Since the fall of Shadows and the darkness raising up to over take Thelbane. The families of the Reformed Courts of Chaos have had mixed feelings on the Bone Pale Letter of Invitation to the School of House Berimen.
For each student that is picked, it is as if the Card of Death of famed Shadow Earth, has come to claim them personally. Many a story is told of the Black Coach that comes for each student. The interesting thing is, no two students see the same thing. To some Caine is a loathsome figure of horror, his skin riddled with poxes and sores that ooze puss. To others he is a hulking creature, only barely human. And to some, they see not him at all but only the scroll case that has come for them.

Only two things remains the same, that the Black Coach is able to find you no matter where you hide. And the fearsome dog that paces that nightmarish ride. But few remember that The Death Coach, as it is whisperingly called, only signals the ending of one thing... and the beginning of another. For those that are chosen to take that ride across the worlds, are chosen for a reason.

It seemed that each grain of sand in the hourglass fell slower then last, as Dorian Magnus listened to his Mentor of History, ramble on about the Great Champions of Chaos.
Like he could ever escape them, the shields of the five champions were in every important place throughout the city. Every child was raised on the stories of how five Lords and Ladies of Chaos, banded together to bring us back from the edge of the Abyss. How the Blood-pack was formed between the two poles of existence, to ensure that all the bloodlines remain strong. And how a chosen few would be forced to give up their lives for the betterment of all. For all of his young life, it has seemed that those five faces have frowned on Dorian's actions. As long as he could remember, Dorian was teased about his Surname.
“Magnus, the great wizard.” The kids of Chaos would cry out at him where ever he went, then they would laugh at him. So Dorian would spend all his free time in his family's study, pouring over scrolls, books anything he could get his hands on about magic. Dorian thought. “I will show them, I will become one of the most powerful and well known wizards.” But yet is was still a great shock when Caine himself came to deliver the Bone Pale Letter of Invitation to him. For his Father though, it was a second chance at greatness again. Over and over Dorian was told by his father.

“Dorian... Life is an illusion of choices, controlled by those with Power and forced on those without it. Your given but one chance to grasp that thread leading to power. Grab hold of it hard, don't let it slip through your fingers, like I did. Power is the key... with Power you can do as you wish to whom you wish. Remember that, Dorian... Power.”

Stephen Magnus's words were not lost on young Dorian, because as he was growing up Dorian saw how his Father could control people with money. Having missed on his chance to have power, Stephen took the next best avenue, most peoples greatest weakness.. money. He worked and worked deal after deal to make sure that he and his family would be well, well taken care of for many years to come. When his wife of Amber bloodlines told him that they were to have a child, then Stephen knew he had a second chance at greatness.

“If I can not be great, then my son will be.” Thought Stephen.

And he took step after step to make sure that his goal would be reached, even to the point of killing those in his way. Nothing would stand before Stephen and his goals.

He collected all the scrolls and books he could on Arcane Knowledge. He made sure that Dorian had mentor's all throughout his younger years growing up. Nothing was not too good for his son, even to the point of ignoring his wife.

The Magnus family was not well known in the courts at first. But as the years crawled on, their name became more and more well known. Not for their placement in the courts, but for the quiet power they welded. Anyone looking at the structure alone of the Great Houses of the courts would over look the Magnus family. A marriage from both ends of existance. One of the ones forced by the tready between Amber and the Reformed Courts of Chaos.

But Stephen Magnus would not have it any other way. He could buy what ever or whom ever he wanted. And if they did not have a price, well there were other ways of dealing with the issue.
The Mentor's voice shook Dorian out of his daydreaming.

“Dorian.. you may go now.”

Dorian gathered his things and headed out of the room. He hated these visits back to the courts. They were to be a break from school, but Stephen Magnus would not hear of it. So while his classmates were relaxing, Dorian continued his studies. At least his next activity was something interesting, wand work as his Father called it. But in truth, it was lessons in dueling. Stephen Magnus wanted to be sure that his son would never lose at at duel.
Dorian moved to the walled courtyard of his family's home and pulled his wand free of his sleeve. A wicked grin came over his face as his fingers softly caressed the dark wood of his wand.
His mind drifted back to his first year at the school as he waited for his dueling partner, his Father.

“First years this way...follow me.”

Caine's voice boomed out in a command tone. And each student knew better then disobey him least they were turned over to Oberon's Rule!
Caine's horrible form moved to a large fireplace that had an equally large pot of what looked to be ash beside it. He stood before the fireplace and turned to look at the small group of students before him.

“Now you will go forth into the city to buy your supplies. Listen carefully, for I will not repeat myself.” He paused for the effect.
“Each of you have your Pale Bone Letter, do NOT lose it. You will be required to produce it upon demand at any time in the city. Those that do not have your letter, will be sold into slavery.” Once again pausing, this time to the sounds of a couple of gasps.

“This is Floo Powder." Pointing to the large pot beside him.
"You will take the Floo Powder in your hand, step into the fireplace, speak your destination clearly and loudly, then throw the powder down at your feet. If you have done all this correctly, then you will be transported to your desired location. Is that understood?” Caine waited for the rounds of 'Yes Sir!' from his charges.

“Very well then, Mr Magnus you shall be first.”
Caine's eyes bore into the young boy, as he was called out.

“Take your Floo Powder and step into the fireplace. Now your going to say 'Diagon Alley', do you understand?”
He waited for the boy to respond.

Dorian simply nodded and did as he was told. Taking up the greenish/grey dust into his hand, and stepping into the fireplace.
Looking around at the other faces, seeing both fear and wonder, Dorian spoke the words.

"Diagon Alley."

Throwing the Floo Powder to his feet with a flourish. As he thought of the wand he would soon own. The green fire erupted up around him and a moment later he was transported to his place of choice, or so he believed.

It was a dark place that had a black looking round mirror over the door that Dorian would be leaving by. Different dead creatures and creature parts looked back at the boy from glass jars in the fourier. Behind the counter was row after row of what looked to be bookshelves. But where Dorian expected books, they were filled with little boxes. From down one of these rows came a hard old voice that spoke of many years in this world.

"Ah I see the next year's batch of students have started to arrive, very good."
A man that match that voice came out, his body was bent over in an arch and he walked on a thin cane that looked to have two serpents wrapped around it. The top of the cane was as black as the mirror over the door behind Dorian.

"Come come boy, lets see your Letter of Invitation. Now, not tomorrow!"
His voice changed to steel hardness as the old man's thin hand reached out for the scroll. Opening it with a grace that surprised Dorian, Mr. Ollivander looked over the witting and then took the scroll to a large magnifying glass on the counter.
A smile crept over the features of the shop merchant, as studied the document, then he handed the scroll back to Dorian.

"So Mr. Magnus, it seems you will not have to settle for second best in your supplies. Very good then, lets get right to it, shall we?"

Dorian let out a breath he was holding. He had known that his Father had set up a wealthy account for him, but to have to do this on his own did rattle him just a bit. But as the young wizardling steadied himself, Ollivander pulled out a small silver needle and reached out to grab Dorian's hand. As fast as you please the shop-keeper had brought it down and pricked Dorian! A surprised yelp came for the boy.

"What the.... how dare you!"

The young Magnus spoke as if he was his father. But Ollivander was ignoring him already, in fact he had moved to a dish and poured out some dark blue fluid over the silver needle and then touched it to his cane head.

Young Dorian tilted his head to the side wondering what was going on. And in fact started to ask that very question, but Ollivander was preoccupied and had already started to look through his stock. Glancing up to what Dorian thought, was to him. Was in fact it was the mirror that now reflected the young boy for the elder wizard to see.

It was a complex spell that worked its magic each time someone entered Ollivander's shop. The mirror reflected the person's wants and the needle and cane top showed the potential, based off his or her blood. Together they helped Ollivander to find the right wand for anyone, anytime.
"Well now lets see.. I think maybe an Achaierai. Blackwood, nine 3/4 inches, and firm."

Mr. Ollivander handed Dorian a dark black wood, that almost looked to match the shop-keeper's cane. As Dorian felt the power of the wood, Ollivander raised his cane up and created a globe of energy in the room behind the young boy.

"Give it a wave."

Tilting his head to the globe he just created. Dorian turned and pointed the wand at the pulsing ball of energy, a thin bolt of light encased the globe then winked out.
Ollivander reached over and snatched the wand back quickly.

"Nope, not that one... lets see. How about a Cockatrice, 15 and a half inches, slightly bendable? "

Again he was back pulling another box out, from this he pulled a bright blood-red wand. Carefully he placed the wand into Dorian's hand, nodding again to the globe of energy. Dorian waved the wand at the globe with flair and ball was encased in sheet of flame! The two elements fought each other for a moment. Each fighting for dominance, then both ceased to exist.

"How interesting.... it seems you could use that wand, Mr. Magnus, but it is not the exact match for you."

The elder wizard looked to the younger wizard's robe and noted the Bloodstone he wore. It was a Bloodwood wand the boy had just used. He looked again to the black mirror of seeing and then his cane top.

Ollivander was hit with two images, one of an older Dorian working along the Black Road. The other showed Dorian standing tall on a hill with the Dark Mark in the air above him.

"It would seem you have more then one destiny at your feet, Mr. Magnus."

The old wizard rapped his cane three times on the hard wood floor and drifted up to the highest part of his shop.
Carefully pulling a box down from the very rafters. A moment later drifting down like a leaf caught in a breeze. Once he touched down before the boy, the gnarled hands held a fine wand made of a cherry like wood. Dark deep veins of the grains shined out in the lantern light. Slowly the wand was placed in Dorian's waiting hands.

"Try this one, my boy. Thirteen inches, durable and resilient. An absolutely superior wood for wands."

Once again the elder wizard created a ball of energy, but this one pulsed with different colors. Dorian felt a purely masculine energy radiating from the wood of the wand. Heady with the power he felt, the young wizard called out a charm he had studied in his father's scrolls.

"Expelliarmus!"

The bolt of energy that flew out of the wand was on an equal level as that which created the globe to begin with. As azure energy collided with the pulsing ball, both of them were showered with sparks as a result. And when the air had cleared, neither the globe, nor the bolt that was created remained.

Ollivander stood thoughtful at the events that had just transpired before him. Only after a moment to think, did he speak.

"Mr. Magnus are you aware of the events that lead to your being here? Since the dawn of existence there have always been moments, that have changed the course of history for what we call the known Universe. Such a turning point, is what caused the beginning of the Blood-pack.
It was a conflict between the better and worst angels, thou some say demons, of our very nature. A terrible war of control between the factions of Chaos and Order. Who's outcome changed the known Universe so greatly, that there was be no going back."

The elder wizard looked Dorian directly in the eyes as he continued to speak. Almost with a touch of passion in his voice.

"Because the fate of many, now depend on a few selected people. Great care must be taken to make sure they are of the right mindset and skills. For we can ill afford another turning point like the last one."

Ollivander looked as if he was wrestling with a problem as he spoke to Dorian. Then at last, he seemed to come to an answer.

"Never before have I seen a wizard that could use two different wands at the same time, Mr. Magnus. But you are such a wizard. It seems you are at a crossroads. Two completely different paths lay before you."

The Shop-keeper pulled the Bloodwood wand out of what seemed thin air and placed it before Dorian on the counter. Then he took the Cocobolo wand from the boy and placed it too on the counter.
"These two wands are the symbols of your paths, Mr. Magnus. On the one hand you have the natural ability to work with the elements themselves. As seen by the fire you created to encase my globe.

On the other hand you have in you a natural gift with magical energy itself. As shown by your use of the Disarming Charm, just now. For the first time since I have opened the doors to this shop the wand did not choose the wizard.

You see each wand holds within it the essence of the creature that gave of itself for that wand. That is why the wand always chooses the wizard, my boy. It is the spirit of the creature inside that is doing the choosing.
Yes a wizard will use different wands at different times of his or her life. Thou in your case, you can use more then one wand, at the same time. And on top of it, both have chosen you.
So you now must choose your path. Will you walk with the elements surrounding you, or will you wrap yourself in power?”

Dorian looked at the two wands, a bright red and a deep cherry red. Then his father's words came back to him.
“Power is the key... with Power you can do as you wish to whom you wish. Remember that, Dorian... Power.”
As the echo of his father's teachings came to the forefront of his mind, Dorian reached and made his choice.

“I will take this one, Sir.”

The boy said matter of factualy as he took the darker wand into his hand. Once again he felt the heady flow of power flowing from the wand into him.

“You have made your choice, Mr. Magnus. Know this, I will be watching your career with great interest. You have started down your path, but that does not mean you can not change. We are the sum of our experiences, my young wizard. You will do well to remember that in the years to follow.”

As he spoke, Ollivander moved to put the Bloodwood wand away again in the bookshelves behind him. Rapping his cane on the floor again and rising up into the air.

“Oh before I forget, that wand contains a Couatl feather. You may want to look that up in The Monster Book of Monsters. Also do not worry about Chizpurfle's, they can not hurt your wand.”

Ollivander winked to Dorian, with an almost impish gleam in his eyes, then his voice turned gruff again.

“Now off with you, so the other students can come here! It's not like your the only wand I want to sell today.”

And with that, Dorian placed his wand into its sleeve pocket and stepped out into the alleyway via the door under the round black mirror. Once the door was closed and the bell rang, Ollivander begin to speak to what seemed to be himself.

“That boy bears watching.”

And a female voice drifted down from the black mirror into the room, just as if she was speaking to someone there in the shop with him.

“Yes he does, and I will do so, as will you do so.”

The statement was said softly, but the fact that it was a command was not lost on Ollivander. The shop-keeper simply nodded as another flash of green flame appeared in his fireplace, heralding the arrival of his next customer.

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