The Great Hall now sat completely silent. Soot nodded, “That’s right. The people responsible for the attack last year have threatened the Tri-Wizard tournament. The professors and Headmasters have all agreed that this unification between our three sister schools should and will go on.” Cheers rang out again. Soot held out his hand. “As a security measure for the tournament. The President of Macusa has said that it cannot go on without the Dementors' guard. Despite having many powerful witches and wizards, such as the Hogwarts Headmaster, Harry Potter, and our very own Phoenix Wolfe and Pan Palmer.”

  “And you, Headmaster!” someone shouted out.

  Soot chuckled, “I was trying to be humble, and you ruined it.” He waved his hand. Laughs rang out. “Anyway, please, for your safety. When the sun goes down, please stay inside the castle. And the Dementors will have no reason to harm you.”

  Somehow, River doubted that.

  “Back to the Tri-Wizard,” Soot continued. “Our sister schools from England and Japan will arrive on October first. And that night, we will introduce the Goblet of Fire, which you will have once a week on October 8th. To put your name into the Goblet of Fire for a chance at eternal glory. But here’s the catch. Only students of age can enter the tournament. Meaning, 16 and up can enter per request of the Magical Congress of the United States.”

  A ton of groans and upset arguments sprang out.

  “I know, I know. But consider this,” Soot said. “The Tri-Wizard has a reputation for contestants dying. As of the last Tri-Wizard in 1995, with Cedric Diggory, marking the return of Lord Voldemort.” Gasps rang out. “This year will be safe, every event, every competition, every match will be heavily monitored and checked over by every Headmaster, and trusted Aurors and Professors that are experts in identifying the dark arts, such as our Professors Wolfe and Pan. Anyway, enough of this safety talk, it’s boring and downing huh?”

  A few Yeses rang out. Soot chuckled. “Ok, as for the sub competitions between Tri-Wizard events. There will be notifications in your Common Rooms the week of. And there will be competitions of all sorts. We kinda went crazy with them,” he laughed. “From Quidditch matches to Gobstones tournaments. From Herbology competitions to Gnome Chucking. From Potion competitions to Pie Eating contests. It’s going to be a full and action-packed year. But be warned!” he suddenly shifted tones. “If your grades slip, you will not be competing in any competition until they get back up. So don’t think it’s just a school year with fun. You still have classes, homework and tests at the end of the year. Be the great student that I know you can be, and show our sister schools that we are better. Obviously. You don’t want to be seen as the big dummies of the Wizard school’s do you?”

  “NO!” The entire room erupted with instant school pride.

  “Great!” Soot said. “One last thing, as you may have noticed. We have a new Professor with us today. Taking over the role of Potions Professor, the famous Gilderoy Lockhart! A meager applause rang out. River laughed. “Now that all of that news is out of the way, I know I’m starving, are you?” The hall erupted in a loud YES! “Amazing! Now we feast!” With a clap of his hands, the tables erupted in a smorgasbord of food.

  River’s table was buzzing about the Tri-Wizard, Lemon and Cherry already planning on ways to age themselves up magically. River was glad he wasn’t old enough. There was a creeping doubt in his head that it didn’t matter if he was old enough. That, for some reason, his name would be called, and that was the absolute last thing he wanted this year.

  River loaded his plate and began eating. Archie was already planning a potion he was going to make to win the Potion Competition. Down the table, River saw Murphy; she was sitting there, a bit separated from everyone else on the Thunderbird table. Her plate was empty, and she was looking down and small. Something was going on with her. And River got fed up; she was his best friend, and he was going to help.

  After dinner, they were led out of the Great Hall, going to their Houses' dorms. Archie and River were hanging back, watching Murphy shadow Arther and his goons until they had to split off to the Wampus dorms. Murphy hesitated, then split off from her twin brother, shuffling her feet slowly after the Thunderbirds. River and Archie met eyes and nodded. Their plan is going into effect.

  They trailed back behind Murphy, and when they were clear, they rushed to Murphy and grabbed each of her arms and pulled her to a dark nook. She tried to yelp, but River covered her mouth. They pushed her into the nook and pinned her back to the wall, crowding her. Her eyes were red and scared, and filled with tears. Her body seemed small and was trembling.

  “Murph,” River said, holding her arms in place. “You need to tell us what’s going on.”

  “I…I… can’t,” she said in a small, weak voice.

  “You need to!” Archie said. “We are your friends, you got to.”

  “I can’t!” she said louder.

  “Fine,” River rose his wand, pointing it at her. “I’m not too good at this yet, but…” he took a breath, her eyes went wide. He met her eyes.

  “River no!” she said.

  “Legilimens,” River said and suddenly he was falling into her mind.

  Everything was cloudy at first, until he found the feeling of fear and dread. It washed over him like a cold, wet, suffocating blanket. Then he was standing in an alley at night, between houses. Murphy was being held by her collar by her father, who was watching River walk down the dark street that night on their date.

  She was there; she did show up, but her father found out.

  Her father raised his wand, pointing it at River, when River suddenly stopped in the street. “Dad, no!” Murphy whispered in a hushed, scared tone, her voice trembling. There was a loud bang, and River watched himself pull out his wand and aim at the No-Maj man. As the man told River off, he went inside. There was a loud crack as Cyrus Disapparated with Murphy.

  Her memories faded into a new one; she was sitting on a set of large, marbled stairs inside her large mansion. It felt far from home. It felt like a cold prison where she was in solitary confinement. She could hear Cyrus talking to a gruff man. Two large shadows on the floor from the sitting room, where a meeting was taking place.

  “Mildred, come here,” Cyrus’s voice echoed through the cold house. She hesitated and slowly went down the marbled stairs. She turned into the sitting room and saw her father standing there with a squat older man and one of the Clegg brothers. “Since you failed me and were born a disgusting blemish on our family name. I have found a solution. Give me your hand.” Murphy slowly raised her hand, and Cyrus snatched it, putting on a silver ring with the signature of a snake coiled around a wand. He put it on her ring finger. “You will finally make use of our family,” Cyrus said. “You will marry Jett Clegg.”

  “No…” Murphy said, her heart shattering. She reached for the ring and tried to pull it off. But it wouldn’t budge. It was magically stuck on her finger, a permanent reminder of her fate. “No!” Murphy screamed, and River fell out of her mind.

  They were still in the nook. River, frozen, looking at Murphy, tears streaming down his face. “Murph…”

  “What did you see?” Archie asked, looking pale at the tears between River and Murphy.

  River clasped her hand, pulling up the ring. It was a silver band with the Cleggs' family crest: a serpent wrapped around a wand. River tried to pull, but it wouldn’t budge. There were faint scars that wrapped around her finger like a fine string. He rubbed his thumb on them, but couldn’t feel the lines.

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  “River, someone’s coming,” Archie whispered, peeking out of the nook. “It’s your Mom!”

  River jumped out of the nook, making Pan jump. “Damn! Why did you do that!” she shouted. But she froze when she saw River’s pale face. “What is it?”

  River grabbed her hand and pulled her into the nook with Archie and Murphy. Now it was crowded, and they had to bend to get in. River threw Murphy’s hand into Pan’s.

  “River, what the hell are you…” Pan stopped, as she looked at Murphy’s hand. She looked at the ring and her fingers. Then she pulled out her wand and tapped on the ring, muttering something. Suddenly, a fine thread came from the ring, wrapping around Murphy’s finger, matching the scars perfectly, before the light faded. “Tell me what he said, exactly. Don’t leave anything out.”

  Murphy’s mouth cracked open a bit, her voice catching before she spoke in a weak, broken, soft tone. “he said…” she sighed shakily. “Will you, Mildred, vow to stop being a disgrace… then I said, I will. Then he said another, and do you vow to love and serve your future husband when the time comes… and I said… I will…” her voice broke as fresh tears started to fall.

  “Was there anything more?” Pan asked, her face stone serious.

  Murphy shook her head.

  “Is he trying to marry you off to one of the Cleggs’?” Pan asked.

  Murphy nodded, “Jett…”

  Pan rubbed her thumb on Murphy’s hand comfortingly. “Do me a favor?”

  Murphy looked up, confused. Pan looked deeply at Murphy, a flicker of something like… worry with a mix of affection.

  “Spend this entire year being you, try not to think about this ring and the promise with it. Be you, and spend as much time with River and Archie as you can. I will solve your problem. Ok?” Pan said. Murphy blinked, then she nodded slowly. “Good. Just don’t let this eat you. I will solve this.” Pan turned to River, grabbing his shoulder. “I know you might be upset with her. But forget it. She’s your best friend. So spend as much time together as you can this year.” River nodded quickly. Having already forgotten his issues with Murphy.

  “Will someone tell me what is happening?” Archie said.

  “Murphy was forced to put this ring on, to promise herself to Jett Clegg. Which the ring also doubles as an Unbreakable Vow. It’s rare to see an item infused with it.”

  “An Unbreakable Vow…” Archie said. “Man…”

  Pan nodded. “Come on, let’s take you three back to the Common room.” Pan pushed them out of the nook. “Murphy, remember what I told you.

  “To be myself?” Murphy said. Pan nodded. “Ok…” Murphy closed her eyes, and her blonde, neat hair slowly melted into a lime-green pixie cut, with strands of hair strewn every which way.

  “Perfect,” Pan nodded. Murphy’s lips cracked into a smile. They fell into a silence when walking through the dark halls.

  “Mom?” River said. “What is an Unbreakable Vow?”

  “It’s a horrible thing to force onto someone, especially your own daughter. It’s a powerful spell that makes the taker vow to do whatever the initiator tells them to. And if they fail a single vow, they die,” Pan said darkly.

  “You mean Murphy might—”

  “No,” Pan said. “I won't let her. I have a plan, but you need to stay her best friend and spend as much time with her as you can. Can you do that?” Pan said.

  River nodded. And another silence fell over them. Murphy and Archie were ahead of them, talking. Archie was telling her jokes and making her laugh. “Mom?” River said again. “You never told me why I passed out from the Dementor.”

  “Yes, I did, moron,” Pan said. “Dementors live on humans like a parasite. They suck the happiness out of you and amplify any traumatic experience and guilt by pushing the worst moments in your life to the top and amplifying them a thousandfold. Tell me, who at school besides me has had a traumatic experience and, in turn, has intense guilt?”

  “Me…” River said softly.

  “Exactly,” Pan said. “You have intense survivor's guilt. Because you watched Rook die, and couldn’t help her or die with her. And since Dementors guard the guilty. They see your intense guilt, and that’s what makes you pass out and why they will continue to come after you. There is a way to get rid of them.”

  “What is it?” asked River.

  She shook her head. “It’s a powerful spell, which you’d probably get first try… but I can’t do the spell. Not anymore… I have someone who can teach you the spell. I’ll set up a meeting. But it won't be for a while. So just focus on being a boy.” They reached the statue of Chadwick Boot. The adoptive son of Isolt Steward, who founded Thunderbird house. “Sir Francis Drake.”

  Suddenly, the statue came to life, “Ah, Professor Palmer!” Chadwick said. “And my fellow adventurers!” he looked to River, Archie and Murphy. “Welcome back! You may enter!” he stepped down off his marbled pedestal and revealed a dark tunnel behind him. Archie was the first in, then Murphy.

  “Remember to be her friend,” Pan said sternly.

  “Yeah, Mom,” River said, getting annoyed by her persistence. “She’s always been my friend.” River turned and clambered through the tunnel. Then they emerged in the Thunderbird Common Room. Not a single thing has changed from last year, and River finally felt at home.

  A large, open, warm feeling room. Wood from walls to ceiling, carpets from all over the world scattered on the floor like a patchwork quilt. The walls were covered with artifacts and paintings in almost every inch. Louis and Clark are arguing over a map, with Sacagawea sitting down, shaking her head.

  “I told you we should have taken a left!” Louis shouted.

  “No! You pile of dung! We should have taken a right!” countered Clark just as loudly.

  “For the love of Merlin! I told you morons, it was straight!” Sacagawea snapped. “That’s it! I’m going to another painting!” She stood up, stormed off past the edge of the painting and vanished.

  After a couple of seconds, she appeared in a painting with George Washington crossing the Delaware River. She sat on his boat, crossed her arms and pulled a blanket over her.

  “Them again?” George asked.

  “It’s always them!” she shouted.

  “Hey, watch out!” Archie warned a First-Year boy, who moved close to the painting of a stormy ocean. With a sudden splash, the boy was soaked to the bone. “We need to get rid of that painting. Guy’s, where’s the wet floor sign?”

  “Hi, River!” A group of girls waved at him from the old couch and fireplace, then burst into giggles. Murphy rolled her eyes. Passed the old couch, loveseats, and large stone fireplace. Were two mirrored stairs. One to the left for the boys' dorm, and one to the right for the girls' dorm.

  A First-Year boy tried going up the girls' side. The stairs collapsed into a long slide, and he slid down, screaming, crashing to the floor. Laughter rang out. “So that’s what they meant.” He said.

  Quickly, a crowd of students surrounded River. Mostly girls. Ever since River won the Quidditch cup, and won the award of bravery for Ilvermorny. River has become… well. Popular. And that last year, when he was sorting, all four houses picked him. Leading to the front pages of several wizarding papers to start calling him, The Chosen.

  The girls blushed and giggled when River returned their HI’s. The boys quickly started to ask about Quidditch, asking if River was ready to win another Quidditch Cup for Thunderbird, and if he was able to beat the teams of Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro.

  “I heard the Japanese Seeker, Oni Kage, is coming!” Asher said.

  “No way! He beat Jasper in the match earlier this summer!” Dylan said, another roommate of River and Archie.

  “He’s a favorite to win the Quidditch World Cup next year!” Javi said, the final roommate of River and Archie.

  “Hi River,” Maggsie Gaunt said, a dark-haired girl the same year as River. “I tried your candy, it is really good.” She blushed scarlet.

  “Thank you,” River smiled. Maggsie’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fell back into her friend's arms. “Uh… is she ok?”

  “Yeah, this happens when she gets too excited,” Nora Pough, a Second-Year, said, pulling Maggsie back to a chair. “She’ll be ok.”

  “Aren't you popular?” Murphy said with a side eye.

  “What can I say?” River smirked. “The chicks dig me.” Murphy punched River in the stomach and walked away.

  “Moron!” she stormed up the girls' side of the dorms.

  “Hi, River!” Another group of girls came up to him, holding out chocolates.

  Eventually, River got through the crowd and found his dorm room. A round room made of wood, with six beds inside. The river’s bed was against the straight-ahead wall coming from the door. His trunk was already there, sitting at the foot of his bed on the floor, his Monster Spark resting against the wall, and his bird, Sorona, sitting on a perch, grooming her shiny black feathers.

  “Hello, beautiful,” River smiled, reaching up and rubbing her chin. Her purple eyes closed as she let him scratch her. “Sorry about making you fly here, didn’t think there would be a storm like this.” Sorona croaked. River pulled out a small bag of dried fruits, and he gave her a large helping as an apology. “You are so beautiful.” He pet her back as she picked at the dried fruit.

  The dorm room door opened, Archie came in, followed by Javi, Dylan and Asher. They were laughing. “Hey, River!” Asher said, noticing River. “Beat us here, huh? I guess getting all that attention from so many hot girls sure gets exhausting. Send some our way, and we’d help.”

  “Yeah!” Javi laughed. “We don’t want you so tired when all those Quidditch matches start. The girls from Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro will be all over you, too. Guaranteed. That’s too many girls, they’ll swallow you up.”

  “Might as well send some our way to help ease the burden,” laughed Dylan.

  “Shut up,” River said, blushing slightly. They changed into their PJs and spent the rest of the night laughing and eating candy. Eventually, River lay back and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.