Ilvermorny is an open-minded wizarding school. While it largely imitates Hogwarts, there's no doubt that its atmosphere is just a little more liberal.
This means more balls, more couples, and more midnight secret meetings.
Although in a different place, this did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of Ilvermorny's young wizards, in the eyes of those in love, as long as they're together, even hell feels like heaven.
What they didn't know was that a group of people cloaked in black, with spare clothes magically dyed, were quietly approaching, not for any sinister reason, but purely for their midnight snack.
As a couple whispered sweet nothings, the bushes where the snack-seekers hid suddenly became surrounded. And just as they prepared to resist, a dozen wands were aimed at them.
"Ahem, hello, robbery time."
"What are you doing? This is school! If the professors find out, they won't let you off!!!"
"Less talk, more trick-or-treat!!!" Marshall, trying hard not to laugh, said the line.
"Are you out of your mind? Halloween is still days away! And you're not even kids!"
"So what? Being older doesn't mean I can't be a baby? Listen, no matter how old I am, I'm still a child!" Marshall felt oddly satisfied saying this, though he was still somewhat embarrassed, what can you do when you lose rock-paper-scissors?
"Fine, you're crazy," one of the boys muttered, fishing a large handful of sweets from his pocket, originally intended to appease his girlfriend.
Even with the candy, everyone still felt slightly dissatisfied, what is this, really?
Allen smiled, shaking his finger, they're too cooperative. I can't exactly refuse, can I?
Besides, the plan had always been to prank Marshall, everyone knew he'd throw rock first in rock-paper-scissors.
Soon, they encountered resistance, a kid refusing to hand over candy.
"Ah, fine. Since you won't give candy, you've chosen mischief, right?"
"Bring it on. School or not, I'm not afraid. Even if you call for backup, it won't matter, you've got too few people!"
"Apologies, sir," Allen said, stepping forward.
He masked his face and faced the young lady directly.
"Oh, excuse us for the intrusion. Although we're bold to approach, you'll soon see we're not actually bad people."
"What are you doing? Let go of my Mike, now!"
"Don't worry, ma'am. We're only here to cause a little mischief, trick-or-treat style. But we're not doing it blindly."
Allen pulled a crystal ball from his pocket, though he hadn't taken Divination, he had bought one and never used it. But now, as a resourceful squirrel-like planner, perfect timing.
As he channeled magic into the orb, a miniature projection of the stars appeared inside.
"So, madam, care for a little divination?"
"No! I said, let go of Mike, or I'll report you!"
"Patience, ma'am. I said this is a simple divination. If you cooperate, we'll finish quickly. Just a short delay, we still need candy afterward."
Allen twirled the crystal ball.
"Oh, no doubt, you are extremely popular, independent, kind, responsible."
The compliment eased the tension.
"You're academically above average and get along well with classmates. Let's see… Aquarius, yes?"
"Eh?"
A tiny surprise indicated the girl was hooked. While Allen wasn't a Divination master, astrology rarely lies; the rest was a mix of courtesy and guesswork. Who doesn't like compliments?
A girl with such a personality is either a leader or an outcast. Her lack of stubbornness marked her as the former.
"Your companion is very responsible, your relationship looks harmonious, and your studies will go smoothly. Truly enviable."
The girl nodded, clearly impressed.
"There may be a small obstacle, though," Allen sighed, shrugging.
"Oh? What obstacle?" The girl's curiosity was piqued.
Perfect.
"Actually, your boyfriend is excellent, and you're lucky to have such a perfect love. But because he's outstanding, naturally, some other girls might take interest, good things attract attention."
"Who?"
"Can't see clearly, but likely a well-endowed girl. Astrology says so."
"Oh, that bitch! It must be her! There's no one else who could try to steal Mike!!"
Excellent. Bluff successful.
"We actually have a good way to avoid this problem, would you like to try? I should warn you, it's a bit unusual, so it may look like a prank. You can refuse, and we'll leave."
"No, I know. Divination said that with certain sacrifices, some things can be avoided. The teacher mentioned yesterday, it's a unique Eastern method."
Perfect, credit to whoever helped.
"It's very simple. All seduction and confusion ultimately fail when sacrifice is involved. Do you think a relationship without effort can last?"
The girl shook her head. She was tricked, but her basic judgment remained.
"Right. Now, we need your boyfriend to do something, not extremely dangerous, but it will help him avoid disaster. You know the idea of a 'substitute' here, yes?"
"Yes, I've vaguely heard about it."
"Perfect. Simply put, he needs to collect some ingredients near your camp. They're just ingredients, but since that professor's injury, collecting them is forbidden. By taking this risk, he's making the necessary sacrifice."
"Alright, I understand." She nodded firmly, then turned to Mike: "Mike, do you love me?"••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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