The Grind (Book 2) Ch.2 (Patreon)

[AN: Power creep be creeping... Seriously though, the feats of Knights and Lords in ASOIAF are firmly superhuman and you can't convince me otherwise.]

“This is all so, so, so fucked…” I groaned, feeling the need to drink myself into a coma at that very moment.

“Perhaps you should allow me to be the one to break this news, Atlas,” Dumbledore suggested somberly, looking every one of his hundred-plus years.

He had since he, Heather, and I spoke to Daved Mikaelson and gotten the news of our sudden transmigration. I’d known thanks to the System but it was another thing to hear it put into words. Not only were we in a different world, but a different time as well, it seemed. A time of medieval Lords and Knights. A time when Witches and Wizards were legendarily at the peak of their personal power and at the same time… infamously didn’t get on so well with Muggles.

We’d grilled poor Daved for all the information we could get but he really didn’t know all that much. He was quick of mind but sorely lacking in education, as one might expect from this time. Still, we’d been able to get a vague lay of the land.

“Please,” I nodded in relief, readily agreeing to Dumbledore’s suggestion. “Devastating news like this will be much better coming from your mouth, Albus. My star may be on the rise but yours is firmly established and has been for a long time. Even as the bearer of bad news, you’ll be a sort of lifeline for the students and even the staff.”

“Are… we sure we should tell them…?” Heather asked hesitantly.

“I can’t see any way of avoiding it,” Dumbledore shook his head. “And I’m not sure we should take it, even if there was. No, we need to confront this whole situation head-on. If we want to get through this, all of us will have to realize we’re in this together. We may be quite literally alone against an entire world…”

Heather winced, “This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”

“It’s going to destroy some people,” I nodded.

“Then we will do our very best to put them back together. We’ll mourn, we’ll heal, we’ll rebuild. No matter what, Hogwarts will live on and we will live on with it,” Dumbledore said firmly, an ancient sort of strength filling his voice.

A reminder of how and why he’d been considered ‘Great’ for so long. It put steel in Heather’s spine and mine. If we were to be stuck in another world, if we would have to rebuild everything we knew and loved, there were few others I’d rather be with than Albus Fucking Dumbledore.

“Hold your heads high, my friends,” Dumbledore told us as we walked into the Great Hall to face the proverbial music, his tone and words serious and heavy. “We are to be pillars, each in our own way. Supports for this Wizarding community to rely upon in their most trying hour. Young though you may be, I would have few others stand beside me now.”

The students stared at us as we entered the Great Hall and made our way past them to the head table. They murmured amongst each other, undoubtedly knowing something was up but not what. They could see the sudden change in scenery with their own eyes. The more perceptive among them might have even felt the change of magic in the air.

Heather peeled off to rejoin her fellow students at the Gryffindor table. Hermione was instantly at her side, frantically whispering questions in her driving need to know what was going on. Heather didn’t say anything but just her mere presence — the Girl-Who-Won sitting with them — helped bolster the students’ morale.

Grim looks greeted me and Dumbledore at the head table. Even more than the students, the staff all knew something was irrevocably wrong. Still, they sat straight and strong in their chairs, more so upon feeling the gravity of Dumbledore’s serious mien.

The professors… Hell, all of us might have been out of our depth but I had faith that they’d rise to the occasion. Yes, even Snape, the brooding bastard that he may be. Fleur nibbled and fretted at her lip in nervous worry. Septima shot me a concerned, questioning glance. Sirius actually looked, well, serious for once and Bella had shifted back to her human form, looking at me with a wildfire in her eyes that told me she would ride if I only gave her the word. Narcissa gave me an undecipherable look, one hand placed on her stomach and the unborn life within. Amelia and Moody already seemed to have their ever-composed heads on the situation, potential plans racing behind their eyes.

Dumbledore stood before the head table and turned to address the students. His voice was mournful and melancholy in a way no one had heard from him before. It was a jolt of sobriety that grabbed everyone’s attention. Beneath it all, a determination of fire and courage resonated with hearts and minds.

“I come bearing terrible news. I hate to speak it but I must. I would not hide this from any of you, not even the youngest. For the moment, the exact how and why escapes us. Rest assured, we shall be looking into it with all of the resources we have at our disposal.”

He paused and sighed, “But enough prevaricating… I’ll be blunt. This news deserves nothing less. We are no longer in our world or time. At first glance, we’ve been thrown back in time to the medieval age. Yet the lands we heard of are like nothing from our own history.”

Practically as one, gasps rang out through the Great Hall. Quick minds digested the situation. I have no doubt that denial immediately set in for more than a few. But even the most stubborn and dense amongst us were forced to confront the news when it came straight from perhaps the greatest Wizard alive and their own eyes.

Dumbledore’s grave tone left no room for humor as he cut straight to the core of the situation, “Home is lost to us all. Our friends, our families, we might very well never see them again. The world outside is foreign. Alien. I can testify that even Magic is unfamiliar in a few ways.”

As if by a flurry of blows to the head, the audience was left dazed. I could sympathize. Even being the first to know of our transmigration via the System’s notification, I was struggling to come to terms with it. But like a rock in a river, Dumbledore stood strong against the current of revelations.

“All we have is each other now. Nearly everything may be lost but the remnants remain. We still live. Hogwarts persists. The only thing that can truly take away our will is if we give it up ourselves. Now more than ever, the future is in flux. It is undecided. Just waiting for us to take the reins into our hands. You are the brightest generation I’ve ever had the pleasure of guiding and raising. For the foreseeable future, it is us against a whole new world. Together, we WILL continue. Hogwarts will continue, even if we have to rebuild our lives from the ground up.”

As always when he put his mind to it, Dumbledore was a force of nature. The undying fire of a Phoenix was audible in his voice, there for everyone to hear and take strength from. In fact, as if called, Fawkes flash-fired into the room like the light of dawn. His trilling song filled the Great Hall, a sound of raw determination and unbreakable will, of chances born anew.

The sight and sound of a Phoenix on their side — singing to them, singing for them — reinforced spirits and wills. Horror faded from wide eyes. Resolute and resolved expressions settled over more than a few faces. Fists were clenched and backs straightened. Even the magic in the air swelled as if a rising wave.

Dumbledore continued, his voice soft and forlorn but even more solid for it, “I would ask all of you to take at least a few moments tonight to think. Think about what has been lost and what can be gained anew. About what you will do to thrive in this tenuous situation. Mourn and come together for the future. Your school is here for you, not everything is lost. Certainly never hopeless. Hogwarts is always here for you to call home, no matter what. We will never go easily into that good night.”

Looking to his left and right, he nodded to the staff behind him, “We will be doing the same. I’d also ask that you nominate a few of your fellows to speak for you. I’ll not turn away helpful voices because of their youth now. You may be our charges but you will have a say in what Hogwarts as a whole does next.”

“Besides,” Dumbledore finished on a note of humor, his lips quirking into a fond smile. “I have a feeling most if not all of you will be considered adults in this new world. If my knowledge of medieval feudalistic society does not fail me, that is.

“Prefects? If you would escort your houses to their dorms, that would be greatly appreciated. Your chosen representatives will meet with us here in the Great Hall. Choose more than one, even. More minds will not be amiss during a discussion like this.”

At the end of Dumbledore’s speech, the mood in the Great Hall was sober but set. A bombshell had been dropped, yet thanks to Dumbledore’s leadership, Hogwarts was only more determined for it. The prefects — six for each house, from the upper three years — did as they were asked and the mass of students were shuffled out of the Great Hall, their worlds upended but not entirely destroyed.

The Head Students stayed — Cedric for Head Boy and Angelina Johnson for Head Girl — stepping up to their responsibilities without having to be asked. Sprout and McGonagall looked particularly proud of their students, while Dumbledore simply smiled and nodded to them both. He then went about setting the Great Hall for the meeting to come, waving his wand to send the four house tables dancing away and a single round table moving to take their place.

Personally, I sagged in place, the trying stress of this entire night-turned-day beginning to wear on me. The students had taken everything about as well as could be hoped. The situation would likely sink in and hit even harder in the days to come. And I didn’t even want to think about what was happening back home. In a single stroke of a mad Dark Lady, centuries of history and an entire generation of youth had been wiped from Wizarding Britain. They likely would never know what happened. And that was if the violently reacting leylines set beneath Hogwarts hadn’t evaporated all of Scotland out of hand…

Septima was the first to reach me, hugging my side and letting me lean my head on hers for support, “Atlas…”

“I know…” I sighed. “Just… I know. How are you holding up?”

“Better than most, unfortunately,” She smiled sadly. “I’m lucky to have everyone I care for here with me.”

“Yeah, I can hardly even imagine what the poor First Years are feeling. Or Merlin-forbid, their parents…” I sagged even further, the thought like a physical weight on my mind.

The coven members who were still present and those closest to us gathered around me, forming a sort of secondary council. Fleur, Aurora, Bella, and Septima for the coven proper. Narcissa, Sirius, Ada, Cygnus, and Phoebe for those close to us. Amelia and Tonks were a little ways away, still in paradoxically calm and hurried conversation with Moody.

“My goodness!” Cygnus gasped as if struck. “Why, I don’t know what I would do if Ada and I were parted from our dear Daphne and Astoria!”

“The world would burn,” Ada simply said as if stating the weather.

“It’s tragic but such thoughts are rather unproductive at the moment,” Narcissa put in pragmatically. “Instead, we should look toward the future, as the Headmaster said. We’ll need to carefully consider what we can do to establish ourselves, not just in the immediate situation but also in the unknown world beyond Hogwarts’ walls.”

I sighed as the others fell into thought at Narcissa’s prompting. Then, finally, I turned my attention to the System notification and the changes that had come from Hogwarts’ transmigration. None of them were ‘expected’, nothing about this situation was. But some made more sense than others.

< Stats recalibrated for new World Parameters. Upper limits increased across the board. Native baseline: ~50 Body, ~35 Mind, and ~50 Soul. Newcomers to the world will naturally grow to at least the native baseline. >

< Physical capabilities and potential are higher than in the previous world, even for the untrained (a low-tier Knight is between 80-100 Body, an untrained serf is ~40 Body, and a standard man-at-arms is between 60-70 Body). Legendary warriors may reach as high as 180 Body or more in rare cases. >

< Generally lacking education contributes to the lower average Mind Stat. Intelligent, cunning, or ruthless Lords, Ladies, and Maesters may reach as high as 150-160 Mind. >

< Even with the current lack of Magic, an abundance of Faith contributes to a relatively high Soul Stat baseline. >

< Warning: The Gamer and company’s arrival heralds a slightly early return of Magic to the world. Soul Stat baseline may increase as a result. Warning 2: Native gods unable to be quantified by the Stat system. Caution is recommended when dealing with them directly. >

< Stats >

< Body: 76/200+ >

< Mind: 78/200+ >

< Soul: 83/200+ >

< New Disciplines of Combat, Magic, Social, and Creation Skills are available to be unlocked through the Gamer’s actions. Notoriety and Influence Disciplines have been decreased due to lack of context but that is all. >

< Social (T4) >

< Notoriety 68-60=8/100, Influence 65-57=8/100 >

< Quest: Body Grind of the World’s Strongest Hero has been deleted. Earn your Stat increases through World-appropriate training. You’ll need it… >

< New Quest Unlocked: New Beginnings >

< Get the lay of the land, near and far! Settle yourself and Hogwarts into a stable situation. >

< Rewards: +3 to Mind, Rulership Discipline unlocked +5 levels. >

I barely stopped myself from gaping at thin air. Most of the changes were easy enough to accept. The Notoriety and Influence decrease made sense since no one outside of Hogwarts knew I even existed. The new quest was nice, even if it didn’t give me any direction I wasn’t already aiming for.

The Stats though… That was where things started getting concerning. The average baseline was apparently much higher than it was back home. But there was some consolation that our bodies, minds, and souls would naturally adapt to this new baseline. Still, the upper limits were leagues higher than the new baseline, especially considering the slight curve the System applied to its numbers. Not quite exponential but 180 was more like 3-4 times 90 instead of just double.

The physical difference was what had me most concerned for the moment. Something absolutely needed to be done about that. Even with Magic, 3-4 times an already beyond-peak human would be an almost impossible fight for the Witches and Wizards. We’d have to get everyone up to snuff with at least a low-tier Knight before I even began to feel comfortable in this world.

Already, plans were taking shape in my head, taking into consideration the medieval tilt of our new world. Wizards and Witches were not people fond of exercise but if I appealed to the swordfighter in everyone? Then… Then we might get somewhere. After all, even Wizards had never outgrown the primal human love for a stick sharp enough to slice through limbs.

The Mind Stat was less of a concern for me. Certainly less of an immediate one. We were all now subject to this new world’s ‘parameters’ so everyone’s Stats were already recalibrating themselves to the ‘new’ system. And with the fact that we’d all be learning everything about this world basically from scratch, constantly training our minds, that would push us even farther. Advanced education and help from the Muggleborns would do the rest. I expected even the youngest students would be on the same level as those ‘Lords, Ladies, and Maesters’ by the end of the year, in Stats if not in practice.

The Faith bit was… potentially worrying. Wizards notoriously didn’t get along the best with a very specific, very widespread organized religion back home. But the odds of a religion like Christianity and the other Abrahamic Faiths existing in this world were probably in our favor.

And as a Wizard, I could only see the return of Magic as a good thing. Of course, more information on both this world’s Faith and Magic would be needed before I could say anything for certain though. Then there was the bombshell dropped by the System’s second warning. Gods were real in this world. That… was pants-shittingly terrifying, if I was being honest with myself. And something we’d have to confirm with direct evidence (but hopefully not confrontation) as soon as possible.

For the moment, I just had to work with the information I’d been given. This was a medieval world that was not nearly as simple as it seemed on the surface. Hogwarts would face potential threats from legendary warriors, cunning schemers, religious fanatics, and maybe even gods. We’d have to be ready to face them in turn. Which meant preparation, training, and most importantly, information gathering.

“Hullo, Atlas~!” Luna skipped up to me and planted a kiss on my cheek, abruptly pulling me from my plans. “We’re in a bit of a cucumber~!”

I sighed, “That we are, Luna. That we are.”

She’d come in along with the other representatives from the student body. I was a bit surprised to see her chosen but to be fair, Ravenclaw was still slightly scared of her after the legendary pudding incident of last year. Cho Chang joined her from that class, immediately gravitating toward Cedric, even though I was pretty sure they were at a brief on-off point in their relationship.

Heather, Hermoine, and Neville came for Gryffindor. Only Susan Bones from Hufflepuff. Daphne, Draco, and surprisingly Blaise Zabini from Slytherin. Gabrielle represented the Beauxbatons transfers and Draco’s beau Svetlana represented the Durmstrang transfers. All in all, we actually had to expand the table a bit to seat everyone.

“Daphne, my darling! It’s so good to see you again! By Magic, I thought I’d lost you!” Cygnus exclaimed, glomping onto his daughter.

“Yes, Father, it is,” Daphne said in her usual stoic monotone, bearing the loving treatment with stiff dignity. “And after only 15 minutes too. Truly, you must have suffered so much since I left the Great Hall…”

“How’s morale in the dorms?” Amelia asked her niece, stern but not harsh.

Susan smiled sadly, “Not great, Auntie. But we’ll pull through.”

“Good,” Amelia nodded. “This whole situation is terrible but we really have no choice but to keep moving forward. Everyone needs to understand that if we’re ever going to get anywhere.”

“Alright, alright,” Sirius cut into the somber mood, projecting his voice to grab everyone’s attention. “If we’re going to be doing this productively at all, we’re all going to need to be in a better state of mind. So cough it up, folks. Who brought the good stuff?”

Amelia scowled slightly, “Dammit, Sirius. Be-… No, I’m not going to say your own joke for you.”

“Oh, c’mon, Amelia,” Sirius gave a roguish grin. “Everyone knows sober planning comes after fucked up planning.”

“Aye,” McGonagall — shockingly enough, especially to him — agreed with Sirius. “A’ll hev one o’ the elves fetch one o’ my special brews. But nae more than a glass each ta go ‘round, aye?”

Sprout just shrugged, “You already know I’m holding.”

“Likewise,” Snape drawled.

Dumbledore chuckled, “Wonderful. That should help raise spirits enough for us to get down to business.”

“I do not need it. High Fleur is a lewd, lustful, and lecherous slattern, a wantonly useless degenerate in all matters but those of flesh! She will be of no help to our discussion,” Fleur sniffed imperiously, her tone not matching up with her words.

“Thank you, Fleur,” I deadpanned. “I’m sure everyone here needed to know that.”

“Well… some of us did,” Heather shared a smirk with Gabrielle and Luna.

Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed, “Really, Heather, Fleur, this is hardly the time.”

“Yes,” Dumbledore nodded sagely. “It is a time of mourning but also new beginnings. Young Fleur and Atlas’ bedroom adventures can wait until we’re all a bit more — as Sirius elegantly put it — ‘fucked up’.”

“Or never,” I suggested. “Never would also be good.”

Fleur gasped, “But Atlas~! How will they ever know the glory of the coven if we do not preach it~? Scream it from the rooftops so the heavens themselves would know our combined triumph~!”

Bella sported a manic grin, “You know, you started out roughly but you’ve grown on me, Frenchie. That’s exactly the sort of enthusiasm my darling baby boy needs in his life!”

I groaned but did my best to not insert myself into the usual coven craziness any more than necessary. Heather shot me a knowing look. Worryingly, Luna and Gabrielle had their heads together. That was never a good sign for my peace of mind. Sirius, as always, just looked proud of me, almost to the point of tears in his eyes. I doubted he’d ever get used to how successful his only son was, not caring at all how it made every waking moment of my life so much chaos. Enjoyable chaos but chaos all the same.

Daphne shot me a blank look as if reading my thoughts, “… You brought this on yourself.”

Septima gave a little giggle at my side, “And we wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Among the rest of the meeting, the coven’s antics had seemingly broken the icy, mournful mood. As had the offer of mind and mood-altering substances. McGonagall passed around glasses of her good Firewhiskey — even to the students in our number — sending her trademark stern glares with them.

“Ta wee sip, no’ shote, aye? This is good stuff. A’ll nae hev ye wasting it,” She warned… before keeping the rest of the bottle to herself and immediately going against her own warning with a lengthy swig.

Likewise, Sprout passed out a few spliffs to those who wanted them. Septima and Aurora shared one but I passed. “Capital!” Cygnus grabbed one for himself and his wife, Ada rolling her eyes but not refusing as I had. Initially, the students were rather stunned to see their professors acting this way. The feeling evaporated quickly enough as they grinned and indulged in the silver lining today’s insanity brought with it.

Tonks lit up one of the spliffs for herself before passing it to her boss. Composure waning in the face of the offered relaxation-in-a-lungful, Amelia took a pair of quick, almost desperate inhales from the magical smokeleaf. Then when she went to pass it to her left, she hesitated.

Susan rolled her eyes and huffed, “Honestly, I’m just as much a Hufflepuff as you were, Auntie. Now, Hufflepuff-puff-pass that shit!”

Dumbledore let out a genuine guffaw as he pulled out an honest-to-Merlin wizard’s pipe. He packed it with something from his own ‘special stash’. Then, instead of setting it ablaze, he drenched the bowl with a stream of water that poured from his thumb. It bubbled like a children’s toy and Dumbledore set it to his lips so the occasional bubbles escaped as if they were clouds of smoke.

He sighed, “Ah, much better. Now that spirits have been raised, I believe we should get down to business. Atlas, if you would share what we learned from our young friend Daved?”

“Daved?” Blaise asked, elegantly sipping from his glass instead of partaking in the smokeleaf spliffs.

“The young man we met outside the castle,” I explained. “While helpful and surprisingly deferential, he wasn’t nearly as informed as I would have liked.”

“I think that’s because of the times we seem to be in,” Heather put in. “He called himself ‘Smallfolk’. I’m pretty sure that’s their name for the common people. The farmers, traders, craftsmen, and the like. Basically, medieval peasants. Daved didn’t seem dumb but his education was definitely… lacking.”

“That’s a good place to start,” I nodded. “We’ve found ourselves stuck in the medieval period of this world. That means the technological and societal advancements will be greatly lacking compared to what even the most stereotypical Pure-Bloods are used to. Of course, that also means we’re almost certainly the most advanced people this world has ever seen. And that’s before mentioning magic at all.”

“Heather’s right then,” Hermione considered. “Education will be something that’s not even worth mentioning for the majority of the natives. Only the well-off people — likely noble families and houses, if the medieval ages analogy holds up — will have access to history, geography, mathematics, and other things we’d consider ‘general knowledge’.”

“Of course,” She continued. “That doesn’t mean we should dismiss them as dumb or dull. Relatively primitive, yes, but humans have been humans for the entirety of our history. The circumstances and situations might change but their minds are the same as yours or mine.”

“Likely not the same as yours, Hermione~,” Luna giggled.

“That’s if they even are human,” Moody grunted, sipping from his flask.

Everyone paused at that, even Dumbledore, “That… is a fittingly paranoid line of thought from you, Alastor.”

“I don’t think we can truly consider it though,” I reasoned. “We have no evidence that it might be the case. David looked human, acted human, and we could even understand each other without spells. That last bit is a right brain-twister but I’m just going to assume the travel between worlds is somehow responsible and leave it at that for my peace of mind.”

The others nodded in agreement, though Hermione, Septima, Aurora, Luna, and a few others looked curious. I was a bit curious as well but more practical concerns had taken the forefront in my mind. The language enigma could wait. I continued to explain what we’d learned from Daved.

“Daved knew enough to give us a very vague idea of the local geography. In this world and time period, maps will be worth their weight in gold so that’s about the best we could hope for from a first encounter. He lives on a farmstead not far to our east. There’s also a village about the same distance away in the opposite direction. It’ll be small though, maybe a hundred people at most.

“More generally than that, we’re a ‘few day’s ride’ north of what Daved described as a major city and harbor, called White Harbor. No concrete numbers but again, that’s the best we’ll get for now. The land as a whole is a kingdom called ‘the North’.”

“How original,” Draco snorted, getting a fair few chuckles, which would have shocked anyone who knew him before last year. He’d mellowed quite a bit during coven and co’s summer vacation.

“Yeah, as you might have guessed, it’s the northernmost kingdom on our current continent — a landmass known as Westeros. Furthermore, Westeros is dominated by Seven Kingdoms that collectively swear to the Iron Throne. So our new home is united. In name, at least. We’ll have to see how united it is in practice…

“King Robert Baratheon rules the Iron Throne and has since a rebellion against the ruling dynasty about 15 years ago, from what I could gather. The North is ruled by the House Stark and Lord Paramount Eddard Stark, in particular. Under him, these lands look to Lord Manderly of White Harbor. I should also note that Daved assumed Heather, Albus, and I were all noble-born out of hand.”

“Well, of course, he did. These clothes, the glasses, the hygiene, in medieval times?” Blaise laughed.

“Also the giant castle,” Daphne deadpanned. “That tends to imply some things.”

Narcissa chortled, “Ohoh~, the nobles of this Westeros have no idea that 150 or so new noble houses just landed on their shores. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the Lords learn that…”

“More than 150,” I shot her a stern look. “If the Pure-Bloods are nobles, the Muggleborns will be too. We’re in this together from now on. A united front against an unknown world.”

Where once she and Draco might have argued or scoffed, now, they only nodded. Being stuck in a whole new world and time made them reconsider their priorities even more than they already had. And my mind was set on this decision. In medieval times, nobility was the least of what I would accept for my students and fellow staff. Even then, we’d likely run into trouble for being foreigners, not to mention the issues the Witches among us would run into just for being women.

“I suppose,” Ada mused. “As far as this world is concerned, we’re all pure of blood. After all, we’re the only Wizards and Witches in existence. Or at least, we have to assume as much until proven otherwise.”

“Exactly,” I nodded. “As for our origin story, Daved said there was an inhabited continent to the east of Westeros, but nothing but an unexplored ocean to the west. I’d say we set ourselves up as foreigners from the West instead of from another world.”

“That’s our immediate surroundings and backstory set,” Cedric said. “What else do we know?”

I winced, “Not much. Seasons in this world apparently come in varying lengths, from a harsh year-long winter before this to the five years and counting of summer that we’re currently in.”

“Year-long seasons?” Hermoine gaped at that information.

“The varying lengths are even more strange,” Aurora frowned. “Unless the planet’s orbit is worryingly erratic, there should be some consistency to them.”

She perked up in realization after a moment, “Oh, there’s a whole new night’s sky for us to explore!”

“There’s a whole new everything for us to explore, Professor,” Cho reminded.

“Not to mention the feeling of the magic in the air,” Dumbledore noted. “It is… odd. Fascinating though. It feels quite different from what we’re used to back home. Thankfully, all the spells I’ve tried so far have worked as usual but I imagine we’ll still be getting used to a whole new system of magic in the coming days.”

“I… might have a theory about that,” I said hesitantly, thankful that Dumbledore had helped me broach the subject. “Daved spoke of religion. The Old Gods are worshipped in the North, going back to the First Men of Westeros. The Faith of the Seven is worshipped in the South, brought to Westeros by something Daved called the Andal Invasion. And for some reason… I can’t shake the feeling that both faiths have something more to them than just organized religion.”

“You think this world has gods,” Snape stated bluntly. “Actual gods.”

“In some form or another,” I slowly nodded. “At the very least, it’s something to look into. I don’t have any proof, of course. Just… a feeling in the air and magic that I can’t explain.”

“We might be able to prove gods are real… If not true divinity, then at least beings of magic faking it so well there wouldn’t be a difference…” Hermione mumbled, practically drooling at the thought.

“And that’s only one of the things to research,” I smirked at her. “There’s a whole new world out there. And Hogwarts might just have some of the most learned and intelligent minds in it. Not even counting our magic, even the Pure-Bloods are used to at least 19th-century advances. I want us to press that advantage hard. Learn everything we can and ‘rediscover’ everything we can as well.”

That got a round of agreement, Flitwick nodding, “A worthy ambition. I know my Ravens will interested in forming research parties if no one else.”

“We need more information across the board,” Narcissa said.

“I won’t argue with that,” Amelia snorted. “Any plans we make right now are basically made blind.”

“Research parties will help with that,” Septima agreed. “As would more contact with the locals. But settling our situation here at Hogwarts should come first.”

“Aye, lass,” McGonagall agreed. “Much o’ Hogwarts is self-sufficient but we’el be needin’ food before ye’d think.”

“The gardens can grow some food but not enough to completely sustain us,” Sprout offered.

“I shall manage for potions and potion ingredients for a while,” Snape said, sniffing. “But I’d like to lead a research party dedicated to looking for local replacements.”

“The hospital can sustain itself for a long, long time, even if the castle came to siege,” Pomfrey proudly reported. “I started secretly hoarding medical supplies in Miss Potter’s first year.”

Heather blushed and whined, “Pop~ppyyy~…”

“Oh, not only for you, child,” Pomfrey chortled. “I just saw which way the wind was blowing. We usually get new stock at the beginning of each year but potions don’t truly expire. I simply started to keep them instead of replacing them.”

“A reckon I can hunt,” Hagrid put forth. “Forest is forest, even in strange lands. Fang an’ A’ll pull in a dozen or so good catches a day if we put our minds to it. Ah could even train a few people to help.”

“Do it,” I ordered. “In fact, that’ll be your only duty until we establish some sort of supply chain here. Maybe even after. That brings us to the last pressing matter of the meeting though.”

“And what would that be?” Dumbledore asked, smiling and his eyes twinkling as he watched me lead the meeting.

“Training,” I answered, my voice firm. “We’ll have to completely reform Hogwarts’ curriculum. Certain subjects — cough History of Magic cough — will need to be shelved entirely until we have the luxury of taking them back up. We’ll need to teach the students how to defend themselves and thrive in this new world beyond any reasonable doubt.

“Essentially, Hogwarts will have to act, learn, and train as if it’s going to war. And not just magically. This is not a kind time. Everyone in Hogwarts should be fit, strong, and ready to survive whatever this world can throw at us.”

Moody barked, “Now, you’re speaking my language, lad!”

“And mine,” Surprisingly, McGonagall nodded too. “Yer right. This’ll be a harsh world. And we cannae afford ta lose anyone. Whatever it takes.”

“But Professor, what about the Statute of Secrecy?!” Hermione blurted out.

“Toss it,” I said, cold and determined. “We’ll need every advantage we can get now. Limiting our magic would cost us more than we would gain. This isn’t the modern age. We don’t have a society to hide here. Just Hogwarts. And while keeping some of our abilities unknown might help keep us underestimated, magic as a whole is too potent of a tool to continue following rules from a far-distant world.”

There were some murmurs of excitement at my declaration, particularly from the students. Freedom of magic was a big deal. I wasn’t going to yield on that. Thankfully, Cho leaned toward Cedric and whispered something in his ear. Cedric stood.

“Ahem… As the ranking official of a now-defunct Ministry… I think it’s safe to declare the Statute as rather unhelpful to our current situation. As such, I think it can be overruled — by ‘Minister’s decree’ — until the time comes to revisit the issue.”

“Seconded,” Amelia said sternly.

Dumbledore chuckled, still practically sitting back and letting us do all the work, “It’s decided. The motion passes. It’s truly a pleasure to be working with political decision-making efficiency for once.”

“Good, then we can get to the actual planning,” Moody grunted. “I want the kids at least to the level of a Hit Wizard by their Fourth Year. Aurors in all but name by the time they’re supposed to graduate. The department’s training will have to be modified but it’s a good place to start.”

“Oh, I’ll help with the proper dueling~!” Bella, excited (and a bit manic), chimed.

“Aye, I won’t turn you away, lass,” Moody nodded. “You’ll help me whip the castle into some semblance of shape.”

“We should also teach apparition as soon as possible,” Tonks added. “That’s too useful to pass up.”

Pomfrey sighed, “I’ll prepare the hospital for an influx of splinches…”

“Additionally, I want all of the students to be proficient with a secondary weapon. Something that can be wielded alongside a wand. A sword or dagger. A physical shield, at the very least,” I declared.

“That’ll be a bit complicated,” Flitwick reasoned. “I’m handy enough with a sword but I’m not well-suited for teaching full-size humans.”

Abruptly, Ada began to laugh. It started as a slow chuckle and quickly grew to an all-out laugh. Most of us looked at her strangely. Daphne’s lips twitched minutely in a smirk.

“What’s so funny?” Heather whisper-shouted to Daphne.

“Father is the best saber duelist in Western Europe. Or was, I suppose,” Daphne explained nonchalantly.

“That…” I paused. “Makes way too much sense…”

Cygnus was grinning as if Christmas came early, “Indeed! There is nothing purer than the blade and the art of wielding it! I would gladly impart my skills to the younger generation!”

“I will help as well,” Victor added stoicly. “I practice HEMA in my spare time. I will fill gaps that Master Greengrass cannot.”

“HEMA…?” Draco asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

“Historical European Martial Arts, Little Dragon,” Svetlana clarified. “Swords and spears and armor for modern enthusiasts. Victor is considered good with a blade.”

“Ah, yes,” Dumbledore nodded at the reminder, chuckling. “I’d forgotten about Cygnus’ fame. That should help things. And I do rather agree with Atlas that this will be necessary. In a time like this, martial proficiency is a status symbol. Even with magic, we’ll be seen as ‘less’ without any skill at arms. And it should allow the Witches to give those that underestimate them quite the shock.”

Moody nodded gruffly, “That should help with physical training. Good. The more I can focus on necessary defensive and offensive spells, the better.”

“Should we…” Cedric spoke up hesitantly. “Should we consider allowing the Unforgivables…? The Killing Curse at least might save some of our precious lives.”

Moody scowled, “There are other reasons for not using that damned curse than just the law, boy. It’ll blacken yer soul. And a piercing hex to the fatal T is just as deadly and permanent, and even quicker than an Avada.”

“Indeed,” Dumbledore nodded somberly. “While illegal, the true crime of those curses lies in what they do to one’s magic. They should only be used in the most desperate of situations, and even then, precautions have to be taken afterward, lest the caster risk irreversible damage to themself.”

“Well said, Albus,” McGonagall sternly agreed, her brogue slowly dropping away as we gained a handle on the situation. “They should always be our last resort. I’d say we prioritize apparition first. Shield spells that are strong enough to block physical projectiles next. Then the standard Auror compliment of spells should be the expected baseline. More can come on an individual basis.”

“I’d add the Patronus Charm to that list as well,” Susan suggested.

“Good catch,” I nodded. “The messaging aspect of that spell will be invaluable. And if there are any magic-loathing fanatics in this world, it’s almost physically impossible to call a Patronus evil. It’ll earn us some much-needed goodwill in a pinch. In fact, I’d say the Patronus Charm and healing magic should be the first two aspects of magic that we introduce to this world.”

Gabrielle smiled brightly, “Perfect, Mon Ange! It will allow us to cut off any resentment before it even has a chance to build! We will need to win the hearts and minds of both this world’s nobles and ‘Smallfolk’. For that, a well-cast Patronus is impossible to deny.”

“Equipment will quickly become an issue,” Flitwick mused, changing the subject. “Most material concerns, actually. Replacement wands, clothing in general, weapons and armor in keeping with the time period… We’ll have to teach some students to smith, forge, and craft. Or hire skilled laborers from the locals, which could present an entirely different problem.”

“It doesn’t completely solve our problem but there’s always the Room of Hidden Things to get us started,” Heather said.

“Brilliant!” Hermione gasped. “Who knows what’s in there! Wands, weapons, armor, second-hand clothes, artifacts, books…”

She trailed off, her mind caught on the prospect of old, lost books, “OoOhh~… the books~…”

Hermione wasn’t alone in that. Septima shuddered as well as the idea settled into her mind, leaning against me and fanning herself, “O-Oh my~…”

“Uh… What the Hell are you guys talking about?” Angelina asked, bewildered.

“It’s the place where the House Elves put lost things,” I explained with a sigh. “It’ll take forever to go through it all but Heather and Hermione are right. It’ll be worth it. I doubt it’s been fully cleared since Hogwarts was founded.”

Dumbledore laughed, “That would do it. A thousand years of lost and found to go through… Why, the treasures to be found there… What a thrilling prospect, indeed.”

Nodding, I turned to address the students in the meeting, “We’ll be trusting you all to help manage and support your fellow students. Now more than ever, we can’t afford internal division. Don’t be afraid to speak your minds and advocate for each other. Hogwarts will be changing drastically in the days to come. We want to make sure it’s for the best for everyone who now calls it home.”

All of the students sat straighter in their seats, and Neville took it upon himself to speak for the younger generation of leaders, “You can count on me, Professor. You can count on us. If we’re truly the only Wizards and Witches left, we won’t die out here. So I swear, on both life and magic.”

“I hate to agree with Heir… Lord Longbottom…” Draco drawled, doing a good job of imitating Snape. “But yes, you can trust us with this. For once, we truly are in this together.”

“Lady Granger’s summer revolution also did good legwork for bringing the younger generation together,” Blaise added with an amused smirk. “More so than any previous generation, I’d say. We’re a touch more prepared to work together for a common goal than we otherwise would have been.”

Heather snorted, “Heh, ‘Lady Granger’~!”

Hermione blushed and stuttered, “I, I-! T-The, The title isn’t necessary…!”

Blaise waved dismissively and lazily, “I’m merely getting a headstart on things. As Professor Atlas said, we’re all Lords and Ladies — heh, Heiresses, in Daphne’s case — now.”

Giggling, Susan turned to her housemate, “Lord Cedric~.”

Cedric mocked a bow back, “Lady Susan.”

“Hehehe~!” Luna giggled as well, mostly to herself. “Lady Head Henchwoman Luna Lovegood~!”

With that, the productive mood of the meeting quickly broke. Thankfully, everything that I thought needed to be addressed had been. As such, the staff and other adults merely watched fondly as the younger generation messed around with their new titles. Though Narcissa did have a considering (read: scheming) gleam in her eyes. I’m sure she was already planning Hogwarts’ entry into Westeros high society.

Still, that was a concern for a later date, “Good… This whole situation may be a mess but we’re not without agency. We’ll get through this.”

“That we will,” Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I must say. You took control of this meeting rather quite well, Atlas. It’s good to see I’m not mistaken with my choice of successor.”

The others around the table took note of his words. And I merely stared at him. He’d said it. It’d been implied before, that some saw me as Dumbledore’s second coming. But now he’d gone and said it publically. Implication no longer, there was no way to misinterpret his words. And with his twinkling eyes, I knew he was aware of the weight he was placing on my shoulders.

Eventually, I sighed, “… Fine. I suppose now is the exact opposite time to avoid responsibility. Well played, old man. Well played…”

A pair of stars might as well have settled on Dumbledore’s face with how amused with himself he was, “As they say~… Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

IIIII

Time passed and rumors spread. On Westeros, it was commonly said that the legs of rumor outpaced any raven’s wings. That was true… to a certain extent. But rumors had a tendency to twist and grow, evolving with each retelling. Truth could still be found within but it was far from the most trustworthy source of news.

It was (relatively) quick though. And from time to time, the stars aligned. In the case of Hogwarts, Daved Mikaelson spread what he’d seen to the village nearby. He spoke of a vast castle that appeared only a league or two away as if out of thin air. He spoke of the nobles he’d met, with strange accents and stranger clothes.

In a mere day, Daved’s story was the talk of the village. One or two people rode out to confirm it. For them, seeing the castle from a distance was enough. The locals knew their lands. They knew there should have been no castle there. Within hours, they returned to the village to confirm Daved’s story.

A trader who happened to be in the village for business took the story with him when he left the next day. From there, the story of a magically appearing castle, altered land, and the earthquake that accompanied it spread like wildfire. Village to village in the surrounding area spoke of it, talk filling the streets and taverns. As fast as an unburdened stead, the tale reached in every direction.

Then more stories came from the original village. Of strangers coming to visit and lend aid in return for nothing more than information and food. Of magical healing and sparkling ghosts of pure joy. Of a whole castle of Highborn nobles, blessed with the magic of the Old Gods.

One of the first to hear the stories was an agent of the ruling Lord of the land. The first tale left him curious but cautious. The ones that came after pushed him to investigate personally. He traveled to the original village. He saw the mysterious castle with his own eyes. He even talked to some of the strange magicians, though he didn’t reveal his connection to the Lord.

The confirmation he gathered was enough for the agent to take his report to White Harbor. A combination of rumor and direct action led to Hogwarts’ discovery reaching the ears of Lord Wyman of House Manderly. The Lord trusted his agent. His report plus the rumors that had begun to trickle into the city convinced Lord Wyman to act.

Lord Wyman was a shrewd and intelligent man. He knew the rumors would naturally be exaggerated. But the report from his man had confirmed the truth at the base of them. Magic had come to the North — his lands, at that — suddenly and without warning. Yet… it was being used to aid the Smallfolk, not harm.

House Manderly was one of the only Houses in the North that worshipped the Faith of the Seven. Down South, such Faith would preach that any and all magic was evil, the work of demonic consorts. Yet House Manderly was not only of the Faith. They were also of the North and had been for a thousand years. As such, their interpretation of the Faith had hardened, adapted, and changed to suit their environment.

Something had to be done regarding the newcomers to his lands. But Lord Wyman didn’t just jump to persecution or hostility. A House of Mages would be valuable allies, not just for House Manderly but for the North as a whole. More than that, the truth of the whole situation had to be discerned. Curiosity and duty dictated nothing less.

So Lord Wyman put quill to parchment and penned a letter. A letter to his Lord Paramount. Inside, he detailed the situation as he knew it, his thoughts on the matter, and a request for assistance and guidance. Ned Stark was an honorable, just, reasonable, and overall good man. He would heed Wyman’s call. They would gather hosts and call the Lord of this new, mysterious castle to answer to the Lords of the land.

That meeting, barely more than two weeks after Hogwarts arrived in Westeros, would influence the future of their newly shared world more than anyone — Lord or Wizard — could possibly predict…

IIIII

Goth/e-girl bonus pics, of course