life less frightening | max

[addilyn elara slater]

these lives we live
test negative for happiness

flat line, no pulse, by eyes open

February 24, 2026
maxima ruqayyah greyback

Addy ran a hand through her wet hair. It had begun to dry a little bit. It wasn’t terribly late, though as she now had the Captain’s badge, it did give her a bit more leeway when it came to things such as hours. Addy, however, was not the type to abuse that by any means. For now, she sat in her robe, enjoying the quiet of the bathroom and the privacy as well. The Common Room could get quite rowdy during the week, and these last few months of the term were only making it worse. Fifth Years crammed on couches studying for their upcoming OWLs while she and her own classmates studied for their NEWTs. It was stressful, though she could only think about notes she had mentally taken during this evening’s Quidditch Practice. With the shift in leadership and addition of a new Chaser, things were coming along though even she had to admit getting anywhere near the Cup was a pipe dream at this point. It was a disappointing thought, and now how she wanted to be remembered.

The other thing on her mind had been Brígh excited chatter and activity surrounding Phoenix Rising. Addy desperately hoped it was going to be another distraction on top of her place of distractions she had not planned on for her final year at Hogwarts, but she’d promised to help. The issue was recruitment. During the trip to Hy-Brasil they had spoken about it more but not at length until they had returned, and Addy wasn’t sure where to start. Her instinct would have been to ask Claire’s advice, but she knew her sister would likely warn her of the risk and danger with such activities and also the possible trouble she could get into as well—that wouldn’t be a good look at all. Addy thought about the members of her class and even the sixth years and how to keep such a thing quiet and find kindred spirits. However, she looked up and out of her thoughts when she heard someone enter.

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[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

February 24, 2026

Given that it was one of the privileges that had been granted to her, Max made use of the prefects' bathroom on occasion, even if it was something of an inconvenience to go all the way there from the dungeons. She found it awfully luxurious, on the whole, and couldn't say that she was really one for bubble baths, but the privacy was nice to have every now and then. Besides, just the room itself was nice—a far cry from the regular bathrooms and toilets around Hogwarts, especially when there was a chance that Moaning Myrtle might pop in at any time.

It was relatively late, and Max had no plans to break curfew that night, but something had compelled her to go up multiple flights of stairs rather than to her usual dormitory bathroom. Maybe she still wasn't used to being back from Hy-Brasil, where they didn't have proper plumbing; she didn't know.

She reached the door to the bathroom, spoke the password, and entered, nearly jumping back into the corridor when she saw that she wasn't alone. Addilyn Slater was already there. It had only been a few weeks since she had been made Slytherin's captain in place of Wednesday Weekly, who had dropped out of Hogwarts entirely. It hadn't been long enough that Max was really used to Addilyn's having similar authority to her own, for one thing. For another, she guessed that either the door hadn't been locked from the inside or that the bolt that was there had malfunctioned.

In her embarrassment at having walked in on Addilyn, Max didn't really have time to think through whether or not the bolt had caught all the way. Instead, she hesitated, not sure what else to say except a hurried, "Erm, sorry, I—"

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

these lives we live
test negative for happiness

flat line, no pulse, by eyes open

February 24, 2026
maxima ruqayyah greyback

Addy was still adjusting to her new title and new privileges. The Prefects and other Captains hadn’t seemed to mind so far, though Addy knew there would be words spoken when she wasn’t within earshot or behind closed doors. Instinctively, she pulled her bathrobe around her a little bit tighter. She must not have secured the door properly when she had come in. ”It's alright, I lost track of time.” Addy responded with a slightly apologetic look on her face compared to Max’s surprised one. So much had been on her mind she had forgotten something so simple, Addy mentally kicked herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Max, but Slytherins didn’t often find friends among their own housemates that weren’t also competition. And the Greyback wore the Prefect badge that Addy felt should have been hers in their fifth year, but there wasn’t anything to be done about that now.

Addy stood up, taking a few steps to walk toward the corner of the room where one could change privately. ”I’ll get out of your way.” She muttered as she almost made it but then stopped. Something popped into Addy’s mind. Something her sister had mentioned offhandedly not long ago. Addy had asked about Cursebreaking and what she knew about it—asking for herself as well as Brígh. Claire had mentioned the Cursebreakers she knew, including one Greyback who Addy presumed was an older brother to Max. Brígh had also tasked her with finding like-minded individuals in Slytherin, which Addy had rolled her eyes because most in Slytherin were like-minded, which was the main issue with their competitiveness. But, some might be persuaded to join their little club—Phoenix Rising. ”Max—if you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to do after graduation?” For some of her classmates, it was pretty clear what field they would be heading into.

Some on her Quidditch team would vie for a chance to play professional Quidditch, and some would go into other fields such as Potions or Journalism. She’d never asked Max what her plans were. But then again, Addy hardly knew her own until not long ago. ”Your brother is a Cursebreaker, right? Claire, my sister, knows him.” Addy commented, wondering how in the world she would bring up such a topic as Phoenix Rising to Max and to a Prefect no less. ”I think she’ll never admit to my parents exactly how much he helped her in Ancient Runes so she could be an Auror.” Addy chuckled, noting her sister’s pride that wasn’t all different from her own. But, it had helped shape her own opinion. ”With the way the world is going and everything that has happened, law enforcement seems like the reasonable field to enter.” She noted that her parents wish they were content with Addy in the Ministry at all. Had she disappointed them that much that they hardly cared what she did anymore? Still, the world was changing, and so much had occurred while they were in school that even Addy had to concede to Brígh that they needed to be ready and able.

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[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

February 24, 2026

Addilyn assured her that it was alright that she had inadvertently walked in on her. Though it was awkward, they were roommates anyway, so it could have been worse. Still, Max looked away as Addilyn expressed that she would get out of her way, having enough forethought to step inside, shut the door, and latch it behind herself before anyone else could walk in on them.

Max allowed her mind to wander for a moment, not focusing at all on the other Slytherin girl until she heard her speak her name. "Max—if you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to do after graduation?"

"I thought I might apply for Healer training, until I realized that nurses spend more time with—" She hadn't been asked for her reasoning, though, Max noted. She had been asked what her plans were, not how she had come to her decision. And she was just about to clarify her response when Addilyn asked her if her brother was a Curse-Breaker and said that her sister knew him. Max gave a slight nod. Rhys was a Curse-Breaker, as was Dahlia, though the fact that Dahlia didn't have the Greyback surname had probably made that connection less apparent.

"I think she'll never admit to my parents exactly how much he helped her in Ancient Runes so she could be an Auror," Addilyn continued, and it felt a little bit strange for Max to hear her speaking to her so candidly about her family… or really about anything that wasn't specifically to do with school. "With the way the world is going and everything that has happened, law enforcement seems like the reasonable field to enter."

Maybe it was, Max considered. She knew that a lot of students had either taken that route or strongly considered it because of everything that had happened, even some of the students who had transferred to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny. It was in everyone's best interest, she supposed, to have a strong defense against whatever came their way. Especially after her discovery of her ability, Max hadn't thought much about anything other than Healing in some capacity, but she had been inclined towards that field even before then. She understood why Addilyn would have been inclined to enter into law enforcement, though. It seemed to fit her personality, not that that was a bad thing.

"Have you applied for Auror training, then?" Max asked. Though she felt that she probably could have guessed the answer to that question accurately, it was also the polite thing to do, wasn't it? Merlin, she thought, why couldn't she have been someone who actually knew how to make small talk without feeling as though the other person could tell that it was horribly forced on her part? "Or, erm, Curse-Breaking?" She wasn't the right person for that sort of advice, but she could try.

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

these lives we live
test negative for happiness

flat line, no pulse, by eyes open

February 24, 2026
maxima ruqayyah greyback

Max quickly responded that she was interested in Healing. It was interesting, though mainly because, for Addy, it had only crossed her mind briefly. She supposed her mind and hobbies had never been tailored for such a career. Even Cursebreaking fit better. It hadn’t been in the forefront of her own mind as much as it had been Brígh’s. And Addy had spent the past few weeks chasing her friend around to remind her she needed to pass her classes to earn the NEWTs required to work for the bank. So far, Phoenix Rising was a small group, and while that wasn’t bad in itself, even Addy had to admit that a club was only as strong as its members, and that included quantity.

With Chess Club, she learned that fighting the same opponent made you strong against that opponent and their particular style. It was something she had lost sight of in her eagerness to be Quidditch Captain, and her loss to Nate the past fall still stuck out in her mind—not that he’d ever let her forget it. They needed more members and ones that thought differently, that dueled differently, and had different strengths. ”No.’ Addy responded simply. Externally she might have seemed nonchalant about it—but even having her parent's tentative approval for the direction of her career still felt wrong sometimes. ”I thought about it—but it isn’t for me.” Addy paused as she shifted her weight to her other foot. ”But it doesn’t mean I want to be unprepared for the world.”

There was another pause, but only because the events of the past few years came to mind. And Addy knew what she wanted to ask. She had a goal to meet, but how she went about it was not her favorite way. Showing her hand, how she felt, or anything of the sort was not typical for her. ”I remember feeling so useless back in Fourth Year…if you had a chance to do more, to learn to really protect yourself—would you?” Addy’s blue eyes met Max’s dark ones. While she’d resolved that Phoenix Rising was not breaking any rules, Brígh had explained that it might not be a good look, especially since there was already a sanctioned Dueling Club. But that club was tame compared to the real world.

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[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

February 24, 2026

Addilyn's answer to her was almost evasive, considering that she merely said no and that she had thought about those career paths but that they weren't for her. "But it doesn’t mean I want to be unprepared for the world," she noted, not that Max would have jumped to that assumption. Even if she wouldn't have chosen some of her peers' career interests herself, most of them were still worthwhile pursuits. The world couldn't run if the Ministry were to accept everyone as Auror trainees, even if that might have been a hard pill to swallow for some people.

Likewise, Max didn't think that everyone who wasn't going into law enforcement or Healing or something that would have a direct effect on people's lives was sticking their head in the sand instead. Were there were people in their year who seemed a little out of touch with reality? Of course there were, but they thankfully weren't the majority.

At that point, Addilyn mentioned something about how useless she had felt back in their fourth year, which felt like an odd admission for her to make all of a sudden. In Max's mind, though, there wasn't a year that had gone by that hadn't been traumatic in some way. The most of it had happened to everyone back in what had been their fourth year, but fifth year had been even worse for her personally.

"…If you had a chance to do more, to learn to really protect yourself," Addilyn continued, "would you?"

Still not sure what Addilyn was getting at, Max nodded somewhat reluctantly. They both knew far more and had experienced far more than when they were fourteen, and Max felt more prepared to handle whatever might come her way than she ever had, even though she wasn't some champion duellist. "Maybe?" she hesitated, not sure what to say. "But I, er… don't really see how much that would have helped…" Fighting off someone like Elaine Dupree at fourteen? Elaine wasn't that much older, but the difference in knowledge between a fourth-year and a seventh-year at Hogwarts left a relatively large gap.

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

these lives we live
test negative for happiness

flat line, no pulse, by eyes open

February 24, 2026
maxima ruqayyah greyback

It seemed that every eager first year wanted to be an Auror, a Cursebreaker, or a Professional Quidditch Player, and honestly--Addy had been one of them. Her parents wanted her to join Law Enforcement, bring a good reputation to the Slater name. Maybe it would inspire the world one day the same way ‘Potter’ did and the opposite of ‘Greyback’. Fortunately, as she got older, she realized there was more to a name. An example was in front of her, Max was a Prefect in her year and academically successful despite who her father may be. Claire spoke of her older brother in the limited way she gave compliments.

But now? Addy felt good about her choice. She was still going to work for the Ministry but in a different capacity. The guilt she felt for not applying to Auror training was manageable. But she had grown accustomed after previous failures of a lack of a Prefect badge and initial Quidditch Captain badge as well. Their fourth year had been challenging as if fourteen and fifteen weren’t already complicated enough. Addy paused when Max responded, it was such a random topic to bring up. ”A few of us are starting sort of a club. Well reviving what James started before.” Addy began, shifting on her feet. ”Its not against the rules or anything, I checked.” Naturally. ”But, it would be better than dueling club, in my opinion.” She’d attended and taken the class as well, but there was nothing she’d learned that would have necessarily helped that year. ”I was wondering if you were interested.” It felt like she was doing something illegal, but typically anything outside the bounds of her normal day-to-day activities felt like that. Her seventh year had really been Addy living on the edge.

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[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

February 24, 2026

Addilyn didn't elaborate much except to say that a few people—who?—were starting a club, or reviving what James—presumably James Potter—had started before. "It's not against the rules or anything," she added. "I checked." (Max raised her eyebrows, wondering for a minute what Addilyn was doing that was so secretive.) "But," continued Addilyn, enough for Max to hear the obviousness that what her fellow Slytherin was discussing came with a caveat, "it would be better than Dueling Club, in my opinion."

Whatever it was wasn't against school rules, thought Max, but it must have fallen into some sort of grey area if Addilyn was talking about dueling like that. It sounded more suspicious than it probably was, Max also considered, because she knew that Addilyn was skirting around whatever she was going on about like a first-year caught red-handed with a Fanged Frisbee.

"I was wondering if you were interested."

Max wasn't sure if she could give Addilyn a committal answer without knowing what it was that she was meant to be interested in doing or attending, exactly. Being in a bathroom to which only a limited number of students had access made being candid about what Addilyn was trying to say that much easier, at least, and Max took that as her opportunity to seek clarification in a way that she knew that she probably couldn't back in their dormitory. "So like Dumbledore's Army?" she questioned curiously. Back in its day, Dumbledore's Army had been a secret society—not that it had stayed that way after the Second Wizarding War.

Something like Dumbledore's Army had been much more of a danger back then, Max knew, considering that the circumstances that had led to its formation included not only Voldemort's return but the fact that the Ministry had taken over Hogwarts via Dolores Umbridge to keep students from practicing actual Defense Against the Dark Arts material. They had access to all of that; she was sure that there were more than a few members of the school's staff who would have been positively outraged if that weren't the case.

Still, Max knew better than to think that things were fine in the magical world. They had to be ready for anything, and there were only so many things that they could learn in their regular lessons—even at NEWT level.

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

these lives we live
test negative for happiness

flat line, no pulse, by eyes open

February 24, 2026
maxima ruqayyah greyback

Actually, Max had a good point. Phoenix Rising was remarkably similar to Dumbledore’s Army. Maybe that’s why the rules had popped into Addy’s mind first and foremost. Though the situation at the school was vastly different than what she had read about that time. These different times and the school was doing what it could to prepare their students. But so far, the situations that had come across their plates were different and more dangerous than just preparing for NEWTs and a career sitting behind a desk at the Ministry of Magic.

”Pretty much, yes.” Addy remarked. At least they were in private. Even if it wasn’t against the rules, it was hardly a conversation to have in the middle of the Great Hall or the Common Room. She paused for a moment, mentally taking a step back to think about the last few years and all the history she had read and retained. ”A lot happened here in the past, and then it happened again. And it didn’t seem like anybody was ready for it.” Hogwarts was supposed to be this safe place. The danger was outside the walls and the enchanted grounds, like wherever Claire was working next chasing down some criminal or escaped inmate. The danger was not supposed to be here.

”So what do you think?” Addy crossed her arms out of habit. Even if the old internal grudge against Max for nabbing the Prefect spot in their year was still there. Addy could admit that the Greyback was intelligent and more than capable, but more importantly, she was calm and collected, and those were the ones you wanted around when chaos ensued.

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[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

February 24, 2026

Some people liked to say that students Sorted into Slytherin as their House had a knack for self-preservation. Maybe it was that, Max thought, that made her inclined to agree as Addilyn asked her what she thought about the idea of joining in with some Dumbledore's Army-esque group. The idea of needing something like that again scared her more than she would admit to Addilyn, but things hadn't gotten substantially better over time.

Whether Max liked it or not, she and Addilyn had been through all their years at Hogwarts together. Neither of them had come from someplace else, as more and more people had over that time. They weren't "friends", but living in such close proximity to one another for so long meant that it was impossible to pretend that they knew nothing about the other and what they had had to endure already. Almost succeeding at killing herself and then losing a half-brother from Durmstrang whom she barely knew in under a year weren't exactly light subjects, but that had been her reality.

Things were only going to get worse for everyone without intervention. How many of their professors were relatively young people who had ended up at the school because they were mentally or physically scarred from some other line of work? There was a real possibility that that would be them or their classmates in another ten, fifteen, or twenty years. The Minister hadn't done much since he'd gotten the job. Whatever protections anyone should have had in an ideal world frankly didn't exist. They were expected to sit their NEWTs and then enter the working world as adults who were supposed to know something about what they were doing, yet even the adults who had been adults longer than they had didn't seem to have a clue much of the time.

Maybe it was her tendency towards cynicism or outright pessism, but Max had been through enough to know that someone did need to do something more. If that had to be put in the hands of a bunch of teenagers, she thought, then they certainly couldn't do any worse than the people who were meant to be in charge of things. Their teachers and parents and siblings were trying, Max knew, but sometimes it didn't seem that they—taken as a sort of amorphous collective—were trying hard enough.

Addilyn's arms were crossed, and Max wondered what the other girl was about to say to her, guessing that it probably wouldn't be particularly kind. As it turned out, it was only out of impatience that she had taken that stance. "So what do you think?" she wanted to know.

As unnecessary as she wanted it to be, Max knew that she would be kidding herself to try to deny that she was interested in joining. She didn't have any idea of who else was already involved, but she could probably name a few people based on Addilyn's group of friends. It would be slightly awkward for her, no doubt, but awkwardness was at least better than knowing that there was a problem and not doing anything about it. Besides, she didn't think that Addilyn would have brought it up to her if she didn't have some real interest in having her as a part of what they were doing.

With that thought, Max spoke again. "I'm in," she replied. She didn't feel that she had been backed into a corner to give a response, but she knew that she had one of her only opportunities to do something that might actually make a difference. Letting that pass her by wasn't an option.

addilyn elara slater