Chapter Text
Alexandra had never been on a plane before, let alone on an international flight, so she was kind of nervous about it, especially since Charlie would be in the pet compartment. She disagreed, knowing that he would be able to find his way there, but Julia had convinced her to keep the bird close by, given that he’d never been that far away from home.
Looking out of the window, she saw the landscape of North America go by beneath her, a place that she wouldn’t see back for… quite a while. When she’d accepted Medea’s suggestion, she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but… she looked to the other side, where Claudia was working on a crossword, and Archie was busy reading a book.
Claudia hated the magical world, and Archie knew very little about it, and showed even less interest than her sister. Still, the two of them had decided they’d join her on this trip, and help her get settled in at the Bolivar Academy for young Witches and Wizards, Gran Colombia’s premier institution of magical learning. Hidden deep in a valley somewhere in the Andes, according to the leaflet it boasted over a thousand students in total, as well as providing secondary magical education in a variety of topics. Apparently, the school had teams for many different sports, such as Quidditch, Wizarding chess, Quodpot and Soccer, and serviced students from around the world. There was some stuff about what kind of prizes the teachers had won, and how all the students went on to do great things, but what had caught Alexandra’s attention the most was they also offered classes in topics that were awfully neglected at Charmbridge, such as familiar communication, wandless magic and something called the animagus program.
Less attractive to her was the uniform. Unlike Charmbridge, which in retrospect had been relatively lenient, the Academy had a strict policy on clothes, which included a mandatory skirt for female students, as well as a pointed hat that looked like it came straight out of a muggle storybook.
“I’m sure it will be fine, Alex,” Claudia said, with a worried look on her face.
“I just know I’m going to miss my friends,” Alex replied, looking back through the window again. Owls were reliable, but they still found intercontinental journeys difficult. She’d heard there were solutions to this, like a company that turned wizarding messages into emails, then back into letters again on the other side of the world, but it all just made things much more difficult.
“I’d worry more about your Spanish,” Archie remarked.
“I’m sure they can help you out with that,” Claudia said as she put a hand on Alex’s knee. “You’re smart, you’ll learn the language in no time at all, and I bet quite a few of the kids there know some English.”
Archie just made a smart remark in Spanish that Alex couldn’t quite make out, and Claudia chuckled in response. She wasn’t even sure if her brother-in-law’s Spanish was as good as he claimed it was, but didn’t know enough of the language to call him out.
She looked back into the sky, wondering if those other planes in the distance carried her friends. Anna would be going towards Charmbridge right about now, arriving before the rest of the students because she had to come all the way from California. Would she get a new roommate? Some student from one of the schools that her father had destroyed? Further below, she saw the North American landscape, the roadways and cities, and more importantly, the Ley lines that criss crossed them. It wasn’t quite the same as it had been back in the cave, but the plane gave her a great deal of perspective, showing her the scale of the structure, how small lines joined together into massive networks that crossed multiple states, and how those in turn joined on a scale she’d need a space-shuttle to understand.
She sighed, turning back to the leaflet, trying to learn as much as she could, and look for some sort of distraction.
Archie Green hadn’t been quite sure what to expect of this entire trip. He did, however, know that this wasn’t it.
First of all, if his step-daughter (Half-sister-in-law?) was supposed to be going to school in Colombia, why did they fly to Peru? And second, why hadn’t they gone with some sort of magical airplane, or some such contraption? Were airplanes just better than what magic could do? And if so, what did that say about the capacities of magic itself?
A thousand questions raced through his mind, and a thousand questions he pushed back again, to the same place he’d always pushed them. He didn’t know how magic worked, whether these foreigners could be trusted or how the wizards in America would react. He didn’t know if this was the right decision, or if Alex would get a good education here, or whether that education would be more useful than going to a normal high-school. But he didn’t need to know any of those things, because he knew something that was more important than all of that combined.
Archie Green knew that he loved his wife. Unconditionally. Starting from that first day they’d met, he’d fallen head over heels, and knew she was the one for him.
He knew she had her secrets, that there were things about her past she didn’t want to share. But he loved her, and he hated seeing her in pain, so he didn’t ask. If and when Claudia wanted to talk about it, they’d talk about it. No sooner. He’d wondered, of course, about her family, some of the strange little quirks she had when they talked about old TV shows and such. He’d wondered more when Alex started doing strange things. But he didn’t ask, because he knew Claudia didn’t want to talk.
Once, he knew, he’d had a chance. Shortly before the wedding, late at night, just outside of town, he’d been accosted by a middle-aged man with black hair and a full beard. They’d talked for a few minutes, the man bringing up words that, in retrospect, weren’t as nonsensical as he’d thought they’d been back then. Some angry words later, and the strange figure had disappeared, saying something about keeping his daughter safe.
Abraham Thorn, he now knew. Perhaps he shouldn't have pulled his gun on the man. On the other hand, he had a suspicion that the man had actually respected that part of their meeting.
With all that in mind, he looked around carefully as they made their way through immigration. From the letter, someone would be waiting for them at the airport, so he watched out for people with broomsticks, or warty noses, or anything else stereotypical he could think of. Mostly, he followed Alex’s gaze to see if she’d spotted something.
He felt a certain amount of disappointment when Claudia poked him in the side, pointing at a perfectly normal man in a perfectly normal suit, holding a perfectly normal sign saying ‘ Green Family. ’
Too normal, perhaps.
Introductions were short, and before he knew it, they’d been shuffled into a small cab that, on the inside, looked somewhat more like a limousine. He and Claudia had been given some sort of strange-looking necklace, which Alexandra said had something to do with Anti-Muggle charms. Only barely knowing what a Muggle was (they meant him) he’d simply nodded, put it on, and watched in hidden amazement as the car’s interior expanded before his eyes.
Less than fifteen minutes, they’d arrived in the center of town, at a place called the Peru Portkey Authority, where apparently they’d have to split up. One of the people from the local government, a well-meaning young woman that reminded him of Claudia when she was talking to a very young patient, had explained that there was someone from some sort of Wizard UN or something that’d wanted to talk to Claudia, while Alexandra would go to her new school, which apparently had some sort of rule about taking the scenic route.
When the conversation came to something called a portkey, he looked at Claudia, then shot a questioning look at his stepdaughter. The girl nodded, suggesting she’d be fine, so he decided to trust her, and held his wife’s arm. Alexandra had grown up, these past few years. Not entirely, not too much, but somewhat. Someday, if she didn’t get herself killed, she could be a capable young woman, though perhaps not an overly reliable one.
Archie followed his wife, as they were led into a room containing cupboards filled with what were surely ancient Incan artefacts, the handles of the object looking well-worn and well-used.
This was going to get weird.
Llarry, Alex had decided, was a lot more agreeable than his namesake. Sure, he was a nasty and aggressive beast that would spit magical venom at everything and everyone that looked at him the wrong way, but besides that, the Llama was altogether more agreeable than mister Albo had ever been. Plus, he was great at climbing a seemingly impossible mountain, though she was sure there was magic involved there.
Sure, her guide llama wasn’t as obviously enchanted as the flying mules back in the Ozarks, but she was certain normal animals couldn’t scale eighty degree angles with people on their back, and especially not in the way her beast was doing it, which was by just ignoring gravity altogether, It reminded her of some videos she’d seen online, of games with less than spectacular programming.
Charlie was having fun, exploring the wild terrain in a wide-sweeping flight, checking nooks and crannies, and getting a taste of all the new scents he’d be able to discover here.
“How much further?” she asked, wiping sweat from her brow as she looked up to her guide, a calm-looking man with a wide-brimmed hat protecting him from the sun, and a colour-changing poncho.
“Not too far,” the man replied tersely, taking a look at the sky above them. He hadn’t said much, and he had a bit of an accent, so his English probably wasn’t very good. But he’d also been smiling when she’d tried talking to him before.
She looked back, at the endless valleys deep in the Andes. They’d left the last muggle houses behind them a while ago, and they only seemed to be traveling further and further into the wilderness. If it wasn’t for the well-worn path their mounts were following, or the fact that they had magic to help them out, she wasn’t sure how to know whether or not they’d gotten lost.
Llarry kept climbing, even as they reached a thicker and thicker layer of snow, and eventually ascended into the clouds themselves, which now blanketed everything in a thick mist. Charlie landed on the saddle in front of her, and she held a cloaked arm over him, sharing some of her warmth with the small bird. She couldn’t even see her guide anymore, only hearing the soft footsteps of the llama in front of them. It didn’t seem to bother Llarry though, who calmly trotted on as Alexandra felt the enchantments they were passing through.
Some she recognized. Things to repel muggles, and charms and wards much like those that Charmbridge had had. Others reminded her of Wizarding spaces, larger on the inside. Even more, she couldn’t place beyond vague relations to different schools of magic, some of them reminding her of the Brazier the Mors Mortis Society had used. Was there going to be more of that?
As she passed through the thick mist, even the ground hidden from view now, she noticed that Llarry seemed to be fine with this turn of events, simply trotting through as she was reminded of her travels through the Lands Beyond, though everything was white here, and it wasn’t nearly as harrowing.
After what could have been either a few minutes, or several hours, she felt something shift. The clouds began to recede, and within seconds, the impenetrably thick layer of white on everything gave way, showing first her feet, and then a large valley, hidden on all sides by steep mountains, and covered in a very thick blanket of clouds.
The valley itself was several miles in length, and a bit less than a mile across, and a small river ran through it, disappearing into the rocks on one side of the valley. The floor of the valley itself was somewhat divided. On the side where the river disappeared stood a small town, with large white houses with red roofs, laid around in a hodgepodge manner on top of the ruins of something much older. Busy streets ran through this area, and from her vantage point up top, she could see Wizards and Witches, Goblins, Granians, Llamas and other creatures, running around in a way that reminded her of the Goblin Market, back in Chicago.
Then, towards the other side of the valley, closer to the lookout ledge on which Llarry was walking right now, there was a relatively spaced out campus, surrounding a large tiered pyramid she thought was called a Ziggurat, with a large staircase on which she could see people walking. Several buildings surrounded it, loosely spaced, including what sort of looked like a Quidditch field, if you squinted right. “Is that the Academy?” she asked, but as no-one replied, she noticed that the Llama in front of her was now missing its rider, only carrying some of her luggage.
Charlie cawed, looking down towards the buildings in the valley, then took off again. “Be careful Charlie!” Alex yelled after him as she tried to figure out where her guide had gone. She hadn’t heard or felt any magical creatures, so the guide probably hadn’t gotten killed by a South-American Hodag. Were they playing some prank on the foreign girl?
Llarry walked on, eventually stopping in front of a small hut, of a type which she could see huddled against the mountain walls, in all the nooks and crannies where they could fit. She dismounted, holding a hand out for Charlie, who returned to her, eyeing the little hut with suspicion as she walked in through the half-open doorway. There were no lights, except for two small square windows besides the door, yet the insides were well-lit, and larger than the outside looked. There was a table, with a plate and a selection of food that still looked warm, and there were a few benches set around the outside. As she investigated the dining table, she noticed a letter, as well as a neatly outlayed set of clothes in yellow, red and blue, not quite like the wizarding styles of the Confederation, but obviously not of Muggle design either. She sat down and opened the letter, as freshly cooked food wafted its scent into her face.
Dear Ms. Quick.
As Dean of Bolivar Academy, it is both my duty and my honor to welcome you to the city of Paititi, and the Academy that lies within. Sadly, my duties preclude me from welcoming you personally, the start of the school year is always a busy time.
It is well known to us that the trek here is long and arduous, so please take some care to eat and refresh yourself in this waystation. Once you are done, your steed will show you towards the dormitory building, where you will find your assigned rooms on the fifth floor, to be identified by the nameplates. From there, I am certain your fellow students will be happy to help you get settled in.
Furthermore, I also wish to inform you of some major cultural differences between our fine nation and Gran Colombia, and things to watch out for. First, there is the amulet, which you will find with your new uniform. It contains an advanced translation charm, that will allow you to properly communicate with people, though I advise you to practice your Spanish nonetheless.. Second, Gran Colombian culture is much more egalitarian than you may be used to. As such, I feel obliged to inform you that there are strict rules against heritage-based discrimination, both between witches and wizards, as well as against non-human beings and creatures. All sapient beings have rights under Gran Colombian laws. Third, there is the issue of the uniform. Unlike at your alma mater, students of Bolivar Academy are free to explore, including in the wizarding city of Paititi. However, I must inform you that you are strictly obligated to wear your entire uniform at all times , excepting when you are on the fifth floor of your dorm building, or during sports activities, when you will be provided with a different set of clothes to wear. It follows from this that you are expected to proceed further after a change of clothes.
Understand that this is not simply a rule set to enforce order, but rather one that your own safety is reliant upon. Because of this policy, we are able to allow our students a large degree of independence while ensuring their safety. And while we as faculty understand that all teenagers can and should chafe at the restrictions placed upon them by adults, it is this rule that is more important than all others.
In this envelope you will also find your class schedule, based upon the closest possible approximation of your completed courses at Charmbridge Academy. Please see your assigned study councilor for possible changes to this schedule. Because of the ad-hoc nature of your enrollment, you will be two weeks behind the other students, though I am informed that this should not be an obstacle given your previous academic achievements.
As for out-of-school electives, I am afraid that we do not have a JROC program or equivalent at Bolivar Academy, but many other out-of-school programs are available.
I look forward to seeing you at Bolivar Academy, and hope that you will enjoy your time here.
Regards, Dean H. C. de la Cruz.
Alexandra looked up from the letter, and shoveled her plate full of food, which was quite reminiscent of the elf-made banquets back at Charmbridge, then gave it another read. The second part especially was quite interesting, and she wondered what was up with the uniform. A quick look with her witches’ sight showed a few minor charms for sturdyness, comfort and warmth, but nothing that matched with the rather insistent nature of the Dean’s letter. It couldn’t be that bad to go out without the uniform if it didn’t have any major enchantments on it. SHe gave it a proper look, trying to figure out which of the pieces went where.
Easiest was the yellowish hat, which fit neatly on top of her head. It had a relatively wide brim, and a point that stood upwards, though it wasn’t as large as some of the black ones she’d seen on Old Colonials. Besides that, there was a blue dress, a red piece of cloth that looked to be somewhere between a poncho, a jacket and a shawl, and a pair of long socks and enchanted gloves that went up to her elbows, both in the same yellow colour. Though there was a note that the gloves were optional, and intended to stave off the cold.
“You go keep watch, Charlie,” she told her raven as she looked around for something a bit more private, then decided to conjure two curtains on the windows, and casting a locking charm on the door to keep out any peeping toms. Several minutes of struggle later, she stepped out of the small hut in her new uniform, ducking to make sure her hat didn’t hit the frame of the door.
“Pretty bird!” Charlie remarked from the roof of the little hut, though she couldn’t quite agree. The outfit looked rather silly in her eyes, and if she hadn’t just visited the Ozarks, she would have hated the long skirts of the dress even more than she already did. It was warm at least, and she wouldn’t look so out of place if everyone wore the same thing, but she wasn’t a fan.
Llarry approached as the animal saw her, together with the rest of the pack animals, and Alexandra pulled herself onto the animal, and struggled for a few seconds with her new long, full skirts. There seemed to be some sort of enchantment on them that kept her from properly hiking them up so she could ride, seemingly adding more cloth around her legs the more she pulled them upwards, like a clown at a muggle birthday party. After some messing about, she managed to simply force one leg over the top of the Llama, and found that the skirts automatically fell into place around her. At least she would be protected from people like Torvald and Stuart with strategically placed wind charms.
As she sat down, Llarry took off further down the path, moving towards the city down below.