"You challenged Jefferson to a duel and you're only telling me now?". John huffed and smacked Alex' shoulder lightly.

"No! How often do I have to tell you that he challenged me!", Alex hissed back hastily looking around if anyone was listening to them but they were still alone on the corridor. John shook his head and closed his eyes as if he was thinking about something really important.

"This is madness", he declared surprising Alex more than anything else could ever have. John loved taking risks more than he loved fantastic beast and would never tell anyone that dueling was mad.

"What did you say to Jefferson to confront you like this? He never starts an argument when he knows how to make you do it for him", John explained unbelievingly. He's right, Alex realized. Jefferson always waited for him to make the first move probably in the hope of Professor Washington only giving detention to him.

"Do you think this is a trap?", he asked his friend. It could be possible. But what can he do to me? Suddenly another thought crossed his mind. What if he's the student who cursed the bird and works together with Lee? That would explain everything! Now Alex felt even more like going there, even if it was a trap. John got out some parchment and a quill and pressed it against the wall to write better.

"I'll get help", he explained shortly. Help? Alex almost panicked. What if he called Peggy? She would tell Eliza that he was heading to a duel with Jefferson even though she had told him to stay low. No. She isn't going to find out, he decided.

"Who are you writing to?", Alex asked as causal as possible just hoping that it wasn't Peggy. John turned around with an surprised look on his face.

"Herc and Laf", he replied and showed Alex the letter. Of course he'll get them, what was I thinking?

It was long after midnight and they weren't even allowed to be out on the corridors for so long but Alex just had to tell someone about the duel with Jefferson. He had laid on his bed for what felt like hours doing his homework not knowing if Jefferson had really challenged him to a duel or if he had just imagined this part. So he had written a letter bird to his best friend and surprisingly he had answered in the middle of the night telling him to meet him at the spot they were standing on right at the moment. And it was true. Alex was going to his very first duel tonight. I have to win! He knew Jefferson had more experience than him but over the months of being at Ilvermorny now Alex had learned a lot of new spells too. It could work.

"Hammy did WHAT?", someone shouted and Hercules ran over to them shaking his head.

"Psst!", Alex made. "I did nothing!"

Why could no one believe him that he hadn't been the one asking for the duel? Well, he probably would have challenged Jefferson someday anyway but that wasn't the point!

Lafayette snuck up to Hercules and put his hands onto his eyes so he couldn't see anymore.

M"Not so loud mon ami! I knew this would happen but still. Pourquoi? I always thought you would become best friends", he explained and shook his head.

Why? Jefferson and I have nothing in common. Nothing! But Alex only shrugged not wanting to fight with his friends right now. He had to prepare for a more important confrontation.

Hercules removed Lafayette's hands from his face and shot the Frenchman an angry glance.

"Hands of!", he hissed before turning back to Alex shaking his head. "I still can't believe it. I know you guys hate each other but not like this!"

Why is everyone saying this? Let's go back to the part where we HATE EACH OTHER! His friends were acting as if he was going to kill Jefferson which Alex wouldn't have to if his enemy would confess his guilt.

"Don't worry guys, I got this", Alex tried to calm his friends and shot them a quick smile. But of course this didn't change anything since no one trusted him.

"Alex, you do know what this means, do you?", John asked him uncomfortably scratching his neck. Alex only rolled his eyes trying not to overact once more. Yes I kinda know nothing about magic but I do know what a duel is! It's not like I'm stupid!

"Of course I do", he replied. "This is just like duels a few hundred years ago but with wands instead of guns."

His friends exchanged another quick glance making Alex only angrier. What are they keeping from me? Finally John was the one to speak looking as if he had just bitten into a lemon.

"Listen Alex. It's true, it kinda is similar but there are some things that are different. First of all you're going to need a second or this won't work", he explained. Alex interrupted him with a snort.

"Don't worry! I don't need anyone to stand on my side or to hold my wand, I can do this on my own", he joked trying to lighten the mood but once more no one laughed. What's going on? Why is everyone so serious? Hercules only shook his head.

"No Alexander, you need a second in the case you die", he said dully. "There has to be someone when there's reckoning to be reckoned."

Suddenly Alex didn't feel like attending the duel anymore. His mouth was getting dry and he couldn't speak anymore. Not that he felt like doing this anyway. The only thing he could think of was that he wouldn't see Eliza ever again when he died now. I'll leave her alone with the knowledge that I didn't listen to her!

But then his thoughts went back to his brother and how Jefferson had spoken out against Squibs or how he had talked to Angelica. Alex only had to remember The New York Ghost and he knew that he was doing the right thing.

"Don't worry guys, Jefferson won't kill me. Yes,  he is an idiot but he isn't bold enough to do this", he promised. "Also someone has to stand up to him or he'll just continue ruining the school."

John still didn't look very happy and shot Hercules a worried glance who didn't seem to be very found of the duel himself. Only Lafayette let out a relieved sigh and smiled at Alex.

"Jefferson is one of the good guys, he would never kill anyone not even when he's very annoyed by them. Not to forget, il est nous ami!", the Frenchman added reproachfully. That's right. I almost forgot that all of my friends are Jefferson's friends as well. Only now Alex understood what an awkward situation he had gotten the three into. It's too late to apologize now.

"Okay, I'm doing it", John murmured and searched for something in the pockets of his robe.

"You're doing what?", Alex asked the Wampus student. His friend only rolled his eyes and put a small book into Alex hands.

"I'm going to be your second", he explained. "Don't try to argue about this, you know you need someone to tell you what to do unless you want to embarrass yourself in front of Jefferson", John added before Alex could even open his mouth.

And yes, for once in his life the freckled student was right, this probably was the only way to win for Alex.

"Thank you, this is a very great... um honor for me", he replied and bowed. It was supposed to look silly but somehow it felt real for Alex. John was his second from now on, the one who would have to watch him die. No. That's not gonna happen, Alex decided. Jefferson won't kill me and if he tries to... well, he better not.

"What's the deal with this book?", he asked John before he could think about this even more. The book in his hands was small and thin and darker than Lee's hate towards Professor Washington.

"You still have this!", Lafayette shouted surprisedly. "It's a present I gave to him a few years ago. He can't read it because it is written in français", he explained to Alex. Why would Laf do something like this? John only shrugged.

"Yeah, it's a book about dueling and I thought it was very cool back then so he gave it to me", he added. "I can't read it but you can, Alex."

That's true. Once more his knowledge in French would help him to win against Jefferson. I'm just happy that my friends are helping me, not him.

"However, if this duel starts by dawn you two should better hurry up now", Hercules realized with a serious face. He was right. Soon it would be time for Alex to turn up behind the school grounds and he should better hurry if he wanted to be first. But it's Jefferson. He's always late. Still, if this was a trap he'd better find out before the duel.

"Good luck mon ami!", Laf said and patted his head one last time before Alex and John went off.

"We'll see you after the duel! Just write us where you are and we'll come!", Hercules shouted after them and Alex couldn't help but flinch. Does he really think that I'll survive this? He decided that worrying wouldn't help anyone so he started reading the book John had given to them on their way to their meeting place.

"Aiming at the sky to give up? Why would anyone do this?", Alex asked in surprise. Why go to a duel and then just not do it? John only rolled his eyes.

"I don't know Alex, maybe because some people don't want to die?", he suggested and snapped the book out of his friends hands. "You'd better watch where we're going or you'll run into a teacher."

What's going on now? At first he gives me the book, then he takes it away again. Where is this going? For a while the two friends walked in silence using as many secret entrances as possible to get out of the Ilvermorny castle. After a few minutes John couldn't stand the quiet anymore.

"What's the deal with you and Eliza? Are you two a thing now?", he asked and stepped out of the dark corridor and into the open.

Alex bit into his cheeks to not reveal something he shouldn't. Why can't I just tell him? John is my best friend and he won't say a word to someone else! Anger rose up inside of him and he had to calm himself down with the image of Eliza's pleading face. No. I can't give her away even when it would be the better thing to do. Why was the Schuyler sister always backing away as soon as someone threw a punch? Alex took a deep breath before answering John.

"What do you think with all of this shit going on?", he grumbled and searched for his wand in his pockets as he always did when getting nervous.

"Oh. I'm sorry", John replied and looked away his face reddened when suddenly a dark figure materialized in front of them. Alex had already drawn his wand when he realized that it was only Madison. Only Madison? He's probably Jefferson's second!

"Hamilton. Laurens. Are you ready?", the small boy asked them flatly and led them to a reddish field in the shadows of the castle. Two people were waiting there for them. One of them was Jefferson as it was easy to see at the volume of his hair. The second one was Samuel Seabury, a Pukwudgie student Alex knew as one of the Schuyler sisters friends.

What's he doing here? Alex was just about to open his mouth and ask when John punched his shoulder. Right. I'm not supposed to make a fool of myself. He searched in his mind for something he read in the book his friend had given to him but he couldn't remember anything about a second second.

"Hamilton", Jefferson said coolly and walked over to them holding out his hand for Alex to shake it. Should I-? Nah.

"Jefferson", Alex replied in the same voice looking down at the offered hand without taking it. His enemy seemed to understand and only let out an offended huff before turning to John.

"Laurens. Didn't expect to see you here with all of this secretiveness going on", he welcomed him scornfully. However, Alex realized the hurt look washing over Jefferson's face for only a second. Alex had to stop himself from smiling so he decided to say something before giving himself away.

"So what, can we start now?", he asked trying to sound as bored as possible already taking his wand out. Jefferson nodded and pointed at Madison.

"He's my second", he explained shortly, "and that's the doctor I've chosen. Do you have any problems with him?"

A doctor! So Seabury is here to cure us whenever one of us gets hurt. That of course implied that Jefferson did plan on killing Alex. He felt his stomach turn. No. Not like this. Not here. Not without having told Eliza that I love her. He clinched wand so hard that his knuckles whitened.

"Hamilton?", Jefferson demanded sharply. Don't show any weakness!

"It's okay. I trust him", Alex answered calmly trying to hide his shaking voice behind an unreadable expression. "But why did you get to choose-"

John elbowed him before he could finish the sentence.

"I'm Hamilton's second. The ten duel commandments now", he shouted. Madison nodded and in union the two seconds started reciting ten rules. Luckily Alex had already read about them in Lafayette's book. But still, he was glad that they got repeated without him having to ask for it. Finally the two seconds ended their speech and returned to their usual spots.

Now Jefferson stepped into the middle of the field. What's he doing? Only when John rolled his eyes Alex understood that he was supposed to do the same.

"Okay. I totally got this", Seabury muttered nervously. "Um. First of all you guys have to stand back to back."

The two duelist did as they were told.  Of course not without Jefferson stepping onto Alex foot. He's gonna pay for that!

"Now you have to- um you have to... walk to the end of the field while I'm counting and than you can turn around and... you know what I mean", Seabury stuttered. Why is he afraid? It's not like he could be killed every second!

"O-one. Two. Th-three."

Alex did as he had been told and made a few steps forward.

"Four. Five. S-six."

He took a deep breath trying to remember every spell he knew.

"Seven. Eight. Ni-"

"Hey! Whatcha doing there!"

And suddenly everything happened so fast that Alex could only remember little bits of it later. The shocked expression on Seabury's face. Madison quietly mouthing shit and Jefferson screaming: "Who betrayed us!"

And then there was John grabbing Alex hand.

"Run Alex! Run for your life!", he shouted. Alex didn't know when he let go or when he stopped seeing the other students. His only thought was: I have to get away from here! And somehow his legs understood and he ran faster than he had ever before.

Faster. Faster!

He had to hurry up or they would catch him. His breath hitched and his lungs started hurting but he couldn't stop now.

Just run!

He had to get away from this place as quickly as possible. Down the hill.

Don't stumble!

Jumping over a tiny bush.

Don't get slower!

Suddenly water splashed into Alex' face and his feet couldn't find the ground beneath him anymore.

And then he was falling.

His face was the first to hit the cold wet and soon the rest of his body followed. Everything was dark. Bubbles everywhere. Alex let out a silent scream as he stared at the thing under him.

This shining, light thing that shouldn't be there.

And there!

What was moving in the shadows? It was too dark to see anything clearly. Alex pressed his eyes together to see better but the beast was already gone. His chest hurt and his lungs felt like bursting but he didn't swim up.

Where is it?

His heart stared pounding like a hammer and he felt the strange urge of breathing in  water. Still. He didn't move. Not even a finger. This was much more important than breathing.

There!

Wasn't there a figure moving? Alex could hear the river murmur into his ear as if he was trying to tell him all of his secrets. Dark spots danced in front of him and everything blurred. But down there something was waiting for him. Down there on the ground.

Down?

Maybe it was up. Up. Down. Where was the difference? Wasn't there a light? A light like the one he had seen before? Alex couldn't help himself anymore and opened his mouth. Water streamed into him and filled his mouth as it filled the river. Finally his poor survival instincts kicked in and Alex dived up.

Up? Or down? After the light, always after the light! His head broke out of the water and he started spiting out the liquid as if it was burning poison.

Alive!

He was still alive! Never breathing had felt this good before. Never again! Alex shook his head trying to shoo the weird dullness off. I'll never do this again! Never!

Coldness creeped up his legs and into his arms making them heavy and almost impossible to move. Water splashed into his mouth once more.

No! Not again!

He had to get out of the river. Alex caught his breath again and swam towards the nearest shore. Waves almost crashing onto him, the ice cold water making it harder for him to swim, the fear of drowning again. All of that made him almost forget about the thing he had been searching for in the deeps of the stream.

Almost.

There it was- the shore! When Alex' feet touched the ground again he finally understood the people who never wanted to leave their hometown. Adventure was just another word for suicide mission. He felt his toes sink into the sand as he slowly made his way out of the river. The nearer he got the land the calmer his heartbeat got. The more his fingertips headed up. The fewer his headache got. But still. There was something wrong left. Alex crawled onto the shore, falling onto the reassuring hard ground with closed eyes.

I'm alive.

But what had happened?

He was too tired to think right now. The only thing he could remember was the cliff he had fallen down from. The light. This short flare up. What had this been? Something important enough to make him forget everything else around him.

"Sssssss!"

Alex shot up as if he had been stung by a bee. What was this? Ready for a fight, wand drawn, he looked around his heart pounding against his chest. Nothing. Only trees. Trees and the river rushing by, whispering silent warnings.

Bum.

Bum.

Bum.

Alex jerked back bumping into a tree. It took him exactly three seconds to understand that he was only listening to his own heartbeat. It's me. It's just me. No one else is here.

That's when the water started curling.

Alex tried to take another step back but he was already standing against a tree. And suddenly his mind was empty. Whatever was going to get him would have it easy. It's my time to die after all. But it's okay. I always knew that death would get me. If not back then, then somewhen else and this day is today. Away from Eliza. Away from James. Away from everyone I love.

The water was dark.

Looking into it was like looking into a hurricane. It was wild and reckless. Emotionless taking lives. And still there was something even darker beneath. A shadow moving under the cold surface slowly breaking into the light. Something even more dangerous.

And it was going to get Alex.

Slowly the animal that had almost killed him once already rose from its wet sleeping place looking as if it had just been waken up from a long slumber. It was big. Bigger than Alex could have imagined with eyes like fire. Blue and burning. Never he would have thought that he could be burned by only looking at fire. Now he wasn't sure anymore.

There it was.

The blinking thing Alex had seen before. Oh, how he wished to never have fallen into this river. It was a jewel set into the beast's forehead sparkling like a fallen star. Yes, it sure would make anyone rich who could steal it but who would dare to try?

Long pearly white horns looking like ivory protected the treasury. Horns that seemed already used and scratched from fights the beast had already won.

Now the rest of its body was visible. Dripping wet and shimmering the snake like creature loomed over Alex with scales blacker than obsidian. Never before he had seen something this dangerous and yet so beautiful.

Alex' throat was as dry as sand but he just couldn't swallow, couldn't move, couldn't even breath. For a horrible long moment there was silence. Just the two creatures staring at each other. The small boy that was still so young but already had experienced so much dead and the snake that was so old and still had managed to survive for this long.

And Alex realized that he wasn't afraid anymore.

The beast lowered its head to show him its respect and he did the same. They wouldn't kill each other. No. They were alike even though from different species.

Then the giant serpent opened its mouth and a dark tongue flickered out, licking around its sharp, white teeth. But even now Alex didn't feel like running away. The snake made the same hissing sounds as it had earlier, eyes burning with blue fire. And then it spoke.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!"

Its voice was loud and boomed over every other sound and still Alex felt like he was the only one hearing those words.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!"

A chill crept up his neck and he started shivering again. Alex felt as if slowly the water came back into his body. Filling his mouth and nose until he was breathing in the liquid. Water in his lungs and eyes. Water everywhere.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!"

He was drowning again. Choking on the serpents words. They were everywhere. Around him. In his ears. In his brain. All the time Alex heard them repeating over and over.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!"

And that's when he finally understood.

My god. It's my fault!

He tried to breath but his lungs were still full of water. The world around him started spinning and he felt like puking.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!"

Alex couldn't handle this anymore. He would just lie down and choke. Choke on these words.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doo-"

"Hey! Let him go!", someone demanded and suddenly Alex could breath again.

The dancing dots disappeared and his head got clear again. The last thing he saw of the obsidian snake was its shining jewel diving back into the dark water. For a while he stared after the serpent trying to shake of the words burned inside his head.

"Are you okay kiddo?"

This voice. He knew this voice. This had been the same person almost catching them on the dueling field. Person? A small, grey creature appeared in Alex view.

William.

Great, now I'm in some real trouble!

"Can you hear my voice?", the Pukwudgie asked worriedly. Alex swallowed.

"Yes- yes, I'm fine", he croaked, turned to the tree he was laying on and puked.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

Of course. All had been his fault. Always.

"Come on boy, we have to get you away from here before the serpent gets back!", William explained kneeling down so he could be eye to eye with the still on the ground laying Alex. "Can you walk?"

Alex nodded trying to swallow the rotten taste on his tongue. He wasn't really sure if he could walk. His legs felt heavy and whenever he moved everything got black for a second. Still, he had to try. I just have to... get away from here. William looked up and down at him skeptically.

"Okay. I'll hold you up as good as I can. You just have to get up!"

As soon as Alex tried to stand on his own legs everything blurred. The river wobbled as he leaned against the tree closing his eyes again so he couldn't get confused.

"I'll help you", William promised and muttered something sounding like a spell while handing him some leaves.  "Here, eat that and you'll be able to walk again."

"I don't need help", Alex mumbled through the dullness in his head slowly putting the herbs into his mouth. How could this small, old creature help him? This grey, grumpy beast with its thin arms? He couldn't help but laugh.

Suddenly Alex felt like flying.

He didn't know where this feeling came from or why he suddenly felt like laughing with the horrible news he had just received. He only knew that everything was going to be okay. Who cares about duels? Who cares about getting expelled? Who cares about river snakes? The only important thing right now was that he could fly.

"This should take the pain away for a few minutes but you have to watch out the side effects can be a little... well, we'll get to that later", William told him but once again Alex didn't listen.

"I can fly", he explained seriously and took a step forwards. Flying felt just like walking with the difference that now his feet touched soft clouds not the hard ground. Everything else suddenly seemed small and petty. Everything but flying. He just had to move. Try out his new powers.

"Wait! No kiddo, this direction!", William shouted and took his arm. A big smile hushed over Alex' face.

"William! Didn't know Pukwudgies could fly as well!", he cried out happily. His friend only rolled his eyes and mumbled something sounding like I'll have to get his brother as well. However, Alex didn't care. He only wanted to run. Run on the clouds and look at the landscape under him. With him always walking into the wrong direction and William trying to lead him back to the school it took a while until they finally arrived at Ilvermorny. Alex powers already started loosing their intenseness and he got dangerously near to the ground almost touching the grass with his feet again.

"No! I want to fly!", he shouted crossing his arms like a stubborn toddler. William nervously looked around but Ilvermorny's students were still asleep and no one was watching them.

"Come with me. We have to hurry up", he commanded dragging Alex toward the courtyard. The ground was near. Ways too near for Alex's liking. Soon he would have to go back to his problems and sorrow. Why couldn't he just stay up here without the weird words in his head? Why couldn't he just stop caring? Why did he always have to be the one everything bad happened to? I deserve this!

However William, this stupid party pooper, didn't seem to like seeing Alex happy. Just now he had started pounding against the door of the big shed in the middle of the yard.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

It reminded Alex of something. Something bad. I don't want bad! He covered his ears and started singing a song to drown the noice.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

His heart had made a similar sound earlier.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Alex remembered hammering against the door. James. How they opened it. Blood. Everywhere blood.

"Oh Ilvermorny, Ilvermorny castle full of wonders", he started humming. I'm flying! I'm flying! Someone opened the door and the banging stopped.

It was a girl.

A really pretty girl with brown hair and light brown skin. And he even knew her name! Eggy or something? She has a really beautiful best friend too!

"James Hamilton! Where is James Hamilton?", William yelped and shoved Eggy out of the way so he could enter the squib common room. Ruuuuude! However, who cares about what the little grey goblin is doing? The pretty girl was still there looking at him questioning.

"Someone brainwashed me", Alex explained her with a big smile so she knew that she didn't have to worry. It only took a few seconds until the Pukwudgie came back James running after him.

"Alex! What did you do this time?", he asked, eyes sparkling with worry. Alex? That's me! What did I do? I did nothing! Why is it always me doing something?

"Not important! Professor Washington will explain everything later as I already told you!", William snapped and took Alex' arm again. But Alex had more important problems right now.

He was falling. Falling back to the ground. Back to the pain. Back to all of his guilt. But he didn't want to go back! Everything would hurt again and everything would be as complicated as always.

"Alex! Move!", someone shouted through the fog in his head. James. Alex hadn't even realized that he had stopped moving for the first time since he had started flying. There in front of him was a door. A door he was supposed to know.

But before he could think about this anymore his brother had already pushed him into Professor Washington's office. Slowly the weird taste in Alex' mouth was coming back and with it the nausea.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

Alex tried to distract himself with talking just as he always did. The office looked just the same as it had the last time he had been in here, just that now he wasn't alone and hiding from a teacher.

"So. Um, may I ask what the fuck is going on?", he asked accusingly looking at Professor Washington who was sitting at the stone table. "I mean, a snake just spoke to me and suddenly I'm feeling all dizzy and now I'm here with my brother who totally didn't do anything but sleep tonight. I'm just wondering, why-"

"Alex", Professor Washington interrupted him calmly. Too calmly. "Please sit down. You too James."

James did as he was told but Alex somehow knew that if he took a seat he would be told something terrible. But not today. Not after all of this mess. It was already worse enough without the Professor ruining even more.

"Why is there a giant snake just a few meters from the school? That's just stupid! What if another kid runs into it? I mean-"

"Alexander! You'd better sit down!", Professor Washington replied just as calmly as he did before. Alex felt as if slowly everything was slipping away. The room around him, James. Everyone. Everyone but him and this chair. And suddenly sitting down was the hardest thing to do. He closed his eyes trying to swallow all the bad thoughts and did as he had been told. Just stay calm. But it was already too late. Alex could feel himself panic already.

"Where did you find him, William?", Professor Washington asked emotionlessly. Even his eyes were empty, dark holes. And for the first time Alex didn't feel save at Ilvermorny anymore.

"The river. Not far from the school grounds. She's back, George. She's back", William whispered staring at the ground. Were that tears in his eyes? "I told her that she should leave that damn beast alone. I told her! But did she listen? No! And now look where we are!"

James tried to catch Alex' gaze probably to ask him what was going on but he didn't feel like answering. He didn't know the answer anyway.

"No William. I don't think this is the first time she's back", Professor Washington replied still not letting anything show.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

Now James had enough.

"What are you talking about? First you wake me up in the middle of the night, then you take us to your office and don't tell us anything! Goddamnit, you scared me!", he shouted angrily.

A surprised look flashed over Professor Washington's face. Normally Alex was the one loosing it, not his thoughtful brother. The headmaster nodded defeatedly.

"I think it's time to tell you the real reason why you're here", he sighed. The real reason? Alex felt like puking again but he kept his mouth shut. There was a real reason. It wasn't coincidence that Professor Washington had saved him from the hurricane.

"You know the story of Isolt Sayre and the Hornet Serpent?"

Yes they did. James nodded excitedly.

"Yes. The Serpent spoke to her and gave her parts of her horns for two very powerful wands. Everytime Isolt visited her she said... she said... I don't know anymore."

Alex shivered in his wet clothes.

"Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed", he muttered. Somehow he already knew how this was about to end. Professor Washington nodded.

"You're right. And you probably remember- you probably remember your father?", he asked. Of course they did. How could Alex ever forget the night he had just taken his stuff and had moved out. And how they never saw each other again. James snorted.

"He was an asshole and I don't want to talk about him", he explained shortly crossing his arms like a little kid that didn't get enough candy.

"I think we'll have to", Professor Washington replied calmly. Alex started shuddering. He just wanted to leave this room. This school. Go back to Nevis. Or to another continent. Just as far away as possible.

"Your father was, as you already know, a wizard."

"And he never told us!", James interrupted the Professor.

"Yes. And I just want to explain you why so if you could please remain silent for a second?", the headmaster asked him. James reddened and quickly looked at the ground muttering something sounding like sorry.

"Anyway, your father wasn't the best wizard but neither the worst. A minor son of a lord from Scotland that never had anything to do with Ilvermorny until he decided that Great Britain was too small for him and moved to America. He settled on Nevis where he met your mother and so on and so on. But one day about six years ago- one day we called him", Professor Washington told them.

Called him? Alex knew that from now on everything would just get worse and worse. He just wanted to leave. Maybe he could go back to Scotland. He was grandson of some lord. He could have a new life.

"Back in Great Britain your father wanted to- no, was forced into becoming a teacher by your grandfather and we needed teachers. So we asked him if he wanted to start working here."

A small trip he had called it. I'll be back soon, he had said. Lies. All lies. He had never thought of coming back. It was Ilvermorny's fault. The reason why he disappeared.

"James Hamilton senior decided to try it out for a few weeks. He wasn't a very good teacher but he was all we could get so of course, we wanted him to stay. One day he and two other new teachers went on a walk around the school grounds when suddenly something happened. We don't know what. One of them never got back. He drowned. Another one came back running to us saying that he had been separated from the others by something he just couldn't explain. And your father. Now your father we never saw again. He left us a letter saying that he had to decline our offer and went back to where he came from. We never found out what he had seen horrible enough to do what he did after this."

No! Alex wished he could just close his eyes and disappear. Why did Professor Washington have to save him from the hurricane? No, why did he even have to be born? Nothing of this would have happened if he had never been there after all.

"What are the names of the other two Professors?", he asked almost mechanically. Professor Washington took a deep breath before answering.

"James Hamilton, George King and... Charles Lee."

Alex didn't know what to say. What to think. His head was empty. Just one sentence remained.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

"However!" Professor Washington decided to move on as quickly as possible. "Your father! He went back to Nevis and left you and your mother."

Everything started shaking and Alex had to clinch to his armrest to not fall over.

"He sent the MACUSA a letter telling them to never send you an invitation letter to Ilvermorny. When we answered that this isn't possible since the danger of you becoming an obscurus was too high he just... shut you off. Nobody knew where you were. Who you were. We tried to confront James Hamilton but we could never get anything out of him", Professor Washington told them shaking his head at the stubbornness of the older Hamilton. Everything was far away. So far away. Alex almost couldn't hear his brother's question through the fog.

"What changed? Why are we here now?", he asked. No! Don't ask that! Please don't! For the first time today Professor Washington's face changed. Pity. There was pity in it.

"He died."

And Alex puked.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

Of course he had died. Nobody could escape the Hornet Serpent.

"Alex! Are you okay?", James asked jumping up from his chair. Alex almost fell but he managed to grab the edge of the table before it was to late.

"He-he died? How?", he croaked ignoring his brother. Professor Washington looked clearly uncomfortable now.

"Someone killed him with an unforgivable curse. But before they did so they tortured him. We don't really know why but I have my... theories. In my view it was probably because he knew something nobody else did. Your location."

Alex head hurt. My location. His father was dead and the only person remaining in his family was James now. But oh, it got even worse the more Alex thought about it. Because of me! He's dead because of me. Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed! Again he felt the urge of running away from Ilvermorny. From Ilvermorny, the magic and everyone else he could hurt.

"What do you mean?", James shouted with shaking voice. "Why would anyone kill somebody to get to- to get to Alex?"

Alex wished he could just go to sleep. Why care about the reason when it was already clear that it was all his fault? He had killed his father, not this curse. Professor Washington shook his head.

"I don't know boys. But do you remember the bird?"

James nodded while Alex only closed his eyes trying to shake of the memory of his brother crashing into the big chicken. Had this also been because of him?

"I disappeared to write a letter to Philip Schuyler telling him that we got you. I would have never guessed that something like this could happen while I'm away", Professor Washington explained. "And then the poison and now this... I think someone wants to kill you, son."

Somehow this didn't hit him as hard as it should. Maybe this person should succeed. Maybe it would be better this way without me putting everyone in danger. Alex only shrugged. He had more important things to care about right now than his life.

"So this is the real reason we were supposed to look out after something suspicious for you. Because we were the only ones these people wanted to hurt. And we only get to know that now?", he asked accusingly. There could have been so many people dead because of me already!

"We thought it was safer without you running around telling everyone that you're wanted by some crazy killer", William grumbled interrupting their conversation for the first time. Alex felt guilt wash over him. Of course, he could claim that he would never do this but he had told his friend about the time turner too. So why not about his killer?

"That isn't important now!", Professor Washington decided. "More important is, that the three Professors were probably confronted by the Hornet Serpent you saw earlier. Charles Lee wasn't important so he was sent away, who knows what happened to the poor George King and your father. Now your father must have received a message. We don't know what the Serpent said to him but it must have been horrible."

But Alex knew. It had been the same words that almost made him run away as well.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

"Has she said anything to you as well, Hamilton?", William asked him. "I could never understand that damn thing!"

So he didn't know anything about the Serpent's words. No one did but Alex.

Until I'm part of your family, your family is doomed!

"No. No she didn't. She only... stared at me. What does that mean, sir?"

Professor Washington stood up, his black cloak making him look even darker than usually.

"Isolt Sayre was founder of our Ilvermorny school and she was the first human meeting that beast. I would say it means that you're supposed to do something great just as your father. Sadly, he died to early.

I would say, Alexander Hamilton, it means history has its eyes on you."