The day of Elizabeths funeral would always remain the darkest day of the Hummel household, but things did eventually get better. Kurt and Burt began to truly rely on one another and looked to each other for comfort when things were down, while also enjoying the little things together. They found a new normal and became closer than ever.

So when things began to get weird Burt was at an utter loss.

When Elizabeth was still with them, odd occurrences happened on occasion but were generally forgotten or written off. Now they were alone and Burt had to find an explanation for himself, though this was quickly forgotten again. Once Kurt made it past elementary school, a lot of things were driven from Burts mind when he was presented with another mystery: The many, many bruises that covered his boys body.

In the past Kurt would always go straight to Burt when another kid called him a name or pushed him around. Burt would then try to solve the problem directly or they could go to a different playground. In middle school Kurt knew what they did to kids who tattled and the teachers didnt do much anyway, so he learned to lie and said that he fell down or was playing rough. Burt was always suspicious of the answer, but he didnt push him.

Luckily for Kurt his weirdness didnt often lash out, so no one ever learned his secret. Kurt obviously knew there was something different about himself, but it was difficult to explain these things to his seemingly oblivious father. He did try on several different occasions. They usually ended in his father nodding and then awkwardly patting Kurt on the back with an, "I know buddy". Kurt left every time very confused and frustrated.

One day when Kurt was twelve he finally had to come clean about the bullying. The school called Burt telling him that Kurt was being taken to the hospital after his arm was broken. They eventually got an admission that it was Azimio Adams. When he got back home in a new cast he begged his dad to homeschool him. They had discussed the possibility of this a few times before, but with the garage and being a single dad they simply didnt have the time or money. This time faced with a broken, tearful Kurt Burt couldnt say no.

It was a struggle in the beginning. Burt had to cut back on hours at the shop in order to watch over his sons assignments. It took a month for him to trust Kurt enough to leave him alone to study. Before then he was taking Kurt to the shop until his shift was through and the evenings were spent hitting the books together.

Relief, though unknown at the time, came in the form of a fancy letter one morning. Burt opened the envelope assuming it was another college, sending out pamphlets about preparing your child for their future education. In a way it was. It claimed to be some sort of scholarship program that his son had been chosen for. It was quite vague and the only information it really gave was a date that a representative from the school would be visiting their home. He didnt have time to consider that the letter hadnt offered a website or requested a credit card number or donation. Burt thought it a hoax and tossed it right in the trash. Later Kurt would curiously fish it out of the garbage. So for a week, only Kurt was anxiously awaitinganyones arrival.

The Hummels lives would be forever changed when precisely a week later an official looking woman showed up at the doorstep. She was a petite woman who, although her stature, was intimidating. She had dark eyes and mousy brown hair that was tied up. Her clothes were decidedly her most interesting feature, while neat and complementary they were quite colorful. She gave off an air of resolute quirkiness.

She certainly my wasnt what Burt Hummel was expecting when he opened his door that bright Monday afternoon.

"Hello Mr. Hummel. My name is Antonia Wellington." She said holding out a hand for Burt to shake.

"Um, h-hello Miss-" He sputtered, quite taken aback by her sudden appearance. Before he could recover Antonia Wellington was pushing her way inside. Burt was so shocked that he opened the door wider to allow her entrance.

"I am here on official business." She stated formally.

Burt was at a loss. "What company did you say you worked for?" He asked as they made their way into the living room.

"I didnt." She smiled. "I am with the esteemed Academy for Gifted Young Students, or eafgy-sss. It is a subdivision of the Academy of Rowenas - the New England estate of course - programme for Americas best and brightest. Or so our letter says." She winked.

"Letter?"

"Yes, the one we sent out last week informing you of my arrival. The letter written on parchment... I believe the envelope was blue, a seal on the front?"

"Oh, that one. I assumed it was fake. I think I threw it out."

"Understandable, with so many scams happening in this day. Its a good thing our programs are so well known." The woman paused her inspection of their mantle to look at Burt expectantly. "I expect you have heard of our programs prior."

"Cant say I have."

Antonia Wellington gave him a brief smile. She began walking the perimeter of the living room, throwing glances toward the stairs often. More than once she looked right to the place under the banister where Kurt was hiding and listening in, somewhere she shouldnt have been able to see him.

"Thats perfectly fine. Ill just have to fill you in on some of the finer details." She cast one last glance at the spot then returned to Burt. "To get straight to the point, we are interested in your son Kurt."

"Oh?"

"Some of his records were submitted to us. His grades are excellent and he certainly shows promise in several fields."

"So what does he have to go through an admission process to apply? And how much will this cost." Burt pulled his cap off, rubbed his bald head, and placed the cap back on. It was a nervous habit of his.

"This is basically a scholarship program. So the school expenses will be paid for by a private fund."

"Um, sorry, is this like, a boarding school?"

"Dont be afraid to ask a lot of questions, I know this may not be very orthodox. May I?" She gestured toward the couch, exhibiting social etiquette for the first time.

"Yeah." Burt took the seat across from her.

"It is not a boarding school. If you were to accept this offer, Kurt would be given a tutor that he would see on a regular basis."

Uncharacteristically, suspicion that this was some sort of scam never crossed Burt Hummels mind as the woman went on to further explain.

"Would it be alright for me to speak with Kurt?" She was soon asking.

Burt hesitated. "I think he went to the park while ago."

Antonia glanced at the stairs as she spoke, "Oh, I think he might be closer than you think." Her tone made it clear that she intended for him to call for Kurt.

Being the shared owner of a business Burt Hummel didnt usually take directions from anyone, let alone pushy little girls, but something about this woman made it difficult to say no.

"Kurt! Kurt could you come down here for a minute!"

Meters away, hiding behind the banister Kurt cautiously stood up and pretended to walk out of his room. His feet deliberately smacking the carpet noisily.

"Oh hello dad! What was it that you needed me for?" He asked unconvincingly.

"Uh huh. Come down here a minute."

Kurt took note of the foreign woman sitting on his couch as he descended the stairs and walked over to his father.

"Kurt this is Miss Wellington from some school thats apparently interested in you. She wants to talk to you."

Kurt slowly raised a shaking hand toward her. "Pleased to meet you."

Antonia took it with a warm smile. "Hello Kurt."

"Um I guess Ill make some tea." Burt left them. Kurt frowned at his fathers strange behavior and sudden fondness for tea of all things.

"As you probably heard, Im from a special school."

"Yeah."

Kurt didnt seem even remotely interested, so she tried another approach.

"How old are you Kurt?"

"Im twelve. How old are you?"

The corners of her lips twitched. "My name is Antonia Wellington, but you can call me Tony. Im here because were interested in you Kurt. Youre a very special kid." She carefully chose her words, aware of the muggle in the next room.

This seemed to catch his attention and for the first time he looked nervous. Kurt glanced in the direction of the kitchen and shifted closer. He looked at the woman seriously and said in a low voice, "Are you from the government? Am I being taken away because Im weird?" The last part was said very quietly.

Tonys heart broke for the kid.

Burt seemed like a genuinely nice guy, so she wasnt particularly worried about him being abusive or anything. Kurt Hummel just seemed like a kid who was afraid of disappointing his father. It was sad.

She took pity and did something she probably should have done from the start. Taking advantage of the kids bowed head, she pulled her wand out discreetly and cast muffliato around them, then stowed it back away. Now Burt would only hear a faint buzzing noise if he came near.

"You are not weird Kurt. The things you can do arent even abnormal."

Kurt snorted. "I doubt that."

"You know Kurt, Im like you, I can do things too."

Tony glanced at the kitchen. When she was sure the coast was clear she pulled out her wand out for Kurt to see. She looked around the room, until she found an elegant silver picture frame on the mantle. She pointed her wand at it and with the flick of her wrist it began levitating.

Kurt gasped.

The picture steadily floated toward them until it was directly in front of Kurt, then whatever force that held it up disappeared and the laws of gravity reactivated. It fell right out of the air and into Kurts waiting hands.

"Who is that?" Tony indicated the woman in the photo.

"My mother."

That photograph had been one of the last pictures Kurt took with his mother, he was eight then. In it Elizabeths arms wrapped around a younger Kurt, she looked very happy smiling down at her son.

"She died after this."

Tony nodded. She of course already knew this. She went through great pains to gather as much information about Kurt Hummel as she could. It was so difficult since none of his relatives seemed to be magical at all. All she could find on a Elizabeth Hummel was an old obituary dated back a few years.

"Do you know if... Was she different like you?"

Kurt shrugged. "I dont remember much from then, other than a few accidents I caused."

Tony decided to do damage control later if necessary and cut to the chase, "Kurt youre a wizard."

Kurts head shot up. After a moment he said, "And youre a wizard too?" He didnt look even remotely convinced.

There were times when Kurt thought he was crazy, those occurred more often then not. There were even days when, though he didnt believe in such nonsense, he thought himself possessed. Never in his young life had the term wizard ever came to mind, and it certainly wasnt happening now.

"No," Tony answered patiently. "I am a witch. Now, I know it may sound a little strange -"

"Oh, its absurd." He interjected.

"But Id like you to give it a chance. Let me speak my bit and some time Ill take you to the Ministry. Theres nothing like an eye-full of magic to make the most cynical believers."

Kurt really didnt want to go anywhere with this strange woman. He felt like that didnt matter, that he didnt really have a say. There was only the smallest part of his mind that was willing to do whatever to get answers. The rest of his brain was screaming change the subject! So he did.

"How did you make the-" Kurt searched for the frame that has been in his lap only moments ago but it had vanished. He looked up at Tony. She was staring over his shoulder, suppressing a smile. He slowly followed her gaze to the mantle. The picture was sitting in its original place. For a moment Kurt thought that maybe it had never moved.

Tony leaned in conspiratorially. "Magic."

Kurts eyes widened. "What about my dad? Or is this supposed to be a secret thing?" He asked, forgetting he wasnt supposed to be believing any of this.

"Yes and no. While we magic folk prefer to live in a state of semi secrecy, its allowed for a few exceptions under certain circumstances. After you are seen by the Ministry it will be up to you whether you tell your father since hes a muggle - non magic person that is. Before you make that decision, Id like to inform you more about how this works so youre not guessing in the dark about anything."

"If Im not telling dad about this yet, shouldnt we be more discreet?"

Tony inclined her head towards the kitchen. Seconds later Burt walked out with a hand pressed to his temple. Kurt watched curiously as his dad shook his head furiously. Behind her back Tony discreetly waved her wand and lifted the muffliato charm.

The fuzzy sound that had previously been plaguing Burt disappeared. "Did you two hear that weird buzzing?"

Kurt turned to Tony wide-eyed.

The strange woman eventually left after first exchanging contact information with Burt from the fake school. She told many things about this made up institution so convincingly that Kurt nearly believed her. Before she left she let the Hummels know that she would be returning in three days with all of the necessary information proving the schools legitimacy as well as papers for them to sign.

Three days later, at much of the same time as before, Antonia Wellington was back just like she said. Burt carefully went through everything, or so he thought. The papers proving the schools legitimacy were actually random crayon drawings and a confundus charm done only to her knowledge. Kurt raised his eyebrow at the former. Once Burt found everything in order they moved onto the paperwork. These were actually legitimate legal documents, though they were for the Ministrys purposes and cleverly disguised to appear differently to muggles.

"These are to get you into the system." Shed whispered to Kurt.

Kurt was the only Hummel whose actual signature they needed, other than that the rest was information to get Kurt registered in the magical world. Antonia only added spaces for Burt to sign to be more realistic.

After all of the legal documentation was out of the way Antonia was preparing to leave again. She informed them that she would be bringing by a copy of the curriculars schedule the following week and was gone.

It has been nearly a month since the woman had stepped into the Hummels lives and things were already different. The more times Kurt saw magic or accidentally performed it, the more difficult it was becoming to deny its existence. Some might say he was beginning to believe in it. He was even reading a small book on famous magical herbs and their properties that Tony left him during her last visit.

It was a foggy Thursday morning that Kurt opened the door to reveal Tony. After a suspiciously brief conversation with Burt, she was asking Kurt if he minded going to the Ministry. After a month, Kurt just went with it. Magic was weird and evidently made people agree with you.

Ten minutes later Kurt found himself getting into the passenger seat of an old Ford Anglia and leaving Lima behind.

Tony told him that the city was just outside of Cleveland, underground. Kurt made a face, thinking it must be drafty, and Why would anyone place a whole city underground?

They made small talk about random little things for a good twenty minutes before it really got interesting. They were on a back road near a few industry farms, when Tony jabbed a little blue button. She then pulled a lever Kurt previously didnt even notice and the sky suddenly seemed much closer, and the ground much farther than was natural for a car.

Kurt let out a squeak of terror as the vehicle shot into the air. They flew up just above the clouds before they stopped gaining altitude and began moving forward. From there Tony continued driving like before... except now they were invisible and now if he was to open his door he could die.

Tony laughed at him clutching his chest and trying to shrink into the car seat. "Im sorry, I forgot that normal cars dont do that."

Kurt glared at her. "Is there something wrong with the highway?"

Tony ignored his tone. "No. This way is much faster though."

Kurt stopped taking to her after that. During the silence he slowly allowed himself to relax and even was brave enough to look out the window. Though terrifying, the world was quite beautiful from this height.

Over the years Tony had managed to get a job with the Ministry as the muggle equivalent to a social worker, though this was much more emotionally and financially rewarding. This was made possible by a life changing field assignment back in the day. She got recommendations from a few very influential young Aurors... but thats a story for another time.

All that mattered was that she was no longer the second in command (of two people) of monitoring underage magic activity in a stuffy office with broken equipment. That was a very important job but the glamour was hardly above Magical Maintenance.

Now she was about to make a little boys dreams come true (even if he had yet to realize them), and stop seeing magic as a bad thing.

Tony smiled.

Kurt Hummel was hardly her first assignment, but thus far he certainly proved to be one of the most interesting. Tony was secretly really hoping the ministry would allow her to be his mentor.

That was her dream job. After Auror training didnt quite work out her ambition went into training young witches and witches. While the adrenaline that came with field work was amazing, it could never compare to a wide eyed child taking their first steps into the world of magic.

She realized this the first time she got to tell a little girl that she was a witch. She had taken the little girl and her mother to the Ministry where they were taken care of by a different official from then on. It had killed her when that was the end of her work. A few more times and she couldnt take it, so she went and got her magical education license.

She hadnt gotten to permanently mentor anyone yet because they kept giving the job to more experienced workers who didnt have such a random past in odd jobs. She was bitter over it sometimes, but she didnt take it personally. They didnt want someone with a high flight risk.

The woman glanced at Kurt who was a little more relaxed and staring over the dashboard with an awestruck expression.

Over the dashboard Kurt saw a tiny building (that was probably actually very big) in the sea of grass.

Evidently Tony saw it too as her face lit up in a cheery smile and she exclaimed. "You Kurt Hummel are about to enter Moria!... At least thats what most call it. "

"From Middle-Earth?" Kurt wondered.

"So youre familiar with Tolkien. You should fit in just fine." At the confused look on Kurts face, she further explained, "The Magical World is kind of obsessed with him. His books are popular among us. Though were still unsure whether he was actually a wizard." She added as an afterthought. "You know there are a number of wizard historians trying to prove that Middle-Earth is actually a lost civilization."

"Hmm. So whats its real name?"

"The Underground City of Bree."

"Is that also a reference?"

"No, its actually named after Bree Wildsmith the descendant of Ignatia Wildsmith. She was an explorer, a geologist, and an inventor. She founded it shortly after the Americas were settled when she was on a geology expedition looking for a rocks with magical properties. She found a massive cave filled with previously undiscovered gems and stones. Thus how it came to be nicknamed."

The conversation lulled as Tony shifted gears and flew the still invisible car into the empty parking lot outside the building hed seen. From here it really was quite large. Once the car was only inches above the ground, the woman clicked the anti-gravity button (as Kurt dubbed it) and the car landed back on pavement with a small shudder.

"So Ive just been told that Im a wizard by a strange, eccentric woman and am now being taken to a secret underground civilization... Am I going to have to defeat an evil megalomaniac?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Dont worry all the Dark Lords have been defeated." She answered seriously.

Kurts eyes grew huge. "So there have been evil overlords?"

Tony pressed the button that made the car visible again and threw it in park.

"I think thats a conversion for when youre older." She said, wanting to stick to lighter topics rather than overload Kurt when he only just found out he was a wizard.

Kurt protested, "But I want to know!"

"No." She said flatly. "Lets go inside."

She got out and waited for Kurt to do so too. When he never did she walked over to his side and opened the door, inside he sat with his seatbelt still buckled and arms crossed. She looked at him expectantly and in turn he gave her the same look.

"Im not going anywhere unless you tell me. I need to know what Im getting myself into."

Tony sighed heavily and leaned against the car, her arms crossed. "Okay, Ill answer any questions you have with a yes or no. Only if I find them appropriate."

"I want fully detailed answers to all of my questions, namely ones pertaining to Dark Lords."

"I answer one question in essay format and you get your ass out of the car."

"You tell it to me straight if it might affect my decision in the matter."

"Sorry, Kurt. You dont get any say in your magical education. All young witches and wizards are required by law to attend some sort of schooling until they come of age. Once you have control over your powers youre free to snap your wand in half and bury the robes. But until youre seventeen youre stuck with us."

It was Kurts turn to sigh, as he realized that he couldnt fight that logic - and more importantly the squad of trained mages that would surely come after him if he tried. He reluctantly undid the seatbelt. Tony stepped back to allow him to get out of the car.

"Come on. Ill buy you ice cream and Ill answer a few of your morbid questions, then we go back to the Disney magic. Got it?"

Together they made their way across the barren parking lot toward the entrance. They were nearly to the front door when Kurt finally spoke. "Fine, but no ice cream. Its horrible for you."

"Arent you a little young to be worried about your weight?" Tony asked, holding the door open.

He stopped in the doorway. "Who says Im worried about my weight? I care about my complexion." With that he spun around and walked inside, leaving Tony to ponder over that statement.

When Tony got inside Kurt was already standing by the front desk talking to the receptionist, who was being uncharacteristically polite and friendly. She saw Kurts mouth move, but only heard the young girls response to whatever he said.

"Arent you sweet! I was going to buy some potion to change it back, but youre right. You just saved me a lot of money and a trip to the apothecary. You know, the man who works there is such a-"

Thats when Tony stepped in. "Okay! If youll excuse us," she said harshly. "We need to get into the city."

"Oh. Hello Antoinette." The girl didnt even look at her, she only leaned in closer to Kurt. "You know if you want a new mentor all you have to do is ask." She nodded obnoxiously and patted Kurt on the shoulder.

"Thank you!" Tony grabbed her kids shoulder and steered him toward the elevator.

They went down, down, down, and then the elevator doors were opening into a spacious room. They went through the rooms twin oak doors... Kurt gasped loudly, his jaw dropping open.

Before him were countless shops lining the cobbled street. His eyes first followed the street that circled a beautiful marble fountain before forking off into different directions. Then his eyes snapped back to the shop fronts hungrily.

This city was not at all what hed been expecting. Kurt had imagined the city to be dank and dark with torches to light it when he was told it was underground, but this place... All around it was bright and cheerful - he was uncertain where exactly the light was coming from - strangely it felt like he was outside standing in the sunshine. Kurt wished he had more eyes to see everything.

Tony grinned at Kurts amazement. She gave him a moment to really take it all in, then grabbed his hand and tugged to the left. At first Kurt stayed glued to the spot, unwilling to part with the incredible view, but eventually closed his mouth and allowed himself to be pulled through the sizable crowd.

As they made their way down the cobbled street Kurt made do with his two eyes and drank as much in as possible. He probably looked like an owl with a horrible twitch, the way he was constantly swinging his head around so much it looked like it was spinning at the neck.

Along the sidewalks all kinds of people flitted in and out of the shops; children blowing unnaturally massive bubbles, old women in pointed hats, wizards wearing business robes, young witches gossiping about the latest edition of Which Witch, old men complaining about the new laws passed, teenagers arguing over quidditch teams (whatever that was).

Even crazier than the people were the things they carried: oddly shaped packages, animal cages, baskets full of spell books, strangely odored tubes of liquids, candy, anything really. Kurt saw several people carrying broomsticks. The last one was a strange comfort to Kurt, witches and wizards riding brooms was one thing he could understand.

Kurt was nearly swept away when he got distracted by a curly-haired boy with bushy eyebrows to match.

"Mr. Brown I finished the assigned level two standard Defensive Magical Theory and mom gave me some spending money. May I get that Defense book I saw last week?" The boy asked hopefully.

The man, Mr. Brown, was an old wizard with a neat handlebar mustache.

Kurt never heard the reply, Tony had pulled him to the opposite side of the street. From then on she had to keep a firm grip on his arm so as not to lose him as they continued walking.

The two were taken out of view but the young wizard buy stayed on his mind. The boy couldnt have been much younger than himself and seemed pretty familiar with magic, maybe even good at it. Kurts stomach gave a nervous jolt. Ever since he was told he was a wizard hed felt out of place and scared of being a disappointment, even when he barely believed any of it. He only hoped that he could find a place in this strange new world, especially since he was late being introduced. It did, however, comfort him to see another teen with a mentor. Maybe his situation wasnt as strange as it seemed.

Since the elevator Kurt had been pushed and jostled, nearly stepped on, and at one point accidentally shoulder checked by an old wizard hobbling past.

Kurt rubbed the shoulder that had been hit, which happened to carry his still recovering arm. "Is it always this crammed?" He asked.

His mentor laughed. "Crammed? This is nothing. In a few weeks time, once school starts up, this place will be worse than New York."

"Have you been?"

Tony guided him around a pile up of people, ooing and awing over something.

"Only a few times. Personally I prefer Ohio. I got enough of these crowds doing office work down here. You?"

"No, but its my dream to live there some day." Kurt answered.

After what felt like an eternity of walking they finally arrived at the ministry office. It was equally impressive, if not more so, than the rest of the city. It appeared to be only a few stories high, but who knew how much further underground it probably went down. What could be seen of it was magnificent. The large, snowy building looked like it had been carved from the underground mountain it sat in front of. Below the building itself was a set of large marble stairs. At the top of the stairs there were several Greek style pillars holding up a sloping roof overlooking a row of glass doors. The doors had beautiful, dark wooden paneling around the edges.

Inside the fancy glass doors was a wide rounded atrium. Rows of tall office buildings lined the walls, many of their occupants barely visible through its transparent windows. A steady crowd of ministry workers streamed to and fro, in between the offices.

Tony lead him off to the side toward a pair of lifts. They stepped in and she pressed one of the numerous buttons on the panel.

"Were going to the legal department." She explained. "I need to get a few things, then well go to the bank."

Kurt wondered what she had brought him for, it seemed like she was running errands for herself. He didnt say anything though. He was thoroughly enjoying this underground city, getting to see it with his own eyes was a treat enough.

Once the lift reached the correct floor they went into a big room full of manila files full of paperwork. Tony searched for one, finding it quickly, and flipped it open. As she quickly read through it her eyes lit up, evidently seeing good news. After throwing it into her bag, Tony lead Kurt back through the labyrinth that was the ministry and they headed to the bank.

The bank looked like a tiny ministry, the only difference being the creature guarding the front doors. Kurt assumed was a goblin, since on the way over Tony had mentioned that it was goblins who ran the bank.

"There was an issue at another bank about a decade ago." She said vaguely. "Goblins have been that much more cautious ever since, which makes security pretty tight." She then went on to give a brief history lesson on the place.

Apparently this bank was the only one in America run by goblins, and one of some two hundred in the world. There had been a campaign in the US against goblins around the time of muggle segregation. Very few humans in the magical world trusted these creatures to be fair, let alone with their money.

"Yeah, thats a goblin." Tony whispered as they walked up the stone steps.

If Kurt was being honest, he didnt trust them either. By the way the creatures looked, wizards had every right but to be wary.

He tried his best not to stare at the creature, but this proved a difficult task. This was the first magical creature hed ever seen. He settled on watching it out of the corner of his eyes.

The goblin was a head shorter than him, with pointy ears, and long fingers and feet. He noted its beady, black eyes that held a cold and calculating stare. The goblin slowly tilted his head toward him. Kurt gulped and hastened to look away. His mind was quickly occupied as his eyes then found a small wooden plaque hanging on the doors.

It read, Steal, and you die.

Kurt didnt know whether to giggle or shudder, as he was unsure how serious these goblins actually were.

They walked through a pair of great bronze doors and into the bank itself. There were two long counters on either side of the room, a different goblin sat at a stool behind it doing various jobs. Countless of them were scrawling on thick paper with large feathers, a few compared gems and weighed different coins on sets of brass scales, and then there were more showing people to various doors that led out of the room.

Kurt subconsciously moved closer to Tony as they walked to the end of the room. There they were greeted by a goblin.

"Afternoon." Tony greeted back.

The goblin opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.

"I have the key." She slapped it down on the table. "Were going to the Hummels vault, it was -"

"Yes, I know of which one you speak." The goblin frowned. He motioned to someone behind them. "Grimgook will take you."

They followed the indicated goblin to one of the doors leading out of the hall. Inside Kurt was surprised to see that the room past the door dark wasnt a room at all. It was a narrow cave with a set of tracks in the center. Quite similar to what he had expected the city to look like: Dark, filthy, torches lining the walls.

Then there was an ugly creature and a young woman telling him to get into a rickety cart. Kurt reluctantly took a seat, pressing himself as close to the center as space would allow. The cart then zoomed off... at a relatively slow pace. It really wasnt going very fast, but as someone whod never been to an amusement park, Kurt felt as though he were on the worlds speediest rollercoaster.

Fortunately for him the nightmare ended quickly. The cart rolled to a stop directly in front of a big, metal, hinged door. The trio hopped out and Grimgook stepped ahead of them. The goblin took a long fingernail and swiped it down a crack in the vault door. There was a puff of green smoke and then the heavy door swung forward with a loud creak. Grimgook moved back.

Kurt was so interested in how the vault was opened that by the time he was curious about what it held Tony had stepped into the cell, obscuring his view.

She knelt, producing a linen bag and began to fill it. It was then that he noticed the large piles of gleaming metal. Inside the vault was a variety of coins and even a few gems could be seen among the treasure, glinting as the meager torch-light flickered. The coins ranged from small and bronze to silver to large and gold. Kurt concluded that the Wizarding World used these as their currency.

When the bag was bulging with coins, Tony left the vault and the goblin resealed it.

Tony mentally weighed it. "I think that should keep you out of the bank for a while."

Kurt thought she was talking to herself, but then she was holding out the hefty sack of coins for him to take. He eyed it hesitantly.

"Just take it." Tony urged. "Ill explain everything outside."

Kurt slowly reached his hand out, as if expecting her to suddenly pull back. He curled his fingers around the tied off area. Once Tony let go he realized how heavy it was and quickly moved to cradle the bottom with the other hand.

They climbed back into the cart and sped off.

"Im assuming all of this is money?"

Tony smiled. "Yep, wizard currency. Theres three different types of coins: galleons, sickles, and knuts. Galleons are the big gold ones. Sickles are silver. Knuts are bronze. Seventeen sickles to a galleon, and twenty-nine knuts to a sickle."

Kurt mentally stowed that information away.

"Id say theres probably a hundred galleons, give or take." Tony added, eyeing the bag.

Kurt suddenly felt very overwhelmed. He was carrying more money than his father had probably ever seen. After his mother left them, between the hospital bills and payments and insurance he knew his dad had trouble making end meet for several years. They had only just gotten financially stable! That whole time that small fortune (he still didnt believe it belonged to him) was sitting in a musty underground vault.

Outside the bank, Tony took them to a small gelato vendor on the edge of the city, where she forced Kurt to share one with her.

"Dude, be a child."

They sat down at one of the patio tables next to the shop. It wasnt until after they finished their ice cream that Tony actually said anything.

"Did you know that your mother was adopted?" She suddenly asked.

Kurt nodded. "Yeah. Dad told me after she died, he said that didnt make grandma any less of family."

Tony smiled. "Exactly. Which is why she left you this." Tony indicated the gold filled bag.

"I dont understand."

"Your grandmother was a witch. She never had the chance to have any children of her own before her husband died, and she never remarried. So she went to a muggle orphanage and adopted your mother and raised her. She was a muggle born so none of her family, including her muggle daughter would have any use for wizard currency. None except you." She bopped him on the nose playfully. "When you were young she recognized the signs and told your mother. Then before she died she made sure to write you into her will. So you now have all of her things in your possession."

To say Kurt was shocked would be an understatement. Only a month ago he thought he was a relatively normal boy with a slight strange, unmentionable affliction. Then he was being told that he had magical abilities, he belonged to a secret society, unicorns really existed, his grandmother had been a witch!

It was distressing to realize that had his grandmother still been with them he could have had a familiar face to help him through this. Among all of these revelations It was such a small comfort that his mother had at least known about him.

After five minutes of nothing being said, Tony began to grow worried.

"Youre quiet. Are you alright?" She asked gently.

"Yeah, fine." Kurt lied, offering a forced smile. He looked behind him at the surrounding shops. "Do you mind if we go into some of them?" Perhaps some shopping with his newfound fortune would ease the dull ache in his chest.

"Sure. Lets go."

The next two hours were devoted to Kurt dragging his witch companion into every shop he saw that looked interesting... which was all of them.

They went into book shops, places that sold broomstick supplies, apothecaries, magical pet stores. Tony had to pry Kurt away from the last one.

"What would your father say if you brought home a cat that breathed fire?"

Apparently Magic could convince him wasnt the answer. He then received a lengthy speech on responsible magic usage concerning muggles. He still wasnt allowed to buy the owl.

Running around Bree certainly didnt take away the pain, but it proved to be an excellent distraction as well as filling one of the many holes in his chest.

The most fulfilling moment of the day was when it came time to purchase a wand.

The wand shop was on a lonely side street, not far from the lift that they arrived on. It sat alone at the end of the cobbled road, away from the hustle and bustle. There was a rotting wooden sign with peeling gold letters above the door. The display case beside the door held exactly three wands sitting on plush red cushions.

Inside a wispy old wizard fiddled with various boxes at the counter. He ceased his work when he heard the bell above the door tinkle.

The shops interior was dusty and silent, yet it gave off an air of something powerful that sent tingles up the young wizards spine

"Ah, hello!" The man called.

He made his way around the counter and stood in front of the pair.

"Hey, Mr. Peregrym. Were here to buy this one his first wand." Tony told him.

"Well, of course." The man, Mr. Peregrym answered cheekily, then turned to Kurt

"Hello. Mister...?"

"Hummel. Kurt Hummel." They briefly shook hands.

"You must be one of my older first time customers." The man commented.

Kurt didnt know what to say to that, so he remained silent a faint blush tinting his cheeks pink.

"This ones a special case."

Kurt glared at her. In turn she stuck out her tongue.

The wandmaker pulled a long tape measure from his pocket. "Hold out your right arm, if you please Mister Hummel." Kurt held out his arm and the man began taking measurements. He measured from shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, knee to armpit, and around his head. The whole time Kurt stood completely still.

Mr. Peregrym regarded Kurt unwaveringly, making a few inquisitive noises occasionally. Kurt realized that the tape measure was now floating around on its own. After a long time of scrutiny, long after the magical tape measure had fallen to the floor in a heap, the old man finally walked to the shelf behind the counter and began shifting through a row of boxes. He came back moments later carrying about five of the long white boxes. He set them down on the table top and opened one. He pulled a long, thin piece of wood from inside it.

"Seven and a quarter inches, Maple and dragon heartstrings." Kurt took the thing from him awkwardly. "Just try and give it a wave."

Kurt had barely lifted the wand when it was snatched away.

Mr. Peregrym opened another box. "Ebony and unicorn hair, nine inches. Very flexible."

This one was also quickly taken away. Kurt tried another wand from the boxes on the counter and then Mr. Peregrym took them all away with a mumbled, "None of these will do." The man returned to the shelf and trifled through at least ten other boxes. These he didnt even have Kurt try out, he seemed to know the answer just looking at them. "No." He murmured and shoved them aside.

"A tricky customer, eh?" He laughed delightfully.

Kurt was beginning to get nervous. What if none of these wands worked? What if they said sorry wrong kid and he was never allowed back into the Magical World? He glanced at Tony, who sat in one of the waiting chairs looking unperturbed. What if -

"Aha!" Mr. Peregrym rushed from behind the counter toward Kurt, holding yet another white box. "I had another young man some in, quite as difficult. But we found him a wand eventually. Youll find its brother, I think, is perfect for you." The man carefully handed Kurt another wand. "Ten inches, Willow with a Phoenix feather core. Swishy. Excellent for charm work."

As Kurts fingers curled around the smooth wood, a heady chill ran up his spine. Unlike the other wands this one seemed to fit in his grip perfectly, like it was specifically created for his palm. He instantly thought that he had to have this one. A flick of the wrist as good as proved that this wand was the one. Colorful sparks flowed in a graceful arc out of the end making Kurt start and nearly drop it. Mr. Peregrym cheered excitedly and took the wand much more gently than before, bringing it to the counter to ring it up.

Kurt let out a relieved breath that he didnt know hed been holding, laughing shakily.

"Tony, what did you mean by a special case?" Kurt asked once they were out of the shop.

"Almost all witches and wizards, muggleborns and purebloods alike, begin their magical education at ten or eleven." She answered, confirming Kurts earlier suspicions.

"Whats wrong with me?"

"You were a case of our bad. We were looking for you for quite some time. A few years ago, you set off or systems in the Improper Use of Magic department. We never had the trace on you properly then, but we still saw the massive wave of underage magic. If anything you should be proud. You outwitted the Ministry, you sneaky little fox."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Whats this trace thing?"

"Its how the government tracks underage witches and wizards. Most times its just a warning, unless you do it in front of or on a muggle under non-emergency situations." She explained. "You are different than kids who attend a school. You have me and a curfew to keep you in line. You can do certain types of magic if Im present or between the hours of eleven a.m. and four p.m. And dont worry," she grinned mischievously. "Ill have your nose to the grindstone. Youll catch up quickly enough."

The ride back was as uneventful as before. The only mildly exciting thing to happen was Tony nearly flipping the car. A flock of birds had appeared out of nowhere and she swerved to avoid hitting them.

"Fucking birds." She muttered. Then she froze and side eyed Kurt. "What I just said is a very bad word, you should never..."

Kurt watched the woman in mild amusement. "You know I do attend public school," a shadow fell over his face. "Or at least I used to."

The spastic woman stopped herself mid-speech when she noted his remorseful expression.

"Are you okay kid?" Tony asked.

Kurt looked down at his shoes. "Yeah, fine."

"Ah ah, nope." Tony stopped the car where it was in the air and gave Kurt her full attention.

"Were going to be the best of buds and as your instructor Im going to need honesty. Now. As your future best friend, I need to know some stuff."

Kurt wondered whether he knew enough magic yet to jump out of the car from this height and still survive... Tony would just scoop him up in the car or use magic to make him first back.

"They used to bully me at my old school. Just ignorant taunts, a few pushes here and there." He said quietly.

"Is that why your dad is homeschooling you?"

Kurt shook his head. "No. He only recently let me after a kid broke my arm." He waved his bad arm lamely.

"Mmmm. We might need to go ninja wizard on some people before the days through."

Kurt have her a funny look.

"Kidding." She laughed. "But you know what Im going to do?"

"What?"

"Im teaching you how to fight."

Kurt frowned. "I thought you said that I was supposed to keep this a secret?"

"Thats why you be discreet about it."

"Arent you a government official?"

"Alright!" Tiny huffed dramatically. "But I still think you should learn some good old fashion muggle self-defense and a little fancy extra defensive wand work wouldnt hurt either. Im not amazing myself, but I did go to auror training."

"Whats a aur-a-or whatever?"

"Evil wizard catcher. Technically Im not a fully trained auror, but I know my shit- shit." She paused and inwardly berated herself. "And as repayment you have to promise me to be honest."

She stuck out her hand for Kurt to shake. Kurt didnt hesitate this time.

"Deal." He said, then let go of her hand. "Now can we start moving again? Being suspended hundreds of feet above the earth makes me nervous."

Tony chuckled and obliged.

All too quickly for Kurts liking they were back in Lima parked in front of the Hummel residence.

"How did you know about my grandmother?" Kurt had to ask before he had to leave.

"Hours upon hours of searching through records. I had to make sure you were a muggleborn and didnt have any magical relatives."

"Thank you for that." Kurt said earnestly. "Whats a muggleborn?"

"Its a witch or wizard with no magical parentage." Tony answered.

"Does it make a difference?" Kurt asked nervously.

Tony almost said yes, thinking that the honest answer. She internally chastised herself. Yes, there were still those who would always be apart of the old prejudices and think themselves above everyone. No, it didnt make a difference. While it changed how some people saw others, those people didnt matter and it only affected your powers if you let.

"Not in the slightest."

Assimilating into the Magical World would be tough for Kurt, having grown up among muggles, and she couldnt shield him from prejudice, but she had faith that Kurt Hummel would do just fine.