the Severely Incompetent but Sincerely Determined Rescue Squad

Dom's fingers threaded with Declan's, glancing behind her at the castle. Jack had helped them get into the castle unnoticed through a passageway Dom had ever heard rumors of, before giving them both a pat on the back and old Potter's Army tokens. Apparently she had kept them and they had continually come in handy. Oliver had one too so they would all be in the know if, and when, Dom and Declan made it.

Dom was reeling. Jack had taken off to confront the Headmaster, Oliver left to deal with his significant other after helping Ace and Christian figure out their next step, and she and Declan were off to see what the problem was with this American school... besides the fact that it was America. Ay-o.

No, not funny. Not in this context. Okay. Moving on.

They had to be getting close, and she was not going to be the one to admit that the excitement of the adventure was beginning to wear off now that they would have to face... whatever there was to face. After all, her investment was personal. Or, what if everything was normal, all fine? Or it was so subtle she had nothing to say? No, Jack and Oliver should have come. They knew what they were looking for. She was just a... just a person. And a useless one at that.

Declan shifted his hold on her hand and she glanced up at him, so resolute, so willing to throw himself into the cause. She lifted her chin. No. They could do this.

They were doing this.

[ooc: Please tell me when you catch the reference.]


Oliver had given them a few essentials - his own bag, the one that carried more than it seemed to, which he had filled with a few pieces of clothing he didn't care if they transfigured, a journal, pen and some loose-leaf pages for writing letters if they found out how to do that. They would be heading out that evening, and find themselves on the shores of Ilvermorny within the hour. Declan didn't fully understand how the ferry thing worked, and he doubted Dom did either, but Jack was going to get them in on her way to meet someone.

"You know," Oliver muttered as they made it through the passage Jack had led them to, "if nobody has thought to see where the exchange students are, that Headmaster bloke needs to be sacked."

Yes, Oliver knew it was Theodore. But Oliver had never really gotten to know the man, so he hardly minded making his opinions plain. Declan hummed in agreement, keeping his mind focused on the fact that, actually, Oliver had thought of it. And they were the ones who were going to do it. It was the most Gryffindor thing he had ever done, and the same was probably true for Dom, and he could hardly believe it.

After Oliver left to make sure his roommates didn't get suspicious of his absence, and Jack moved further into the castle, Declan held Dom's hand more carefully as he turned towards the dock where the ferry would arrive.

As they approached, it came into sight in front of them, and although his steps faltered, he passed it off as tripping over something. Even if it was just Dom, he wanted to at least appear confident in their decision.

Upon reaching the edge of the dock, Declan hesitated. Turning to look at Dom, he half wanted her to say they should turn back. But he couldn't let it happen. So he opened the gate on the back of the ferry and stepped up, turning to help her on as well. Once it shut behind them, the ferry jolted and began moving. Declan shot a glare at the gate, realizing that it was what had started the ride. It was too late now.

"Okay, so we're doing this."

The step of faith had been taken, just about as literally as it could be. Choppy water was turned into smooth sailing by the mechanics of the ferry of the laws of magic. This would have been something deeply exciting and wildly romantic had there not been the possibility of devastation awaiting them. Again, she cleared her head of such thoughts. They were not useful before the fact. She had to just look forward and keep her thoughts on the visible horizon.

Declan spoke and she nodded, readjusting her grip on his hand to hold even tighter. "Yep," was all she said, her tone a mirror of his.

"I mean... we could go back."

But what use would they be? Wasn't the point of this to save Molly, to save Lucy, to save Casey, to save Clem and all the rest?

"But it would require jumping off."

No, how could either of them live with themselves and such cowardice? Knowing they could have been the difference but fear got in the way.

"Because I don't know how this thing works."

And it wasn't even fear because they knew they were up against something big. It was the fear they would fail, that they would not be the two that were worth sending on this trip. It was a completely selfish, self-fulfilling type of fear.

"And I didn't pack a swimsuit."

She was rambling to give herself even the most idiotic reasons to stand firmly on her decision. She turned to Declan, desperate for some affirmation that they weren't going to mess it all up.

Maybe it was time she was the brave one.

"We're going to do this, and we're going to bring them back," she said, her voice displaying all the certainty that had once been lacking. There were no more excuses.

Declan half listened to Dom as she thought aloud, but at her perhaps unintentional joke, he cracked a smile. She turned towards him so he mirrored her, only vaguely noting that the grounds were already long gone, their ferry completely surrounded by water. Whatever magic was done on this thing, there was no abandoning ship for them. Not now.

"This is good. We're doing something important," he agreed, partly for her but also for himself. "We're being those brave, adventurous Gryffindors we were taught about growing up. Everything is going to be fine."

It was lucky that the ferry had a covered area for people to sit down, because despite the fact that it was only the early evening, according to the sky above them, it was still pretty chilly. So he led her to the doorway, gesturing for her to go inside first. Even though it was a fair bit warmer inside, he still tucked her against his side once they sat down, content to rest for the remainder of the trip.

It wasn't until the ferry jerked again - this time, to a stop - that he realized he had somehow managed to fall asleep. Stirring, Declan turned his head to check on Dom, his hand brushing up and down her arm. "We're here, love. Let's go see what we can find, yeah?"

He stood up, walking to the doors again and passing through them. He ended up freezing, though, staring up at the Ilvermorny castle anxiously. "Um. Dom?"

Declan waited for her to come up alongside him before pointing, a cringe pulling at his features as he gestured towards the glimmering shield that stood between them and the gates. They had a fair bit of the grass upon which to walk if they wanted to, but he had to admit that he felt pretty daunted.

"What are we going to do about that, then?"

The affirmation was much needed. It had become regular practice for Dom to consider just how meaningless her contributions to the wizarding world were, especially when she considered all her family had done and sacrificed. Much of her reasoning had always been that her family did what they did so she and her peers could have normal lives. But just because they had saved the world then didn't mean the world didn't need saving now. And she was fast realizing that the people who had stepped up needed help.

She still wasn't sure where her place was in all of this, but so far her place had included Declan by her side. The part of her life that had been so confusing and contentious to her before was fast becoming the one part of her life she could actually depend and rely upon, and it was so welcome.

She smiled and followed him. The movement of the waves coupled with the warmth from Declan and the exhaustion of what she had to face was enough to lull them both into some state of sleep, though she certainly didn't feel more awake after, just suddenly alert of her surroundings. She realized it was Declan who had roused her, and her eyes were wide with that just-woke-up-what-is-this-strange-world look, slowly nodding as she straightened up, crawling out of the seat to approach the deck.

Her heart was thumping like mad and she could hear Declan talking, but she couldn't help it. She was already clambering off the ferry and stepping onto the squelchy bank. The PA coin was weighing her pocket down like a reminder of the weight of their situation and she felt drawn towards the shield, even though she knew full well she didn't have the magic in her to make it past the wards.

She began to walk alongside the shield, glancing back at Declan. "Sometimes there's holes. And at least we can see through and see if we seen anyone."

Declan tensed as she approached, stepping down quickly into the sludge and coming up behind her as she began to round the shield around the castle. It wasn't solid by any means, and he could only stare at what looked like candles lit in the windows of the castle. He had no idea how many students had actually gone on the exchange year, and realized belatedly that he should have asked, but it wasn't remotely plausible that he could change it now.

Stepping forward, he brought himself between Dom and the shield by taking her hand, purposefully getting in the way of her getting too close and something going wrong. They kept on for a few minutes, mainly staring around and trying to find a way in. Declan did notice, however, that the shield was closer to the water on one side than the other. When they approached what looked to be the front entrance to Ilvermorny Castle, it curved more closely towards the castle, leaving a patch of grass open in front of them.

That wasn't the thing that made his heart jolt and his hand jerk Dom to a stop. No, that was when he looked to his right and saw an entire train car sitting there.

"What the hell?" He whispered, the words escaping unintentionally.

His face contorted in fear and he released her, rushing to the very edge of the shield, staring at the train where it sat directly on the other side. Declan's fingers reached for his pocket in a panicked, flustered mess, and he almost dropped it in his attempt to get a message to Jack and Oliver.

When he went to use it, though, he remembered that these coins only sent a single message: Yes. A positive. A call. They couldn't send words, they could send confirmation that they made it. While he did send that off, it wasn't enough. They'd found the damned train but they couldn't even do anything about it. How completely them.

"Dom-" he attempted, lifting the coin uselessly. "How are we supposed to tell them? I-"

He cut himself off, frowning at the shield and taking a closer look at it. What could it really do? Probably knock him back a few feet. That was fine. He'd taken worse during his Hogwarts years or while playing Quidditch with Henry. He'd be fine.

Reaching out fairly cautiously, he hesitated and drew in a shaky breath, but still connected with the shield. Above them, something that looked like a jolt of lightning burst into the sky, cracking so loudly it would've made Declan cover his ears. Would have, that is, if he weren't crumpled on the ground, shaking relentlessly.

The day had been something out of a nightmare. Children crying from fear and uncertainty, the reluctance to go home transforming into toxic homesickness. Kids with health conditions were terrified, because the Ilvermorny kids had very little medicine to offer. And the Ilvermorny students weren't exactly much help either. They had become scrawny and tangled versions of their prior selves, and it was hard to not thing of them as savage natives. Especially when kids like the Weasley girl were covered in the blood of rodents that had now become luxuries.

A quick discussion between older students determined that food and any excess medication was to be compiled, saved, and then distributed evenly. Ducky was certain some had hidden their stashes, but most had even willingly contributed jumpers and robes to the American students who were now stumbling around in dingy, ripped clothing.

Dinner was served - a mix of snack foods and freshly killed rabbits. Students could not be talked out of writing letters, though the Americans crudely reminded them that the letters would never be delivered.

Night fell and Ducky did rounds. He felt like he might not be able to sleep, and it was all that Molly could do to convince him not to sleep at the main entrance. Oddly enough, there had been enough beds for all of the students, something a bit spooky, as the Weasley had called it. Liddy had said the beds had been there all year and hadn't thought about it.

Ducky had been bouncing between each hall, knocking and checking in that everyone was okay, desperate to made useful. He had so little to offer to the world, but he could offer himself to these poor kids. He had finally sunk to the ground, back propped against a wall, outside of the Pukwudgie hall. He didn't want to sleep, didn't want to abandon them. But it had been such a long day-

He was running outside before he could even register what had happened. His mind suddenly began filling in the blanks. Some horrible loud noise, still bouncing back between his ears, eyes bulging. It had come from outside. He knew it. He could tell. His sneakers skidded across the marble as he reached the entrance, where a slighter figure was already pushing the door open.

"Casey?!" he called above the insatiable ringing in his ears.

Casey was scrambling down the lawn, towards the train, her makeshift poker-sword held aloft. However, the sight of two larger human forms had made her pause. In that time, Ducky caught up. "Go back," he said. "I'll handle-"

"F*ck off," she called back, and took off running. They reached the edge of the shield at the same time, and Casey would have recognized her cousin had she not been bending over the other figure.

"Declan! Declan!" Dom said, on her knees, shaking Declan - which was horrible seizure protocol, just by the way.

"DOM?!"

The blonde looked up and immediately clutched her heart as tears sprang to her eyes. "Casey?!"

Ducky didn't know why Casey had stopped, but he pressed past, and would have jumped through the shield had Casey not reached forward and grabbed his wrist, digging her heels on. "Casey - what're you on about? I'm trying to help!"

"You won't be useful like that," she pointed out, gesturing at Arryn. "You can't cross the shield! Don't you think we've tried?"

"Declan, come back," Dom was pleading, looking down at him. She looked up. "I don't know what to do for him! He- he touched the thin- What's wrong with him?"

Ducky whirled towards Casey, hoping she had an answer. However, the girl now looked a little shaken. It was obvious - she didn't know what to do.

Scarlett was terribly bored. These Hogwarts students simply never stopped talking, and even the ones who had been sorted into her house because of their traits as Slytherins were acting quite pathetic. Oh, how badly they wanted to go home. Like she didn't want to head back south and spend the summer doing absolutely nothing, too? Goodness' sake.

She was contemplating casting a silencing spell around her so she could go to sleep, but just as she drew her wand from her bag, a painfully loud crack sounded and their dormitory lit up spectacularly, drawing eyes to the window. Scarlett was up and staring outside before she really thought about it. She wasn't at all the hero type, but she was surprisingly good at pretending, and her curiosity always seemed to get her into trouble.

The first thing she saw was that train, but she did notice that, outside the shield, there were actual, real, live people there. And that was bizarre in itself, even without the man's strange shaking. That, too, was quite unusual.

So she turned, not bothering to explain, and burst out of the dormitory to make her way outside. Two of the new Thunderbirds were there, too, one of them almost being very, very stupid.

All she heard, by the time she got there, was the blonde woman's question. "The shield is reactionary," Scarlett explained in her southern drawl, pleased to know that sound at least travelled through it. "Defensive. We've sort of assumed it's dark magic, but we haven't figured it out yet."

Her eyes drifted down to the man where he continued to shake, his face entirely stoic as though he couldn't physically react to whatever magic had been done on him. Her fingers toyed with the bag that she'd apparently thrown over her shoulder without thinking as she ran out, and she began frantically digging through it. Her potions textbook was in there, as she expected, and she began flitting through the pages until she located the section on healing.

Burning Bitterroot Balm, Draught of Peace, and Restoration Potion. Those had to help, right? As self-centered as Scarlett so often was, she was not someone who enjoyed seeing someone else in real, potentially life-threatening danger.

"I'll be back. If we don't have the potions to fix him, I'll get some people to help me make them."

With that, she spun back around and headed into the castle again, stopping a couple of people on the way to ask for their help in finding or crafting the potions and balm they would need. She just was glad to find that they didn't seem to take very long, preparation wise.

Michelle had been here in castle now for awhile but she was so confused here for sure. She still tried to understand what was happening for sure. There was barely any food, there was barely anything left. She had no idea why this was happening. They couldn't even leave the castle for sure. She just wanted to go back home for sure.

had some how ended up on the grounds for sure, she isn't sure how. Girl noticed some adults had came here and she was sure she has seen them somewhere for sure. Probably in Hogwarts. Seemed like them weren't much of help in this situation for sure. She wondered what they should even to do now.

When there was potions mentioned she sighed. She wasn't so good at making potions so she wouldn't volunteer to help out on this matter. She still needed to find a way how to help them out there. She kept quiet for now and tried to figure out how to help. She knew they needed to get the that shield down for sure but how that was question for sure.

Michelle had been mostly trying to figure out what she should to do help. She didn't even try to send letters since she had figured it wasn't such good idea for sure since so many of them said it was useless, the letters won't even go out from here. They won't reach where you want. There needed to be way to send them actually. So they could inform someone what is going on. She is sure their parents and siblings wonder where they are already since Hogwarts train had supposed arrive few days ago in station. She sighed on that thought.

"We need to find a way how to take a shield down and also way how to inform someone what goes on here. Since I'm sure all our families are worried about us," she managed to say there finally something. She wasn't sure how they should do it but she knew they need to figure these things out too. "Of course help everyone to settle down here for until we figure things out," she said added. "We could manage to get everyone together or make some groups. Some try to figure out to send at least one letter out. Other help that girl with potions and then some try to figure out how to take this shield down," she said there to people who was near her for sure. At least she did speak up now. They needed to began to work on how to get out here for sure.

Gwen had simply watched the man in her office as he had appeared to be leisurely watching the events below on the grounds unfold.  She was nervous. She knew the castle's defenses would immediately react to unwarranted intruders. The ferry was supposed to be welcome for students. However, that had been tinkered with. The welcome mat had been rescinded.  

She watched the interlopers disembark from the ferry and try to get to the castle. She watched them struggle. She honestly didn't want them here, but she didn't want them killed either.  

The man hadn't shown a glimmer of emotion, just a studious expression. It was like watching a child observing an ant farm.

And then he raised his wand and aimed it out the open window, she thought, at the ferry itself.  

"Glacius Maximus!" he fired his spell. A fierce blue blast left his wand. The air in the room seemed to turn into ice. It took Gwen's breath away, and she felt faint. She had to move closer to the open window to try to find any breathable air. She looked out and saw he hadn't been attempting to freeze the ferry at all. He had frozen the water around the ferry, sticking it fast where it sat.

"How thick is that?" she asked.

"Give it a moment. Should be a few inches, I'd expect," he said calmly. "Enough to incommode them for a moment or two, I'd bet."

"And what if there were someone in that water we didn't see?" she asked, a tad angry with him.

"Their loss," he shrugged, almost amused. "Shouldn't have been breaking in, then."

He appeared to be considering a second move when the dock seemed to just shiver for a moment and then slowly collapse, with beams, planks and posts all starting to fall into the water.

"Oh," he said, impressed. "Nice! Castle defense systems clearly have a couple tricks I don't know about. Well played, Castle!'

"You're enjoying this much too much," Gwen scowled at him.

"Oh, you have no idea," he cast her a sardonic smile.

ooc: Glacius--freezing spell.