The next morning, Megumin was woken by Yunyun stirring in bed. Groaning, she sat up and stretched, blinking around at her surroundings.
"Good morning, sister!" Yunyun said happily, smiling at Megumin.
"Mmph." Megumin shrugged her sister off, as if she wanted to forget the warmth she had shown the night before, and hurried to get dressed. Just beyond the curtain that hid their bed, they found the Headmaster waiting for them, three covered trays waiting on small tables.
"Ah, good morning, Miss Potter, Miss Dursley," the Headmaster said, looking up from his paper, which he folded and set aside. "Please, why don't you join me for breakfast?"
"Do you wish to hear of our great battles and many triumphs?" Megumin asked, though she eyed the eggs and toast hungrily.
"Time enough for that later. Besides, I do my best thinking on a full stomach," Dumbledore said, taking his napkin and tying it like a bib about his neck.
Megumin fell upon her food with her typical gusto, while Yunyun exercised far better table manners.
"Um, so...are the unicorns OK?" Yunyun managed after she had cleaned her own plate and Megumin was looking around for more.
"Sadly, one beast was mauled, and another slain," Dumbledore said gently. "However, we shall have stronger patrols in the Forbidden Forest to ensure that no further harm comes to our herd."
"We saw the creature that preyed upon the unicorns, but we were able to drive it off with our mystic powers!" Megumin bragged.
Dumbledore nodded, taking his napkin from about his neck and dabbing at his lips. "Ah, yes. Your encounter in the woods. Pray tell me what you saw."
Megumin wove a tale of magic and intrigue, which involved a horde of ravenous spiders, and a much longer fateful encounter. Thankfully Yunyun corrected most of her excesses, and explained that they had been killing spiders before being accosted by the odd stranger.
"The spell he used, you say it was sectumsempra?" Dumbledore asked, once their story had concluded.
"Yes, it conjured up an invisible sword that cut through Yunyun's shield, and nearly slew her!" Megumin explained.
"If it was invisible, how could you see it?" Dumbledore asked in perfectly reasonable tones.
"Because we are Crimson Demons!" Megumin declared proudly.
"W-well, it wasn't really invisible, just...it looked like it was made out of air, like a blade made of wind," Yunyun explained.
"Ah, I see. Hmm. You have given me much to think on," Dumbledore said, inclining his head to the girls. "As it is Saturday, you have been excused from your morning classes to have time to rest. You are, however, confined to the castle itself, and may not go out onto the grounds save for your flying lessons."
"Do you fear the spectre will strike again?" Megumin asked eagerly.
"Not as such. Only that it seems neither of you know we do not call it the Forbidden Forest from our love of alliteration."," Dumbledore explained. "You need to have a consequence for your actions, though I do feel there are mitigating circumstances. As such, you are restricted to the castle for two weeks time."
"Well how else are we supposed to grind mobs for loot and xp?" Megumin demanded.
Her only response was a slow blink from Dumbldore, until Megumin bent her head and muttered, "Yes, sir."
"D-do we know who it was?" Yunyun asked. "H-he seemed to know Megumin."
Dumbledore sighed, taking off his glasses. He peered through them for a moment, then replaced them on his nose and regarded the two girls. "You are so young. I had hoped this would not come up so soon. I have my suspicions. Though I am loath to burden you with such knowledge, I fear it is now inevitable. However, I must consult with another before I make what amounts to a guess. If he confirms my suspicions, I shall share them with you."
"Ours is a great and terrible destiny," Megumin said, standing on her chair and gazing off into the middle distance, her hand clutching at her breast. "I am certain The-Girl-Who-Lived has attracted the attention of other aspiring Dark Lords looking to prove themselves, the followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named who wish to get revenge, or simply Voldemort returning from death to wreak vengeance."
Dumbledore blinked, doing his best to hide his mild surprise. He glanced at Yunyun, who had balled her fists, her face turning red.
"I won't let anyone hurt my sister! I don't care if they're a Dark Lord or a fallen Maiar! We'll beat him and make him sorry!" Yunyun declared.
This time, Dumbledore couldn't quite hide his own surprise. Yunyun's eyes were glowing with an unmistakably malevolent and highly magical light. His natural curiosity couldn't help but prompt him to ask, "Do your eyes always do that when you are excited, Miss Dursley?"
Yunyun flushed and looked down, but Megumin flopped back into her seat and nodded. "Yes, both our eyes burn with passion when we make appropriately dramatic statements!"
"Interesting. Well, off with you to the dormitories. I would caution you not to speak of your misadventure, but I have a feeling I would be wasting my breath."
"Ha! All shall soon know of the POWER of the Crimson Demon Clan!" Megumin bragged, and she and Yunyun headed out.
Back in the dorms, Megumin found Lavender weeping and looking heartbroken, Parvati trying to comfort her.
"Fear not, for I have survived the night!" Megumin declared boldly.
"That's not why she's upset," Parvati sighed, sniffing and rubbing away a tear of her own.
"It's awful!" Lavender wailed. "How could they say such things about him!"
"About who?" Megumin demanded, more than a little irritated that her moment of sensationalism was being outplayed.
"Gilderoy Lockhart!" Lavender wailed. "Just look at it!"
She thrust a newspaper into Megumin's hands, on which a frazzled looking blond man in a fine but dilapidated suit was being escorted by a very dour looking man with a false eye of a most fascinating design, along with a young woman whose hair kept changing color as she mugged for the camera. Beside them, a blue haired woman in a scandalously short skirt switched between sticking her tongue out at the blond man and smiling and waving happily to the camera.
The headline read:
Gilderoy Fraudhart: EXPOSED!
"Well he shouldn't go around exposing himself to people," Megumin sniffed. "Pervert."
"What?! No! It's that horrible Axis Cult!" Lavender wailed. "And to think, I have all of Aqua's records!"
"Ah-ha!" Megumin recalled the card she had received before, and quickly began to read.
September 12th, London
The magical world is in chaos after Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart was taken into custody, following an incident a few days ago. Mr. Lockhart had been in Wales, supposedly to take care of a vampire problem there.
However, the musical sensation, Aqua Mizu, beat Mr. Lockhart to the punch so to speak, and had already dealt with the vampire. Apparently, Mr. Lockhart then attempted to cast a Obliviate curse upon Ms. Mizu. She defended herself, and Lockhart was hit by his own spell.
"He's just a big, stupid fraud!" Ms. Mizu stated when questioned by the Prophet. "He never killed any of those monsters! Not like the Axis Cult! The Axis Cult gets things done! And that includes beating up any smelly undead!"
Indeed, some quick work by Auror Alastor Moody and his junior partner Nymphadora Tonks uncovered evidence that indicates that Mr. Lockhart has not slain any of the monsters that he so famously built his literary career upon.
"The man's a clotheshorse with the spine of a worm," Moody told the Prophet. "He couldn't have dealt with a minor creature, let alone something like a vampire or yeti."
When asked about how a singer could possibly have dealt with a vampire, Moody's only response was, "Ask her."
How Ms. Mizu managed to deal with the vampire remains to be seen, but she claims to be "super great at killing undead." By which we assume she means the living dead.
As for Mr. Lockhart, he is currently residing at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, as his own Obliviate has thoroughly scrambled his mind. When asked to comment, he said only, "Oh, hello, I don't suppose you know who I am? I've quite forgotten."
Currently, bookstores around the magical world are scampering to pull Mr. Lockhart's books from the shelves. We can only wait and see what further developments come from this developing story.
Saffron Scrivener, For the Daily Prophet
"Hmm, this must be related to that mysterious villain in the forest, but how?" Megumin muttered to herself.
"What? What even happened to you last night?" Parvati demanded as Lavender burst into further tears.
Thus, Megumin once more recounted what had taken place, or at least a fever dream version of what had taken place that somewhat resembled reality if you squinted at it and were very drunk. The other two girls just looked at Megumin like she was insane, and Lavender interrupted Megumin halfway through.
"What does this have to do with Aqua's slander against Lockhart?!"
"Well, I'm not sure yet, but as this is clearly an important quest flag and I've just had a boss encounter, the two have to be related somehow," Megumin explained patiently.
"That's nonsense! These two things have nothing to do with one another!" Lavender snapped. "Ugh. Come on, let's just go to class, we're late already."
Having nothing else to do (and being deathly allergic to inactivity) Megumin decided to go ahead and head to potions class with the others. She bounded into class, where Snape was already in the middle of instructing the class on proper methods for preparing potion ingredients.
"I have used the herbicide!" Megumin proclaimed, planting herself before Snape and grinning excitedly. Lavender and Pavarti took the opportunity to attempt to sneak in, but Snape was ever vigilant.
"Late to class, are you?" That's two points from Gryffindor each," Snape sneered. "Go to your-"
"I have just endured a great and terrible trial, wherein I fought against a variety of arachnids that nearly claimed my and Yunyun's life, and then together we faced down a fearsome foe that attacked us with the most wicked and brutal of spells!" Megumin said, waving her hands excitedly. "As such, the Headmaster granted me an exception from classes this day, but as it was only the potion that I concocted here that saved my life, I cannot imagine missing my favorite class."
Whatever cruel and scathing comment Snape had been about to make utterly fled his mind as he blinked in confusion at Megumin. "You did what?"
"Ah, you see, while serving out my sentence for my past recriminations, I and Yunyun were taken into the Forbidden Forest by Hagrid the Giant to pass a trial most perilous!" Megumin cackled.
"Did you really fight monsters?" Darkness blurted from her seat, earning a glare from Snape.
But it was all the encouragement that Megumin needed. "Yes! You see, first, we had to pass the Trial of Wisdom, wherein the wise and powerful chieftain of the Centaur Herd Magorian quizzed us upon the mysteries of the heavens and the purpose of our destiny," Megumin said dramatically.
"That is quite enough, Miss Potter, go to your-"
"Ah, but I have not explained how your most excellent herbicide saved my and Megumin's life from a mysterious robed figure that feasts upon the blood of unicorns!" Megumin chided.
Snape, being rather unused to praise from his students that appeared to be actually genuine, and being something of a sucker for hearing about how potions were the superior brand of magic, held his peace and watched Megumin. She, of course, was happy enough to continue pontificating.
"After a long and bloody battle against the arachnid hordes that infested the woods, I and Yunyun stood victorious upon the field of glory, our slain foes about us. Then, the master of the Spiders, who was surely an agent of the Dark Lord, appeared before us and challenged us to a duel! Many mighty spells he cast, including the vicious Sectumsempra, which-"
"Sectumsempra? You are certain?" Snape interrupted, caught completely off guard by mention of the spell.
"Indeed," Megumin said, beaming happily. "Yunyun was able to counter the blow with her wand, while I attacked with the herbicide! Using it, I was able to fell a mighty tree which-"
"Your homework is to write a foot and a half on the proper method of preparing toad's legs for use in the Agility Potion," Snape said. "Class is dismissed."
"But sir, we have barely just begun!" Hermione protested even as all the other Gryffindor's jumped up and stampeded for the door before Snape changed his mind.
"What!? But I wanted to learn how to make more alchemical brews!" Megumin also wailed.
"We have no time," Snape snarled. He grabbed Megumin and shoved her into a seat, closing the door on the last of the students and barring it. He whirled on her, his eyes narrowed. "Repeat your story. Without the embellishments. From when you met this strange wizard."
Naturally, Megumin then repeated her story with such elaborate embellishment that Snape could only groan in consternation. When she tried to claim that she and the stranger both took out lightsabers to duel one another, he gave up and shouted, "The spell, girl! Describe how he cast Sectumsempra!"
"Oh, well, he made a slashing motion," Megumin said, mimicking it. "I could do it if you gave me my wand-"
"Not a chance," Snape growled.
"-but the much more interesting spell was the confringo spell!" Megumin continued. "It was very interesting! Obviously it seemed rather weak, but I think if I practiced enough I could-"
"Who have you told of this? Who knows of the sectumsempra?" Snape demanded.
"Well, me, and Yunyun," Megumin said, frowning. "Why? Is it a very rare and powerful spell that is a closely guarded secret?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Snape said through gritted teeth. "Did you tell the Headmaster?"
"We told him we fought the villain, and the spells he used. Why? Is it a secret? Did you learn it from a horrible demon that you summoned from the underworld? Or was it a bit of forgotten lore that-"
"Enough, child! Come. We must retrieve your cousin at once," Snape snapped, and grabbed Megumin's arm and hauled her out of the dungeon.
As it turned out, Yunyun was not resting as she was supposed to be doing, being equally averse to inactivity as Megumin. They found her in Transfiguration class, and Snape had a hushed word with McGonagall before taking Yunyun and storming out in a swirl of robes.
"You forgot to slam the door dramatically!" Megumin cried as she hurried along at Snape's side. "You have to go back and have an important but mysterious last word, then slam the door so that-"
"Not now Lily!" Snape snarled, his expression absent as he looked forward.
"I-Isn't that Megumin's mum?" Yunyun asked, jogging along with Snape's long strides.
He slowed at that, glancing down at the two girls and grimacing. "My apologies. My mind is elsewhere. Your news is...troubling. But come."
Snape led them to a far tower in the castle, the entrance to which was guarded by two large stone gargoyles. Instead of having intimidating expressions, however, both were making comic faces, as though trying to get a laugh out of whoever approached them.
"Chocolate Frog," Snape said, and the gargoyles hopped aside, then froze in the act of blowing a raspberry back at them.
Snape led the two girls up a winding flight of stairs to a large office, decorated with dozens of interesting devices that whirred, spun, or made odd noises.
"Touch. Nothing." Snape growled even as both Megumin and Yunyun reached out to do just that.
"W-what about the bird?" Yunyun asked, pointing to a gorgeous red and gold raptor that looked inquisitively down at them. "I-is it a firebird?"
"That is not what we are here for," Snape hissed, and motioned them forward.
"H-hi," Yunyun said, waving to the bird as they were ushered past. "W-we should be friends!"
The phoenix dipped its head, looking rather amused and letting out a trilling cry.
"Severus?" Dumbledore said, looking up from a stack of parchment he was working on. "And Miss Potter and MIss Dursley. While I do enjoy speaking with the two of you, I had somewhat hoped our meeting could be delayed at least a day or two. What has happened?"
"You ask me that, when you already know what spell was used?" Snape demanded.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his mouth a thin line. "I am aware of the spell employed. I wonder, however, why you brought the girls to me to tell me this, instead of a private meeting later, Severus."
"Because I will not watch Lily's daughter and niece die!" Snape said, folding his arms over his chest. "The only reason I agreed to this position was that I might one day help protect them. That day has come."
"Is this a secret blood oath you swore to my mother!?" Megumin asked excitedly.
Snape gazed at her a moment, his expression a strange mixture of cold indifference and regretful longing. "Think what you will. But, Headmaster. I give you the chance to tell the girls the truth, or I shall."
"I was just writing a letter to attempt to gain more information, but I regret it seems it is now unnecessary," Dumbledore sighed. He shook his head. "The spell you described, to the best of my knowledge, was known and used only by a select group of people. The Death Eaters."
Yunyun sighed and shook her head, while Megumin immediately declared, "That is the coolest name ever!"
"It doesn't sound very nice though," Yunyun said, patting Megumin on the arm. "But I suppose they're the former servants of Voldemort?"
Snape's nostrils flared at the name, but Dumbledore only nodded. "Yes. And it seems they are targeting Miss Potter. How they knew you would be in the Forbidden Forest that night…"
Dumbledore paused, considering. "You told everyone you possibly could that you would be in the Forbidden Forest that night, didn't you?"
"I tried to get the others to come but no one seemed interested in an Adventure. Probably because they are lazy and have no proper sense of the value of level grinding," Megumin said with a shrug.
"It was well known she had detentions, and going into the forest is a common enough punishment," Snape growled. "But do you now understand, child? There are Dark forces out to slay you!"
"Of course! Mine has always been a great and terrible destiny, and the forces of evil have long sought to slay me! I have prepared for this all my life, and here at Hogwarts, I shall realize my true potential and-"
"THIS IS NOT A GAME!" Snape thundered, grabbing Megumin by the shoulders and spinning her to face him. "This is life or death. This is what killed your mother! She treated this entire thing as a game, taunting the Dark Lord right up until her and that twit's death!"
Megumin blinked in shock at the sudden rage, and unexpected tears filled her eyes. She tried to speak, but instead only sobs came out.
Suddenly uneasy, Snape awkwardly patted Megumin on the back in a sort of half hearted side hug. Thankfully, Yunyun had much more social acumen, and stepped in to tightly hug Megumin.
"It's OK," Yunyun whispered. "I won't let them hurt my sister when I just barely got her. We'll both learn lots of magic, and stop the Death Eaters and anyone else who tries to hurt our friends!"
"I-I w-will avenge m-my mum," Megumin blubbered. "I wish I knew her! I just...I want to be brave like her!"
"Is that why you insist on calling yourself the Crimson Demon Clan?" Snape sighed.
"Huh?" Megumin turned around, wiping at her streaming nose and eyes. "No, I just made it up."
Snape's eyebrows rose, but he simply shrugged. "Well, it is time for you to put away foolish things. I shall continue to teach you, but understand that you and Yunyun are now targeted by a group of very experienced killers. Your family will not be safe, they will-"
"My parents!" Yunyun suddenly wailed. "What about my parents!?"
Dumbledore exchanged a look with Snape. "I will see to the protection of your parents. I think Arabella could use some back up. I know an old friend that can help."
Life was far more peaceful in Little Whinging, Surrey, now that the Crimson Demon Clan had gone off to school. It was, Vernon Dursley reflected, actually rather sort of normal. He had missed that.
Though not as much he missed his daughter. He definitely did not miss The Menace. Not even a little. He wiped his brow as he finished trimming his lawn, looking over the neatly manicured grass and smiling to himself.
"'Lo new neighbor!"
Vernon blinked and turned around to see a pink haired girl carrying a box out of the back of a lorry smiling at him. He frowned slightly at the pink hair, but nodded. "Morning. Moving in?"
"Just helping my uncle!" the girl paused in her labors, setting the box down on the tailgate and wiping her hands off on her pants. She stuck out her hand with a smile. "Call me Tonks."
Vernon forced a smile and returned the handshake. "Vernon Dursley. So, your uncle bought that place, did he? Been on the market for only a few days."
"Ah, what can I say, he loves the place! Getting close to retirement and needed somewhere to stay," Tonks said.
"TONKS!" a voice bellowed from inside the house. "WHO THE DEVIL ARE YOU TALKING TO! DID YOU EVEN CHECK THEIR IDENTITY!?"
"Yes, boss!" Tonks called back reflexively. She winced and turned back to Vernon. "That's me uncle. I work for him at the agency, you see. We're private detectives."
"Oi, Tonks, stop gabbin' and get to work!" another voice said as a young man hopped off the back of the lorry, carrying his own bag. He had silver hair, and odd purple eyes, along with pants that Vernon firmly believed were far too tight for a man, or even a woman, to wear properly.
"Sure, Chris," Tonks agreed, going back and picking up a box. "Nice meeting you, Vernon!"
"I'm sure," Vernon said. He didn't offer to help, though he did watch the two young people go about unloading the lorry for a few minutes. He did start when a man hobbled out of the house, leaning on a cane. He was, perhaps, the oddest person Vernon had ever seen. And he knew Megumin.
"You started unloading before even checking this blasted place!" the man ranted, waving a cane at the two he was harruanging. One of his eyes seemed normal enough, but the other was a glass eye that seemed to be spinning wildly in the socket, as if it wasn't fitted properly. He also had a peg leg, as well as being dressed in a trenchcoat and fedora. "CONSTANT-"
"Vigilance," the two youngsters sighed. "Yes, Uncle Alastor."
"Hmph." The man whirled on Vernon, his eye pausing in it's rotation to skewer the poor victim. "You! Who are you?"
"Vernon. Vernon Dursley," Vernon said, British politeness forcing him to try to be courteous. "Welcome to Little Whinging Street."
"Hmph. And how do I know you're Vernon Dursley?" the man demanded, his eyeball once more jerking about.
"Well, I don't bloody well know who you are, so I don't think you have any right to be questioning who I am," Vernon growled, now completely fed up and rather angry his perfectly normal morning had been disrupted.
"You can call me Moody," the man responded.
"I can see you're in a right mood well enough. Well, try not to cause a scene. This place was just getting back to normal," Vernon huffled, and turned around to walk inside.
Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody watched Vernon Dursley return to his house. He muttered to himself, then set about pacing about the property to place a few magical defenses. Dumbledore wanted these muggles protected, did he? Well, Moody would teach Vernon Dursley the meaning of Constant Vigilance.