"Look at that, there really are Erumpents! So, this is a French garden?"
The yellow building of the Abbey stood right in front of Thess. Though it wasn't exactly its best angle, since the house-elf butler was leading them through the back door.
"Those are Oleander and Aster," said the elf. "I can introduce you later, but first, I think you'd better come inside and warm up."
Mr. Mustache, as he introduced himself, was a rather peculiar elf. For starters, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, something very uncommon among house-elves. While the traditional pillowcase that had once been their usual attire had fallen out of fashion after Minister Granger ended elf slavery, they still weren't known for their fashion sense. Another strange thing about him, as the name suggested, was his large, grandiose, and obviously fake mustache.
When they entered the kitchen, they met with an unexpected sight. Tariq, Estela, and Sean were slumped over the table, each looking more miserable than the next, while a cheerful, familiar-looking girl was serving coffee.
"Ah, you're finally here," said Tariq. "So, best friends yet?"
Thess and Orion exchanged glances before quickly turning away from each other.
"Who tried to kill whom?" asked Estela.
"Their stupidity nearly killed them," said the storm witch as she stomped in behind them, dripping water on the floor, her hair still crackling with sparks. "The two idiots decided to have a heart-to-heart inside a Climate Henge."
"Uh-oh," everyone grimaced in disapproval.
"In my defense, I didn't know it was a Climate Henge," Orion said.
"What's a Climate Henge?" Thess asked.
"A gift from the druids of old to the Muggles," Mr. Mustache explained. "Basically, you meditate inside it with the right emotions, and it conjures the weather you desire."
"Maybe our emotions weren't the most appropriate," Orion admitted, "but to conjure a tornado..."
Everyone looked at Thess.
"Well, it seems this girl hates with intensity," said the storm witch, "a good trait in a strong player."
The boys reluctantly pulled some Galleons from their pockets, placing them on the table and sliding them toward Estela.
"I always believed in you, girl," said Estela, hugging her winnings.
Thess was about to defend herself but was interrupted by a blast of warm air conjured by Mr. Mustache to dry her clothes.
"Thessaly Wyrmwood?" asked the coffee-serving girl, excited. "Did you really manage to recruit her?"
"Yes, last night," Tariq said.
"What happened to you guys?" Thess asked, now fully dried.
"My fault," Sean confessed. "We arrived in the County early, and I suggested we extend the night a bit at The Firewhisky Flask."
"The night was cold, the whisky was warm, and maybe we overdid it," Estela added.
"You're all a disappointment," said the storm witch, "but you veterans are the worst. What were you thinking, leaving the underage rookie alone with a psychopath?"
"Hey!" Orion protested.
"Relax, Mom," Sean said. "Everything was fine when we split up."
"I've told you all, stop calling me Mom," the witch replied.
"But, Mom!" said the coffee girl.
"Not you, my angel. I'm talking about the others."
"I object," Sean protested. "If you can call her 'angel,' we can call you 'Mom.'"
"Orion asked for this opportunity to make peace," Estela explained.
Thess glanced at Orion, curious if it was true. The young man slumped his shoulders in defeat.
"And you trusted him?"
"He's a bit unhinged," Estela said, "but he's still part of the team."
"I can hear you, you know?" Orion muttered.
The witch, whom they called "Mom," sighed deeply.
"We should clean up before Ginny gets here."
"I'll prepare a cauldron of Wiggenweld Potion immediately, Lady Kapoor," said the elf with a bow.
"Good morning, everyone," Ginny said, coming down the stairs. "I'm so excited I could barely sleep. I have so many plans for today. There's this new maneuver I've been thinking about, and I think it'll be perfect to make the most of Thess's abilities," she said, walking through the kitchen without noticing them, heading straight for the coffee.
"This is going to be amazing," she added just before finally noticing the miserable state of her players. "What...?" she said, dropping her cup.
"Reparo," Mr. Mustache said immediately, fixing the cup while a mop scurried across the floor to clean up the spill.
"Amara!?" Ginny called out, desperate for an explanation.
"I'll explain later," said the storm witch/mom, who Thess now knew was named Amara Kapoor. "For now, it's best if everyone takes a hot bath and gets some sleep."
"But... the practice..." Ginny stammered.
"We'll have time for that later. Anaya, my angel, can you show Thessaly to her room?"
"Of course, Mom," said the cheerful coffee girl, grabbing Thess by the arm and pulling her toward the stairs. "I've been so excited for you to get here. Do you remember me from school? I played Quid—"
"Thess," Orion interrupted before the two disappeared up the stairs.
"What?" Thess asked, turning to face him.
"I want you to win," he said, as everyone watched the two.
The group looked confused, but Tariq perked up.
"That's what I was going to ask earlier. I was going to say I want you to win. For us to win, as a team."
"Alright," Thess replied. "I can do that," and she disappeared up the stairs.
"What was that?" Ginny asked, still puzzled.
"Best friends!" Tariq said. "I told you."
Estela rolled her eyes and slid her stack of Galleons over to him.