style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Chapter 1: Duo Maxwell

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Sixteen-year-old
Duo Maxwell gapped at the creature before him. Of all the things he had
prepared himself for, as he watched Hilde run for the hills while screeching
something about the mail, the last one had been the innocent picture of an owl (of
all things) sitting comfortably (could the bloody thing even sit?!) on top of
his desk.

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Bright amber eyes
regarded him seriously, before the owl motioned to the letter lying before
it. An envelope made of what seemed to
be some kind of yellowish parchment, with the words

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> if]>

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'>style='mso-tab-count:2'> To Mister D. Maxwell

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'>style='mso-tab-count:2'> Hilde’s Scrape yard

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'>style='mso-tab-count:2'> L2

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> 

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>greeted his eyes. Turning
the envelope revealed the wax seal that kept it closed: a lion, a snake, a bird
(an eagle?) and some sort of furry looking animal he didn’t exactly recognize
were entwined with a big letter H. Circling it were the words: DRACO DORMIENS
NUNQUAM TITILLANDUS (whatever the hell that meant!). He turned again to the
front, to find written at the top:

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>in the same green ink as the
address.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>1'>

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>A puzzled
expression overcame Duo’s face. Was this a joke of some sort? Drawing out his
mental list of people he had pissed off lately and checking it for people that
would have pulled back a prank revealed nothing, and left him goggling the
envelope just as he had for the last few minutes.

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>The owl moved
impatiently in its place, obviously fed uph Duh Duo just standing there doing
nothing. Well, either that or (as Duo quickly summarized) it was waiting for
something.

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style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> The boy commonly n asn as the braided baka finally opened
the envelope, to find that inside were several pieces of the same parchment:
one was a ticket to board the Hogwarts’ shuttle; the second was a first class
airplane ticket to England; another seemed to be a list of some sort, so Duo
turned to the third in hopes of getting some sort of explanation.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> It turned out to be a letter:

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>HOGWARTS SCHOOLstyle='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:green'> 

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:green'>Headmaster:  Albus Dumbledore

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:green'> 

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:green'>Dear Mr. Maxwell,

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>We are pleased to inform you that you have beenlang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft andlang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Wizardry.  Please find enclosed a list of alllang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>necessary books and equipment. 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Due to recent events, the whole student body has been kept
back for a year. As so, we have included the texts of earlier years in your
list, up to the ones you’ll need for the fifth year courses you’ll be
attending.

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Trips to Hogsmead have been cancelled, for the same reason.

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Please also findstyle='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'> lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>the shuttle pass and plane ticket. The shuttle will depart
from the L1 International port on August 30^th, at eleven am. Please
be punctual. There will be a trip to acquire school supplies on the 31^st,
here in England.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:green'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Term begins on September 1. 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'> 

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Yours Sincerely,style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'>

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Professor M. McGonagallstyle='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'>

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Deputy Headmistress

lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:green'>Order of Merlin (2^nd class)lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:green'>

style='font-size0pt;0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> 

style='mso-tab-count:1'> Duo blinked. Oook… Plenty of info, but
no explanation. He pondered the letter for a while and then looked at the owl.
It looked right back at him (which was frankly unnerving).

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“I guess I should send a reply, ne?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> The bird looked on expectantly (probably
wondering if Duo suffered from brain damage, considering how long it had taken
him to think of that).

&n

style='mso-tab-count:1'> Duo looked at the letter one last time,
and decided that no matter if it was and obvious joke, it would not be said
that Duo Maxwell was a coward that could make pranks but couldn’t take them.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> A couple of quick line later, the owl
flew out the window, just as Hilde peeked into the room to find Duo staring
after the bird.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> When she had seen the stupid feathered
ball coming through the window she had freaked. There were definitely no birds
of that size in the colony’s wild life. That it was carrying a letter made it
even more surprising. But that the letter seemed to come from outside the
colony (as testified by the seal of the port authority on a corner of the
envelope)… Well, that was a little too much. Better let Duo deal with it, while
she went for some painkillers. She had a migraine coming.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> And now, she came back to find Mister
I’m-a-Gundam-pilot-and-nothing-surprises-me-anymore staring in shock after the
bird, the letter opened on his desk.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“Duo, are you alright?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> He turned to look at her, his
expression unchanged, and handed her a piece of… parchment? She quickly read it
through and turned to him.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“Oh. And who pulled of this prank? And
what did you do to this person?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“No idea, to both questions. But I’m
gonna find out.”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“So you’re going?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“Yeah.”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“And if it isn’t a joke?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“Then I’ll deal with it as best I can.
Think you can take care of this place for a few days?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> She planted her hands on her hips, an
annoyed expression on her face.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“If you haven’t forgotten it, this
place is mine, Mister Maxwell, and I managed to pull it through the war on my
own, and I did fine!! So don’t you dare trme sme so patronizingly about it!! I
can manage it just fine!!”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> Duo looked at her with this funny,
totallueleueless expression.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“I just meant that since you’re a girl
and all, you might want to hire some help or something.”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“So now you’re gonna treat me like
that, you chauvinistic jerk!?”

style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“No!! It’s just…”

***************************************************************

style='mso-tab-count:1'> Back in England, an amber-eyed owl
dropped a small letter before a woman that wore a rather pointy hat.

style='mso-tab-count:1'> It only said:

style='color:#333399'> Coming

style='color:#333399'> D.M.

The woman smiled.