WARNINGS:
OOC-ness
Original Character(s)
Fluff later
DISCLAIMER: I don't own nuffink. Well, I don't own anything that is copyrighted. That is why I am a poor sixteen-year-old who writes fanfiction for enjoyment. If you sue me, my sister will draw you a pretty picture.
AN: I'm currently revamping what little I have because I realize it sort of sucked before. It sucks a little less now so I guess I'm happy.
Prologue
It had been a particularly uneventful summer for Harry, considering all that had happened. He spent the first two weeks of the holidays cooped up with the Dursleys who were frightened out of their wits that Dumbledore would come swooping in to turn them into rats.
The second part of the summer was spent at number twelve Grimauld Place with Ron and Hermione trying to figure out what the Order was cooking up and how to help. This usually ended up with them getting sent to clean some stuffy room or another or help Ron's mother with whatever meal was next.
All too soon, it was time to go back to school. Remus took everyone to Diagon Alley to pick up their supplies and then proceeded to usher them to Platform 9 ¾ to board the Hogwart's Express. Truth-be-told, Remus had tried to assume the now-vacant spot of Godfather to Harry in an effort to comfort the teen. Harry, however, did not need comforting. Unknown to everyone besides himself, Ron, and Hermione, the three had figured out a way to use Sirius' last gift to Harry as a liaison between the so-called astral and physical planes. They hadn't used it often because the spell was difficult and the ingredients needed were hard to come by, but it gave Harry comfort to know that Sirius wasn't gone for good. He felt sort of bad for not telling Remus, but the time wasn't right. Harry promised himself he would, someday, just not that day.
"Harry, hurry up, the train's leaving!" Hermione called from a still-open door.
Saying a last quick goodbye to Remus, he hopped on the train alongside Hermione and, after finding Ron, the three went to look for a compartment.
After a few minutes Ron groaned. "Everywhere is full!"
"Be quiet, there's only one person in this one," Hermione quickly opened a compartment door and they all slid in.
"Do you mind if we sit here?" Harry asked the girl curled up in the corner window seat.
Brushing long, dark hair from her equally dark eyes, she regarded them with quiet amusement for a moment. Shifting slightly with an athletic grace and adjusting the thick woolen blanket covering her legs, she pushed the thin, wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose and said, "Not at all," before turning back to her novel that looked as if it had been written in Phoenician. An assortment of dog-eared wizard and muggle books lay at her feet.
The three promptly shoved their luggage into the available compartments and took their seats. Ron leaned back and sighed, semi-comfortable at last.
The girl put some sort of listening device over her ears and proceeded to ignore them.
"Who do you think she is?" asked Ron once he was sure she couldn't hear them.
"She's too old to be a first-year," Harry mused, as he thought of a more suitable answer, Ron asked another question.
"What is that thing on her ears?"
"It's used to play music. I saw it in the Daily Prophet the other day," Hermione explained to Ron. "She must be a transfer student."
"Wicked, d'you think she'll be in Gryffindor?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, boys. "I don't know."
Harry, sensing some dissention in the ranks, tried to change the subject, "What is that she's reading?"
Hermione squinted. "It's an unabridged version of The Lord of the Rings in its Sindarin translation; a very popular book. I'd like to read it when I have the time," she replied matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"Oh, never mind."
Then, as it always did, the door of the compartment slid open to reveal perhaps three of Harry's nine least favorite people in the world. Namely Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Well, well, well, what have we here," the blonde smirked, eyeing the trio.
"Sod off Malfoy," Ron threw a pepper-flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean at the blemish on what he'd hoped would be an enjoyable train ride.
"Language Weasley, wouldn't want to be sent to detention on your first day back, would you?"
"That's it," Ron pointed his wand at Malfoy.
In a matter of seconds, a small jinx scuffle was well under way. Hedwig, Crookshanks, and Pig were all making a ruckus, trying vainly to escape the battlefield. Harry's glasses were broken, Hermione's hair was bright pink, Crabbe was sporting a Mohawk, and Malfoy was an interesting shade of purple with yellow polka dots. The only thing that saved the exchange student from losing her glasses was her book. It had a nice hole burned clean through the pages courtesy of Malfoy.
Upon seeing this, all participating in the small war froze as if they had been petrified.
The girl slowly removed her headphones and looked up and, after glaring the death glare to end all death glares, said very clearly and very harshly to Malfoy, "Blondie, I'm expecting you to pay for this book, I'll send you the receipt. Now," she pointed to the door, "don't do it again." When they didn't leave, she removed her glasses and sighed, "Would you please excuse us now?"
Sulking, Malfoy and his entourage did excuse themselves, but not before making a few choice snide remarks that earned them a few rude hand gestures. Apparently satisfied, mystery girl donned her listening device and, still fuming, tried to continue with her ruined book.
"I like her," Ron grinned, pointing to the new girl. "Did you see the look on Malfoy's face when she told him off?"
Harry chuckled. "Yeah."
"And by a GIRL!"
"I like her already."
The rest of the train ride happened without incident and soon they were all changing into their robes and disembarking.
As the-girl-who-told-off-Malfoy exited the compartment she waved a short goodbye and almost-smiled.
"Hey, will we be seeing you at banquet?" asked Ron.
"I suppose," she said, over her shoulder.
"Well," Hermione stated after a short awkward pause, "goodbye then."
"Goodbye."
A brief interlude later and the three Gryffindors had forgotten what's-her-face for a time because the sorting was starting. It was still rather amusing to watch all the nervous first years don the Sorting Hat and close their eyes tightly, not quite resigned to their fates. The song this year was quite amusing and was done entirely as a limerick. After "Zoinks, Patricia" became an official Ravenclaw, Dumbledore stood to make the start of term announcements.
"As always, the Forbidden Forest is off limits and please make sure to re-read the list of contraband items as Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has added quite a few over the summer," he began, "We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Miyu from Japan." The strict-looking Asian woman stood and her face melted into a smile, everyone almost immediately liked her. "We also have the pleasure of having Professor McGonagall's niece here, Miss Seraphim Fealen, who has put off studying abroad and will be aiding her Aunt in teaching a one-year class on magic theory and wandless magic." Mystery-girl stood up, mumbled a small greeting while looking rather bored, and nodded to the mass of students.
Hermione looked about to burst with excitement.
"What is it?" Harry nudged her.
"She's a mage! That's why she's helping this year, she's not an exchange student at all!" she half-exclaimed amid the polite applause.
"She's a what?"
"A mage, wandless magic, they don't use wands all the time. Sort of like Tonks except they have more mental prowess versus physical prowess. Their mental capacity is somewhat larger so their concentration level is higher. Thus, the aid of a wand in enhancing one's magical capacity is unnecessary. That's why she's so young. Mages are home schooled because they learn faster than normal witches and wizards on account of not needing a wand," she whispered fiercely.
Ron put in his two cents after eavesdropping. "Did we sign up for that class?"
"Yes we did, all sixth years are taking it," Hermione replied.
"Brilliant. This is one time I hope we double with Slytherins, it'll be great to see her tell Malfoy off for being, well, Malfoy," Ron smirked at the thought before all three turned back to Dumbledore.
"And now, let's eat."
Amid the delicacies that were the product of the Hogwarts House Elves (of whom Hermione had finally been convinced were right where they wanted to be) the obligatory new teacher discussions were taking place.
"Professor Miyu comes from Japan right? Do you think we'll learn about obake?" asked a second year.
"Probably not, those are really advanced. We might be learning about the oni though. They're like these troll things," his fellow answered.
"I'll have to suffer through a year of that female?" Malfoy sniffed, "I'm transferring classes."
"When are they handing out schedules?"
The idle chatter continued until just about everyone was full and they all made the seemingly long, weary walk to their respective common rooms.
Waiting in the Gryffindor common room was Seraphim and Professor McGonagall. "Students, I'll have you know that this year you will have a house mate. My niece will be staying in one of the extra bedrooms to keep you all in line," she glared pointedly at Harry, Ron, and, as an afterthought, Hermione. "Please treat her with respect and don't forget that classes start promptly at eight tomorrow morning. Do not be late."
Seraphim glanced over the three friends and made her way up to the girls' dormitory and, supposedly, to her room.
"Bli-mey." Ron grinned. "This day just keeps getting better and better."
Harry laughed whole-heartedly, knowing his friend was joking and that he'd never cheat on his long-time-long-distance 'I only wanted to get to know her better and then things spun out of control and oh to hell with it' girlfriend, the one and only Fleur Delacour. "I know what you mean."
Hermione, ever the sensible one, rolled her eyes. "Oh come off it. Ronald Weasly, you are taken and loving it."
Ron and Harry were stumped there and settled for shrugging and shuffling off to their respective dormitory after bidding Hermione good night.
The next morning, Ron was pleased to see, was double Theory with Slytherins. Professor McGonagall stood in the front with her niece while the class quieted down. Seraphim looked over the class with a hint of distaste obvious in her eyes. Of course, many of the students were regarding her in the same way.
"Now class," Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, "First term will concentrate on wandless magic, which I'm sure some of you have heard of. With that said, we'll begin with a review. Who can give me a good definition of what wandless magic is?"
Hermione raised her hand.
"Miss Granger?"
"Wandless magic, the preferred variety of magic for Mages, uses incantations without wands. It concentrates mental powers like telepathy and telekinesis to be used for simple spells. A very high level of understanding of a spell is required for use of wandless magic by a normal witch or wizard," she stated proudly.
"Good Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor," Seraphim half-smiled. "Now, since Miss Granger has brought it up, can anyone tell me what a Mage is?"
Ron's hand shot up this time. "It's a witch or wizard that doesn't need to use a wand!"
"That is correct, take five points," Seraphim nodded. "Now, does anyone know what characteristics define a Mage?"
Surprisingly, the hand that rose belonged to Malfoy. Seraphim called on him with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice.
"A Mage," he smirked, "has dark hair and a thin, light blue ring around their pupils. They learn magic quickly and think incantations without the need to speak them or use a wand, though they may if it pleases them. Many mages at the Ministry of Magic are invaluable as undercover Aurors because they can pose as Muggles but still use magic."
"Very good Mister Malfoy, five points."
"Now," Professor McGonagall spoke again, "for an extra five points, who can tell me the reason Seraphim is helping me with the class this year?"
Harry silently thanked Hermione and raised his hand.
"Yes, Mister Potter?"
"Because she's a Mage."
"That is correct." Professor McGonagall gave the class an almost smile surprisingly identical to Seraphim's. "Now, get out your quills and parchment because you will need these notes for the entire course."
After filling out quite a few sheets of parchment with notes on how wandless magic began and when Mages were first discovered, the students filed out of the classroom for the morning break.
Suddenly, the sound of a female cursing filled the air as Seraphim rushed out of the room exclaiming that she was late. Halfway down the hall, she shot Malfoy a rainbow hair jinx for trying to trip her.
All was right at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Aah, thank you for reading. That's half the job done, right? So if you could please clickie the little purpleish-blue box down there and leave a review to tell me what I'm doing right (or wrong), that'd be just dandy. If you liked it, let me know. If you didn't, why not? If you hate me for some unknown reason, let me know. If I should give up now, say so!
Have a great one. :tosses cookies: Ciao.