Chapter 120: Joan’s End and Perenelle

a/n: Again, I recommend that you read chapters 18 and 19 to not get lost on how Joan suddenly appeared with the Ravenclaws.

–

Ravens' Fort, South of Norway

May 30th, 1431

–

A young woman with black hair slowly opened her eyes in a content way. She was very comfortable right now. She was clean and had a comfortable and warm bed under her. She then suddenly widened her eyes and got up from the bed. With a look of confusion on her face, she looked around the room. It was a well-furnished room that would be considered a luxury in the place where she had grown up. She then looked at the only source of light in the room: a large window that had some blue curtains hanging open. The black-haired young woman walked to the window and looked through it. She could see that the room where she was staying was in a high place. Outside it was a well-kept garden that had some kind of very clear blue pond in it with some chairs around the pond. Beyond the garden, she could see the Sea. The vast and blue Sea.

"I was not dreaming."

The woman said with wide eyes, but soon enough a small smile appeared on her face. It was then that she heard a fast knock on the door of her room followed by the same door opening. She turned to look at it and from the opened door a black-haired beauty entered. She looked at the young woman who was standing at the window and smiled.

"Ah, so you are already up. How was your night, Joan?"

Selena asked. Yes, the woman who was standing by and looking through the window was Joan of Arc, the Maiden of Orléans. Erik had rescued her from her prison in the Rouen's Castle and brought her home. Selena had helped her take a bath and, after a hearty meal, she had a good night of rest. Selena was only waking Joan so 'early' because she said that she had wanted to watch 'her' execution.

"Good morning, Lad-... Selena."

Joan said, greeting Selena and managing to correct herself in time.

"I had a wonderful night, thank you."

Joan replied to Selena, who nodded her head and smiled at Joan.

"Good. The breakfast is ready. So you have to put something and get down to eat something. Then, Erik will take us back to Rouen to watch 'your' execution."

Selena said to Joan while walking to the small-looking closet. She then opened the doors of it and revealed a very wide space inside it with some clothes hanging from hangers or neatly folded on shelves.

"So, what are you feeling to wear today?"

Selena asked a shocked Joan. When the maiden didn't answer her, she turned back and found Joan looking at the closet with wide eyes and an open mouth. Selena giggled at that.

"I will never tire of seeing people's reaction to magic."

Selena said and Joan managed to shake herself from her stupor. She walked to the closet and continued to stare at it.

"So this is some magic too?"

Joan asked while looking around but now with curious eyes. Selena nodded her head at Joan's question.

"Yes. It is a basic expansion charm. It makes the space inside bigger than the outside. It had its limits of course. You would not be able to create an entire city inside a closet. Not with the basic expansion charm at least."

Selena replied the curious young woman while saying the last part in a lower tone, something that was caught by Joan's ears. Joan nodded her head and started to look around at all the clothes that were inside the closet. Selena walked to some of the hangers and took a piece from them.

"So, what will you want to wear for the 'show'? A dress?"

Selena said while showing Joan a hanger that had a white dress hanging from it. After showing for a moment, she put it back in its place and took another piece, showing it to Joan.

"Or maybe a robe? These are traditional robes used by witches. Wizards normally use something similar but more 'masculine'."

Selena explained and when she had no answer, but the robe back to its place, and took another piece from one of the shelves.

"Or a more simple shirt with some pants?"

Selena said and waited for Joan's reply. She didn't have to wait for long for an answer.

"I think I will take the pants and shirt. I… I don't think I will be comfortable to wear a dress or a robe in public."

Joan replied and Selena nodded at it with her head while handling the pieces in her hand to Joan. It was something understandable. Joan had passed too much time dressing as a man for protection reasons that she didn't feel comfortable going in public dressed in a dress anymore. The young woman took the pieces in her hands and went back to near the bed. Joan then started to change her sleeping clothes for the ones she had been provided with while Selena was choosing a nice pair of boots for her.

Five minutes later, Selena and Joan walked into the kitchen where Erik and Calypso were already waiting for them with breakfast ready.

After a hearty meal, the four got ready for their 'trip' with Erik giving Joan one of his hiding snakes and Selena hanging a silver crucifix around her neck. Joan had looked at the items with curiosity and was then explained what their uses were. The hiding snake, who after biting her hand for a drop of blood had coiled around her little finger, was for masking and hiding her life signal. The crucifix was something that Selena had made after she and Calypso had come back from the magical shopping district. It was an enchanted object that would make Joan's face unrecognizable to anyone under a certain level of power. It worked like glamour, but it was more like a Notice-Me-Not charm.

"Erik will hide us while there, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Selena said to her. After giving her thanks to Erik and Selena, the four were then transported by Erik to the location of the 'execution'.

–

Rouen City

May 30th, 1431

–

A blue magic circle lit up on top of one of the stores and from it, in the middle of blue motes of light, four people appeared. They are Erik, Selena, Calypso, and Joan. Erik looked around for an instant and walked to the edge of the roof. He looked down at the square and nodded his head.

"Good, we are in time."

Erik said and then snapped its fingers.

*snap*

The air shimmered around the group while some temporary wards went up. The girls then approached the edge of the roof and looked down at the square too. In it, a lot of people had already gathered around a podium that had a big pile of dry wood with a big stake in the middle. At some distance, a row of high seats was put together. They had a good vision of the pile of woods and the stake.

It didn't take long for a procession of 'important' people to appear and take the high seats. And soon enough, another procession appeared while guiding a chained 'Joan of Arc'.

"It is somewhat strange to see a 'me' walking from afar."

Joan said, and Selena and Calypso chuckled at that.

"It sure would be strange."

Erik said while still looking at the procession 'under' them. The group watched in silence as 'Joan's' sentence was read out loud for everyone to hear. 'She' was then given to the English instead to the city's bailiff. 'Joan' was then tied to the stake and asked if she wanted something before proceeding. Here, Erik looked to the true Joan that was by their side. The young woman understood his silent question.

"A cross, if I would to die, I would want to die with one."

Joan said to Erik, who nodded his head once to her. The fake-Joan them replied with Joan's voice her request. The English soldier then took a cross fashioned from sticks and gave it to her, which she kissed and placed next to her chest. Soon after, a processional crucifix was fetched from the nearby church and was held at her eyes height. The fire was then lit by a soldier and Erik snapped his fingers.

*snap*

During all the burning, the fake-Joan didn't say one word. The populace of Rouen's city watched in horror and some in fascination as 'she' was burned alive. The highers up watched the 'show' with no reaction at all showing on their faces. To a great part of them, they were just getting rid of a pebble in their shoes. Time passed and the fire burned down. After was completely out, English soldiers moved away the coal to expose 'Joan's' body as proof that she didn't escape. The body was then thrown again on another fire. After this second fire died down, the ashes of 'Joan' were thrown into the Seine River.

It was already late in the afternoon when the show was over. Erik looked to the side and saw that Joan was being hugged by both sides by Selena and Calypso. Erik then looked at a fourth person. She had arrived as the burning started and Erik, after recognizing the person, invited her to watch with them.

"Such a shame… Such a young and promising woman."

The woman said. She had long blonde hair and a thin body that was hidden by light blue robes. The girls looked at the new person in curiosity. Selena and Calypso relaxed immediately because they recognized the woman.

"Indeed it is, Perenelle. Indeed, it is."

Erik replied to Perenelle Flamel and looked at the true Joan, giving her a mirthful wink. Erik and his wives had met Perenelle and Nicholas Flamel some decades back. They were looking for some very rare to find magical herbs and had come to Calypso for them. At that time, the couple of alchemists had already made their famous creation, the Philosopher's Stone and could be already counted as ageless. That is, as long as they continued to drink the elixir produced by the stone. The couple were constant clients of Calypso's business and so ended up meeting with Erik and Selena. The women ended up becoming friends, even more after Perenelle discovered that they were THE Ravenclaws. It was not like they were hiding that or anything like that. The couple then ended deducing that they had reached 'immortality' too. When asked if they had access to a Philosopher's Stone too, Erik and Selena denied it and Erik said that there were a lot of ways available for one to reach 'agelessness' status that didn't involve the Philosopher's Stone. After that, the couple would always visit them when they were not immersed in some research or project.

"Perenelle, good to see you. Care for a late lunch and early dinner with us?"

Selena said, inviting the woman to have a meal with. Perenelle Flamel shook her head negatively.

"Not this time, sorry, Selena. I have to go home and see how Nicholas is doing without me for almost an entire day. I left some food ready for him under some stasis charm, but I doubt that he even remembered to eat anything all day."

Perenelle Flamel said and chuckled, which got chuckles from the people that knew the alchemist.

"It is just like him to be so absorbed into something that he forgets to eat. Mother had the same problem."

Selena said with a smile. Some nostalgia could be 'sensed' at her smile. After some more pleasantries, Perenelle Flamel activated her portkey and was dragged away in a small vortex. Joan kept looking at the place where the witch was with widened eyes and just recovered when she saw Erik's blue magic circle appearing under them.

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