//------------------------------// // Chapter 7. // Story: Equestria Girls and The Golden Bell // by Sparky Brony //------------------------------// Sunset slams yet another book closed. She turns her attention to the next book in the pile. She wants to groan. She’s also very excited. Among the books she’s gone over, and made notes from, is an extremely advanced battle spell book. She glances over at Twilight, who has three quills writing madly as she takes notes herself from that very book. Her friends that can't use magic have retired for the evening, but her and Twilight have dived deep into the library here at Hogwarts. Twilight rubs an arm along her nose, “Anything?” Sunset looks up at her friend and giggles, “Twilight.” Twilight looks up, questioning, Sunset points and giggles again. Looking confused, Twilight points her wand at a glass, transmuting it into a small mirror and looks at her face. She starts rubbing her nose furiously to get the dust off. She looks back at Sunset, who smiles and gives her a thumbs up. Sunset smiles, "You're getting good with those transmutations.” Twilight smiles, “Yeah, at least it didn’t croak like a frog this time.” Both girls giggle, then bend to their tasks, Sunset perks up, she’s never fully gotten used to the human ears. It’s just so natural to her to have her ears flick in the direction of a sound, but she can at least hear something. Looking up, she sees Dumbledore as he comes from the restricted sections, holding his wand. Several more books suspended next to him. He waves his wand and the stream of books divides between Sunset and Twilight. Twilight adjusts her glasses and looks down at Spike, whom she had conjured a basket for him to sleep in. He’s curled up, snoring softly, a single leg kicking. One more girl is with them, Hemione Granger has a stack of books herself. She watches as Dumbledore bids Sunset and Twilight good night. Sunset opens the next book, but for a moment, the words are completely unintelligible to her. She smacks her lips a bit and looks over, “Tea.” She murmurs softly, glancing at a small tea cart in the library, she grabs her wand from the table next to her and waves it at the cart. Her wand glows, as does the tea pot, which swiftly boils, she adds tea to the infuser as she puts sugar in her cup. And in a matter of seconds, the cup is floating towards her, she can already smell the rich aroma of the tea. “How do you do that?” The other girl looks at Sunset. Sunset glances at Twilight, then back at Hermione, “Do what?” The younger girl tilts her head to the side a bit, “Don’t try to fool me. There’s something different about you American girls.” Sunset looks again at Twilight, who shakes her head very softly, then back at Hermione, she smiles, “It’s because we are American.” The other girl stands up, “Don’t patronize me, you may be older than I am, but I can see there is something very different about you girls.” She starts to walk back and forth, “First off, wands don’t glow. Yet yours does. I watched you, just now, making tea. If you are students, you should still be verbalizing your spells. Silent spell work isn’t until sixth and seventh year. Also, it’s only you three that I’ve seen use magic. I watched Applejack in herbology, she’s got gloves that seem to give her more strength, but she’s amazingly strong without them. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash fly on brooms like they were born on them, and I’m not even going to begin to try to explain what that Pinkie Pie does. It’s little wonder why Fred and George are so enamored of her.” She huffs as she turns back to stalk the other direction, “And then we have your performance with Professor Moody. You fight like a natural. Like that wand was born in your hand.” She stops right in front of Sunset Shimmer, “Yet, with those other girls, with all they can do, I’ve never seen them even pull out a wand.” She slams both hands on the table, “And then you add in that crazy creature that Professor Dumbledore said attacked Harry, using that dragon. Something is seriously wrong here, and you girls are at the center of this.” She’s nearly screaming now. Sunset raises both hands to fend off the witch, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about.” Her wand whips out and ends up millimeters from Sunset’s neck, “Don’t lie to me.” Hermione growls through clenched teeth, “I’m so tired of not being old enough for the information. Then having to fight to get to be updated about anything. You are going to tell me what is going on, right now.” Her hand glows violet and is pushed away. Sunset looks over at Twilight, who has her own wand in her hand, glowing brightly as she focuses on Hermione’s wand. Hermione looks over at Twilight, “See, a witch would use the expeliarmus charm. You don’t think like witches and wizards here.” Sunset narrows her eyes, “Because we are American.” “Bollocks!” Hermione shouts, “Magic works the same in America as it does here. Most mages in America, their families came from Europe. A few hundred years wouldn’t make anything that seriously different in casting magic.” Her face changes from angry to pleading, “I know there is something different about you girls, I could tell from when I first saw you. But you need to tell me the truth.” Sunset looks at Hermione, then at Twilight. She sighs, “Twilight, let her go.” Twilight furrows her brow, but she lets the magic fade, though her wand remains glowing. Hermione, in response, puts her own wand away, “So…talk.” Sunset looks at Twilight and nods softly, getting the other girl to put away her own wand. “You are right. I’m not originally from America. I’m not even from your world.” Hermione’s eyes get wider and wider as Sunset continues. She finally drags a chair over so she can sit as Sunset completes her tale. Finally, she looks over at Twilight, “So, your counterpart in Equestria is an alicorn? As in a pony with the wings of Pegasus, and the horn of a unicorn? Twilight nods, and she continues, looking back at Sunset, “Yet you are completely different from the unicorns of my world, smaller, and as intelligent as humans?” Sunset nods slowly, “Remember, this must be kept a secret, away from even your friends Harry or Ron.” Hermione smirks, “Oh, I can keep a secret.” Sunset furrows her brow, “I’m sure you can.” Hermione stands up and moves over to her desk, “You say Grogar was sent to Tartarus? That’s a kind of limbo? Where they are kept away from the rest of society?” Sunset frowns, “Yes.” Hermione points at a book she has opened, “Then I have an idea how he was summoned.” Sunset leaps up, and the younger girl turns the book so Sunset can read. “Hmmm, blood, the right runes written in sand.” Sunset scans the text, “This might be it, but why would some wizard…” Hermione growls, “A Death Eater.” “…fine, a Death Eater, do something like this?” Hermione looks at the book, “I think they were trying to find some way to bring He Who Must Not be Named back.” Twilight shudders, “The dark wizard.” Sunset continues looking at the page, “It might have worked. Had they access to any of his blood. They would have been able to summon him. But they didn’t use his blood.” The younger woman looks up, “They had to have used goats blood, and they somehow got him, that Grogar.” Sunset nods, “Is there any indication how to send him back?” Hermione flips the page, scanning quickly, then she slams the book closed, “We would need access to where the spell was performed, and the blood, and a half dozen other things. I don’t think any of that will be possible.” Sunset sits down in the chair, and slowly lowers her head to the table, “So, we can’t stop him?” Twilight growls, “We have to stop him, we’ve stopped the Sirens, we’ve stopped everything they’ve thrown at us from Equestria.” She stops and looks at Sunset, “You stopped Midnight Sparkle.” Tears glisten in her eyes, “Together, we can do anything.” Sunset moves over and hugs Twilight, “Yes, we can do anything.” Twilight hugs her back, choking back a sob, “Together.” Hermione clears her throat softly, getting Sunset to look at her, “Remember, it isn’t just you six girls touched by the Equestrian magic. I will help, we all will help you.” A loud shrieking gets them all to clap their hands over their ears, after a few seconds the shrieking cuts off as abruptly as it started. Twilight looks around, “What was that?” Sunset points and the girls rush through the library, finally stopping before a white haired girl with a golden egg sitting before her. The girl is sitting there in shock, “I juss wanted to open zee egg. To ‘ear what it ‘ad to say.” Rarity sits down, “Fleur, open it again.” She shakes her head, “I couldn’t understan’ eet. It’s…” Her eyes narrow, and she flails her hands around a bit, “What is zee word?” She shakes her head a couple of times, “Gibberish.” Rarity smiles, “I know, but something about that gibberish was familiar.” Sunset moves next to Rarity, “You may be onto something Rarity,” She looks at Fleur, “Go ahead and open it again.” Fleur frowns as she looks at the other girls. She looks back at her other school mates sitting at some of the different tables, then she opens it again. The moaning wail fills the library once again. Sunset closes her eyes, concentrating on the sounds washing through her. After a long time, she nods at Fleur, who closes the egg again with a relieved sigh. Sunset looks at Rarity, “Sounds like the sirens, after their magic was broken.” Rarity nods, “That is exactly what I was thinking.” “Zee Sireens?” Fleur asks hesitantly. Sunset shakes her head, how to explain Equestrian monsters here, “We had to deal with them a while back. Sea creatures, they had magic to make their singing beautiful. They used their magic to enthrall our school. We had to sing a counter spell, one that could break their power. We broke the crystals they were using.” Fleur nods slowly, “Sea creatures?” Sunset nods, “They had fins and bodies like dragons living in the water, I guess.” Fleur smiles and picks up her egg, “I have an idea.” She says, “I need to take a bath.” Sunset furrows her brow as the younger girl runs off, she looks at Twilight, “A bath?” Twilight shrugs as Rarity stands up, “Well, it’s past time for dinner, I don’t know about you three, but I’m hungry. Maybe we can get something late in the kitchens.” Twilight follows Rarity out of the library, and after a few moments, Sunset follows as well. *** Breakfast in the grand hall of Hogwarts is turning out to be something special. In some ways, it reminds Sunset of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. When she was there, she had never taken the time to just sit with the students and talk, it was always about studying. She always had a book with her, always avoiding the other students. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling she smiles, something like that could be done in Canterlot. The floating candles acting in counterpoint to the bright blue sky and clouds that drifted across the fresco just make this place feel…wonderful. A soft chirrup catches her attention. One of the boys breathes in softly, “Time for the post.” Indeed it is, dozens of owls are flying through the hall, dropping packages and letters for the various students. To her shock, a large barn owl lands in front of her, an envelope clutched in its beak. It gestures with the letter at her, she spies her name on the envelope. She gingerly reaches out and the owl sets the envelope in her hand. It shuffles off as she opens the envelope and draws out the sheet of parchment. Dear Miss Sunset Shimmer, Ministry wizards have visited various places on your planned itinerary and have performed memory modification. As well as that, a few wizards knowledgeable of muggle computer systems have adjusted your plane tickets for when you return to the States. As we are still trying to figure out how to deal with the creature you described, it is thought best for you girls to stay at Hogwarts for the time being. Best Regards, Percy Weasley Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic Sunset clicks her tongue, “These Brits, how formal.” She smiles. “Oh, really?” Then chiming laughter from Fluttershy. Sunset looks over, Fluttershy is leaned down, talking with the owl that had just delivered the letter to her. Hermione looks at Fluttershy as well, her mouth dropped open. “You see a lot? Since you work at the ministry. Do tell.” The Owl chirrups softly, Fluttershy’s eyes widen, “Oh, really?” Hermione looks at Sunset and leans forward, “Zoolinguism is actually a spell, and she’s not using a wand.” She whispers fiercely. Sunset shrugs, “That’s just something Fluttershy can do.” Hermione looks down for a moment, then back up, “More of this influence from Equestria?” Sunset giggles, “Hey, the witches and wizards here bring it out in us.” Hermione shakes her head slowly as she continues watching Fluttershy have an animated conversation with the owl, after a long time, Hermione leans back over to Sunset, “You know, owls are literally everywhere in the magical world here. Perhaps she should go to the owlerly and see if any of the birds there have seen anything happening with that Grogar. Maybe they can give us an idea of where he is.” Sunset nods as the bell tolls throughout the grand hall. She gulps the last of her pumpkin juice down and grabs her bag, this morning’s class is going to be different. She runs to keep up with some of the other students and checks the piece of parchment, her teacher’s name is Sybill Trelawney. It’s not too long before they make it to the classroom. Sunset gets settled down with Rarity and Twilight. She takes a moment to look around, the students seem to be a year or two older than Harry, Ron and Hermione. She spies two Gryffindor students standing by the door, their wands out, and judging by their red hair, they are the twins related to Ron. A bucket is levitated by magic and is suspended above the door, and a small flash shows the door is connected to the bucket. Sunset smiles for a moment, the twins are getting ready to prank the teacher. She starts to stand up, pulling out her wand, but is stopped by Rarity, “They are having a bit of innocent fun, darling. No one is going to get hurt.” Sunset subsides but she keeps an eye on the door as the two boys rush back to their seats. “Good morning class.” Comes a voice from the other side of the room. Apparently, the teacher had come in via another door. The looks on the twin’s faces show their guilt, but the teacher seems oblivious to their reaction, and to the bucket hanging in the air, she continues, “For some reason, I decided to check something in my office before I came in.” She shakes her head a little bit. Then she waves her wand as books fly across the room and land in front of Twilight, Rarity, and Sunset. She clears her throat, “I see our American students have decided to join us.” She looks down at a piece of parchment and adjusts her very thick glasses, she looks up at the girls, “Well, most of them did. Where is…” She looks back down at the parchment, “Pinkie Pie?” Sunset looks over at the door as it swings open wide, the hyperactive Pinky Pie bouncing in, full of energy and exuberance. The speed at which the door opens causes the bucket to drop straight down towards the student. Caught off guard, Sunset doesn't have time to get her wand out, and the Weasley brothers turn their heads in shock. Mid-bounce without even looking up, Pinkie reaches up, catching the bucket with both hands and brings it down in front of her chest as she continues to bounce over to her seat. "But... but how..." Sunset asks in shock. "Pinkie sense silly." Pinkie replies as she sits down in her chair. She grabs her bag and opens it, putting the bucket inside. She looks over at the twins, "Thanks guys, I'll need that bucket of water later, to put out the fire." Sunset sits there for a long moment, “But Pinkie…” Only to get her finger across her lips. “Pinkie Sense, if you watched season one, episode fifteen, you would know.” Sunset narrows her eyes as the teacher comes up, “My dear girl, you are most certainly gifted with the sight.” Pinkie cocks her head to the side, “No…it’s Pinkie sense. It’s like Maude sense, but for Pinkie.” Sunset buries her head in her hands as the teacher sputters out a response. *** Sunset pats her belly, the lunch here was spectacular, Hermione had told her house-elves do the cooking for all of the students. Though the younger witch has been talking about the plight of the house-elves, and while her argument is quite compelling, Sunset is far more worried about Grogar. She glances back at Fluttershy, who is listening to Hermione’s idea of the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare with rapt attention. Though a race of completely subservient creatures that can be freed by simply giving them clothes, she shakes her head. Sunset looks down at Fluttershy’s hand, “What is that?” She lifts her hand, showing the snake wrapped around it, “Oh, Rupert? I found him earlier today.” She pets the head of the snake, which seems to enjoy the attention, “He catches rodents around the castle. But he doesn’t like Mrs. Norris.” Sunset narrows her eyes, “Mrs. Norris?” “The caretaker’s cat.” Hermione supplies helpfully. Fluttershy smiles, “Yeah, well.” She gestures with the snake, “He seemed lonely, slithering along, so I decided to bring him along for a while. He’ll get hungry in a while and go off on his own. But for now, he’s happy with me.” Sunset shrugs, she’s seen Fluttershy with her animals. Though this is the first non-magical animal she’s been talking too since they’ve gotten here. Hermione moves closer to Sunset, “You need to watch out for Professor Snape.” She glances over at Harry and Ron, along with the other students, “potions is a pretty hard class.” They stop as they get to the door to their classroom, she gives Sunset a meaningful look as she heads to a table. Sunset and the other American girls find seats, and they look to the front of the room. The teacher is there, dressed in flowing black robes. “I do dislike having to introduce myself multiple times.” He murmurs softly, “But I am the potions master for Hogwarts. I trust you Americans have your potions books with you.” Sunset grabs her potions book, and watches as her friends pull out theirs as well, Snape’s face twists into a smirk, “At least some small consolation there.” Sunset frowns, he seems to be disappointed that they are prepared. She glances at Pinkie Pie, who seems to be fascinated by reading pages in the book. He looks at all of the students, “Today is going to be a fairly simple potion. I want a Pepperup potion by the end of the class.” As Sunset flips though the pages in her book she shakes her head slowly. Potion brewing was never big part of the Gifted Unicorn School as spells were so much more convenient. The potions teacher she, Mr Brewworth had was an earth pony who had studied abroad with the Zebras. There are also the stories of the deer and their potions, but that is mostly legend. As Sunset looks across the page at the ingredients, she lets a slow smile slip. She can do this, a few of the ingredients look strange, but she can do this. Fluttershy, on the other hand, seems to be lost, looking at the page before her, she begins to play with her hair, hiding her face. Sunset slides over to her, "What's wrong? She whispers. “I don’t even begin to know how to do this, Sunset.” Fluttershy whispers back softly. Sunset draws her up to join the other students heading to the stock of ingredients, “It’s a lot like cooking, just follow the recipe. You don’t have to do perfect on it.” Fluttershy pets Rupert absently, “Okay, if you think I can do it.” That gets a smile from Sunset as they look over the stock. She picks up two vials, then turns when she hears Fluttershy squeak. Her arm is being gripped by the teacher, pulling her away from Sunset, “How are you talking to that snake?” He snarls at her. Fluttershy opens her mouth, only to have nothing come out as he pulls her away from the shelves of ingredients, “Talking to snakes is not something just anyone can do. Only very special Slytherin members have that ability.” He releases her and produces his wand, “Draw your wand,” He sneers, “Show your abilities.” Sunset reaches for her own wand, when all the potion’s books glow blue softly and whip into the air, they form a circle, speeding around Rarity, who has her wand pointed at the teacher, “Give me an excuse.” Rarity growls, “That is my friend right there you are wanting to fight. You’ll have to get through me first.” The teacher looks at the dozens of books whirling around Rarity, and the deadly concentration in her eyes, “It seems you girls are more versed in magic than I had thought.” He says softly, “Well, a visit to the headmaster will teach you some manners.” He smiles darkly, “Or a week or two of detention down in the dungeons will work.” His own wand disappears as he whirls away, clearly expecting them to follow. Rarity moves over to the trembling Fluttershy and puts a hand on her shoulder as the books whirl back to where they were taken from. The trip to the headmaster’s office is undertaken in total silence. Sunset looks back at Fluttershy, who is being comforted by Rarity as they walk. She turns and glares at the teacher’s back. Though the castle is quite large, it isn’t long before they are once again in the headmaster’s office. “Ah, Severus, what do you have for me today?” Comes the voice of Dumbledore, then he steps into the room and sees the girls there with the potions master, “Oh, the Americans.” Snape reaches down and grabs the snake right behind its head and yanks it from Fluttershy, who flinches at the touch. The snake struggles in his grasp, “She’s a parseltongue, this snake is highly venomous, and yet is acting like a pet. It’s very possible these students are affiliated with the Death Eaters. Yet you allowed them…” Snape is interrupted by a Jolly laugh from Dumbledore, "Oh Severus, sometimes I think you see the dark arts everywhere. These girls are actually more special than you know." A red and orange bird swoops down and lands on Fluttershy’s shoulder before he nuzzles her fondly. Dumbledore looks at his phoenix, "Miss Fluttershy has a bond with animals, in some ways it is akin to the shamans, but much more powerful." He draws his wand, and with a flick levitates the snake from Snape' grasp, "She lacks any affinity with dark magics, and in fact does not use magic as we understand it at all." The snake floats to Fluttershy, who opens her hands for the snake to land on. Snape looks at the snake winding itself contentedly around her hand, then back at Dumbledore, “And yet they use magic, if they are not witches, why are they here?” Dumbledore sighs and presses on the bridge of his nose with two fingers, “They are being kept safely here because of a danger that knows of their origins.” He moves over to Sunset, “You girls may leave, apparently I need to let Professor Snape into the fold regarding you girls and your abilities. As a head teacher he should know.” Sunset looks at Dumbledore, then over at Snape, “Yes, professor.” She says softly as she gathers up the other girls and they slowly file from the office. *** Lucious Malfoy looks at the ram standing before him. A small part, in the back of his mind, is screaming that everything is wrong, he’s serving the wrong master, yet his mouth moves of its own accord, “Yes, Master. House Malfoy is behind you.” Grogar smiles, “Good. Now we need to gather more of you pure blood wizards.” The ram turns and walks towards Thorfin, “Have you also been recruiting more wizards to gain power here?” His bell chimes softly and magic fills the room, “As you can see, I have more power than your dark lord.” He looks back at Malfoy, “All of those muggles, all of the mudbloods shall become slaves.” His smile turns, and it chills Malfoy’s soul, “Or they shall burn.” “That Potter cost me a good slave.” Lucious growls. Another ringing of the bell by the ram and he levitates into the air, coming close to Malfoy, “You are following me now. You serve me faithfully, and your house shall have as many slaves as you desire.” The bell tolls again, intensifying the pain in the human’s head. Lunara, the greater sooty owl, slowly blinks before turning her head. She spreads her wings wide, she flies from her normal perch in the Malfoy study. She takes to the air outside, her wings working silently. It is rare for her to go out without a message. This, however, is important.