{Authors Note: Another one is coming soon tomorrow! be on tha lookout!}
"It's like an instrument, as it hums through every orifice of creation. It covers us, it aids us in understanding the world. It binds all of us together. An intricate spiderweb that we all have no choice but to be entangled in. Magic is the incarnation of all living things."
Journal entry: Aesira Concordia
As the gentle and diffused light from the huge windows made themselves known, my eyes fluttered open. I woke up dazed, rubbing them as I sat up to inspect my egg.
Opening the box, I was caught off guard.
It was now almost 20 inches in length, the heat radiating off its iridescent shell. It's really coming together! I started attempting to see if I could witness what was going on inside, but the shell was too thick. I had no idea how big it would grow, but I estimated in about a week it would finish. I honestly could see why my Aunt froze them like she did. Who would want a flock of electric or venomous wyverns at their beck and call?
I'm being sarcastic. Auntie needs to hatch these creatures for herself. I wonder why she doesn't?
I heard Ron's voice as I saw him floating towards me.
"Mate, what the hell is that? Every time we see you, you have something strange going on!" He sounded bewildered, cautiously examining it. I honestly didn't know what to tell him. I don't think Auntie would have liked me to tell him that this was one of only 12 in existence, and it's unique even among its own kind... I'm overthinking.
She gave me the fuckin thing, I'll do what I want dammit!
"It's an egg of a magical beast. It was a gift from my Aunt."
Safe!
"Wicked! I'll tell Harry when it's about to hatch. Keep that thing safe yeah? We don't want you dropping it from all the way up here." He warned, giving me a goofy expression. Ron then flew back down, probably going off to clean up the wrappers from last night. They were playing bean roulette with candy that made you sound like a random animal. It was hilarious.
It was like Willy Wonka himself made these sweets. Gum that never loses flavor, Suckers that grow from one shard left on it's stick. I was even hard-pressed to try the pop candy. If you spit it out, it blew up like an actual firework. I chose to sleep this time, but I'll definitely be looking forward to Hogsmeade. They gatekeep certain candy anyway. Losers.
So this really isn't a dream?
I Had to double-check for a second.
I snorted about one of my theories. I was thinking of my real body being in a coma somewhere, or a man thrashing around in a padded room.
I'm actually here.
"C'mon mate, You're gonna be late for Divination!"
Sigh, I hate school. Waking up early is the worst thing you can do to somebody. Why? Why must they do this?
I take that back, Divination class is cool as fuck. I'll wake up for this.
The look of its classroom was much like the original but minus the tea sets. It was filled with an assortment of odd, antique, and somewhat eccentric objects that contribute to the unpredictability of the future, as it offered many paths and many outcomes. The room is dimly lit, with heavy, ornate drapes covering the windows, creating a slightly shadowy climate throughout.
The tables were wide stone boulders with their tops appearing to have been severed, leaving sparkling gemstones on the surface. The chairs were wooden, plush cushions that made you sink into your seat. As I sat with Harry and Ron, their faces showed a shadow of boredom as the class began. I could discern the importance of the crystals within the rocks as they ranged from birthstones to non-birthstones. Tanzanite, Black onyx, Moonstone, Malachite, Topaz, Lapis Lazuli, etc. But either by coincidence or from the witch-seer in front of me, the table that I was assigned first, as Ron and Harry followed suit, was made of amethyst. I was born in February.
And it wasn't in this world I was born in that month...
It was my other one.
I won't underestimate this witch. Sybil Trelawney. She was able to accurately predict Voldemort's return. Most of the predictions that she has made in the series were true, even Harry's death in that damned forest. Although, it was only a technicality. Main character points saved him in truth.
"I welcome you to the class of the noble art of divination!" She outstretched her hands, a huge smile gracing her features.
"Each and every one of you will discover if you have the sight of a true seer!". She exclaimed. I saw that she seemed to avoid the table at the last minute when she was about to bump into it, seemingly paying no mind.
"Together we shall cast ourselves into the future!"
The bespectacled witch then made us do an assortment of activities. Ranging from teaching us Palm reading to horoscopes, which only confused the students as they grew increasingly irritated. This may be why Hermione didn't believe in it. You need a special gift, or talent to actually tell the future. However, the majority of the magical community treats it as a controversial topic. Truly, out of all the things magic can do telling the future is somehow not believable? Granted, Seers are rare, and most I don't doubt in my mind are frauds.
Putting that out of my mind for now though, how did one acquire this ability to see into the future? Pure chance?
She mentioned something about a third eye before in the books I think... It's interesting I admit.
'Ahh, that's where the tea sets are' I noticed. As she lifted her hands, a drawer to her left opened to reveal plates and teacups, neatly assorting themselves on our table. Teapots ranging in size, from small to unnecessarily large poured us our cups. She gave us options of sugar or whatnot, but not creamer. The witch then directed us to drink, leaving the leaves to be read.
"Now, grab a cup that isn't yours at the table dearies." The seer directed as I picked up Ron's cup. Harry picked up mine, while Ron took Harry's.
'Ah. Oh nooo, I have a bad fortune.' clearly not surprised. I got reincarnated by Azathoth. I didn't expect this to be easy.
I looked in my teacup to see three things that I had to carefully analyze to truly see. The symbols that I was trying to depict were harder than I realized...
"You look like a fool looking in that cup"
As a familiar brown-haired girl suddenly materialized next to me, Ron couldn't help but whisper what was on all our minds, "Where the hell did she come from?" The girl, however, didn't greet us with a friendly smile. Instead, she scowled in response, huffing rudely. "I was here the whole time!"
Harry and I chimed in simultaneously, our voices in perfect, deadpan unison, a tone that seemed to annoy the hell out of her even more.
"No, you weren't."
It was evident that her unexpected appearance had caught us all off guard, and her indignant response only spiked my amusement.
I started laughing at her as she grew angrier, her face a nice hue of red once again. "You guys are assholes!"
As she shouted her terrible grievances toward us, Ms.Trelawney looked up, her thick glasses looking oddly at the girl. "Ms.Granger? When did you appear?"
That was it.
Now, we were standing in the empty hallways of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and wizardry, Hermione looking like she was about to explode. Harry and Ron were giving the girl an annoyed look. This must happen sometimes huh?
"Never again. Never will I sit through another Divination class" Hermione stopped in the hallway, her face now a neutral one of mirth. What did I say? Ladies man. Kachow!
I couldn't help but playfully chide Hermione, "Anyway, now that you've gotten us kicked out of Divination—"
Before I could finish my sentence, Hermione cut me off, her glare so frigid that I briefly wondered if she had some hidden ocular power. "I didn't do anything," she retorted sharply. "It was you, along with our bug-brained, loud-mouthed redhead friend who couldn't keep his mouth shut! All I said was, 'Fuck this class,' and suddenly everyone was gasping as if I'd just cast an Unforgivable Curse! They act so innocent, don't they? It's not like we haven't caught people snogging in broom closets or sneaking into bathrooms with Notice-Me-Not charms!" Her voice carried through the empty hallway, and a few passing ghosts couldn't help but sneer in response.
Harry sighed, his expression filled with disappointment. "I was really looking forward to reading my fortune, Hermione," he admitted, gazing out of a nearby window, seemingly lost in thought.
Ron chimed in, his tone equally disheartened. "Yeah, me too-"
"WHO CARES WHAT YOU THINK!" The remaining three of us shouted together.
"You people are so mean! I don't deserve this" Ron started, fake crying. Harry rolled his eyes.
"There, there weasel. We didn't mean it. We were just kidding buddy."
"I hate you sometimes." Ron deflated even further, his act completely gone. Great job weasel. S tier acting.
This is going to be the second time I've cracked up today, and it wasn't even afternoon yet. "So now what do we do?" I asked, looking at the girl intently. She gazed at me to only grab the bridge of her nose, as I guess she remembered the events from last night. "I know what I said yesterday. We'll go there together then. Harry-" The boy frowned at her, "I know Hermione. We're not being followed, we still have time before 2nd period starts." He retorted. Hermione's chest relaxed as she motioned for me to follow her through the ever-interesting corridors of Hogwarts Castle, Ron and Harry close in tow.
"This is our stop," Hermione said suddenly. I looked at her in confusion, as she then walked the same space once, then backtracked, and she walked again.
'No, it can't be' my eyes widened.
'I never made the connection' I thought. I couldn't believe it. Did they find the room of requirement? This early? This may change everything from this moment forward.
'No shit Sherlock'
As I was brooding, the seemingly ordinary wall opened to reveal a featureless space. Plain stone walls and a stone floor that was quite large and dimly lit. It was eerie to witness in person. A flat empty stone room. It would be a wonderful prison. I saw Hermione smirking, clearly amused at my expression. She must have mistook my worry for amazement, but it only served my secrets.
"This," Hermione began with a mysterious smile, "is what we call the Room of Requirement. You'll understand why momentarily." She gestured for me to follow her and the others as we entered the chamber. "Room," she addressed it with confidence, "we need a dueling arena, or at least a space comfortable enough for practice." As Hermione's words filled the air, the room responded with a low, resonant hum, as if it were acknowledging her request.
In an enchanting display, the once eerie stone chamber began to transform before our eyes. It elongated and expanded, much like stepping into a scene from Alice in Wonderland. The walls seemed to stretch out, and the ceiling soared higher. It was as if we had stepped into another world.
"Here's our hunch. The castle itself is sentient. I don't know if it has a sort of personality, but it's as if the fortress itself is alive in some way. It breathes magic doesn't it?" She asked rhetorically. I silently agreed, not knowing what to say. "What does that have to do with the protections, Wouldn't it be stronger in response?" I asked.
Hermione regarded me with a puzzled expression as if her point was self-evident. "If we're correct and the castle possesses sentience," she began, "it would indeed have the ability to raise or lower protective enchantments at its discretion. Magic, you see, is wonderfully unpredictable. It's like a vast language with endless words, but we humans only grasp a small bit of it. constructing our society using these...fragments. Terms like 'Magic' or 'Supernatural' are mere concepts we've created to try and comprehend it all," she explained.
She continued, as each of her words seemed to carry weight, like she had this in her mind for a considerable length of time. "Yumi, have you ever paused to think on why you possess these powers? These gifts? They stem from something unknowable, something that we need to think on more than just... magic." Hermione stated, her gaze intense. I found myself looking downward, absorbing the weight of her words. Everything I thought I knew about energy sources like Jujustu or Ki, I second-guessed.
Where did it all originate? What was the source of this power? It was a profound inquiry, one that even Sukuna had remarked with a special grade who had ingested one of his fingers, leaving me with more questions than answers. All before he pulled out Malevolent Shrine and cut it into 5, dignified pieces.
"Neither you nor this brat, really understand,"
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"What Curses truly are."
I nodded, looking at the brown-haired girl in a new light.
"Okay, say you're right. What do we do from here? How do we go about this?"
Hermione looked at me as Harry and Ron did the same.
"We get stronger. That's what we do. So that we won't ever be on the wrong side of these forces again. You-Know-Who is back, and we don't have time to sit around and wait for the snakehead bastard to come back." She declared.
"The start of your lessons has begun. Show me what you can do Yumi."