Chapter Text
A Muggle at Hogwarts. A Muggle at Hogwarts.
The headline was technically incorrect, but there was no doubt in any of their minds as to whom it referred to.
And besides, to certain members of the wizarding community, it made no difference whether Mabel was a Muggle or a Squib. These members were small in number, thankfully, but increasingly vocal.
Virgil already knew they were having a field day with this. A part of him gained a fierce satisfaction at the thought of their fury at a 'Muggle' preteen or teenager managing to get one over on them. Someone they thought was lesser outsmarting them.
Perhaps if he did not know the identity of the person involved, he would continue to think that way. But he knew Mabel, and he knew they were going to try to find Mabel. Who knew what they would do if they found her? Who knew what would happen to the triplets if they were discovered helping her? Professor Picani?
Strangely, Virgil was less concerned about where he factored into this. He knew that he, Patton, Logan, Roman, and Dee were in danger - This could be traced back to them too, as they not only knew what was happening but offered assistance. That said, Virgil was willing to face the consequences. He knew what they were doing was right.
But Mabel was an eleven year old who only wanted to experience the same wonderful things her older siblings did, and who could blame her for that? Who could blame her brothers and sister for doing everything in their power to give that to her?
This wasn't even a matter of the Statute of Secrecy. Even if Mabel was a Muggle, the fact that she knew enough about Hogwarts to get there implied that it wasn't a matter of secrecy. It was a matter of Mabel not being 'worthy' enough.
Was magic entirely off limits to Squibs? Should it be? There were certain subjects that required little in the way of actual wandwork, such as Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. Even things like Astronomy, History of Magic, Arithmancy...
Honestly, there were fewer subjects at Hogwarts that required wandwork than there were that did not.
So why weren't Squibs allowed to attend under a modified schedule? Perhaps then, Squibs would feel less trapped on the cusp of two worlds that did not seem to want them. Perhaps then, Conor O'Farrell could have shared the world that should have been his daughter's as well, and wouldn't have felt as though he had to keep it secret for the rest of his life to spare her feelings.
The wizarding world really needed to get its shit together.
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"I suppose we ought to be glad that neither of us attended Hogwarts," Delilah remarked as she stared at the cover to the latest issue of The Daily Prophet.
"Speak for yourself, I would have loved to step foot in Hogwarts...if only to see how long it would take for them to kick me out," Remus snickered.
"There is a Muggle there. A literal Muggle," Delilah scoffed.
Remus stopped snickering at once. "Wait, really?"
"Yes! Just when I thought Hogwarts could sink no lower..." Delilah made a face of disgust.
Remus, on the other hand, began to laugh. "That's hilarious!"
Delilah stared at Remus in surprise. "A Muggle at Hogwarts is hilarious? Might as well open Hogwarts to all of the UK at this rate. Bad enough they allow Mudbloods; I would have thought the next step would be Squibs at least. Pretty soon wizard blood will be so diluted that wizards will die out completely," she scoffed.
Remus let a snort. "Oh believe me, I'm not on the side of any Mudbloods or Muggles or Squibs here. I just think it's hilarious! You'd really think the largest wizarding school in the UK would have better security."
"Clearly not," Delilah scrunched up her nose and set the paper down.
Remus grinned. "I bet they're running around Hogwarts like chickens with their heads cut off trying to find the little bugger that snuck in! Did you know that there was a chicken that survived for eighteen months after his head was cut off? His name was Mike! I wonder if a human could live for that long without a head? It would probably take a little magic, but I think we could-"
"We're not cutting off anyone's head so you can experiment on them," Delilah huffed, folding her arms across her chest.
Remus deflated. "Awww, you're no fun. I mean, wouldn't a head make a great horcrux?"
Delilah let out a snort. They'd learned a lot during their lessons with Dalibor, but they had yet to even touch on horcruxes. Delilah suspected it was coming, though; they put a lot of focus on blood magic as of late.
Dalibor continued to promise them that his best lessons yet were coming, and that they would be positively breathtaking.
Delilah could only hope that he did not mean that literally.
"I wonder if I could cut off my own head and turn it into a horcrux?" Remus blurted out.
Delilah let out a long, exasperated sigh. Only Remus...