When the train arrived at school, Megumin found Yunyun standing with a very odd looking girl she had never seen before.
"T-there you are!" Yunyun said, smiling and waving. "T-this is my new friend, L-Luna!"
"Hello," the girl in question said. She had slightly unfocused buggy eyes , and a rather serene expression on her face as Megumin went over to her.
"So, you actually did make a new friend," Megumin mused. She shrugged. "Well, that's good I suppose. Maybe you won't be so clingy this year."
Yunyun looked offended, and Megumin held up her hand. "I didn't say we weren't friends, but it wouldn't hurt for you to hang out with some other Hufflepuffs."
"Oh, I'm not going to be in Hufflepuff," Luna said in a somewhat distracted tone. "As Lady Aqua always says, 'If it's too hard, just give up! Focus on having fun instead.'"
"Lady Aqua?" Megumin asked, suddenly concerned. "You don't mean-"
"Oh hey, it's two of my best buddies! Hi Yunyun, hi Luna! How's my favorite super fan today?" Aqua said, coming up behind Megumin.
"I am spreading your teachings Lady Aqua, that the whole world might know of the wisdom of the Axis Cult," Luna said seriously. She turned back to Megumin. "Yunyun has already signed up for the Axis Fan Club Newsletter, and to buy a full set of Lady Aqua's records. Can I sign you up for the same? You get a free subscription of the Quibbler, and a free sample of Axis Brand Edible Soap."
Luna shoved a parchment and quill into Meguimn's hands. Megumin glanced over it, then blinked. "I pledge my eternal SOUL to Aqua and the Seven!? What kind of-"
"She doesn't need to sign one," Aqua told Luna, taking the parchment from Megumin. "She's already one of my best buds."
"WHAT!? I didn't agree to give my soul to anyone!" Megumin ranted. "Yunyun, what did you DO?! Never give your soul to unknown entities. Not without the promise of phenomenal cosmic power in exchange, or at least a couple of unlimited Wishes!"
"Um, well...Luna did say s-she would be my friend, a-and so would Aqua…" Yunyun admitted.
"Yunyun is not selling you her soul to be her friend!" Megumin snapped, glaring at Aqua.
"No, Eris got hers when we split you guys," Aqua said with a shrug.
Further inanity was interrupted by a familiar bellow. "First years, first years, over here!" Hagrid called.
"That's me!" Aqua said excitedly. "Come on, Luna! Let's get a boat together!"
The two girls hurried over, causing Hagrid a great deal of confusion.
"Wha- Mizu, why are you here? Yer supposed teh be at the castle already! Yeh can't-"
"But I want to ride a boat!" Aqua argued. "It's totally my first year too, and boats are way cooler than those ugly horses!"
"Look, I can't just-"
Megumin and her friends left Aqua to argue with Hagrid, who seemed utterly unprepared to deal with her particular brand of chicanery. The older students made their way over to carriages, and upon catching sight of them, Megumin squealed in delight.
"THESE ARE THE COOLEST HORSES EVER!" she cried, running over to pet one of them.
"Horses? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, frowning at Megumin. "You look like you're just petting the empty air.
"Can't you see them!? They're all skeletal, like one of the plagues of Egypt, and they have bat wings, and- ooo! Sharp teeth! I bet they eat meat!" Megumin grinned eagerly as the odd looking horse glared at her, baring sharp fangs.
"I've not seen creatures like these before, but they can't be that dangerous if they're allowed to pull the student's carriages," Darkness said.
Ron looked back and forth between Megumin and Darkness, frowning. "Look, you're not having a laugh at us, right? There really are horses there?"
"I-I can see them," Yunyun assured Ron. "Um, nice horsey. Do you want to be my- ah!"
The creature Yunyun had tried to pet snapped at her, causing her to jump back. Megumin had to back away too, as hers was increasingly irate. Darkness couldn't even get close, or even approach the carriages, as the horses kept veering away.
"Right, what's going on- Potter. I might have known," Flich snarled as he stomped over, carrying a lantern and squinting into the dim light. "What's the problem here?"
"The death horses don't like Darkness," Megumin explained. "They don't think much of me or Yunyun either. They-"
"OW!" Kazuma cried from a few carriages away. "Get away, GET AWAY!"
One of the creatures had gotten itself unhooked, and was chasing Kazuma around, stamping and whinnying, its wings beating the air.
"Damn things, get away from me!"
"Hey, hey, it's OK!" Dust said, trying to step in front of the odd horse. "We can-"
The horse screamed, an unearthly, terrifying sound that sent shivers down the spine of all assembled. Then it turned around and tried to kick Dust. He dodged away, but collided with Kazuma who was running from another creature.
"What the bleedin' 'ell?" Filch growled, his accent getting coarser by the second. "What are you lot doing to the thestrals!?"
"STAY BACK!" Darkness boomed, and put herself between the thestral and the two boys, spreading her arms wide. Immediately, the creature shied away, wickering as if it were frightened of Darkness.
"What is happening? What are you running away from?" Draco demanded. "Go away, Longbottom, we-"
"Shut up, dumbarse, she just saved our lives, again!" Kazuma spat as Dust helped him up off the ground. He turned to Darkness, who was glancing at him with a disapproving expression. "I could have handled it myself."
"Then next time I suppose I'll just let you get your head bitten off," Darkness snapped. She frowned at Dust. "I suppose you think you'd have been fine as well."
"I mean, I bet I could have taken it. They look sort of like, you know, dragons! Bet I could wrassle one, then ride it!" Dust said eagerly. "Think we can try?"
"NO!" Everyone shouted at the same time.
"Obviously, the thestrals have good taste, and do not like Kazutrash," Megumin said, smirking at Kazuma and his dirty robes.
"Oh yeah!? Well, maybe you get on with them because you're as ugly as they are!" Kazuma snapped back.
Before a real row could develop, Chomusuke suddenly poked her head out from under Megumin's hat. The cat wriggled out from under it, then plopped down on the ground. She walked over to the irate animals, then meowed. The creatures gathered around the little cat, who began to purr. Slowly, the creatures all calmed, relaxing and folding their wings.
"Well I'll be damned," Filch muttered. "You lot WOULD cause problems. Right, get in the carriages."
Chomusuke insisted on sitting with Darkness, which meant that Megumin ended up sitting with her as well. The weird horse kept glancing over its shoulder to look at Darkness, but Chomusuke would meow at it, and the creature would turn around and keep trotting.
"Why are they afraid of me?" Darkness asked, looking a bit forlorn. "And why can't Ron or Hermione see them?"
"Obviously they have not yet mastered their inner darkness yet, and unlocked their true secret potential," Megumin said with a shrug.
Chomusuke turned around to look at her mistress, then rolled her eyes.
"What!? Do you not know that Crimson Demons have superior vision and hidden depths of arcane brilliance?" Megumin inquired of the cat-like thing.
"Oh, be nice. At least the horses listened to Chomusuke. She's a very good kitty, isn't she?" Darkness said, and gently stroked Chomusuke, who purred happily.
It didn't take long to arrive at Hogwarts, at which point Megumin largely forgot about the thestrals in favor of bragging to Lavender and Pavarti about how she had launched a grill into space.
"That's not possible. You're lying," Parvati argued as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"It's true, I saw it," Ron assured her."Megumin hardly even used any magic. They had this muggle stuff, some sort of gas, in a tube, and then-"
"There's simply no way muggles put a grill into space. This is even more ridiculous than that time Hermione tried to tell me that muggles put people on the moon. Everyone knows you can only get to the moon via portkey and that it's dreadfully dull there," Lavender sighed.
Before Megumn could ask if it were possible to visit the moon, and if people minded terribly if you practiced your Explosions there, a side door popped open, and McGonagall dragged a protesting Aqua through them.
"Go and sit down with the other professors!" McGonagall hissed.
"But I want to be Sorted! I took the quiz, I should be in Ravenclaw!" Aqua whined.
"Professors are not in houses! Go and sit down right now, Professor Mizu!" McGonagall ordered.
"Hmph." Aqua stuck her nose in the air, then walked over to the high table. She didn't seem to realize both the students and staff were staring, and sat down. She looked around, then asked, "Is there any bubbly?"
"What's bubbly?" Hagrid asked suspiciously.
"The feast will begin shortly, Professor. Please wait quietly," Dumbledore murmured.
Aqua glared at him, then smiled at Hagrid and winked. To the student's astonishment (and interest of many of the older ones) as well as the professor's horror, Aqua reached into the bust of her robe, then rummaged around for a bit. She came out with a bottle of champagne, pouring Hagrid a glass, to the large man's astonishment. She proffered it, but none of the other professors took her up on the alcohol of dubious origins. So she just started to chug from it.
Hagrid, to the mortification of many, sniffed his glass, then took a sip. He suddenly grinned. "Why, that's the good stuff, that is!"
As Aqua and Hagrid enjoyed their drinks, the great doors flung open, and the first years entered. Aqua looked sullen as McGonagall took out the Sorting Hat, which sang a silly ditty.
Megumin watched the first couple of sortings with interest, but then grew as bored as Aqua was. She didn't know any of these people, save for Luna, who went to Ravenclaw after less than a minute with the Hat on her head.
Megumin was absently wondering how big an Explosion would need to be to destroy the entire moon and reminiscing about the time she had been the Death Star for Halloween when Ron elbowed her.
"It's Gin's turn. She'll be in Gryffindor, don't you worry. Every Weasley is."
Megumin shrugged, as she had found Ron's sister to be an annoying brat, but she at least paid attention as the Hat settled on Ginny's head.
"Ah another Weasley, better be- wait. Hmm. Oh ho! Now that is interesting...Really? I see...I see...Hmmm. Ah, now that is a plan! Hmm, hmm, well, there are an odd number of you this year...I suppose it couldn't hurt, since this one has Ambitions in SLYTHERIN!"
"YES!" Kazuma and Dust cried, and immediately hi-fived one another. Draco looked smug and nodded to himself.
The rest of the Slytherin Table looked gobsmacked, and the Gryffindor table was equally stunned. Even Fred and George were gaping. One of them accidentally pulled a noise maker, which let out a pop and showered the silent table in dancing confetti that began to sing, "Gin-Gin's a Lion, but she always tells the truth in the Gryffin's roost!"
And then a red-faced Ron jumped up on top of the Gryffindor table, shaking the silverware. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, SCUM-ZUMA!" he roared. "HOW DARE YOU LEAD MY LITTLE SISTER ASTRAY! I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ARSE FOR THIS, YOU-"
"RONALD WEASLEY!" McGonagall thundered. "Sit-"
But Ginny turned to Ron, smirked, and flashed Ron the forks before going over to the Slytherin table. Kazuma stuck out his tongue and flashed a V sign. The more polite one.
"LET ME AT HIM!" Ron raged as Darkness and Hermione tried to restrain him. "LET ME AT HIM! GIN, YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL-"
"YES, YOU WILL FACE THE WRATH OF THE CRIMSON DEMON CLAN!" Megumin cackled, getting up next to Ron and posing. "WE SHALL RESCUE THE FAIR MAIDEN AND DEFEAT THE SLYTHERINS TO WIN THE HOUSE CUP!"
"See?" Ginny said in a loud, clear voice, as both Ron and Megumin were wrestled down. "This is why I went to Slytherin. Overprotective brothers are so annoying."
"Mum is going to kill me," Percy sobbed into his hands. "I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm a failure! They'll take away my prefect badge, and-"
"Good one, Gin!" Fred called, flashing her a thumbs up. "Brilliant prank!'
"I don't think it's a prank," George muttered, looking sick. "I think she really means it…"
"Still, good prank. Got everyone in a state," Fred pointed out, though he looked rather pale. "Even us."
Once order was finally restored and it was established that the Crimson Demon Clan would be spending the first weeks of school in detention to the shock of absolutely no one, Dumbledore cleared his throat and began his speech. "Well, that was a more...passionate Sorting than normal. I do beg you to remember that while we encourage a healthy rivalry between houses, ultimately we must all work together, as Slytherin and Gryffindor did last year to defeat a great evil."
"But first, let us welcome our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Miss Mizu."
Everyone clapped politely and looked to Aqua. Aqua, however, was oblivious, doodling on her napkin with a pen.
"Miss Mizu?" Dumbledore prompted.
Aqua continued to ignore him.
Hagrid elbowed her. "Er, the headmaster wants you to give yer speech, Mizu."
"Huh?" Aqua looked up, a perplexed expression on her face as Dumbledore gave her a pained smile. Then Aqua suddenly smiled. "Oh, right! That's me!"
She jumped up, producing two paper fans from thin air. Sparkling streams of water made rainbows appear, and Aqua twirled about, dancing around Dumbledore. "Fear not, students! For it is none other than I, Aqua, the great and powerful Arch Priest who so famously defeated the Devil King with the help of my friends who shall instruct you! The Axis Cult is super famous for our ability to defeat all kinds of evil! With my help, you'll all become super awesome Adventurers, ready to beat up the Devil King and save the world!"
Aqua posed, then twirled the fans. They exploded into a flock of doves, which began to fly about the Great Hall, cooing as they did so.
"Ah, that's...very nice, Professor Mizu," Dumbledore said, nodding. "I'm sure we will all have a lot to learn from your example this year."
"Yep!" Aqua smiled at Dumbledore, still standing beside him.
At last, he cleared his throat. "You can sit down now, Professor."
"Oh, OK!" Aqua took her seat again, earning laughter from the students.
"Now, I…" Dumbledore trailed off, frowning at the doves, who were still flying about. He took out his wand and waved it, but nothing happened. He blinked, then waved it again. The doves continued to fly, though some began to roost in the rafters.
"Well, I suppose that's enough excitement for now," Dumbledore said, his tone now absent as he stared at the birds. "Let us eat."
The feast appeared, and the students at least all forgot about doves as they tucked in.
All save Ron, who sat with his arms folded over his chest, glaring over at the Slytherin table, where Ginny was laughing and talking with some of the girls in her own year.
"Ron, aren't you hungry?" Hermione asked.
"No," Ron said, at the same time as Megumin said, "Yes."
"Don't start on me. I'm not eating. Don't feel like it," Ron grumbled.
"Ah, but Ron does not hunger for food!" Megumin said. "He hungers for REVENGE!"
At that, Ron brightened up. "Yeah. Yeah! Just knowing my precious baby sister going to Slytherin is the fault of those three morons makes me want nothing but revenge!"
"Isn't your sister her own person who can choose where she wants to be sorted?" Hermione asked.
"No, it's definitely Kazuma's fault," Darkness agreed, pushing her own food away. "We should fast until there has been a reckoning."
"Yes! We can swear a blood oath together!" Megumin eagerly agreed, and grabbed a steak knife.
Ron held out his palm, until Hermione smacked it down. "No! No blood oaths at dinner."
The other three glared at her, and Hermione sighed. "You have to swear those in secret. And you don't do it with a steak knife. At least get a properly sharp one. And for heaven's sake, sanitize it first!"
Everyone agreed this was perfectly sensible, and resolved to find a secret place to swear bloody vengeance on the Slytherins and win Ginny back.
Dear Tom,
Today was the first day of school. There were eleven new Hufflepuffs, maybe some of them will be my friends. I wish that Ginny had gone into Hufflepuff, but she went into Slytherin instead...which house were you in back in school?
Your Friend,
Yunyun
Yunyun,
Don't worry, I'll be your special friend, Yunyun. I was in Slytherin myself. Is Ginny a pure blood? Everyone knows that those with the purest blood are the greatest wizards. I was the direct descendant of Slytherin myself.
Tom
Dear Tom,
I don't think the blood bit is true. It's good for your dramatic backstory, and as everyone knows, it's how special your backstory is that really determines magical power. That's why I want to have so many friends! With enough friends, I can have the right backstory and we can all go on adventures together and slay monsters. I think Ginny's backstory is very interesting. She's the only girl in a family that is famous for only having boys.
Your Friend, Yunyun
Yunyun,
Hmm, that might be true. I had the most interesting backstory in my year, as I was a tragic orphan and secretly the scion of a great and noble ancient bloodline. I even came up with a secret name for myself, and those who would become my followers one day. Perhaps I can tell you about it, if you don't think it's too silly.
As for friends, perhaps those are a good way to attain power…
Tom