Play as Homura Akemi, stumbling her way through the Harry Potter universe! Given one last chance, can you save Madoka in this strange new world with mysterious new allies and enemies?
Madoka Potter and the Mysterious Inter-Dimensional Time Traveller (PMMM/HP)
- Thread starter starlitdreams
- Start date
- Crossover
Madoka Potter and the Mysterious Inter-Dimensional Time Traveller
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- Ongoing
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Statistics (5 threadmarks, 8.6k words)
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Prologue: Part 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You draw in a haggard breath from your position in the rubble, keenly aware of your injuries. You're staring out into the middle distance, just barely aware of your surroundings - or the distant pain you feel. This Walpurgisnacht fight had been a particularly bad one - your arm had been crushed by a piece of falling rubble, one of Walpurgisnacht's familiars had gotten a lucky hit on you, and you were currently impaled on a piece of rebar.
None of that is a concern to you, though. You are a puella magi, a magical girl, fated to death - or worse. You've suffered far worse in your time - your body a mere shell, all its injuries superficial. Your humanity is merely a distant memory.
Your mastery over time ensures that all your injuries will no longer matter in a short while, anyways. Already, you see the almost overwhelming pink light far in the distance; Madoka has made her contract with the Incubator. Your fault, of course. If you had simply been better - if you hadn't let Mami die, or Sayaka turn into a witch, if you had enough firepower to defeat Walpurgisnacht yourself, if if if.
Another loop wasted. Another Madoka failed. You let out a choked sob, and reach for your shield, preparing to turn back time once again.
–
You awaken in a hospital room. It's always the same at the beginning of the loops - an empty hospital room, your fragile heart thumping in your chest. You've seen this room so many times you loathe it - a reminder of your weakness, your frailty, your uselessness. No matter. You reach for your soul gem and -
You can't find your soul gem.
You do the only thing you can, and panic. You search the room in a frenzy, only to realize this isn't your hospital room. Something is, evidently, terribly wrong. The panic is making your heart act up, its thump thump thump a real concern now that you seemingly have no way to fix it with your magic. You sit, shaken, at the edge of your hospital bed.
Your heart seems even worse than you remember - and, suddenly, you remember what it was like before your surgery. You have weeks, at most, to live in this state. You take a deep, shuddering breath, willing yourself to calm. How can you save Madoka without your magic - without being alive? As long as you save Madoka, you don't care what happens to you, but will you even make it to Walpurgisnacht in such a state?
Except - somehow, you can still feel your magic. You have no idea how without your soul gem, but it's there. It feels weak, however, distant. You try to call upon it, with nothing to show. You try again, all your willpower and experience straining to do something - and you're rewarded for your efforts with a bright purple light in the palm of your hand. You stare for a moment. This… is new. You don't like new - you don't like anything that disrupts your carefully planned loops, and this loop is aberrant in a number of ways. Your last, for better or worse.
Suddenly, you're startled by a knock on the door to your hospital room. This has never happened before - you've never had visitors, your life a grey barely-remembered haze of loneliness and apathy before Madoka came into it. A nurse, perhaps?
You push yourself up and pull apart your braids with a tug and let your long, flowing hair loose. Abruptly, you notice you don't need glasses in this timeline - another aberration. You take careful, measured strides towards the door - mindful of your weak heart - and open it. At the other end is an old man with a carefully trimmed beard and the strangest suit you've ever seen - it's purple and speckled with stars. He's definitely a foreigner - if you had to place his ethnicity, you'd guess English. He smiles cheerily, eyes twinkling.
"Hello!" He says in English. You're proficient in the language - you've had lots of downtime in between borrowing munitions from the Yakuza and JDSF, making pipe bombs, and doing your best to ensure that Madoka doesn't contract or die. Not that you're ever successful in that last bit. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. Would you like to attend a school to learn magic?" What. "Oh, and I can fix that heart condition of yours, if you'd like." He says, absently. What.
[] (Write-in) How do you respond?
A/N
Hello all! This is my first time making a quest - or, really, writing anything fictional at all. This is also my very first post on Sufficient Velocity! I'll be in your care.
A little disclaimer, I'm not really sure how long I'll keep at it - this is very new to me. Call it an experiment.
This will mostly be a narrative quest, but I might occasionally roll d100s when something would be up to chance. If you have any questions, let me know! I'll do my best to answer. Please also give advice, feedback, criticism, etc.! Again, I am very new to this.
Also, obligatory J.K Rowling is a TERF, and that sucks.
None of that is a concern to you, though. You are a puella magi, a magical girl, fated to death - or worse. You've suffered far worse in your time - your body a mere shell, all its injuries superficial. Your humanity is merely a distant memory.
Your mastery over time ensures that all your injuries will no longer matter in a short while, anyways. Already, you see the almost overwhelming pink light far in the distance; Madoka has made her contract with the Incubator. Your fault, of course. If you had simply been better - if you hadn't let Mami die, or Sayaka turn into a witch, if you had enough firepower to defeat Walpurgisnacht yourself, if if if.
Another loop wasted. Another Madoka failed. You let out a choked sob, and reach for your shield, preparing to turn back time once again.
–
You awaken in a hospital room. It's always the same at the beginning of the loops - an empty hospital room, your fragile heart thumping in your chest. You've seen this room so many times you loathe it - a reminder of your weakness, your frailty, your uselessness. No matter. You reach for your soul gem and -
You can't find your soul gem.
You do the only thing you can, and panic. You search the room in a frenzy, only to realize this isn't your hospital room. Something is, evidently, terribly wrong. The panic is making your heart act up, its thump thump thump a real concern now that you seemingly have no way to fix it with your magic. You sit, shaken, at the edge of your hospital bed.
Your heart seems even worse than you remember - and, suddenly, you remember what it was like before your surgery. You have weeks, at most, to live in this state. You take a deep, shuddering breath, willing yourself to calm. How can you save Madoka without your magic - without being alive? As long as you save Madoka, you don't care what happens to you, but will you even make it to Walpurgisnacht in such a state?
Except - somehow, you can still feel your magic. You have no idea how without your soul gem, but it's there. It feels weak, however, distant. You try to call upon it, with nothing to show. You try again, all your willpower and experience straining to do something - and you're rewarded for your efforts with a bright purple light in the palm of your hand. You stare for a moment. This… is new. You don't like new - you don't like anything that disrupts your carefully planned loops, and this loop is aberrant in a number of ways. Your last, for better or worse.
Suddenly, you're startled by a knock on the door to your hospital room. This has never happened before - you've never had visitors, your life a grey barely-remembered haze of loneliness and apathy before Madoka came into it. A nurse, perhaps?
You push yourself up and pull apart your braids with a tug and let your long, flowing hair loose. Abruptly, you notice you don't need glasses in this timeline - another aberration. You take careful, measured strides towards the door - mindful of your weak heart - and open it. At the other end is an old man with a carefully trimmed beard and the strangest suit you've ever seen - it's purple and speckled with stars. He's definitely a foreigner - if you had to place his ethnicity, you'd guess English. He smiles cheerily, eyes twinkling.
"Hello!" He says in English. You're proficient in the language - you've had lots of downtime in between borrowing munitions from the Yakuza and JDSF, making pipe bombs, and doing your best to ensure that Madoka doesn't contract or die. Not that you're ever successful in that last bit. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. Would you like to attend a school to learn magic?" What. "Oh, and I can fix that heart condition of yours, if you'd like." He says, absently. What.
[] (Write-in) How do you respond?
A/N
Hello all! This is my first time making a quest - or, really, writing anything fictional at all. This is also my very first post on Sufficient Velocity! I'll be in your care.
A little disclaimer, I'm not really sure how long I'll keep at it - this is very new to me. Call it an experiment.
This will mostly be a narrative quest, but I might occasionally roll d100s when something would be up to chance. If you have any questions, let me know! I'll do my best to answer. Please also give advice, feedback, criticism, etc.! Again, I am very new to this.
Also, obligatory J.K Rowling is a TERF, and that sucks.
Last edited:
- Location
- The End of Glory
Watching this. Cant vote yet, cuz I want to see other people's option. SInce this looks to be a planned vote
Anyone want to vote
- Location
- The End of Glory
[X] "What."
- Location
- Laniakea
.....OK.
So Mitakihara is now in England and probably isn't called Mitakihara anymore but, I dunno, Morefield-on-Foss or something, on account of it being within the intake jurisdiction of Hogwarts.
Otherwise this would be Mahotokoro's recruitment team showing up instead of Dumbledore.
If Madoka is now "Madoka Potter" instead of Kaname, Homura is probably not Akemi and probably not from any wizarding family, not if she's stuck in a muggle hospital with a heart condition. Might be Homura Granger or something.
Yeah, I don't think there's anything she should say right now. Even trying to introduce herself as Homura "Akemi" might have them checking for brain damage.
Best just let Dumbledore finish his recruitment spiel, which will probably reveal what he currently believes Homura's name is (or at least what has shown up on that magic book of prospective candidates Hogwarts uses to issue admittance letters).
We'll see where that goes from there.
[X] "What."
So Mitakihara is now in England and probably isn't called Mitakihara anymore but, I dunno, Morefield-on-Foss or something, on account of it being within the intake jurisdiction of Hogwarts.
Otherwise this would be Mahotokoro's recruitment team showing up instead of Dumbledore.
If Madoka is now "Madoka Potter" instead of Kaname, Homura is probably not Akemi and probably not from any wizarding family, not if she's stuck in a muggle hospital with a heart condition. Might be Homura Granger or something.
Yeah, I don't think there's anything she should say right now. Even trying to introduce herself as Homura "Akemi" might have them checking for brain damage.
Best just let Dumbledore finish his recruitment spiel, which will probably reveal what he currently believes Homura's name is (or at least what has shown up on that magic book of prospective candidates Hogwarts uses to issue admittance letters).
We'll see where that goes from there.
[X] "What."
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hey all! Apologies for the delay in getting an update out, it turns out I wasn't receiving notifications for replies for some reason so I thought nobody had voted. I'll be getting an update out hopefully by the day after tomorrow. As a side note, I'm flattered to have people actually interacting with my quest as a completely new writer.
In response to @PistachioCookies: I apologize for not making things clear, but this story is not set in Mitakihara. Homura Akemi is indeed in a muggle hospital in London, and is also still named Homura Akemi. You'll have to figure out her backstory in this universe as Homura herself does, but I can say that she's still an orphan.
In response to @PistachioCookies: I apologize for not making things clear, but this story is not set in Mitakihara. Homura Akemi is indeed in a muggle hospital in London, and is also still named Homura Akemi. You'll have to figure out her backstory in this universe as Homura herself does, but I can say that she's still an orphan.
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Prologue: Part 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
(Nevermind! Have an update now. 'Cause I just felt like writing.)
"What." You say, flatly. Your English is slightly accented, and you notice your voice is higher-pitched than normal - more childlike, innocent. You hate it. Just what was going on with this loop?
"I would… appreciate an explanation, please." You attempt to rid your voice of that stupid, accursed childishness, to limited success.
"Certainly!" The man says, jovially. "Now, where should I start…" He hums to himself. He's much too smug about this. The thought drifts through your head to threaten him for information, now, before you remember that absent your shield you can't exactly pull out a gun to intimidate him with. You're a physically weak child with a severe heart condition - not exactly the most intimidating specimen of the human species, absent your rather impressive arsenal. Besides, Madoka wouldn't like it.
The man doesn't seem to notice anything is wrong, keeping a light and airy gaze directed at you. "I'm the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you see. I can tell that you're quite gifted, but I'm sure that my claims of magic must seem absurd to you - how about a little demonstration?" You're aware that magic is real, of course, but before you can say anything to the contrary - he smiles, and abruptly pulls out a stick from somewhere and points it at you.
(d100 roll = 71)
You almost startle and lash out, but manage to keep your instinctual reaction down. It wouldn't do to look suspicious, after all, even if you're already planning escape routes in your mind - not that you can do much right now. You curse your body for its weakness, and prepare to start running when - a plush rabbit appears out of thin air right in front of you, and starts falling. You instinctively catch it, staring. What the fuck?
Thoughts run through your head, one after another. That was clearly magic, no parlour trick - you felt the magic behind that. It seems that magic doesn't necessarily require Kyubey as a conduit - just one more thing that rat lied about - but why was this loop so different? Why has this man shown up now, of all times? Perhaps it was related to your soul gem vanishing - but if you had magic innately, and non-magical-girl magic users existed, why didn't he appear in the first timeline? Why was your hospital room so different in this timeline, and why had your heart condition seemingly gone unaddressed? You need to investigate.
Regardless, something must be addressed. One doesn't just - go around pointing sticks at people! You politely ignore the fact that you've been casually pointing firearms at people for most of your life, now.
"I would have appreciated a little warning," you say coolly. As coolly as you can with the state of your voice, anyways.
The man - Dumbledore - has the grace to look apologetic. "My apologies. I thought a direct demonstration would be best, but I shall refrain next time." He claps his hands. "Ah! But how do you find the rabbit? This is merely a temporary conjuration, but I could make it permanent if it's to your liking." His eyes twinkle. He's clearly taking pity on the poor, weak, invalid orphan. You feel bile rise in your throat - you're not that weak, pathetic excuse for a person anymore, you haven't been since that accursed timeline - but with an effort of will, you force it down.
You stare some more at the rabbit. It's objectively cute, with big button eyes and floppy ears. You've never liked stuffed animals even before you became a time-travelling child soldier, but - Madoka would love it.
Your pride wars with your desire to have a gift for Madoka. Do you reject the offer and toss the thing aside to maintain your stoic image, or do you swallow your pride and accept the loss of dignity if it means making Madoka happy? In this aberration of a timeline, do you maintain your distance from Madoka or get close to her? It'll hurt all the more when you inevitably fail, but one way or another, this'll be your final timeline… sighing, you come to a decision.
(The thought that Madoka perhaps doesn't exist in this aberrant timeline doesn't even cross your mind. She has to. She has to. If she doesn't, what would all this have been for?)
[] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
[] "That will not be necessary." You toss the thing aside, as it is of no use to you.
Dumbledore raises an eyebrow at your words, but lets it be. "I trust you've been convinced of the reality of magic, then?" He says, genially. You nod sharply.
"Excellent! Now, for your official Hogwarts acceptance letter!" He pulls out an old-fashioned parchment envelope with a flourish and hands it to you. You take it gingerly. On the envelope is written:
Miss H. Akemi
Room 106
The Royal London Hospital
London, U.K.
You break open the seal, eyeing Dumbledore suspiciously, as you skim through the contents of the letter. Something about a list of necessary supplies - a cauldron? - term beginning on September 1st - what? What date is it now?? - with instructions to arrive at a train station and - walk through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10??
You are, to put it lightly, incredibly confused. You eye Dumbledore again.
"Do you have any questions? Should you not, we may proceed directly to Diagon Alley so you may purchase your supplies - after I assist you in healing your heart and getting you checked out of the hospital, of course." He smiles beatifically.
Oh, do you have questions.
Ask about:
[] Procedure to heal your heart
[] General history of the magical world
[] General information on how magic works
[] Information on the supplies you'll be needing
[] (Write-in)
A/N: I have no clue what hospital in 1991 London would work best, so I just picked one at random. If any of you happen to be knowledgeable on hospitals in London and know of one that would work, let me know!
Also, let me know if anyone is out of character, or if you have other feedback! Thanks for participating! o7
"What." You say, flatly. Your English is slightly accented, and you notice your voice is higher-pitched than normal - more childlike, innocent. You hate it. Just what was going on with this loop?
"I would… appreciate an explanation, please." You attempt to rid your voice of that stupid, accursed childishness, to limited success.
"Certainly!" The man says, jovially. "Now, where should I start…" He hums to himself. He's much too smug about this. The thought drifts through your head to threaten him for information, now, before you remember that absent your shield you can't exactly pull out a gun to intimidate him with. You're a physically weak child with a severe heart condition - not exactly the most intimidating specimen of the human species, absent your rather impressive arsenal. Besides, Madoka wouldn't like it.
The man doesn't seem to notice anything is wrong, keeping a light and airy gaze directed at you. "I'm the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you see. I can tell that you're quite gifted, but I'm sure that my claims of magic must seem absurd to you - how about a little demonstration?" You're aware that magic is real, of course, but before you can say anything to the contrary - he smiles, and abruptly pulls out a stick from somewhere and points it at you.
(d100 roll = 71)
You almost startle and lash out, but manage to keep your instinctual reaction down. It wouldn't do to look suspicious, after all, even if you're already planning escape routes in your mind - not that you can do much right now. You curse your body for its weakness, and prepare to start running when - a plush rabbit appears out of thin air right in front of you, and starts falling. You instinctively catch it, staring. What the fuck?
Thoughts run through your head, one after another. That was clearly magic, no parlour trick - you felt the magic behind that. It seems that magic doesn't necessarily require Kyubey as a conduit - just one more thing that rat lied about - but why was this loop so different? Why has this man shown up now, of all times? Perhaps it was related to your soul gem vanishing - but if you had magic innately, and non-magical-girl magic users existed, why didn't he appear in the first timeline? Why was your hospital room so different in this timeline, and why had your heart condition seemingly gone unaddressed? You need to investigate.
Regardless, something must be addressed. One doesn't just - go around pointing sticks at people! You politely ignore the fact that you've been casually pointing firearms at people for most of your life, now.
"I would have appreciated a little warning," you say coolly. As coolly as you can with the state of your voice, anyways.
The man - Dumbledore - has the grace to look apologetic. "My apologies. I thought a direct demonstration would be best, but I shall refrain next time." He claps his hands. "Ah! But how do you find the rabbit? This is merely a temporary conjuration, but I could make it permanent if it's to your liking." His eyes twinkle. He's clearly taking pity on the poor, weak, invalid orphan. You feel bile rise in your throat - you're not that weak, pathetic excuse for a person anymore, you haven't been since that accursed timeline - but with an effort of will, you force it down.
You stare some more at the rabbit. It's objectively cute, with big button eyes and floppy ears. You've never liked stuffed animals even before you became a time-travelling child soldier, but - Madoka would love it.
Your pride wars with your desire to have a gift for Madoka. Do you reject the offer and toss the thing aside to maintain your stoic image, or do you swallow your pride and accept the loss of dignity if it means making Madoka happy? In this aberration of a timeline, do you maintain your distance from Madoka or get close to her? It'll hurt all the more when you inevitably fail, but one way or another, this'll be your final timeline… sighing, you come to a decision.
(The thought that Madoka perhaps doesn't exist in this aberrant timeline doesn't even cross your mind. She has to. She has to. If she doesn't, what would all this have been for?)
[] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
[] "That will not be necessary." You toss the thing aside, as it is of no use to you.
Dumbledore raises an eyebrow at your words, but lets it be. "I trust you've been convinced of the reality of magic, then?" He says, genially. You nod sharply.
"Excellent! Now, for your official Hogwarts acceptance letter!" He pulls out an old-fashioned parchment envelope with a flourish and hands it to you. You take it gingerly. On the envelope is written:
Miss H. Akemi
Room 106
The Royal London Hospital
London, U.K.
You break open the seal, eyeing Dumbledore suspiciously, as you skim through the contents of the letter. Something about a list of necessary supplies - a cauldron? - term beginning on September 1st - what? What date is it now?? - with instructions to arrive at a train station and - walk through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10??
You are, to put it lightly, incredibly confused. You eye Dumbledore again.
"Do you have any questions? Should you not, we may proceed directly to Diagon Alley so you may purchase your supplies - after I assist you in healing your heart and getting you checked out of the hospital, of course." He smiles beatifically.
Oh, do you have questions.
Ask about:
[] Procedure to heal your heart
[] General history of the magical world
[] General information on how magic works
[] Information on the supplies you'll be needing
[] (Write-in)
A/N: I have no clue what hospital in 1991 London would work best, so I just picked one at random. If any of you happen to be knowledgeable on hospitals in London and know of one that would work, let me know!
Also, let me know if anyone is out of character, or if you have other feedback! Thanks for participating! o7
Last edited:
- Location
- The End of Glory
[X] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
- Location
- Laniakea
Oh, don't mind me, I just generally like to theorize on quest settings and predict how things might play out. There's alot of fun in guessing how the crossover elements might cross over.
[X] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
.....I can only imagine the look on Homura's face when she gets told that, rather than there being consequences for using magic, it actually works the other way around in Harry Potter universe and that NOT using magic is what results in people turning into invisible, despair-filled monsters that go around killing and marking people.
Though at least Obscurial transformation is a lot more reversible than the usual Madoka witch-out.
Notes on magic and 'house elves'
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Some lore notes:
The actual magic system of HP is frustratingly obscure, so I'll be making some edits.
- Most transfiguration and conjuration, for example, are very much temporary: the only way to make them permanent is through some form of sacrifice (for most conjuration/transfiguration, it'll be something minor like a drop of blood from the caster - transfiguring materials like gold, however, has a much heavier price.) Sacrificial magic will be a prominent theme, with many rituals requiring some form of sacrifice from the user.
- Ancient Runes are used for warding (which will be a thing) and rituals, and arithmancy for spell creation.
- Both "dark" and "light" spells are spells with an emotional component that require a strong will and intent; however, "light" spells tap into emotions like happiness, peace, etc. while "dark" spells tap into the darker aspects of one's psyche - anger, fear, etc. While there is a stigma against "dark" spells, most are not illegal and are often permissible in cases of self-defense.
Also, the "slaves love being slaves and the one slave who doesn't want to be a slave is treated as being essentially mentally ill" is... yeah. It's not great. I'm not a skilled enough writer to add in a massive anti-slavery subplot to this silly Homura isekai fanfic, so I'll be replacing house-elves entirely with brownies. As in mythology, they're independent, strongly dislike being taken advantage of, and are paid in offerings left by the hearth. They're also unionized. Some wizards do enslave brownies with illegal rituals, but doing so is very much taboo and illegal.
I'll be working more on the magic system as time goes on - I might even include a mechanical component to it, depending on how things play out - but that's what I have so far. Feel free to give suggestions!
As a final note, I'm currently looking for a co-QM. Let me know if you'd be interested, I would highly appreciate it!
The actual magic system of HP is frustratingly obscure, so I'll be making some edits.
- Most transfiguration and conjuration, for example, are very much temporary: the only way to make them permanent is through some form of sacrifice (for most conjuration/transfiguration, it'll be something minor like a drop of blood from the caster - transfiguring materials like gold, however, has a much heavier price.) Sacrificial magic will be a prominent theme, with many rituals requiring some form of sacrifice from the user.
- Ancient Runes are used for warding (which will be a thing) and rituals, and arithmancy for spell creation.
- Both "dark" and "light" spells are spells with an emotional component that require a strong will and intent; however, "light" spells tap into emotions like happiness, peace, etc. while "dark" spells tap into the darker aspects of one's psyche - anger, fear, etc. While there is a stigma against "dark" spells, most are not illegal and are often permissible in cases of self-defense.
Also, the "slaves love being slaves and the one slave who doesn't want to be a slave is treated as being essentially mentally ill" is... yeah. It's not great. I'm not a skilled enough writer to add in a massive anti-slavery subplot to this silly Homura isekai fanfic, so I'll be replacing house-elves entirely with brownies. As in mythology, they're independent, strongly dislike being taken advantage of, and are paid in offerings left by the hearth. They're also unionized. Some wizards do enslave brownies with illegal rituals, but doing so is very much taboo and illegal.
I'll be working more on the magic system as time goes on - I might even include a mechanical component to it, depending on how things play out - but that's what I have so far. Feel free to give suggestions!
As a final note, I'm currently looking for a co-QM. Let me know if you'd be interested, I would highly appreciate it!
[X] "That will not be necessary." You toss the thing aside, as it is of no use to you.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
Generally, I wonder if we can get Homura to go full wandless for everything but the more complex spells? It should be a while before school, and in the meanwhile we may as well experiment with our magic without running afoul of magic laws and such (since those are put on the wands, rather than people, no?). If there's one thing Homura has ample of, it's determination and willpower, not to mention she has 10 years of experience using magic. There's nothing worse for a child soldier than being reliant on a disarmable wand, especially for someone that had a military supply depot worth of equipment 24/7 for a decade.
Might want to pilfer a gun or build some explosives at some point either way early on, that's one way of killing a troll without a deus ex machina. Given Madoka is Potter, that means Homura is getting involved in the Moldy Shorts conflict, and who knows what other ensuing alterations in this AU/crossover. Gotta be ready for anything and everything.
Either way, I have no doubt that Homura will suck ass at light magic in general. I don't think she's ever been happy, and her life has been borderline cursed. Pre-canon she was an orphan, weak heart, bullied, friendless, low self esteem, and intellectually ignorant due to spending years in a hospital. Then there was everything that came afterward.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
Generally, I wonder if we can get Homura to go full wandless for everything but the more complex spells? It should be a while before school, and in the meanwhile we may as well experiment with our magic without running afoul of magic laws and such (since those are put on the wands, rather than people, no?). If there's one thing Homura has ample of, it's determination and willpower, not to mention she has 10 years of experience using magic. There's nothing worse for a child soldier than being reliant on a disarmable wand, especially for someone that had a military supply depot worth of equipment 24/7 for a decade.
Might want to pilfer a gun or build some explosives at some point either way early on, that's one way of killing a troll without a deus ex machina. Given Madoka is Potter, that means Homura is getting involved in the Moldy Shorts conflict, and who knows what other ensuing alterations in this AU/crossover. Gotta be ready for anything and everything.
Is love positive or negative? Asking for Homucifer.
Either way, I have no doubt that Homura will suck ass at light magic in general. I don't think she's ever been happy, and her life has been borderline cursed. Pre-canon she was an orphan, weak heart, bullied, friendless, low self esteem, and intellectually ignorant due to spending years in a hospital. Then there was everything that came afterward.
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- Location
- Laniakea
The exact details of how the Trace works isn't known, but what IS known is that it isn't tied to wand, or even human magic, but just picks up any magic cast near to the underage wizard.
The earliest time it was seen triggered in canon was when it picked up Dobby's magic being used near Harry and the Ministry assumed it was Harry who did it as he should have been the only magical being in the house. It's explicitly called out as not being very useful when the target(s) are in areas like Diagon Alley which are expected to have lots of magic being constantly cast near people for that very reason, as it can't distinguish who actually cast anything.
Wandless magic is a thing, but Hogwarts is also the wrong school for that, it's known the African school, Uagadou, that is known to teach it. Possibly other schools too outside Europe, since wands are supposed to have been an European invention and other places would traditionally have not used them in magic. So if Homura were attending Mahotokoro, it's plausible she would be taught some form of it (even though they also use wands).
Of course, if Homura were attending Mahotokoro she'd also already have 4 years worth of schooling under her belt as Mahotokoro takes students from the age of 7, a whole 4 years earlier than Hogwarts starts inviting people.
I guess a decade's worth of looping experience using a Soul Gem might compensate? She can at least cast purple light wandlessly, so even if her magic feels "weak" to her, she's evidently still "trained" enough in it to do something.... though then again, Voldemort could also wandlessly hurt his orphange mates with it when he was the same age, so.
It's pretty clearly Hogwarts she's going to. Either way, I doubt she'd need to attend official schooling either to develop proper wandless magic herself. She's a bit of an exception here, being an outworlder with 10 consecutive years of near perpetual warfare, a determination, focus, and willpower that no normal adult would have, and a decade of experience using her own personal magic borne from her soul, sans any sort of wand. Wandless magic seems to be based on imagination (to a degree) in HP, so replicating what she could previously do, especially the hammerspace seems quite feasible as a goal. It took her like, a minute, to do her light trick.
She's pretty damn smart too, no normal 14 year old can successfully learn how to build high-yield explosives in a weekend, or locate and rob the yakuza in short order. On the flipside, Homura is horrible at absolutely anything social, and has the incredibly low self-esteem. All of her old friends turning on her, distrusting/hating her, and dragging Madoka down probably doesn't help her mentality.
Do note that she seems to be a couple years younger, and her (new) magic is untrained. I have no doubt we can change that, Moldy Shorts, Dumbledore, and Grindlewald did not start with godlike power, after all.
I question the credibility of this throughout the series, given that while it may have picked up on Dobby, accidental magic doesn't seem to be affected, in general (which implies that wandless is not either), I'm fairly sure that Harry uses his wand at home without issue for a period, and pretty much everything in the second book suggests that it isn't particularly strict either. Same with Voldemort's origin, if casting magic would immediately be detected, then how the fuck did he do everything he did in the orphanage without issue? I'm sure there's plenty of other inconsistencies.
It seems to be more if any muggle witnesses or potentially can witness magic, rather than if the underage are casting magic in general. Like the thing that happened with the Dementor in one of the later books.
Really, imo, it's up to OP. HP is inconsistent as fuck. Either way, I can't see Homura staying idle, Madoka is in danger (she always is in danger), and she has to get good. Laws? What are those, can you eat them?
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- Location
- Pittsburgh PA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
Part of me wants to add on asking how it could be 1991, but that feels like a question that would sound too crazy/reveal too much.
[X] Procedure to heal your heart
[X] Prices and consequences to magic use.
Part of me wants to add on asking how it could be 1991, but that feels like a question that would sound too crazy/reveal too much.
- Location
- Laniakea
Eh, well given the title of the quest is "Madoka Potter and the Mysterious Inter-Dimensional Time Traveller", I'm going to hazard a guess that the answer to that question is something along the lines "Inter-Dimensional Time Travel".
......As for who was responsible, I have this theory that, somewhere in the Madoka universe right now, there is now an 11-year old Homura who has just found herself in the body of a 13-year old Homura after accidentally casting some unexpected mysterious inter-dimensional time travel magic whilst in the midst of wishing that she was a big, strong, powerful superhero with no heart problems, brimming full of magic, having adventures far away from her London hospital room, in some exotic land like Japan.
Who is about to learn what "Monkey's Paw" means and will end up deeply, thoroughly regretting having ever made that wish in just a little bit.
You know, the funny thing is, whether or not such a thing is actually possible there are clearly wizarding world folk who think it is. Because when it came to the Boy-Who-Lived, there were apparently an awful lot of people who believed HE came out of the womb like that - born powerful enough to kill a grown man in revenge for his parents' demise before he could even walk!
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
Keep in mind that you don't actually know that it's 1991 yet.
As for the update, I'll get something out during the weekend. Thanks for participating as usual!
As for the rest... I will neither confirm nor deny anything. Winky face. (In actuality, I'm just too strapped on time to respond right now, but I'll type up some responses later.)
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- Location
- Pittsburgh PA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I could have sworn the letter included the term year, but it seems I was mistaken on a second look.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Also, voting closed!
Prologue: Part 3
New
- Pronouns
- She/Her
A/N: Apologies for the long delay! Real life has been hectic. I actually had this written out almost a month ago, but never got around to uploading it.
[X] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
Dumbledore smiles brightly, cheered by your willingness to take the rabbit. It's incredibly annoying. He seems… relieved, almost? Something along those lines. Strange.
"Let the transfiguration commence, then! If I may?" He holds out a hand. You hand the rabbit to him,slightly reluctantly.
With a wave of his wand - one that you handle better, now that you're expecting it - he starts chanting in Latin. The rabbit glows briefly. It's at this point where Dumbledore somehow slices his finger with the wand, a drop of blood falling onto the glowing plush rabbit. The glow immediately dissipates, the rabbit seemingly becoming more real somehow - more solid, more grounded.
Dumbledore hands the rabbit back to you with a flourish. You stare at it, and tuck it away again. How very fascinating. "I appreciate it," you murmur. No reason not to be polite.
–
You eye Dumbledore suspiciously. "How would this… healing… work? Please explain." Youcommand request.
Dumbledore obliges, seemingly excited to teach a new pupil. You frown slightly, puzzling this through - it seems he was a teacher before he became a headmaster. Interesting. "Elementary! I will utilize magic to run a set of diagnostics, which will inform me of the general state of your health - nothing too private, though," he adds, seeing your look. "Simply a general overview. From there, I'll be able to narrow down the specifics of your heart condition. Then, I'll be constructing a healing ritual - something as major as this is a bit too much for a simple spell - which will require a sacrifice in the form of intermingled blood from the caster and from the recipient of the ritual. If you would be okay with that, that is?"
"I presume the blood is the price of performing the ritual, then?" All magic has a cost - this you know all too well. A little blood is well worth the end-state of having your heart healed, but - well - it seems like too light of a cost.
"Quite! Smart one, hm?" You don't dignify that with an answer, instead asking - "is there any other cost to this magic? Anything else?" You stress. If you need to swear off your soul to use this form of magic too, well - you'd probably still do it (anything for Madoka) but you'd want to know beforehand.
"Ah," Dumbledore says. "There is no need to sell your soul to perform magic - and not to worry, I was not reading your mind. It's simply a common concern among those raised by non-magicals." He adds, at your sharp intake of breath. "You could say magic draws on the the caster's wellspring of life, but, well-"
"Wellspring of life?" You raise an eyebrow.
He doesn't even have the grace to look annoyed at your interruption. "The caster's life force, in less poetic terms. Vitality, perhaps." His eyes twinkle, again. Annoying. And - well - using the caster's 'life force' is rather alarming. "Not to worry. You won't die if you overuse magic, except in very rare and specific circumstances. The soul is very resilient, after all, and as long as the soul is not damaged one's vitality will regenerate. Overuse of magic typically simply results in exhaustion and falling unconscious: not ideal, perhaps, but certainly less severe than death."
"Typically?" That sounds suspicious.
Dumbledore's expression becomes grim. "Only in cases of rare disorders, and other more dire circumstances." He doesn't elaborate. "It won't be a concern for you."
You want to argue, but something holds you back - you can tell that you won't be convincing Dumbledore to spill anytime soon. You sigh. "Very well, then."
Dumbledore's grim mein clears immediately. "So! I presume you are ready for the ritual?"
You, finally, assent - with conditions. You've gone through much worse than spilling a bit of blood, but you're still suspicious. "Walk me through everything you're doing," you say briskly. He nods, and smiles genially.
As requested, he goes into detail on every aspect of the procedure as he's performing it, from the diagnostics to the ritual itself. He explains how to read the diagnostics, and elaborates that the ritual is using delicate transfiguration work to quite literally reshape your heart - he needs to construct the ritual himself, as your heart condition is a rare one. He elaborates on rituals in general - it turns out that rituals are far older than modern wanded spellcasting, and thus rely far more on willpower and poetry of all things (apparently, rituals rely on turning a metaphorical interpretation of the written word into reality through sheer willpower) than the advanced mathematics involved in today's spell creation.
Around a half hour of diagramming, writing, and exposition later - explained to you first in terms that a child would understand and later in more advanced terms when you make it clear that you're more intellectually capable than an average child your age - and performed on a conjured sheaf of parchment, of all things, Dumbledore's ready to begin. The man is obviously something of a genius, even without context for his skill. The speed at which he works and his ability to explain everything simultaneously make that clear.
Instructing you to lay down on the hospital bed, Dumbledore begins the ritual itself - it's delicate work, with a lot of ominous Latin chanting. You're very curious about what he's doing, but keep your mouth shut so as to not distract him. A few minutes into the ritual, it's time for the blood sacrifice - cuts are made on the palm of both your hands, which immediately seal up through magic. Your intermingled blood is spilled into a small silver basin, and seems to evaporate into sparkles?
Then, you feel your heart begin to reform. It's not painful, but it's disconcerting - an extremely odd feeling. You've had much worse in Witches' labyrinths, so you keep your mouth shut and let the man work. And - suddenly - it stops. Your heart is beating as normal. Dumbledore smiles, and ceases his chanting, seeming somewhat tired but cheery. The procedure took no more than fifteen minutes in total, you'd estimate.
"Now! Is everything alright? No lingering side effects, pain, or discomfort of any kind?" You shake your head no, and Dumbledore grins.
"Thank you," you say quietly, but with no less emphasis. You would hate to have to go through this loop with a non-functional heart.
Dumbledore smiles genially. "Of course! I'd be a rather awful example of a teacher if I left one of my prospective students in this condition." You wince slightly at the phrasing - it's a bit too close to Mami's future juniors for your comfort - but don't comment.
"Now, shall we get you checked out? We'll be headed to Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies, after this." You nod your assent. Part of you wants to immediately run to find Madoka, but - well - you have no idea where you are, your time-stop is non-functional, and you might not even be in Japan anymore. You may as well humor him for a time.
As you make your way through the hospital, you stare. It's definitely not your hospital in Mitakihara - for one, everything seems much older, more antiquated. For another, all the signs you pass are in English. Strange. Where were you? It would be awfully inconvenient to have to take a plane back to Mitakihara to save Madoka - appropriating the funds for the plane ticket and navigating the process to get on a plane would be an arduous experience, especially without your ability to stop time, and require time you don't have if you are to prevent Madoka from contracting.
Dumbledore waves his wand at several nurses as they stop to question him, and they wander off with a dazed and somewhat confused expression on their faces - some form of mental manipulation? Ominous. You make a note to yourself to research ways to defend from mind magic - you really do not want your mind fucked with.
As you approach the counter at the lowest floor of the hospital, Dumbledore once more repeats the process of waving his wand at the receptionist - presumably to convince them to discharge a patient who had previously been in palliative care without questions. You take the time to fill out some paperwork so everything looks in order, handing it to the receptionist to sign - which he does, without even glancing at it.
Finally, you exit the hospital to a busy street. You stop suddenly in your tracks. The architecture, for one, is definitely not Japanese - you'd already been expecting that you weren't in Japan anymore, but the distinctly English architecture confirms it. The cars are another piece of evidence - they're distinctly old-looking, not at all like the sleek modern cars you know. Just what was going on? You are clearly not in Mitakihara anymore. England, if you had to guess.
Dumbledore raises an eyebrow in inquiry at your sudden stop. You swallow heavily. "I apologize," you say, "it has been some time since I have been out of the hospital. Being outside is somewhat overwhelming." He hums in sympathy, allowing you to take the time to recover. You press on.
He chatters cheerfully as the two of you walk to the local Underground station about everything from past students of his to elaborate descriptions of the castle the school - Hogwarts - is apparently situated in. You mostly listen in silence. The two of you ride the metro for several stops, coming out of the station to find a traditional English pub - one that passerbys' eyes seem to glaze over.
"The Leaky Cauldron!" Dumbledore exclaims cheerfully. "Diagon Alley is situated beyond its walls. It's hidden from muggles - that is, non-magicals." Interesting.
The two of you enter the building. It's rather dingy, and its clientele are chattering rather excitedly about something or another as you enter.
You catch a word - Madoka - and your heart leaps into your throat. You are pressed not to react, as thoughts run through your head at the speed of light - what? How?? Madoka most definitely should not be in England. She also shouldn't be - famous? Why is everyone talking about her? Part of you is deeply relieved - it makes your mission much easier if she's situated in the same country as you. Another part of you is stupefied - just what was going on here?
You are pressed not to react as the barman waves Dumbledore over. "Ah, Professor Dumbledore! Accompanying a new Hogwarts student, eh?"
Dumbledore, smiling, nods at the barman, ushering you over. "Indeed, Tom! The young lass is getting ready to start her first year. Now, there's no need to call me Professor - you haven't been a student for many years now."
"Ah, but you'll always be my professor!" He retorts. "Now, who's the bright young student here?"
"Homura Akemi. Pleased to meet you," you reply with the western name order to avoid confusion, bowing slightly in greeting. You're still dazed and confused, the actions performed on autopilot.
Barman Tom smiles down at you, mistaking your stupefaction for anxiety. "A polite one, eh, Miss Akemi? Don't worry about those louts," he grins, waving at his customers, "they're just excited because we've had something of a celebrity pass through. Madoka Potter - the girl-who-lived! Wouldn't leave the poor girl alone."
You have no idea what is going on.
Dumbledore seems to notice your confusion, and he explains as the two of you make your way towards a rather shabby courtyard- one that you assume leads to the actual 'Diagon Alley'. So far, you're unimpressed. Apparently, Madoka defeated some kind of "dark wizard" - what kind of name was "Voldemort", anyways? - as a baby by rebounding something called a killing curse, which - what? You know she's amazing, but you have a hard time fathoming how she could kill a man as a literal infant. Unless her magic was so powerful that it couldn't be affected by this 'killing curse'?
Dumbledore watches you closely as he taps out a sequence of bricks on the wall, unveiling a cobbled street lined with shops that looked like they'd belong more in a historical catalogue. This is more like what you'd expected, your eyes widening slightly as you take everything in. You have no idea what most of this could be used for - what are cauldrons supposed to do, anyways? Brooms? - but it's interesting all the same. He seems pleased by your reaction. You just wonder if any of it might be of use to help Madoka.
You're struck by a sudden concern, furrowing your brow. "I am not in possession of any funds," you admit.
"Not to worry! Hogwarts has a fund for orphaned students. We will simply need to head to the bank - Gringotts - to retrieve it. It's not much, but it should be more than enough to cover your school supplies." You nod in understanding.
As you walk down the winding street, you suddenly notice a familiar shock of pink hair next to a giant of a man walking just ahead of you. You stop. Madoka!?
But - something is terribly wrong. For one, she's much too young - ten or eleven, you estimate, instead of the fourteen she usually is. Her clothes are worn, tattered, and several sizes too big for her - Junko Kaname would never give her child such ratty clothing. Her hair is loose and untamed, absent the red ribbons you know so well. She's also much too small even for her age, being stick-thin. She turns in your direction, and you notice she looks awed by her surroundings - but also frightened, as if all of this might be taken away from her at any second. As the man reaches to pat her on the shoulder, she suddenly flinches away before hastily pasting an anxious smile on her face.
Something is terribly, horribly wrong. You've read a few psychology textbooks in a desperate (and failed) attempt to improve your abhorrent social skills, and know enough to recognize the signs of abuse when you see them. A growing dread pools in your heart. You've met Madoka's parents before in early loops, and they were the perfect picture of loving and devoted caretakers. So what went wrong here?
Regardless, you want to kill whoever did this to sweet, kind, would-never-hurt-a-fly Madoka. Painfully. Hot, simmering rage burns inside you. You clench your fist, attempting to calm yourself down.
You need to investigate. But how?
[] Approach her
-[] And deliver your usual cryptic warning
-[] And attempt to befriend her
-[] (Write-in) What do you say?
[] Don't approach her; investigate from the shadows
A/N: yay, exposition dump. As usual, let me know how I can improve!
Also, wow, it looks like there's a lot of new PMMM stuff on SV lately - I haven't really been keeping up. I suppose it's because of Exedra releasing. I'm very excited to read everyone's takes on the PMMM 'verse!
[X] "The rabbit is acceptable. That… would be amenable to me." You tuck the rabbit behind you protectively.
Dumbledore smiles brightly, cheered by your willingness to take the rabbit. It's incredibly annoying. He seems… relieved, almost? Something along those lines. Strange.
"Let the transfiguration commence, then! If I may?" He holds out a hand. You hand the rabbit to him,
With a wave of his wand - one that you handle better, now that you're expecting it - he starts chanting in Latin. The rabbit glows briefly. It's at this point where Dumbledore somehow slices his finger with the wand, a drop of blood falling onto the glowing plush rabbit. The glow immediately dissipates, the rabbit seemingly becoming more real somehow - more solid, more grounded.
Dumbledore hands the rabbit back to you with a flourish. You stare at it, and tuck it away again. How very fascinating. "I appreciate it," you murmur. No reason not to be polite.
–
You eye Dumbledore suspiciously. "How would this… healing… work? Please explain." You
Dumbledore obliges, seemingly excited to teach a new pupil. You frown slightly, puzzling this through - it seems he was a teacher before he became a headmaster. Interesting. "Elementary! I will utilize magic to run a set of diagnostics, which will inform me of the general state of your health - nothing too private, though," he adds, seeing your look. "Simply a general overview. From there, I'll be able to narrow down the specifics of your heart condition. Then, I'll be constructing a healing ritual - something as major as this is a bit too much for a simple spell - which will require a sacrifice in the form of intermingled blood from the caster and from the recipient of the ritual. If you would be okay with that, that is?"
"I presume the blood is the price of performing the ritual, then?" All magic has a cost - this you know all too well. A little blood is well worth the end-state of having your heart healed, but - well - it seems like too light of a cost.
"Quite! Smart one, hm?" You don't dignify that with an answer, instead asking - "is there any other cost to this magic? Anything else?" You stress. If you need to swear off your soul to use this form of magic too, well - you'd probably still do it (anything for Madoka) but you'd want to know beforehand.
"Ah," Dumbledore says. "There is no need to sell your soul to perform magic - and not to worry, I was not reading your mind. It's simply a common concern among those raised by non-magicals." He adds, at your sharp intake of breath. "You could say magic draws on the the caster's wellspring of life, but, well-"
"Wellspring of life?" You raise an eyebrow.
He doesn't even have the grace to look annoyed at your interruption. "The caster's life force, in less poetic terms. Vitality, perhaps." His eyes twinkle, again. Annoying. And - well - using the caster's 'life force' is rather alarming. "Not to worry. You won't die if you overuse magic, except in very rare and specific circumstances. The soul is very resilient, after all, and as long as the soul is not damaged one's vitality will regenerate. Overuse of magic typically simply results in exhaustion and falling unconscious: not ideal, perhaps, but certainly less severe than death."
"Typically?" That sounds suspicious.
Dumbledore's expression becomes grim. "Only in cases of rare disorders, and other more dire circumstances." He doesn't elaborate. "It won't be a concern for you."
You want to argue, but something holds you back - you can tell that you won't be convincing Dumbledore to spill anytime soon. You sigh. "Very well, then."
Dumbledore's grim mein clears immediately. "So! I presume you are ready for the ritual?"
You, finally, assent - with conditions. You've gone through much worse than spilling a bit of blood, but you're still suspicious. "Walk me through everything you're doing," you say briskly. He nods, and smiles genially.
As requested, he goes into detail on every aspect of the procedure as he's performing it, from the diagnostics to the ritual itself. He explains how to read the diagnostics, and elaborates that the ritual is using delicate transfiguration work to quite literally reshape your heart - he needs to construct the ritual himself, as your heart condition is a rare one. He elaborates on rituals in general - it turns out that rituals are far older than modern wanded spellcasting, and thus rely far more on willpower and poetry of all things (apparently, rituals rely on turning a metaphorical interpretation of the written word into reality through sheer willpower) than the advanced mathematics involved in today's spell creation.
Around a half hour of diagramming, writing, and exposition later - explained to you first in terms that a child would understand and later in more advanced terms when you make it clear that you're more intellectually capable than an average child your age - and performed on a conjured sheaf of parchment, of all things, Dumbledore's ready to begin. The man is obviously something of a genius, even without context for his skill. The speed at which he works and his ability to explain everything simultaneously make that clear.
Instructing you to lay down on the hospital bed, Dumbledore begins the ritual itself - it's delicate work, with a lot of ominous Latin chanting. You're very curious about what he's doing, but keep your mouth shut so as to not distract him. A few minutes into the ritual, it's time for the blood sacrifice - cuts are made on the palm of both your hands, which immediately seal up through magic. Your intermingled blood is spilled into a small silver basin, and seems to evaporate into sparkles?
Then, you feel your heart begin to reform. It's not painful, but it's disconcerting - an extremely odd feeling. You've had much worse in Witches' labyrinths, so you keep your mouth shut and let the man work. And - suddenly - it stops. Your heart is beating as normal. Dumbledore smiles, and ceases his chanting, seeming somewhat tired but cheery. The procedure took no more than fifteen minutes in total, you'd estimate.
"Now! Is everything alright? No lingering side effects, pain, or discomfort of any kind?" You shake your head no, and Dumbledore grins.
"Thank you," you say quietly, but with no less emphasis. You would hate to have to go through this loop with a non-functional heart.
Dumbledore smiles genially. "Of course! I'd be a rather awful example of a teacher if I left one of my prospective students in this condition." You wince slightly at the phrasing - it's a bit too close to Mami's future juniors for your comfort - but don't comment.
"Now, shall we get you checked out? We'll be headed to Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies, after this." You nod your assent. Part of you wants to immediately run to find Madoka, but - well - you have no idea where you are, your time-stop is non-functional, and you might not even be in Japan anymore. You may as well humor him for a time.
As you make your way through the hospital, you stare. It's definitely not your hospital in Mitakihara - for one, everything seems much older, more antiquated. For another, all the signs you pass are in English. Strange. Where were you? It would be awfully inconvenient to have to take a plane back to Mitakihara to save Madoka - appropriating the funds for the plane ticket and navigating the process to get on a plane would be an arduous experience, especially without your ability to stop time, and require time you don't have if you are to prevent Madoka from contracting.
Dumbledore waves his wand at several nurses as they stop to question him, and they wander off with a dazed and somewhat confused expression on their faces - some form of mental manipulation? Ominous. You make a note to yourself to research ways to defend from mind magic - you really do not want your mind fucked with.
As you approach the counter at the lowest floor of the hospital, Dumbledore once more repeats the process of waving his wand at the receptionist - presumably to convince them to discharge a patient who had previously been in palliative care without questions. You take the time to fill out some paperwork so everything looks in order, handing it to the receptionist to sign - which he does, without even glancing at it.
Finally, you exit the hospital to a busy street. You stop suddenly in your tracks. The architecture, for one, is definitely not Japanese - you'd already been expecting that you weren't in Japan anymore, but the distinctly English architecture confirms it. The cars are another piece of evidence - they're distinctly old-looking, not at all like the sleek modern cars you know. Just what was going on? You are clearly not in Mitakihara anymore. England, if you had to guess.
Dumbledore raises an eyebrow in inquiry at your sudden stop. You swallow heavily. "I apologize," you say, "it has been some time since I have been out of the hospital. Being outside is somewhat overwhelming." He hums in sympathy, allowing you to take the time to recover. You press on.
He chatters cheerfully as the two of you walk to the local Underground station about everything from past students of his to elaborate descriptions of the castle the school - Hogwarts - is apparently situated in. You mostly listen in silence. The two of you ride the metro for several stops, coming out of the station to find a traditional English pub - one that passerbys' eyes seem to glaze over.
"The Leaky Cauldron!" Dumbledore exclaims cheerfully. "Diagon Alley is situated beyond its walls. It's hidden from muggles - that is, non-magicals." Interesting.
The two of you enter the building. It's rather dingy, and its clientele are chattering rather excitedly about something or another as you enter.
You catch a word - Madoka - and your heart leaps into your throat. You are pressed not to react, as thoughts run through your head at the speed of light - what? How?? Madoka most definitely should not be in England. She also shouldn't be - famous? Why is everyone talking about her? Part of you is deeply relieved - it makes your mission much easier if she's situated in the same country as you. Another part of you is stupefied - just what was going on here?
You are pressed not to react as the barman waves Dumbledore over. "Ah, Professor Dumbledore! Accompanying a new Hogwarts student, eh?"
Dumbledore, smiling, nods at the barman, ushering you over. "Indeed, Tom! The young lass is getting ready to start her first year. Now, there's no need to call me Professor - you haven't been a student for many years now."
"Ah, but you'll always be my professor!" He retorts. "Now, who's the bright young student here?"
"Homura Akemi. Pleased to meet you," you reply with the western name order to avoid confusion, bowing slightly in greeting. You're still dazed and confused, the actions performed on autopilot.
Barman Tom smiles down at you, mistaking your stupefaction for anxiety. "A polite one, eh, Miss Akemi? Don't worry about those louts," he grins, waving at his customers, "they're just excited because we've had something of a celebrity pass through. Madoka Potter - the girl-who-lived! Wouldn't leave the poor girl alone."
You have no idea what is going on.
Dumbledore seems to notice your confusion, and he explains as the two of you make your way towards a rather shabby courtyard- one that you assume leads to the actual 'Diagon Alley'. So far, you're unimpressed. Apparently, Madoka defeated some kind of "dark wizard" - what kind of name was "Voldemort", anyways? - as a baby by rebounding something called a killing curse, which - what? You know she's amazing, but you have a hard time fathoming how she could kill a man as a literal infant. Unless her magic was so powerful that it couldn't be affected by this 'killing curse'?
Dumbledore watches you closely as he taps out a sequence of bricks on the wall, unveiling a cobbled street lined with shops that looked like they'd belong more in a historical catalogue. This is more like what you'd expected, your eyes widening slightly as you take everything in. You have no idea what most of this could be used for - what are cauldrons supposed to do, anyways? Brooms? - but it's interesting all the same. He seems pleased by your reaction. You just wonder if any of it might be of use to help Madoka.
You're struck by a sudden concern, furrowing your brow. "I am not in possession of any funds," you admit.
"Not to worry! Hogwarts has a fund for orphaned students. We will simply need to head to the bank - Gringotts - to retrieve it. It's not much, but it should be more than enough to cover your school supplies." You nod in understanding.
As you walk down the winding street, you suddenly notice a familiar shock of pink hair next to a giant of a man walking just ahead of you. You stop. Madoka!?
But - something is terribly wrong. For one, she's much too young - ten or eleven, you estimate, instead of the fourteen she usually is. Her clothes are worn, tattered, and several sizes too big for her - Junko Kaname would never give her child such ratty clothing. Her hair is loose and untamed, absent the red ribbons you know so well. She's also much too small even for her age, being stick-thin. She turns in your direction, and you notice she looks awed by her surroundings - but also frightened, as if all of this might be taken away from her at any second. As the man reaches to pat her on the shoulder, she suddenly flinches away before hastily pasting an anxious smile on her face.
Something is terribly, horribly wrong. You've read a few psychology textbooks in a desperate (and failed) attempt to improve your abhorrent social skills, and know enough to recognize the signs of abuse when you see them. A growing dread pools in your heart. You've met Madoka's parents before in early loops, and they were the perfect picture of loving and devoted caretakers. So what went wrong here?
Regardless, you want to kill whoever did this to sweet, kind, would-never-hurt-a-fly Madoka. Painfully. Hot, simmering rage burns inside you. You clench your fist, attempting to calm yourself down.
You need to investigate. But how?
[] Approach her
-[] And deliver your usual cryptic warning
-[] And attempt to befriend her
-[] (Write-in) What do you say?
[] Don't approach her; investigate from the shadows
A/N: yay, exposition dump. As usual, let me know how I can improve!
Also, wow, it looks like there's a lot of new PMMM stuff on SV lately - I haven't really been keeping up. I suppose it's because of Exedra releasing. I'm very excited to read everyone's takes on the PMMM 'verse!
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
Also, shoot, forgot to open voting. I'm not really sure how to do this to be honest, I'm still very new to SV.