CHAPTER TWENTY

THERE WAS FIRE IN HIS EYES as he looked at me then, the Durmstrang looked as though he was a carved bust unearthed then and there, his muscles of stone as every nerve in him seemed to tighten and tighten. I could almost hear the creaking of his bones if I tried hard enough, in his firm knuckles, in his neck, in his face as his jaw shook with pressure.

What would it matter to him were I to listen to vinyls with Oliver Wood? Perhaps he saw me as a criminal, a witch with cursed blood who shouldn't be allowed to live and do anything humane anymore. Who was he to decide if I breathed or not? I could strike this Bulgarian lump of muscle down with a flick of my hand, and he wouldn't realize until his chest was empty of air and blood. Merlin, it was so tempting. My wrist ached, wanting to be used, runes flipping like pages of a fashion magazine on my tongue—each pattern different and deadlier than the next.

Suddenly a loud wavering cry sounded in the air, a piercing hawk that I recognized at once, my will submitting to it immediately. I looked up, to spot the form of Professor Basil in the air as he swooped down towards us, his eyes singularly fixed on me. I read his clear disapproval in them. He had been seeking me out, and seemed disappointed at me not having been there.

He approached, his wings resulting in waves of heavy winds as he lowered himself and clamped his talons on the dark balustrade of the tower terrace. He wrapped his wings close, then his eyes moved from me to Oliver Wood and Viktor Krum, as he tried to read the situation. I felt humiliation creep up inside me at being found here with the two students—neither of them from Beauxbatons. Professor Basil was brutal with his observations, he was strict with his views, and straight forward with his disregard whenever he found the need to express it.

Wood and Krum were startled at my Professor appearing so suddenly. Perhaps, their teachers did not like the element of surprise like mine seemed to.

"Dominique," Professor Basil turned his yellow eyes to me, his tone sharp. "Vous ne devriez pas être ici."

"Yes, professor," I started, lowering my head. "I—I couldn't sleep so I—"

"I did not ask. I am simply telling you," He cut in, glancing at Viktor Krum and Oliver Wood again. "I hope I do not need to remind you of the required appropriate behavior befitting a Beauxbatons student in this situation."

I swallowed, shaking my head. I had learnt rules like those on my fingertips since my second year. Excuse yourself from every scene that drains you of your energy more than necessary. Basically, just don't whore around.

"On an urgent note, the reason I have been looking for you," Professor Basil spoke again, clearing his throat and switching to English. He wanted Wood and Krum to understand what he had to say as well. 

"One of our students, Maximilian Toussaint, has been missing for more than twenty four hours. Agilbert Fontaine requires all participants of the Huntlock in the Grand Hall at once."

My stomach dropped. What?

"At once, Dominique," Professor Basil emphasized, his stern eyes on me, and I nodded hastily.

Then, unclamping his talons, he raised his form into the air flapping his wings. Then with one last glance thrown my way, Professor Basil flew away towards the castle building.

I quickly turned, my heart pounding in my chest as I hurried to the stairs, pushing past Viktor Krum's form as I hastened down the stairs. I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't look back, relying on my feet as quickly as they could carry me as I ran across the moon washed courtyard and into the castle building.

Maximilian Toussaint is missing? I swallowed a dry lump in my throat. I hadn't even bothered to acknowledge either of my Beauxbatons peers. It felt like I hadn't spoken to Elias in so long, I hadn't even seen Jean Dubois or Gabriel Chevrolet around in a while. At Beauxbatons, not a day went by without me seeing either of the faces I was used to. The castle had always felt so small because of that very reason, despite it being a fortress. I felt wretched suddenly, I felt I was sitting in my selfish agony and nothing else had penetrated my walls but that.

I burst into the Grand Hall, Viktor Krum and Oliver Wood hot on my heels as they followed in quickly after. The candles were all lit, the hall was gleaming as though there wasn't an ungodly hour of the night commencing outside. Durmstrangs, Hogwarts students, Beauxbatons students, and Ilvermorny students—all Huntlock participants, were all lined up ahead. Behind the podium stood Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine, and behind him were figures of Madame Maxime, standing tall and heavy, beside Igor Karkaroff and Dumbledore.

I hastened to join Bridgette, Elias and Gabriel as they looked at me. Bridgette threaded her arm through my elbow, concern etched into her delicate features. Elias was frowning as he offered me an empathetic nod, and Gabriel Chevrolet looked more inconvenienced than concerned as he whispered something to Jean Dubois.

"Now that all students have joined us," Agilbert Fontaine's tone was curt as he brought his hands together. "We must inquire once more if anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Beauxbatons' Maximilian Toussaint."

I blinked, my brows furrowing. They were asking us? Nobody spoke up as the Ilvermorny headmaster waited, his eyes rounding up on every Huntlock participant briefly.

Igor Karkaroff cleared his throat, his stern form taking a step forward as his lips twitched. "I think we have established, Fontaine, that the student's whereabouts are not known amongst the participants."

"Someone has got to know something," Madame Maxime's voice flooded in, disbelief etched in her tone. "Il n'est pas possible qu'ils ne sachent pas."

Karkaroff pursued his lips, not bothering to offer her a glance. He would have to look up to do so, a feat that I assumed seemed demeaning to him, considering the giantess that was the Beauxbatons' headmistress.

"If I may, Headmaster Fontaine," Dumbledore's round voice came as he lifted a finger and stepped forward, small eyes shining obliviously under half moon spectacles. "It isn't the first time a student has gone missing. In the last few days, I mean."

I held back a scoff. He was trying to be vague, but he knew the point he was making, and so did everyone else.

"Viktor Krum," Agilbert Fontaine turned to the participants, his eyes venturing over to the Durmstrangs. "Step up, please."

I turned to glance at the Durmstrang, as he turned his shoulder to slip past the front two of his peers. He came forwards, slowly making his way towards Agilbert Fontaine, and stopping a feet away in front of the podium the Ilvermorny Headmaster was standing erect behind. I exhaled slowly. The Bulgarian seeker held himself high, his hands behind his back as his shoulders stood broad, eyes fixed ahead. Something twisted in the pit of my stomach, a feeling other than the torturous anxiety that was embedding itself in my veins, making space for it beside my flowing blood.

"Were you not aware, Viktor Krum, that students leaving Ilvermorny grounds without permission or a notice provided beforehand of an express emergency, is strictly prohibited?"

Agilbert Fontaine's expression had tightened, and his tone was accusing. I hadn't realized a Headmaster such as him could be firm, for he had seemed anything but firm when he had first welcomed us in this Grand Hall.

"I was aware, Headmaster," Krum's voice was heavy, thick and curt. He stood unmoving, still, eyes meeting the Ilvermorny Headmaster's orbs head on.

"Your exploit in Hamburg, Germany is appreciated, regardless of it being uncalled for."

"Precisely," Igor Karkaroff cut in, stepping up beside Agilbert Fontaine, a sharp look in his eyes as he scrutinized his most valued student. "Krum has indeed done a noble deed. Because of him, ten Azkaban escapees have been captured and locked back up. I dare say, he requires no reprimand for such an act."

I exhaled. Only ten. The party we had witnessed had had more than sixty witches and wizards under that roof alone. The acolytes didn't make half of that number. If Flora Fischer had managed to escape with them, some death eaters and others may have gotten the hint too.

"But it must be questioned why he was there in the first place," Madame Maxime's argument rolled in, and Karkaroff betrayed a hint of annoyance on his schooled features. He touched his sleek shoulder length hair once, then pinned his hands behind his back.

"Indeed," Headmaster Fontaine mused, turning his attention to Krum once again.

"Why were you in Hamburg, Germany in the first place, Master Krum? Your absence was for a total of twenty hours. Your noble deed, as Karkaroff so valiantly puts it, remains admirable, but you broke one of the very rules of the Huntlock as well as the set of regulations we have here at Ilvermorny. You must not assume there will no be no consequences. Especially now that it seems one more student has seemingly followed in your footsteps."

"Excuse me, Headmaster," Elias Dupont spoke up from beside me, his tone slightly desperate as he hurried to state his argument.

"Maximillian Toussaint cannot have left Ilvermorny grounds willingly," Elias glanced at Viktor, unable to keep his dislike off his face, "That too, in the footsteps of a Durmstrang."

Krum snickered, despite his attempts to maintain a respectful composure in the presence of the Headmasters and mistress.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Another voice spoke up, and I recognized Zubair Dimitrova's butter-like tone instantly. He stepped forward, eyes firm and intention to cover for his friend set in place.

Igor Karkaroff's features betrayed a fleck of pride as he watched, doing nothing to stop the disturbance.

"Headmaster Fontaine," Dimitrova said, "Krum cannot have influenced anyone to leave castle grounds. The Beauxbatons' student's disappearance should not be blamed on him."

"I have put no blame on him," Agilbert Fontaine broke through, losing a little of his composure, clearly Ilvermorny students had never interrupted one of his declarations before and he had already had enough of us.

 "I merely inquire why Krum left the castle grounds in the first place, knowing full well what our regulations entail—"

"Headmaster Fontaine," I uttered, having had enough of my heart slamming continuously against my chest.

All eyes turned to me, and so did Krum's. He narrowed his anthracite orbs, a look of caution marred his features, but I turned my eyes away from him before he could instill more with his look. I stepped forward, steeling my own composure.

"It is my fault." 

My tone was resolute as I spoke, conscious of every pair of eyes in the Grand Hall fixed on me.

"I left Ilvermorny premises and Viktor Krum followed only to bring me back."

Gasps ensued around me, the more elaborate of which belonged to Madame Maxime. My will shook slightly, like a house of cards being prodded at by a threatening wind.

"You left Ilvermorny premises," Agilbert Fontaine mused after a pause, surprised with the turn of events. "May I inquire why?"

"I broke my wand, Headmaster," I articulated, quickly twisting the truth in my head and forcing it to work my way, to be believable in face of such scrutiny. 

"With the Huntlock on the horizon, I needed it fixed. So I decided to seek out a wandmaker."

A wandmaker. It could be any wandmaker. Germany—or rather—the wizarding world in general, was crawling with wandmakers, amateurs and experts, all could be found in the vicinity of every few blocks. Nobody knew who made my wand but me, and I had broken it hadn't I? In a different way than the professors and headmasters would assume, but still.

"I was hoping to get it fixed in time for the games. It seemed prudent at the time and I realize now I should've acquired permission," I hastened when no one spoke anything around me. 

"I apologize, Headmaster Fontaine. It is entirely my fault that I have broken the rules, and forced another to follow."

Agilbert Fontaine tilted his head ever so slightly as he looked at me, observed me. His amber eyes reflected a certain hint of curiosity, a vague feeling of consideration that bordered intrigue that he could somehow radiate with only a look. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, I knew I needed only to draw a rune to have his thoughts reflected to me like a mirror, but I knew I couldn't at present. An alternative to Legilimency. What I could do was painless, and the afflicted party wouldn't even know when I had started or when I had stopped, but it was only for thoughts and Legilimency went far deeper, brutal in its way as the spell was.

I had confessed to leaving, but curiosity peaked me thinking about just how they would presume that I, or even Viktor Krum, left, considering that apparating was forbidden in and out of Ilvermorny. Perhaps it was too predictable, how could I have apparated if not with a professor or staff member's wand?

"Did your fellow Beauxbatons student, Maximilian Toussaint, have the idea of your intention?"

The question was asked with a tone devoid of any strict harshness that I had been expecting. It was asked as though one would ask what the other's plans were after class, mildly curious and assertive. I was glad for it, never once did I do well under baseless anger and scrutiny.

"No Headmaster," I responded. "He was not aware. He couldn't have followed me, if that is what you suspect. Viktor Krum knew of my plans. He was the only one who knew."

I turned my eyes away, my head tilting to the ground briefly before I caught Professor Basil's big yellow eyes, sharp and heavy on me. He was more than disappointed, he looked furious, his anger radiated off of him and it tainted the energy around me, despite how far from me he sat perched. What was I doing? Why couldn't I have just let Krum handle this, let him take the blame?

I knew why. Krum would've taken the blame, faced the consequences, and then he would've held it over me like a sword dangling to and fro above my head, keeping my movements in check. He knew about my powers, he knew far more than I would've liked him to know. But I refused to let him control me, even in these trivial matters, I would rather take the blame for what it was than have him do me any favors he was bound to use against me.

This was my way of letting him know that I wasn't afraid of his threats. I wasn't afraid of being thrown over to the dementors, because I would thrash around until I had strength left. And now that I had made up this heroic little story of him, trying his level best to bring a rule breaking student back to Ilvermorny, he wouldn't be able to deny it. His ego wouldn't let him.

Agilbert Fontaine turned to face Professor Basil as he leaned in to speak to the French Beauxbatons professor. Sentences were exchanged, hushed and brief, before the Ilvermorny Headmaster set his sights on me again.

"Miss Dominique Marie Lavigne," He spoke, voice thick as he made the announcement. "For your spontaneous conduct, considering the fact that it went against the rules of Ilvermorny and those of the Huntlock tournaments, you are disqualified from two whole days of practice and training for the Huntlock."

I blinked. That's it? But it wasn't until I heard my Beauxbatons peers stuck in sharp breaths did I realize the true brutality of this punishment in their eyes. Two days without practice didn't seem like much to an unsuspecting eye, but to competitors vying to win the Huntlock, it was a big blow.

"Headmaster Fontaine," Gabriel Chevrolet's voice broke through behind me, his tone twisted in protest. "There are only four days of practice left before the Huntlock starts. Why should Dominique get this punishment and not Viktor Krum? Did he not leave the premises too?"

Gabriel Chevrolet was mortified of losing. He had come to win, his drive could burn everyone in his way and he wouldn't care any less.

"A student ensures rules are followed, and sees to the apparent safety of another student," Zubair Dimitrova spoke again, directing attention to himself. "Must such a student be reprimanded too?"

"Safety?" Gabriel groused, "Je pense que vous vous trompez. I doubt Dominique would need protection, and that too, from a Durmstrang."

"Well clearly she did," A female voice cut through then amongst the rank of Durmstrangs as Yordanka Hristova's dark form stepped forward. Perspiration shone on her dark forehead. She seemed on edge, and I realized quickly that it was due to the scrutiny Viktor Krum had come under.

Perhaps she too, like Gabriel, feared Krum would get a similar punishment that would jeopardize the Durmstrangs' chances of winning the Huntlock. Or perhaps, she cared more about the Bulgarian seeker than just that.

"Or she wouldn't have dragged Viktor in," Hristova finished, wrapping her arms around her chest.

Despite myself, I gasped, turning to shoot her a glare.

"I didn't drag Krum into anything."

"Headmaster Fontaine," She ignored me and turned her eyes towards the Ilvermorny Headmaster. "I can vouch for Viktor Krum's model character as a student. I am sure he had no intention of disrespecting any rule of the Huntlock or your school."

"Then why did he leave on the escapade and not alert one of the professors?" Gabriel snapped, his jaw tight as he seethed.

Viktor Krum glared at Chevrolet, his eyes bearing stark hatred.

"Please," Yordanka Hristova mused then, narrowing her raven eyes as they twinkled with amusement. "Not everyone requires aid for their endeavors, Beauxbatons boy. Viktor Krum was perfectly capable of handling the situation himself, and so he did just that."

"Is that not the very essence of what we learn at Durmstrang?" She turned then to give the remaining rank of Durmstrangs gathered a look, before turning to face everyone else again. "To try and fix the problem before we decide we need help."

Anger churned inside me, like pouring hot lava brimming from one end to the other inside my body. I wanted to pin her against a wall and have her guts dangle out of her form, and my wrist itched to do just that.

"Fix the problem?" I cried, whipping around to face her, my eyes vicious as all decorum of being present in front of the Headmasters evaporated from inside of me.

"Krum followed because he wanted to, I needed no help. It isn't my fault Viktor Krum finds my company more pleasing than anything you have to offer."

Yordanka's resolve wavered as disbelief and hesitation coursed through her expression, her jaw twitching in shock. A satisfied rumble cascaded through my blood, and I fought back the urge to grin. The feeling evaporated as quickly as it had come. The confirmation that Krum really did mean something to her was unsettling, in a way that made my fists tighten. 

"Headmaster Fontaine," Elias Dupont's voice sounded again, desperate and etched in disbelief.

"A student has gone missing, will you allow this to continue? Is this what we have gathered to witness?"

Confusion broke through me and I turned away from Hristova, my eyes finding my friend's. Elias didn't meet my eyes, but I could tell he knew I was watching. I could tell he was conscious of my sudden confusion. Hristova and Dimitrova were bent on pinning me down, and while Chevrolet had had some things to say in support, blatant ignorance from Elias was disheartening.

"No," Gabriel Chevrolet broke through, his form still anxious and firm as he shot Elias a glare.

"First solve this Headmaster, Viktor Krum must receive a similar sentence, or your judgment is not fair."

"My judgment?" Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine's voice thundered in the Grand Hall then, cutting by the throat every whisper amongst the gathered schools' ranks.

Anger had found his features, contorting them into that of an unreadable cacophony of a vision on someone's face.

"What of your judgements, noble competitors of the Huntlock?"

Gabriel Chevrolet shrank back slightly, his head lowering to match those of us all. I didn't feel the regret that they all felt, I didn't feel that guilt or humiliation of bursting out in front of the Headmasters. I didn't regret defending myself, and speaking the truth that I could. Why should others get to decide my next emotion be guilt or not? Why should I be forced to feel something I did not? I had felt guilty for Gregorovitch, so I had erased his memory and brought upon myself all the consequences I hadn't ever fathomed. Being force fed emotions got me nowhere.

"Look at you," The Ilvermorny Headmaster shook his head, eyes observing us all. "Fighting amongst yourself when you have been commanded to train as comrades in arms."

Madame Maxime pursed her lips, disagreement clear in her features. Her eyes didn't hold any anger towards us—her students bickering with Durmstrangs, they merely held irritation, and it was obvious that the recipient of the said irritation was the silver and red streaked bearded wizard behind the podium, the Headmaster of Ilvermorny.

Igor Karkaroff was teeming with discomfort as well, his manner though schooled to stoicism, betrayed a hint of fury that I caught efficiently. Again, none of it was directed towards his own students. Perhaps, Agilbert Fontaine should first have learned to be comrades in arms with his fellow headmasters, before forcing something like that on students.

"What would the aberrant think—what are they thinking? As they watch us from their dwellings?"

A few students threw wary glances about the Grand Hall, and I didn't bother. It didn't seem real to me that they would watch as we prepared for their tribute. Les dorés. I swallowed. One of them was under my command, torn away from its kin and doing my bidding—protecting Gregorovitch. If Angus' kin were watching us bicker and fight at present, then they were being made to do so.

A pause ensued, before the Headmaster spoke again, his voice loud and resolved.

"The punishment for Dominique Marie Lavigne of Beauxbatons applies now to Viktor Krum of the Durmstrangs as well."

Sighs of protest erupted amongst the Durmstrangs rank, and I saw Gabriel Chevrolet smirk from my periphery. 

"A thorough search will commence starting now, for Maximillian Toussaint. The entirety of Ilvermorny will first be searched, no stone will be left unturned. Any student who has information on the missing Beauxbatons student, must come forward. For safety measures, no one—be it a professor or any one of the cleaning staff—will leave the castle grounds. All apparating is strictly prohibited, as well as other modes of transport. Curfew is now to be maintained strictly, and no competing student shall toy with it on the pretense of practice and training anymore."

Murmured protests sounded again, this time from the Hogwarts rank. I spotted the red haired twins, with exaggerated frowns on their mirrored faces as they nudged each other in disappointment. Harry Potter stood behind then, part of their rank, and for the first time, I considered competing against him. He had a strange sight, and he hadn't thought twice about approaching us and telling us how he had seen it. Instead of going to Dumbledore, he had come straight to us, to inform me. How could he have been so sure that it had been the right thing to do? 

Beside Harry Potter stood the curly sable haired girl, and another red haired boy. At a distance from them, but still in rank, stood the platinum haired pale boy I had seen only once in the Grand Hall next to the burly and attentive form of Oliver Wood and a dark skinned boy with a sly glint in his eyes as he exchanged looks with his platinum haired friend. This, I realized, was the entire competing Hogwarts delegation for the Huntlock. Seven of them, minus the curly sable haired girl, who was the only one wearing a Hogwarts school uniform instead of the differentiating training garb with the Hogwarts crest and colors. They were all an unsuspecting, varying bunch, but they all had fixed eyes and a crease in their brows, as though they had come prepared for battles worse than those the Huntlock may push them up against. 

Perhaps, they were team Voldemort has returned too.

"I need to hear that you understand," Agilbert Fontaine pressed, his tone laced with a certain threat that I caught onto with mild surprise. 

I sucked in a breath. Would he know if we tried to leave regardless of his restrictions? Would he find out if I attempted to transport by my runes? If I could mask my magic from dementors, I could mask it from anything the Ilvermorny Headmaster had planned, couldn't I?

The ranks of the competitors hummed in sync, any sound that I might have made was drowned out. 

"To aid us in the search for the missing student and to ensure fair means leading up to and during the Huntlock," The Headmaster of Ilvermorny announced, his amber eyes sweeping over every student present. "I have been led to bring one of the aberrant out from their dwelling."

My lips parted, my heart missing several beats at once.

"Which means he will do more than just watch the noble competitors for the Huntlock train. We will be assisted in more ways than one, and essentially in the prominent purpose of locating our missing student."

Les dorés responded to heuristics. Whoever the creature would be, a Halmasti, a Jinn, an Azhdaar—it would recognize my magic. I wouldn't be able to mask it from their kind. Angus had been a slave, he had been trained to an acolyte sense of mind. He had been trained to respect Grindelwald and any of his kin by the Fischer family for years. But the others? They might not be so affectionate.

There was no bad history between Les dorés and heuristic wizards and witches—at least not any that I knew of. They had walked the wizarding world together at the highest age of magic in history. But they still lived while heuristic wizards and witches were no more. If I was recognized, they wouldn't let me slide by just like that. I wouldn't be just a student amongst many others for them anymore.

What had I expected at the Huntlock? I had expected that Les dorés would be just watchers, like they had been up till now. Watchers with no say in anything until, or even after, the Huntlock. Watchers that had one job, to feel the tribute they were given and hand over the winning trophy.

"Our guest will be here in a matter of a few hours," Agilbert Fontaine's voice brought me out of my anxious reverie.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. It looked like one of the Les dorés won't be just a watcher anymore. 

But why? Why bring forward a dormant predator to search for a missing student? Les dorés could do it, they could cower a rock into giving out its secrets if they were made too, but bringing them out was resorting to the very last option. Why were Agilbert Fontaine's own resources not enough to find Maximillian Toussaint? Why were the other headmasters' resources combined not enough?

There was something else, some other reason that Headmaster Fontaine was resorting to this. A threat that he felt coming but refused to disclose just yet. 

"Look at you, fighting amongst yourself when you have been commanded to train as comrades in arms." 

I blinked, my heart hammering inside my chest. It looked like everyone was preparing for battles, opponents so different and out of reach that they couldn't compare to the demons in mine. 

***

A/N:
Not me listening to Kanye West while writing this chapter lol, but gosh what a vibe. I feel like some of his songs reflect Dominique so well. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Its the midnight rn so cut me some slack hehe. but I hope it's good man, I'm out here thinking about this book day and night <3