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A Bouquet of New Beginnings

Inspired by many fanfiction writers and the wonderful Hogwarts Legacy, the writer's motivation and hyperfixation had unearthed itself from the crevices of my brain after years of nothing.

A detailed rewrite of fifth-year with liberal brushes of canon divergence for dear Artemis Loreley, the first two chapters are up on AO3 here.

Below is a snippet of the beginning of the first chapter if you'd like to check it out:

The early summer morning’s soft light gently bathed the world below. A cooling breeze passed through, rustling the leaves of the towering English Oaks as the morning dew glistened their beads as they fell upon the forest floor. Songbirds sang their melodious tune as the blue skies peppered with fluffy white clouds stretched to the far horizon.    

Such was the scene as it was interrupted by a loud crack in the air, and now upon the simple forest path stood a wizened, sixty-year-old man in a traveller’s robe of cloth and leather. His greying hair rustled in the wind as he absentmindedly thumbed his late wife’s blue scarf around his neck, his eyes down on the faithful pocket watch on its leather cord. If this were not strange enough, the man proceeded to pull out a dark brown wand, approximately 12 inches in length, and gave a swish. An ethereal silver arrow appeared out of thin air and fluttered for a moment before floating forward upon the path.

Any passerby that came upon this scene by happenstance may accuse the man of witchcraft, and against the laws that dictate the world, they would be correct. For Eleazar Fig was indeed a wizard, and he was on a mission in this obscure corner of Combwell Wood to (hopefully) welcome another into the proverbial fold.

A murder of eleven crows flew high in the baby blue sky, their black, slick flight formation a stark contrast. As his thick-soled boots met twigs with loud crunches taken as he followed the ethereal silver arrow, Professor Fig reflected upon how it came to be that he was here in Combwell Wood on the first day of summer hols.

It had been the summer solstice, when Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black – a cantankerous, exasperating man that unfortunately was his boss - had sent for him to his office post haste. The school had fallen into a state of commotion as a pulse of unknown magic wracked through the walls, and those fifth years in their O.W.L.s exams especially had been in a sorry state. But did the headmaster pay heed? No, that was an absurd thought. When Professor Fig had begrudgingly trudged up to the Headmaster’s Office, he had been expecting something nonsensical. Instead, he was faced with both Headmaster Black and the Deputy Headmistress, Professor Matilda Weasley – whom everyone knew actually ran the school – with varied degrees of astonishment and puzzlement.

The Quill of Acceptance had written down a new name, a new student’s name, and The Book of Admittance accepted the entry with a firm snap. As a graduate of the Class of ’93, no less. A new fifth-year. Such a thing was so unusual, so unheard of, that it was decided her admittance letter be delivered and entry into the wizarding world be done in person. Headmaster Black had somehow thought – or did not, one could never be certain with that man – that Professor Fig was the man for the job. After promptly shucking Professor Fig into Professor Matilda’s capable hands, the Headmaster returned to his daily task of fixing his moustache.

A Bouquet of New Beginnings Chapter 23: Anemone

Summary: A little finding in the Undercroft, and it's a twin birthday (11/11).

Floriography: Healing & Sickness

Full Chapter: [AO3]//7.1k words

Excerpt Below:

Sebastian sneezed. “We really need to dust down here.”

“You’re a wizard, cast a scourgify,” quipped Ominis.

“Why don’t you do it? You always complain mine’s not as good as yours,” countered Sebastian, his eyes now lifted from his book.

“Because I’m busy, Sebastian.” Ominis lifted his pestle. “And you are interrupting.”

Artemis brought her attention back from the incredibly distracting pool of ancient magic. Ominis had managed to crush the dittany into fine granules after four bowls before the genius epiphany of placing a sticking charm on the mortar came to be. Sebastian had come down at the start of the third bowl, and much to Ominis’ chagrin, decided to stay.

“This looks good, Ominis. Now, stick your fingers in so you can feel the texture.”

Ominis perked up slightly as his porcelain smooth fingers slipped into the dittany.

“Did you stick your fingers into dittany when you learned?”

“Still do sometimes,” hummed Artemis. “Guilty pleasure.”

Sebastian chuckled as he flipped a page, and Ominis even smiled small. They’d poured the varied dittanies into their separate jars; she’d crush the other three thoroughly later. They could prepare for the brewing next session.

Ominis leaned just close enough to whisper. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Okay, have fun.”

Ominis huffed a quiet laugh. “As much as one could.”

Artemis watched as Ominis exited and the gate fell with a clang.

Sebastian piped up. “He’s gone to wrap our presents, hasn’t he.”

“Maybe he wanted to chat with the mermaids,” said Artemis.

Ominis was, in fact, going to wrap Sebastian and Anne’s presents. She was on distraction duty, and frankly, it was a blessing in disguise.

“Uh-huh, right,” said Sebastian sarcastically as he closed the book. “But I’ll take it. Now that he’s shown you the Undercroft, we can talk freely without any ears on us. About ancient magic, and where you actually were on Halloween.”

“I was in Hogsmeade.”

“Really. Fig wasn’t pulling my leg?”

“Yes. But… not to study ruins.”

“Go on.”

She bit her inner cheek. She didn’t know how Sebastian would react about Lodgok and that whole debacle, but she had to give him something. He already knew about the ancient magic – it wouldn’t hurt for him to know.

“Ominis wasn’t wrong; I was ill. Just not with a sickness. Being in Hogwarts on Halloween was making me sick.”

“What does that even – wait. Don’t tell me. Let me think…” trailed off Sebastian.

His warm chocolate eyes pierced through her as she could see the gears shift in his mind. His fingers drummed on the book spine. He paced in front of her, back and forth like a pendulum, and sometimes she would catch little flickers of the ancient magic lick his ankles.

Sebastian slowly touched his finger on her hand. “Your hand’s still cold.”

“I suppose.”

“And you hardly reacted when Nearly Headless Nick strolled through your arm yesterday.”

“I…suppose?”

“You didn’t take Garreth’s poisons, did you?” Sebastian asked with an eyebrow raised.

Artemis blinked twice. “No!”

“Hey, just had to get that option out of the way,” said Sebastian with his hands up.

The momentary easy smile slipped as he again paced. His eyes danced with curiosity, but they had limited time that they’d be alone in the Undercroft; she had a long way to go before she could set foot inside without an obvious Calming Draught and Ominis.

“I could offer a different mystery, if you wanted to think on that one for a while?”

“Sure, I’ll get back to you with an answer later,” said Sebastian. “Good mystery?”

“I see ancient magic here.”

Sebastian full on stopped with his eyes widened. “WHAT?!”

Artemis pointed toward the arcane blue puddle. “There, specifically.”

“Since when!”

“Since Ominis showed me last week. But I couldn’t very well do anything… plus, I wanted you here.”

Sebastian stopped his wild gesticulation before he straightened up. The warm chocolate browns now danced with excitement as the firelight from the candelabras reflected along the lens.

“Oh.” He cleared his throat with an easy smile. “Well, here I am. Come on! Let’s find out what it is. It can’t be a statue at least; the ceiling’s too low.”

Artemis chuckled. “Small comfort, that.”

“Can I stand with you? When you do your –” Sebastian gestured. “– thing?”

“Of course.”

The closer she got, the arcane magic welcomed her as it seeped through her ankles and calves.

“Huh, that’s odd.”

“Feel something?”

“Yeah, like taking a dip in the ocean.”

“Hm, not inaccurate. It’s bubbling around our ankles. Just, uh, here, hold on,” said Artemis as she offered her left arm. “When I do this, there’s usually a burst.”

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one offering?” Sebastian offered his right arm with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes with a smile. “Semantics.”

She slipped her hand easily through his arm, resting on the crook of his elbow, and lifted the pool of magic.

The arcane magic sung as it rushed toward a blank wall. Sebastian whipped out his wand as he stepped closer to her, hardly any room between them as both their wands pointed at the shifting wall. The bricks pulled back and apart by the arcane tendrils, and soon revealed a large, brown triptych in the centre of a small alcove.

“Well, that’s new,” offered Artemis.

“You don’t say,” deadpanned Sebastian. “Come on, let’s check it out.”

She didn’t let go, nor he didn’t comment. Their steps fell in stride as they approached the strange alcove, and with a look, she slowly slipped her hand out of his arm and opened the triptych. Most of the canvases were missing; only the left frame’s depicted some sort of hillside mine, and a yellowed envelope with a royal purple anemone wax seal was pressed into the middle frame.

Artemis opened the envelope, and first pulled up a note with a collection of runic symbols drawn with more middle English.

“These look like those buttons down in the Restricted Section, don’t they?” Artemis asked as she passed the note to Sebastian.

Sebastian accepted the parchment as he stood just behind her, his right shoulder just behind her left.

“Huh. It is. Well, we already knew it’s ancient magic related, so this isn’t exactly new information. What else in that envelope?”

“A letter. Hold on,” said Artemis as she pulled out the letter – thankfully, not middle English – and read aloud:

“If this note has been found, that means Liz had done her part of the bargain.

Welcome to my sanctuary. I am Isidora Morganach, and like you, I can see and wield ancient magic.

Sebastian, this is… Isidora made the Undercroft.”

Sebastian whistled low. “Damn. What’s the bet that this Liz is Ominis’ ancestor?”

“I’m not giving you easy money, Sebastian,” tutted Artemis before she continued.

“You have also likely spoken to the Keepers – have been told of how ancient magic works to manipulate the physical world. How it can be used to transfigure the earth, to reinvigorate the land and call forth tempests. Useful of course, but limited.

I am here to tell you that that is not all that it can do. It can do so much more.

This magic can heal people. Heal them in ways no ordinary healing spell...can…”

“Artie… Artie.”

The amount of hope in Sebastian’s voice was shattering. His hands enveloped her shoulders as he shook them in excitement. She couldn’t blame him; her own grip tightened on the parchment.

This could help Henry. If she could figure this out… there was a chance he could walk again. She wasn’t going to let that chance go.

“Wait, there’s more.

This magic is complex, and I did not have the luxury of time nor the resources as desired for this research. I have left a path for you, so that you may learn what I’ve done. I’m loathed to think the Keepers would train you outside of what they deem as ‘proper’. Each location will have a canvas for you to place –”

“– Damn, she’s giving you trials as well? What is it with these people and trials,” grumbled Sebastian as he peered over her shoulder. His hands were still glued onto her. “Are the Keepers teaching you anything?”

She nodded. “Well, it’s a bit slow, and they are focused on honing what I already know. So, Isidora is right in that regard. Let’s see…

Each location will have a canvas piece for you to place, as well as a few of my tomes and journals. I hope that, like me, you will find and develop this new way of using ancient magic for the betterment of people.

Isidora”

A pause befell on them as they digested the information. Sebastian let her go as he paced, though this time his eyes danced with glimmers of hope.

“Artie, this – if Healer Gavin’s consult and everything comes back bad then – then you. You could help Anne,” said Sebastian elatedly.

She could help Henry. Anne as well, of course, but Henry. She took in a deep breath; it wasn’t good to rush to conclusions, not without evidence.

“We’ll need to learn how much she developed this. Then, see how much more work needs to be done to perfect it,” started Artemis carefully before her gaze met his. “But we’ll do it together.”

Sebastian beamed. “Yes, yes we will. I suppose the first place we’d need to look for is where this place is.”

He tapped on the canvas piece.

“I’m not much help there I’m afraid,” sighed Artemis. “I don’t get out of the castle as much as people seem to think.”

“Let me research it – lived in these parts for a long time.”

She bit her inner cheek. This was something a different angle on ancient magic, one that only she and Sebastian knew. She wanted to go with him, but…  

“Alright but, please, be careful,” said Artemis.

She needed to trust he’d be okay.

“When am I not – no, don’t answer that,” Sebastian cut himself off as Artemis looked pointedly. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be back in no time to translate more of that pesky Middle English.”

“Appreciated.” She looked up at the triptych. “How are we going to explain this to Ominis?”

“Explain what?”

Artemis gestured. “The fact that a whole wall just transfigured itself and a triptych appeared? In the one hour he stepped out?”

Sebastian looked back at the triptych, then back at her with a confident smile.

“Leave it to me.”