"Professor Habitatio? What's going on?"

The tall witch smiled wickedly as she held Beatrice closer, her dark robes somehow flowing around her as if she was underwater. Beatrice tried to fight against her, but she was just so much smaller than Professor Habitatio and therefore couldn't budge. Evergreen was beside himself with shock. This woman who had been his friend was as wicked as they come.

"You took care of that Swab Capital for me. He was going to get in the way of me getting my hands on this child of the Traveler."

"She is a person, and her name is Beatrice!" Diva yelled, casting a perfect disarming charm which unfortunately made only Beatrice's wand fly from Professor Habitatio's hand.

In a quick motion, Professor Habitatio sent out a blue burst from her wand that exploded mere feet from where Link and Diva were, tossing them into opposite walls. They fell to the ground and crumpled on the spot. She returned the wand to Beatrice's neck which began to bleed in the spot the wand was poking. She let out a whimper when her skin broke.

"Now, my dear Evergreen. They're not dead, they should be fine. I don't need them for anything, and I don't believe in wasting energy on such things."

"Why are you doing this?" Evergreen asked, his wand trembling in his hand.

"Why don't you tell me what you have gathered?" she asked with an unfriendly smile.

"This whole year, I thought it was Swab Capital who was after me, but it was you. You made me fall out of the balloon, you sent the flying monkey at me, and you sent me cursed letters that could have really hurt my dad or my friends."

"Don't forget that I have also had someone on the inside all year. Maggie has no idea what has been going on and in fact told me that you were talking about Glinda, your precious "Good Witch" of a mother!" she interrupted.

"You have been trying to find a way to open the gateway to Oz, but it requires someone who is pure of heart, and you are definitely not. You have been trying to find a way for your mistress to take over not only Oz but this world as well. Beatrice's mom must have been able to go back and forth between this world and Oz at will with those shoes or slippers you mentioned."

"That is almost correct, no wonder you did so well in your classes this year. A pity. Now please drop your wand or the pretty little neck of your classmate here will be scarred beyond magical healing. I don't need her in one piece to get what I want. Trust me. I know some nasty curses. What would you recommend, Evergreen? Shall I peel off her flesh, make her expel her intestines, or just cover her in painful boils, blind her, or paralyze her? I'm not picky."

A single tear escaped from the side of Beatrice's eye and a whimper escaped her throat. The collar of her shirt was stained with blood, wet, red, and shiny. It was the first time that he legitimately felt sorry for her. Sure, he didn't like her very much at all. She was bitter, reactive, and stubborn. She made everything his fault and tried to make him miserable. However, that didn't mean that he still didn't wish her well. He didn't want her to get hurt. There was no point in it. In fact, it was likely the first time that he had seen her for who she truly was. A pretty country gal who deserved a second chance. Evergreen hoped that when this was all over that they could be friends, very much like their moms once were.

"No, no. I'll drop my wand if you promise not to hurt her."

"If you drop your wand, I'll make sure she stays in one piece. That's a reasonable ask."

"Don't do it, Evergreen." Seta commanded, in his ear.

"I have to, Seta."

Evergreen looked his surprising villain in the eyes and tossed his wand aside with great contempt. He then opened his arms in a gesture that suggested peace.

"I just can't believe it." he continued. "You were so nice to me all year and even saved me from Swab. Why did you do that if you meant me harm?"

"Poor little boy. So trusting and so naive. Just because someone is nice to you doesn't mean they mean you well. I was just quite lucky that Swab Capital had some kind of vendetta to mask mine."

"But if you wanted to find a way to Oz, why not just ask me, then? I want to free my mom. You want to free your mistress. Everyone wins."

"Again, you're only partially correct, which means that you are unfortunately wrong. Also, you have worn out your use to me. But don't worry, when I get to Oz, I'll make sure your mother sees you again!"

She briefly pointed her wand in Evergreen's direction. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a horrible smile. She said her incantation, and everything went in slow motion.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A sickly green light illuminated the dark top floor, showing creeping shadows everywhere. Before the curse hit its true target, Seta leapt down from Evergreen's shoulder, the full force of the curse being absorbed into his tiny body. He fell to the floor and twitched once. Then, he was still.

Evergreen was utterly shocked. His friend, his protector was lifeless at his feet, and he had lost. He had no wand, no weapon, no friends. Professor Habitatio had won. She would kill him with her next move, kidnap Beatrice, open the gateway and then likely kill her and mom in the same breath.

Dad always said that Quandary men were not quitters and that there was always another way if you were willing to fight for it. Evergreen knew that he had been doing magic since far before he got his wand, so he took this situation and inserted the queen of Hail Marys.

"That Bunnybury brat got what was coming to him. I knew from the start where he was from and who he represented. That sword was unmistakable. But with him gone —"

Professor Habitatio raised her wand again and Evergreen raised his hand in response. He then thought about the first time he held his wand, he thought of all his friends there at Ilvermorny and even Bucky and Lynne in the no-Maj world. He thought of Professor Woods and how close they had become, he thought of Seta and his sacrifice, and he thought of his parents' faces and the love he knew they all had for him. He thought he heard his dad's voice telling him to fight and his mom's voice calling his name.

He channeled all that emotion and after he felt a little tug in his belly, he spoke the names of the runes of destruction within his mind. Thurisaz, Kaunan, Hagalaz. He saw the sickly green light start coming from Professor Habitatio's wand again, but then it turned purple and gold, a crack flew down the length of the wand and then it exploded, knocking Professor Habitatio apart from Beatrice and taking Evergreen straight in the face. His eyes grew dim, but the last thing he saw was Professor Habitatio's unconscious body transform into a man slightly shorter than her with scarlet red skin and jet-black hair. Then, everything faded away.

A/N: Sorry I have been MIA, the holidays are really catching up with me, so for an early holiday gift, here are the concluding chapters together for this story. Like always, if you like what you read, let me know in any way you'd like.

-EQ