An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 1:41:35 GMT 10
"Okay guys, um... Hand over any money you've got on you" he knew that it wouldn't be a lot, but was hopeful that they'd be able to scrounge together enough for their bus fares. That was how he and Reena had gotten home last year.
Piling together the galleons from each of them, Jax retrieved his wand from his pocket and held it out at the side of the road. Was this how he beckoned the bus? Ugh, he couldn't remember. Please let this be right.
He offered his siblings a smile, which he hoped was encouraging and reassuring and did not betray the many layers of anxiety that he was currently feeling. It didn't feel right, where was their mum? Was she okay?
He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that they had to get home quickly.
Only Jaxen and Reena knew what he was doing; none of the others had even heard of the Knight Bus before. For an ever-so-brief moment (likely due to their nerves) it seemed as it nothing had happened.
Then there was a BANG further down the street, like a dustbin exploding or something just as unexpected. Same as it was last time, then. A violet, triple-decker bus sped towards them -- and came to a screeching halt perfectly alongside where they stood. The door flung open, and a young woman (with a rather steampunk style) popped into view. She gave the group her brightest smile.
'Welcome to the Knight Bus -- emergency transport for stranded magical folks,' she said with a flourishing wave. 'My name is Ada Soots, and I'll be your conductor this freezing morning.'
She gave them a glance over in turn, particularly noticing their Hogwarts trunks.
'Nice cape. So, we got tickets?' Ada asked, expecting they'd have their in advance if they were headed home for the holidays alone. But if not, she awaited Galleons instead and prepped the little ticket machine she wore. 'Where to?'
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 1:56:05 GMT 10
Jax waited, his stomach flipping to the point where he began to feel quite nauseous when nothing happened. Then with a bang the Knight bus appeared and he could've wept with relief. They were saved! Or, he hoped they were. "Five tickets to Puddles Way, please" he said, offering the galleons to Ada and hoping that he'd have enough to pay for them all. He subtly gestured for the kids to begin boarding the bus, because no one was being stranded overnight in London - not on his watch!
If he had to curse the bus driver to take them home then... Well, he wouldn't be happy about it, but he'd do it for his siblings!
Looking at how much luggage they had, he added. "As close to LilyGrove as possible, please"
Ada accepted the Galleons and did a careful count. They were a Galleon short, unfortunately -- but she gave them a sneaky wink and printed out the right amount of tickets anyway. She then let them pass by her onto the bus, making sure to give Kody a thumbs up when she again spotted his cape.
In boarding, they also passed the driver and... a shrunken head, hanging nearby. The head giggled at them, while the driver hurriedly ate an apple while he had the chance.
No one was allowed to touch their luggage once Ada let them onto the bus; she insisted on lugging them aboard herself. She hoisted Jaxen's trunk to the luggage area last -- the area which still looked too small for even a handbag, but of course magic made appearances deceiving.
As it was daytime, the bus had seats for them to sit on. A few other occupants were aboard, mostly on the lower levels. A huge chandelier hung above.
'Take it away, Ern,' Ada knocked on the window once they were ready to go.
'Yes, take it away, Ernie,' the shrunken head piped up, then eyed the new passengers. 'It's gonna be a bumpy ride.'
It cackled with glee.
There was another BANG and the bus shot forward like a rocketing broomstick -- yet kept to the road, weaving around cars and various obstacles. London zoomed by, then there was a SCREECH as the bus came to a sudden and rather violent stop -- enough to send unsuspecting passengers flying. An older woman in the back barely moved, though had her wand in hand.
Ada greeted a pair of new passengers, who brought their own tickets then sat down. BANG. There was another stop barely thirty seconds after rocketing off again, and some Hogwarts students boarded -- only to then be dropped off a few blocks away.
Ada even muttered that they could have just walked, honestly. Still, even during all these stops, she casually leaned against the bus as if it wasn't zooming and halting and swerving all over the place.
BANG. The bus sped off again, throwing inexperienced passengers about as it narrowly missed a Muggle riding a bicycle across the street. It was a lot busier than the last time Jaxen and Reena had taken the bus. With more stops to make, but also the journey itself felt longer. Or perhaps that too was the nerves?
--
SCREECH.
Finally, the Knight Bus came to an abrupt halt.
'Puddles Way,' Ada said, with a flourish. She placed their luggage outside, and stood by the door to await their departure -- before jumping back aboard. 'Next stop: Pinedew Hollow.'
With five less passengers, the Knight Bus drove off with a final BANG before fading mid-swerve round a corner.
They were almost home; the bus had left them part-way up the street, with cottages lined close together. Despite their house being one of the few lucky enough to have its own yard, they almost didn't recognise it at first glance.
It was by no means neat, but the yard was no longer badly in need of a trim -- even when the Ashworth children had been away since the end of summer. There was even a new rose bush, which budded below a windowsill. The windows were still intentionally dark; a charm Aubrey had placed long ago to make it look (from the outside) as if no one was home.
Crossing the threshold, the wards were thick and cold; heavily fortified.
The front door was unlocked, and there was no answer. Inside, the house was still and shadowy. A few things were in disarray, but nothing too alarming. The painting that was new last year but familiar now, on the wall to cover a spell-caused burn mark, was still there. Badly stuck, with a corner peeling.
But something felt... off. It wasn't just the emptiness. Something was different, yet none of them could figure out what. Something they could feel, but not see. Venturing further inside, they noticed two things that were absolutely strange.
One, the door to their mother's Art Studio, so rarely even unlocked, was wide open. Things were scattered everywhere inside -- not just art supplies and a mess expected of a hazy-minded artist, but also what to them only looked like junk. Old keepsakes and things from their childhood; nothing particularly interesting. There was also a Potions Kit, and several locked cabinets or drawers.
It was hard to tell how normal this was, given their very minimal glimpse into the room over the years. Yet their father's painting was the room's focus; currently empty (just a background), but they knew from past discoveries that he could be called upon.
The second strange thing was a letter sitting on the dining table. More specifically, an envelope bearing an Ashworth wax seal that they didn't know existed. Anyone who touched the envelope got zapped; nothing too painful, but enough to make them drop it.
On the back of a dining chair sat their little ashen owl, who was fast asleep. It didn't seem like anyone had been home for a while, yet a small kitchen window was open just enough that their little owl could freely come and go for food or water.
Any further investigating or otherwise proved the strangest thing of all: Aubrey was, beyond any shadow of doubt, not home. All her belongings were untouched (as far as they could tell), and the house was relatively okay -- minus clear signs of someone rushing about. There were no other clues as to what was going on or where she was. Even the backyard was empty, should anyone go check. Just the gardens, lush with crops, and a withered flower.
Aubrey wasn't at the station.
And she wasn't home, either.
Last Edit: Nov 7, 2023 13:02:29 GMT 10 by Lena: typos-be-gone
Post by Reena Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 3:29:32 GMT 10
Reena had let Jaxen take the lead with getting them on the Knight Bus, feeling annoyed at their mother's absence. She had to keep feeling annoyed, because if she let go of the annoyance for even one second, she knew she would spiral into anxiety and thoughts of doom, aided by Antoninus' cryptic warnings as well as the fact that their grandparents were impossible to reach to ask for help.
She had barely even looked at Ada Soots this time, staring out the window and just now and again holding out a hand to keep Ezra from flying forward and bumping his head when the bus stopped abruptly, like it did.
They finally reached their destination and Reena would have very much liked to drag her feet. She fiddled nervously with her house key, it even pulled a string out of the green mittens Antoninus had knitted for her. The wards felt heavily fortified, which was both worrysome and reassuring.
If Verity and Jaxen were to be kept within the wards, at least they felt strong enough to keep out, whatever it was to be kept out.
Her house key proved pretty useless, as the front door was left open and as she ventured inside with her siblings, she could tell that something was just off. Reena glanced into the open studio door for a moment, trying her best to remain calm.
She made her way to the kitchen and with a glance at the owl, closed the window. It was cold enough and they were here to let their owl out now. She flinched her hand back when she was zapped by the envelope and looked at it offended.
Was she not Ashworth enough to touch it? What was that crest, anyway?
Her mind was rattling about what to do next. Their mum was definitely gone. And had been gone for a while, from the looks of it.
She had never been missing before. On most days she didn't even get out of bed, for Merlin's sake!
Jaxen had to be freaking out even worse than she was.
"Alright, listen up" How she found it in her to sound calm, even authoritive, as though she was in control, was beyond her.
"It appears that Mum is not here. Maybe for a while. What we have to do now first and foremost, is stay calm." She looked around the faces of her siblings, her gaze lingering on Jaxen the longest.
"We cannot reach our grandparents to ask for help, so we have to work together. Help each other, okay?" Reena took a breath and looked at the ashen owl again. Would it know how to find Aubrey?
"We should split up to cover more ground, search for clues as to where she might have gone. I know she had been to the Ministry in October to re-take her apparitions test. That is the last thing I know she did. We might find something here." Reena had no time to explain how she knew about that.
"Verity, check Mum's room, please. Kody, Ezra, would you go to the laboratory? The key is 'Amor matris nos protegit'," she felt bad for making her brothers go outside again, but she could not risk having Verity or Jaxen outside to venture out of the wards.
"I will search the studio. Jaxen, can you make us some tea and warm the house? Come to the studio, when you're done."
A bit louder, so that everyone may hear her properly, she added: "We'll meet again in ten minutes to re-group. Ten minutes. Living room."
Her gaze and voice was firm and she held some eye contact before she gestured with shooshing-motions at her siblings to get started on the tasks she'd assigned them.
She hoped they'd do it. They would cover more ground faster and she also hoped it would keep their fear and anxiety in check to have someone take charge. That's what she would have liked about right now.
But making plans herself helped as well.
With a glance at Jaxen, she walked towards their mother's studio and felt almost overwhelmed at the sight. Stuff was scattered everywhere, and she was not sure what was junk and what might be important on a first glance. The drawers she tried first were locked,as were the cabinets.
Because, of course they were.
She picked up an item which she recognised from when she was a child, but she doubted it would tell her more.
Instead she glanced at the scattered potions kit, trying to recognise any ingredients to maybe make a guess as to what Mum could have been trying to brew.
She should probably try to contact Antoninus, since Grandma was unreachable. However, there was a more obvious choice to try first:
Reena stepped up to the empty portrait and laid a hand on its frame.
"D- Marcus? Can you hear me?", she asked. Her heart was fluttering erratically in her chest as though it was a bird trapped in her rib cage.
Last Edit: Nov 7, 2023 6:15:49 GMT 10 by Reena Ashworth: spelling is not my friend
Post by Kody Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 4:15:35 GMT 10
A lot happened in a short amount of time.
Kody was grateful that Jaxen had found him with the luggage and even held his hand! It helped him to feel less anxious about their mum not being there. Finally, someone who knew what they were doing!
There weren't many coins in his pockets but Kody was happy to give Jaxen every single one if it would help them out. Kody was puzzled why Jaxen had his wand up but he trusted that it would help, somehow.
He shivered as they waited and nothing happened, wrapping his cape around himself with his one free hand until there was a loud bang that startled him into tears.
Not that he was prone to crying easily but Kody felt so overwhelmed by the whole situation and his thoughts were all racing over each other and jumbled up. He didn't know what to do! A purple bus drove towards them and he hid against Jaxen, convinced they were about to be mowed down.
But no, that didn't happen -- apparently this was their ticket home?
Kody stared at the bus, his cries quickly turning into sniffles and he followed his siblings on board.
The lady seemed nice and she even complimented his cape! He managed a shy smile and even a small "Thanks"
He tried not to stare but was that a tiny head... And the driver seemed to be eating. His stomach grumbled and Kody was reminded that breakfast had been so long ago.
And they weren't kidding when they said the ride was bumpy!
Kody didn't mind being jostled and bumped and launched all over the place, it added to the fun of the ride and helped him to forget the dire situation they were in. He put his arms up and cheered with every corner and swerve they took. Maybe getting this Knight Bus wasn't so bad after all?
It was certainly more entertaining than the train!
The jerks and sudden stops for each passenger that got on and off added to Kody's enjoyment and soon he was grinning from ear to ear. All previous sniffles had been extinguished.
They were going home, they'd see mum and everything was doing to be a-okay!
"Bye! Thanks for the fun ride!" Kody said to Ada, Ernie and the tiny head, waving to all of them as he hopped off the bus and took charge of his luggage once more. They had to be close to home, right?
And Kody would have walked right past their own cottage had it not been for Reena.
"Wha--" Their front garden was completely different. Kody frowned at the change for a second but then realised it meant Aubrey had been wanting to surprise them! Yes! This was why she didn't come to the station! She wanted to see their reactions when they first saw the house and garden!
He raced up to the door with his cape flapping behind him, ready to yell to his mum that they were home but something was wrong.
Kody's steps faltered as he entered the house with his siblings.
"What's going on...?" He hugged himself and looked around, not daring to stray too far from the rest of the siblings as he tried to understand. Why was everything topsy-turvey today?
He went over to the little ashen owl and stroked her forehead, "Hey Sweetie, where's mum...?"
It was silly, of course, but the sight of the small animal brought comfort to Kody and he spent a few more minutes fussing over her. It seemed like she had been able to come and go as it pleased and certainly didn't seem any worse for wear.
"If the owl is here, that means mum had to be here recent--" Then Reena spoke up and Kody fell silent.
When Reena said they had to work together, he looked at each sibling and nodded. Kody knew something was wrong, but with his siblings here, it wasn't the worst situation ever. They could do this together.
Whatever this was.
"Okay, yeah, we can do that - can't we Ez?" Kody held out his hand for his younger brother to take and tried to look as confident as possible. He even puffed out his chest and, if he knew about them, he'd realise he looked a bit like a Muggle superhero.
There was a second of hesitation as he was reluctant to leave the others. There was a niggling worry that if he looked away for long enough, they'd vanish too. What if he was left alone?
He chewed on his bottom lip and squeezed Ezra's hand gently. The warmth there helped to ground Kody and he led his younger brother out into the garden.
"Amor matris nos protegit." He mumbled, repeating it a few more times so he wouldn't forget. Kody's feet found their way to the rune that would let them into the Laboratory.
"Are you ready?" Kody asked Ezra but he already had his wand in his hand.
He tapped the rune with his wand and whispered the password, "Amor matris nos protegit."
Kody squeezed Ezra's hand once more and hoped that, whatever was in the laboratory, be it good or bad, it would have an answer for what happened with their mum.
Last Edit: Nov 7, 2023 4:28:11 GMT 10 by Kody Ashworth
Post by Verity Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 8:15:11 GMT 10
When she realized that Aubrey wasn't at the train station to pick them up, Verity at first assumed that she had gotten lost in some kind of daze and gotten the dates mixed up. To her knowledge, it hadn't happened before, but she was also somewhat suspicious as Aubrey hadn't answered her letter. Or, as far as Verity had guessed, anybody else's.
She followed Jax and Reena's lead, mostly because she wasn't sure what they could do. She watched with some astonishment as the Knight Bus pulled up, and her eyes practically had sparkles in them when she saw Ada Soots. Although she wasn't quite as talented at drawing people, she used the time on the Knight Bus to sketch a quick drawing of Ada Soots.
This wasn't helped by the constant jerking and swerving of the bus, and Verity had to stop, erase, and redraw a few times, but she was mostly satisfied with the picture. She'd been trying to capture Ada's steampunk style more than anything else, which was just as well because the face of the drawing was ever so slightly off.
Arriving home and still no Aubrey meant that Verity was now getting a little bit worried. It was one thing to forget the children you were supposed to be watching at the train station, it was another to (apparently) abandon them entirely. She shivered as she entered.
The quick look around told her that more was wrong than she thought. Verity would've gone for Aubrey's room even if Reena hadn't told her to. She was quite curious as to what might be inside, and searched diligently for any clues to where Aubrey had gone. Or even anything she might not have seen before.
Even if Aubrey being gone was worrying, it was still quite interesting to be allowed, more or less, to snoop through her things.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 9:06:53 GMT 10
Jaxen was relieved when they were all allowed to board the Knight bus, ensuring all of his siblings stepped into the vehicle before following. Of course, he'd have offered to help lift the trunks onto the bus, but from last year he knew that was out of the question.
So, he went to sit with Kody instead. The ride was a bumpy one as promised and Jax found himself bracing against the handrail to keep from toppling out of his seat or slamming his head into the seat in front of him. At least Kody seemed to be enjoying himself, Jax had thought he'd seen his little brother crying moments before the bus had arrived.
It seemed the bus ride was helping to lift his spirits a little, and Jax could see why he might find it amusing - hopefully he wouldn't lose that innocent sparkle any time soon. Had he ever gotten that excited over adventures and thrills? He couldn't remember ever feeling so light.
When they pulled up in Puddles Way, Jax allowed himself a breath of relief and once again led the way off the bus. Thanking the bus crew for their safe arrival and then grabbing his trunk and beginning to haul it down the road towards their house.
The garden looked different, neater. Jax felt uneasy about it, uncertain of why or how their mother would've maintained the garden in their absence when there were times when she barely left her bedroom. Then his unease only grew as he noticed the door was wide open - something his mother would never do.
Abandoning his trunk at the doorway, Jax shivered when he stepped into the house. No. Something was wrong. He felt it, and he knew that the others could feel it too.
"Mama?" he called out, but received no answer. His panic began to rise as he walked through into the living room and then out again, pacing to the kitchen as if intent on locating her despite the fact that she clearly was not on the lower floor of the house.
It was then that he noticed the door to her studio was open, causing him to stop. That door was never open. He couldn't recall ever seeing it open - he shoved a hand into his pocket and retrieved his wand, but was unsure what he was supposed to do with it, he did not know of a spell that might make their mother appear before them.
It just made him feel safer, to hold something that could grant protection if he needed it.
Reena was talking. Stay calm? Was he not calm? He felt very calm, of course he was calm. It wasn't like their mother was missing or anything, not like they weren't facing the prospect of two weeks alone.
He took a steadying breath and nodded when Reena directed him to making tea. He knew that she was likely trying to keep him busy, to stop him from thinking the worst, but his mind was already running wild with the possibilities. They didn't even know how long their mother had been missing, surely they should call for help?
Their mum hated the ministry, but weren't there departments specifically for locating missing people? Or, helping vulnerable people? He was feeling pretty vulnerable at that moment.
No. What was he thinking? If he told anyone, then they might take them away from her - then he might not even get to stay with the others, they couldn't lose each other.
Making his way to the kitchen, Jax retrieved five mugs and then added a tea bag to each. While waiting for the water to boil, he noticed the letter on the counter, the one that Reena had flinched away from as if she'd been burned. Jax peered closely at the wax seal, but he could not recognize the crest printed upon it.
Reaching out, he went to pick it up but mirrored his sisters earlier reaction as the paper gave him a sharp zap. He lifted his finger to his mouth as if that might banish the tingling and scowled at the offending item. What was inside the letter that they weren't supposed to see? Had his mother enchanted it to keep people away, or had someone else?
Returning to his task, he poured water into each of the cups and then opened the fridge in search of milk. The fridge was bare, the milk? Oh, there was no milk. Only something that may have resembled milk if they'd returned home a few weeks prior.
He slammed the fridge shut as hard as he could, the frame rattling in protest and then turned back to the five cups. Hands resting on the counter, Jax closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
It was okay. That's what he'd told Kody on the platform, he just had to believe it.
It took a few more moments to compose himself, but then he disposed of the tea bags and left the mugs on the counter ready for retrieval later. He glanced out of the kitchen window, but couldn't see his brothers returning to the house and so he exited the kitchen and anxiously approached the art studio.
Entering, he looked around cautiously. His gut told him that he wasn't allowed in there, they never had been, but it wasn't as though their mum was around to reprimand them for breaking the rules. He saw Reena standing in front of the empty picture frame and he swallowed hard.
That was their dads portrait, where was he?
"Ree, what are you doing?" he asked as he walked over. He hadn't thought to speak to the portrait version of their father, unable to see how that might help them in their current predicament.
Reena shutting the kitchen window helped keep new cold at bay, but it would take some work to warm the house itself. The fireplace was unusually clean, and there was a full stack of firewood waiting to be used.
When Kody pet the owl, she startled awake. The poor thing just stared at him in horror, then slowly recognised that some Ashworths were home. With a relieved hoot, it flew at his face -- aiming to sit on his shoulder but had missed in its excitement. She cooed and hooted, then finally managed to settle back down on the the top of the chair where he'd woken her.
She eyed the letter, and side-stepped rather dramatically away from it -- which amounted to about a mere inch, given she didn't want to leave her perch. She ruffled her feathers, then curiously watched as the children began rushing about with various tasks.
--
First, it was Kody and Ezra outside in the cold garden. At least the view was lovely -- with an abundance of crops and fruit waiting for them. Some were out of season, but each healthy and ready to harvest. Some magic was involved, no doubt. Still, impressive... given Aubrey's terrible Herbology skills. Though her letters had implied help.
At Kody's incantation, the rune glowed brighter and brighter -- then stopped. It faded, and no trapdoor appeared. He's surely said the password correctly, and yet it was not accepted this time. Even if Ezra were to try it; nothing.
--
Back inside the house, at least Verity was having something of a successful time as she went through Aubrey's room. Not that there was anything that revealed where Aubrey had gone or what happened, but there were some balls of parchment by a bin -- failed attempts to write something.
Investigating what was written only mostly amounted to various ways to say I'm sorry.
Aubrey's room was a mess, though. That wasn't new; she struggled with this constantly, yet didn't like anyone touching things. A lot of it belonged to Marcus. But in Verity's free raid of the room, she discovered that the most interesting change was the wardrobe. It was flung open, and some spots were empty. She couldn't tell if anything was different on Aubrey's side, but Marcus' side was clearly missing a few robes.
There was even a very fancy-looking trunk left open and emptied on the floor in front of the wardrobe. Not as big as the ones they took to school; more briefcase-sized. It was in good condition, but clearly not brand new.
It even had a few different latches -- including being Muggle worthy and child proof.
Verity was no expert, but she had seen trunks like this in her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks. They were heavily enchanted, usually to contain something very important. This one was marked with Marcus's name, and there was nothing left in it.
--
Their last hope was with Marcus' painting.
When Reena called for him, he quickly stepped into view. There was clear concern on his face, no doubt because they were the ones calling upon him -- from Aubrey's studio, which they were not allowed to set foot in. Most especially, not without her present.
'Sweetheart, what's wrong?' he asked, then glanced to Jaxen when he joined them. 'Jaxen? Hey, buddy, deep breaths, okay? I'm here to help. Reena, where's your mother? Has something happened?'
But it was clear from their faces that someone was wrong. Marcus hesitated, and took in the view of the studio from what he could see -- which was limited, but didn't seem to help much anyway. He took a calming breath himself, then studied their young faces.
He was hesitating. And the look in their eyes broke it.
'All right.' He nodded, nervous yet taking charge in a way they were not used to an adult doing. 'Get everyone in one spot, preferably the living room. Make some tea. I'll...'
Marcus squinted, reluctant but needs must. He looked to his eldest children once more, then nodded. It had to be done.
'I'll send help,' he said. 'It'll be okay. Find some of that faith in your dad, eh?'
The last bit was said with a half-smile, aimed at Reena. The he headed out of frame, and they were alone once more.
--
Given the situation, time was unreliable. Everything felt long and fast all at once. But if they were to go by a clock on the wall, help arrived rather quickly. Faster than it took to make tea, which Jaxen had already prepared anyway.
Help came in the form of Antoninus.
If anyone was still in the backyard, they'd spot him first -- he'd bypassed the front door and gone round the back as if by habit. He gave the garden a careful inspection, his gaze narrowing at the withered flower. Its decaying state made it even more jarring to look at, with its blood-red leaves then every other part of it being jet black. It hardly looked real, but his concern grew at the sight of it.
Bracing himself, wand in hand, Antoninus rushed into the house.
The first thing he did was ensure no one was in the studio, and quickly yet firmly shut the door. With a heavy sigh, he then glanced round the living room from where he stood -- taking in every detail with far more understanding than they had, despite them being the ones who lived there.
'Okay. First of all, let's all take a breath. I know this is scary, but we're okay. I'm here now.' Antoninus smiled at the tea Jaxen had prepared, and gave their owl an affectionate pat. 'Your mother didn't... leave a note, or anything? Wow, it's cold in here.'
He frowned, noticing things askew. The fireplace was clean, yet the fridge and cupboards were bare. Well, the soured milk wasn't a welcome sight. He cringed at it, shutting the fridge. Antoninus then reached behind the couch and retrieved several blankets; one for each of them.
Since when where those there? And how? It was just a wall behind the couch...
'The first thing I know for sure is that she left on her own,' he explained, his voice confident and soothing. 'I promise you, those wards are impenetrable. Not a single soul, apart from you kids, can even set foot over the threshold without her present and willing permission. She wasn't taken. No one broke in. Your parents' blood is absolute protection.'
Antoninus nodded, relaxing a little himself at that confirmation. Those wards were so fortified that not even the best Aurors in the world could have dismantled them. Blood magic was that powerful, and Aubrey absolutely knew it. There was no doubt that she had packed some things and left on her own, but where and for what reason?
It was completely unlike her.
'Now, knowing how resourceful you all are...' Antoninus smiled at them, in an oddly reassuring way. 'What have we found? Who checked where? Tell me everything we know.'
Having a capable adult present in such a situation felt rather foreign, yet lifted some weight from their shoulders -- particularly for Jaxen and Reena. His stance and tone just gave the vibe of someone who knew how to handle things like this, no matter how concerned and baffled by it all he also was.
Post by Verity Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 14:50:42 GMT 10
Verity stuffed a few of the notes into her pocket just in case, even if they didn't say anything beyond 'I'm sorry.' In a way, it was what she had really wanted to hear from quite a few of the adults in her life, but it didn't feel the same. Not the way she wanted it to feel. She did take notice that a lot of Marcus' things were gone, which made her think that maybe there had been a man involved. Or someone who wore the same type of clothes as Marcus.
The sound of footprints a little to heavy to be even Jax's made Verity poke her head out from where she was snooping. She didn't recognize the stranger that was currently standing in their living room. Her hands clenched into fists, immediately suspicious of whatever was going on.
Regardless of the fact that this stranger was now their only apparent adult supervision, Verity didn't trust him. If Aubrey had sent him to the train station, well, things would be different. But how did he know to show up then?
He was nice to their owl, at least, so Verity would give him that point. It would probably be all Kody needed to trust the man. She did accept the blanket, if somewhat reluctantly. Otherwise, she was silent as she tried to think of a reason for the stranger to be speaking to them as if they were friends. Or as if he knew them. She glanced around at her cousins and moved a little bit closer to Ezra.
Just in case.
Verity completely ignored the questions asked by the stranger, instead opting to ask a few of her own. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Did she give you permission?"
She wasn't going to trust a grown-up just because they were a grown-up. What if he was an Azkaban escapee in disguise? Well, he wouldn't really need a disguise, considering that Verity hadn't memorized the faces of any of those people, nor did he seem dressed in a familiar way.
Regardless, she watched, eyes carefully following for any suspicious movements. She wouldn't spill about the 'sorry' letters or the open trunk until she thought she could trust him.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 15:41:05 GMT 10
When her dad's portrait stepped into its frame, all Reena could do was stare at him. He talked to her, but she couldn't answer.
Because, if she did, she would get emotional. And Jaxen had just come in. She could not afford to get emotional.
His question about their mother had her shoulders sagg. She hadn't told him? He hadn't heard anything?
Could he still help them?
He was just a picture, after all. Still, she gave him a pleading look.
He seemed to understand.
Though she wondered how he would get help. Was there another portrait of him at their grandparents'? That wouldn't do much good right now.
And so, despite having been told otherwise, Reena remained in the studio until the ten minutes she had assigned herself were over.
She then went into the living room and took a cup of tea for herself, eyeing, yet not commenting on, the lack of milk in it.
Strange footsteps aproached and Reena readied her wand, feeling wary, yet not panicked. Dad had said he'd get help.
Reena relaxed when she recognised the man. Though only a little.
It was strange to see him standing in their living room. She'd known he had been here before but it felt very wrong. Like and intrusion.
She frowned as she accepted the blanket. Where'd that come from?
And blood magic? Was that why the wards felt so strong?
Antoninus obviously had Aubrey's permission to come and go freely, then. She felt awful. She really should have told Antoninus her mum wasn't answering and ask him to check on her.
And did he have a portrait of Marcus? Why?
Reena set on to speak, but Verity beat her to it. She got flustered immediately. Right! Her siblings had no idea who this stranger was!
"Oh! Vee, this is Antoninus, friend of mum's?", she was sure she had mentioned him before.
And if dad had gotten him to help, he had to be trustworthy, right?
"We checked the backyard," she shot her brothers a warning look not to mention what exactly they'd checked.
"Checked mum's room and the studio. Oh, and that strange envelope, but it's warded against us."
She indicated towards the kitchen table.
It felt oddly reassuring to have an adult here to help. A proper adult, who had his wits about him.
Verity's questions stung. Antoninus opened his mouth, but then paused. Right. He touched his face, then sighed. Thankfully, Reena filled in the explanation though. He watched her closely as she said it, then relaxed a bit and nodded. Yet avoided eye contact. This was not how their first day home for Christmas should be...
Easy as it was to ignore details in their state of fear or confusion, Antoninus simply could not skim over things right now. He needed them to trust him, and anything he omitted or dismissed may work against that. They were children, left alone without their mother; these first moments of him being there were crucial if they were to solve this.
'No,' Antoninus answered Verity. 'Your mother has to be present to give permission, and physically interact with the wards to do so. That's why it's certain that no one has interfered or she left unwillingly. Like I said, your parents' blood that protects this home is yielding. No one who shouldn't be here, can be.'
Okay, maybe a little skimming was okay? There was too much to focus on right now; he needed to sort which were most relevant or helpful. Thankfully, Reena moved things along and gave him at least something of what he needed to know.
Antoninus nodded at the mention of the backyard, the most confident of that. He noticed the look sent to Ezra and Kody, but chose to ignore it. He frowned at the other areas they'd checked, hoping for more detail but one thing at a time. He eyed the closed studio door, glad they didn't have too much time to poke around in there. It was a mess of magical items and precious keepsakes.
'Envelope?' He turned to look.
He'd noticed it, of course. Now that Reena pointed it out as relevant to the situation, Antoninus went to inspect it. He used his rather impressive wand to examine it without touching, at the mention of it being warded. Yet he needn't have bothered. Spotting the Ashworth seal, he smiled.
'It's all right,' he said, easily retrieving it. 'She left a note, after all. It's simply protected until the right time. But first, let's focus on warming up the house. Has anyone eaten? No food in the house, but perhaps on the train or...?'
Tucking the envelope into an inner pocket of his black robes, Antoninus glanced around at them. His expression was emotional, then quickly restrained. He assumed they hadn't even unpacked, let alone had a second to breathe since coming home. Hold on...
'How did you get home?' he asked Jaxen and Reena, also putting away his wand -- trusting that at least one of them could light the fireplace without his help. 'By Knight Bus, perhaps? Is there any more tea? I could use a cup myself.'
Hair getting in his face, Antoninus fished a silver headband from his pocket and put it on -- sweeping his light hair back. He needed to focus; bangs were distracting. So were flowy robes, but it was too bloody cold yet to remove them. No one could do anything efficiently when it was this cold. He took a calming breath, his frowning gaze directed at Aubrey's room for a moment.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 17:53:16 GMT 10
Hearing his father's voice brought tears to his eyes and Jax let out a shuddering breath. He hadn't anticipated how good it might feel to hear that voice, and to have an adult present - even if that adult was in portrait form. Somehow, he trusted that their dad would do something to help, he wouldn't just allow them to be alone all Christmas.
He said he'd get help, and then he was gone. They were alone again.
Exiting the studio, Jax went to grab one of the cups he'd prepared and took a sip, grimacing at the taste. It needed milk, and sugar but beggars seriously could not be choosers.
Then he went into the living room and sat on the couch, his bouncing as if he could hardly bear to sit still in this situation. What kind of help would their father send them? They'd never received any extra help before, not unless their grandparents were visiting, but this situation was kind of different.
The sound of approaching footsteps had Jaxen once again reaching for his wand and he stood ready to receive whoever had entered the house. His arm lowering when he saw Antoninus in the doorway, a flicker of familiarity passing over his face. That was the man from the Three Broomsticks, and... From before, he was certain he'd seen him before then too.
Jaxen hugged his robes around him when it was mentioned how cold it was, he'd hardly noticed before. There had been little time to worry about the temperature when his mother was missing. But now that attention was called upon it, he shivered.
The man seemed confident that she'd left on her own, not through any ill means but this did little to comfort Jax. It only gave him more questions and caused his frown to deepen. He'd always been able to defend his mother from anyone, merlin knew he'd had to from Reena a few times when she had an attitude over the holidays, but how could he defend this?
She'd left them alone. She knew that they'd be coming home, that they'd be expecting to see their mum. But she'd abandoned them? If she had planned to leave, then why not tell them to stay at school over Christmas? They would've been warm and safe and would not be going out of their minds with worry. "Why would she leave us?" he had kept silent until this point, hoping that one of his siblings would've found something to explain where she had gone, and why. But so far nothing. He felt helpless, it wasn't the first time he'd experienced such an emotion, but it was certainly the deepest he'd felt it.
When Antoninus (as Reena had introduced him) went to examine the envelope, Jaxen's stomach flipped. She had left a note, how grand - could she not have mailed it to them before they left school that morning?
Looking towards his siblings, he realized that if he was cold then they must be even colder. He was bigger than them, and had thought to dress warmly for the journey home - had they had the same good sense? He glanced warily at Kody as if in doubt and then approached the fireplace.
He pointed his wand at the fireplace after loading it with enough wood to fuel the fire for the evening and took a step back before saying the incantation.
"Incendio" he spoke softly, sparks flying from the tip of his wand and catching the wood quickly.
The fire glowed bright and he rubbed his hands together at the warmth it was already providing. Something about having a fire started, made him feel a little better and it wasn't just the warmth - it felt as though they also had some security for the first time since returning home.
"The Knight bus" he confirmed.
"But we used all our money getting home, so I'm not sure...?" he trailed off with a wary look towards his siblings again. What would they do for food? Or travel back to the station at the end of Christmas? They had to return to school, if none of them arrived then surely their teachers would get suspicious.
Gesturing towards the kitchen as to the whereabouts of tea. "There's no milk" it was a simple sentence, but spoke volumes as to how little they had in the house. Not unusual, but he'd assumed that maybe their grandparents would've ensured the cupboards being stocked before they'd gone off on their travels.
Were he and Reena the most responsible people in their family? Ugh, it felt like it at times.
Last Edit: Nov 7, 2023 18:28:35 GMT 10 by Lena: Readability
Post by Kody Ashworth on Nov 7, 2023 18:58:46 GMT 10
Kody stared stupidly as nothing happened and then glanced at his younger brother, "Something is supposed to happen... Why isn't it happening... We need to go tell the others."
He started back but it was then he noticed the change in the garden. Kody had been so focused on the password and not mucking it up that he basically had blinders on the first time they had headed through the garden. Things were growing in abundance and it all looked so good.
At least they would have that piece of good news for their siblings.
"Go ahead for a second." Kody urged Ezra but if his brother chose to stay, that was fine too. He dug into his pocket for the crumbled, half-stale biscuit he had grabbed at breakfast a few days ago.
Kody crouched and looked around for any sign of House Mouse but frowned when the little creature didn't appear. He left a bit of the biscuit in the usual spot and then sighed, "Everything is different, it's wrong. I don't like it."
Just then a man appeared and Kody was shocked into standing up very quickly.
What was he doing here? And why was he looking at something in the garden... A withered flower? He hadn't noticed that before himself. Kody swallowed down the sudden weird, scared feeling he had and backed up to try and make himself a barrier between this man and his family.
Which, of course, didn't work when he simply breezed past! "Uh, hello? Hey?"
Kody hurried into the house and tried to warn his siblings but the man was going around and inspecting stuff? And he closed the door to his mum's studio too... Why? Who was this guy?
"Jaxen-- Ree-- There's a weird guy here." Kody swallowed and hurried to join his older siblings. He pulled the cape around himself and stood near Jaxen, almost behind him but he was trying to be brave and show he wasn't worried.
"He looked at a flower in the garden -- the garden! Um, there's lots of food out there we can use and... Nothing else." Kody caught the look Reena gave him and knew he couldn't talk about the secret laboratory in front of this guy.
Which was really weird when Reena introduced him as a friend of their mum's and Kody remembered the name from the story she had shared during the summer, about running into the guy at Gringott's.
He was taking charge and seemed to know things so Kody gravitated towards him a little. They could trust this adult man! Kody was certain they were safe with him. Feeling a little more at ease, he swished his cape a little and hoped Antoninus would like it.
"What's the flower in the garden?" He asked, hoping to get an answer while he looked around for their little owl. He was going to offer her an apology (stale) biscuit for spooking her earlier. Hopefully she would forgive him for it.
"The Knight Bus was fun! It was all bumpy and swooshy and went really fast. We met a nice lady, the driver and a tiny head there." Kody explained as if Antoninus had never ridden or even seen a Knight Bus in his life.
Kody crouched suddenly and tried to look under the furniture but he wouldn't say why if anyone asked.
He knew how Reena felt about House Mouse.
"How did you get in?" Kody asked while he peered under the sofa, "You said mum had to be here and personally let you in so how did you get in...? And that envelope? The owl didn't trust it."
From where he now laid on the floor to get a better look, wand in hand, Kody continued. "Lumos. So there's something wrong with it, right? And those blankets... How did you know where they were..."
Kody frowned, House Mouse was nowhere to be seen and Kody hoped it was only because a weird man was here. Well, less weird now Kody knew who he was. Kind of.
He rose, fixing his cape, extinguished his wand and then stared at Antoninus, "You've been here before, haven't you? I think you need to tell us who you are, really are, and why our mum lets you in. She never lets anyone in but she's been different this year."
"She didn't even answer my recent letters..." Kody finished with, looking at his siblings for backup.
Last Edit: Nov 7, 2023 19:17:33 GMT 10 by Kody Ashworth
Antoninus eyed the kitchen, then glanced towards Jaxen when he finally spoke. His casual expression slipped, and he quickly averted his gaze. No, he could not get emotional. But these kids didn't know him, so how could he help?
'We'll find out,' he assured Jaxen, for whatever good that did. 'She must have had a very good reason.'
Yet he was becoming less sure of the Aubrey he knew. Looking around at the kids, cold and hungry in a cold and empty house. No, he was sure there was a reason. It wasn't... always like this, was it?
Jaxen, despite how anxious and upset he was, went to light the fire. When he used magic to do it, Antoninus averted his gaze again -- turning to focus on Kody, who't become quite chatty. And was... what exactly was he doing?
'What are you looking for?' Antoninus asked, unable to help it. 'Hm? The flower? Uh, I'm not sure if you've heard about it at school yet. It's known as a Haunted Flower. Nothing as terrible as the name implies, don't worry.'
He couldn't help smiling as Kody told him about his Knight Bus experience. But then Kody asked how he got through the wards, and Antoninus quickly busied himself with inspecting the spell-mark-covering-painting on the wall. He kept his focus there, buying time to work out how to answer that.
'I knew the blankets were there because I put them there,' he answered instead, eyeing the kitchen again. Still, no milk. Probably for the best. 'She didn't trust it probably the same reason as you. Did it zap you too?'
He cooed at the little owl, who eagerly accepted his pampering for having gone through the ordeal of zappy letters. Antoninus stroked her feathers gently, shaking his head in sympathy.
'Poor thing probably thought she was supposed to deliver it,' he said, retrieving an owl treat from one of his pockets, which she gobbled up so fast she nearly choked on it.
Speaking of letters, Antoninus frowned again at the mention of Aubrey not answering any of their letters. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment, then adjusted his headband. He looked round at the children, clearly hesitant yet concerned. In fact, he almost looked rather nervous.
There was one question left to answer, and he was not sure if he should. Or if he even could, honestly. It would be easier if they simply understood what he was telling them. One wrong word, and they might not trust him anymore. One right word, and things would get far too complicated. He was there to help figure out the situation Aubrey had put him in now.
'I uh.. the wards?' He shrugged, picking non-existent fluff off his robe sleeve. 'I don't need permission.'
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