#pro rakepick

[severousse]

Can't believe Adrien Brody and Cate Blanchett exist. These two would be perfect to portray my two Ships :

Snarcissa and Snakepick.

and they have the same age gap 👍 Cate is 4 years older than Adrien...

[indigobackfire]

From THIS character interview prompt by @creativestalkerrs if y'all wanna try it too ;)

1. Who or what challenges you?

Ind: Everything and everyone's a challenge to a Gryffindor. [Laughs] Rakepick was quite the challenge to me, both in regards to my magical capabilities and my morality. Barnaby's family is one damn challenge for our relationship. Friendship challenges my selfishness, therefore it challenges me.

Pho: I believe I am my biggest challenge to overcome, my own anger and fears. I don't see other people as challenges.

Asp: I think people see me as a challenge so my challenge is deconstructing people's idea of me. Does it make sense? Maybe I'm not good with good first impressions, I suppose.

Ach: Grief. It challenges me in the way it never ends, you'll probably miss the people you lose forever. And ignorant people often challenge my patience.

2. What makes you feel unsafe?

Ind: Not knowing. Ignorance is bliss, but I'm always shown enough to leave me uneasy but not enough that I understand. So I suppose it's more than knowing, it's understanding. It's a very Ravenclaw thing to say, isn't it? Makes me sound like my Ma.

Pho: People who don't listen and unpredictable people. [He reflects for a second and laughs] Sounds like my siblings. They're a danger to themselves and it makes me uneasy.

Asp: Being powerless.

Ach: My feelings. Is it a paradox? Maybe. But I mean in the way my feelings make me vulnerable, both for love and anger and whatever feelings exist in between and beyond.

3. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Ind: From previous experiences, I'd like to be a house cat. As person it's redundant, it'd still be me.

Pho: I've always wanted to be a tree. I guess it's not a very thrilling life, but it's a long fulfilling experience. I'd be a Baobab!

Asp: As a very annoying crow.

Ach: I'd like to be reborn as someone less effed up. Or like a cool sea creature, like a kelpie or a shark.

4. Were you voted “most likely” for anything in your class yearbook? (I'll make this into a 'what would you be')

Ind: Most likely to go insane. Or to die young...

Pho: To be a Veela. [Chuckles] I don't know... most likely to travel the world. I hope.

Asp: Most likely to be arrested. Or or most likely to become Minister for Magic. Not hat I want to be that, I just think people would assume I would. It's either sink or swim with me.

Ach: Most likely to become a pro quidditch player. A bit boring but people don't know much about me beyond that.

5. Do you think some people in certain situations might be more valuable than others?

Ind: Again with those words. Well, if you're talking about functionality, yes. I always trust Penny to help me with potions, but I don't turn to her when regarding creatures or duelling. As for the value of life, we're equally deserving.

Pho: Maybe. But it's such a difficult thing to measure... People who can keep themselves in control are quite reliable.

Asp: Yes, sure. We're all good at different things.

Ach: Certainly.

6. If you were to enter food-eating contest what would you want the food to be?

Ind: Sweet roasted nuts, especially cashews. It's making me salivate just thinking about it.

Pho: Flaky pastries. Though I'd probably lose, my stomach gets upset very easily, but I'd have fun.

Asp: Grapes. I could eat grapes all day long. All kinds of grape, with or without seeds, doesn't matter.

Ach: Chocolate.

7. What type of journalist would you be?

Ind: Sneaky and untrusting. I would be good, but I wouldn't be ethical [Smiles].

Pho: A good one. I think I'm a good writer. But then I'm a little too trusting... I'd be a better editor than journalist.

Asp: I've considered working for the Daily Prophet, but mostly cause I wish to kick Rita Skeeter out of there. That lying b-

Ach: If I liked talking to people more... Beyond that aspect, I certainly be great, I'm not one to shy away from conflict.

8. Have you ever rescued anyone or anything?

Ind: I've rescued a cat, my dear Mocha. Oh, and my stupid older brother, Jacob.

Pho: I often rescue my best friend from some pickles. I'm too nice, borderline naive, but he's worse and he lets people use him and his good will, so I often have to step in to keep his best interest. Ha, I'm sounding like my mom.

Asp: My cousin, Indigo, several times, she's a mess. And my fellow housemates. Are you even a Slytherin if you're not willing to lie for each other? Don't answer that. And my boyfriend, don't let that big head fool you, he's got a cherry pepper there instead of a brain.

Ach: Myself. In my heart I believe I rescued Indigo from... no, no, don't write that.

9. Do you blame someone or something for the way your life is turning out?

Ind: Jacob. Just kidding... kinda. Not everything is his fault, a lot of it is R- Forget it. I guess I have a curse in my blood and that isn't anybody else's fault.

Pho: Our ends are self made.

Asp: I'm always angry at the world and almost everyone in it, but my life is mine.

Ach: Yes. With names and surnames.

10. What wild animal deserves our protection?

Ind: They don't have to deserve it being protected. Especially considering we would probably be protecting them from ourselves, amongst themselves they're in harmony and when the harmony on its own breaks so far, a new ecosystem has been created. Sorry, for the rambling, my boyfriend's a magizoologist.

Pho: Deserve is a weird word... I guess I'm biased towards birds, if I had to choose, they're important pollinators.

Asp: [Shrugs] Mosquitos certainly don't. And those freaky acromantulas.

Ach: All of them. Animals lack consciousness like humans have, they're not cruel or just, they're on instinct, what would they do to deserve protection or not? Unless you're being disgustingly utilitarian.

[missnight0wl]

Let’s try to salvage Rakepick’s story… once again

I wanted to wait with this post a little, hoping that we’d get Y7Ch37 last Thursday. However, JC apparently really doesn’t like me, so here’s your warning that it’s gonna be about the datamined information. Perhaps I’ll edit it later to add nice screenshots once the chapter is actually released...

(Edit: Some screenshots added!)

Anyway, if you wonder why I didn’t drop this subject yet: that’s because I don’t like it when things don’t make sense, and Rakepick’s story is possibly the most illogical part of this game overall. On top of that, I suppose I’m too invested at this point to simply drop it as I normally would. If you want to read more about it, I really recommend checking this post out.

A while ago, I also discussed the theory sent by one of my Anons. You can check it out here. This post will technically be about the same issue, just with a bit different approach.

Still, if you want to proceed with this post, but you don’t feel like reading the ones I linked above, here’s a quick summary of what you should keep in mind.

1) Rakepick working for R in Y4 doesn’t really make sense, mostly because the Red Cloak told us during our first encounter to stay away from the Cursed Vaults and Patricia Rakepick, while Rakepick herself was encouraging us to continue our search.

2) The idea that Rakepick was basically a serial killer even before killing Rowan is pretty ridiculous. She was a world-wide-known celebrity before returning to Hogwarts. How she never got caught? And after coming to Hogwarts? She definitely didn’t have time for some extra killing. Besides, it simply doesn’t suit her character (pre-Portrait Vault).

By the way: interestingly, this is the information about Rakepick which is revealed only in the insane route of Y7Ch37. Of course, sane!Rakepick has more control over what she tells MC, and she technically had no reason to mention her other crimes then. Still, I think it’s a curious little difference.

3) In the sane route of Y7Ch37, Rakepick says:

This time, however, it’s the information revealed only in the sane route. Insane!Rakepick says that failures are severely punished by R, but… it’s not exactly what you’d call: “controlling someone without their knowledge”. She was probably simply threatened, and if you threaten someone, it’s the whole point so they’d know about it, right? This issue is discussed in the second post I linked above. Nevertheless, the game itself doesn’t explain it yet.

4) As much as I like the idea that “Player Father” is actually the real Jacob, and I really wish it was true (I discussed it in this post), I have to assume our father will turn out to be R’s current leader either way. I mean, Rakepick also tells us in one of the options:

It strongly implies that MC actually knows R, in some way. And since that person is behind the entire criminal organisation, it’s rather someone adult. Therefore, it’s very likely that it’s our relative.

Alternatively, it’s not the Father – but the Mother! And you know what? I actually quite like this idea. Not because it makes much more sense, but it could explain why “Player Father” would be a code name. Meaning that we could have the real Jacob and vault!Jacob is the imposter! Seriously, I can totally see JC feeling smart when they were like: “Oh, let’s call him Player Father! Everyone will think that MC’s father will finally be revealed, but SIKE! He still doesn’t matter! It was the Mother all along!”.

And if it’s neither the Father nor the Mother nor any other relative… the only other option I see is time-travelling MC. And to be frank, I don’t even think it’s impossible.

But either way, I’ll keep using “the Father” to make it simpler for myself.

Moving on...

Alright, now that we’re more or less on the same page, I’m gonna jump straight to my idea: what if the Father planted the false memories of multiple murders and other crimes in Rakepick’s mind – and that’s how he “controlled” her? Let me explain.

A while ago already, I realised that the Father will probably turn out to be a Legilimens. If the siblings are born Legilimens, then they had to inherit it from someone, didn’t they? Moreover, it could mean that the Father was the one sending us the visions through Legilimency, which would explain why they were always signed as “Mysterious Voice” instead of “Jacob”. Hell, in one of the optional scenes of Y4Ch7, Rakepick even implies that the voice we heard was not Jacob’s:

Now, one thing about Legilimency is that it can be used to place visions into one’s mind. Admittedly, it’s more of a movie thing. I mean, yes, even in the books, we have Voldemort sending Harry the false vision of Sirius being tortured – but I’m pretty sure it was related to their unique connection. I believe it was only the movie which added something about Voldemort enjoying torturing people through fake visions. If I’m mistaken, feel free to correct me. If I’m right, though, I suppose it doesn’t matter much because HPHM seems to treat both the books and the movies as equally canonical. On top of that, we have this line in Y5Ch18:

(Also, while it’s not clear how it was done, Slughorn showed us that memories can be at least modified.)

So… here’s what I’m thinking:

When Rakepick arrived at Hogwarts in Y4, the Father didn’t want either her or MC to get involved with the Cursed Vaults. I assume it has to be connected to the fact that he had access to Jacob at the time, so anyone else would be just a disturbance. Unfortunately for him, something happened to Jacob between Y4 and Y5, and so the Father had to replace him with MC. However, Rakepick was still a problem – and she was pretty stubborn.

Y5 was passing by, and at some point, the Father finally got lucky: he somehow managed to get past Rakepick’s Occlumency, and he placed in her mind false memories of killing people and/or other crimes. Now, he could use it to blackmail her! He told her that either she’ll work for him or he’ll reveal her crimes, so she’ll go straight to Azkaban. Working for a major douchebag is not much better than life imprisonment, but hey, it’s still somewhat better – so she agreed unwillingly. Even though something felt off about all of that, but… she has the memories of killing all those people, right? It had to happen.

Anyway, Rakepick goes along with the Father’s plan, starting from the Portrait Vault. And yeah, he told her to kill Rowan, so she did it – even though I still think it’d make much more sense if Rowan’s death was fake, but… Eh. I just don’t have faith in JC. So, let’s go with that. I assume that the Father promised her some kind of protection, and that’s why she decided one more murder wouldn’t change much. At the same time, I imagine she wasn’t entirely on the Father’s side. That’s why she made it very clear that Rowan died because R wanted that. I mean, remember how R was pretending that they had nothing to do with Duncan’s death?

I suspect that Rakepick might’ve been ordered to kill someone while making it look like an accident, similar to how it was done with Duncan. Yet, she decided to make things harder for the Father because honestly: why not?

And that’s how we get to the Sunken Vault where our two routes begin:

If you trap Rakepick in the Vault, she’s still haunted by the memories of killing other people than Rowan – even though those memories are fake. I assume that the memory curse wouldn’t “see” a difference, considering that they are in Rakepick’s mind and they cause real emotions. Later on, she only talks that failures are severely punished because that’s what the Father kept telling her.

If you choose the authorities option, Rakepick gets time and opportunity to realise certain things. It turns out that she’s in Azkaban only for murdering Rowan (and possibly for torturing Merula). But… it’s impossible that nobody from the Ministry discovered her other crimes. The way she remembers it, they had to find out by now! Eventually, she connects the dots and realises that those other crimes never happened. That’s why she didn’t mention any other murders to MC, and why she said that “R has a way of getting people to do their bidding, even without their knowledge”. She didn’t know that the Father never had any dirt on her and that it was all made up by him. She DIDN’T KNOW that she was letting him blackmail her with nothing.

I know it’s hard to tell what is possible with JC at this point and what not… But you know what? I feel pretty good about it. And yes, I realise I said it about a lot of my theories. But still, it’s an interesting coincidence that Legilimency suddenly became relevant in a couple of recent chapters again. First, we had Zenith, then practising on Jae, and then Shiratori… Perhaps there’s another reason why JC suddenly remembered about this skill?

Also, is the idea of placing false memories in someone’s mind to control them disturbing? Abso-fucking-lutely! But let’s be real, pretty much everything about the Father is quite messed up, so… I’m just trying to work with what I got, y’know.

[letsbihanest]

Can't believe this happened lmao.

I'm literally wHEEZING

Together huh...

This is so funny omg.

Fine.

Fine.

Meeting Charlie is one of the best moments in this year but this one's sure is gold ����😂

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

ok but did u see merula cheering for the mc with everyone else at the end of the tlsq??? i was NOT expecting jam city to let us have that and it made me super soft like merula really does show the slightest bit of support or fondness for the mc and i'm like 💖💞💖💞💖💞💖😍😭

I saw it! And I love it! See, no one will ever convince me that Merula doesn’t care about MC. I mean, it’s explicitly stated in the dialogue of Year Five that they are now friends, if tentatively. But they become more openly affectionate and work together a lot. The chapter “About Merula” basically upgrades them to being officially a couple close friends, even if Merula is still awkward about it. Of course, the business with Rakepick had to happen and ruin everything, but still. This is a Year Five event, right? 🥰

So, yeah, Merula is way more fond of MC than she pretends and I too, live for the moments that her tsundere mask starts slipping. ☺️☺️

[hamfistedmorals]

Look, I'm always a bit back and forth about Merula, and honestly I was just wondering if you could tell me why you liked her? cause I hear a lot of the anti-merulas points but honestly hearing one side of the argument doesn't really help me figure out whether I should believe in her redemption arc or whether i'm just a naive fangirl who's managed to romanticize another villain

@back-on-my-tulula-shiz Sorry! I don't know when you sent this, my bad.

First of all, I believe that children? Always qualify for redemption. They can always be taught a better way. Draco was on the path toward the end of the books. Snape had an unhealthy childhood but if he had followed the path (instead of, yknow, being a bully and an abuser) He could have been redeemed too.

Merula isn't a villain. She's a child who has absolutely no one in her life. Her parents are gone. Tulip betrayed her. Barnaby abandoned her. (With good reason, but he still did.) Her friendship with Ismelda seems to be one of mutual convenience rather than actual chemistry. She finally had someone to look up to and admire in Rakepick, and we know how that turned out. Really, Merula was starting to get nicer - but she suffered by far the most in the underground vault, it's no wonder she relapsed. Bullies can learn to be better. But it's quite difficult for a kid to learn better if the only indication they have is their own unpopularity. No one told Merula to be nicer. They told her she was unpleasant, and that they preferred Jacob's Sibling. Who had bested her in dueling. Which only reinforced her idea that might equals right. Even though her aunt supposedly looks after Merula, just look at her - the uneven haircuts, the different sized shoes...this girl takes care of herself.

Merula also has no idea what healthy relationships are. Her parents were death eaters who taught her dark curses as a past-time. Losing them was traumatic, but the simple fact that she believes they deserved it, says a lot about Merula's upbringing and abandonment issues. That's why she gravitated toward someone like Rakepick in the first place, even though Rakepick didn't exactly make it a secret that she was unfit to care for children beyond grooming them into being lawless explorers like her. That's not a healthy parental figure to project on, but Merula either didn't know that or didn't care. Her only mentors have reinforced the idea that inflicting cruelty is the same thing as showing strength. Don't forget, her head of house is Snape. And at least in HPHM, they seem to be ignoring the fact that he favors Slytherins, because he's never given Merula any special treatment.

She's impulsive and she doesn't think through the consequences of her actions. She very nearly killed Jacob's Sibling in first year. Which is horrible...but she was also eleven. And in her own, twisted way, she thought she was doing the right thing. Does she regret it now? Perhaps, but she would never admit to it. Merula is crippled by a refusal to appear vulnerable. She can't allow herself to be humiliated, so she hides behind false pride. Insisting that she is the "best witch at hogwarts." When she knows that isn't true. How many of her flavor texts are blatant lies about her own skill level? She covers up her insecurity with aggression. I think part of Merula knows that she needs help, but everything that she's learned has taught her that asking for help is a weakness. Dominate everyone instead.

In short, we have a tragic figure - a child who was raised by toxic mentors, and never had any positive friendships to counterbalance the lessons she learned. To grow, Merula will need a lot of self-reflection and time to heal. She was tortured by a woman she saw as a mother figure. Unfortunately, the writing of the story doesn't seem prepared to give Merula any breathing time. She's crushing on Jacob now, and there's no way that ends well. Merula could finish her redemption arc if the writers want that to happen, but even if she doesn't, I find it hard to blame her for the way she turned out.

Finally, there's the dynamic between Merula and Jacob's Sibling. Which is basically Drarry's dream come true. Whether or not you ship them, she's clearly obsessed with MC. After all, MC is everything Merula ever wanted to be. And from her point of view, everything comes easily to them. Tulip and Barnaby left her for them. But after a while, according to the Celestial Ball, Merula only keeps sparring with Jacob's Sibling because she enjoys doing so. She doesn't know how to make friends, she doesn't know how to apologize. She has a splintered view of how to show affection, but it's clear that she's trying. At least in Year 5, before she retreats back into her shell in Year 6, now having PTSD to deal with.

Players are free to interpret Merula however they like. But I made my choice when I spared her back in Year One. I'll never give up on her.

[icewitcher]

The whole disastrous curse breaker squad is here:

And that is a bad thing since I'm (still) in year 5

Arawyn: Were you obligate to sigh ? Even though I share your opinion...

Tulipe: Me or you, Arawyn Anderson ?

Arawyn: Go ahead...

Arawyn: And if it can help, my instinct, which save some of you in the past, tell me the same thing. And I'm never wrong.

Charlie: You're sure ?

Barnaby: It saved me during our third year. And it saved you last year.

Charlie: I see you're point...

Ben: And it saved me and Bill during our second year.

Everyone: What !?

Penny: Rowan !!!

Tonks: Forced you ?

Barnaby: Arawyn... He didn't mean that...

Arawyn: The Imperio Curse.

Jae: Not good at all for us... I mean if your enemy didn't hesitate to use the Imperio curse then...

Bill: The Cruciate curse and the Killing curse...

Andre: He could very well...

Rowan: It doesn't change my point and while we are still on this subject...

Arawyn: That's why I hate stress and I need to be alone in a peaceful place during great period of time.

Elmyr: Does it mean...

Arawyn: Pas maintenant, mon ami...

Bill: I don't know what are you whispering but one thing is clear...

Tonks: What Barnaby means is "let my girlfriend alone, she has a hard time and I want to cuddle her.

Arawyn: Tonks I will fucking end you one day.

Ben: Did you just curse ?

Arawyn: Yes.

Rowan: Maybe Tonks isn't wrong...

[stonedravenclaw]

Round two:

I will help dig it, sir!

Rakepick vs Snape: Snape 2, Rakepick 0

[xccentriktigress]

No context, just Snape on fire.

[weirdcursedvaultkid]

I am curious about your thoughts with Yr7Ch38, but for me the Merula part where she says "Rakepick... that traitorous murderer" sounds off to me, it might not but the fact that she states that with very little emotional response or unexpectedly calm despite how personal Rakepick as a whole is to her, especially mixed with the fact that other characters actually recognize the differences between personalities that she displays throughout the 7th year. Either a pro and anti merula writers are in charge of different parts of the story and display her with 2 personalities throughout or there are likely to be 2 individuals appearing as her, the real merula and the director.

this has actually been my theory as well! merula acted esp strange this year

i think there's been 2 different merulas this year. i think the one that decided to help mc and decided to be a double agent was real merula. i think maybe the director found out and has been impersonating merula ever since.

but it hasn't been the first time that's happened there's been a couple times this year where i've gotten weird vibes from her

one of the examples i have is when merula warns mc about the laughing curse at st mungos albeit very crypticaly and vaguely. there she is still acting as her sarcastic self and is being a little difficult, but overall she is genuinely trying to help mc and warn her about something that could hurt her brother and friends. merulas cryptic warning turns out to be true and mc sets off on trying to break the curse.

a couple of scenes later, mc encounters merula again. mc thanks merula for warning her about the laughing curse and refers to it as advice in order to be vague. merula however, is very confused and has no idea what she's talking about. in this scene merula is VERY nice to the point where it's a little out of character. even corey comments that is strange.

this all happens BEFORE mc even confronts merula and merula agrees to help mc as a double agent. so merula had NO REASON to even try to warn mc other than genuinely wanting to help them.

this is my conspiracy theory lmao

[severousse]

Sevricia/Snakepick. in an AU where Snape chose a different path and became a healer. (Still dealing with his obscurus as you can see with his hair and skin...)

This is my first digital painting but i’m quite happy with the result. :)

(I found the background on pinterest)

[indigobackfire]

Sunken vault, as for my decision, @missnight0wl 🙈

First, very sluttyyy of Jacob to save Rakepick

Also, JC, was this line necessary?

Now, my logic. There's pros and cons to both choices, but more cons to trapping her than anything.

First, it'd be naive to assume no one could rescue her or that she'd walk in there without her wand (if the game did this, they don't know their own character) and not be able to save herself. Even without wand, what if she knows wandless magic which apparently is possible.

Fine the WIW did escape Azkaban, but that's a rarity and he got caught. If she's trapped in the vaul and escaped, who would know? What authorities.

Beside in the hands of the dementors she'll suffer close fate to that of the vault, with the possibility of a Dementor's kiss - that in game canon that she killed Rowan and is bad.

Another point is, we DON'T KNOW WHERE JACOB'S ALLEGIANCE LIES. He could very well be playing the part and then come back to save Rakepick or perhaps the mole we know nothing about yet.

And it sends a message to R! It shows that MC was able to "defeat" Rakepick, whilst keeping her in the vault would alarm them about 'why hasn't she shown up yet' and would basically drive them into the place we're trying to keep them from (bc no way R is only those in that pathetic Knockturn alley meeting).

Long story short, Azkaban, with Aurors knowledge is safer than inside the vault.

[missnight0wl]

Rakepick’s character makes no sense

Disclaimer: This post will discuss the events from Y7Ch37 which are currently available only through the datamines. Other than that, it’s mostly about Y4 and Y5.

At first, I wanted to title this post: “In defence of Rakepick, once again”. But honestly, it wouldn’t be accurate. My goal today is to discuss how Jam City has no freaking idea what they’re doing with Rakepick anymore. And just like one of my Anons said the other day, we’re basically dealing with a totally different character.

Alright, so I’m gonna focus mainly on the insane route as it’s the most problematic. And firstly, I’m gonna address the most obvious thing: how the hell she’s able to cast a Patronus? Like, Rakepick’s connection to the reality in this route is barely there, and you expect me to believe she’s still capable of saving herself and MC from the Dementors? I call bullshit. In fact, I’d say it’s enough stupidity to ignore this whole part entirely, but… that’s not why we’re here. So, let’s move on for now.

The main point in this discussion is that we learn from insane!Rakepick that: 1) she killed multiple people, assumingly before killing Rowan, 2) all her family and friends are dead, 3) she’s terrified of R because “failures are punished most severely”. Now, when you look at all these points together, you realise they might be kind of connected. We know that R uses threats and blackmail to make people do what they want. It’s possible then that it was R who killed Rakepick’s family as a punishment: for not wanting to work for them, for example. It could be how they broke her, and so she killed all those people later on at R’s order. This is the idea @weasley-adoptee proposed in this post and which I discussed with @sirenwave​. I’m not saying it would excuse Rakepick’s acts; I’m just trying to establish what might’ve happened. So, let’s consider…

Scenario #1

Rakepick was interested in the Cursed Vaults as a student already, we know that from her. For some reason, R didn’t like that and was trying to stop her from searching for them. She wouldn’t listen, therefore R killed her family and friends. Rakepick realised that R is serious, and so she agreed to do whatever they want to avoid further punishment. She killed multiple people who were inconvenient for R – and those people haunted her later in the Sunken Vault.

Considering what we know about R, it does make sense, right?

Except it doesn’t.

In Y4Ch5, MC found this letter:

However, Rakepick clearly didn’t stay away from the Cursed Vaults, so apparently, she wasn’t very concerned about R’s threats at that point. Now, to be fair, I doubt this letter was written and originally sent in our Y4. I believe it’s an old letter, probably sent in Jacob’s time – and it’s mostly because of the circumstances in which we found that note. Actually, that’s also why I truly doubt that this letter was faked to throw MC off. Let’s quickly recap those events.

At the beginning of Y4, Rakepick told us to talk with Kettleburn about the best way to get to the Forest. He told us that the best way to do that is by flying. Then, we went to Madam Hooch to borrow one of the school brooms. But then, it turned out that it’s not allowed anymore because of the Black Lake incident (someone was spotted diving to the surface of the Lake). And ONLY THEN, MC decides to break into Filch’s Office in hope of finding a broom there. They find the Black Quill instead, which turned out to be the letter to Rakepick. Finally, MC decides to borrow the broom from Andre/Merula/Ismelda.

Like… can we agree that MC finding this letter was a pretty damn lucky coincidence? If there was no Black Lake incident, MC wouldn’t find the letter – because they would borrow a school broom. If they decided to skip Filch’s Office and go straight to Andre/Merula/Ismelda, they wouldn’t find the letter – because they would have no reason to be in Filch’s Office. Seriously, why would R place the note there if it was really supposed to work in Rakepick’s favour?

And yes, I know it’s possible Filch simply found the Black Quill somewhere else and took it to his office. But again, if R was behind faking this letter, why wouldn’t they put more effort to make it easily findable for MC? Just place it in the Artefact Room! Especially that MC knows that Rakepick does visit this place as that’s where we met in Y4Ch2!

No, but honestly, I’m pretty sure that this letter to Rakepick was one of the Black Quills Filch mentions in Y4Ch12 when Rakepick was interrogating him about the Coral Key:

If it happened years ago, it probably was around Jacob’s time. So, with that in mind, let’s consider…

Scenario #2

Rakepick started working with Jacob against R’s will. Perhaps she wanted to help him, perhaps she wanted to use him. Either way, R didn’t like it, and so they sent her the threat. She didn’t listen, though. She went with Jacob to the Portrait Vault, and he actually got trapped. But as she said in Y5Ch30, it wasn’t planned:

And yeah, she later added that she would have left him anyway, but the point is that it wasn’t something R participated in. Therefore, Patricia was punished for acting against R. Moreover, she lost Jacob in the process. And so, that’s when R killed her family, and she started killing for R, afraid of further punishment. Makes sense, right?

Except it doesn’t.

In Y4Ch3, the Red Cloak told us:

Meanwhile, Rakepick told us in Y4Ch2:

Now, if Rakepick was working for R at the time, why would those “orders” be so contradicting? Sure, you can say that R was testing MC or whatever. The problem is that the only thing it could test is MC’s motivation. And MC proved many times before that point that they’re extremely motivated to find Jacob. Hell, there’s even the option to say: “Screw Dumbledore!” right after he tells everyone at the beginning of Y3 to stay away from the Cursed Vaults:

Like, it’s not even comparable to the situation when R tested MC’s skills during the Patronus TLSQ, for example. Was it really worth all the trouble with the Red Cloak, only to confirm that MC is indeed motivated? What if someone exposed the Red Cloak during our first encounter already?

Also, I’m gonna say it already that I totally don’t buy the argument that the Red Cloak said to stay away from Rakepick to make her look less suspicious. Because what was MC’s thought process in Y4Ch4?

I have to say, it’s not a very logical conclusion. However, I can be more understanding than with Y6 and Y7 MC, considering that here, MC is only 14 and they were just attacked, technically for the first time in their life. Still, the point is that it didn’t even occur to MC that: “Oh, that mysterious attacker said to stay away from Rakepick AND they want me to stay from the Vaults, so does it mean that Rakepick genuinely wants to help me?”.

Now, let’s move to the end of Y4 because it’s problematic as well if we want to believe that Rakepick was working for R then. I know some of the players believe that it was staged to present Rakepick as a hero. But honestly, it doesn’t really make sense. First of all, even after that, MC can still say that they don’t trust Rakepick at all:

But more importantly, the inclusion of Ben in all of that is such an unnecessary addition. Seriously, if R wanted to present Rakepick as a (false) hero, all they had to do is to tell her to: 1) NOT teach MC Arania Exumai, 2) follow MC and the company to the Forest and save them from the Acromantula. Boom! It couldn’t be simpler.

Alright, so I’m gonna assume that at the end of Y4, R still had a beef with Rakepick, and the whole thing with Ben was truly about stopping MC. So, let’s consider…

Scenario #3

Rakepick was converted between Y4 and Y5. This is when her family was killed as a punishment for not staying away from the Cursed Vaults, and she started killing for R instead. Makes sense, right?

Well… Still not really.

I mean, Rakepick is basically a celebrity. Sure, it doesn’t have to mean that her whole family is famous as well. But wouldn’t it be odd if we didn’t even hear a mention that: “the whole family of one of the most famous Curse-Breakers died over the summer in mysterious circumstances”? Like, I’m willing to believe that we wouldn’t see any reaction from Rakepick herself as she’d process it over two months of a break. But still, no hints of any unexplainable deaths?

There’s also a possibility that she was converted between Y5Ch19 and Y5Ch20 when she was missing after she showed us the Cruciatus Curse:

But it’s even less likely, at least if we want to assume that she converted because of her family being killed. She returns pretty quickly (at the end of Y5Ch20), and she’s seemingly unaffected by anything.

Also, can I just point out that in Y5, she really wouldn’t have time to kill multiple people for R? Or like, do anything for them? She was a teacher, she had to prepare classes, check homeworks, mentor her apprentices, separately help Bill with his N.E.W.T.s, help him get a job at Gringotts… Seriously, that’s some impressive time-management skills either way. Yet, I don’t think anyone could fit even a couple of occasional murders into that, even with a Time-Turner.

Alright, but why I insist that Rakepick did all of her murders after being converted to R? Because why would she do it before? Seriously. She was famous, probably wealthy, damn attractive. She could’ve had it all. Why kill anyone? And yes, I know that Snape told us in Y4 that she’s known for getting rid of her competition (Y4Ch12):

But I honestly believe that he was being an overdramatic bitch, especially that it has no follow-up where we’d actually learn that Rakepick’s co-workers suddenly disappeared or something.

And I know some people would say here: “Rakepick is a sadistic psychopath! She’d kill for pleasure! She used Crucio before!”. To which I reply:

1) I still think that the Crucio thing was staged because it’d be fucking stupid to tell MC that you go to Azkaban for using the Unforgivable Curses AND THEN IMMEDIATELY USE ONE OF THEM. And we know from Snape that (also Y4Ch12):

2) It’d really make her an even more laughable villain. You want to tell me that she was successful at hiding the fact that she’s a serial killer while being a celebrity for years, but she got busted because of MC and the company?

3) In Y7Ch37, Rakepick says: “'R', sir! I'll make you proud. I'll show you how ruthless I can be!”. But like… if she was killing for pleasure even before joining R, wouldn’t that be enough to show how ruthless she can be? I know she says this line in the insane route, so it doesn’t have to make perfect sense… but I still have to point out that it doesn’t make sense at all. It doesn’t even make much sense when you look only at that one chapter alone. She should rather say: “(…) how ruthless I can still be”.

Also, even if Rakepick joined R shortly before or during Y5… what even was R’s point of having Rakepick at Hogwarts? Like, I really have to ask: what was R’s fucking plan in the Portrait Vault? First of all, I find it hard to believe that they didn’t know that there’s nothing to take in the column of that Vault. There was no freaking treasure! There was just a Portkey back to Hogwarts and a trident, which was used for absolutely nothing. So, what were they hoping for Rakepick to get?

Alright, but for the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that R didn’t know that. They were expecting to gain something. It still doesn’t make sense, though. For example, why Rakepick took all of the kids with her? Sure, she said it’s dragon bait, but… Joke on her! Everybody spent the entire fight trapped under the debris! All she got are the witnesses of her betrayal! HMMM…

Moreover, I’m fairly certain Rakepick was fully aware that MC is capable of handling the dragon alone. I mean, she didn’t even try to help us herself. Let me remind you, she spent all that time holding the rocks:

I still don’t get why wouldn’t she simply direct them at the dragon. But either way, she had to know that MC will get the job done. She mentored them for two years, after all. So, again… WHAT’S THE POINT OF THAT “DRAGON BAIT”?!

You know, even if R was hoping to get something out of the Portrait Vault, this is what Rakepick should’ve done:

Take MC to the Vault alone.

Help them defeat the dragon.

Let them open the Legilimency door.

Knock MC down.

Enter the inner chamber. Free Jacob, kill him. Transfigure him into a rock or something. Check if there’s anything to take.

Obliviate MC.

Tell MC that the curse was broken and that they feel weird because the door messed with their head.

The writers could have her exposed later somehow (because someone found something in her office, for example) if they still wanted to have her on the run, OR she could stay. Then, we’d know the truth, but MC wouldn’t. And honestly, if executed properly, I think it could be pretty interesting.

But of course, Jam City can’t execute properly anything! And nothing about Rakepick’s story adds up! Unless you see the option where all of the things I discussed above make sense. Then please, let me know.

Edit: Scenario #4.

The conclusion

Personally, I really don’t see how it could all work. And therefore, I have to say that Rakepick from Y7Ch37 is quite literally a different character than Y4 and Y5 Rakepick. All they have in common is the name. I’m pretty sure Jam City decided to retcon her character, and it probably happened around Y5Ch30. Then, Scenario #1 and #2 could kind of work.

And that being said… I think I might stop making HPHM theories, to be honest. At least when it comes to the new content (I still want to make that post about Rakepick and Snape being in cahoots I’ve been postponing forever, for example). To be clear, I’m NOT saying I won’t be posting about HPHM anymore. But I just don’t really see the point in making serious theories and predictions if Jam City apparently does whatever they want anyway.

Seriously, I was so excited when Merula was revealed as the mole, not only because I was right about it, but mainly because it was the first big reveal which made so many pieces fit into their places. And yes, Jam City totally screwed up the execution of this plotline, but it still gave me hope that they do follow some greater plan and that in the end, things will make sense – even if more casual players will wonder where it came from. But now? Eh…

And you know what’s the worst? That it’s really the insane route that screws everything over. If not for that, Rakepick’s story could still be salvageable. And this is where I want to mention my mini theory I came up with the other day (even though I just said I’m done with it... I realise how it looks, okay?).

You see, as much as I hate the Father “plot twist”, it could work pretty well for one thing. Remember how all of MC’s visions were always signed as “Mysterious Voice”? Well, I’m pretty sure that the Father will turn out to be a Legilimens. I mean, the siblings are born Legilimenses, so they probably inherited it from someone, right? And I somehow feel it’s not their mum. Therefore, it’s quite possible, in my opinion, that the visions we got were in fact from the Father (at least some of them). It’d potentially even explain why the Mysterious Voice always called us per our First Name, and not “Pip”.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the vision from the Vault of Ice:

Sure, it could’ve been Jacob warning us about Rakepick. But don’t you think it’s interesting that it goes so well with R wanting Rakepick to stay away from the Cursed Vaults? Especially if we consider that Dumbledore was actually searching for Rakepick since Y1, so R might’ve known about it. Our Daddy seems to have a problem with Patty, and it’d be great to explore it. Admittedly, we have a little conflict here with the Father telling us to find the Vaults in Y2 and then to stay away from them in Y4. But I suppose it comes down to Rakepick. Before she arrived at Hogwarts, he wanted to prepare MC, just in case. But once Rakepick was there, he was like: “Well, I have Jacob anyway, so it’s better to keep MC away from all of it, especially that Rakepick might use them to her advantage”.

But of course, in the end, it doesn’t matter anyway! Because insane!Rakepick ruined it all! The only way I see how it could be fixed is if Rakepick’s insanity was an act, so she was basically lying. Why would she do that? Because MC who trapped her expected her to be insane – and so the players who chose that option. To be clear, I don’t believe that’s what happened. I’m pretty sure Jam City simply doesn’t care. Though I also have to point out that if Rakepick’s insanity is an act, it’d explain how she’s still able to conjure a freaking Patronus.

[whatsortofschoolisthis]

Ben: Everyone synchronize your watches.

Talbot, not lying: I don’t know how to do that.

Jae, lying: I don’t have a watch..

Sean: Time is a construct.

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Orion: Can you imagine not being human and just living out your days as a weeping willow, though? Beautiful? By the water? Unburdened?

Skye: I want to be the Whomping Willow and beat the shit out of everyone and everything.

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Penny: I’m friendly, I’m loyal, I’m energetic, I… I just described a dog, didn’t I?

Chiara: Well, yeah, but people love dogs.

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Hecate: I'm telling you, Incendio works. Any time I have a problem, and I cast Incendio, boom! Right away, I have a different problem.

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Hecate talking to Rowan in Transfiguration : There’s a spare key and a master key to our house. Rubin has them both.

Sean leaning over: When we asked, “what if you die Rubi? How will we get inside?” She said “if I’m dead, you all have been dead for weeks”.

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Ben: Is anyone else scared?

Tonks: Not really. I've already lived longer than I expected.

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Diego:  Excuse me, have you ever been arrested?

Merula: Yes.

Diego: I was going to say 'because it's illegal to be this cute' but now I'm curious.

Merula: Aggravated assault.

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Andre: Where’s Tulip?

Talbott: Somewhere disappointing the gods.

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Sean: Pro tip! Instead of having feelings, try being dead inside. Everything is still horrible but you will not care at all.

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Chiara: Do you even remember the ABCs of healing?

Hecate: A…. Bone…. Coming out of the skin is very bad.

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Rakepick: Must you always attack me with words?

Snape: You want me to use rocks?

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Which HM characters do you care the most?

It's...it's like Sophie's choice...they all need love. 😭😭😭

No but, first and foremost, Merula. She's not only the most interesting character to me, but she's in the most pain and I just want to hug her. Not to mention that she has crazy amounts of ship-tease with MC. Protect the lonely, flower-haired, violet-eyed bae.

Tulip is so damn underrated. I know she doesn't appear much these days, certainly not as often ss I would like...but any time she has involvement, she strikes a balance between getting fascinating character development and just being overall hilarious.

Rowan needs more appreciation. Badly. They're MC's most loyal friend and they don't deserve to be cast aside as the story has done. In some ways, it can be realistic for two friends to drift apart, but I think we've had enough of that storyline.

Beatrice is just a child who's been through hell and now wants to be involved. She's coping with trauma the best she can, but her childhood innocence has been crushed to bits, and people don't understand her, they only condescend.

Honorable mentions:

Rakepick, Chiara, Ismelda, Jae...I could go on.

[averagesmw]

Penny Haywood x MC- A risk far too great

Game: Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery  

_____________________________

My stay at Hogwarts so far has been... interesting, to say the least

Unwillingly, I became responsible for breaking the horrible curses that came as a result of the Cursed Vaults. All in pursue of my missing brother, Jacob.

Not that I didn't want to save everyone or find my brother, but I didn't know it would be this difficult

However, when we entered the third vault and broke the sleepwalking curse, I thought I was getting the hang of it

...And then came the fourth curse

Not only was it difficult to understand, but this one got quite personal

See, this curse kidnapped students and trapped them inside the various portraits that decorate the school's walls. One of the victims happened to be the first-year Hufflepuff, Beatrice Haywood.

As in, Penny's adorable little sister

That is no way to be introduced to Hogwarts, I should know

But what weighed on me the most was Penny's reaction to this, she was devastated and obviously not the little ray of sunshine I knew and loved

Our adventures together were by far my favorite thing about all these years. We've grown to know each other so well, she even picked me to go with her to a dance

She provided all the happiness that I needed, but now, she was the one that needed happiness

Regardless, it served as a strong motivator to break the curse as soon as possible, which led me to this very moment...

Joined by Merula, Bill, and the new faculty member, Professor Rakepick, I was discussing the next step in our plan to enter the fourth vault. We were in the Courtyard as to not raise any suspicions

However, our plans would soon collide with my personal goals, and not for the better

...

"Now, who shall we take into the Cursed Vault with us?"

Rakepick asked us, making my mind start racing with possibilities

"Well, there are pros and cons to anyone we pick..."

We looked around at the people present in the courtyard. From Badeea to Tonks and even Barnaby, we discussed who could bring more to this table

Eventually, the sight of beautiful, blonde hair caught my attention. There she was, Penny Haywood herself trying her best to go on with her day

Always so resourceful and determined to help others, even now that she was the one that needed the help. Oh, Penny...

It was true that she could help but I...I just couldn't sentence to go into such a place, what if we lose? Or worse...

No, there was no chance I would risk bringing her along this time. I had to find someone else that could assist us

In my mind, I was already narrowing down the best candidates, although I didn't want to put any of them in danger, especially--

"What about Haywood? We could use her potion knowledge"

Merula's voice broke my concentration, I immediately turned to her upon hearing that

"Merula is right, Penny could help us brew a potion if we need it at the vault if we need it"

Bill added. The sole mention of her name in this conversation was enough to send shivers down my spine

I could even feel my breathing getting a bit erratic at this. But before anything else could happen, I threw a quick counter-offer

"B-But what about Charlie? He knows about dragons far more than any of us. W-We could use his knowledge more!"

Merula looked at me strangely. I subtly shook my head to her, telling her to back off on that idea with my eyes filled with worry

She seemed to pick up on this and gave me a subtle nod, putting her hand on her chin

For the last months, Merula and I had grown closer together as well. She might not admit it until earlier today, but we were good friends

In fact, she was likely the only person (besides Rowan) that knew about my umm... My opinion on Penny, hence why she understood my signals so quickly

"Now that you mention, he could help us defeat the dragon first. After he squeals at the sight of it"

For a split second, I felt relieved to have her on my side...then Rakepick talked

"While that is true, I agree that Miss Haywood could help us the most in this case"

She was quick to shoot down the idea, but why? Why send Penny into something so dangerous without even giving her time to prepare!

There was NO way I'd send Penny off like that, not her, especially after everything we've been through

"I don't think that's a good idea, professor. Penny has been quite unstable since the beginning of the year, she won't concentrate"

I responded with the first thing that came to my mind, just desperately trying to change their mind

"Or she could be perfectly motivated to give her best to save her sister"

"Hasn't Penny helped you with the other vaults before, Y/N? She has more experience in dealing with them"

Bill was not helping. Of course Penny tagged along a few times, but mostly when we knew that it wasn't incredibly dangerous like now

It's a dragon we're talking about! Not a Boggart or an Ice Knight

"Bill, we're not bringing her with us"

My friend noticed the sudden change in my tone and looked at me with a confused look

"Why not? Is something wrong with that?"

What!? Of course there was, Bill! You'd have to be blind not to notice!

My worry found a shield in the form of anger, but it was quickly released as I yelled out of pure emotion

"WE'RE NOT SENDING PENNY OUT THERE, THAT'S IT!!"

All three of my allies were taken back by this, even Rakepick. Taking a quick look at the rest of the students that were also there I noticed that they had all shut up and were now staring at me...even her

I couldn't deal with all of those eyes, not at the same time. What was I even supposed to say after such a display?

"I...I have to go. I'll be back for tonight, I promise"

Following what both my heart and mind were screaming me to do, I ran away back to the castle without looking at anyone

The place was awfully silent for a couple of seconds, but the chatter resumed shortly after, only a bit less intense this time

"Was it something I said? I've never seen Y/N have an outburst like that..."

Bill felt guilty, but he didn't even know why. Of course, it was always awful when you made someone react like that without knowing the reason

"Miss Snyde, you said before this conversation that Y/N is your friend, right?"

The teacher caught the attention of Merula, who was still looking at the door

"Yes?..."

"Do you mind explaining what was that all about, then?"

Merula was silent for a moment. She wouldn't tell the exact reason, but she was clever enough to coat it while technically not lying

"Well...I reckon to have one cursed Haywood was too much for L/N, maybe they don't want to get the other one killed. It would stain their pride"

"Y/N has been lacking sleep since this all began, too. They don't want anyone else involved in this" The Weasley added

"You may be right...Do you think you can talk some sense into them?"

Merula then spotted a certain blonde running into the castle, going in the same direction. Under a mask of carelessness, a genuine smile grew

"That won't be necessary, professor"

...

My instinct brought me to the Artifact Room, where I immediately closed the door upon entering and just got to my knees when my body was unable to continue

My hands rested on them as tears started to form on their own, despite my best attempts to stop them

Why was it so hard to understand that Penny was off the table?

Why was it so hard to understand that she was the last one I wanted to get involved?

Just...why?...

I felt my breathing adopt a slightly faster pace, but only for a couple of seconds. I was too busy fighting with my thoughts and just trying to make any sense of it to realize that someone had opened the door

By the time I knew it, someone was handing me down a potion

"Here, drink this"

That voice...

Not wanting her to see me like this, I looked over my shoulder to confirm it. Those beautiful blue eyes, the braided hair, the worry in her face...

I took the potion but didn't open it

"Penny? What's this?"

"It's a calming draught, I always have a spare one just in case"

"That's very considerate of you, b-but really, I'm fine"

Then she placed a hand on my shoulder, giving me a sympathetic look

"I heard you scream my name in the courtyard, Y/N. You can trust me"

Of course lying wasn't going to work, I made a mess back there

Reluctantly, I removed the cork and drank the calming draught. Just by feeling it go down my throat, I could feel my thoughts become clearer and my breathing was slowing down on its own

"Thank you..."

I said handing her the potion, but then Penny sat down in front of me, trying to get a better look at me

"Do you want to talk? You know you can trust me, Y/N"

I sighed before nodding slightly. Taking a quick glance at her before immediately trying to look away

Might as well tell her now. This was about her after all

"W-Well...Professor Rakepick says she found a way into the Cursed Vault, it's a portkey that will activate tonight"

Her gasp made me look at her, she was visibly surprised by this

"Tonight? But those are wonderful news!"

"They are. Rakepick says we should take someone else with us, but then everyone started leaning towards you and--"

"I'm in"

Upon hearing this, I felt my heart take the hit, quickly reminding me of what I was fearing just a second ago

Despite being under the influence of that potion, distress was beyond visible

"What? No"

Penny gave me a puzzled look. Never before had I prohibited her to come with me on an adventure

What was particularly concerning was how quick I was to brush her off

"Why not?"

"Penny, it's far too dangerous! Even a bloody dragon will be there"

She picked up on my increasing anguish, but her own emotions were just as strong at the moment

"And yet you're still going, Y/N! That's no justification"

"Yes, because we've been chosen and trained specifically to deal with this! There's no telling what could happen if you go!"

"I want to go, I need to see it for myself when the curse is broken. Plus you could use my help!"

I shook my head in denial. I knew she of all people had a reason to go, but the risk was far too big for a reward that was still uncertain

"There are plenty of ways you can help us from here"

The Hufflepuff was growing frustrated by my attempts at persuading her out of this mission, maybe to the point of getting personal

"Why don't you want me to go? I need to save my sister!"

It hurt to see her so angry at me, but as I felt the effect of the draught vanishing, I too adopted a similar gaze

I felt the hairs on my arms raising once again and the heartbeat increasing, even my face was heating up

"You're too valuable to lose!"

"Oh? And why am I the one who's too valuable? Why isn't it Bill? Or Merula? Or--"

Blood rushing

Tears escaping

Voice raising and suddenly

"BUT I DON'T LOVE THEM LIKE I LOVE YOU, OKAY!?"

Silence

Pure and suffocating silence

It quickly took over the room as soon as my voice stopped echoing through

I myself couldn't help but cover my mouth in shock by what just happened. Not just because I raised my voice against Penny, but because of what I said

Did I really just?...

Oh no

Beyond shocked, I looked at her. She was speechless with her eyes staring at me in disbelief

"You do?..."

"I have to get out of--"

Once again, I tried to run from it, but it didn't work. My arm was stopped by her hand and her startled voice

"N-No, it's okay! Really"

I turned around to see her yet again, not able to even think of a word for her. For sure she would turn me down, or worse

But her smile, that gentle, warm smile was there. The same one she showed me whenever we were goofing around or brewing something together

It was there

And so was that soft gaze she had whenever I had done something stupid and she was trying to help me like...well... right now

But this time, it hit different

"I want to hear it from you, Y/N. Please" Her sweet voice practically begging for me to stay. I didn't find myself to be strong enough to deny her request

And so, against everything my mind told me, I stayed behind, with Penny

She asked me to carry on with what I said before trying to escape. Sighing, I complied

I figured that it could help her understand why I didn't want her to go, but also...I think I owed her an explanation for well, everything

I gathered my strength until finally, words started to come out

"The truth is that I...I fancy you, Penny. I've done it for quite a while now and not only am I doing this to dave Bea and the others who fell victim to this curse"

My eyes, while looking down at first, were now focused on her. I didn't care if she saw how bad I looked at the moment, I was talking straight out of my heart, throwing myself in the void and hoping for the best

"...I do it because I can't stand to see you so depressed, it breaks my heart"

"Y/N..." The sole mention of my name by her was almost enough for me to back off, almost

But she needed to know

"If I can't see you like this, imagine how I felt when everyone started leaning towards you to follow us into the vault. I can't bear the thought of something bad happening to you"

Before I knew it, Penny wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug as she hid her forehead in my shoulders. At first, I couldn't believe it, I just stood there with her warmth and allowed that familiar feeling of security and care wash over me

A heavy, broken breath left my body, felt like a weight had been pulled off

At least until I heard her voice again, still buried in my shoulder

"...If I go to the Cursed Vault, would you be by my side?"

That question caught me off-guard, making me end the embrace to look at her. Although I think I heard her protest this

"Of course I would. I wouldn't leave you to yourself" I answered almost automatically

"Then I have nothing to fear"

The way she smiled after saying that, was disconcerting

"Penny..."

"I'm going to trust you with a secret of mine, one that I've never told anyone before"

She motioned me to come closer, which I did. It took her a bit to talk, seems as if this was a heavy subject for her as well

"It's bad enough to have my sister trapped in a portrait like that, it's horrible"

Penny was the one to sigh after that, her fists clenching as well before those blue orbs of her stared me down

"...But it's even worse to see the one I love risk their life for all of us every single year. I can only pray that you come back in one piece and so far you have"

The one she...what?...

Now I was speechless. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink when she noticed my reaction, but it didn't take long for a small smile to return to her

"This time, I want to help you the way you've helped us. It doesn't matter if it's an Ice knight, an Acromantula, or a bunch of Bogarts..."

Then, I felt something reaching out for my hand, it was hers

This gesture provoked our eyes to meet one last time

"As long as we are together. There is no such thing as an impossible challenge"

The determination in her, so familiar. Now I understood what Dumbledoremust've felt when I ignored his pleas for me to stop chasing the vaults

"And when we return from this, we'll talk. I promise"

What came after was still something that I'm struggling to process

Penny pulled me towards her a little and then closed the distance herself, leaning in towards me. I felt a pair of soft, tender lips kissing my cheek

"Thank you for opening up to me. I mean it"

There was no butterbeer or oversized sandwiches that could persuade the blonde to leave this mission, I understood that now. She would get to experience the end of this  curse herself

And as we stood along with Bill, Merula, Rakepick, and even Ben, I made my new mission to protect her from whatever lurked inside that vault

But as we approached the portkey and her hand wouldn't leave mine, I understood that even in the face of incredible danger...

...She too, would have my back