Shadows at Augury Academy
Summary: An enchanted school called Augury Academy is shrouded by an ominous mystery: professors and students vanish without a trace, casting a shadow over the once-harmonious halls. Cedric, Sofia, and Butterford are summoned to go undercover at the school, where they unravel a web of secrets, puzzles, and missing people. As they delve deeper into the mystical academy's secrets, the trio must guard their true identities while unearthing the truth behind the disappearances, lest they become the next targets to vanish in plain sight. (Takes place 6 years after my Season 5)
Disclaimer: I only own Jas Butterford, Serena and Charlie (mentioned), and the other OCs as well as Augury Academy. MarionetteJ2X owns Nana and Tanya (mentioned).
Chapter 5: Jigsaw
The next day, the trio got cleaned up, dressed, and ate breakfast together in their room before heading to their designated duties. While Cedric left to prepare his classroom and Sofia found her place amongst the students, Butterford reported to the library, immersing himself in the quiet environment.
He roamed around the large space for a while, his hands (healed, he noticed, in his disguised form) tracing the spine of several covers until he paused before one particularly interesting book. It was called Casting Shadows, and it was eerily similar to his own experiences on the sea. He could feel his heart thrumming in his chest as he flipped through the pages, the characters reminding him so much of the other crewmen, himself, and even…Hopscotch. He tucked the book back into its spot after nearly an hour of reading, promising himself he'd finish it when he had more time. For now, he had a job to do.
He headed into Noxie's office, looking around at some of her personal items. She really seemed to like soft pastel colors, not to mention cats. It was odd to him, especially discovering that she was a mouse humanoid, which apparently transpired due to some sort of magical accident. Her file hadn't expanded much on that, and he didn't think it was his place to dig too deeply. Still, the sheer number of cat paintings around her office was very intriguing to the Guardian.
Meanwhile, Sofia went through the first part of her day as a student, blending in rather well with the crowds. She looked a bit eccentric in her outfit, but she discovered that there were other outlandishly dressed students as well, so she wasn't too worried about it. In fact, she was rather enjoying being disguised, since no one recognized her as one of the most famous magic wielders in the realms. Here, she was just Camri, a fellow student attending a typical schedule of classes. As someone unused to anonymity, at least since her early childhood years, she found this refreshing in a way.
She met several students, striking up casual conversations and even friendships with them, learning that many of the ones she spoke to were friends with some of the missing students. One particular girl she'd met was called Calliope, and she instantly recalled that this was Headmaster Brion's granddaughter: the one he feared could be in trouble or danger of being abducted next.
Calliope was like a walking ray of sunshine. The sixteen-year-old had long light blonde hair that brushed her hips when she walked, faded blue eyes, and a slim figure. Her hair was tied with a gold band around her head, and she wore simple white robes and gold jewelry to match her headband. She was very kind and soft-spoken when communicating with people.
"Is it weird around here now without the other students?" Sofia asked Calliope as they walked together. She felt a strange kinship with the girl that she couldn't understand. Perhaps it was because she had a good heart—one that needed to be protected. Maybe she had untapped deeper magical abilities. Either way, even though she was aware that hardly anyone could be trusted, she did trust Calliope.
"Yeah," Calliope admitted, her voice like soft bells when she spoke. "I was friends with Linux, and I kind of…had a crush on Georgie." She blushed a little as Sofia tilted her head a bit, smiling. "Grandfather didn't like that, of course. Georgie is 13—almost 14. And I just turned 16. To him, the age gap is a problem, and he's afraid of what people might think." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "It's not like we're going to rush off and marry one another though. I just… I like him. He's so sweet and funny…"
Sofia had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at this information. She of all people was well familiar with age gaps in a relationship, although almost three years difference was nothing compared with the relationship that she and Cedric shared, but who was she to judge or say otherwise? And of course, at school age, those few years did make a difference in maturity many times, but that wasn't always the case. Still, she felt the need to say something. "I don't think that's too bad. I know of a couple that's 25 years apart, and they're happily married with four children."
"Really?" Calliope gasped, her blue eyes twinkling in interest. "That's incredible. And it kind of gives me hope for my future…" She sighed, frowning. "If Georgie is ever found…"
"He will be," Sofia reassured her kindly, gently patting her shoulder. "I think they'll all be found. Maybe soon."
The blonde girl giggled and nodded, beaming at Sofia. "Thank you, Camri. I sure hope so…"
Cedric had quite enjoyed his new role in Professor Smithe's position as an alchemy and magic history professor. His alchemy classes were later in the day, while magic history took place before lunch. Having reviewed his schedule, including his list of students per class, he was delighted to realize that his upcoming class had Sofia in it. Well, Camri, but to him, it didn't matter. She was the same person, regardless of her disguise.
Speaking of disguises, he finished looking over his appearance in a mirror, retying his long curly hair in place, just as the students began filing in. Thankfully, there only appeared to be about fifteen, including his wife in her disguise, who was sitting next to a young blonde girl. "Good morning, class," he greeted, his voice like warm honey and making some of the girls swoon or giggle. He locked eyes with Sofia briefly, realizing she'd heard the reaction, but his smile disarmed her almost immediately. "My name is Professor Oaken. I'll be here with you for a while and pick up where Professor Smithe left off."
"I mean, you could just stay," a dark-haired girl with far too much makeup on suggested with a subtle bite of her lip. "I like Professor Smithe and hope he's found, but I'm sure you'll be…just as good. Maybe better."
"Rosalind," one of the other girls gasped, snickering. "You are so bad."
Sofia could feel herself frowning lightly, though she tried to pull it together. These girls were reacting to Professor Oaken, not to Cedric the Sensational. Cedric was portraying the role of the other man, but they were not the same people.
"That's enough, thank you," Cedric finally said, feeling a strange tightening sensation in his chest. He wasn't used to flirtatious advances from anyone other than Sofia, so for that to happen now took him aback. And speaking of Sofia, he could read her like a book. With a small smile forming on his lips, he nodded toward her. "Young lady, what is your name?"
Sofia blinked before looking up at him, folding her arms. "Camri."
"Camri. Lovely name."
"My mother thought so too," she quipped, a small smirk forming on her lips as she heard some snickers around her. In school, she'd always been the 'good girl' and the 'leader' in most situations. Now was her time to try a different persona—a mischievous one. "What's your question, Professor?"
"In what year did Bernard the Brave conquer the dark magical troops in San Dancra?"
Despite clearly not knowing the answer to that question, Sofia knew she couldn't just say so. Instead, she decided to play up her 'role.' "Probably the same year you bought that outfit."
"Ooh, that was a low blow," one of the guys remarked, though he was trying not to smile.
Another guy snickered. "She's not wrong though."
The rest of the class was either snickering or whispering, shocked that the girl had the audacity to talk back to a professor. It wasn't common at the school, but then again, with her whimsical fashion sense and strange aura, neither was she.
Hiding an amused smile behind a rather stern expression, Cedric frowned and directed his gaze straight at his disguised wife. "See me after class."
Sofia sighed, looking down at her desk, but inwardly she felt shivers filling her. The way he'd said that had been so…commanding. For once in her life, she couldn't wait to find out what sort of 'punishment' awaited her.
About 45 minutes later, Cedric dismissed the class, except for Sofia, whom he beckoned to the front of the room with one long, slender finger. Once she had made it to his desk, he used his wand to lock the door, assuring that all the windows were covered, before turning to his disguised wife, who was now sitting on his desk with her hands gripping the side of the oak.
"So," she began with a smirk, "what kind of punishment do you have planned for such a…disrespectful student like me?"
Cedric didn't waste time answering her question, instead capturing her lips with his. He allowed his hands to rove over the purple leather pants that hugged her legs in a way he wasn't used to, causing her to moan in pleasure. He echoed the sound when he felt her arms lift behind his head, her hands buried in his long curls as she then wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer to her in a way that created quite a bit of friction. He gasped as he broke the kiss, asking, "Why must you be such a distraction to me?"
Sofia grinned before dragging her teeth along his bottom lip, nibbling softly as he whimpered quietly. "You've never complained before, my sweet sorcerer." She pushed forward, kissing him deeply once more.
Butterford had decided to step out of the library for a while after having done some further investigation. In fact, he'd found a few clues in his searches, including one specific one that warranted immediate attention, but he wouldn't be able to tackle them without Cedric and Sofia. He knew where Cedric's temporary classroom was, so he figured the best place to find them would be to start there.
When he arrived at the door, he discovered it was locked. Thinking maybe Cedric had stepped out for a bit and would return, he decided to enter and wait for him. He used a simple spell with a wave of his hand, unlocking the door. And…almost immediately, he regretted his decision. "Are you guys serious right now?!" He slammed the door behind him, locking it securely, as his friends scrambled to make themselves decent. "I can't leave you two alone for five minutes without you nearly blowing our cover!" Thankfully, only Sofia's colorful coat had been removed, while several of the buttons of her top were undone, revealing far more skin than Butterford had ever seen of the princess. And Cedric's coat was lying on the desk next to hers, while the rest of his clothing was completely disheveled. "Go on an undercover mission, they said. It'll be easy, they said. Cedric and Sofia have done it plenty of times—oh, damn, maybe they meant something else with that last part…?"
"J-Jas!" Sofia laughed nervously, trying her hardest to rebutton her top so her friend wouldn't have to see anything. She smiled appreciatively at her husband, who batted her hands away and helped her instead. "S-Sorry! But to be fair, he started it."
"I most certainly did not," the sorcerer argued, tossing her colorful coat toward her as he turned around, folding his arms. "You gave me a sarcastic reply to a very simple question. I asked you to see me after class, like any professor would."
"I don't think professors typically engage in physical activities with their students right after, Cedric," Butterford remarked, smirking as the couple blushed darkly.
"Oh, you'd be surprised… I heard several rumors about a few of my own professors when we were still in school, after all." He adjusted his clothing before putting his coat on again. Only then did he realize his temporary glasses had fallen onto the floor, so he leaned down to pick them up, noticing the leg of the left side was bent. He tossed Sofia a pointed stare, to which she just grinned innocently. "Hmph." A quick wave of his hand, and the glasses were fixed properly, and he replaced them on his face. "Now then…"
"What brings you here, anyway, Jas?" Sofia wondered.
"Well, I found a few clues in the library that might help us out, but only if you two are done with whatever that was, because if you're still feeling that frisky tonight, I will be asking for a separate dorm."
Cedric flushed a bit deeper as Sofia giggled. "We—We'll be better, I promise. Show us what you've found."
Upon entering the library, Cedric and Sofia were a bit stunned to see no students there. Butterford explained that he'd had virtually no visitors all day, save for one or two random students who were just looking for a book to read, not to study. Butterford led them into Noxie's office, closing the door behind them.
"Wow," Sofia breathed, looking around at all the paintings. "She really liked cats, didn't she?"
"It seems that way," her Guardian agreed. "She has books on cats, portraits of them… But one of the paintings looked a little different from the others to me. See what you think." He pointed out a canvas painting above Noxie's desk.
Cedric frowned, rubbing his chin. "That's not just a cat, Jas. That's a leopard."
In fact, the painting was of a leopard with its left paw amputated. Around the leopard were leaves blowing, creating quite a mystical atmosphere.
"Leopard," Sofia murmured before gasping. "The headmaster's wife… What was her name?" She tapped her fingers a few times before saying, "Olga! Madame Olga—she was wearing leopard print when we first met her. And her arm?" She lifted her arm as a demonstration. "It was in a sling, remember?"
"Do you think the headmaster's wife has something to do with the missing people then?" Butterford asked, frowning. "I mean, she would have the resources…"
"I've a feeling bringing this information to him won't go over very well," Cedric informed them. "But… It's our job, I'm afraid. Just brace yourselves."
"Have you lost your minds?!"
Sofia and Butterford flinched a bit as they stepped back from the angry man before them, but Cedric stood his ground.
"My wife is innocent! She's a harmless, kind creature. She may have had past troubles, but she's more than made up for them, and she's become a better woman as a result." Headmaster Brion glared at the trio. "Are you sure you three are equipped for this mission? Do you go around assuming all parties are guilty then? Are you going to accuse everyone on my staff while the real evildoer is roaming free?"
"How are we supposed to know who the 'evildoer' is unless we investigate?" Butterford challenged, grasping Sofia's hand as she whispered his real name quietly enough for only him to hear. "Sir, with all due respect, we have to question everyone. That's our job. We don't mean to offend you or your family. We're just trying to help."
"Well, while I can appreciate that, only come to me when you have real solid evidence—proof. I promise you that my wife is innocent." He frowned heavily, turning away from them. "If you'll excuse me, I have an important meeting soon, so do see yourselves out."
Not overly convinced but also deciding not to push matters more, the trio left the headmaster behind, going about the rest of their day as scheduled.
That evening when they were in their shared room, their disguises shed, Butterford was brushing through Sofia's hair as they talked.
"That had to be a clue," Cedric muttered as he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "It's just too coincidental not to be."
"Unless someone wanted us to think that to throw us off," Sofia suggested as she held onto a pillow while Butterford continued brushing her hair. "Think about it. This is clearly a villain we're dealing with, right? Eleven missing people. Big school. Lots of places to hide and plenty of people to use for ransom. This probably isn't going to be as easy as we thought…"
"That would mean that nothing is as obvious as it seems…" Cedric sat up, frowning as he leaned toward his side of the bed. He paused, blinking as he reached out toward his pillow, picking up an envelope. "What's this?"
Butterford set down the brush and pulled Sofia's hair into a low ponytail, tying it off with one of her stronger ribbons, before looking back toward Cedric. "Maybe open it?"
The sorcerer nodded, withdrawing a folded piece of parchment, his eyes roving over it. "Oh, wow…" He looked at the other two, taking a deep breath, and then reading its contents aloud.
You waste your time
You hide your faces
You're unwelcome in
These magic places
But if you insist
On finding me out
Let me give you a hint
As I thrive on your doubt
Let's mix this magic
From one to twelve
Midst a line of five
Does my real name delve
Opposing my mother's wish
Anchoring the first of my title
There's a power in the switch
Do not stay so idle
Chain of deceit
You cannot see clearly
If you hesitate now
A dagger thrusts so dearly
Unmask me if you can
I'm just in this trilogie
Feared by every woman or man
I will be once I break free
"There's got to be something we're missing," Sofia acknowledged before yawning. "But… We'll look over it tomorrow during our downtime." She glanced up at Butterford. "In the library, okay?"
He nodded in agreement. "Okay."
To be continued…
Next Chapter: A Master of Disguise