Riley followed Nick and David down the path to the Quidditch pitch, his broomstick slung over his shoulders. "Big game today boys!" Genieve chirped, jogging along to catch up to them, Cookie cradled in her arms. "I hope you win. I don't want to have to commentate Ravenclaw losing again."

Nick glared at her. "That was one time. One time. And it was only because Eli-"

"Because Eli threw the quaffle at you." Riley finished. "We know. Without that, we would have won."

Nick nodded. "Exactly. And we're not even playing Gryffindor today."

"No." David sighed. "We're playing Slytherin. So we'd better win, or I'll never hear the end of it."

Genieve giggled. "Wouldn't that be great! Not us losing of course, but David... Okay, now you've given me conflicting emotions towards this game..." She stroked Cookie contemplatively. "On the one side-"

"Okay, change rooms, bye now!" Riley pushed her out of the way as the three boys entered the changing tent.

No one else on the team was there yet. Which was understandable, considering the time to go until the match started. Nick, being the captain, of course had to be there before the others. Which unfortunately included dragging Riley and David down with him. "I don't like the look of this weather." Riley called over his shoulder, looking out at the grey storm clouds swirling overhead.

"It'll be fine." Nick assured him, patting his friend on he back. "Just some rain, maybe some strong winds. Nothing to worry about." Riley, not completely satisfied with that response, came back inside and continued to get changed.

* * *

The Ravenclaw team marched out onto the pitch, Nick waving at the crowd, and David trying to pull the collar of his robes up around his face, partially to protect him from the wind, and partially so the spectators possibly wouldn't recognise him.

Madam hooch stood in between Nick and the Slytherin captain, and asked them to shake hands. From the way Nicks hand retreated back into his sleeve afterwards, Riley could only assume it wasn't particularly friendly. Madam Hooch yelled over the howling wind, but no sound made it past Nick. Following his lead however, the teams mounted their brooms. The shrill whistle cut through the noise, and the players kicked off, zooming into air, struggling against the wind to go fly in formation.

Riley darted around, trying desperately to keep bludgers, more out of control then usual, away from his teammates. The watched as the quaffle was blown away from David, and plummeted towards the ground, before being snatched up by Ashley Winchest. Riley scanned the air for Nick, who was hovering above the pitch, yelling noiseless instructions to the team below. panicked, noticing the bludger whizzing towards the seeker. The boy leant forward, battling against the wind, and raised his club above his head. He got closer. Closer. Closer... Riley swung at the bludger.

The bat sailed clean through the air... About three inches above the ball, now hurtling towards him. "And it looks like Du Vagnrs missed the bludger-" Genieves voice was cut off by a gust of wind. The ball slammed into the back of Riley's broom, sending him hurtling across the pitch out of control. The wind carried him over the stands, over the heads of hundreds of spectators. Rain hammered against this eyes, blinding him. Riley slammed into something, hard, and blacked out, plummeting towards the ground...

* * * * * * *

Riley opened his eyes, before squeezing them shut again, blinded by the harsh bursts of colour around him. He could feel something furry rubbing itself against his hand, and opened his eyes again, looking down. Genieves cat Cookie nuzzled his fingertips. Riley pushed himself up, looking around for his broomstick. "You killed him!" A shrill, young voice called out.

Riley wheeled around, coming face to face with a young first year boy. He recognised him from the great hall. The boy pointed at him, astonished, his arm emerging from the sleeve of a medieval style tunic. "M-Me?" Riley stammered, rubbing his head. "I didn't kill anyone."

"Yes you did!" The boy said accusingly, crossing his arms. Look!"

Riley turned around. The end of his broomstick was driven into a tree trunk, pinning an empty shirt and a Gryffindor scarf into the wood. A pile of ash lay amongst a pair of pants and some shoes. The boy looked from the broomstick, back to the boy. "Woah, hey, you've got the wrong idea, I... I..." More and more children began appearing, looming above him. Riley scrambled to his feet, Cookie hissing at him. "I didn't mean to kill anybody."

"Well I suppose your favour was an accident." A girls voice called out. The first years turned around, the group parting through the middle, to make way for...

"Jenny!" Riley waved as the girl, clad in a regal looking prince dress, stepped through the first years.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you?" She twirled a wand around in her fingers.

Riley stepped towards her, but the children stepped in front of her protectively. "It's me, Riley... From Hogwarts?"

Jenny shook her head. "Believe you're mistaken, I don't believe we've ever met. My name is, as you apparently know, Jennifer, Good Witch of the North. And you sir, are you a good wizard, or a bad one?"

Riley shook his head. "I uh... I'm in the top three in my classes, if that's what you're suggesting."

The girl laughed. "I will take that as you are a good wizard. Unlike the one you just killed."

"Yeah... Sorry about that. He was... Who, exactly?"

"Why, Elias. The Wicked Wizard of the East."

Riley blinked at her. "Elias? Well, he's a bit of a jerk, but wicked is probably a bit of a stretch."

"Not at all." Jenny shook her head. "For years, he has held my people," She gestured around at the first years, "As slaves, bound to him by dark magical forces. But now, you have freed them." The first years cheered.

Riley wasn't entirely processing what was happening around him. "Okay then... You're welcome, I guess? Now if you could just tell me how to get back to Hogwarts, that'd be great." He clapped. The boy looked around at everyone else, but they all gave him blank, confused looks.

"I'm sorry sir, but I've never heard of such a place. The only person who could help you would be..." She sighed. "The Wizard."

The first years gasped. "Riley pinched the bridge of his nose." Right, well... I'll go to him then. How do I get there?"

"Follow the yellow brick road!" The first years chanted together, as if they were about to burst into song. Riley was really hoping this didn't happen, since he was getting sick of them already with that. He looked at the yellow coloured bricks he was standing on, then around at the brightly painted mud huts that made up a small village. He began to make his way along the path, Cookies claws clicking on the bricks at his side.

"Wait!" Jennifer called after him. Riley turned around, and the girl held out the Gryfindor scarf that had been pinned into the tree. "Take this. As a sign of your victory."

Riley rolled his eyes, snatching the scarf out of her hand, and shoving it in his pocket. "Fine. But I am not wearing a Gryfindor scarf." He set off down the road.

"But-"

"Nope." Riley called over his shoulder. "Don't care. I'm done here."

* * *

Riley continued down the path. The yellow paint on the stone road eventually faded away, before even the cobbled street itself turned to a dirt track. He looked down at Cookie, who had followed him the whole way. "I have no doubt this is a dream." He sighed. "But I didn't think I could make something this... Weird." From what he had seen of... Well, wherever he was, it was almost as if he'd stepped back in time, to the Middle Ages or something.

Farmlands stretched out for miles around them, the grey skyline occasional being broken up by a small cottage or barn. The brightly coloured atmosphere of the first years huts had faded away, leaving the countryside feeling drab and grey by comparison. There was the sound of an explosion, and a rustling in the corn field beside Riley. A girls laughter carried through the air, followed by a man screaming in anger. "I'll kill you! You worthless, idiotic little-" A short, red haired figure burst from the crops, slamming into Riley, and sending them both crashing onto the path.

Riley shoved the girl off him. "What the hell are you do- Gen?"

The ginger sat upright, shaking dirt from her tangled mess of hair. She pulled on a large straw hat, that had fallen from her head in the collision. "That's my name, don't wear it out." She grinned. "Do I know you?"

"Probably not." Riley admitted. "Nobody else seems to."

Genieve was crouching beside him, playing with Cookie, who clawed at the girls tattered flannel pattern sleeves. "Huh? Or sorry, I wasn't listening. You were saying?" Before Riley could respond, there was another threat screamed from the cornfields. The redhead looked at him. "Run."

"Wha-"

She grabbed his arm. "Run!" Genieve took off down the road, dragging Riley along behind her. She didn't stop pulling him until the fields were nothing but a faint rise on the horizon behind them, and the landscape was simply grassy plains, a forest not too far ahead along he path. "I uh... I wouldn't want you to get caught by him." She smiled, trying to mask the worry in her eyes. "I don't think he likes me."

"What gave it away?" Riley scoffed.

Genieve looked at him, clearly missing the sarcasm. "Well, the attempted disowning, the fact he only feeds me the scraps after the rest of the family has eaten, the death threats-"

"I was joking, Gen."

"Oh..." She scratched her arm. "I didn't realise. So, where are you going?"

Riley sighed, sitting down on a tree stump. "Well, hopefully back to Hogwarts. But I've got to find some stupid wizard first, since apparently I'm not a good enough one myself."

"You're a wizard?" Genieve looked taken aback. "I tried to learn magic myself but I wasn't really... Well, good enough at it. I lacked a certain... Mental... Thinking... Thing. Hey! If this wizard guy can send you home, maybe he can give me some smart learning skills or something. I need some of those."

"You need a brain." Riley muttered under his breath.

"Yes!" Genieve cried, as if he were being genuine. "I need a brain! Let's go!" She grabbed his arm and ragged him along the path, into the forest.

The grey tinted sunlight was beginning to be blocked out by the thick trees of either side of the path. Sounds of animals echoed through the forest, breaking the otherwise silent atmosphere. However after a while, another sound could be heard through the trees. The sound of muffled shouts. "What was that?" Genieve hissed, squeezing Cookie slightly in her arms.

"Sounded like... A person." Riley muttered. He stepped off the path, and began to push his way through the tree branches. A large, struggling dark shape beyond the foliage ahead grabbed his attention, and the Ravenclaw sped up. A family looking, silver haired teenager lay on the ground, tied up and gagged, with an axe pinning the collar of his shirt to the ground. "Nick!" Riley dropped to his knees and began untying his friend.

As soon as he untied the gag from Nicks mouth, the boy burst into a mixture of insults, and a fair amount of profanity. "He doesn't seem very friendly." Genieve muttered, "Maybe we should just leave him here?"

"Shut up." Riley snapped, rubbing his wrists to get the circulation back, once he had done so, he pulled the axe out of the ground, and leaved the blade with Riley's neck. "Who are you?"

"It's me... Riley... Your friend?" The boy tried, receiving suspicious looks from the silver haired boy, he ditched his attempt. "No one. I just found you and thought it would be the nice thing to do if I untied you."

Nick eyed him. "Hmm... It was. I guess I owe you one." He considered the pair for a moment. "I suppose I could protect you as you go through the forest. There are Flying Snakes around here."

"You seemed so great against them before." Genieve smirked.

The boy swung his axe, intentionally missing her by several inches. "They outnumbered me. Now do you want my help or not?"

"Yes." Riley cut in, before Genieve could say anything else. "We do. Let's just get back on the path, and keep going, okay? Good." He started retracing his steps.

"I don't like him." Genieve grumbled, sticking close by his side, as if Nick would hack her up at any moment.

"Well I'm a huge fan of you in particular either." Riley sighed. "But you're coming along too, aren't you? So shut up." They made it back onto the path, and the three of them continued on their journey.

Not long after finding Nick, the forest began to get thicker around them, the branches hanging lower drooping over the dirt track. There was a rustling to the trees to their left, and Nick held up his axe. "Stop."

Genieve wasn't listening, and kept walking, before he reached out and grabbed a lock of her hair, pulling her back. "Ow!"

"Shhhhh..."

"Stop were you are!" A deep voice boomed from the trees around them.

"We have stopped." Riley called out.

"Oh..." The voice muttered. "Uh, right." The owner of the voice cleared their throat. "Leave your valuables on the path, and move along. And if I ever find you in my neck of the woods again, I'll sli-Ahhh!"
A large figure fell from the trees above them, a hollowed out horn of some giant animal skidding along the path, and stopping at Riley's feet. The large, some what imposing figure stood up, their face and features concealed beneath a large loin skin worn like a cloak. The bandit drew their sword, and spoke again. Although this time, their voice was no were near as deep, and far from intimidating. "Alright-" He coughed, and his voice deepened slightly. "I mean, Alright. Leave your belonging on the-"

Nick charged forwards, yelling furiously as he swung his axe at the figure. The man yelped, dropping his sword and staggering backwards, before finally tripping over a tree root and slamming into the ground. He scrambled backwards, and a strand of ginger hair flashing in the dim light under his lion's-head hood. "Alright!" Called out the bandit, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry! J-Just don't kill me, please!"

Riley steeped forwards, grabbing Nicks axe before it slammed into the boys shoulder. "David?"

The boy looked up at Riley. He reached up with gloved hands and drew back his hood, revealing the red haired, freckled teen beneath. "H-How do you know my name?"

Riley shook his head. "It's... Complicated." He turned to Nick. "Leave him alone."

"He just tried to rob us!" Nick grunted, pulling his axe free of his friends grasp.

"Key word being tried!" David yelled, using the tree trunk to scramble back his feet. "I-I didn't actually do anythi- Ah!" Nick swung at him with the axe, and the ginger tried to hide being Riley, despite being quite a bit taller. "Listen I'm sorry. I-I didn't want to rob you, b-but if I don't bring things back to... Her.. Then they'll kill me!"

Nick lowered his battle axe. "Who is-"

"Not important." Riley interjected. "I don't care. I don't need to go any further into this dream then I have to. Let's find the wizard. David, you're coming too."

"Me?" The boy asked, jumping backwards, as if we're his hands were squeezing Riley's shoulders had just become electrocuted. "Why me?"

"So you don't impale yourself with your own sword next time you fall out of a tree." Riley drawled. "Come on." He started walking again, and after a moment of glaring at David, Nick followed.

David stood baffled for a moment, before pulling the lions head back over his own. He turned to Genieve. "What does he mean dream?"

"Really, aren't we all in some way dreaming?" The girl asked, more to the forest around them then to David. "I mean, reality in itself is in someways just an elaborate dream... Except, it's real... Because is reality. It has 'real' right there in the name. Right?" She grinned at him. Slightly scared, and extremely confused by the farm girl, David picked up his pace, and walked alongside Riley, making sure to stay far away from Nicks axe.

* * *

The small group finally broke free of the forest, and a light rain had set in, accompanied by an icy breeze, that sliced through their clothes and chilled the procession to their bones. Eventually, a large, sprawling city appeared on the horizon, green tinted windows casting transparent emerald before them in the light of the setting sun. Riley whistled. "Wow."

"This place is amazing!" Genieve squealed, spinning on her feet, and almost dropping Cookie as her hand darted to keep her straw hat on her head. "It's much more beautiful then the farmhouse."

"It is pretty impressive." David admitted. He was slouching tremendously, and he'd pulled his cloak closer to him to avoid the wind, making him seem much less imposing, and more like a scorned animal.

Nick shrugged. The weather didn't seem to be bothering him as much as the others, despite the fact he was wearing significantly thinner clothing. "I've seen better." He continued down the path, which transitioned back into cobbled road. The others shrugged at each other, and followed.

Riley stepped forward as they approached a large stone wall, encasing the city. He reached out, and banged on giant wooden door, the letters, OZ emblazoned across them in emerald paint. A small hatch slid open at eye level, and a young woman stared out. "State your business!"

"I'm supposed to see the wizard." Riley sighed. "Because apparently no one else is smart enough to help me get home."
The hatch slid shut, and a moment later, the doors were pulled open, and the four of them entered.

From inside the gates my the city was just as, if not more beautiful then before. The green buildings towered above them, reminding Riley far more of New York, then of the medieval appearance of the rest of the land. The woman from behind the gate, who Riley recognised as a Gryfindor seventh year, instructed him to a large building in the centre of the town. "Right that way sir." She saluted, before pushing the doors shut again. Riley glanced around at his friends, before heading towards the building.

Riley pushed open the double doors of a the building, and entered into a large, red and green throne room. A golden throne, with plush, green velvet cushions, sat empty at the end, in front of scarlet curtains. "It's like if a Gryfindor and a Slytherin decorated a room together." Riley muttered.

An explosion went off at the end of the hall, smoke billowing up to the ceiling. A giant silhouette appeared in the smoke, staring down at them. "Approach!" A voice bellowed. "And state your wish!"

Riley was about to step forward, when Genieve pushed in front of him. "Hello, Mr. Wizard, sir!" She called out. "My name is Genieve, or you can call me Gen, I'd you like. And what I wish for is an ed-... What's the word?"

"Education." David hissed.

"That's right, an education. The real, smarty, important, good to know, fills up your noggin... Stuff. You know what I mean?" The figure in the smoke nodded. "Great!" Genieve smiled. "Thanks. Any of you guys wanna come up?"

David shook his head, pale, and staring wide eyed at the figure. "I'm good." He squeaked.

Nick grunted. "I don't need anything."

Riley rolled his eyes, stepping forward. "Hey, wizard guy!" The figure looked down. "Alright, I've trekked halfway across... Wherever the hell I am, with these bozo's, to meet with you. Since apparently none of your subjects, even the witch, can get me back to Hogwarts, they sent me to you. So send me back, and make it snappy."

The Wizards shadow crossed his arms. "I will grant all you wishes... On one condition. Steal me the wand, of the Wicked Witch of the West, begone!" There was another explosion, and the shadow disappeared, the smoke disappearing around it.

Riley swore at the throne, turning around and storming out the door. "Come on." He snapped at the others. "Let's go get this wand." Nick shrugged, and Genieve nodded happily, skipping along after him. David however, stayed rooted to the spot. Riley turned around. "Well?"

"Well actually, I-I don't know if I should go with you on this..." David said quietly, fiddling with the claws of the lions kin, which were used like pins to hold the cloak in place.

"And why not?" Riley asked, narrowing his eyes. "Too scared?"

David swallowed. "T-This isn't a good idea. You d-don't know what she's like."

"And you do?"

David nodded. "Yes. I do."

Realisation crept across Riley's face. "Ah. I guess she's the her you mentioned?" David nodded again, and Riley considered him. "Good. I'd assume there's a castle, and you know how to get in. Nick, bring him along." Nick turned around, and grabbed Davids arm, dragging him along with the rest of the group.

"Run away, and I'll be forced to use this." Nick grunted, holding up his axe. David nodded silently, staring wide eyed at the engraved silver blade. They set off towards the west.

* * *

The storm grew stronger around them, and rain soaked through their clothes, making the group feel as through they were trudging through water. There was no end to the road ahead, and the high picked howling of the wind sounded like screams in the night air. Then, a chorus of sick, cackling laughter cut through the air, advancing from behind them. Riley turned around, and gasped.

Speeding towards them, clad in billowing black cloaks, were dozens upon dozens of people, chasing behind whizzing along on broomsticks. Even from their distance, Riley could recognise some familiar faces. The Slytherins. Possibly the entirety of Slytherin house was chasing them. "Flying Snakes!" Nick yelled, releasing Davids arm and sprinting down the path. "Run for it!"

The groups feet slammed against the wet, tiled pathway. Thorn covered vines and a layer of steadily rushing water made the path near impossible to traverse at high speeds, but somehow only David managed to trip over, much to Nicks amusement. A tall, black tower grew ever closer in the distance, and the Slytherins drew ever nearer in their pursuit. Eventually, Riley slammed his shoulder against a wooden door set into the castle, but it wouldn't budge.

"Move!" Nick yelled, swinging his axe at the door. The blade connected with the wood right above the lock, splintering wood and shattering metal, letting the door swing open. The group threw themselves inside, and pinned the door shut with their backs. "Get something!" Nick snapped at Genieve, and both her and Riley began to push a heavy table towards the door. After a moment, Nick and David stepped out of the way, and table held the door shut, despite the Flying Snakes slamming against the door.

The four stood there, panting for a minute, before Riley looked around, and saw a spiral staircase leading higher up into the tower. "I guess that where we're going." He breathed, walking slowly up the first few stairs. "This is it." One by one, the others all joined him in the stairs, and began making their ascent.

Riley stopped in on a landing in front of a stone archway. A slim teenage girl, with long black hair, dressed in a dark green dress hunched over a table. The boy moved to step forward, but the girl held up a wand, and a shimmering transparent barrier appeared in the doorway. "You really thought it would be that easy?" Katharine laughed, turning around. She glared out at them. "You thought you could just waltz into my castle? Humiliate my subjects?" She shook her head, making a tsk-tsk sound. "How wrong you were. I suppose some revenge is in order. But of course, for you first." She pointed her wand at David, and the barrier shimmered yellow.

David froze, before stepping towards the door. Riley's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing? You can't go in there!"

David pulled his arm free of his friends grip. "No, y-you don't understand-"

"Too late!" Kath snapped. She pointed her wand at him. "Imperio!"

David grunted, hunching over in an attempt to fight the spell, before staggering forwards through the barrier. His limbs moved out of sync with one another, like a poorly puppeteered marionette. He dropped to his knees before Kath, and looked at the ground.

The witch shook her head. "You know what happened when you don't bring me back anything, don't you, Lion?" David grunted in response. Riley slammed against the barrier, but it only gave him an electric shock. Kath shirked. "So imagine what I'll go when you betray me like this."

"Please." David croaked. "I-I..." Kath threw the lions hood off his head, and grabbed a fistful of his red hair, forcing him to look up at her. "You're a coward, David. And that won't change now. Crucio." David screamed, and Kath flicked her wand, sending David crashing into the wall, where he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. "And now... The woodsman." She pointed her wand at the barrier again, and it shimmered blue.

Nick charged forwards, raising his axe above his head. The witch before him simply pointed her wand, and the boy froze mid stride, unable to move. Kath shook her head. "My subjects told me about you. The woodsman, dreaming of being a soldier. Clad in armour as he walks through the forest. Are where is that armour now?"

"You... Stole... It..." Nick managed to say, through teeth that were locked shut.

"Exactly. And now, the metal woodsman, can join the fallen trees." She reached out tapped his shoulder. Nick was pushed off balance, and crashed to the floor, still frozen in the same position. "How about you." She nodded at Genieve, and the barrier turned red. "I don't believe I've heard of you."

Genive handed Cookie to Riley, and stepped through the archway. "Oh... Hello." She waved. "I'm Gen. I work on my fathers far... I must say I'm really not a fan of what you're doing to my friends, so..." She reached out and grabbed a book off a nearby bookshelf, and threw it at Kath.

The girl flicked her wand and the book incinerated, ash falling to the floor. "A farmer?" Genieve was pulled into the air, her arms outstretched, and her legs hanging uselessly above the ground. "And what do you do? Watch out for birds?"

"More or less..." Genieve said quietly.

Katharine laughed. "You're a long ay from home, for a glorified scarecrow. But on the bright side," Her eyes flashed malevolently. "At least those crows might finally get to eat that corn." Genieve crumpled to the ground, her arms and legs flailing like a rag doll. The barrier went down from the archway, and she turned to Riley. "Now, what about you?"

Riley nestled Cookie under one arm, and stepped into the room, as calmly as possible. "I'm here for your wand."

Katharine cackled. "You? Think you can take my wand? You don't even have a weapon!"

Riley considered this for a moment. He was a Ravenclaw. He had to think of something... Of course! "Maybe I don't." He said calmly. "But I do have something."

"And what is that?"

The boy smiled. "A cat." He threw Cookie at the witch, and the animal hissed angrily, wrapping around the girls head.

Kath staggered backwards, dropping the wand as she struggled to get the raging cat from off her face. Riley dove at the ground, snatching the wand up off the floor, before staggering to his feet. Kath finally threw Cookie off, and turned to face him. "What now?" She spat.

Riley pointed the wand, and did the first spell that came into his head. "Aguamenti!" The jet of water sprayed from the want, hitting Kath square in the face. She screamed, stumbling backwards directly into the large window behind her. Glass shattered, and she toppled out or the tower. There was sickening thud as her body hit the ground. Before any of the Slytherins could get in, Riley repaired the window, and set about helping his friends.

* * *

Riley kicked open the door of the Wizards hall. "Hey, I got your stupid wand!" He held it up in the air. Before there was an explosion, he noticed a pair of sneakers underneath the curtain. With a flick of Kath's wand, the curtain pulled sideways, revealing person standing in front of a control panel.

The figure went rigid, and reached out, grasping for the curtain. "Uh..." The Wizards voice boomed around them. "Pay no attention to the person behind the curtain." Nick walked forwards, grabbed the figure, and threw him out into the room in front of the others.

A tall, heavily built teenage boy blinked up a them. He had an extremely freckle covered face, and a mess of dark strawberry blonde hair, which had a pair of thick rimmed glasses pushed up onto it. "Hello." He said weakly. "C-Can I help you?"

Riley stepped back as they boy stood up. "You're the wizard?"

"Well..." The boy adjusted his glasses and scratched his head. "Yes... But I'm more of a writer then a wizard, really."

Nick shoved the taller boy in the chest. "Who are you? And why were you pretending to be a wizard?"

"Oh, I'm Connor." The boy nodded. "And uh... There wasn't really anyone else who fit the role."

They all blinked at him. "Sorry what?" Riley asked.

"It's not important." Connor assured them. "I guess I just fell too far into a project without thinking it through properly. And I here I am. The wizard."

Riley pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you can't help me get back to Hogwarts then."

"Not really." Connor admitted. "I can't, no. But you have a wand now! You're a wizard, so you do... Magic stuff now, right? That's good enough."

"I can do magic." Riley nodded. "Maybe I should jinx you for wasting so much of my time over the last-"

"Wait!" A woman's voice called out. They all turned around to see Jennifer, standing in the doorway. Nicks mouth fell open, and David had to nudge him to bring him back to reality. "You've had your way home all along." She stated, matter of factly. "Of course you would have know that if you'd listen before you ran off yesterday."

Riley glanced at Connor, who shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"The scarf." Jenny sighed. "Put it on, and it will grant you one wish. If going back to your world is what you truly desire, it will grant your wish."

Riley shook with anger. "I had the ticket back all along." He seethed. "And you didn't tell me?"

"I tried." The witch shrugged. "You simply didn't listen." Riley grumbled to himself, take the scarf out of his pocket and wrapping to around his neck.

"Well personally, I think this is a rather unsatisfying ending." Connor muttered. "I mean, none of their storylines got solved. Except maybe Davids, although he's still a coward."

"Hey." David said defensively. Genieve tapped him on the shoulder, and he jumped. "Alright fine..."

"So." Riley turned to Connor, the scarf around his neck. "Was this actually a dream? Or was it real?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, the ending of the source material was left relatively ambiguous. I can't actually really tell you myself. Like I said, I didn't really think this through. Sorry. It won't affect anything though, so it doesn't matter. Honestly if it were me doing this, I'd straight up find a way to apologise for the mess this has all become."

Riley stared at him for a moment. "You are a strange human being."

Connor bowed. "I do my best."

"Here goes nothing." Riley sighed. He closed his eyes. "Get me the hell out of here, and back to Hogwarts."

* * * * *

Riley sat up on a bed on the hospital wing. He stared around, and noticed Nick, David and Genive all engrossed in a homework beside him. He cleared his throat.

"Oh." Genieve said, closing her textbook. "You're awake."

Riley held his fingers in front of his hands, and flexed them. "I guess I am."

"You hit the whomping willow." David explained. "You're lucky both you and your broom made it out in on piece."

"We still won the match though." Nick assured him. "Just. It wasn't long after you'd been knocked out that I cough the snitch."

"Glad to see your priorities were in order." Genieve smirked, and Nick hit her in the arm with a rolled up piece of parchment.

Riley nodded, laying his head back on his pillow and starring at the ceiling. "Guys... Dreams are weird."