A/N: This story takes place during the Golden Age of Narnia, and during Harry's fifth year. I am aware that I take a great deal of license with Narnian timelines, etc, so please don't anyone take me to task for that - it was very deliberately done.
Every student in the Great Hall stared incredulously at their new DADA professor when she stood up and interrupted Dumbledore's usual opening speech.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me!"
No one was smiling.
"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends." The woman who looked strangely like a toad painted pink continued in a fake cheerful voice.
"That's likely." Fred and George Weasley muttered together. A few giggles sounded through the hall - it was quiet enough that everyone could hear them.
The pink toad glanced at them with slightly raised eyebrows - combined with her huge, sickly-sweet smile, the effect was ghastly - and continued as though the twins had never spoken. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school -" She paused to nod condescendingly at Dumbledore, "- progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prohibit practices that ought to be prohibited." She gave a slight giggle, and was about to say more - but found herself interrupted.
The reason for the interruption was greeted with a lot more interest than the little toad woman had managed to garner. A ringing sound like a trumpet came from the great doors at the end of the hall, and all eyes turned there. Only, the great doors were no longer there - instead huge doors three times as big as the normal ones were there, and they were made of gold. Whispers spread instantly when the source of the sound turned out to be a centaur holding an odd-looking horn. A second centaur stood beside him, holding some sort of banner that had what looked like a family crest on it. The centaurs were bigger than the ones in the Dark Forest, and they wore armor made of leather and steel. Great swords hung in sheaths attached to their armor.
The whispers circulating through the hall grew louder when the two centaurs stood aside to permit those behind them to pass. Two creatures that looked half man and half goat moved over the threshold, carrying a weapon that seemed a cross between a spear and a scythe. They, too, were wearing armor. Beside them were two great tigers, who paced along slowly and regally, as though their mere presence was an honor Hogwarts was unworthy of. Behind this strange guard came two men, one blonde and one with dark brown hair. They were wearing tunics that ended just at the top of their thighs, breeches that were neither too tight nor too loose, and boots that stopped just shy of their knees. Each wore what looked like a crown. The blonde's tunic was red with a golden lion that matched the lion on the standard the centaur held, and his breeches and crown were gold. The other man's outfit was the same as the blonde's, except that the tunic was green and the lion, breeches, and crown were silver. Each bore a sword in its sheath. The blonde had a shield strapped to his back, and the other had two daggers on his belt. They walked as though they owned the whole world, yet didn't seem proud of the fact. They strode purposefully toward Dumbledore with their heads high and their faces stern. Beside each man was a large cat of some sort - the blonde man, who appeared to be slightly older than the other had a white tiger at his side, and the other man had a leopard.
Behind the two men were three women - the oldest had raven black hair, the second light brown hair, and the third, who looked about seventeen years old, had red-gold hair. The older two women were wearing floor length dresses - gowns might have been the better word. Like the men, the two women's clothes were the same, but different colors. The older (raven haired) woman's dress had a dark blue bodice and skirt, with lace that could have been bronze or gold trimming the hem and bodice. It had long sleeves that clung to the arm till the elbow, and then fell away from the arm and trailed loosely to the floor. Till the elbow the sleeves were blue, but the rest was the same color as the lace. This woman's crown was golden, but more feminine than the blonde man's crown was. The second woman's dress was predominantly a cheerful yellow, but the trimming lace and the trailing sleeves were a dark grey that could be black. Her crown was silver, like the younger man's, but - again - much more feminine. The woman in blue carried a bow and quiver of arrows on her back, and a horn intricately carved of what looked like ivory hung at her hip. A jaguar walked beside her. The woman in yellow had a dagger and a small bottle of a red liquid hung at her hip, and a lioness stalked at her side.
The third woman - the youngest, with red-gold hair - wasn't wearing a skirt at all. She was dressed much like the two men. Her tunic was a little longer then theirs, extending about a quarter of the way down her thigh, and her breeches were ever so slightly tighter. Her boots also were not quite as high, being a couple inches shorter than the men's boots. Her tunic was green, but the lion and pants were both gold. She wore a golden circlet, not quite a crown, but it held four jewels. One was black, the others were a deep green, red, and blue, respectively. Non of the others had jewels in their crowns. She wore a sword on her right hip, signifying that she was left-handed, and had a dagger in each boot as well as one on her sword-belt. She also carried a bow and quiver on her back. Beside her strode a black panther.
Behind these five humans came two more of the man-goat creatures, armed as the first had been, two women who seemed to be made out of flower petals and leaves, and two great grey wolves that each seemed to guard one of the flower women. The two centaurs fell into step behind the procession, and two more appeared to take their places at the doors.
This odd group made its way up the hall toward Dumbledore, leaving students gaping in its wake. The non-humans looked around suspiciously, clearly on guard, while the humans kept their heads high and looked straight ahead of them.
As the two men passed the Weasley twins, George opened his hand and let a paper bird float toward them. It perched itself on the younger man's crown, and let out a high trilling sound. The man reached up and removed it, then glanced over at the twins. He winked at them, and tossed the bird in their direction.
Fred and George beamed. "I like him." The whispered in tandem, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.
The man - who was facing forward again - obviously heard, because he smirked ever so slightly.
The strange procession reached the raised dais that held the teacher's table, and stopped. The man-goat creatures stepped aside, and the two men moved onto the dais and stood directly in front of Dumbledore. The younger man halted a half-step behind the blonde, making it clear who was in charge.
"Headmaster Dumbledore." The blonde greeted quietly, yet his voice seemed to carry through the silent room as if he had shouted.
Dumbledore bent in as low a bow as his age could manage. The man dipped his head slightly, accepting the gesture, then motioned for the old wizard to stand.
"You will pardon us, Headmaster, for not sending our daughter aboard your train. Inside the walls of your school she is safe enough, but we would not have her unguarded for so long."
"Why is he talking like that?" Ron whispered, confused.
"Look at his crown. He is clearly a king." Hermione returned softly, as though that explained it.
"So?"
"That's how kings talk when they are being official. When they are official, they represent not just themselves, but their whole country. They speak in plural to emphasize that." Hermione explained a little more carefully. "Now hush."
"Certainly, your majesty has every right to be concerned about the princess's safety." Dumbledore answered respectfully, though they could see that he thought the train would have been quite safe enough. He was about to continue, but the blonde began to speak again.
"We trust that reasonable precautions for her safety have been taken, however, we have taken the liberty of a few safety measures as well. She is the jewel of our country and the light of our eyes - and her safety is no small matter. We were told that she was permitted one animal friend. Among the options listed were cats. With this in mind, her guardian was chosen very carefully. Her bodyguard Chanda-" the panther lifted its head and stared at Dumbledore for a moment before looking around the hall again "-will remain with her throughout the year. No one is to attempt to separate them. We trust that you will instruct your teachers to leave the panther alone." He paused, waiting for a response.
"I must confess myself concerned, your majesty - to have a wild animal, no matter how well trained she may be, in a school full of young children without any means to protect themselves-"
All the cats growled menacingly, and the blonde's eyes narrowed. "Chanda is neither a wild animal, nor a trained pet, Headmaster, and you would do well to remember both." He waved a hand dismissively. "She is a danger to none - unless they wish to harm her mistress. Such persons would quickly find that she lives up to her name, for in protection of my daughter she is, indeed, fierce. Say no more of this."
Dumbledore was obediently silent. The blonde man turned a calculating eye on the teachers at the staff table, but his assessment was interrupted by Dolores Umbridge, who was still standing and now moved in front of the Headmaster.
"How dare you-!" She fumed. "This is a school for children, not beasts! The panther's presence here is absolutely out of the question. This child ought to have ridden the train like everyone else, not been given special treatment as though she owns the world! As for your blatant disrespect for the Headmaster - well! The ministry will NOT tolerate this sort of nonsense! Away with you - and take your zoo with you!"
The stance of all the creatures in the room immediately tensed. Hands were laid on weapons, and the cats all crouched low as if to spring, tails lashing wildly. The eyes of the men flashed, and the two older women glared. The younger woman sighed softly, and shook her head.
A gesture from the blonde forced the others to relax. He turned to the younger man and said quietly, "Brother, would you be kind enough to handle this...situation? Myself, I have no taste for treating with this...esteemed lady." The last two words were said with such thinly concealed spite that it was clear exactly what the man thought of Professor Umbridge.
Only Hermione noticed that the blonde king was no longer speaking in plural for his country, but spoke solely for himself.
"Certainly, brother." The younger man responded, and turned to the toad of a woman. The blonde stepped back a few paces, clearly indicating whose turn it was to speak.
"My good lady..." The younger man began, his voice full of condescension. "You seem to be suffering under several most unfortunate delusions. Allow me to enlighten you as to this situation." He proceeded to tell her, couched in diplomatic speech that would have made the worst kiss-up at the ministry reel with confusion, that she was an idiot, had no right to command his brother to do anything, had absolutely no authority in the school for that matter, was unfit to teach, would be completely ignored by himself and his brother, and would most certainly be watched very closely for the slightest sign of hostility or even disrespect toward his niece - either of which would see her promptly lose her position in both Hogwarts and the ministry of magic. Then, in speech not quite so indecipherable, he told her that his niece did, in fact, own a large portion of the world, and that Umbridge had best show some respect for his brother, his niece, and the people of their retinue, or she might not like the consequences.
With Madam Dolores Umbridge trying in vain to decipher all that he had just said, the younger king turned to the older. "I believe I am finished, brother."
"My thanks, brother." The blonde replied. "You know how repulsive I find such diplomacy to be in my own mouth."
"Indeed." The younger returned, stepping back and allowing the older to resume his position of absolute authority.
"We trust that you will see to it that our daughter is treated with the utmost respect." He addressed Dumbledore again, then paused as if waiting for argument, and continued when none came. "Caoimhe and Delyth will remain, by their own request, with the mistress they have served since her earliest days. They will see to any needs that she has, and are not to be troubled by any of your students or staff. They are here to serve their mistress, and none else."
Dumbledore nodded. "This is highly irregular, your majesty-" seeing the young man about to speak once more, he hurried to continue "-but I had anticipated such and have prepared an apartment adjoining that assigned to the princess."
All the student in the hall wondered who Caoimhe and Delyth were, and concluded that they must be the two older human women - although no one would have guessed that they were servants from the way they were dressed.
The blonde nodded. "Very good. It pleases us that you took the time to see to their comfort."
Dumbledore bowed awkwardly again, and said, "If the princess would be willing to step onto the dais for a moment? She must be assigned to one of the houses before much else can be done."
The king did not answer, but turned and held out his hand saying simply, "Daughter."
The youngest woman stepped forward confidently, head high. The panther was right beside her with every step. The girl took her father's hand and stopped in front of Dumbledore, who had produced the sorting hat once more.
"If you would allow me to place this on your head, my dear princess...?" He trailed off, making it sound like a question.
The blonde frowned. "We trust that you will learn to address our daughter properly, as befits her station and yours."
Dumbledore looked uncertain, and stammered slightly. "O-of course, your majesty. Forgive me, your highness." This last was directed at the princess.
"All is forgiven, Headmaster." The girl said quietly, and every student in the hall was relieved to hear that she did not sound nearly as stern as her father or uncle.
Dumbledore tentatively placed the sorting hat on her head. There was silence for a brief moment, and then the hat cried, "Great Godric! Sweet Salazar! Happy Helga! Radiant Rowena! Your majesty - Hogwarts welcomes you!"
The girl raised an eyebrow and said quietly, "Thank you, sir hat."
"You return has been long awaited, your majesty. Now that you have returned, the strife may at last cease!"
"I appreciate your joy and gracious welcome. However, I must say that I have never before set foot within these great walls. How then have I returned to where I have never been?"
The hat seemed to bow - a rather odd spectacle, considering that it was perched on top of her head. "In you, your majesty, live the last of the four lines. You yourself have never before graced us with your presence, but the founders live within you. They return to us through you, sweet princess."
The girl thought a moment, and then smiled slightly. "I take it that placing me into one of the four houses will then be quite difficult?"
"Impossible, your majesty. You belong in all equally. Ravendor and Slytherpuff! Slytherdor and Huffleclaw! Gryffinpuff and Syltherclaw! You belong in them all!"
"Then what is to be done, sir hat?" The girl was clearly amused by the hat's antics.
"Why, your majesty, you shall move freely among them all! Choose each day a house to represent, and each day that shall be your uniform - though to all houses you will still belong. Hogwarts shall make your private quarters accessible from each common room - though only those that you permit may pass through. Hogwarts guarantees you her protection and her support in every way. You outrank every person here, sweet princess, even our Headmaster. You are the heir of Hogwarts!"
The students murmured amongst each other, and Dumbledore had paled slightly. The staff watched her with interest, and several members seemed a bit concerned.
The princess glanced at the blonde king. "Which house would my father be in? What about my uncle and my aunts?"
"The hat seemed to smile and preen under her continued attention. "Why, your majesty! Queen Lucy is unfailingly loyal - Hufflepuff. Queen Susan is intelligent and diligent - Ravenclaw. King Edmund is clever and cunning - Slytherin. And High King Peter is brave and chivalrous, and leads his people under the standard of the lion - Gryffindor. Am I correct in guessing that you would choose to carry the Gryffindor colors this evening?"
"They're my father's colors." She answered, confirming that the hat was right.
A swirl of mist surrounded her, and -
"Is the drama really necessary?"
The mist vanished, leaving a slightly irritated princess behind.
"Not strictly, no." The hat responded, sounding a little disappointed.
The princess's clothes were now black like the Hogwarts uniform robes, and there was a Gryffindor badge over her heart. However, she was still in the tunic/breeches outfit. The teachers all frowned. Was Hogwarts somehow exempting her from the usual uniform?
The princess carefully removed the hat and gave it back to Dumbledore with a slight smile, then turned to her father.
"Will you be alright here?" High King Peter asked softly. (Everyone was glad to know his name. No one but Dumbledore had a clue who he was before the hat started talking.)
"I shall be fine, Father." She responded with a smile. "Between Chanda, Caoimhe, and Delyth, I'm sure that I shall lack for nothing. Do try not to worry about me." She smiled up at him.
He sighed and pulled her into his arms. He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead and said - loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear - "I know that you will not abuse your station and authority. Still - if anyone gives you trouble, do not hesitate to let me know."
"Dad!" She complained. "I'm sure that Chanda will look after me."
"Please try not to cause and trouble, love." The king remonstrated, then kissed her forehead again and released her. The two human women (by now everyone had realized that they were not servants, but the princess's aunts) stepped up and each drew her into their arms and gave her a kiss. The older one said something too softly for anyone to hear. The second, however, grinned widely and said quite loudly, "Do give that esteemed lady a hard time, won't you dear?"
"Lucy!" The older woman - who everyone now knew to be Queen Susan - reprimanded hopelessly.
Queen Lucy laughed, and turned her niece over to her brother.
King Edmund hugged and kissed her like all the others had. "Don't study too hard." He told her with a smile.
She grinned up at him - it was clear who she was closest to (other than her father). "Do I ever?"
"Ah, but now I won't be looking over your shoulder and distracting you. Do promise me that you will start a pranking club or something. I should hate to see you waste all the trick I taught you."
She shook her head, but laughed. "Uncle Edmund, you are incorrigible!"
"That's your Aunt Susan's influence talking - not you."
"Maybe. But it's still true. Is the bet still on?"
"See? Just as incorrigible as me. I've trained you well. Yes, of course it is."
"Edmund, would you please stop corrupting my daughter?!" King Peter grumbled, pulling her away from her uncle.
Queen Susan was watching disapprovingly, but the younger king and queen both laughed with the princess.
"Peter," Queen Susan interrupted, "you are due to meet with the Calormene ambassador in half an hour. Edmund is supposed to oversee the guard drills with Orieus, Lucy was going to visit the orphanage at Beruna with Mr. Tumnus, and I was planning to look over the trade agreement with Telmar."
"Of course, sister." King Peter responded easily. "For all your fluency in the language of diplomacy, you lack subtlety when herding your siblings about. But certainly - we must return." He smiled gently at his daughter again, then bent and spoke to the panther.
"I know you will take care of her, Chanda." The panther stared at him knowingly, and he motioned the two petal/leaf women onto the dais. "Caoimhe, Delyth; thank you for your loyalty to our daughter." He slipped back into his official speech as easily as putting on a coat. "We know that you will send word if there is any sort of trouble that the princess cannot handle herself." It was as much an instruction as a commendation. "Please do not hesitate to step in if you feel that any person in this school mistreats her in any way - whether they be student or staff."
The flower women each gave an elaborate curtsy. "Your majesty. It shall be as you say."
He nodded once and smiled, then turned and rejoined his siblings who were ready to march out again. March out they did, with their whole procession. When they had disappeared through the golden doors, the doors swung shut with a loud clang and then vanished, leaving the normal doors to the great hall.
For a moment there was stunned silence, and everyone stared at the princess standing at the front of the room. The two flower-women each touched one of her arms, and she smiled and waved them off. They half walked, half floated out of the room - presumably to unpack in their chambers.
Umbridge decided to open her mouth again. "Where is your uniform, miss...?" She trailed off expectantly, waiting for the girl to supply her name.
The princess simply looked at her.
"You will answer a professor! What is your name, girl?"
A raised eyebrow accompanied a slight smirk as the princess spoke. "You may address me as your highness, your majesty, lady princess, or daughter of Aslan. Take your pick."
Umbridge spluttered. "None of those are names, child! I asked your name!"
"I noticed. My name does not matter to you, as you will never use it. Only my family and close friends are permitted to call me by name. To allow such familiarity from a woman I have never before met and am quite sure I will never consider a friend would be unthinkable."
"Listen here you-"
"Dolores, that is quite enough. Pleas sit down, my dear - that's right." Dumbledore managed to get Umbridge to quiet down before the situation got too far out of hand. "Now, your majesty, if you would please sit at Gryffindor table? Mr. Weasley, do put that firecracker away. Perhaps you would be kind enough to make room for her majesty, and be her escort this evening? I am sure that she will welcome the help learning her way around the castle. That's a good lad, thank you. Very well, alright. There you are, your majesty."
He escorted the girl down to her seat between the twins, and gave them each a stern look. "I expect you two to behave yourselves."
"Of course, Headmaster Dumbledore." They chorused, each with a large grin. He shook his head and returned to the front of the room.
"If I may have your attention for a few moments longer, I will then leave you to eat your meal in peace. I was going to announce this earlier - perhaps I should have done so right away, as their majesties came sooner than I had anticipated - but I shall do so now. Hogwarts is home to a very special guest this year. Her majesty, Princess Arileif the Fierce of Narnia, is to be treated with the utmost respect. She is a very powerful witch and-"
"If I may be so bold, Headmaster, I would ask that you never call me a witch again." Dumbledore found himself interrupted yet again. "I am no witch. Here, perhaps, it is different - but in Narnia, a witch is a worker of dark magic and great evil. I am an enchantress, not a witch. I fear I have rather an aversion to the word after the destruction wrought on my people and my family by the White Witch, Jadis of Charn."
"As you say, your majesty." Dumbledore managed.
She smiled. "Most gracious of you, Headmaster."
"As I was saying..." Dumbledore pause dot figure out where he was before being interrupted. "Ah, yes. I trust that you will all be very good to her and help her any way that you can-"
"If I may, Headmaster - why ought my peers be very good to me? That would imply that they are less than very good to each other - something that you cannot, of course condone. Either you need to implement stricter practices to be sure that everyone has a good school experience, or you have no need to give instruction about how well I am to be treated." She smiled up at him innocently. "Perhaps, Headmaster, it might be better if you simply allow me to introduce myself?" She stood.
"Hello, everyone. I am Princess Arileif. In the ancient tongue of Narnia, that mean's Lion's Heir. I would prefer to simply be addressed as Arileif by all of you - although of course the staff will address me properly." She glanced at Umbridge. "I am no different than you, I am simply here to learn. Please treat me as you would anyone else - I don't prefer a lot of pomp and drama. That is Aunt Susan's department, not mine. I take more after my Uncle Edmund, who is the easiest to get along with of all my family. I hope that you will keep that in mind. Also - one other thing. Chanda is my friend and guardian. She will go with me everywhere, just as she always does. No one should antagonize her in any way, shape, or form. She is quite...protective of me.'
The panther raised her head to look at her mistress, then returned to scanning the room.
"And for goodness sake, Chanda! Would you stop acting like I'm about to be assassinated? No one's ever managed to sneak past you before, and not for lack of trying! Relax, you overgrown kitten!" She stroked the panther's head as she sat down.
Dumbledore looked - well - dumbfounded. Eventually he waved his hand and the food appeared, and then the hall gradually filled up with chatter. Most of it was about the strange things that had just occurred, and the princess among them.
Arileif put her face in her hands and sighed. "Really, was all that drama necessary? I wish father would have let me just take the train." The panther, which had managed to get under the table, laid a comforting head on her knee.
"Still, that was quite the show." Identical voices chimed from each side of her.
"I think I like her, Gred." The one on the left said.
"Quite right, Forge." The one on the right replied.
She laughed softly and took her head out of her hands - to find the entire table staring at her. Shaking her head slightly, she focused on the red-haired twins.
"Now, love-"
"-we couldn't help but notice-"
"-your uncle told you to start a pranking club. Well-"
"-you really needn't. After all-"
"-a pranking club already exists."
"That would be us." They finished together.
Arileif's eyes widened slightly as she tried to keep up with them while they switched sentences back and forth. "I'm sure THAT will take a bit of getting used to. How do you keep track of who is saying what?"
"It's a twin thing, love." They said in unison.
"I'm more inclined to think it is the result of a lot of practice so that you could wow people with your "twin thing". By this time, you're probably so used to it that it feels as natural as breathing."
"Right on both counts!" The twin on the right laughed.
"She's figured us out right off!" The one on the left exclaimed. "You, love, are the first person to see through that since...ever, I do believe."
"Hm. So which one is Fred, and which one is George?"
They gaped at her. "How-how did you know...?"
"Gred, Forge. All you did was switch the first letters. I just don't know which name belongs to who. Care to enlighten me, or do I have to guess?"
"Why don't you guess. You've gotten everything else right, so far." The one on the left said.
She studied each one, looking back and forth between them. As she did so, she glanced across the table. Her eyes connected with a girl with wild curly hair. The girl jerked her head toward the one on the right and mouthed "Fred."
Arileif nodded, as if making up her mind and turned to the one on the left. "You're George." The to the one on the right, "You're Fred."
"Blimey!" They said at once. "How'd you do that?!"
"Girl's intuition." She said, not missing a beat, and winked at the girl who had told her. The twins didn't miss it.
"Hermione! You had to go and tell her."
"Goodness knows you'll manage to confuse her enough with the name switching you two do. At least she knows who's who for the moment."
"Hermione, is it?" Arileif asked. "Pleased to meet you. These two are a lot of trouble, then?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Goodness, yes."
"Aw, now. That's not very nice." Fred pouted.
"You've already gotten over it, I'm sure." Arileif said dryly.
"Cut us to the quick, you have." George continued, ignoring the princess.
"This'll cheer you up, I suppose - got room for one more in that pranking club of yours?"
"I thought your father told you to stay out of trouble?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He had to, Aunt Susan was there. She'd have had his hide if he hadn't. She's very proper, you know - all about rules and decorum. Uncle Edmund is the troublemaker, but Father always lets him do what he likes. Uncle would stop, of course, if Father told him to - but of course he never will. He has to be proper, since he's the High King and all. But Uncle Edmund can get away with it politically - most of the time - so Father lets him. Even if it does frustrate Aunt Susan to no end. Usually Aunt Lucy has to calm her down. Of course, she's just as bad as Uncle in her own way - but Aunt Susan doesn't normally know about her tricks, so she never gets in trouble. And I'm rambling again, aren't I. I have a tendency to do that."
"So you don't really have to stay out of trouble?" The twins asked together, grinning at her.
"I think that if I make it through the school year without setting anything on fire or adding a new scar to my collection, he'll be more than pleased."
Underneath the table, the panther snorted.
"Oh, do be quiet, Chanda." Arileif added crossly, scowling at the great cat. "It's hardly my fault I'm such a klutz!"
"Does she understand everything you say?" Another red-haired boy asked, his mouth full of food.
"Ron!" Hermione rebuked.
"Of course she does! You insult her intelligence. She is not a dumb beast. She is smarter than most of the people in this room - including myself." Arileif returned, then added, looking him up and down. "You're the brother of these twin menaces?"
"Unfortunately." He returned, with another bite in his mouth.
"That's really rather gross." She informed him indifferently.
"We've been telling him that for years." A dark-haired boy sitting on Ron's other side muttered.
"I take it that its never worked. And you are?" She asked pleasantly.
"Harry." He didn't offer any more information, and she didn't ask.
"Pleasure. Say, is anyone else going to actually talk to me, or are they all just going to stare?"
He glanced up and met her eyes. "Probably just stare and whisper. It's what they're best at."
She rolled her eyes. "Brilliant. Ah, well - it is what it is." She leveled him with a knowing stare. "Something tells me you've been roughly where I am."
He lowered his eyes and stared at the table. She left it be.
"So, who's the pink toad?"
Hermione spluttered into her pumpkin juice - a drink that Arileif had already decided unfit for human consumption. She would have to see who the cooks were in this place and ask about options. Water would do - in fact, tar would be preferable to the orange stuff. Nothing that color could possibly be a good thing to ingest.
"Actually, we don't really know. She's new. The defense professor. And she's from the ministry - so that can't be good." Harry muttered.
"Oh, yeah. Father told me he thought they'd be sending someone to keep tabs on Dumbledore and some kid here." She made a face. "Seriously - why would they waste time watching a kid when there's a sorcerer on the loose?"
"Because they don't want to admit that Voldemort is back, and they're scared that people are going to start believing me." Harry muttered again.
"Hm. You're that Harry, then. Father told me about that. I'm sorry about the boy who was killed. Father wasn't able to find out his name - what was it?"
"Why's it matter to you?" He asked quietly.
"Harry!" Hermione remonstrated.
"Hey, cut him some slack. I'd have said the same thing. It matters because he mattered. Everyone is important to Aslan. As the Lion's Heir, I try to keep that in mind. I'd like to know who he was because he was more than a casualty or a statistic. If you know someone's name, you can't just forget them."
"Cedric. Cedric Diggory."
She nodded, and her hand flashed. A piece of parchment covered on both sides with names appeared in front of her, and her hand flashed again. Cedric's name added itself to the list.
"What's that?" The twins couldn't help but ask.
"I write down the name of every person I know of who died by the hand of another, instead of by natural causes. It will always be a reminder to me, of what I am fighting for every day of my life. And it will help me remember, when I am Queen, that I have to rule justly, no matter what."
Everyone nodded, and not much was said for the rest of the meal. When they finished and were leaving, Fred and George each offered her an arm. "Right this way, my lady. Since we have been charged with escorting you tonight, we may as well do a proper job of it. Complete with initiation into the pranking club."
Arileif laughed, and allowed them to lead her away.
Hours later, after thoroughly confusing Filtch who never did find out which students set of firecrackers in the Charms corridor (although if he'd been smarter he might have hazarded a guess) she found herself at a portrait of a roaring lion in the Gryffindor common room.
"I believe this is my stop, gentlemen. Thank you for the tour of all the tunnels to use to avoid that man and his cat, and for a most enjoyable evening. You shall have to teach me how to make firecrackers - I have a few ideas already. See you boys tomorrow!"
"Good evening, fair princess!" They chorused with a grin.
