, and he and Lynn stepped out onto the field for some flight practice. Emira would join them, but Boscha held her back.
"If Lynn opens up about her little moment just now, inform me immediately," Boscha instructed.
"Will do," Emira acknowledged and left to help her brother and Lynn. However, they needn't have bothered. Lynn proved herself naturally gifted when it came to flight. Edric and Emira had anticipated that she would fall off at least once, but it almost seemed as if Lynn and the staff were one. The staff responded organically to Lynn's movements. Edric and Emira flew up to join her.
"I haven't seen flying that good in a while. You sure you don't wanna try out for flyer derby?" Edric inquired.
"Three sports and I've only been here an hour? That has to be a new personal best. I'll consider it, but for now, I'm a Quidditch player," Lynn considered joining the flyer derby squad.
Meanwhile, Toffee and Caramel, still on their mission to recover the Dark Master's spirit for Jorgen von Strangle, had made it to the former Emperor's palace. Contrary to Toffee's theory, it had not been abandoned. But it was under new management. From a cursory viewing, Toffee had determined that since Belos' demise, a High Administrator, someone named Darius, had assumed a leadership role, but was flanked by other leaders, as part of a ruling council that called themselves the Triad. They consisted of the aforementioned High Administrator Darius, formerly the head of the Abomination Coven, Raine Whispers, of the Bard Coven, and Alador Blight, who headed up the Isles Research and Development department. Toffee and Caramel were instructed by Jorgen to minimise contact with the locals, so getting in would be difficult.
"Got a plan, dear sister?" Toffee inquired.
"Hold on, I'm thinking," Caramel replied while pacing back and forth, trying to come up with a way to get in and find a record of Belos' vaults. "OK, here's what we do; I'll procure us some disguises, we sneak in as admin staff, and have a poke around Belos' old records, assuming this lot haven't salvaged them all," Caramel outlined.
"And if they have?" Toffee queried.
"I'm getting there. This is a lot harder since I've gone legit. Used to be I'd just cloak in, find what I'm looking for, take it, and cloak out," Caramel recalled.
"That may work in the Human Realm, but this civilisation has magic that can see through a Septarian female's chameleon abilities, even if our kind don't live here," Toffee observed.
"Wait a moment, I see two guards on break," Caramel interjected. Using her chameleon abilities, Caramel snuck up behind them, but stopped once she could hear their conversation.
"Have you heard? Hexside's hosting the Boiling Isles' first ever Quidditch match. From this description, it looks a lot like Grudgby, but in the air. I might ask the boss for some time off to go see it," one guard contemplated.
"What is Quidditch anyway? Sounds like a fungal infection, if you ask me," the other guard responded.
"They're charging ten snails for an adult ticket, five for a child, and seven for a family group. All proceeds go to the Isles Restoration Fund. Seems like a good cause. I doubt the Triad would object," the first guard summarised.
"Whose idea was this?" the second guard probed.
"The Grudgby team captain Boscha was the one that put out the call, but the Quidditch team captain is listed as one 'Lynn Loud'. Never heard of her," the first guard answered. The name Lynn Loud caught Caramel's attention. It had been a whole year since she and Toffee fought alongside the Loud family against the Nightmare King Bill Cipher back in the Human Realm. What were the Louds doing here, she wondered. Instead of incapacitating the guards and stealing their uniforms, Caramel slinked back to Toffee.
"Back so soon? Something happen?" Toffee queried.
"Change of plans; we're going to Hexside. Remember the Louds? They're here, on the Isles," Caramel informed. This raised Toffee's eyebrows. His encounter with Lincoln changed his life. Lincoln Loud was the one that showed Toffee that Caramel didn't hate him for his past actions, and that holding grudges was unhealthy. It was that encounter that led him away from the path of vengeance and gave him his new life. For that, Toffee would be forever grateful.
"Do you know what they're doing here?" Toffee inquired.
"According to local gossip, introducing Quidditch to the Isles. It's a fictional sport a British fantasy writer came up with as part of her own little universe," Caramel divulged. During her time on Earth, Caramel had indulged in human literature. The works of J.K. Rowling stood out as some she found entertaining, albeit an unrealistic take on magic.
"Then I guess we're taking in a game. Good thing Jorgen gave us some of the local currency," Toffee resolved.
"You get the tickets. I'll get the snacks," Caramel said enthusiastically and the two Septarians made for Hexside. Inside the building, the Triad had just seen Boscha's Penstagram post about the Quidditch match and were debating amongst themselves on whether or not to endorse such a move.
"I don't see anything wrong with it. Actually, Quidditch sounds intriguing," Alador commented.
"Are you just saying that because your twin son and daughter are playing?" Darius implied.
"That's not the only reason, even if I do want to see them play," Alador rebuked.
"Aren't you worried Odalia will be there?" Raine asked.
"No. My children told her point blank what their relationship with their mother would be like going forward. Edric told her it would cost 100 snails per visit. Emira told her to go die horribly somewhere, and Amity told her she would consider it only if she endorsed hers and Luz's relationship. Odalia refused, so now even Mittens wants nothing to do with her," Alador explained proudly.
"In any case, since this game is raising money towards the rebuilding of the Isles, we cannot, in good consciousness, veto this plan. I propose we go ourselves and see what this 'Quidditch' is like," Darius suggested.
"Agreed," Raine and Alador concurred at once.
"Excellent. Shall we go, then?" Darius pressed.
Back at Hexside, the Quidditch field had been fully constructed, thanks to Matt and his Construction track classmates. The Glandus team had already arrived, as did most of the Isles, who had paid for tickets to see the game. More were coming in by the minute, so much so that a thousand snails had been raised already.
"Yikes. My local soccer matches don't get a turn-out this big," Lynn observed.
"Getting cold feet, Lynn?" Boscha teased.
"Ha! Not likely," Lynn shot back. Edric and Emira then came running into the team briefing room.
"We just took a peek at the spectators, and you won't believe this. The Triad's come to watch!" Edric informed. Everyone except Lynn gasped in astonishment.
"Principal Bump, too, and it appears he's accompanied by a girl with black hair covering her eyes. How can she see out of that?" Emira added.
"Yep, that would be Lucy, my sister," Lynn replied.
"Well then, I guess we'll have to make this debut look good," Matt resolved.
"Agreed. We go out there and play our best. Glandus probably haven't gotten accustomed to the rules yet, so we should have an advantage," Lynn briefed.
"You heard the captain. Mount your staffs," Boscha urged. Everyone on the Hexside Quidditch team mounted their staffs and took off into the air. They saw the Glandus team fly in as well, and the roaring crowd beneath them. In the bleachers, Amity saw her date arrive on the scene, and Luz was amazed at the sight before her.
"Woah, you were not kidding. Someone actually started a Quidditch team? Who? When?" Luz queried.
"See for yourself," Amity bluntly replied and handed Luz her scroll. On it was the Penstagram post Boscha wrote about the Quidditch team, the challenge to Glandus, and the team captain, one Lynn Loud.
"Oh. You two still not getting along?" Luz guessed.
"Nope. She and her sister even took an entrance exam to get into Hexside. Unsurprisingly, Lynn beefed it, but the sister Lucy was pretty good," Amity informed.
"Pretty good? Bump practically called her a prodigy, and she had the skills to prove it," Willow added. Luz then took a look around and noted one absence from the friendship group.
"Where's Gus?" Luz asked.
"Doing commentary," Amity answered. On cue, Gus spoke from the commentator's booth.
"Welcome ladies, gentlemen, non-binaries, and various transgendered witches and demons, to the Boiling Isles' first ever Quidditch match! Today's exhibition showdown will be between Glandus and Hexside! Now for a quick run-down of the rules, assuming I can decipher Lynn's handwriting," Gus led the proceedings.
"Hey! My handwriting's not that messy!" Lynn yelled from atop her staff, though she doubted that Gus heard her.
"The Chasers put the Quaffle through one of the three hoops at each end of the field to score ten points for their respective teams. The Seeker catches the Golden Snitch to not only score 150 points for their team, but also end the game, so this match could be as short as five minutes, or as long as six hours. The Beaters try to keep the Bludgers away from their team-mates. A quick disclaimer; these bleachers have shield spells surrounding them, so there is zero chance of audience members getting Bludgeoned in the face. With that out of the way, let's get this game on!" Gus summarised. Professor Hermonculus, who volunteered to act as referee, let loose the Bludgers and the Snitch. Once he tossed the Quaffle into the air, the Chasers made a mad dash for it. Lynn was quickest on the mark, and she sped across the field, Quaffle tucked into her arms.
"There goes team captain Lynn Loud! She dodges one Chaser, another, passes to Skara, to Emira, back to Lynn, who quickly ducks before a Bludger could whack her across the head. Edric beats it towards a Glandus player, while Cat keeps the second Bludger from knocking Boscha off her staff. Lynn takes the shot. She scores! Ten points for Hexside!" Gus recorded all the players' movements while the audience applauded.
"You know, for someone who beefed their entrance exam, Lynn sure is good on that staff," Luz pointed out.
"OK, I'll give her that. She is a good athlete but put me on that team and I'd do a lot better," Amity conceded.
"Glandus takes possession of the Quaffle. Gavin passes to team captain Bria. She takes the shot. Matt Tholomule saves it! Quaffle is now in Hexside's possession. Emira ducks a Chaser, a Bludger, she takes the shot. Hexside scores again!" Gus noted. Matt took this moment to wink in Gus' direction, whose face went flush with red before returning his focus to the game.
"You can have a good flirt with your boy-toy later. Focus," Lynn reminded Matt. The score was 20-0 in Hexside's favour. The Glandus team were determined not to lose this game that had just been invented.
"The Glandus Chasers are passing the Quaffle between them. Hexside trying to intercept, failing. Glandus are close to the goals. Glandus Beater whacks a Bludger in Matt's direction. Cat beats it back, enabling Matt to save another goal. Matt passes the Quaffle back to Emira. Emira passes to Skara, to Lynn, back to Skara, who takes the shot. Glandus Keeper saves it! Hard luck, Hexside," Gus observed.
"Looks like our advantage just ran out. We'll have to step things up a notch," Lynn pressed. Whilst all this was going on, Boscha was searching the field for the Golden Snitch. She caught a glimpse of something small and bright fluttering around the field and zeroed in on it. Boscha had sighted the Snitch. Unfortunately, so had the Glandus Seeker. The two were ramming into each other, trying to get one off-guard so the other could catch the Snitch, end the game, and secure victory for their team.
"Glandus has the Quaffle. Chaser Bria goes for the goal. No wait, it's a feint, she goes for one of the other hoops, she scores ten for Glandus," Gus updated. Glandus were starting to catch up. All Lynn could do was play her part. It was up to Boscha to catch the Snitch. Lynn, Skara, and Emira got into formation and played aerial volleyball with the Quaffle. Then, once Emira was behind the goalposts, Lynn scored one through the lower hoop. Emira, from the back, caught it as it passed through the hoop, threw it back to Lynn, who then threw it through the upper hoop, passing it back to Emira, who threw it to Skara to score one through the middle hoop.
"Did you see that team play?! Thirty points in three passes! That Lynn Loud sure can direct a team!" Gus praised. The score was now 50-10 Hexside.
"Oh, so we can pull moves like that, can we? Team! Formation!" Bria directed. The Glandus Beaters then utilised the Bludgers to beat them at Matt, not in a way to hit him, but to keep him pinned to one hoop. The Bludgers kept Matt guarding the central hoop, leaving the other two vulnerable. Using the same manoeuvre Hexside used on them, Glandus were able to score twice, once through each of the other unguarded hoops.
"Glandus comes back with a similar team play, leaving the score 50-30. Hexside still in the lead," Gus relayed. Boscha was hearing the commentary and knew that she had to wrap this up fast before Glandus got too far ahead. She sped up, the Snitch was almost within her reach. She had to duck as a Bludger was sent racing at her by one of Glandus' Beaters. Cat returned the favour by beating the same Bludger at the enemy Seeker, who wasn't fast enough to dodge it in time. Whilst they were able to re-mount their staff, this bought Boscha enough time to extend her arm, make a grabbing motion, and catch the Snitch in her hand.
"Hexside Seeker Boscha has caught the Snitch. Final score is 200-30. Hexside wins!" Gus announced. The bleachers erupted into applause. Even the faculty were beside themselves with joy. The Triad, usually very reserved, were elated at the game. Safe to say, this would become a new official sport for the Isles. The Hexside team were united in celebration. Lynn Loud graciously shook Bria's hand, who smiled despite having lost.
"Those were some killer moves. We'll have to try harder next game, so watch out," Bria complimented.
"This sport is only hours old and you played like naturals. You bet I'll be watching out," Lynn returned the sentiment. The Hexside team descended to ground levels and embraced each other merrily. However, for Lynn, the merriment soon dissipated when Principal Bump, Lucy, the school faculty, and the Triad approached the team.
"Congratulations are in order. Not only did you bring glory and honour to Hexside, but you also raised a substantial amount for the restoration fund and brought some much-needed smiles on everyone's faces," Darius acknowledged.
"Yes, you are all to be commended. However, there is a pressing matter we have to address. Lucy has told us all about your real intentions behind coming to Hexside. The Malefic Order, your battles with them, all of it," Bump revealed. This had the remaining members of the team, as well as the Triad, sporting curious looks.
"Oh, seriously, this again?!" came an angry voice from behind Bump. It was Amity, who had arrived with Luz, Willow, and Gus on the scene, that had spoken up.
"Hey, what's up, Candyfloss?" Lynn asked.
"Don't you 'Candyfloss' me! I am telling you for the last time, the Order are extinct!" Amity insisted.
"No. They're. Not! Do you think we came here for fun?! The Order tried to kill us and kidnap my sister, and we need to find a way to fight back!" Lynn argued.
"Great job, by the way! Your first day here and you've been kicked out of the public library and passed off a fictional sport as the real deal. Way to stay focused on your mission objective!" Amity chided.
"Oh, that's it! You wanna go?!" Lynn goaded. She readied her wand for battle.
"Bring it!" Amity challenged, readying her own staff for the fight, but Bump used his magic to levitate the two would-be duellists into the air before they could start throwing spells at each other.
"There is one way to settle this claim once and for all. The Room of Recollection," Bump suggested.
"And what's that?" Lynn probed.
"It's a room that can play back someone's memories for all to see. I say do it, that place will fry a human's brain," Amity explained.
"I believe it can be modified to meet a human's safety needs. A bit of tweaking and the experience will be painless, although if the experiences are traumatic, some intensive therapy may be in order afterwards," Alador interjected.
"Fine, I'll do it," Lynn agreed.
"Great, and when the Order are proven to be extinct, you are to leave here and never come back," Amity bargained.
"And if they are proven to still be alive, the Triad will of course discuss the matter further and take steps it deems necessary," Alador mediated.
"Then it's settled. All of you, come with me," Bump ushered everyone back into Hexside. Unbeknownst to them, Toffee, Caramel, Amy, and Zella all followed suit.
Author's note: Did you seriously expect Lynn to go to Hexside and not introduce Quidditch to the Isles? I know the show has mocked the sport on two non-consecutive occasions, but I thought the residents of the Isles would actually get a kick out of it. Side note; I really wanted to see Ireland vs. Bulgaria in the fourth film. What the hell is wrong with you, Mike Newell? The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.
