Chapter 3

Elfleda trotted over with a small boy as Jade was also approached by a tall distinguished looking Germanic girl. Jade gave her attention to the small fag; for to her she owed loyalty.

"Please Fraulein Von Strang, this is Kjell Orn and he would like to be your fag; he was not happy at first because of the cruciatus curse but he DID cast it first and he says your solutions were merciful in the duel."

"Depends on whether you're looking at damage to the body or the self esteem" said Jade to Kjell "I wasn't feeling merciful; I know this boy's cousin you see and he and his father have not been exactly pleasant. His father arranged to have his own brother dispossessed by bearing false witness that he was a werewolf."

"Oh, I had been going to ask why the slow change to wolf" said the boy. "That seems very just if he knew about it."

"He taunted his cousin; which seems enough proof of that" said Jade. "Well if you've a finely developed sense of justice that seems like a good start; you are Norwegian?" the boy nodded and Jade went on "I know no Norwegian I am afraid; only Finnish."

Kjell beamed.

"My German is very good though" he said.

"It is" complimented Jade. "Now run along my good kids; this Fraulein is desirous of having words with me."

"Cacilia Von Freyer" said the girl holding out a hand "You did a nice job on Nachtigall. I wanted to congratulate you. By the by, how many fags HAVE you? They appear to be knee deep!"

Jade grinned ruefully as she shook hands.

"Six" she said. "Engaging tykes, aren't they?"

Cacilia laughed.

"I can't really talk; I have as many myself, only collected over a number of years! It does include two sets of twins, however, the first ones Zlatko and Zlatka Asimov importuned me firmly when I was in the fourth because they liked my face and they did not like many of the sixth at the time. And they firmly introduced my youngest fag to me last year, she is a Bulgarian like them. I acquired Xanthe and Xanthippe Eulenspiegel when they were setting a deadfall on their first day here before even getting to school!"

Jade laughed.

"With a name like that I suppose mischief literally IS their second name – in descent of the legendary Til I suppose?"

"Yes; the tales of his involvement with the wizarding community are legion and I think not available to muggles; or, really, out of Germany. I shall lend you my book if you wish."

"I'd love that" said Jade. "Tell me, is Xantippe well named?"

"Oh you are a classics scholar too? Well, she is a bit inclined to argue but she is no scold or nag, just a trifle….contrary. I always tease her she should have been born English."

Jade laughed.

"That would suit!" she agreed equably.

"Your German is perfect; I asked Herr Rebet about you. I hope you do not mind?"

"Goodness no! If one wishes information it is well to ask; though I have sat firmly on those who have asked me but rudely who I am and if I will know my place."

"Quite so! But tell me; how come you to be here? It is said that Prince Peak has a superior selection of subjects and an academic head."

Jade cast muffliatus.

"Anett Breuer said I should trust you" she said "So I shall."

She proceeded to fill Cacilia in on who she really was and what she was doing and how she hoped to effect a rescue of all the werewolves by infiltrating ODESSA ; and then she sniffed hard and confessed how much she missed her baby boy and how glad she was of a dear stepdaughter to love him for her.

Cacilia was staring.

"I think you are insane!" she said "But it is a wonderful, selfless and brave insanity! And Anett felt me worthy to join you in your quest towards a fairer Germany as well as your short term goals?"

Jade nodded.

"Highborn supporters will make a difference" she said. "Will you be part of it? If you will not I fear I must place a compulsion in you not to speak of this."

"I will be your supporter" said Cacilia "You have made an odd choice of friend in Traudl though; she has ever been a supporter of Nachtigall. I offered her some friendship early on but she attached herself to him for he boasted much how he would rise."

"She has much armour to protect herself" said Jade "She has reasons to protect herself and her sister; she made a poor choice. If she wishes to revise that choice I will not refuse to give her the chance. I have not been frank yet with her or Bertel Elstrup; maybe later. You I have been advised to trust and I will confess to you that I have safeguarded myself by using legilimensy on you."

Cacilia gasped.

"You are a legilimens? So young? But how prudent! I take no offence, naturally! With such a skill I think you have a better chance of success; have you studied also occlumensy?"

"Picked up legilimensy through learning it" said Jade laconically.

"Excellent! I will speak also to Lazlo Ijas and Rodica Nistor of this so-called English Customs Club; they would be good additions, we have a loose alliance against Nachtigall though nothing formal, for I am not sure how to organise as you seem to know how to do. And all our fags may join?"

"If they abide by brotherhood to all other members" said Jade.

"I am not totally sure of Lazlo's fag; he would spy on us if someone convinced him it was his duty" said Cacilia. "Perhaps I might not ask Lazlo; he would take offence if other fags are invited and his is not. And yet… the child is a friend of the Eulenspiegel twins; and loyal utterly to them. I wrong him. Wencelada – Rodica's fag – is a sweet child but one must have care of her; she has a heart defect her own country's medical wizards have been unable to cure."

Jade snorted.

"I will look at her" she said. "I play here that Potions is my main thing; but transfigurations are my major field of expertise. I have healed many things and I itch to sort out Herr Rebet's lungs."

"Is it possible?"

"Eminently" said Jade dryly. "It is subtle; and requires understanding too of muggle science; but then, I do."

Jade slept for the first time with some of her female class mates in a cramped dormitory; Cacilia introduced Rodica to her and spoke of the club; also there were Franziska Schiff, one of Nachtigall's satellites though not for long as she was soon off on an amorous adventure with a handsome young Russian groom who had brought the Russian contingent by flying carriage. Traudl was there of course, a girl called Mereta Ulvang from Norway who had escorted, rather unwillingly, young Kjell; and a Russian girl. Antonina Costina was a rather arrogant girl, ready to be cautiously unbending to a Fraulein Baronin but wanting to know all details of how this irregular background had come about and a little taken aback that Jade admitted

"I'm a bastard. So is my mother. So are half the founders of the great families of Europe. I was born like it and so have it by right; people like the Nachtigall fellow have had to work to achieve their status as bastard."

She had released Nachtigall from the levicorpus – also silently so he did not know liberacorpus the counter; and from the langlock. She left his nose and the zits in place and informed him that it was an improvement. And when he swore at her she had restored the langlock and made him kneel as a gesture of his desire to have it removed and his acquiescence not to swear any more.

He begged well enough that she also restored his nose, as she informed him.

As a consequence he was avoiding her and most other people treated her with some circumspection; and Jade liked it that way.

Jade had meanwhile seen the Eulenspiegel twins and determined that it had been they and the cronies they greeted with delight whom she had encountered in the nocturnal corridor of Durmstrang when she was there for the Triwizard. The two little girls had allies in two little boys. The fourth might also join them then; that was good, a contingent of middle school plotters was always useful to have in any secret society.

Cacilia proved a most able lieutenant in plotting if uncertain how to go about starting it – which state of affairs seemed extraordinary to Jade who could not comprehend how it was that so many clever people had no gift whatsoever for setting about serious planning and leading – and introduced Lazlo and his fag, and all of her own fags to Jade. Naturally, nothing was said of Jade's real name or mission; it was safer for the children that way at first at least, however loyal they might prove. The child Wencelada, a wan olive child nearer green than brown in shade, arrived at the last minute from Spain on the heels of two girls from Kazakhstan, the one being obviously in the position of maid-companion to the other and her education as payment; and both fairly sufficient unto each other. Rodica had time to speak to the child, and motioned to Jade to join them in a carriage.

The carriages were blood red and drawn by Abraxans; they were impressive affairs.

There was only room in each for half a dozen of the upper sixth and a couple of fags each at most. Cacilia had bagged one – with all her fags – and beckoned Rodica and Wencelada and Jade to join them. A dreamy looking Russian boy got in too and plumped himself down in a corner, meaning there was only room for a couple of Jade's small ones. Cacilia raised her eyes heavenwards and sighed. Jade produced a die from mid air and threw it a couple of times and pointed to the boys.

"I tossed in order of getting you; seemed fairest" she said "You girls stick close together, stay by Traudl."

They nodded wide eyed and followed Elfleda's sister, Bertel and Yorick into another carriage.

Jade smiled at Wencelada as soon as they were settled.

"Buenas diaz; com' 'sta?" she said politely "I have heard your heart has some damage; permit me to see if I might understand and cure it."

"Please, they said it was too difficult to cure Fraulein" said the child.

Jade snorted.

"Yes, I have heard others say as much who are afraid that their own skills are insufficient but who cannot bear to admit that others might be better" she said, whipping out her wand. "Ah yes; it is a complex and ticklish piece of work. Fortunately I am great" she said, and winked at the child who giggled. "It will require more than a standard transfiguration; I shall chant over you my child. Have patience."

With this she proceeded to start to sing a song of healing, drawing the damaged valves into better shapes, growing extra blood vessels where too many fused together. It was a far more complex problem than could readily be healed by ordinary transfiguration, this she acknowledged; perhaps she and her parents and siblings were the only people in the world capable of healing such a confused and poor little heart, whose surrounding blood vessels had not properly sorted themselves out in fully differentiated functions but were in places fused inappropriately. No wonder the child looked so unhealthy!

When Jade had begun singing, the upper sixth boy, the dreamy Russian boy who had gatecrashed the carriage, had frozen, then leaped to his feet rather precariously in the flying carriage.

"Ah, but you are truly musical!" he cried. Jade gestured him away with a hand; she was busy. Fortunately he subsided and listened intently as she blended chant and song and wand work to do her work; which virtually amounted to rebuilding the child's heart.

At length she sank back, fairly well exhausted.

"I apologise to the healers of your country" she said "That was the trickiest piece of healing I have ever done; only a chant was able to do it and I am fortunate in having been to the only school in the western world that teaches chanting formally. You should feel better all ready, little one."

Wencelada nodded, her cheeks suddenly gaining roses and her pose animation. She flung herself on Jade and hugged and kissed her.

"There now, child; I am glad to do it" said Jade.

"You are of a kindness that I would not have expected of one of high blood who has left the English school for their policies" said Rodica.

"Is not the potter given power to make of one vessel honour and of another dishonour?" quoted Jade obscurely.

Coming out with philosophy and such crap was usually a good way to forestall further questions because most people were afraid that their question had been answered and to ask further made them look both foolish and rude.

And for truly enquiring minds she would use Latin or Ancient Greek for her obscure tags.

The Russian boy said

"Teach me to do that! I have always known there was more; Music is everything to me; if it will also drive magic then my life will be complete!"

"Well now, I think introductions are in order" laughed Jade, who was starting to recover "I am Nefrita Von Strang; and I can certainly teach you chanting if you wish. Professor Rebet was also keen to learn. I will ask if he will mind sharing a class with others of like mind or if it will upset his dignity. Some Professors are stuffier than others. But it is very useful for potioneering."

"He is not musical" said the boy.

"It is possible to chant without music; for me – as for you – music comes easily and I choose to do it that way. I would teach the basics with limited music and leave the talented to add their own."

"I too should like to learn then" said Rodica "I study Potions and Herbology and Enchanting to be a medical potioneer; if I may do by chanting what you can do, that I am no good at transfigurations will not matter."

Jade regarded her.

"I was using a lot of transfiguration there too; I will not conceal it" she said "But you may do much with a chant that circumvents a lack of talent for you build up the magical effect layer by layer, part by part, instead of having to change all in one fell swoop. It is a gentler, more subtle way even as potioneering is subtle. And you have still not told me my new friend's name" she added, indicating the Russian boy.

He bowed rather jerkily.

"Volodya Potishev at your service" he said.

"That's 'at your service' until a tune writes itself in his head and he drifts off into fairlyland" explained Rodica. "Mind you he CAN manage transfiguration; and Arithmancy! He's in my enchanting class too" she added.

"Chanting and Arithmancy and music all go well together" said Jade. "We can then build on the amount of basic chanting you have done in enchanting; it is formularised even as the number of stirs for a potion are formularised, but have had to be worked out by an arithmancer. Even so the chants in enchanting have been worked out by a chanter. It helps if you have studied poetry."

"I write poetry" said Rodica flushing "But I do not want people like Nachtigall to find out; I would be ridiculed."

"Still? In the sixth? How uncivilised" said Jade. "Ah well, I shall make it a hobby of mine to jinx Nachtigall every time he crosses my path until he learns not to. Volodya, you'd better join our club too."

"Excuse, might younger ones also learn this?" asked one of the older pair of twins, Jade thought the girl but they made enough of an effort to look alike it was hard to tell without knowing them better.

"If they are ready to work hard and treat it as serious" said Jade.

"What else may it be used for?" asked one of the younger twins.

"To enhance potion ingredients; to remove – or bestow – curses; to perform magic out of line of sight; to strengthen enchantments; to set up wards of protection; to enhance any spell effect. A chant may be as subtle and complex as you care to make it; and alter or remove any spell as one chooses. The words on Nachtigall's forehead, since I put them there, I might chant concerning them, sitting here and far removed, and either remove them or make them flash neon green. No I shall not; it trivialises it" she added as the child opened her mouth to ask if she would do the latter. "An enchantment is the tying of a spell effect or multiplicity of spell effects to an object; chanting is the production of a spell effect tailored to circumstance and environment and may affect an object or build for itself an object of sheer pure magic. The wards that make a place unplottable or which produce an anti apparating zone are almost always tied to enchanted stones set at cardinal points; the same magic can be set up purely by chanting. Enchanted objects hold the advantage of being useable by anyone with the least vestige of magical power; and unless a chant is performed by a master have the durability of permanence if properly enchanted" she smiled at Wencelada "You need not fear about your heart, little one, for when I say 'permanent' I think in terms of millennia not decades or centuries. And yet an enchanter cannot UNDO what he has not himself done; curse breaking using pure Arithmancy is possible but the chanter adds layers to that arithmantic basis and if he is a musician or poet requires little knowledge of Arithmancy so long as their sense of rhythm is perfect and in tune with the task in hand. And I'm not going to lecture any more until I have a class; I want to look out of the window."

Jade gazed down on the endless forest and the silvery sparkle of the river that would presently open up into the great lake before Durmstrang and reflected that so far she was doing better than she might have expected; even if things were taking a different direction to what she had envisaged or indeed intended. She had meant to be a hard faced loner to avoid interacting with other Durmstrangers and maybe have a coterie of first years under her protection. And yet there were those even in the sixth willing to fight the oppressions of the bullies! Why had they never done so before?

She answered her own question.

Because they needed the direction of somebody strong minded who had a sense of self worth that did not spill over into arrogance – well not very much – and who had not been ground down by the very atmosphere of Durmstrang all their school life. They were ready to rebel but they had to be told not only how, but that this was in fact what they were doing. And so well conditioned were they, it would take much training for them to see that wanting to strike back at bullies meant a strike across all of society at all that was rotten within. She might not even have time within the year; but as adults in society they might then be more amenable to Anett's leadership in the future.

And it had taken a combination of Hedda Schrempf, Mortimer Bane and the blatant unfairness of German marking to make Anett ready to fight back. For most, the Durmstrang experience was to be endured rather than enjoyed; a horrifying thing to Jade, who had loved almost every minute of her school days.

She needed an ally on the staff to continue her work; though if Anett was to come back to teach by deposing Schrempf there would be a replacement for her; and a ready made MSHG equivalent. Well, best not to try to run before she could walk; and foolish to look on Herr Rebet as a possible ally; for it was merely because he was a potions master of somewhat embittered nature. There were less parallels to dad than wishful thinking could make; he had a hardness that was indifference to his pupils, Jade thought; Dad had always got too easily involved with negative emotions. Really, Madam Bacsó herself might be her best bet; the woman must be fed up with the foolish toils of ODESSA by now, and the embarrassment they brought to her. She was no fool; and had, like Traudl, an eye to the main chance.

And something that must be remembered was that Jade had not troubled to avoid making enemies; and if enemies combined life might be made hard. It was NOT a decent English school with fair staff; but a school where even the staff were swayed by who was in power – and who was not. Heinrich Nachtigall knew that too and was going to be like a cornered rat clinging to what advantages he could until his ZH's were done, in the knowledge that if his father was convicted ignominiously for fraud he would be as nothing; not perhaps quite in the same situation as Frances Hodgeson Burnett's 'Little Princess' clad in black and condemned to live in an attic and skivvy for her food; but metaphorically he might as well be. And he was of the type that a fall makes meaner rather then teaching humility and nobility of manner. Jade had, after all, seen enough of those from condemned deatheater families and the ways they behaved to pick types now she was old enough to look objectively upon the world; and her experiences helping Dimsie Burke against her initial will had been part of shaping and teaching that objectivity. Jade had learned much of tolerance from that period, and was alive more to her own prejudices.

And her prejudices against the children of Durmstrang were being eroded; there were more than she had thought of decent kids not spoiled by the place; those perhaps who were protected as fags of decent types who had been thus protected in their turn.

It was possible to steal Durmstrang from within.

If only she had Wulf at her side she could do it too.

Well, that was to dream after for now, and plan for when she was more consolidated in her position.

The brooding castle that was to be Jade's home for the next year came into sight at the other end of the dark, forbidding lake. It was an impressive approach – designed to be, of course, to cow juniors suitably – and Jade was not sure if she likened it more to Orthanc or Cirith Ungol in her mind. It was decidedly Tolkeinian. From the ground, with the lake, Moria of course sprang always to mind and Jade had always disliked the water almost as much as Frodo had done in the book. So far as this lake was concerned in the real world, she would not have been at all surprised if a kraken or similar lived within doubtless fed on those deemed blood liars or elves who got too old to work. She worked on not shivering; such fanciful thoughts were not to be pursued. The reality was doubtless bad enough without foolish ideas on top of that.

Madam Bacsó herself was there to greet the carriages and Jade could tell by the murmurs of surprise from her new class mates that this was not usual. She automatically dropped a curtsey, to the sniggers of some of the other youths.

Madam Bacsó looked on her with approval.

"Fraulein Baronin…my congratulations on the confirmation of your title. You upper sixth, I wish you to come with me."

The upper sixth followed; house elves came to whisk the luggage away within. Even fags got served by house elves. Madam Bacsó led the youths to her office.

"Fraulein Von Strang has, as you observed, been trained in certain usages of courtesy in her years in an English school" said Madam Bacsó "And I have felt it very deeply at the last two Triwizard competitions that I have been shamed by the poor manners of my own pupils. I am Hungarian; and Hungarians like Austrians feel that manners are important. Therefore as we have Fraulein Von Strang among us as an example to help teach the younger ones how it should be done we shall be instituting the custom of rising for the staff and curtseying for the girls and for the boys an inclined head and properly clicked heels when greeting or taking leave of the head."

"Rising – what at meal times?" demanded one of Nachtigall's satellites.

"Excuse me, how do you dare address your head in so brusque and rude a manner?" asked Jade scandalised. "Whether you feel personal liking or dislike is immaterial, your head has achieved her position by superior knowledge and you should show respect to that! And rising, you fool, means whenever a staff member comes into the room, to commence a lesson, to visit a lesson, to enter a common room to seek someone out or yell at the pupils for the noise they make. And when the staff join us at meals yes, of course, most assuredly."

The boy, a Dutch lad, glared at her.

"You make much of such childish foolishness."

"As it is the request of Madam Bacsó, whose desire is to have young ladies and gentlemen in her school not boors you have just called childish and foolish, I think you owe her an apology."

The boy gaped.

"You do indeed DeWitt" said Madam Bacsó "It is not custom for the staff to discipline sixth formers; but if in your year of the sixth you have got so much above yourself as to require reminding who is the head of this school and who is only a pupil – even if his father is a Stadtholder among the wizarding community of the low countries – then I will do it."

De Witt paled.

"I apologise for causing offence Frau Professor Bacsó" he said "But I query that this should be necessary. We have never done it before. Why is it necessary?"

"Perhaps if we had before had expressions of respect towards the staff ingrained I should not have had to consider disciplining you because your respect to me might have been ready and in no need of prompting" said Madam Bacsó dryly. "And if YOU enjoy being referred to by the English and French children as a 'bunch of sausage-eating peasant yokels who have no concept of gentility' then I do NOT enjoy hearing such judgements. And when one hears a part GOBLIN boy saying 'they can't help it, they are but beer-swilling German pigs who don't understand class and we should pity them' then I for one am angered that these English feel that an impurity like THAT has more breeding than my pupils!"

There was a shocked silence.

"They cannot feel that, surely?" demanded Antonina Kostina "And besides we are not all Germans, some of us come from civilised countries!"

"Look here!" began Nachtigall.

"I don't think she wants to; it wasn't a pretty sight even before I adorned it" said Jade coolly.

"Are you responsible for that, Fraulein Von Strang?" demanded Madam Bacsó.

Jade bobbed a curtsey.

"Yes Ma'am; Professor Rebet will tell you all about it" she said "He was kind enough to officiate at a duel; suggested it in fact. I am not obliged to remove all the effects from the losing principal; his friends have that liberty. I did put his nose back to normal, leaving it as a snout might have been an insult to pigs."

Madam Bacsó blinked, assimilated, and decided to let that pass.

"I see; well if it was a duel then such is the way it went" she said. "Fraulein Kostina, in answer to your question, I fear that the English attitude is such that the way one is perceived is in how one acts; perhaps Fraulein Von Strang can explain?"

"To an English person" said Jade "The degree of manners one displays and the way one speaks indicate the class in which one has been brought up. It is good breeding to acknowledge respect for the attainments of others especially those in loco parentis like one's professors. It is good manners for men to rise when a lady enters the room in a social situation. Rising indicates respect. In English society you know exactly what social position is occupied by the way someone speaks. This is perhaps more noticeable these days in muggle society since during the Voldemort years, social difference was somewhat eroded by common fears in the wizarding community. However the English view is that Durmstrang is predominantly German; and that Germans tend to be crass of manner and guilty of social gaucherie. The behaviour of the pupils of Durmstrang over the last two Triwizards has tended rather to reinforce that opinion I suspect. I certainly applaud Madam Bacsó's decision as I have moved to this school to escape the too liberal policies of modern English schools where non humans are concerned; but I have made personal academic sacrifice to do so and would prefer not to be numbered merely as a boor from that German school. You must endeavour to understand that on an island, when one is in close communication with one's neighbour and no large tracts of land, being polite is not a fad but imperative to avoid constant duels. On the continent one may be as rude as one likes without expecting to encounter the person one has been rude to very often. Proximity maketh politeness. And so an English person would rather converse with a polite goblin who therefore shows he knows the rules than with an uncouth foreigner, no matter how pure his blood. An English person is more concerned with social usage in conversation than pure bred ancestors on the family tree. They, after all, are dead and are not in the conversation. I think that covers it" and she dropped another curtsey.

"I hope that has made it a little clearer to you" said Madam Bacsó "And also I have read old records and found that there WAS a time when such polite usage was common; it was eroded by the followers of Gellert Grindelwald who as youths refused to acknowledge any but him as worthy of respect; a singularly childish and foolish rebellion for however worthy any one person may be of respect, it does NOT follow that others are by definition NOT so worthy."

"It actually diminishes the one that they would wish to respect the more" said Jade dryly "By saying that he is worthy of a little respect only and so we must refuse to respect others for our führer is so little a man we must do something to try to make him look bigger by making others look smaller."

"Indeed yes" said Madam Bacsó, rather taken with that cogent argument. "Therefore, my children, it is my desire that you will spread this to the fags that you have and rise with them at supper when I shall explain the decision to the body of the school. And we may hope that others will follow my upper sixth who will lead by example."

"I shan't rise" muttered De Witt.

"You will – one way or another" said Jade quietly.

Madam Bacsó glanced at her.

"Fraulein Von Strang, have you chosen a fag yet?" she asked.

"I appear to have acquired half a dozen, ma'am" said Jade "They seem to think me worthy to serve; and I suppose each will have little enough to do."

Nachtigall glared. He had only two fags. It wasn't fair that she and Cacilia had von as part of their name! If only his father had managed to rise more in the Prince's notice they too might have been ennobled! And now there was his uncle somehow cured of being a werewolf and the awful lawsuit over his head!

It was too bad!