PHILOLOGUS by P.P.V.V.

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. All original characters/ideas are mine to claim.

AN: Thanks to all the reviewers! I'm glad to see that people read and like the ideas. The Philologi will make sense as the story unravels. That said,

Onward.


CHAPTER 2

- Confrontations -

James entered his classroom, tapping the sword that hung by his hip absently as his eyes took in the rest of the students. They were 6 all together, lounging around the room on the stuffed armchairs, awaiting the teacher's arrival.

"Ah, Sir James, we thought you were off gallivanting somewhere." Amos Diggory said, getting up. His yellow cloak fell just inches short of the floor.

"I was called to evaluate a new student." James said, nonchalantly. "She was elevated to three stripes already."

That got his classmates' attentions. "On her first day?" Amos asked, surprised.

"I judged it for none as always, but apparently, the Professors did not care to agree." He sat down in his own chair, smoothing back his hair.

"She must be a remarkable student to have earned three stripes. But I'm sure that she won't get any further." Lucius remarked, tweaking the armrest to his chair, sounding smug. "Those who seek power often have their vision clouded by folly. I do believe, Sir James, that you started the same?"

James took the snide comment in stride. "Sir Lucius, you honor me with the memory."

Narrowing his eyes, Lucius bared his teeth only slightly, before turning away. "What House does she belong to?" Amos put in eagerly, before the tension in the air could get any thicker. He was the type who wanted to know the details that went on in the Castle grounds so that he could stay one step ahead of everything.

James closed his eyes, resting his head against the cushion behind him. "The Lady wore no stripes when we met so I saw no House Colors. I'm certain we'll hear more of her after the assembly though."

"What was her name?" Lorien Sanchez asked. He was standing by the window, looking out at the sky overhead and did not turn around. He was a kind gentleman, not one to talk, but one who listened intently. That he voiced a question was enough to show how upsetting the news must have been to him.

James had no trouble remembering it. "Lily Evans."

"Evans?" Dane Mactavish echoed. He wore a dark blue cape that matched his eyes which were of a lighter shade. His long, black hair was tied back with a piece of ribbon, giving him the air of a true noble. He was as tall as Lucius, and just as sinister-looking. Some mistook him to be a mean-spirited man but in actuality, he was just as kind as Lorien. "I have not heard of that name – is she of noble birth?"

James shrugged, and was about to say more when Professor Tibbald entered, carrying with him a load of books. "Good to see you are all present." He said in his deep voice once all the men had risen to their feet and bowed. "I know it's a beautiful day, but Philologus Elites do not have the time to slack off. At the end of this year, some of you may be chosen to become Philologus and I sincerely hope that we will have a good selection this year, as last year no one was recruited." He walked around to his desk and put down his burden. "We shall start by reciting the History of Cobalt that was assigned the other day. Who would like to start?"

When no one answered, Professor Tibbald called on the first person he saw. "Sir Severus. Would you care?"

Severus Snape, the last current candidate stood abruptly. His green cape latched onto the armrest and made him stumble momentarily. The others smirked at his clumsiness, and he struggled for a moment to unleash himself before gathering his composure. Unlike the others, Severus was a silent and foreboding creature, who never strayed from his goals and kept going with a merciless urgency. He was dark: everything from his short greasy hair, down to his polished black boots. His eyes (when they could be seen) were like small, dark rhinestones and his voice cold. It sent shivers down James' spine as the man rehearsed each event in the text without hesitation.

Pleased, Professor Tibbald continued with his lecture, calling upon each student randomly during the hour. Each responded smartly and with quick ease. James, however, could not seem to be able to keep up. His mind kept wandering back toward that girl. "Sir James, I hope you are taking your studies seriously." Professor Tibbald scolded when James hesitated for the fourth time when called to answer a question.

"I'm sorry sir." He muttered. "I am preoccupied…"

"Pay attention. You are supposed to be a model student. If you cannot concentrate now, you will not be able to help run any land in the future." That caused a ripple of snickers that caused James to stare at his feet in shame. "I expect better from you tomorrow."

"Yes, Professor."

"Then, class is dismissed." Said Professor Tibbald. He gave them their homework and they packed up to get something to eat. Unlike the other students, they were served breakfast in a different dining area at a different time.

Their dining hall was large and furnished simply with eight small round tables, each spread apart in the middle of a collection of varying pieces of art and books from which the Elites could choose to read and study while they ate. The room was meant to allow them some free time to finish some of the workload that usually piled high throughout the course of the day, without seeming rude by bringing a book to the table.

Severus went straight to his table and opened his history books, as did Lorien and Dane. Lucius and Amos wandered the bookshelves for some light reading while James deposited his book bag in an empty seat and ate his meal with vigor. He could not be like the others, who were so diligent and studious. His head had already begun to hurt from that morning alone.

Once his meal was done, however, he reluctantly pulled his own History text open and began to read. It would not do to be embarrassed like that again during the lesson. Professor Tibbald would most definitely call his name first after today's incident. But no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on the words in front of him, he could not help but dwell on the encounter he had had earlier that morning.

Frustrated, he closed his book again and made to leave. History was never his best subject. All heads turned to face him. "Where are you going?" Dane asked, looking up from his own text.

"Out." James answered, vaguely. He wanted to go somewhere relaxing; he couldn't stand the tense atmosphere or the pressure that he felt whenever he was around these people. Not looking back, he made his way out, his red cape flapping behind him.

A few other students littered the hallway, on their way to their own classes. When he passed them, they stopped and gave him small bows and curtsies, but he took no notice of them. He headed instead toward the drawing room again, where he liked to stay because it was nice and quiet and allowed him to think.

He stopped in his tracks however, when he saw her.

She was standing at the end of the hallway, her friends surrounding her. "Three stripes already, Lady Lily?" One, whom he recognized as Alice Bailey, was asking in awe, "Whatever did you do to earn them?"

Lily glanced down at the gold and red stripes that now adorned her uniform at her right breast. "I didn't really do anything…" She started to say, but Patricia was already asking her another question. "Who assessed you?"

Now that made her think, and she tilted her head slightly, her pretty face puckered. "Well…I wasn't assessed by anyone, now that I think on it." She said.

Her friends glanced at each other incredulously. "Not assessed?"

"Well, there was this boy…" Lily said, feeling her anger spark again just at the memory. "And he deemed me unworthy of a single stripe."

The girls looked at each other again, worried. "A Philologus Elite? What was his name?"

Sourly, Lily responded. "James Potter. He's such an arrogant, self-absorbed, ill-mannered brute. I don't see how someone like him could possibly become a Philologus Elite with an attitude like that…" She trailed off as her friends were nervously nudging her to keep it down and when she looked up, she saw why.

James stepped forward, gathering his cape around him, fisting it in his right hand and arranging his sword in a more comfortable position on his hip as he bowed. "Good morning, ladies." His voice was deep and cool as he surveyed them.

Lily stood stiffly as the rest of her friends giggled nervously and curtsied in response. "Sir James! How are you?" Marie greeted.
"I'm fine, my Lady." He sounded so cheerful that if he had heard anything that Lily had had to say, he did not show it. He looked her right in the eye before turning to the rest of the girls. "You all look so very lovely today. I hope I didn't interrupt something important?"

Kayln, Patricia, Marie and Alice all blushed different shades of red, while Florence seemed completely stunned with the way she stared at him in wonder. "No! Nothing!" Florence squeaked, and when James turned his disarming smile on her, she looked near to fainting. Now, all of a sudden, Dumbledore's words from that morning made a lot more sense to Lily (though, she couldn't for the life of her, understand why someone would be head over heels for the likes of him.)

"Where are you off to, Sir James?" Kalyn asked, quickly, hoping that he hadn't heard Lily's insulting comments just moment before.

He rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. "The drawing room. I've much to study. I hope you are all doing well in yours?"

It was meaningless chatter in Lily's opinion. The girls nodded, like a bunch of chickens looking for their food. She didn't have the chance to get angry over the thought though, because James was addressing her. "Lady Lily, how good to see you again."

She wanted to hit him, the pig. Instead, she nodded curtly and did not reply for fear of saying something extremely rude. He flashed her a knowing smile, and continued, "Might I offer you my congratulations? I hear you received three stripes."

Lily forced herself to sound civil and just as rigidly polite as everyone else. "The superiors were generous. I've no doubt, good sir, that you also received such an honor – you are, after all, a Philologus Elite." At his loss for words, she knew she had hit a chord, and they shared a very brief, secret, glare before he bowed again slightly.

"My Lady expects too much from me. I'm afraid I will never live up to your standards." It unnerved her that he had brushed off her challenge so smoothly that she almost felt guilty for the way she was acting. She never relented though, saying, "You're right: I will set my expectations for you at a much lower level. Perhaps then, good sir, you will live up to something." She sank into a deep, mocking curtsy then as she heard stifled gasps come from her friends' lips. "Good day." She met his eyes confidently, smiling sweetly.

His smile that he returned looked strained. "Yes, good day." He nodded toward the other girls who stood there with their hands over their mouths in shock. "Ladies, if you will excuse me." He gave them no time to acknowledge him but continued down the hallway toward his destination, bristling.

So Lady Lily had some fire to her. She would not be an easy opponent, he knew, and he was worried that she would somehow drag him down. He had worked for years to get to the position that he was in now – as a Seventh Year, he had finally received the highest honor that he had sought since, and he wasn't about to let it fall through his fingers because of some…girl.

She was pretty though, he found. Despite her coldness, he liked the way her eyes flashed when she was angry. The way she did not back down or fawn over him as most girls did was a fresh and welcome change.

Lily may not have had the refined courtesies like the others, but he liked that about her too. Sometimes, the stiff politeness of the students were such a pain, that hearing someone talk so freely in 'common tongue' was amusing.

She was a Gryffindor, he noticed, because of the colors of her stripes. He had worn those same stripes in 10 pins just last year, but he had to admit that for someone to achieve three stripes on their first day, she must have impressed the superiors somehow. It can't have been money or status – the school never favored their students in that way. If anything, the school only took pride in one thing: academics. And she did seem rather intelligent…

He grit his teeth and mentally berated himself – what was he doing, dwelling over some girl! He found that going to the drawing room would only bring back memories from earlier that day so he turned his course and moved up toward the Gryffindor Tower.

0-0-0-0-0

So she had behaved badly…

She hated the way he had so calmly accepted her insult because it made her feel like the enemy. Unfortunately, her friends and she did not have the chance to speak again because the door by which they had been queuing, suddenly opened and they were let inside.

Professor Laarni was the perfect picture of a Lady, a figure that was looked up to and admired by her students, from what Lily could tell. She was tall and beautiful, her sand brown hair twisted into an elegant bun atop her head. She wore a simple robe, blue in color, the bottoms of it trailing the floor when she walked. The whole class seemed to dote on her and when she made Lily's acquaintance, Lily liked her immediately. She taught the subject of Science, and the three hours of class were split into Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

During their break, her friends crowded around her. "Sir James really is a nice creature, once you get to know him." Patricia said. "He may seem a bit arrogant at first, but…you have to give him a chance."

"He never gave me one." Lily said, straightening her pages and putting down her quill.

"But you don't want to make enemies with him, do you?" Alice sounded frightened.

Kalyn patted her arm. "Oh dear, it looks like she already has. If it makes you feel any better, he started me off without any stripes as well." Lily did smile at that, bottling up her feelings lest she get into an argument with them too. She didn't want to seem like an arrogant know-it-all. "Don't let it get you down, and if you don't like him, try your best to avoid him, that's all."

"That will be hard to do," Florence interrupted, "She may bump into him in the Tower."

That nearly caused Lily to drop her inkwell. "He's a Gryffindor too?"

"Of course, silly." Said Marie, scratching away at something on her parchment. "Did you not see the House Colors?"

House Colors?

"His cape." She supplied, when Lily gave her a blank look. "Anyway, your chances of bumping into him often are very slim as he most probably is avoiding you now too." She grinned. "You were rather harsh."

Lily grinned back. "Subtle, but not harsh." She corrected. "Sometimes, even the top must come down."

"I just hope that he doesn't give you trouble." Alice said. "He was a Marauder, you know…"

But before Lily could ask what a Marauder was, she felt someone bump into her, causing all her pages that she had stacked neatly a moment ago to fall onto the floor. Turning to see who it had been, she looked up to see two of the most gorgeous girls she had ever laid eyes on staring at her. "We're so very sorry." The first sneered, her waist long blond hair was tied back with a swath of ribbon. The nine stripes she wore at her breast were colored in green and silver. Lily had the distinct impression that this woman was in no way sorry for what she had done.

The other girl standing next to her wore eight stripes in the same colors, but was taller and had long black hair and heavy-lidded eyes. She too, was smirking. They moved off though, as Professor Laarni moved to the front of the class again.

Lily's friends were scowling as they hurried back to their seats once they had helped her to pick up her pages again. "Who were they?" She asked in a whisper, taking a glance at the two again over her shoulder.

"Those are the Black Sisters." Kalyn whispered back, handing her the last of the sheets. "They're the only Ladies in the school with stripes so high in ranking. They think they are everything!"

"They're positively horrid." Alice agreed, disgust heavy in her voice. "That Narcissa Black is dating one of the Elites so she uses that fact to her leverage. A most disagreeable creature as any, she is – try not to get on her bad side, Lady Lily."

Lily stole another glance at them and nodded. "I won't." At least, I'll try not to, she thought, as her friends moved back toward their seats. It was only her first day, and already she felt as though she had made more enemies than she would have liked.

Her mother's image came into her mind, and she picked up her quill again, channeling her focus back onto the lesson at hand.

I won't give up…

0-0-0-0-0

It was during the Branch Session that Lily met with an accident. The Gryffindors of all years and stripes had come together in the same room to study The Arts right before lunch time.

Everyone seemed to know everyone, she realized, and she was glad for the company of her friends or else she'd have felt very shy indeed.

They were split into groups, according to Stripes and Years, so that meant she was separated from them anyway as she found the rest of the Sixth Year students who were at her level of learning. It was a small class of 8 people, with one other girl other than herself present.

The lesson was about painting that day, and the procedure on how to mix the colors and bring the photo to life. It looked like it was easy – Professor Fenns sure made it look that way – but it was easier said than done. The paint always seemed to harden so that mixing was impossible.

Lily looked around at the others, who were vigorously mixing at their palettes and was glad to note that she wasn't the only one who was having trouble with it.

"Dun see how this is gon'help us in teh future." A big, burly man grumbled, as he bent over his task. He was bigger than normal, towering over all of them easily both in height and in width. Lily wondered how he could fit in the uniform at all, and decided that it had probably been specially made. A thick, bushy beard lined his jaw and his hair was a mess of frizzy brown curls. His face looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to it and it had never fully healed.

"A cultured hand can move a country, Sir Rubeus." Professor Fenns chided. Everyone jumped as Rubeus' paintbrush broke in half, and the boy sighed in dismay.

"I ain't never ter become no Elite."

"Nonsense! Everyone has a chance. Why, you have come this far already. I'm sure you will gain yourself another stripe real soon." The Professor said.

That seemed to cheer Rubeus up.

"A beast like that, an Elite?" Lily heard the girl tittering.

She ignored the comment and leaned over. "Sir Rubeus, was it? I'm Lily Evans." Rubeus turned to look at her, and when he did, she saw that he was not someone to be frightened of. She smiled encouragingly. "Would you like to borrow a paint brush of mine?" As she spoke, she rummaged through her bag and took out a spare one, handing it to him.

He seemed a bit confused as he took it from her, but then broke into a wide grin. "Thank'ye!" he said, eagerly. "I'll be sure not ter break it."

For the rest of the class, Lily and Rubeus chatted. At first, it was hard to understand his speech, but she got used to it. She found out a great deal more about the school and its expectations. "Me dad and mum went ter this school." He said proudly, turning to get a fresh can of paint after he had spoiled his third one in a row, "They wanted me ter go too, but I dun think I'll ever be like 'em."

Lily dipped her paintbrush into the red color that she had successfully mixed properly and made a streak on her page, experimentally. Unfortunately, it did not come out as well as she thought it would. "You shouldn't try to be anyone else but yourself, sir."

"Yeh can call me Hagrid." He said. "All me friends do. I ain't one for high names and such."

She faltered for a moment and nodded. "Okay, Hagrid." He gave her a toothy grin before going back to his mixing.

By the end of the class, Lily had only managed to mix three colors, while the rest of the class managed at least one. Perhaps painting was not such a breeze after all. They were assigned to read several pages of text to help them better their mixing in the next class, and were dismissed.

As they stood up to leave, Hagrid tripped over something and knocked into her, making her stumble back. An earsplitting crack was heard as the two of them tumbled over each other and onto her easel, which broke. She cried out as they fell, and managed to roll out of the way before Hagrid could crush her beneath him. She groaned from the pain, wanting to curl up. Her dress was splattered with paint and splinters, as well as dust. Coughing, she tried to take in a breath, but she found it hard to do so because the wind had been knocked out of her and her body seemed to be in shock.

She felt someone grab her arm and yank her to her feet, and she gasped at the fresh pain. She glanced up to see hazel eyes staring down at her, and she wondered whether she had hit her head hard because the rest of his face was blurring. "Are you all right?" He was asking. When her vision cleared, she saw that he had long red hair tied back in a ponytail at the base of his neck and long gangly arms, like a scarecrow come to life. His wide mouth was puckered into a worried frown.

"I-I'm fine." She responded, when she trusted her voice not to shake. As if to prove it, a watery smile crossed her lips, and she saw him relax a little. "You're a right mess, my Lady." He said, gently settling his hands on her shoulders.

Professor Fenns was hovering just behind him, looking worried. "Lady Lily, are you all right?" He was asking.

She brought a hand up to her forehead, cautiously. "I'm fine, Professor." She assured him, but her body ached in protest to that statement.

Professor Fenns was not swayed. "Sir William, take her to the hospital wing." He commanded the boy who was holding her up. Lily tried to protest but William was already steering her toward the door while the rest of the class watched them go.

Once in the hall, Lily turned to face him. "I really don't need to go, Sir William. I've only got a few bruises and some minor scratches."

"It's better to be safe than sorry." He answered, taking her elbow gently in his hand and steering her away from their class. "Madam Pomfrey is a gentle woman - she won't bite."

Sighing, Lily surrendered to letting him lead her down the corridor and up a flight of steps. "You really are like how everyone has mentioned." Sir William said, striking up a conversation as he climbed the stairs. She followed, wincing with every step from the pain that shot up her leg. Maybe she wasn't okay after all…but his last sentence caught her off guard.

"What?"

William didn't seem to notice her pain and kept up a steady pace. "I meant no offense, my Lady. There is rumor going about that you do not seem to care what others may think of you."

Lily nodded. "Well, I don't."

"Most people don't take a liking to Hagrid what with so many bad things that circulate about him. I was most pleased to see that you were indifferent to them." He turned then to help her up the last few steps, and she took his hand gratefully. Her ankle was hurting the most. Perhaps she had twisted it.

"There's nothing to hate Hagrid for." Lily said, as William began to walk again, this time keeping his pace steady to hers as they made their way down another hall. "He's very sweet and gentle."

This time, he nodded. "Hagrid is a close friend of mine. I thank you kindly for your manner today, my Lady."

Lily blushed despite herself. She was still getting used to being called that - the men here were so extremely polite. She had never thought she'd meet anyone like them, ever. She kept her head down slightly so that he wouldn't see her blush and asked, "Sir William, what do others have to say about me?"

He paused for a moment before saying hesitantly, "They say…they say that your courtesies are terribly unrefined." He admitted. "If anything, it is I who has been extremely impolite. I'm afraid we haven't made acquaintances properly." He brushed his bangs away from his eyes. "My name is William Weasley, but my close friends call me Bill."

"I-it's nice to meet you." Lily stammered, not knowing how to respond after hearing a statement like that. She had no idea that people thought she was…well, plainly put…rude.

"We are well met." He said, gently. "Don't be too concerned, Lady Lily. I'm sure over the course of time you will learn."

She blushed again, and this time he saw it, but he didn't care to mention it. Instead, he knocked on a door before opening it. "Pardon me." He called. "I was told to bring Lady Lily in to see you, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey was a round motherly woman who was dressed in a frock of orange. The apron she wore over it was white and crisp. She bustled over, as William stepped aside to allow Lily to enter. "Come closer dear, let's take a look - goodness! You're a sight to behold!"

Lily glanced down at her paint and dust covered uniform. "Ah…yes…I had an accident." She said, slowly. "I'm really okay, but I was told to get a check over."

Madam Pomfrey went straight to work right after William had excused himself politely and had left the room, closing the door behind him. The nurse checked her injuries and finally applied an icepack on her ankle. "It's a bit of a sprain but not much. You will be okay." She said.

"Thank you, Madam." She said. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

"It wasn't a waste of time." Madam Pomfrey said. "This school makes certain that even the smallest injury gets looked after. The welfare of our students is very important, my Lady. Now you go on and change before heading down to lunch."

Lily hopped off the bed she had been told to sit on, thanked her again, before leaving too. She was worried that she'd never find her way back to Gryffindor Tower, much less the dining hall.

She was most surprised to encounter a man, leaning against the wall, waiting for her. The clink of his sword on the hard wood floor was clearly audible when she stepped out of the room.

He stood straighter, upon seeing her. When he spoke, his voice was soft, lulling; almost entrancing. "Lady Lily, I presume?"

Lily nodded, too confused to find her voice.

When he smiled, she felt goose bumps race down her arms. "I was told to bring you this." With that, he held up his arm and she noticed that a woman's uniform was draped over it. He offered no explanation as to how he had known of her condition nor did he bother to make any comment on her messy appearance.

She reached out to take it, but stopped when he spoke again. "After you have changed, please follow me to the dining area. I'm certain that you haven't yet memorized the structure of the Institute."

"A…yes…I…" Again, she broke off as he handed her the material.

He turned his head as though bored with whatever it was she had to say, his bleach-blond hair whipping. It was cropped in a very jagged way, but somehow it seemed to suit him. "I will wait out here as you change then." He said, bowing.

Feeling like her legs were made of lead, she turned back toward the hospital wing, taking with her the fresh change of clothing. For some reason, she was shaking all over. The guys at this school seemed to have that effect on her…

He was so similar to William, and yet, at the same time, so…different. She hadn't even asked him his name…

Outside, the boy had begun to tap his sword on the floor again. He didn't move as two girls approached him.

"What do you want, Narcissa?" He asked, voice toneless.

Narcissa crossed her arms. "Oh, now, that wasn't very polite." She admonished. Her voice was sweet, but he had learned to recognize an angry tone in it over the years. Beside her stood her sister, Bellatrix, who seemed in even worse condition that day than normal. "Did you deliver my package, Sir Aesalon?"

"It got to the Lady." He affirmed, sliding his gray eyes to her. A small smirk played at his lips. "You really are vicious. It makes me wonder, whatever did she do to make you hate her so?"

Narcissa watched as he continually tapped his sword on the floor with a steady, consistent beat. "I thought it time to embarrass her." She answered blandly. "That oaf Hagrid made it all the easier. So far, my plan has worked. Be certain you do exactly as I've told you, Sir Aesalon. I'm counting on you."

He turned his gaze away, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement. Satisfied, the two left, their footsteps echoing down the hall and eventually fading out as they rounded the corner.

Aesalon set himself back to waiting, his sword tapping….

To Be Continued…..


AN: This was a longer chapter than the last - characters and plots have to start developing some time. Leave me a review if you please, before you exit the window! Thanks for reading,

-P.P.V.V