The Allies and Axis, at England's request, were becoming professors at Hogwarts. The magical school had become quite understaffed, and was desperate for teachers. Naturally, all having magic branches in their homes, the nations agreed on the condition of being sorted. None of them had before other than England, America, and Canada (he came along, too) and they needed to know what house they would be staying in, after all!
Upon arriving, they sat at the professors' table, arising the curiosity of all the returning students. "Hey, Harry," Ron asked, "who do you think they are?" Harry looked over at the raised table, examining the new faces. "I don't know. I don't recognize any of them." Hermione was studying them, too. "Maybe they're from other countries' branches? Not many of them look English, or even that old. Dumbledore will probably announce it, though."
Sure enough, Dumbledore went up to the podium, saying, "Welcome, students, new and old! We have some new teachers today, and I would like to introduce them."
The men and women came up, one by one, and stated their names and homelands.
The first one was English, with the name of Arthur Kirkland. He had blonde hair, green eyes and abnormally large eyebrows, and he explained how the new teachers were all from different nations and to not be surprised if any one of them fought with someone else. The next one was Amelia F. Jones, a boisterous American with short dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. After her was a feminine-looking Chinese man, Wang Yao, and then Ivan Braginski, who was from Russia and had silvery hair and purple eyes.
His aura scared many students, and at the end of his introduction, he said, "So become one with Mother Russia, da?" As he finished, many professors scooted away from him, justifiably frightened.
After this episode, a German man named Ludwig Beilschimdt who had slicked back blonde hair and ice blue eyes introduced himself stiffly. Following him was a cheerful Italian named Felicia Vargas. She had a strange curl that went out from the side of her head and kept murmuring things like, "Pasta!" and "Ve~"
A Japanese man introduced himself politely next, identifying himself as Kiku Honda. The last people were a perverted Frenchman named Francis Bonnefoy (you could almost see the innuendoes flowing from his mouth) and a quiet Canadian named Matthew Williams. None of them looked to be more than twenty-five, and all of them were wearing the professors' robes.
Dumbledore finally returned to the podium, and said, "Most of them will be sorted with the first years, because only Mr. Kirkland, Ms. Jones, and Mr. Williams are graduates of Hogwarts. If any of you were wondering, Mr. Kirkland was in Ravenclaw, Ms. Jones was in Gryffindor, and Mr. Williams was in Hufflepuff." As each house was called, a table cheered.
The Sorting Hat sang, all of the first years were sorted, and finally it was time for the nations to be sorted. They went in alphabetical order, so Ludwig was first. He sat down, and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head.
Hmm, you certainly are different from most of the people I sort. Much like Arthur, Matthew, and Amelia… I remember them well...
Ludwig looked around. Who the hell was talking to him?
Me, you silly German man! You know, the hat? On your head?
Now he was confused. You can speak in my mind?
Of course I can! I need to sort you somehow, right? I do this by looking at your personality and memories.
…Can you not?
No, git! Now shush so I can sort you.
As all this was happening, the entire hall was quiet. The German's face was contorted into a scary glare and only Felicia and Kiku were not afraid, having seen this look on Ludwig's face before. It only meant he was frustrated, which happened quite often.
Soon, though, the hat announced, "Slytherin!" The Slytherin table erupted into cheers. Amelia gave the large man a slight look before giving up. It wasn't really that big of a deal for her, even if she had been in Gryffindor.
As the Sorting hat went through the nations, Arthur started to regret his choice of bringing the other nations here. He remembered the tradition that each year, on the first night of school, the houses would get together and groups of friends would sing songs to answer questions about their deepest, darkest secrets. Or anything, really! The songs were magically chosen, so there was no lying. It would be bad if they were invited, since many of the younger, newer teachers always were, and none of them looked like they were in more than their early twenties.
He silently cursed and watched the nations get sorted.
"Bonnefoy, Francis!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Braginski, Ivan!"
"Slytherin!"
"Honda, Kiku!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Vargas, Felicia!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Yao, Wang!"
"Gryffindor!"
Once they were all done, the nations sat down, some looking happy with their placements, others not so much. Such as Felicia. She was so upset about being separated from Ludwig. "Ge-Ludwig!" she whined, "I'll-a miss you!" Ludwig massaged his forehead. "Feli, ve are teachers, not students. Ve vill see each other anyvay."
"Oh. Okay-a, then!" She smiled happily, grabbing Ludwig's arm. Ludwig merely sighed and allowed her to do so with a blush covering his face, much to the other people's surprise. Kiku smiled slightly at the scene – he had expected this, after all. The two were much too close to be just friends.
The students and professors in the hall were enjoying the show, much to Arthur's chagrin. Dumbledore helped out, though, by announcing that supper was served and to enjoy themselves tonight at the festivities. As Amelia stuffed her face, talking about how much she had missed, in her words, "tasty English food," Arthur sighed, remembering the good old days. He desperately wanted to ask Dumbledore if he could go to his office and talk to the paintings of old headmasters and mistresses, but didn't want to give away his identity. He again sighed sadly, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.
…~*0*~…
Soon, dinner was over and the students got into groups, the first years being shy and quiet, the other students easily slipping into clumps ranging from three to ten or more. Hermione was extremely curious about the new teachers, so she fearlessly walked up to them, asking, "Um, I was wondering… Could you be in our group?" The nations, not wanting to seem suspicious, readily agreed, and sat with Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginnny, Fred, and George.
The prankster twins had mischievous grins on their faces, like they were planning something, as many had learned from seeing that same look on their faces. "Aw, crap," Harry mumbled.
"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Remember how the crazy twins were asking me about Ginny?"
"Yeah, why?"
"They're totally going to ask me some insanely embarrassing question about her, I just know it!"
Ron stared at him, wanting to laugh, but knowing he shouldn't, at least for his friend's sake; but he couldn't help it! Honest! He was laughing hysterically, practically falling over. Harry gave him a dirty look before saying, "I can't wait until they ask you something." And Ron immediately sobered up, now freaking out. This was going to be great. Just. Bloody. Great.
The party started, and they picked a name out of a hat to see who would ask the first question. After that, whoever sang would ask next. When someone sang, the group would be "transported" to wherever it took place, and anyone involved's clothing would change into what they would have been wearing at the time, since they were all wearing robes. Amelia had picked the name, and read it out loud. "Hermione! Ask someone a question!"
"Alright, Ms. Jones." Amelia looked horrified. "Oh, please call me Amelia! Ms. Jones makes me feel super old, man! Like Iggy!" "Hey!" Arthur shouted indignantly. Hermione just gave her a stupefied look, but continued anyway.
"Um, ok, Amelia, and… I was wondering. Why do you and Mr. Kirkland argue so much? Not to be rude or anything!" she said quickly. Amelia looked thoughtful, and Arthur had a surprised background in his voice as he murmured, "No one has asked either of us that in a long, long time… And why did she have to…?"
Amelia stood up, grabbing the microphone, and the scenery changed. It was a large, open field, and rain was falling from the sky, but only Amelia and Arthur were getting wet. Amelia looked like a teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen, and her hair was cut short, like a man's. In her blue and white uniform, she could have been one. Behind her, a rag-tag army of men stood, tense and ready for a fight.
Arthur was still sitting where he had been, but now looked slightly younger by two or three years. His uniform was an old British one, red and white but smudged with some blood and mud, in similar but significantly better condition than Amelia's, whose was ripped in the pants, a blood-stained bandage around her left forearm, and she had no shoes, like most of the soldiers near her.
Both of them looked down in surprise at their clothing, apparently not expecting it. Amelia looked behind her, but the men were like a memory frozen in time, a 3D picture on a screen behind her. None of them moved, or even blinked.
Amelia looked around and the music began. She started acting like she wasn't herself anymore; like she was just that person from that time and had no memories from after that. Arthur acted strange, too, looking more harsh and sad and closed off.
Amelia opened her mouth, and a beautiful voice flowed from it, strength laced with slight regret you never would have heard if you didn't know her well.
Well she seemed all right by dawn's early light
Though she looked a little worried and weak.
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again
But daddy'd left the proof on her cheek.
And I was only eight years old that summer
And I always seemed to be in the way
So I took myself down to the fair in town
On Independence Day.
Well, word gets around in a small, small town
They said he was a dangerous man
But mama was proud and she stood her ground
But she knew she was on the losin' end.
Some folks whispered and some folks talked
But everybody looked the other way
And when time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day.
Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day.
Well, she lit up the sky that Fourth of July
By the time that the firemen come
They just put out the flames
And took down some names
And send me to the county home.
Now I ain't sayin' it's-a right or it's wrong
But maybe it's the only way.
Talk about your revolution
It's Independence Day.
Roll the stone away
It's Independence Day.
The woman finished, and the background melted away, putting everyone back in the hall. The group had been enthralled by performance, and felt like they were there, in that place and time. Arthur's military uniform, and Amelia's, too, had disappeared with the background.
Breaking the silence, Amelia coughed and said, "Ok, then… Let's pick someone else to tortu-! I mean, ask, yes, ask…"
Looking at Felicia, she decided to see if the other nation had ever been… sad. Amelia had only ever seen the girl weep out of fear, and thought that nothing could be that bad, right?
So she asked, "Felicia, what is the saddest moment of yours you can remember?" Felicia gasped, and she silently stood up out of Ludwig's arms, taking the microphone from Amelia. Once she got to the front, the area changed again.
They were now in a beautiful meadow on a summer day, a light breeze blowing by. It was the way many places looked, before human pollution. There was a bunny here and there, the wildflowers pink and purple in the sunlight. Felicia was now very young, looking about seven or eight, and was wearing a light green maid dress. Her eyes filled with tears as she sang, twirling and dancing at the long instrumental bits in between each verse.
Dancing bears,
Painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Once upon a December
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...
And a song someone sings,
Once upon a December
Felicia quickly looked at the group, then closed her eyes, looking like she was concentrating. When she opened them, everyone flashed to how they would have looked at that time. Arthur and Francis looked like they were knights, glaring at each other. Amelia had turned into… a Native American? Her skin and hair, now long and pin straight, had darkened, and she had war paint across her face. She was just as old and tall, buffalo hide clothing covering her body instead of her robes. Her brother, Matthew, matched her except in his style of clothing. Kiku was wearing an old haori with flowing pants, a katana strapped to his side. Wang Yao was wearing red clothing that looked regal, as if he was an emperor, and Ivan had a long ripped cloak on, a light pink scarf covering his neck and a gray hat on his head. He looked like a little kid.
The most surprising to the older countries was Germany, however. He was short and had a black outfit on, a black cap on his head. Looking very confused, he ran up to Felicia. "Italia, where are we?" Felicia's eyes filled with tears. "Holy Roma!" she shouted, jumping on him and hugging him for all it was worth.
"Italia, what is wrong? Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. She merely nodded, still crying and hugging him close. Soon realizing what she was doing, he blushed, looking away, and held her slightly, trying to comfort her.
But the magic soon wore off, and they transformed back. Now a fully-grown Felicia held a suddenly tall Ludwig's chest to her face, him still looking as he did before. Feeling a strange urge to call her Italia, and brushing it off, he looked down. "Felicia, are you alright?" When she didn't respond, he took her to their spot on the floor.
Now the Hogwarts students in their group were just sitting there, staring. Most of them were too dumbfounded to speak, and the rest just gaped.
What the bloody hell is going on here?
...~*0*~...
A/N: Yeah, so now I'm starting yet another story, and it's almost just like my other karaoke one, but I'm thinking of taking that one down. Anyone wanna adopt her? (Yes, she is a girl.)
Story: ?
I'll put that up on the story too, but just to let you know, cause if you're here, you like stories like this, sooo...
Now, if ya got any questions (like why I use so many commas), send them right here!
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