Ilvermorny Year One: The Lost Witch

The Market

"Trey!" Miles shouted as he ran to the empty fireplace. Miss Sweeting soon heard sounds of sobs coming from him.

"Miles, he's all right. That's how the powder works," she said running over to console him.

"You mean he's not dead," Miles asked with little tears in his eyes.

"No, he's completely fine. But we better join him. I don't want him wondering around the market alone. Everyone there is not as nice as me and you, especially to no-majs," Miss Sweeting said as she pushed Miles into the fireplace. "Now, do just as Trey did."

Miles nodded and took a deep breath. "West Mannister Market," he shouted as he threw down the powder. The green flames engulfed him as well. All he could see for a few seconds were the flames but soon they went out. Miles batted his eyes a few times to see he was now in a much larger fireplace. He walked out of the fireplace and looked around. He was in a large room, resembling an old bus station. There were a dozen large fireplaces like the one he arrived in against a wall. On the opposite wall, there was a dusty old sign that read "Floo Network Arrivals & Departures."

The room was completely empty except for an old man sitting behind a desk near the exit to the building. Miles walked over to him. There was a small nameplate that read "Bernard L. Ottosphero."

The old man was asleep and snoring quite loudly. Miles leaned over the counter and saw that Bernard's old gray beard was so long that it was touching the floor. Despite having so much hair growing out of his chin, there was none on his head. As he continued to peek around the desk area, Bernard woke up."

"Lost there sonny?" Bernard asked in a raspy old voice.

"No sir, well at least I think I'm not. My brother just came here, have you seen him?" Miles asked.

Bernard wiped his old eyes and then looked around the station. He saw nothing, not even Miles clearly.

"I'm afraid I haven't senn anything in 20 years sonny," Bernard answered.

"Then how do you work here?" Miles asked, now wondering what could have happened to Trey.

"No one comes by floo anymore sonny. I'm just here taking up space until I can retire. Doggone MACUSA raised the minimum retirement age for magical transportation employees to 125, can you believe that?" Bernard complained as he folded his bony arms.

"Not at all," Miles said matter-of-factly as he looked out of the ash covered windows for a glimpse of his brother.

"Only five years to go now though," Bernard added flashing his single tooth. Miles smiled as well. Bernard began telling him about how brooms are in a renaissance of sorts and most witches and wizards have almost abandoned all of other forms of transportation. But he assured Miles that trends only lasted so long and that in few years everyone would be hanging up the brooms and floo powdering their way around.

Just as Bernard was about to explain to Miles how wizards got around in the 1920's, Miss. Sweeting appeared in one of the fireplaces. Miles ran over to her.

"Miss. Sweeting, what took so long." Miles asked as Miss. Sweeting dusted the floo ash off.

"I realized just as I was about to come here, that you probably don't have any money. Was I right?" She pondered. Miles hung his head and nodded slowly. "Miles, it's okay. I am more than honored to buy you everything and anything for you to become the best wizard ever." Miles smiled hard.

"Where's your brother," Miss Sweeting asked looking around for Trey. Miles simply shrugged his shoulders as Bernard's stories had distracted him from locating his brother. He gave the old attendant a wave as he and Miss. Sweeting left the station.