The celebrations of the win soon cooled down. And replacing its shine with Christmas lights and trees.
Ilvermorny had a very special tradition of doing things as Christmasy as possible. Which means a lot, and a lot of decorations.
Fila looked at her dorm room with a hint of wtf. She counted seven Santas of different sizes, two trees which she herself hadn't grown. Light hanging in every corner.
"This is worse then last year" she muttered.
Calla sat and looked very closely at one of the Santas. "I heard it's Fontaine's favorite holiday." She picked up the statue gently and it suddenly slapped her hand and ran off out of the room on tiny ceramic legs, jingling indignantly as it went.
Calla yelped and shook her stinging fingers. "Ow! That little— did it just slap me?"
Fila couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, the sound echoing oddly around all the tinsel and glowing ornaments. "That's what you get for manhandling enchanted holiday décor. Last year one of them tried to knit me a scarf while I was sleeping. Woke up half-mummified."
June poked her head out from behind one of the Christmas trees, a string of lights tangled in her hair like a very confused halo. "At least it's festive! Miles says the Wampus common room has a life-sized reindeer that sings carols. Off-key. On purpose."
Speaking of Miles. June and Miles had started dating… yippi.
It had happened during the tournament while Fila was in her emotional breakdown. A really suiting moment.
Fila flopped backward onto her bed, which was mercifully free of rogue Santas for the moment. "I give it three days before one of these trees starts demanding hot cocoa. Or before Fontaine enchants the whole castle to smell like gingerbread and peppermint."
She stared up at the ceiling, where tiny glowing snowflakes drifted lazily downward before vanishing a foot above her head. It was beautiful. Over-the-top. And somehow exactly what she needed after the jungle, the prison, the duels, and the complicated tangle of feelings she was still trying to sort out.
With a heavy sigh she stood up, as she just remembered to help Theo with his potions.
She stepped out into the common room, where little thunderbirds and old huddled together while watching seventh years cast transfiguration spells making animals out of snow.
The common room equally decorated if not worse, even the poor wooden statute of the Thunderbird didn't get spared as it wore a Santa hat and Christmas lights.
Walking the corridors felt good, not as warm but she didn't mind. Because this felt more like home. Familiar in every sense, the smell, feeling and just comfort of the old style wooden details of the school.
A few younger students scurried by, giggling as they tried (and failed) to dodge a floating sprig of mistletoe that seemed determined to trap anyone under it. Fila sidestepped it with practiced ease.
"Nice try," she muttered. The mistletoe gave an indignant little shake and floated off to harass someone else.
The potions classroom was quiet when she arrived, the usual bubbling cauldrons reduced to a few simmering ones under careful supervision. Theo was at the back bench, sleeves rolled up, hair falling into his eyes as he carefully measured out powdered moonstone. He looked up when she entered, and that crooked smile appeared instantly.
"You actually came," he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "I thought the Christmas chaos might have claimed you."
Fila limped over and hopped onto a stool, wincing only a little. "Calla's fighting a rogue Santa. I figured helping you was safer." She glanced at his setup. "What's the project? Another nap draught improvement?"
Theo rubbed the back of his neck, a little sheepish. "No, im making… or trying to make Alihotsy Draught, the professor told me if I managed, he would give me an O." he said calmly and added another ingredient.
The cauldron bubbled and almost gave out a soft hum. Fila jumped up and sat on the table.
Fila jumped up and sat on the table, swinging her good leg lightly while watching the cauldron with mild fascination. The Alihotsy Draught was no joke — one wrong measurement and you'd end up giggling uncontrollably for hours. Or, if you were particularly unlucky, trying to hug a suit of armor while singing sea shanties.
"Bold choice," she said, tilting her head. "Professor's really dangling that O like a golden snitch, huh? What's the catch? Does it have to make the drinker laugh and do a little dance?"
Theo chuckled without looking up, carefully adding a pinch of powdered Alihotsy leaves. The cauldron gave a cheerful glorp and turned a pleasant shade of periwinkle.
"No dance required," he said, "but if it works properly, it should induce a state of euphoric confidence. Useful for public speaking, apparently. Or, you know, facing your terrifyingly talented best friend who just won an international tournament."
Fila grinned, leaning forward on her hands. "Flattery will get you nowhere. Unless it's about my clearly superior stirring technique." She reached over and gave the potion a single, lazy clockwise stir, just to be annoying.
Theo caught her wrist gently before she could do it again. His hand was warm, steady, and for a second longer than necessary. Fila felt that familiar flutter again, the one that had been showing up more and more since she got back.
"Hey," he said, voice softer, "no sabotaging my O. And I heard you made flowers with taste?"
She pulled her hand back, cheeks warming under the blindfold. "They were experimental. And delicious. Bea ate three petals and looked at me like I'd invented magic."
The mention of Bea brought a small, complicated silence. Theo noticed, of course. He always did.
"You two okay?" he asked carefully, going back to his measurements but keeping his tone light. "After… everything?"
Fila shrugged, tracing a finger along the edge of the table. "Complicated. But okay. She knows I'm leaving for Durmstrang. We said a lot of things. Kissed a lot. Cried a lot." She gave a small laugh. "She called me her stubborn, reckless, beautiful idiot. I'm still working on the 'not idiot' part."
Theo smiled, but there was something quieter behind it. "Sounds like she knows you pretty well."
"Yeah." Fila looked at him, really looked. The longer hair, the focused expression, the way he stood a little taller now. "You know me pretty well too."
The cauldron gave another happy bubble, breaking the moment. Theo cleared his throat and added the final ingredient with exaggerated care.
"Almost done," he said. "If this works, I'll owe you for the moral support. And maybe for not blowing it up."
Fila hopped off the table, limping around to stand beside him. "Moral support and superior company. You're welcome."
She found a chair behind him and sat down. While looking at him she noticed his back had become broader, "Have you worked out?" she asked.
"mhm, I used your gym and some of the exercises you showed."
Fila watched his back, she herself had an impressive back since working out almost everyday had become a normal day in her life. But his back made her feel jealous almost, and… maybe just something else.
She blinked, suddenly very aware she was staring. "Wait, you actually used my gym routine? The one with the floating weights and the part where I made you run laps while dodging angry vines?"
Theo laughed, a low, warm sound that did unfair things to her stomach. He set down his stirring rod and turned to face her, leaning against the bench. Up close, the changes were even more obvious, the broader shoulders filling out his robes, the way his arms looked stronger from consistent work.
"Yeah, well… after you left, the room felt too quiet," he admitted. "Figured if I was going to mope around worrying about you getting arrested or summoning tree giants, I might as well do something useful. Your routine is brutal, by the way. Those vines have a personal grudge against me."
Fila grinned, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up her neck. "They're supposed to keep you on your toes. Literally. Glad they didn't eat you."
"They tried. One almost got my shoe." He paused, eyes softening as he looked at her. "But it gave me something to do. Every time I finished a set, I'd think, 'Fila's probably out there blasting someone across a jungle right now. Can't let her come back and bench-press me.'"
She snorted, but the image made her laugh properly, the kind of laugh that eased some of the complicated knot in her chest. "Please. You could probably bench-press me now. Look at you, all… built." She bit her lower lip, but caught herself doing it and suddenly covered her mouth with her hand.
The words slipped out before she could stop them. Theo's ears went pink, and for a second they just stared at each other, the cauldron bubbling cheerfully between them like it was enjoying the awkwardness.
Theo cleared his throat. "Yeah? You noticed?"
Fila made circles with her finger on the table nearby, "So what happened with the girl you talked with?"
He scoffed, "I was stupid, more than I can admit. I should've listened to you. she got jealous because I sent you a letter."
The confession came out and settled something Fila had in her stomach for a long time now. A actually learned, its not perfect but its still a god step.
"You know," Theo said quietly, lowering his hand, "you coming back… it feels right. Even with all the chaos you bring. The castle was too quiet without you."
Fila met his eyes, and for a moment the potions classroom, the Christmas decorations, even the distant sound of off-key carols faded. "I missed this too," she admitted. "Missed you."
Theo's crooked smile returned, softer this time. He reached over and gently flicked a stray bit of tinsel out of her hair. His fingers brushed her temple, warm and careful.
"Good," he said simply. "Because I'm not planning on letting the quiet come back anytime soon."
The cauldron gave a final, satisfied glorp and settled into a perfect, shimmering blue. Theo glanced at it, then back at her, eyes bright.
"Looks like I owe you that O-level moral support. And maybe… a proper celebration later? Just us."
Fila felt her cheeks warm again under the blindfold. "Yeah," she said, voice a little rough. "I'd like that."
As they bottled the successful draught together, shoulders brushing occasionally, Fila let herself enjoy the simple, steady warmth of the moment.
"Alright all done, now I just need to give this to the professor." He said while he started cleaning his station. Fila helped him by just making everything float back to its original place.
Theo had this way of doing things slow even when he could just use magic to get it done, he said its to preserve some form of normal in his life. He didn't use his wand if he didn't need to, unlike Fila who used it for nothing and everything.
After giving the potion to Professor Crowley, they walked together through the school. Calm and peaceful, something that had been missing in the jungle when it felt like something always happened. A side effect of being watched all the time as a champion, always having someone talking behind your back or even directly looking at you like a snack.
"I never asked you how prison was like" he suddenly asked, making Fila frown as it clearly wasn't something she wanted to talk about right now.
But with a sigh, "It wasn't bad, just boring, damp and cold. Talked to some old dark wizards in there, they are cooler than I thought they would be." She answered causally as if everyone should do it atleast once in their lives.
Theo let out a low whistle, glancing sideways at her with that mix of concern and amusement he'd perfected over the years. "Only you would come back from MACUSA custody and rate the company as 'cooler than expected.' Did they swap prison stories? Compare notes on dramatic escapes?"
Fila snorted, the sound echoing softly down the decorated corridor. A passing Santa statue gave them a disapproving jingle before scurrying off on its tiny legs. "Something like that. One lady, Elara, used to advise my grandfather. She had this way of talking about fear like it was an old friend who overstayed his welcome. Made me think a lot about… well, everything."
She kicked a stray bit of tinsel out of the way with her good foot. "It wasn't all deep conversations and tea, though. Mostly staring at walls and wondering if the guards were ever going to let me out before I grew a whole forest in my cell just to have something to talk to."
Theo's shoulder brushed hers again as they walked, warm and steady. "I'm glad you didn't. The forest part, I mean. Though a few angry vines might have livened up the place." He paused, voice gentling. "Seriously though… you okay? After all of that? The arrest, the duel, everything?"
Fila was quiet for a moment, the Christmas lights casting soft, colorful glows across the wooden beams overhead. "I think so. It was a lot. But I'm still here. Still me. Not the monster they keep trying to paint on the front pages." She gave him a small, crooked smile. "Besides, I got a shiny new vault out of it. Grandmother Vinda made sure of that. Apparently, wrongful imprisonment pays surprisingly well."
Theo laughed, the sound bright and easy. "Only the Rosiers would turn a scandal into a retirement fund. Remind me never to get on your family's bad side."
They turned another corner, the distant sound of off-key carols and laughter drifting from the common rooms. Fila felt the familiar comfort of Ilvermorny settle around her like a well-worn cloak.
"I actually regret that I decided to go to Durmstrang." Fila blurted out suddenly.
Theo turned to her with a surprised look, he thought about how to say what he wanted, "Why?"
Fila leaned against a window frame, "I would have liked to atleast settle in a bit before. now it feels like I'm just going here for a rest and then going again."
Durmstrang would settle a lot for her, but she didn't want to go now. And she still had signed it and was basically forced to go either way.
"Hey, think about it in a good way," Theo tried, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not for long. A few months, right? You'll come back with new scars, new stories, and probably a pet yeti or something. We'll laugh about it over butterbeer."
Fila gave him a flat look, one eyebrow arched under her blindfold. "A yeti. Really? That's your best comforting thought?"
Theo winced, clearly aware it had landed like a poorly aimed Bludger. "Okay, bad example. How about… you'll come back even stronger, with Durmstrang professors writing you glowing recommendations, and I'll still be here trying not to blow up cauldrons without your superior stirring advice."
That got a reluctant smile out of her. She bumped his shoulder again as they kept walking, the Christmas lights casting dancing colors across the wooden beams overhead. "Better. But still terrible. I just… I finally feel like I'm home, you know? Jungle was wild and amazing, but this, the creaky floors, the rogue Santas, you, it's mine. And now I'm packing up again before I've even unpacked properly."
Theo was quiet for a moment, matching her slower pace without complaint. The corridor smelled faintly of pine and cinnamon from the enchanted decorations, and somewhere in the distance a choir of portraits was attempting "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs" with mixed success.
"Theo, can I ask your opinion on something?" Fila asked, but kept walking in a steady pace, her hands neatly held behind her back.
Her looked at her, "Yeah, of course you can."
She didn't say her question right away, instead she looked around and took a couple of breaths.
"Would it be wrong to kill dark wizards and witches?"
Theo stopped walking mid-step, turning to look at her fully. The question hung in the air between them like one of the floating snowflakes, unexpected, heavy, and strangely bright against the cheerful Christmas decorations lining the corridor.
He didn't laugh or brush it off. Instead, he leaned against the stone wall beside her, arms crossed, thinking carefully before answering. The distant sound of off-key carols and jingling Santas felt oddly distant now.
"Wrong?" he repeated slowly, tasting the word. "That's… a big question, Fila."
Fila kept her hands behind her back, fingers twisting together. She stared out the window at the snowy grounds, the golden lights from the castle reflecting off the fresh powder. "I've been thinking about it since the prison. Elara, the old advisor talked about fear and how my grandfather used it. How some people only understand strength when it's pointed at them. And after everything with Haru, with the cheating, with people looking at me like I'm already halfway to becoming him…" She shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. Part of me wonders if the world would be better without the ones who hurt people just because they can."
Theo was quiet for a long moment, the kind of thoughtful silence she'd always appreciated about him. He wasn't the type to give easy answers.
"Im not talking about putting them in prison, I want them rinsed from the face of the earth." She added.
"I think," he said finally, voice steady, "it depends on why you're asking. If it's because you're angry, or scared, or trying to protect people… that makes sense. But killing, even bad people… it changes you. My dad used to say dark wizards don't start as monsters. They start as people who thought one 'necessary' thing was worth it. Then another. Then another." He glanced at her, eyes serious but kind. "You're not like that."
Fila let out a slow breath, watching it fog the window glass. "Alright, thanks for the opinion, lets keep going."
Fila turned and started walking again like the conversation had never happened, her footsteps echoing softly down the decorated corridor. The Christmas lights twinkled innocently overhead, as if they hadn't just witnessed a question that could make even the portraits stop singing.
Theo blinked, caught off guard for a second, then hurried after her with a small, bemused smile. He fell into step beside her without missing a beat, hands back in his pockets.
But the truth is, Fila had already decided on what she wanted. The plan had already spun around in her head for moths at this point.
'They don't deserve to walk with their rotten feet on this planet' she thought as she kept walking.
The question she had asked herself the whole time, 'would she be considered a monster or a hero?'
Wizards and witches aren't different form muggles or no-mags. All having opinions of what is right and wrong according to them. but in some cases the wrong is often very wrong, like stealing everyone agrees this is wrong.
Gellert Grindelwald wanted to enslave No-mags, because the wizards and witches were the superiors. To him this was consider the right thing to do. 'for the greater good' as his slogan went.
Meanwhile people like Albus Dumbledore together with his group stopped him because they thought it was wrong.
So who do you stop? The one who is right or the other who is right?
As they say only the winners wear the crown.