Sweetie Belle - Hogwarts Exchange Student
Here and There
There were certain wizards who groomed their fearsome reputations like one might attempt to grow a prize Rampaging Rosebush, with plenty of care and dragon dung to bring out every tiny fleck of aggressiveness. Theodore Nott knew how to handle those fools, much like he had used attention and praise to handle Gilderoy Lockhart.
Then there were those wizards who preferred to let their reputations follow them, much like bloody footprints. They deserved a much more cautious approach. Even the most dangerous of them, He Who Shall Not Be Named, was susceptible to the ordinary, the plain, the students who expressed their loyalty and kept to it, but not strong enough to draw attention, and not weak enough to be despised. There had been enough wizards grabbing for any scraps of power he left behind to camouflage the younger Nott’s quiet quest for anonymity, and most of them, students or adults, had paid the price for their ambition. Even Theodore’s own father, who had been wounded severely in the recent fighting and was expected to die at any time, would have been quick to put both of his sons to gruesome deaths in order to advance the slightest as a Death Eater.
Theodore did not mourn the inevitable loss of his father. The old man had set his path, and tried to drag his children down it with him. For the last several months, Uncle Augustus Lake had provided a home to the two boys far better than anything the senior Nott had done. As far as Theodore was concerned, the old man was dead already.
Worse, far worse was the way Theodore had been betrayed for his acts of loyalty. From his very first days in Hogwarts, the darker side of the wizarding world had an endless hunger for knowledge about The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. Severus Snape had been the perfect cut-out for passing that information back to his father and the rest of the Death Eaters without Theodore revealing himself as the source. Since Potions had been the best of Theodore’s classes, that left him with the perfect excuse to stay behind and leave notes or key phrases to be passed along and raise Snape’s standing with his peers. The potionmaster proved to be a brutal taskmaster, unforgiving of the slightest mistake, but a genius forced into a position considerably below his abilities. For several years, he had been the closest thing Theodore had to a friend.
Theodore had no friends anymore, and barely any family. He would not admit it, but he had never been close to his younger brother, Wycliffe Nott, who had killed his mother by being born, and his father, who had seemed to blame both boys equally for the loss. Even his classmates in Slytherin would have turned on him in a minute if they knew about the Muggles in his family tree, and He Who Shall Not Be Named would have killed him just for the amusement, but Snape… cared, and for that, he too had been killed in the end.
Then, when all of the death and destruction was over and the halls of Hogwarts were filled with mourning, the terrible truth came out. Snape’s true loyalty. His betrayal. The one human that Theodore had trusted, had been working for Dumbledore the whole time.
Theodore would never be deceived again by a false friendship.
The Death Eaters had fawned and cowered to slither up to the Dark Lord, simpering sycophants and pretentious narcissists all. The ones who survived the attack on Hogwarts had been dragged before the Wizengamot, with all of their false bravado and arrogant posturing transformed into the fear of cowards.
Although Theodore was standing outside the chill ironbound doors of the ancient court, he did not have the cold knot of fear in his gut that the rest of the surviving Death Eaters must have felt when they faced their trials. Any ties he had to their crimes had died with Severus Snape. His path now was not the path of senseless destruction or futile revenge, but of cold, hard facts. Theodore originally wanted to return to Hogwarts for his last interrupted year of study before facing the world, because an Outstanding on his N.E.W.T. exams would have been both a testament to Severus Snape’s teaching and a ticket into the business of making potions, a wedge of influence able to force his way into the secret recipes and rituals that even Professor Snape had not known.
It would have been a difficult year for Theodore to say the least, particularly at Hogwarts with Wycliffe. Although they had differences as brothers, his father had made no bones about Theodore standing behind the quiet child and supporting him with every fibre of his being. The old man was a rigid taskmaster, and expected the same behavior from both of his children, no matter how difficult the job.
Death would not change that heavy burden, as it had not changed when Theodore’s mother had passed away in childbirth, or when the elder Nott had been mortally wounded during the battle at Hogwarts. Theodore never had been able to treat death as a stranger, or vengeance as a friend. Every time he saw Wycliffe, he could see his mother, and it was a constant battle not to hold his brother responsible for her death. After all, there was nothing the infant could have done, and to hate Wycliffe for a tragic act of fate would have been immature.
Theodore had grown up far too fast after his mother had passed away. The emotions tearing him apart had been too strong, and the only way he could survive that trying time was to build a thick callus over his own heart. It had just been the three of them, alone in the big house with only the servants. Death had changed Theodore Nott again after the Battle of Hogwarts, although not enough that the sight of so many bodies had left him unmoved.
Teachers. Students. None of them were his responsibility, because Theodore had aimed his spells well during the battle. Well, several of the gigantic acromantia had gotten smashed into bloody pulp, but the noxious vermin did not count. Much the same could be said about any abominations from the Dark Forest that had been likewise eliminated. They were supposed to be allies in the fight, but Theodore had been fighting for survival, and refused to consider anything with that many claws and teeth anything but a target.
He was glad his little brother had been spared the sight. Wycliffe had always seemed such a small and frail boy behind his thick glasses, a shadow who lurked around the edge of his vision. Every time Theodore had returned to his cold and nearly empty home, the boy seemed more like a stranger than his blood, and to share Hogwarts with him this year would have been the most painful but necessary task he had been dreading.
Then had come the offer which brought him to this door. Written in a flowing script on flawless parchment which was obviously not of this world, the simple golden letters had spelled out an opportunity he could not turn down. Why exactly the offer had been made to him was a mystery, but he could no more have refused it than he could have moved the stars in the sky.
Opportunity was knocking, after all.
“Mister Nott? Celestia has arrived, and they are nearly ready for you now.” The elderly witch who spoke was obviously one of the Wizengamot from her plum-colored robe with the silver ‘W’ inscribed on the breast and the look of perpetual suspicion on her thin face. Her voice shook Theodore out of his uncomfortable thoughts and into action. After all, his years in school were over now, and a new chapter was opening in his life. He might never hear the familiar professor again, or any of the Hogwarts teachers after this project was over. It triggered an uncomfortable impulse in Theodore, and he reached out with one hand to catch the elderly witch just above the elbow and hold her arm before she could open the door.
“Professor Vector,” he asked, trying to find the words as fast as his mouth was moving, “can you watch Wycliffe for me while I’m away?”
Septima Vector turned slowly back to face him and waited until he removed his hand from her elbow. She spoke in the short, precise enunciation that had never wavered, not even in the very last portion of her class when the rest of the class was drooping over their arithmancy examples. “Mister Nott. If your brother is sorted into Ravenclaw, I assure you, our house prefect will make his time at Hogwarts as pleasant as possible.”
“And if he’s not?” continued Theodore in an unpracticed rush. “All of my family has been in Slytherin, and I won’t be there to protect him.”
The words struck home harder than Theodore had anticipated. He had seen Professor Vector defend Hogwarts with every fibre of her being, and yet there had been too many students she had failed to save. Her lips drew into thin lines of tension, but a flicker of empathy lit her dark green eyes when she looked back, as if she knew how close Theodore’s father was to death also, and the distinct possibility that she might have personally reflected the old man’s lethal spell back into him that deadly night.
“That,” said Professor Vector in a remarkably calm voice, “will be up to his house. However, I will speak to Horace on your behalf. I can assure you, Minerva McGonagall will not permit any violence or harassment against any student in the school, no matter their placement, or family history.”
“How many?” asked Theodore, feeling awkward due to the fact that over the six years he had been in Hogwarts, he had not spoken this many personal words to his arithmancy teacher, ever. “How many students are coming back?”
“Far too few.” A twinge of pain caused the muscles in her wrinkled cheek to twitch, and Theodore was abruptly reminded of just how old the teacher had become in just the last year. “Without Albus, and with all that has happened there over the last year, I suppose we should be grateful Hogwarts is continuing at all. In any event, your brother will be safe as humanly possible. You have my word on it. And with that, we should be getting along. The Wizengamot does not like to wait. Come along, and bring your things.”
At that, the professor straightened her thin shoulders and opened the door, walking into the cavernous room with Theodore Nott trailing along behind.
- - Ω - -
The mirror portal that Twilight Sparkle used to visit her friends in the other world was a marvel of technological and thaumaturgical science. There were enough widgets and gadgets on it to make Sweetie Belle’s eyes water, and her horn just itched to see what parts did what. It was totally unfair that she was not permitted to touch any part of it, or be in the same room without Twilight present. Just in case of accidents. Or exploratory impulses.
This silver mirror standing in the Crystal Empire’s castle was far different. It was a featureless expanse of perfect reflection, embossed around the edges with silver curlique hearts and flowers. Although it was starkly simple without a widget or even a gizmo, the same theory of interleaved dimensional theory drove it to connect to a counterpoint anchor in another dimension, a prime example of the influence of Starswirl the Bearded in all schools of powerful magic.
Sweetie Belle did not know where or how the mirror came to be here. Only that it had been checked by Starswirl himself and deemed stable for the transportation services it would provide for the two exchange students, both herself and the pony from the other dimension where she was going. The actual details of Sweetie’s destination had been remarkably vague, although Princess Twilight Sparkle had been more than happy to pass along her experiences in various other exotic places and offer encouragement for the exciting adventure Sweetie was about to take.
The longer she looked at the nervous Sweetie Belle in the mirror, the more uncertain this Sweetie became.
The tall form of Princess Celestia to her side was the only other pony in the room. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and the rest of her family and friends were being kept out to prevent the ‘accidents’ during transportation that were certain to happen in their presence. With only one large white princess and one small white unicorn to reflect, the crystal facets of the room behind her showed a confused mix of the two of them, from fractions of a small alicorn with a pensive expression of nervousness to a segmented tall unicorn princess somehow shadowing Sweetie Belle’s future, complete with shimmering mane and golden tiara.
Their mismatched images matched Sweetie Belle’s scattered thoughts far too well. It had been a busy few weeks up to this point, with hustle and bustle and going-away parties and her sister Rarity’s tendency to burst into tears at the slightest provocation. There had been no problem packing for the trip, because the only thing on Sweetie Belle’s back was a pair of small saddlebags. They were not even completely full, despite Rarity’s constant efforts to add a few pairs of socks or a warm cloak in case Hogwarts was chilly. In fact, having no luggage other than her saddlebags was probably for the best since Sweetie Belle really expected Rarity to find some way to stow away for the trip, just to keep watch over her little sister. And to be perfectly honest, despite the ways Sweetie complained about having her older sister fuss and worry over her, it was nice. Annoying at times, but a niceness that she was going to miss terribly over the next year.
“Are you nervous, Sweetie Belle?” Princess Celestia’s voice was calm and relaxed, somehow passing those traits on to the slightly tense and barely nervous young unicorn shifting her weight while waiting with her lumpy saddlebags. “I can assure you, there is nothing to worry about.”
“I know. I trust you, Princess. It’s just…” Sweetie Belle glanced back and forth before lowering her voice to a near whisper. “I think I know how Twilight felt when you sent her to save your sister.”
Celestia laughed, a long and carefree sound that echoed through the high ceilings of the crystal room. It was the way a castle made out of rainbow crystals should feel like, instead of the little flickers Sweetie had caught out of the corner of her eyes of glittering servants shying at the slightest noise or veering away from small shadows.
At times, it seemed as if there was more darkness in the Crystal Empire than Cadence could clear away over her long life. Those shadows had amazing persistence considering that King Sombra had been defeated over two years ago, and then promptly defeated again by Twilight Sparkle and her friends when he returned. Even the crystal foals nearly her own age had a tension to their expressions and nervous twitches that made her think the defeated king was about to step out from around the corner for a third time and send them all back to the crystal mines, or cast the entire empire into shadow for a thousand years again.
The Crusaders hadn’t even been able to get one young crystal pony a cutie mark since they had arrived yesterday.
The tall form of Celestia bent down low so she could look Sweetie Belle in the eyes and give her a motherly nuzzle around one ear. “There are perfectly good reasons for sending you to Hogwarts school without spending a lot of time in preparation. First, you are young, and it is best for you to view this new world without the preconceptions or expectations we would push on you. The young have a precious gift of innocence, and there are times when that gift is the greatest thing you can bring to a new place. It has been many, many years since Luna and I have walked the halls of Hogwarts and mingled amongst the students. I’m certain both the school and the students have changed far beyond our wildest dreams.”
“Changed for the better, right?” Sweetie Belle was looking up at Celestia’s calm face when she asked the question or she would have missed the tiny twitch around the corner of one eye that preceded her warm smile.
“The world you are about to visit is much like our own. There are forces for good and bad, and the progress that good makes can be erratic at times. You will learn in everything you do there, the schoolwork, the friends that you meet, and even from those who oppose you. It is a culture well worth learning, and sometimes the best way of learning from a world this large is to immerse yourself totally into it, taking only what you need from here.”
“I suppose,” said Sweetie, shifting her weight until the sound of the gems packed in her saddlebags made little clinking noises against the magic book. “And this way I can buy any clothes I need there instead of having my sister send a wagon full of dresses.”
“Indeed.” Celestia’s golden magic produced a small key and tucked it into Sweetie’s lumpy saddlebags, closing the flap afterward. “I shall even send you our vault key for Gringotts, the local bank, if you should need to store your excess or retrieve some small amount of money for expenses.”
“Thank you, Princess.” Sweetie Belle smiled, or at least tried to, and all the reflected Sweeties she could see in the sparkling walls and mirror smiled too. “Do you think, while I’m there, that is. That I can help any ponies get their cutie marks in this… Hogwarts?”
“I’m sure you will help many new friends find their special talents,” said Celestia. “And when you return, I will want to hear all about your adventures.” The saddlebag over Sweetie’s rump began to buzz, and Celestia giggled. “Your friends are already writing you letters. I may have to get you a second book when you return for Winter break.”
“Or a third. Apple Bloom kinda writes big loopy letters.” Sweetie took a deep breath and looked at her reflection in the mirror. A frightened young unicorn looked back, but not quite as frightened as she looked before, with the moral support of a thousand Sweeties reflected in the facets of the room around her.
“Shall we?” Celestia stepped forward through the portal with Sweetie at her side into—
The world swam, swirling and spinning around Sweetie Belle like she was caught in a twisty tornado or one of Rainbow Dash’s whirlwinds. Thankfully, it was fairly brief, and if she had been carrying the amount of luggage Rarity had tried to press on her, she most likely would have been squished by flying freight, but a few moments later she staggered out onto a hard, grey granite floor.
And looked up.
At this point, it is only fair to the reader to expand upon the topic of unicorn magic as opposed to the more widely known wizard magic. As foals, infant unicorns display abilities at will that much older adults take years to master. After all, everypony knows it takes many months of intensive study and a complicated spell to walk through a wall or teleport. The thing is, infants do not know how impossible it is to do the things they do at that age. Many a mother pony has returned to the baby’s room to find their pegasus foal walking on the ceiling, or an earth pony foal deep in the jungle which used to be a simple potted plant, or a unicorn… well, let us just say unicorn foals have some of the strangest bursts of youthful creativity.
Much like Starswirl the Bearded or Princess Twilight Sparkle, Sweetie Belle was very young at heart, with a misplaced sense of what could not be done.
So picture a shy young unicorn, standing in the middle of fifty middle-aged to elderly human witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, all of whom are wearing various expressions of disapproval over the special dispensation they had just made to allow a portal to be opened into another world. At the side of this young unicorn stands a tall human woman of radiant beauty, dressed in flowing silks shaded from pastel blues to soft pinks, where just moments ago Sweetie Belle had seen the alicorn Princess Celestia.
Realize also that passage through a dimensional portal leaves a certain amount of leftover magic floating around, much like a dense cloud of petrol vapor seeking a spark.
Sweetie Belle’s magic sparked.
And when the blinding flash of magic was over, a very young girl sat stunned on the floor, with a cascade of flowing pink and light purple hair flowing down her back providing her only clothing.