Matou Shinji and the Price of Victory (HP/FSN CYOA)

[skulkidcachi90]

Change my vote to.[X] Thank them for the offer, but his squad should sleep in the barracks since they have to start somewhere with living up to the ideals of Albion. One army, many races.

[Malorius]

[x] "I had to give up a part of my soul in exchange for..." (bring out the claws) "The ability to make a difference."

Yes, I know it doesn't correspond with your "Look at me, I'm just like you, inhuman! Much better than those wizard dudes, amirite?" agenda well, guys, but it's much more healthy than just disparaging our human roots. Just look how desperately we wanted to preserve our Humanity when given the choice, and for damn good reasons.

We don't need to make this kind of an impression on goblins, - and that's not the kind of mindset I am willing to let Shinji accept.

[alfheimwanderer]

Choice 66: [X] Because he has become more than Human. (show dragon feature)
Choice 67: [x] Thank them for the offer, but his squad should sleep in the barracks since they have to start somewhere with living up to the ideals of Albion. One army, many races.

---

Chapter 4. An Offer You Cannot Refuse

When the boy who once called himself Matou Shinji woke up, he found himself looking up at a ceiling that was for once, all too familiar. At least he thought it seemed familiar, as did the walls, the floor and…

‘Hey, wait a minute…I’m in my own bed!’

The shock of this was quite sobering, as it meant that whoever had found him had been friendly, though instead of taking him to see Sokaris, he’d been brought instead to his manor in London. To his private apartments, even, meaning they had access to them. And then they’d…uh…the boy blinked, noting his current state of dress. Or undress at it were, as other than the sheets covering him, there was nothing between his body and the cruel, cold world, not even rags.

‘So…someone – probably not Luna, since I don’t think she’s back from…whatever she’s doing – undressed me and b-bathed me?’

The thought of being that vulnerable around anyone who wasn’t Luna was exquisitely uncomfortable, since in his unconscious state, anything could have happened to him. Anything at all. Maybe even something worse than dying, though at least he hadn’t ended up as a brain in a jar, or divested of the gem that had replaced his spiritual core, so that…well, it wasn’t nothing.

Just in case though, he tried to call upon his inner fire, wanting to confirm that he wasn’t stuck in the land of the dead, frowning as he found his prana sluggish, like a serpent whose inner furnace had gone cold overnight, and had not yet had time to warm up in the sun.

Still, he could at least feel that it was there, which was more than he’d expected after his conversation with Death. It had been his second time coming face to face with an embodied concept (or perhaps his first, given that he wasn’t the same Matou Shinji as the one who’d spoken with Gaia, but how much of ‘Shinji’s’ experiences were truly his was a question for later…), and being in that place, standing before the one who was the end of all things had been utterly terrifying, not just because of who Death was, but because of how powerless he had been.

‘I couldn’t even fight him if I wanted to – I had no power in his domain. I existed – was able to think and speak and choose because Death allowed it.’

Because he had been, in Death’s words, “A CURIOSITY.”

A particularly unusual insect, perhaps, with Death being something like one of those schoolboys who was assigned to collect a number of specimens over the summer for homework? The boy shivered, and not just from the incongruity of picturing the Grim Reaper in a school uniform.

'He returned me to the physical world…why? Because it amused him?' No, that didn’t seem right. ‘Because he was curious what I would become, and where my choices would lead me?’ Or had it been because, at the end of the day, Death simply hadn’t cared what…the mud doll that was puppeted by the will of Matou Shinji would choose, as it was not truly a living thing, merely an amalgam of various parts that believed itself to be? ‘No. Enough. I’m not going to figure out Death’s motives, if something like that is even possible.’

For the moment, he needed to concentrate on the present.

As he sat up in bed, the sheets fell from him, revealing a delicate network of scale-like markings all over his body, and two great scars in the center of his palms, looking almost like someone had slashed them open.

‘That’s right…to return to the world of the living, I had to give up Harpe,’ the boy recalled, as the blade’s anti-healing properties came to mind. ‘It looks like it left a mark coming out.’

Idly, he wondered if his feet also had scars from the removal of the sandals, and if so, what that would look like.

There was a word for people marked with such scars, no? Stigma? Stigmata? Stigmatics? Something like that. If he remembered correctly, they were people who had received divine favor from the Christian God, like St. Francis of Assisi.

‘…somehow, I don’t think the Church would be entirely accommodating if someone like me claimed to have a revelation from…the final judge of all things. Their Executors would either kill me or…’ Well, actually, they – or the Templars – might recruit him too, he supposed. Not that he really wanted to work for them or get any closer to those particular factions, if at all possible. ‘I just really hope Sokaris will understand my situation…’

If she didn’t…well, he might as well end it now then, he supposed, since his purpose for living would be gone.

‘Though would it really be suicide if I’m not really alive to begin with?’ he inquired philosophically, his lips pressing together as he began to mull over whether he really had a self to kill, only to be distracted as he finally noticed that his room was glowing.

That it was illuminated by an eerie figure wreathed in a strange glow anyway...a figure who was silently
standing by an open window and looking at the world outside. The figure was obviously female, but her features were obscured by the light, so he couldn’t quite recognize who it was.

It reminded him of nothing so much as the golden light that had Elesa had been cloaked in when she allowed herself to tap into the fullness of her power. This light though, wasn't that of the sun. It was...paler, like the moonlight, which was why…

"Luna?" the boy asked, the name coming unbidden to his lips, his voice still all too frail for his liking. "Is...is that you?" Had she come back? And if so, how long had he been…unconscious? He didn’t really feel any of the soreness or fatigue that he knew came with oversleeping, though he acknowledged that these were abnormal circumstances, so conventional wisdom might not apply.

"I see. That is who you wish it was," came the quiet reply, with the figure turning to regard him curiously. "But I am not Miss Lovegood."

No indeed. As the figure walked from the window to his side, the boy felt a sense of warmth in his chest as the sheer sense of power radiating from her, the prana in his body quickening as he began to feel more…human again, in the face of someone who was obviously his better, though at least it was a friendly someone.

But how could he make such a determination? He’d never met—

And then she came close enough that the boy could see her face in full, and he realized he recognized her.

"...Kyrielite," he murmured. Of course…she was the one who had—that was, she had access to this place, access that he’d granted her, as she was Sokaris’ right hand. “Mashu Kyrielite.” He’d…never seen her like this before, so powerful, so beautiful, shining in senses other than sight like a star in all its glory, but then, he supposed that it made sense that someone who Sokaris so trusted would have been gifted incredible powers worthy of her position. "What happened?"

"After your departure, I was given clearance from the Director to deploy to the field to assist you. However, when I arrived, the battle was already over, and all that remained was..." She hesitated for a moment. "An unstable rift linking this layer of reality to the Other Side of the World. You were nowhere to be found."

"Yet you found me. Somehow."

Had she…had she gone in after him?! That…no human could survive the Other Side, right…?

"I did," Mashu confirmed. "After you were ejected from the rift.”

“…ejected, you say?”

“Yes. By a silver light that pushed you through from the other side and held you aloft for long enough that I was able to retrieve you."

"...and the Ministry?" he asked. "Did...did I get them all out?"

"Hm?"

The boy briefly laid out what had happened during his conversation with the Minister, and how he had offered to hold the line to buy time for those working in the Ministry to escape.

"There was no one present in the subterranean structure in which you were found," Mashu reported solemnly. "And not enough residue to account for thousands of bodies. As such, it is likely anyone above...the level on which you were found managed to escape."

"I see."

“Has your curiosity been satisfied?”

“Yes. For now,” Shinji allowed. He’d done it then – he’d saved those people. Though—

“Perhaps you might answer some questions for me then?”

“About what?” The boy asked.

"You passed through to the Other Side," Mashu prompted.

"Yes?"

"And then you returned, which should not be possible for a human.”

“Yes, I know that,” Shinji muttered, “but what does that…ohhh. I see...you're doing something to the room. In case what came back from the Other Side isn’t Matou Shinji, but something else wearing his form."

Which was somewhat worrying, as she was right. He was indeed something else wearing Matou Shinji’s form.

"You are not wrong," Mashu admitted, as the silvery radiance about her grew more potent, and the boy felt his grip on his prana slip away entirely, leaving him as helpless as he had been when he stood before Death. "This room has been shifted to another layer of reality, where you cannot access your abilities."

"How...?" And then it hit him. "...I'm in two layers at once. My power separated from my will."

The young woman nodded.

"Tell me what happened," she stated, making it very clear that this was not a request.

“Tell you…?”

“Everything.”

"Everything", as it turned out, was...a very expansive term, especially after he signed a self-geis contract to answer her questions wholly and without reservation, supplying relevant information if Mashu failed to ask about it for the duration of the session.

It covered what he could remember of the isle: his fight against the Echo of the Moon, his encounter with an Outer God, his negotiations with the Americans over rights to the potions he'd developed.

It covered his relationship issues: how he had...kind of been a bit too presumptuous about his relationship with Luna, how the relationship he had with Tohsaka Rin was somewhat…complicated – a status exacerbated by experiences he’d had in the Trial of Courage, how even now it was Sokaris he placed above all others, and even if it cost him everything – even if the very world became her enemy, he would be her ally.

“…in a sense, it did cost me everything,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I died on that island, facing down the merest fraction of an Outer God’s power. Facing something like that, I did what was necessary to end the threat. That day, Matou Shinji ceased to exist, and I was born…” He looked down. “But I’ll go back to that – there’s still a lot to cover.”

He told her of his conversation with Minister of Magic, and how he’d mentioned Sion to him as the Greatest Alchemist in the World, descended from the one who had taught Nicholas Flamel, and as the “sister” of Sialim Sokaris.

“Unfortunate, but not outside the bounds of expectations. Continue.”

And so he did, speaking of how, to avoid facing the consequences of his actions, he’d made a rash vow to hold the line against an army alone to buy time for the employees of the Ministry to evacuate.

“You said I managed it…”

“It is likely, yes,” Mashu agreed. “Tell me of the battle.”

He proceeded to do so, laying out as best as he could remember how he'd fought against an entire army of mercenaries and monsters, perhaps losing a bit of his composure in the process.

Well. More than a bit.

This account was followed by the details of his encounter with Death, in which the embodied concept had revealed that he was in fact no longer Matou Shinji - that Matou Shinji had died on the island - as well as what he had given up to return to this side of the World.

"I thought I was just...that my nature had just shifted, but to learn that I'm not actually myself anymore?" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I think I did the right thing?" he asked, feeling uncertain and honestly, exhausted, since they'd been talking for hours, as he reflected on his choices. "I mean...even if Sokaris told me to do my best, but to survive, I had no choice but to take that thing down with me. “Because that is what she would have me do – because that is what she would have done in my place, though I’m sure she would have managed to do better.” He sighed. “Still, whatever the reason, I'm not Matou Shinji anymore. Just an empty shell that inherited his memories."

He held up his hands, looking at the scarring on his palms, and skin ridged with a scale-like pattern.

"Death said it himself. That I'm a 'strange amalgam which is not dead because it was never truly alive,'" he repeated tonelessly. "The combination of a scrap of soul, a dragon’s essence, a hero's gift, and the heart of an elemental within a vessel of mud. Well, I guess without the hero's gift now. Which is only fitting, because I'm no hero. I'm just a mud doll. A thing of dirt."

The real Matou Shinji...perhaps he had been a hero.

After all, he had done incredible things, like face the First Jinn in battle. Like fight (and cripple) the Echo of the Crimson Moon for the sake of a girl. Like sacrifice himself to stop the avatar of an Outer God.

Yes – even if that Shinji – the one whose memories he'd inherited – had failed to follow Sokaris’ instructions, and had in fact died, he had still done great things.

Much unlike the golem that now wore his shape, whose would have died facing a bunch of jumped up practitioners of witchcraft if he'd actually been alive.

"...so, you’re right in the end. I’m not Matou Shinji. I’m just a thing wearing his form, just like you feared,” he admitted with more than a little self-loathing, after his thoughts had run themselves down. “Only I wasn’t born on the Other Side, but on the island. Somehow.” He shook his head. “What will you do with me, now that you know?”

"Hm?" Mashu responded.

"You know, since I’m nothing but a monster,” he said, waving...vaguely at himself. "I mean, look at me. Here, in this light, I couldn’t even hide what I am if I tried.”

The agent of Atlas regarded him evenly, as if weighing just what he wanted – needed to hear.

"It is true that you cannot hide what you are,” she said after some indeterminate amount of time. “That you are a new entity, no longer bound by any of the contracts you agreed to prior to your death – unless you chose to be," she supplied eventually. "And, so you chose.”

“Eh?”

"You chose to trust me, to trust the Director – and her agents – as he did. You sought Miss Lovegood, as he did. You attempted no deception, hid nothing of your nature – much as he would have. You hold to the same words he did – that even if the world became her enemy, you would be her ally."

"...was this...was this a test?" the boy asked, blinking as some things fell into place. "To see...what I was?"

"Not to see what you were, but who you were," the agent of Atlas corrected. "For only you can choose whether or not you want to continue as Matou Shinji - to honor what he honored, to love what he loved, to carry on his dreams.”

“…you already knew what I was.”

“From the moment you appeared in the house after returning from the isle, I was aware of your...changed nature,” she confirmed. “That the you who returned from the Other Side was not the you who left the house, this I also knew."

"W...hat?" the boy croaked, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. "B-but ho—"

"Currently, I control the defenses of your house," she said matter of factly. "Everything that was set up by your former Master. Through them, I can sense who belongs and who does not – who is given access and who is not."

"Yes, I gave you that access, but—" Matou Shinji’s words died in his mouth. “But if I’m not me…then how do I have—”

"You do not," came the response. “Rather, you did not until I granted you limited access.”

"Oh." The boy went absolutely still for a moment as the ramifications of this sunk in. That he was now a guest in the very house he’d bought. "So then…I…”

"Spiritually, you are not enough like him to be recognized as the owner of this place."

"I...but then..." No, that wasn't right. No, it...but if it was...

'Shit...I had an account at Gringotts.'

Among other possessions and belongings that were technically registered to him, like his ownership in various businesses. Granted, the business bits weren't magically enforced in Japan, and he suspected that with fusion to worry about, they might be better setup to treat people who had...changed as the same individual, but with the stuff in Britain...

'...that would be...so everything I've put into the bank, I can no longer get, because they don't recognize me as me?!'

That...

"You have other concerns?"

"I...I just never really thought about how dying could...be so inconvenient," he muttered, before breaking into hysterical laughter at the ridiculousness of that sentence.

Of course, he'd never thought about the inconvenience of dying. He'd been young - arrogant – careless, and he knew that no one ever came back from death, so why would he concern himself about that unless he had to? The only time he'd had to think about death was when the Championship was looming, and they'd asked him to write up a will...

'...right. The will.'

A will that had left everything he owned in Britain to Luna Lovegood.
‘…this is going to be awkward,’ he realized, cradling his head in his hands. 'I'll have to tell her...won't I?' he asked himself. 'But if I do...what if she gets angry? What if she takes my words and then...' What if she took everything from him - as she could, legally? After all, none of what had owned in Britain really belonged to him anymore, because it had been Matou Shinji's...and Matou Shinji had willed that upon his death, those assets were supposed to go to Luna. ‘Though I guess Britain wouldn’t know quite yet, and they wouldn’t unless I tell her and she tells them…’

It was tempting, very tempting, to just avoid that whole mess, but…

‘…she deserves to know,’ the boy resolved, knowing that it was the right thing to do. ‘After everything she did for…Matou Shinji, it would be disrespectful if I didn’t at least tell her what happened to him, and why I’m not…the person she loved.’ Yes, he loved her still, but…it wouldn’t be fair to her if she didn’t have a choice whether to accept what he’d become.

The boy raised his head, but the agony of the moment writ clear across his face.

"Well...you tested me – what else did you find?" he asked out of more than idle curiosity, wanting to distract himself from his thoughts.

"That you aren't Matou Shinji," Mashu replied succinctly. "In some ways, you are like him - in others, you are not, and more to the point, you haven't entirely decided who you are. You are insecure, broken, confused...which is understandable given what you learned. You need time to figure out who you are and what you want."

"I..." the boy swallowed. "Sokaris. I want to reach her side...that's all..." That was all he - no, all Matou Shinji had ever wanted. But what did he want? "I..."

"Take this year and figure out who it is you want to be," Mashu stated, not unkindly. "I will be there to help, but only you can figure out who you are, what you want, why you are here - when the original is gone, and where you will go from here."

"And...I guess I have to figure out what...everything means for me and...everyone else."

"Yes," the Agent of Atlas said. "I will help how I can. As for the Director, she believes what will best help you are the tools to think through things – to better understand yourself."

"Tools..?"

"Thought acceleration and mind partition, both of which the Director has authorized me to teach you."

"S-she has?" the boy found his back straightening, his eyes widening. He swallowed. Those techniques…weren’t they restricted to Alchemists of Atlas? "I...she...you would agree to teach these things...to me? Even though I...I am not..." Or…could it be? "Am I being accepted as an Alchemist then? W-will I be going…to Atlas?” His voice was hushed, reverent as he spoke the words, scarce able to believe them.

But Mashu shook her head.

"Not this year,” she corrected. “The Director wishes for you to learn these skills first.”

“…and figure out who I am, of course,” he accepted, unable to hide the disappointment from his voice. “I understand, but…what will I do then?" he asked bitterly. "I can't attend Hogwarts, with what Britain has become. I could go to Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang, or to Mahoutokoro, but..."

...would he even fit in going to school?

True, wherever he went, people would respect him for being a Champion – and at Mahoutokoro, for being able to actually offer some competition to Sajyou-san, but...was that something he had the right to be proud of, really? All that he'd achieved had been due to luck – and the ingredients and knowledge that the real Shinji had acquired.

"If that is what you're concerned about, then there is someone downstairs who has an offer for you."

"Downstairs?" But...the only other person in the house was Tohsaka, right? And what could she possibly offer him? Her virginity? No…it couldn’t be that, since Mashu had expressed her disapproval of that the first time around. "Who...?"

"One of your Professors,” Mashu supplied, with Shinji sitting up as he tried to process this. A professor who wasn’t at Hogwarts? “He was concerned about you, and came to the house to inquire as to your well-being in the wake of the battle of London, as it is being called.”

“He…?”

“Gilderoy Lockhart, former professor, adventurer, and now First Citizen of Albion."

---

When Matou Shinji went downstairs after taking a long shower and changing into the outfit he’d obtained from the Americans, which was a sight more comfortable – and appropriate for a conversation like the one he was expecting than his birthday suit, he did indeed find Lockhart, though he also found that the man wasn’t alone.

The First Citizen of Albion, whatever that was, was dressed in an outfit much like the formal robes of the Stone Cutters, was seated in the dining room, sharing a cup of tea with a spellbound Tohsaka Rin as they discussed the various exploits of Matou Shinji, be they his ingenuity in the various scenarios the man crafted for him, his valor in facing down a horde of giant spiders, or some of the more notorious stories about him from the year, involving his time at Durmstrang, the island and more.

"Yes, he has accomplished much for someone his age," the man reflected. "It is quite something to count him as one of my more promising students."

Rin of course, was no dummy and didn't miss the implication of his words.

"Then there are others just as skilled?" she asked, finding it hard to believe that there were others just as promising – or more so.

"A few, he admitted,” Lockhart admitted, "though none get themselves into quite the...positions he does.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that while Matou is certainly talented enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, often enough, he wouldn’t be facing the jaws of defeat in the first place if it wasn’t for one of his prior actions,” Lockhart explained. “It is well and good to be able to deal with things when your back is up against the wall, but finding one’s back against the wall is unfortunately all too common with Matou. Even as skilled as he is, this is an issue, since all it takes is one time when you are not skilled enough, not fast enough, not clever enough, to fall – especially with no one to watch his back..."

"No!" Rin exclaimed, with Lockhart raising an eyebrow as the girl stood from the table and slammed her hands on it. "I mean...he's not alone," she added, her face reddening as she sat down. "I...he has me."

"Oh?" Lockhart inquired with some interest, raising an eyebrow. “If anyone, I rather thought he had Miss Lovegood,” he pointed out. “You have met her, I assume?”

"Y-yes, but…he promised to walk beside me!” Rin exclaimed, bringing one hand to her chest. “To watch my back - just as I would watch his," she said, looking away.

“And have you?”

“Have I…?”

“Have you been there, to watch his back when he is in danger?" the man asked mildly. "From what you've said, you've diligently kept to your studies while he has been out there, risking his life. With all due respect, Miss Tohsaka, your actions don’t seem to be those of one of his trusted comrades."

"I..."

“Or am I wrong, Mister Matou?” Lockhart asked, turning around a moment before Rin heard a sound.

She turned, only to see Mashu leading a rather frail and exhausted-looking Matou Shinji down the stairs. The sight of this, of Shinji leaning against the maid, his arm wrapped snugly around her shoulders, seeming exhausted and dazed, set off alarm bells in her mind, as her thoughts went wild, her imagination seething at what it imagined must have transpired above.

Matou was…wearing something different this time though. A rather dangerous looking garment, -something like a catsuit covered by a trenchcoat, with…was that prana leaking from it?

What kind of outfit?

‘…is that whole thing some kind of Mystic Code?’ she found herself wondering, struck dumb by why he needed such a thing just to come down the stairs. ‘WHAT WERE THEY DOING UP THERE?!’

Even as she was gaping at the two of them and how shameless that hussy of a maid was being, Mashu helped Matou over to a chair and eased him down into it, before moving to stand behind him supportively, with Rin looking between the two, wide-eyed.

She longed to simply rush over to him, or to demand to know what was going on, but...she couldn't, not in front of a guest.

Not with Mashu watching her every move either, those eyes looking at her as if they found her wanting.

"Matou Shinji. It has been some time," Lockhart greeted, while Rin was still deciding how to react.

"Mashu said you had an offer for me, Professor?" the boy stated bluntly, not in any mood to deal with the Assassin's usual circumlocutions or lectures. "Or is it ‘First Citizen’ now?"

"Technically, First Citizen, though you are welcome to simply call me Mentor."

"I’ll pass, thanks," Shinji grunted, shaking his head. "The offer then, First Citizen?"

"Down to business I see," the man noted. He glanced over towards Rin. " Miss Tohsaka, if we could have a bit of privacy...? As pleasant as your company has been, I'm afraid Mister Matou and I have some delicate matters to discuss."

"...do I really have to have to leave?" Rin asked, looking at Shinji plaintively. "I...I promised to walk beside you. Are you...making me go when…" She glared at Mashu. “when she doesn’t have to go?”

"I...no, I'm not making you..." the boy's trailed off as he felt a treacherous stab of guilt, as her words echoed those of the Tohsaka from the Trial of Courage. "You can stay."

"...thank you."

Tohsaka beamed at his response, with a smile seemingly bright enough to light up all of Shinjuku, making the boy swallow as he remembered another moment from that Trial, remembered how she’d looked at him just before—

"So, the offer, then?" he said brusquely, trying not to think about the various…aerobic activities that had followed.

"Very well,” the man acknowledged solemnly. “Matou Shinji, given what you managed at the Ministry, I would like to extend an invitation to you to join the Home Guard of Albion as one of its first squad leaders."

"Albion...?" Shinji muttered. He knew that this was an old name for Britain, but why was it coming up now?

"Ah yes, that's right - you don't know," Lockhart said pleasantly. "The short version of the story is Wizarding Britain is currently divided into two factions. One of course is controlled by and loyal to the Ministry. The other is attempting to remove Britain from the Ministry’s influence, as it believes the Ministry to be an illegitimate government, which has failed to uphold the social contract in many, many ways, with the last straw being how it abandoned every citizen in Magical London to die, without even so much as attempting to save even a single person.”

“These…rebels,” Shinji surmised. “They call themselves Albion.”

“Yes.”

"With you as First Citizen," the boy grunted, shaking his head. "…I remember you once said you wouldn’t mind that the Minister of Magic job. So you finally obtained the position."

"Well, the position is more like that of a Chairman of a Council of Magic, than a Minister," Lockhart corrected, with Shinji's eyebrows rising expressively. “Still, I admit there are some similarities.”

"I see," the boy said, trying to fight the urge to rub his temples. So far, he was winning. So far. "Who was behind the attack, if you can say?"

"Publicly, it is believed to be Grindelwald, given that he appeared in London. However, a mutual…acquaintance of ours tells me that the one behind it was a certain...Voldemort."

"...this acquaintance wouldn't happened to be named Peverell, would it?"

"Why yes, yes, he would be," the man said easily, the corners of his lips pulling upwards. "He has been quite an asset in training the goblins for war.”

“Goblins…?”

“Well, someone had to repel the army of inferi, giants, and dark wizards,” Lockhart explained reasonably. “They didn’t all attack the Ministry, you know.”

“…I see.”

“In any case, Grindelwald is dead. The wraith of Voldemort, however - that, unfortunately escaped."

"Grindelwald is...?" the boy blinked. He frowned. "How?"

Lockhart only smiled.

"No..." the boy breathed. "That..."

But the tension was broken as Tohsaka fell out of her seat, with all three people in the room turning to look at her, one with disapproval, one curiously, and one with surprise.

"W-wait, so you're like a Prime Minister or something?" she goggled, as she picked herself up, her face utterly red with embarrassment. "And you...you came to visit Matou? To give him a job?" She swallowed. “You…you told me you were one of his professors!”

"I did not lie – I was one of his professors,” the Assassin said simply. “As for the position, I never asked for the title, but it seems I bear its burden, yes," he admitted. "And so, having found myself in this position after...organizing the defense of London, I find myself looking for good help."

"And you think I'm 'good help?'" the boy asked, almost scoffing. "When you already have a goblin army and Tomas?” He shook his head. “I’m just an above-average practitioner of witchcraft.”

He was no diplomat, nor did he enjoy paperwork, so why did Lockhart want him around?

"Is that what you call single-handedly holding back an entire army so that nearly every employee of the Ministry could escape to safety in Hogsmeade?" Lockhart inquired sharply. "Being of little use?" His laugh had a bit of an edge to it. “Truly you are funny sometimes – and not always because you try to be.”

“How do you…?”

“Well, even if Miss Kyrielite hadn’t told me, it is all over the papers,” the First Citizen stated. “The Hero of the Ministry, they are calling you.”

Rin looked at the boy with wide, worshipful eyes, seeming awestruck by Shinji's deeds – especially when the next words out of his mouth weren't a denial.

"…they must have managed to evacuate many more than they thought they would if the newspaper is calling me a hero," the boy asked, with Lockhart inclining his head.

"Oh, they did. The log in the Department of Transport shows that much, even if the rest of the Floo system has been shut down," the man stated. “Perhaps one in thirty died? The rest are alive, thanks to you.”

"I...that's great," the boy sighed, bemused by the fact that the Ministry actually was allowing the papers to portray him as being heroic. "I'm glad." He paused then, realizing that perhaps saying this in the presence of the head of the anti-Ministry faction of Britain was...not actually a wise idea. That in fact, it was probably a bad idea.

At least, it would have been, had the leader been someone other than Gilderoy Lockhart.

"I am as well, frankly," Lockhart agreed unexpectedly, with Shinji looking at the man in surprise. "Human lives are a precious thing in a country that has already suffered so much." He shook his head. "Which is why I come to you with the offer of a commission. The public currently thinks of you as a hero – even if one with monstrous powers. As such, I would like to bring you under my banner, to reassure people in the areas I control that they will be protected, even if they do not agree with me – or with Albion. That should something threaten London once more, you will be there to stop it."

"I can't do it alone," the boy replied at once. "Even holding back those people. Those giants...it almost destroyed me. I came face to face with Death, you know?" The boy swallowed, shaking his head. "Protecting an entire city, or more...? How...?"

"Well, I'm not asking you to do it alone," the Assassin noted reasonably. "As a squad leader in the Home Guard, you would command a group of individuals whose abilities would complement yours, so that hopefully the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts.”

“Ah, but—”

“You have seen how a group can do much more than a single individual,” Lockhart continued. “And if you are asking why I wish to recruit you when I have a goblin army, well…one can’t use that army for everything.”

“Is this one of those PR things?”

“Indeed,” the man agreed. “They’re worse at it than even you are – which is quite an achievement, I must say. And for some of the things I have in mind…they’re not entirely suitable. Most of them anyway.”

“I would get to choose my own squad?” Shinji inquired.

“Yes. I am happy to suggest members for you, but I will leave the final composition to you."

The boy nodded. If he didn’t have that much, he wouldn’t want to join, but with that concession…

"What's in it for me then?" he asked.

"Besides a very generous stipend for you and your squadmates, courtesy of the goblins?" Lockhart inquired, with a slight smile. In his experience, if someone asked about compensation, it means they were basically amenable to what he had in mind. "The chance to learn leadership in a very practical setting. Specialized training in…a number of exotic arts that I would not grant otherwise. And of course, the chance to make something of yourself, beyond any accolades you may feel you don't deserve. To learn who you truly are and become all that you can be."

The boy nearly flinched at that last line.

"When I was young, Matou, I was much like you,” he added, his voice almost subdued. “Someone who was ambitious and clever, but who never quite fit in Britain. Who never thought of himself as good enough. It was why I sought validation from so many others, stirred up so much trouble. But one day, the old man who would become my mentor offered me a chance to become something more. To make something of myself," he related. "What do you think I did?"

"You took a leap of faith."

Lockhart paused, momentarily surprised by the exact turn of phrase Shinji had used, but recovered quickly.

"I did indeed. Doing that – learning what I did from that experience, it changed me. Were it not for his offer..." the man sighed. "Who knows. Perhaps I would be no more than a fraud today, taking credit for things I did not do, and floundering as I tried to convince the world around me that I knew what I was doing – that I was perfectly in control." The adventurer shook his head. "I'm making you this offer not just because you would be useful, but because I think you could use it. Because I think you find yourself in a place similar to where I was, many years ago."

"Oh," the boy said, trying to digest this piece of information. He...he had trouble believing Lockhart had ever been like that – had ever been insecure about himself or unsure of what he wanted, but...he didn't think the man was lying. "And who would you suggest for my squad, if I were to take the offer?"

"Well, Hilde of course - she would be useful for a variety of things, given her nature," the Assassin noted. "And—"

"Me!" Rin interjected, with all the others in the room turning to her in the wake of her outburst. "I mean...let me join you?" she added in a very small voice. "I...the last time you went away by yourself...when you said you might die I...I didn't know what would do. I had nightmares. Terrible nightmares. Please...let me go with you. Let me stay by your side, Matou..."

The boy looked to Lockhart, who seemed to shrug.

"As I said, I would leave the final composition of the squad to you, so the choice is yours."

"Please?" Tohsaka pleaded. "I'll...I'll do anything you want, so..."

"...I'll take the offer," the boy said, not really feeling like he had a choice, not when Mashu had implicitly endorsed the man earlier by suggesting the offer was something that could keep him busy over the next year. That, and he truly was in a bad place right now, so if the more experienced adventurer could help, he would take what he could. "And yes, you can join me, Tohsaka."

The boy was surprised to learn that it was in fact possible for someone to squee with delight, when Tohsaka essentially launched herself at him, hugging him tightly – so tightly it made his ribs hurt.

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthan—"

Tohsaka's squeeing was interrupted by a cough, with the girl looking up to see Mashu looking at her disapprovingly. Realizing her position, the Japanese girl turned very, very red as she leapt back, almost as if burned.

Lockhart, seeing these antics, only sighed.

"Miss Tohsaka, was it?"

"Y-yes?"

"How would you like to be paid?"

"P-paid?"

"Yes, paid. Mister Matou has an account with the goblins, so we can simply do direct deposit, but what about you? We could open an account, set up a credit line for you, offer you payment in kind, or pay in something more tangible."

"More tangible?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Gold, precious jewels...Miss Tohsaka, you are drooling."

"Oh, I'm...I'll take what Matou does?" she said, flustered. "Or let him decide for me."

"Very well. Matou, if you could come to my office in Vertic Alley at your convenience, we can finalize these arrangements. Failing that, I can leave a copy of the paperwork at Gringotts, as they are running…I suppose it would be Sapient Resources for Albion.”

“Not Human Resources?” Shinji asked, only to feel dumb for asking as he realized that with a goblin army, not everyone would be human.

“We have humans, yes, but they are nowhere near a majority,” Lockhart replied. “In any case, once this is formalized, we can arrange to get you paid, and I can send you off on a mission, hm? For now though, I unfortunately have other business to attend to, so do think about who you might like to work with, and either owl me with any requests, or have the names of who you want to work with in mind when you visit."

"Requests? How would I...” He frowned. “I don’t actually know that many people who aren’t at Durmstrang."

"Well, I will show you some dossiers if you come to my office - or to Gringotts,” the man quipped. “As for everyone being at Durmstrang, why don’t you let me handle that, hm? I have to make some use of the goodwill I’ve gained from slaying Grindelwald in single combat, hm?”

“…single combat?” Rin echoed. “B-but you’re a…”

“A professor? A politician?”

“Yes! How—how is someone like that?”

“You’ll find, Miss Tohsaka, that people are rarely defined by a single position or title. Try to keep that in mind over the course of your assignments. It might just keep you alive.”

---

Choice 68: Mudbutton grunts, acknowledging the boy's answers.

"Good to see you actually believe in Albion's cause," the goblin said, seeming to approve of his decision. "I won't pretend it will be easy, but when have the worthwhile things been easy?"

"A good question," Tomas stated. "Now, Matou, is there anything else you wanted or needed to know? Or will that be all?"

Is there?

[ ] No, that is all
[ ] "Actually, I would like to speak with you privately, sir"
[ ] Ask Mudbutton something (write-in)
[ ] Ask about the large number of foreigners in the streets

Choice 69: For the purposes of assessing what Rin can do, what sort of scenario would be a good first test of Rin's abilities?

[ ] Fighting against a troll
[ ] Fighting against a swarm of acromantulae with a team
[ ] A "Quirrell" scenario involving Azkaban that Lockhart discovered
[ ] A Mini-Trial of Courage
[ ] Something else (write-in)

[Malgos]

A Mini-Trial of Courage.

[skulkidcachi90]

[ ] Fighting against a swarm of acromantulae with a team


[ ] Ask Mudbutton something (write-in): if he would be interested in make Shinji prepare specific potions for His army for the time he live in Wada.

[Skull Leader]

[X] Ask Mudbutton something (write-in)

• Ask if the Goblins have any lore/record of an ancient war between Magic Users vs Sprites and their magic user partners. The War seem to have been nearly forgotten on the wizard side yet the ancient trees remember it happening. The East has remained connected with the sprites but in the west it seems it was lost.

This has been a question that has bugged me since early last book. Maybe the Goblins have perspective on this event. Something that has passed down. A legend. Or maybe a lost art. Anyway having a talk about this gives Shinji a good reason to talk about some of his Japanese knowledge and his fusion ability since they might be interested in that.

Also if we do end up talking to Tomas in private, we might want to reveal the Cabinet connection to Hogwarts. I think Tomas knows of this or at least suspects it since he certainly knows the connection to Japan. But we might want to officially mention it to either him or Lockhart. Cause we still have not.

I am also would like to ask if they have included any other sentient races such as the Centaurs, but I figure that this is not really the moment to ask about that. It will come up at some point fairly soon anyway. Best to ask questions about the mission or my write in. At least that one talks about an time where Sprites and wand users worked together.

[X] Fighting against a swarm of acromantulae with a team

I could really go with any of this scenarios other than the troll. But I do believe that Trial of Courage Rin is just not ready to stay together mentally after facing the hard truth of its trial. Sure it would be super nice for her to become more balanced. But it is risky. I can see her being more ready in a bit. But at this moment we are hitting her with Angry Shinji, Babysitting duty, living with non-humans she has never interacted with before, Boot Camp with Mudbutton, and all the stress of her worries about Shinji and insert girl of the minute (mostly Mashu). And this trial to her and she might break.

Heck the Spiders might break her, but at least she has to work with a team on that one.

[Malorius]

[X] Ask Mudbutton something (write-in): the Goblin nation's vision of the future of Wizard Britain economy, it's overdue renovation and integration into the Muggle/Moonlit World.

Frankly, while lore seems interesting, I am too appalled with the lack of decimal number system in the banking. This... travesty... must go. No, Arimanthy doesn't justify this nightmare. Look at the other countries, there must be some way to change it!

More seriously though, currently Goblin bank is hardly a good investment target, what with it's almost complete obfuscation of inner operations. I want to hear something more substantial then "here there are Goblincorps".

Not expecting it to win, but that's what I'm interested in personally.

[x] A "Quirrell" scenario involving Azkaban that Lockhart discovered

From what I've seen, Quirrell's scenarios are not considered unbeatable because the enemy is impossibly hard to overcome (though that's usually true as well). They are "unbeatable" because everything is organized to be the worst possible set of circumstances against you, the bad luck quadrupled. Yet it always leaves some space for clever workarounds and generally pushes you to make hard choices for the sake of some semblance of victory - instead of, say, blasting everything with an ocean of fire, like the Acromantulae simulation may be resolved. So I'm all for that.

Add here the learning experience of facing Azkaban dwellers, which align much more with Wizard 101 and our future targets, and this looks like the best chance for Rin's learning experience.

[alfheimwanderer]

Choice 68: Ask Mudbutton...

[X] ...if the Goblins have any lore/record of an ancient war between Magic Users vs Sprites and their magic user partners. The War seem to have been nearly forgotten on the wizard side yet the ancient trees remember it happening. The East has remained connected with the sprites but in the west it seems it was lost.
[X] ...the Goblin nation's vision of the future of Wizard Britain economy, it's overdue renovation and integration into the Muggle/Moonlit World.
[X] ...if he would be interested in make Shinji prepare specific potions for His army for the time he live in Wada.

Choice 69: [x] Acromantula Swarm

---

Choice 70: Having been raised as a magus, Matou Shinji knew full well the value of knowledge. And so, when he was presented with the chance to ask what he would of the former Goblin King, the boy decided to take full advantage of it. The Wizar--Tomas, he could talk to at any time, but how often did he have a chance to simply ask anything of as major a figure as Mudbutton seemed to be?

"There is something, actually," the boy who called himself Matou Shinji stated. "But that depends on whether you have a dedicated potioneer attached to your squad."

"We do not in fact," Mudbutton replied, crossing his arms. "Potioneers are in rare supply, given the predilections of most...wizards."

"Then perhaps something I can do for you, if you are willing to answer a question of mine."

"I am listening," the Spectre noted, though he wasn't committing to anything quite yet.

"How would you like it if, for the duration of the time I am at WADA, I put my abilities as a potioneer at your disposal?"

"Admittedly, it would not be a...terrible thing," the goblin acknowledged. "Ask your questions then."

The boy took a deep breath.

"A question of the past, then," he said, with Mudbutton grunting as he nodded. "Do your people remember an...old conflict between humans who used witchcraft?" he asked, recalling what the trees had mentioned about the British fighting a terrible war with one another, with the end result being the departure of the spirits of nature from the isle.

"How long ago?"

"Hundreds of years?" Shinji hazarded. "Probably before the Statute. Maybe just after the Killing Curse was invented."

The former goblin king scowled.

"Ah, you speak of the old days - those before our defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance," he muttered. "It is not a time we remember well, nor one our written records cover."

"...you have no records that go back that far?" Shinji hazarded, blinking. He found that quite unusual, really, given that they should have...something, if only to preserve their knowledge of crafting.

"We have some," the Goblin King noted grudgingly. "A few inscriptions in metal. A few secrets left behind by Artificers - the greatest of us, uncovered, and how we manage to re-create or improve on them."

"The greatest of you?" the boy echoed. "I thought the greatest of the goblins were their Kings?"

"Heh," Mudbutton shook his head. "Above the Kings were the shamans, the keepers of our ancient lore, and above them, the Artificers."

"Artificers?"

"Those who forge the path, the great ones of our kind, who create great and terrible things."

"Like what?"

"Goblin silver. The magic we use to enchant metal. The arts of war we know - all of these were first devised by Artificers."

"...paragons of your race, you could say?"

"Yes."

"And Shamans...?" The boy narrowed his eyes, as he remembered well how powerful a shaman could be from his interactions with Ramona on the island.

"Those who were most gifted, who spoke to the spirits and kept our lore, passing it from master to apprentice."

"...passing how?"

"The stories say they used spirit and memory, but that was long ago. There are no more shamans among my people."

"Why? What happened?"

"The wretched Elves killed them in the war that led to us becoming...like this, at the behest of the diminished Wizards' Council. We have lost much because of the elves - because of men and their treachery."

"By becoming like this..." Shinji noted, narrowing his eyes. "Do you mean, looking like you do now?"

"No," came the instant reply. "We have always looked thus. But after the war, one started by Men, and finished by the elves, may they suffer forever, we were...diminished, our people robbed of their dignity, of our birthright by men who knew not the meanest of the arts of the forge, who understood nothing of the deeper mysteries, who hated and feared us. They took our history from us. The magics of earth and wind and fire we had learned. Let us live only because they coveted the beautiful things we could make." But then he smiled nastily, revealing a mouth full of wickedly sharp teeth. "Even so, at least the trusting, foolish elves suffered more in the end, when those they once protected turned them into slaves."

"By elves...you...you don't mean the house elves?" the boy asked, taken aback. It was true that he'd found armor fit for a house elf before, and that he speculated that humans had subjugated them, but to have it confirmed...

"Yes. That most wretched of races," Mudbutton replied. "Who stood with men, and never even realized that they could be betrayed."

"You hate them."

"Yes. But not more than I pity them," the goblin Spectre noted, closing his eyes. "In short, I cannot tell you of the time before the War. Our people do not remember it. Ask another question."

Shinji blinked.

"...how about a question of the future?" he asked.

"I am no Seer, but I will answer if I can," Mudbutton answered, face looking as if it had been carved out of stone.

"Well, how do I put this..." the boy temporized, frowning, as he tried to phrase his query in a way that made sense and wasn't offensive, since he was not the best with money matters. "What do you see as the future of Albion in terms of...money and all? And this whole Goblin corporation business..."

Mudbutton grunted.

"Worried about your pay?" he asked bluntly.

"...not just that, but yes," Shinji admitted, thinking that honesty probably went over better with the goblins as opposed to pretty words. "I've traveled to different places in the world, as you know, and I can't help but think that...things won't last as they are in Britain. Not with the odd currency, and...everything."

"You're not wrong," Mudbutton replied. "Even before things got...worse after the Quidditch Cup Incident, the economy of Magical Britain was in a bad spot. After, when the Ministry nationalized things and made money almost worthless..."

"Ah..."

"I am no financier. I am no banker. I was a King, chosen because I was the best crafter of my people - save for the Artificer," the goblin growled. "Even so, I can see how this isolated state of things is...not good, and even when it wasn't, the oddness of Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons does not help commerce."

Shinji himself could see that much - when there were 29 Knuts in one Sickle, and 17 Sickles in a Galleon, the math wasn't at all simple for either business owners or customers.

"So, currency reform, then?" he asked. "A New Galleon or something."

"Possibly, if properly decimalized," Mudbutton confirmed. "There are some other possibilities under consideration, with one of the most ambitious being a unified currency for Magical Europe, though the First Citizen does not see such as immediately viable."

"A unified..." Shinji blinked. "How would that even work? What would it be backed by?" Would each government have to have a reserve of precious metals and gems, or a similar economic policy? Would there have to be some kind of economic union, or some kind of supranational group to determine monetary policy? "For that matter, what is our current currency backed by?"

"The Ministry's currency, by their word. Albion's...at present, a reserve of American dollars and precious metals."

"American dollars?" Shinji echoed, blinking. "Those...can't just be duplicated?"

"Not magically," the goblin noted with something like a smile. "They do some wonderful things with paper."

"Huh," Shinji grunted. "Why not Fr--ah, right, the propaganda. People still fear and hate France and others on the Continent."

"Yes." The Americans, on the other hand, were more of an unknown, and had no reason to be involved in British politics, nor the ability to reach there by magical means, so far as the average person knew. They were also native English speakers, and so they were likely seen as safer, even if they had their own weird quirks.

"They're a big investor in Gobcorp, aren't they? The Americans, I mean."

"Yes. They have made some promises, but time will tell if they are more trustworthy than any other wizards." Mudbutton went quiet for a moment. "You've met some, yes?"

"I have."

"What was...what were they like?" Mudbutton inquired, unable to hide a note of longing in his voice.

What does Shinji tell him? (choose up to two)

[ ] Tell him of Ramona - her battle capabilities, her personality, her nature
[ ] Tell him of Elesa, the "model" with whom he explored the island
[ ] Tell him of Rebekah, the President's assistant
[ ] Tell him of Eugenia, Elesa's mysterious secretary, who he met briefly - and who, reminds him a bit of Miss Suoirtsulli
[ ] (write-in)

Choice 71: And should Tohsaka face this threat alone, with Shinji by her side, or with a group of virtual assistants?

[ ] Alone
[ ] With Shinji (real)
[ ] With Shinji (virtual, limited to using [write in restrictions])
[ ] With a team (drawn from the book)

[Daiki]

[x] Tell him of Rebekah, the President's assistant
[x] Tell him of Ramona - her battle capabilities, her personality, her nature

[x] With a team (drawn from the book)

[Malorius]

[x] Tell him of Rebekah, the President's assistant

*shudders*

The most dangerous creature we have met so far. Worthy of fear, that one. Also, someone like her would be the type to make deals with the goblins, so.

[Skull Leader]

[X] Tell him of Ramona - her battle capabilities, her personality, her nature

Elesa is not someone I want Shinji to talk about, since really any knowledge on her is suppose to be classified. Shinji should not expose her cover ID. I don't trust Shinji to give a good honest impression of Rebekah...he would not just come off as a fool for trusting her. Shinji does not know Rebekah really. Since he had the talk about lost knowledge on Shamanism, might as well talk with Mudbutton about the one Shamen he knows.

[X] With virtual 3rd Year Stonecutters including Shinji (limited to how they were back in the fight against the Spiders.)

That should give a good impression of danger to Rin. Have her see the event the stonecutters fight in their last hurrah before it broke up. See the truth that for all the power of Shinji and Luna, for all the hard work of the Stonecutters, for all the prepwork down...it was in the end all for not. I think that event down with her being an addition to the stonecutters (hey rookie) would give Rin a window in what she has been told about and has created a false image of. Sure the scenario would reinforce the Shinji is awesome!(TM) but it comes with watching Lockhart and the Centaurs having to save them in the end. If nothing else she gets to see what Wizards are capable of doing even if the stonecutters are not top tier in 3rd year due to age.

While I am sure Rin's presence as a fellow "stonecutter rookie" would change a bit of the events, I doubt Rin would make the differcent in her current state to cause the Lockhart save to not need to happen. And my god would Rin freak out to that moment. Also it a nice think I think to have Rin see a weaker Shinji (even if he is super strong then) when she can later compare the difference with the current Shinji and the old one. She gets to see that he worked hard and grew. Just like she wants to do.

[skulkidcachi90]

[X] With virtual 3rd Year Stonecutters including Shinji (limited to how they were back in the fight against the Spiders.)

[x] Tell him of Rebekah, the President's assistant
[x] Tell him of Ramona - her battle capabilities, her personality, her nature

[Malorius]

[X] With virtual 3rd Year Stonecutters including Shinji (limited to how they were back in the fight against the Spiders.)

Sure, why not. If we are going for spiders, may as well make this thing as authentic as possible.

[alfheimwanderer]

Choice 70: [x] Tell him of Rebekah, the President's assistant; [x] Tell him of Ramona - her battle capabilities, her personality, her nature

Choice 71: [X] With virtual 3rd Year Stonecutters including Shinji (limited to how they were back in the fight against the Spiders.)

---

Choice 72: With all of the Stonecutters from that year, or in place of one of them?

[ ] With all of them
[ ] Replacing...

[ ] Hillard
[ ] George
[ ] Fred
[ ] Harry
[ ] Luna

Choice 73: With preparations, discussions with High Command, and such out of the way, it is time for the mission to begin. Shinji, who feels a bit underequipped, (currently using Touko underarmor, The Yew and Phoenix Feather wand, Potions satchel, Parchment + Ink, and Hidden Blade under his Nines disguise - featuring the Cord of Stubborn Resolve as a belt) and a somewhat uneasy Lumi Edelfelt (Tohsaka Rin), wearing a more professional ensemble than she normally prefers (Illuminati Outfit and Jade Scarab Shinji had loaned to her, as well as an Azoth Dagger and a set of dark leather gloves, one adorned with an iridescent scale, and one with a topaz) set off for Diagon Alley, heading to the Orphanage, where the children were ready to be escorted to WADA.

In total, there are 12 children - 13 including Hilde - who have no living relatives in the UK who would be able to take them in. Six are muggleborn, and are 11 years old - just old enough to have received a Hogwarts acceptance letter, with their parents - and the teacher who escorted them, all having been killed in the Battle of London. The remaining children are halfbloods and purebloods, with the youngest of them being 9-year old Grim Fawley (of the pureblood Fawley family), and the oldest being 13 year old Penelope Padgett, a former Slytherin whose parents (who had lived in Diagon Alley, running one of the stores there) had withdrawn her from Hogwarts after her two years, electing to complete her instruction on their own rather than have their child be sent to Durmstrang for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Among the other notables was Mafalda Prewett, a 12 year old cousin of the Weasleys whose parents (a Squib and a Muggle) had chosen to defer attendance at Hogwarts for a year (as their closest wizarding relatives - the Weasleys - had suffered grievously in the wake of the Cup), and had instead attended Charm School in Diagon Alley to get her used to the expectations and customs of the Wizarding World (as well as learning a few basic charms).

Hilde, of course, was posing as Perdita, one of the Muggleborn, and someone who was more or less the one they looked up to, as she always seemed to know what to say to get various adults to do things.

'Off to WADA, huh...I guess it makes sense - Magical Britain never really had much of a support system for orphans.' Mostly, such children were sent to the closest living relative or shipped off to a Muggle institution, but after Lockhart had taken over as First Citizen, one of the first things he had done was to use his personal fortune to pay for orphanages and to subsidize the medical needs of the survivors of the Battle of London, a move that had earned him no small amount of good will.'WADA already has dorms and facilities - and other children around.'

Of course, it had never been the biggest or wealthiest school around, as those who attended it had generally been purebloods with little in the way of ambition, or who strongly desired a career in the arts (despite how unlikely it was one could make something of themselves). There was a complex, yes, but it was effectively several rennovated townhouses put together, around a courtyard.

It wasn't even in Diagon Alley, being located instead in Southbank, near the theatre district of London, which meant they probably couldn't just walk over.

And with the Floo Network down, that old standby is unfortunately unusable.

How will they get there?

[ ] Take a Portkey - it will get everyone there quickly, with no chance of interception
[ ] Take the Tube - public transport is fairly convenient for large numbers of people
[ ] Public transport seems risky - request the assistance of Jeeves from the black car service
[ ] (write-in)

[skulkidcachi90]

[ ] With all of them
[ ] Public transport seems risky - request the assistance of Jeeves from the black car service

[Skull Leader]

[X] With all of them
[X] Public transport seems risky - request the assistance of Jeeves from the black car service

Portkey is just going to make people sick from Portkey sickness given there age. Plus if the ministry was going to stop this, that is the transportation method they would plan for and could stop the easiest. It is fast so the window is small, but if they are ready they can stop it cold.

The Tube would work for me except there is 15 childeren in total cause Shinji and Rin are not considered adults in the muggle world. So it can't be looked at like its a school group espcially when it is all not the same age. Someone is going to stop them at the muggle level. And you can't magic your way out of that without breaking the SoS which Lockhart is going to frown at.

Jeeves is not the perfect solution but getting two limosines or a van here might be the best method to move everyone safely to WADA. The fancy limo can be explained away with Rin's cover ID being rich. Granted side cover takes a hit with Rin being in the goblin barracks and not a private room. But at least if they get split into two vechcles we have two escorts here (Rin/Shinji).

[Malorius]

[X] With all of them

(I'll just be a lazy crow and copy paste reasoning from Discord.)

Thing is, since we are going Acromantulae route, my focus shifts from strictly making it a learning experience to also showing the Stone Cutters. All of them.

Its important to give her a context before she learns of their downfall.

[alfheimwanderer]

Choice 72: [x] With all of Them
Choice 73: [x] Public transport seems risky - request the assistance of Jeeves from the black car service

---

Choice 74: The children have met him before of course, remembering him as Makar, though he tells them that his friends call him Nines. When asked what his enemies call him, he merely says that there are words not fit for young ears - to which Penelope says that he doesn't look much older than the rest of them.

How does he introduce himself (and Rin) to them?

He is:
[ ] ...their bodyguard
[ ] Lumi's bodyguard
[ ] A fellow student, assigned to mentor them
[ ] Their temporary guardian/tutor, assigned by the First Citizen
[ ] (write-in)

Lumi is:
[ ] ...a bodyguard (mercenary from the north)
[ ] A noblewoman who will be their guardian temporarily
[ ] A senior student, assigned to mentor them
[ ] His assistant
[ ] (write-in)

And regarding his age, he is...

[ ] Older than he looks
[ ] Going to let them think what they want

Choice 75: Aside from just watching the children, does he intend to interact with them in other ways? Depending on what he tells them he is, this could be an excellent opportunity to reinforce his cover.

[ ] Offer tutoring in Potions
[ ] Offer tutoring in some other topic
[ ] Offer himself as someone to talk to, if they have a concern or something on their minds
[ ] Introduce them to Gobstones (his mother was on the Hogwarts Gobstones Team - how bad could it be?)
[ ] (write-in)

Choice 76: Does he pay special attention to any of the children?

[ ] Penelope - she's almost his age, and went to Hogwarts for a couple years. He's curious what her perspective is, and what it was like being homeschooled.
[ ] Mafalda - she's related to the Weasleys, and he's interested to know what she's heard of happenings in Britain
[ ] Grim - as the youngest child, he seems somewhat anxious, eyes always looking at everything as if it might harm him
[ ] The Muggleborns - who are stranded in this brave new world
[ ] No. The children aren't really his mission - they're just his cover. It's not his place to get too deeply involved

[Daiki]

[x] Their temporary guardian/tutor, assigned by the First Citizen.

I'd rather they take him seriously and defer to him as a figure of authority.

Also, credits where it's due in order to make sure they know Lockhart is their benefactor - and not the current Ministry - whose people could very much lie to these children in order to lure them on their side. In a scenario where ministry folks under guise inflitrate WADA and try to gain them to their cause - like having them play spy on us - it could be a vital thing.

[x] His assistant.

That's plenty enough without having to add extra lies into the mix.

If Shinji has to give orders to Rin in front of the kids, it will not look surprising even if she is still a "noble". As his assistant, she is meant to follow his guidance. Like if a pureblood teacher at Hogwarts was ordered around by the muggleborn headmaster, nothing really strange about that.

[x] Older than he looks.

If there are aging potions, surely there must be some that do the opposite out there.

[x] Introduce them to Gobstones (his mother was on the Hogwarts Gobstones Team - how bad could it be?)

I leave Hilde the role of confident, as a fellow "kid" herself, she has a better standing to fill that purpose. Kids don't tell everything to adults / figures of authority after all.

That option still leaves room to bonding with some however - something Shinji might not think he needs, but that may help relieve some stress as well. Also gaining trust with the kids over time isn't a bad thing either.

[Skull Leader]

[X] Nines- Their temporary guardian/tutor, assigned by the First Citizen
[X] Lumi - His assistant

Shinji is in charged cause otherwise things are going to get harder cause I doubt Rin is capable of running things.

[x] Older than he looks

Either works but if we are going to go mentor/guardian for Shinji, it behoves us to say he is older than he looks.

[X] Offer tutoring in some other topic

Shinji got a lot of skills he could teach them. Besideds the standard skills like Charms, Transfiguration. He can teach them Yin magic, elemental magic. But I am good with Potions if people prefer that. At least with Potions everyone can learn it, but Hermione is the big issue if he teaches Potions. Shinji and Hermione share the same source of a lot of their potion knowledge with Burge.

[X] Grim - as the youngest child, he seems somewhat anxious, eyes always looking at everything as if it might harm him