Chapter 1

The two Hogwarts contenders were welcomed back into school with cheers, and Sextus pulled Lilith to him and gave her a hard, quick kiss.

"You done good, so far, Halfpint," he said.

Lilith hugged him, hard.

"Missed you," she said. "Adam's dear because he's one of us, but he's not you."

"Huh, any one of us Stripy Marauders could lick almost any of the others," said Sextus, not without some justification. The Pepperingye Marauders, who were those of the Lower Sixth, freely acknowledged that the Stripy Marauders singly and en masse tended to outclassed them in imagination, as well as often enough in esoteric knowledge. And in a Triwizard, imagination counted for at least as much as knowledge and raw power.

"Zyrillis is very good," said Lilith. "Biirta hasn't half come on since she's been coached by Lucius."

"It's not, however, a snogging contest," said Sextus, rudely.

"Just as well; I might be starting to find grown up feelings about you but I don't want to let them out of the box just yet in case I can't shove them back in," said Lilith. "Just because I can brew contraceptive draughts doesn't mean that it's a good idea at my age to be in the position to need them. Every year of sex before your hormones settle down, which is about seventeen, increases the risk by about ten percent of cancer of the womb, and I know fixing it is a simple medical transfiguration, but why risk it anyway."

"You read too many muggle medical journals," said Sextus.

"They're interesting," said Lilith. "I like to see what parallels muggles have to magical solutions and to see where the two can be combined. I send clippings with notes to Healer Visick at St Bernard's; he finds it interesting."

"It's a good job you're a genius, Halfpint, or you'd never have time for lessons!"

"Bite your tongue! I'm only doing eight OWLs and one NEWT this year!" said Lilith, indignantly.

For Lilith, 'only' was a fair description of these endeavours, and Sextus hid a smile.

oOo

"Here, Zajala, you read that clue really carefully, didn't you?" said Gennar Malfoy-Tobak to his sister.

"You mean did I miss that he's hinting heavily that there will be runes on the ruddy potions and I'll need to bone up?" said Zajala.

"Oh good, I wondered if you'd read over that in the over-excitement of being expected to know more geomancy than you got taught at school," said Gennar.

"No, because I know Uncle Severus far too well not to expect him to be as sneaky and dangerous as a box full of pit-vipers," said Zajala. "Which being Uncle Severus he'd take as a compliment. You don't think he picked my weak subjects do you, on purpose because he knows me?"

"He knows most of the contenders," said Gennar. "And no, he's not playing to Lilith's strengths either. Though I shouldn't put it past him to have picked Geomancy because she's studying it to OWL this year so in theory it's a weakness of hers."

Zajala brightened.

"Yes, I know he wouldn't play to her strengths. But that is comforting that he's aiming hard things at her. Not that it'll stop her, I strongly suspect Lils could pass a Geomancy NEWT."

"She just absorbs everything anyone discusses," said Gennar. "We're all tremendously proud of her in our Marauder group, you know."

"Well she is rather a sweetie," said Zajala. "I say, have you lot covered liquid portkeys and if so, can you point me to the right shelf in the library? I need a way to give myself an advantage if the runes hold me up, though I'll need to know the ingredients."

"You're a good enough potioneer, learn them by heart by sight and smell, then the ruddy runes won't matter because you can take the caps off and tell," said Gennar.

"Good point," said Zajala. "Hey, is Sextus jealous of the new boy, Adam?"

"Yes, and no," said Gennar. "He's jealous of him going along with Lilith, but glad there's someone who can. Because he knows he's Lilith's only choice, you know. And with the Blood Group you can't help but know."

"Sometimes I wish I'd joined it and sometimes I'm glad I didn't," said Zajala. "How would you feel if I went out with Nigel Baddock?"

"It's none of my business, sis," said Gennar. "But if you feel ok about him, go for it. He's much improved since Sev did a job on that imbalance in his head. I'm not sure he's Blood Group material so it's as well you ain't in, though of course the future might change that for both of you. His sister is in. Mind, it's not so much the going out with Baddock that's the problem as the staying in with him; getting pregnant is not a wise move until you've cleared school."

Gennar had to swap his hands and ears back for this imputation on his sister, which was no hardship as switching spells were the speciality of the Stripy Marauders on the whole.

oOo

Kevin Slugworthy was happy, as Madam Bacso had spoken to him while the excitements were going on, asking if he was still interested in a post teaching Art in Durmstrang when he left school. Kevin was well aware that it was partly an excuse for her to assess him, to see if she wanted him in her school, and was glad of the German lessons Lilith had given him. He answered honestly that he was looking forward to it, and to teaching an enthusiastic class to ZP. He asked if there would be the chance to do the odd ZH – and he was pleased that he had recalled the OWL and NEWT equivalents – alongside teaching, and Madam Bacso had said that she was happy to be flexible, so long as he did not mind studying beside any seniors who might want to take his class. Kevin had shrugged.

"It's my expertise in art they'd be wanting me to teach them with, not any subjects I study alongside, and that isn't going to change, is it?" he had said. Agata had been pleased with this phlegmatic answer; this was a youth who was not going to become exercised over his age and over studying and teaching at the same time. It must be the English; Jade had taken it in her stride as well.

Agata had smiled approval and told Kevin that as he would be a colleague in a few months, he might as well use her first name as her other teachers did. Kevin felt like an adult for the first time!

oOoOo

In the Schloss Adler, Magda hugged Biirta.

"I never thought you'd be chosen over Gunnar!" she said.

"Glad she was," said Gunnar. "Bringing the cows home is one thing, but I'd never have thought of poisoning an erumpent a little bit with herbs. I'd have used the cushioning charm and been way down. And I know nothing about Geomancy."

"I know how to make a portkey," said Biirta, "And a bit about maps, because Lucius showed me, because of transporting horses. And I've been studying towards doing our Apparating licences. I half considered a liquid portkey because I am half decent with potions, but I think using runes to open a gate will be better."

"And I know nothing about runes, either," said Gunnar. "I might have been able to make a liquid portkey now you've told me that's what he meant about ingredients for travelling, but I'd never even heard of one. The Goblet picked the right person, Magda, when it chose Bii."

"Thanks, Gunnar, that's generous," said Biirta.

"Why had the Russian headmaster got hooves?" demanded Kristel.

Biirta and the rest waxed indignant in outlining the perfidy of Sergei Dolokhov, and how the schoolchildren had combined to curse him thoroughly.

"Are you allowed to DO that to a teacher?" asked Friedrich, anxiously. "I mean, it's a marvellous idea and I wish I'd been there to help, but…"

"I don't care, I wish I could have helped too!" said Kristel.

"Well we haven't got into trouble," said Biirta. "I don't think he dared complain in case our own heads did something worse to him. I expect we're all on death lists though," she added cheerfully.

"Oh Bii! How awful!" said Magda.

"Oh, I don't know," said Biirta. "Can you think of a better person on whose death list to be? I reckon if I can hack off a racist enough for him to want to kill me, I must be doing something right."

"You're insane," said Magda. Biirta shrugged.

"We already established that over my enjoyment of word games with Lucius," she said, "and by the way, there's a pile of small people waiting patiently for me to catch up on my duties as head girl, I really had better see what they want."

The pile of small people were uninterested in Biirta's role as head girl and wanted her autograph in her role as their school Triwizard champion.

"And we First Eagle Marauders can catch you up to speed on Geomancy too," said Ulvik. "Ria has place sense, which doesn't help you much but several of us been studying it as an option since we got here, partly because we wanted to make Marauding Maps and partly just because we didn't want to neglect anything."

"Well, I won't say no," said Biirta. "I need to look stuff up, but any pointers on what I ought to be looking for would be helpful. I was thinking of using apparating and a gate."

Ulvik and friends studied the maps.

"Oh, that's easy enough," said Ria, "and you don't need place sense, just an awful lot of Arithmancy. You're good at Arithmancy, aren't you, Biirta?"

"Yes, fortunately," said Biirta. "Oh, so I can use Arithmancy on the gate and just use the runes to open it?"

"Can't see a problem," said Ulvik. "I reckon any two of us could chant open a gate using this information, but being elderly and knowing more runes, you should find it child's play."

Biirta accepted that to thirteen-year-olds she was moderately elderly, and reflected that the First Eagle Marauders were actually the same age as Lilith Snape, who was two years ahead of her chronological age at school. And, at that, only a year younger than Harry Potter had been when he was joint champion.

It would be nice to dream of being joint champion with Lilith, but Biirta had a strong suspicion that if anyone managed that, it would be Zyrillis.

Biirta did have one visitor to her office who was not there as a fan.

"Biirta, I know you like Magda, but you ought to know what she's been up to," said Wilga gan Heran.

"What are you on about, now?" said Biirta, irritably.

Wilga stood on one leg.

"Well, she's been slutting around with a goblin or half goblin, and over the holidays she must have given birth," said Wilga.

"Wilga, who has told you such lies?" said Biirta. "I spent most of the holidays with Magda, and I assure you, if she had been pregnant, I would have noticed. And besides, after the rape she suffered at the hands of the orphanage director, as a lot of the older girls did who were at all good looking, er, slutting around as you so nastily put it would be the last thing she'd want to do. Spreading tales of such a wicked nature is not at all proper."

Wilga stared.

"But I've seen her with a pair of plainly part human babies and telling them that mama will take care of them!" she said.

"Oh Wilga! You are a poor prune," laughed Biirta. "Well, I'm glad you came to me and didn't spread that about – you haven't have you?" she asked fiercely.

Wilga shook her head. It was only because the others her own age would not listen to her, but she had not had a chance to tell her story, since the moment she said 'I know something about Magda' she had been firmly sat on.

Biirta nodded relieved.

"I don't see why she would call herself mama if they weren't hers," said Wilga, stubbornly.

"The twins were born to someone for whom Magda's betrothed husband feels a responsibility towards, as a dependent," said Biirta, levelly, "and he wanted to adopt them. And Magda, very nobly, agreed to know the babies from the word go. They have a nurse most of the time, but she spends time with them, because it will make it easier for them not to meet her as a stranger in a few months time."

"Magda is going to marry a goblin?" gasped Wilga. "Is it someone else in your class?"

"Wilga, it's none of your business who Magda is going to marry; she has the full approval of her guardian, Herzog Von Frettchen, which is the main thing. Her betrothed husband's father having been at school with Von Frettchen," Biirta added. If the brat could manage to add that up, it should tell her that Magda was marrying someone eligible for Durmstrang.

"So one of the pure bloods poked a goblin woman and the Duke reckons a half-breed is good enough for a poor relation?" said Wilga.

Biirta raised her hand to slap the girl and fought with herself to lower her hand as Wilga cringed.

"Wilga, you are a nasty little racist to care, but for your information, Magda's betrothed husband also went to Durmstrang. SOME aristocrats have a sense of responsibility towards those who are feudally connected to them, you know. And as this particular dependent is not capable of caring for her babies, who are NOT, by the way, the offspring of Magda's betrothed, before you start formulating that nasty little idea in your nasty and prurient little head, since there are people who do things just because they are decent people, not creeps, there's a word for it which is 'altruism', where was I?"

"Giving me a lecture on noble aristocrats," said Wilga, sulkily, in as sarcastic a voice as she dared.

"Oh yes," said Biirta, "because despite the many creeps out there, there are decent people, and Ritter is one of them. And he could not bear to see the babies just dumped in the orphanage, because he's soft hearted, as is Magda. And that's the story, it's not the full story because you have no need to know about the actual mother of the children. Now, since you have not spread this, and have only irritated me by having a nasty mind, I will only expect you to look up 'altruism' in the dictionary and write it out once. I have no idea where you can have started to formulate your quite filthy ideas, but if it's from your home life, and you ever want to tell me about anyone doing to you anything you don't like, I'm ready to listen."

Wilga scowled.

"They wouldn't dare! But people are creeps, I've seen plenty, it's my da who owns the brothel, and I've seen how people behave!"

"Oh," said Biirta. "Well if your father has let you see that rather seamy life, I'm not surprised you have a rather poor opinion of people. I can't begin to express how much people like your father, who sell misery, and who can't even keep his daughter from knowing about it, anger me. I'd like you to read the definition, but I shan't require you to write it out. I shall require you to be my fag, and your duties will be to talk to me about all the bad things you've seen, and we'll see if we can't help you find out that the people you've seen are not the norm."

"Da says everyone wants sex, or they wouldn't pay for it," said Wilga.

"Your Da only sells sex to those sad creeps who can't get sex for free," said Biirta, dryly. "Most people meet someone of the opposite sex, there is attraction, and a relationship is formed. I'm sorry that you've only seen the worst side of people; at least you should have learned that the shits, er, I mean creeps, in life are equally likely to be goblins as humans."

"And everyone despises half-breeds, it's why they have to be prostitutes," said Wilga.

"Not any more," said Biirta. "Have you learned nothing from how well the part goblins here are doing, with the chance to be anything they want?"

"Well, most don't get that opportunity," said Wilga, sulkily.

"Not yet, you poor prune; but they will. Friends of the Junior Head are setting up schools all over the place, as soon as there are educated people ready to teach," said Biirta. "Things are changing, and your father, I fear, is one who exploits those poor girls and makes them slaves because right now there are few choices."

Wilga burst into tears.

"Da takes care of them, he says so!" she stormed. "Gets them potions to stop them getting pregnant! He gets rid of any babies of girls who come to him pregnant too, and gives them jobs!"

"Well, if those abortions are not the will of the unfortunate mothers, I fear you've just pointed out that he's guilty of murder," said Biirta.

Wilga stared.

"Well who would want to keep a bastard?" she said.

"Enough people that there are bright, clever children like Mava Sternschein, who may well be a Triwizard champion of the future, and whatever she does will have a great future ahead of her," said Biirta. "Also my friend Ktell. Whose friendship I value. If their mothers hadn't been brave enough to keep them they would not be the excellent people they are. Now think about it, and we'll talk more on… your light prep night should be Wednesday. Run along!"

Wilga ran.

So many people seemed to think she was nasty, and Biirta, was often cross with her, but other people seemed to like Biirta, who was really rather admirable, but seemed to think she had odd ideas. But it was the way it was, Da said so! At least she wasn't in too much trouble for getting it wrong again, though she was not sure why. Perhaps Biirta would explain more on Wednesday. And it was an honour to fag for the Head Girl, so she could boast about that, and have the others in her class know she was worth something!

Biirta sighed, and went directly to Wulf's office; it was something the Heads needed to know informally and off the record.

Wulf listened, and nodded.

"I'll leave it in your capable hands, my dear," he said. "You are an asset as a Head Girl, and if you can help this unfortunate child to be less of a, er, little tick, that would be an amazing legacy to the school. Like David Fraser, who also turned around a child who had odd ideas, who went on himself to be joint Triwizard winner and an Auror – Lionel Dell."

"I can't see Wilga as a Vehmgericht," said Biirta, bluntly.

"Perhaps not; but maybe she may leave school determined to help others rather than using her education to further her father's prostitution empire," said Wulf, dryly.

It was something to hope for.

oOoOo

Zyrillis had to put up with the Jade Fag Marauders singing "Sig HEIL! HEIL! Right in der Fuhrer's face!" since somebody at the Gardening Fest had unwisely introduced them to Donald Duck's role in wartime propaganda after a discussion over the use of Babbity Rabbit against racists, and they thought it was funnier than songs about heroes. They had roped in the Musical Marauders, who had muttered that they had too Other Plans, the Defending Marauders and the children of the first who hoped to Maraud.

"Brats," Zyrillis said.

"You could win this," said Elfleda, giving him a quick, shy hug. He had fagged for her big sister, and Elfleda, informally, considered herself Zyrillis' fag.

His face softened. Traudl had been kind to him in her guarded, offhand way even before Jade had helped her to blossom, and caring for her little sister was something he took seriously.

Not that any of the Jade Fag Marauders needed a lot of taking care of.

"Well, I do have an advantage over previous Durmstrang champions in having learned Geomancy formally, and I can throw around terms like extrinsic translocation by precision," he said. "I was planning on using a mix of apparating and nodal shift, just because I can."

"And it should score fairly well for being swanky," said Kjell. "I BET those two places are on nodes for people who can figure it out, you need to get maps out of the library to check."

"VERY good point," said Zyrillis.

"And don't forget chanting if all else fails," said Sigismund, determined that his group of Marauders would not be left out.

"And patterns," said Zoltan. "Yrdl did some cool ones, didn't she?"

"I'll stick to what I know best," said Zyrillis. "Runes I can manipulate, and languages dead enough to have whiskers on them, but I haven't time to learn a new skillset, young Zoltan. You'll be in age for the next one, you know."

Zoltan grinned.

"I know," he said.

oOo

Alexand Amsel was glad to get back to the castle; he was aware that he did not, as Head Boy, have his finger on the pulse of Durmstrang as thoroughly as had Zlatko; and nor did the little ones repose as much confidence in him. Alexand had not one jealous bone in his body, but he did envy Zlatko his easy manner with any age group. However, because he DID find it harder, Alexand was determined to make up for being out of the castle for a week by swapping prep times with various other prefects, and seeing each class at least once over the ensuing week, even though it meant he might have to work harder to catch up his own set work.

As it happened, the lower school were enough in awe of him not to rag him; Alexand was a fair and even-handed disciplinarian, who listened always to both sides of any dispute, and generally set almost identical lines on the grounds that most arguments took two to make. If it was a case of bullying, he was clearsighted enough to see it, as first year Helmut Nachteule found out when trying to bully Dimitar Zhikov, who rather did have 'victim' written on him, despite the incipient marauders of the year keeping Dimitar out of the way of his bullying cousin Penka Gieogieva.

Alexand found Dimitar unwilling to explain, and Helmut full of how the low-born Bulgarian had started it, and had asked for witnesses.

"Nobody is going to sneak," said Helmut hastily, glowering at the class.

"I am," said Klarisza, "Because reporting a bully isn't sneaking, and Nachteule started it by pinching Dimitar and telling him to sit somewhere else where decent Germans couldn't see him."

"You will regret that, Hungarian trash!" howled Helmut. "You see how these foreigners hang together, Amsel?"

"I doubt she will regret it, you nasty little racist," said Alexand. "The Toths hang out with people like the Snapes, and they start school knowing more jinxes than Voldemort or Gerhardt left with. I'll have ten repetitions of… 'the tongue that swelled'," he named a wizarding nursery rhyme about a child who told lies and whose tongue was cursed to swell with every lie. "In your best handwriting."

"I don't have to do it," said Helmut.

"Actually, yes you do," said Alexand. "As head boy, I stand as a representative of the headmistress; so unless you would like to explain to her that you consider her to be Hungarian trash, I suggest you obey. Oh, and I'm not German. I'm Austrian."

It had nipped something in the bud because Alexand had spread to his fellow prefects that there was a foolish fellow trying to drag up the Germans versus the rest crap that Jade Von Strang und Luytens and Zhanargul Nurtazin had stepped on so thoroughly a few years back with Friedrich Steiner. The other prefects were grimly determined that this would not happen again.

It was Vighard who noticed how ill Valda Schutzstab was looking, however; and reported it to the other blooded before even considering going to Alexand.

"Oh dear," said Xanthe, "I thought she'd more or less accepted the life debt thing. I'll talk to her."

Valda was recalcitrant when Xanthe summoned her to her privileged prefect bedroom and study.

"My father says I can ignore a life debt, and that I don't need to be beholden to anyone," she said.

"Well as I recall, we established last year that your opinion of your father was not high, and that you didn't think he loved you anyway; so his view matters to you why?" said Xanthe.

Valda could not produce a valid excuse, and Xanthe firmly legilimensed her, and made a noise of disgust.

"Your father caught you writing to Adelard, because it helps to keep contact, and told you that you could do better for yourself, and twisted your arm until you promised not to do it again? What sort of idiot is he? Adelard is very well connected, and a life debt is a life debt."

"But I p-promised because I wanted the pain to stop," said Valda.

"A promise extracted under duress doesn't count," said Xanthe. "Your father isn't the one being made ill by ignoring the life debt. It's a measure of your resilience, kiddy, that you're not in hospital. Look, you write to Adelard right now, and tell him everything; and I'll see the Head to arrange a custody order for you from the school as your parents aren't acting in your best interests. The Ministry will have no qualms about granting that over some dippy parent refusing to let their brat acknowledge a life debt, it really is that big a deal. And then as your guardian, the Kaiserin, er, I mean Frau Bacso, will arrange a betrothal between you and Adelard Loënzahn so that ties you closer, so you suffer less. Will that help?"

Valda nodded.

"I wish my father was dead!" she said.

"Extreme, but I can understand that," said Xanthe. "Now, you sit and write and you'll start to feel better almost immediately."

Valda nodded.

She was starting to feel better already with the intention of writing.

Xanthe left her to it, and went to see Agata, who listened to the tale with world weary cynicism.

"Severus Snape reckons that all children would be fine if they had no parents," she said, "and at times I find myself agreeing with him. I will put in a deposition on the child's behalf as soon as I have written to her father to demand to know why he is not permitting his daughter to acknowledge a life debt, thereby jeopardising her health and education. I anticipate that his reply will be sufficient grounds to move for a removal of her from his care. Valda has to be willing; is she?"

"She wishes he was dead," said Xanthe, dryly. "Poor brat, she hasn't much of a home life, I don't think."

"Well, maybe she can spend some of the holidays with Adelard's parents if they agree," said Agata. "If not, the Marauders will just have to step up to the mark."

"It's what Marauders are for," agreed Xanthe.

The Musical Marauders considered that Marauders were also for playing japes, and that the returning Heroes of Durmstrang needed reminding that they had the support of the lower school. Transfiguring enough vaguely tubular objects into heraldic trumpets was easy enough – being tubular in the first place made the subsequent enchantment easier – and designing banners for each of those who had gone was a little challenging. The Musical Marauders put the names on as well, in case any of the Sixth were dense enough to miss their symbolic representations, or else were Harald Trollkettil which came to the same thing.

It had taken them all the time the heroes were away and most of the next week to complete, on the Snapian principle that Right was Right, and the pattern magic had to be spot on.

Consequently the sixteen trumps marched in, banners flowing behind them, the cones for feet, and raised in a flurry to play a fanfare. Being Marauders, the fanfare was 'Fanfare for the Common Man' by the muggle composer Aaron Copland; and also being Marauders it had more of the Emerson, Lake and Palmer version to it with more than a hint of swingtime. The trumpets flew through the air to range behind the appropriate hero, and the corvus-helmed suit of armour performed the percussion upon his chest with his mailed fist. As he stood behind Agata, this was also a tribute to her for taking the team.

"To what did we owe this noisy interlude?" asked Agata, who was now sufficiently inured to Marauders to turn not one hair, nor even consider it as naughtiness.

"We got behind in our greeting to the team, sorry," said Sigismund. "Only having started we thought we'd finish, on account of how it seemed a shame to waste the efforts we had so far."

"I see," said Agata. "An excellent tribute albeit tardy. Now get rid of them."

The Musical Marauders did so, and the flight of trumpets streamed out of the hall almost decorously playing another Emerson, Lake and Palmer number 'Lucky Man' which had Xanthe raise an eyebrow over the irony therein.

They might be noisy, but they did have style!