Chapter 4
Lionel declared that he was going to sit on the train not wait to whip in weevils and Weasleys; and Ross Tuthill grinned.
"Poor old man that you are and it being beyond you these days! I suppose someone of your geriatric attainments deserves a rest!"
Lionel grinned.
"Damn right!" he agreed, refusing to rise. "I'll be there if you need me old man" he added seriously, touching his young friend lightly on the shoulder.
Ross nodded. He appreciated that.
He would have at least the backup of a prefect's badge, for he was one of the new Lower Sixth prefects, together with Arjelan. The two fifth formers in Gryffindor were steady too, Julia and Stuart; but not in their particular group. He was, too, wondering for whom to vote as head of school as Lionel was standing down for this extra year of his; Alice Weasley was head of Gryffindor, and a good house head; Kate Rosier had shown her leadership to be solid as head of games in Slytherin for years. Rupert Granville in Hufflepuff was as steady as they came, and yet quite happy to get into trouble if he felt it warranted – he had fought well against the erklings – and Francesca Longbottom in Ravenclaw too had led her quidditch team and shown sensible characteristics.
On the whole, Ross liked Fran for the job. She was almost Gryffindorish in her sense of honour and she never let a problem go if once she had started to pursue it.
Well, the prefects would debate that; and vote appropriately. There was less of a clear choice this year than for previous heads of school, but that was life.
Any one of them would do a fair job; and not one of them would shirk it the way the other three had wanted to when Lionel was chosen Head Boy.
Hogwarts had been spoiled by some outstanding heads over the last few years. The prefects might just have to work a little harder this year.
Which would do nobody any harm.
Ross smiled at the new sixth former.
He had been told to expect Mortimer Bane; and wished him every good luck, having had a rather irregular entry into the wizarding world himself.
The lad was being seen off by a couple of friends.
Bjorn and Valerie had been Mortimer's cohorts since before the free school opened; and they were going to miss him. Valerie indeed had almost made it to Hogwarts herself; and Bjorn had the ability to work hard enough. They had each achieved a few OWLs, and the Professors had made sure to let them know how proud they were; for Valerie had achieved five OWLs and Bjorn had three; and Professor Longbottom had suggested to them that they stay on at the free school to take one or two NEWTs alongside a few more OWLs and then consider teaching there themselves.
This had been attractive; Valerie and Bjorn knew that neither had the talent to be able to get a highly paid job in the ministry or Gringott's; leaving animal handling really their best option. Teaching, however, in the subjects that did not require high talent, was attractive. Bjorn was good with animals; he did not smell of bear unless rage moved him to change form and Bjorn was very easy going. Valerie had a green thumb; and that might mean she could even relieve Ellie at Prince Peak who did NOT enjoy teaching herbology and was begging Severus to let her teach Comparative Magic instead, her favourite subject. And one Severus wanted to introduce! And Sephara too wanted to give up teaching and be a full time mother, which Neville could not fault. Especially as she had suggested instead running an introductory class for the local children with basic literacy and numeracy skills for the illiterate and innumerate; and a midday meal as well. This much Mortimer had some idea of; for the Malfoy twins and his new Marauder friends chatted freely in front of him about what various professors they knew socially had said.
He had not said much to his friends Bjorn and Valerie and felt a little disloyal; but it would put too much pressure on them to succeed and that was not fair either.
Besides, he had to leave them to stand on their own feet; which he was sure they would do adequately. As he must do as well.
He smiled back at the jolly, snub-nosed boy. It was a tentative smile; but he managed.
"Bane? Tuthill" said Ross. "We'll have a few classes in common I believe; always nice to meet a fellow arithmancer, we're a rare breed." He grinned "Actually it's a large class this year; nine, can you believe, one of the biggest ever, Madam Vector's almost having conniptions, she reckons it's a good year when she has more than four and only two took it last year!"
"I guess a lot of people find it tough" said Mortimer, shocked that a big school like Hogwarts should still find it acceptable to teach a class as small as two.
"Yes; that's why it's so valuable to have as a skill" said Ross "And NOT dependant on great wand work, so you'd think more squibs and near squibs would try to get their heads round it; even an OWL in Arithmancy is a highly paid job and a NEWT gets them queuing up for you, especially now there's chanting to put with it… are you taking chanting?"
"As an OWL….and the new Metalworking"
He waited for some comment about his part goblin features.
Ross merely grinned.
"Oh that's going down well! I half thought about it myself, but I don't have an OWL in enchanting – never could get my head around it – and I figured, well I'm already taking a new NEWT in terms of the Chanting, and other NEWTs so don't overstretch yourself, Ross boy, because I AIN'T as clever as m'sister and I'd rather concentrate on the good grades of what I am taking, y'know? My girl friend's taking four NEWTs and quite content with that, leave people like Mei Chang and m'sister to do seven with or without extra OWLs. If it had been offered last year, I might have talked very fast to study enchanting without taking the OWL…. Still, everything has to have a first time, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, guess so" said Mortimer. "Who else is taking it? Not I guess that the names'll mean anything."
"Oh, Arjelan and Cholaka, they're part of our set, and Grigs – Gregory – who's an item with Cholaka, Leonard Hitchens and a couple from the fifth, and as Lionel's stayed on just to do the Chanting NEWT he's taking it for fun because he reckons you can never learn too much….he's right of course but maybe I can learn part time later in life. You never stop learning!"
"Oh I know a couple of the fifth who are taking it, Lydia and Leo" said Mortimer.
"Oh, you know the Marauders? Always handy" grinned Ross "We all sort of look out for each other, them and our set….you'll learn all the names soon enough. Looks like you make good chums" he nodded to Bjorn and Valerie. "Decent friends don't make jealous; you make sure and invite ALL your friends to knock around together in the hols, huh?"
Mortimer nodded.
"Bjorn and Val hope to teach" he blurted out.
"Crumbs! The courageous squad!" said Ross, grinning at the pair. "I have WAY too many younger siblings to ever want to teach; I know what they're like."
"We can give back to the free school what it give to us" said Valerie.
"Yeah; that's honour" said Ross, holding out a hand to shake of each. "Reckon the Mad Marauders are going to want to get to know you two. What about you Mortimer? Are you planning to teach?"
"I hadn't really thought I'm afraid" said Mortimer. "I just want to do well; and then my options are open."
Ross nodded.
"Likewise" he said. "I'm no auror; but I might go for the Quaestorium. Or as a freelance curse breaker. Or go into research in the electrical interference office. Technically they're Unspeakables but far crazier and more laid back than others in the Department of Mysteries. Hello, here come crowds and hordes of brats; catch up with you later!"
There were a selection of quidditch arguments going on in the middle school with Gorbrin declaring to all and sundry that if they had behaved so badly as the teams in the world cup, Red Card Rolanda – Madam Hooch by rights – would have applied to the headmaster for the use of heavy whip in training; and Mei Chang had grabbed the collar of young Jack Murray and said,
"Look here, young Murray, I'm head of games with Fran as head of house, and though I'm inclined to give you a chance this year, if you even CONSIDER cobbing as blatantly as La Mariposa you'd be right off the team again, however much you may admire her techniques!"
Murray had been holding forth about the skills of the Brazilian seeker; and Mei wanted to make sure that he was not about to emulate some of her more dubious skills; excessive elbow use was never acceptable!
The Belle Marauders collected Charis Rawlins and the other Weevils they were looking out for and demanded a full and true story of the tale that had become 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'. Charis obliged cheerfully enough; it was family folklore and she had not been forbidden to talk of it to wizarding folk. In fact she had told Great Grandmother Eglantine about the kids who managed to get the film ritual to work for them; and the old witch had been amazed and suggested that these were people from whom Charis might learn much!
Disappointed as the children were to learn that the Island of Naboombu was entirely fictional, it was no real surprise after all! The artefact on which the incantation for Piertotem locomotor – the true name of the spell 'substitutiary locomotion' – had required an equally bizarre but, for a children's tale less exciting search and a rather ignominious theft from a small local museum. The book that CHARLIE had bought had been a children's History of Hogwarts and had told of the protective spells that covered it.
It was fascinating; and very satisfying to know the true background!
"The Ministry took the bed away of course" said Charis sadly "And Great Grandmother Eglantine and Great Grandad Cornelius having to convince them that they were self trained and never knew any law! It came, like a lot of the stuff did, like 'A child's History of Hogwarts' from Portobello Road, where it fetched up from, so far as we know, a house in a place called Orme Court."
"Oh I know all about Orme Court!" said Bella "It's in Bayswater and it used to be stiff with Slytherin types but they all started dying out. My cousins found a load of stuff in a muggle car boot sale from a house there and their dad put in an offer on the whole thing, junk and all, right away; and other relatives have bought up houses as muggle descendants sell them off. It's going wizarding again."
"Oh we live nearby in Salem Road" said Charis.
"Well how's about that! You're neighbours of half my cousins and never knew it!" said Bella. "Well any sibs and cousins you have will come up to school knowing people, anyway! That's just grand!"
Meanwhile the train had come to an abrupt halt.
Ross swallowed hard. He was now train prefect; it was his job to go up to the front and find out what was wrong.
Lionel could not resist joining him.
Boarding the train were the resplendently robed aurors, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.
"Hello old man, young – Tuthill, isn't it? Prefect already? Where does time go!" said Draco "By your indulgence we have to search the train."
"Your word that it is necessary I'll accept implicitly" said Lionel "You heard then that I refused to let Dawlish on?"
"Yes, he was carrying on something rotten back in the office, trying to find someone to complain to, and Alastor not being any help – Alastor never liked him, good taste, Alastor – and getting more and more purple. Funniest thing! Thing is we got a tip off that there's an Odessa agent on the train hiding in animal form; you're a trainee, want to come along?"
"Yes please sir" said Lionel "Tuthill here is train prefect; he should be along as Professor Dumbledore's representative, we were just going in to vote for a new head boy or girl."
"Sorry to interrupt your constitutional deliberations" said Draco.
"You are a git sometimes Draco" said Harry cheerfully.
"One does one's Malfoy best" said Draco waving an airy hand.
"Whence did this tip come?" asked Lionel.
"One of Sev Snape's assorted offspring 'just happened' to overhear something….read, was out doing some unauthorised snooping" said Harry. "Recognise the turn of phrase; we used it often enough after all!"
Lionel grinned.
"Just as well though" he said.
"Yeah" said Harry.
They went through the train; and Harry and Draco each produced a small flit gun such as was used for delivering doxy venom.
"Just a matter of routine, need to spray each pet" said Draco easily as each carriage full stared in some trepidation "There may be a rather noxious disease about, this will protect you all…."
It didn't work on the Mad Marauders; so Draco told them the truth.
It didn't work on the Belle Marauders either so Draco sighed and said,
"Dearest Auntie Bella, let's just you and me pretend that you believe me and I'll tell you about it all later, hmmm?" he used Parseltongue to make it a request of one marauder to another; and secret from non marauders.
Bella looked startled and nodded.
"Have a selection of weevils and their animals" she said.
Draco solemnly sprayed them all.
It was when he got into the next compartment and the spray on the fur of the writhing rat – his little mistress crying that she didn't want her pet frightened or hurt – that the writhing became more intense and where there had been a rat was suddenly a tall blonde man with teeth bared.
Draco and Harry levelled wands.
The little girl gave a cry of horror.
"You mean he was PRETENDING to be a rat and made me feel sorry for him because he made like he was pathetic? Take THAT!" and she picked up her cauldron and smashed it over the man's head.
"I say! Nice one young weevil!" said Lionel "YOU'd better join the MSHG if you can down dark wizards with that much aplomb and panache! What's your name?"
"Wanda Waffling. My big sister Wendy's in the second" said the child.
"Perhaps she ought to come along too" said Lionel. "Her house?"
"Ravenclaw" said Wanda.
"Hallellujah; Mei Chang will be glad if there's a couple of decent ones to leaven the lump of Me-first Murray and the singing putti" said Lionel. Wanda giggled.
"Oh yes, I've heard all about Amos Leroy from my sister" she said, evidently having no difficulty recognising him from Lionel's description.
Draco and Harry meanwhile were binding their prisoner effectively.
"Nice potion by the way" said Lionel.
"Severus. Who else?" said Harry laconically. "Normal mandragora won't work on animagi because it's part of their normal form; this one will and it also forced Werewolves back into man form. Which is why he developed it in the first place of course; you know how Severus is, too soft hearted to kill anyone if he has the alternative of making them gut horned toads while he delivers his most excruciating four hour lecture."
"Now who's a git?" said Draco laconically "Bein' deucedly rude about my father in law….. oh conscious again are you, Mein Herr? Never mind. Time to go I think. Nip up front and ask them to get the train going again, Mr Tuthill if you please; we'll take the quick route. And as we're feeling nice we might not even splinch him too much."
"You can splinch him all you like!" said Wanda Waffling "He's been sleeping IN MY BED!"
"Dirty little beast" said Draco "That's a paedophilia charge we can slap on him as well….our deepest regrets, Miss Waffling; your servants" and he swept her a deep bow. Harry just grinned at her and ruffled her hair; and then they apparated away with their prisoner.
"Gosh!" said Wanda. "I say what's this MSHG?"
"Well it was founded by those two among others to fight Voldemort and dark wizards" said Lionel. "It's for people who are game to do more than sit back and let others protect them; and too to air grievances, ask advice about home or school life and plot elaborate revenges on bullies, though that only when there aren't any teachers there. 'Tisn't polite to let the staff know those sorts of plots, even those who are members. Or even really prefects. And speaking of prefects, I have to go and vote for a head of school!"
In point of fact, Lionel was bombarded with questions about who he would choose as the new head now he was standing down.
"You're better than any of them" said Freya Tuthill.
"You're partial my child" said Lionel cheerfully "Actually I don't object to any of them; I think I have a slight partiality for Fran Longbottom followed by… Rupert I think; Kate has a temper and that's NOT good for the Head Girl. She's learned a lot to control it; but I'd hate to think of the consequences if we had another Dawlish visiting….Alice is on the other hand TOO laid back, she's a fantastic organiser but I think she lacks fire. Rupert Granville is fine but Fran has the greater initiative I think."
"What, no objections on the grounds she's Ravenclaw?" laughed Ravenclaw's Alison Kane.
"None at all" said Lionel. "Ravenclaw and Slytherin both can attract the wrong sort of people; we've both suffered from them in the past. There was a period when there were rather too many of them in the upper school; up til Draco's time having a Slytherin Head boy was a bit laughable. Draco broke the mould that was forming. Those of us coming in after his time wanted to live up to that; though I for one was also something of a fan of Fido Fraser. House shouldn't matter. That's what a lot of people moaned about; that for too many Ravenclaws house mattered. Sorry, hobby horse of mine."
"Justified" said Alison Kane "Thanks for explaining. I think we have some decent people in our house right now."
"Agreed" said Mei with a twinkle "I'm one of them!"
"Apart from the odd few – most of the third I have to say – you've a decent bunch" said Lionel "And some nice juniors too, the Waffling kids for example seem decent types."
"Crumbs Lionel, is there anything you miss?" demanded Colin Malik, also of Ravenclaw.
"I don't mean to be pompous old man, but it really is rather a head boy's – or girl's – job to NOT miss anything" said Lionel. "All decent prefects report concerns to the head oik; and it's up to the head oik to keep his or her ears and eyes open too in case prefects miss anything. It can happen; especially during exams. One also cultivates juniors to prattle artlessly – not sneaking, that would be a nasty habit to foster, just treating one as a human not a prefect – and listening to how happy or otherwise they are in general. Large numbers of grumbles generally means the level of serenity in the school is off. Are we by the way all happy with Fran?"
There were general murmurs of assent; a few dissenting voices.
Lionel's people would go with his choice; he strongly suspected a few stubborn Huffers and Gryffs might go for their house heads; and the Slythers would probably also back his view.
It was better to have a fairly clear cut choice before the voting; it made for less resentments afterwards. Lionel recalled noting in his younger days that Ravenclaw prefects, if chosen carefully, could be ragged with impunity because they had not supported David, or Ginny, or Abraxus and were therefore less likely to go to the head of school over anything because they carried on that disgusting lack of support after the choice of the school prefects had been announced.
The voting was done and dusted anyway; and Lionel had no intention of interfering with whoever was voted in!
The hat made its usual singing commentary on the choices of the House Founders and the now usual homily about working together.
There was a giggle near the back of the juniors and a voice piped
"Bob and his friends have so much fun, working together to get the job done"
Several second and third years joined in,
"Bob the builder, can he fix it? Bob the builder, YES HE CAN!"
"Excellent if rather unanticipated sentiments" said Professor Dumbledore serenely. He did not have a clue who Bob the Builder was but evidently a sufficiency of juniors and middles did to make the comment on the sentiments worth making.
Bob the builder featured in the infant life of those associated at all with the Casimir Malfoy household; and with no muggle born at all amongst the new intake it was a fair bet that the original singing had originated from Nathan.
Nathan had collected Solon Bullivant on the train as well in his coterie; and had had the Waffling child passed on to him too. Solon had the same blood disorder that had troubled his elder brother; equally he was expecting it to be stabilised by St Mungo's. He had the sort of cunning, mobile face that Lionel knew could become one of the worst sort of nasty types and Slytherin bullies; but channelled by a friendship with Nathan there was a better chance the boy would shape up and fulfil a better potential.
It was no surprise Walter Crabbe was in Slytherin; and so were Nathan, Solon, Isambard and U-may and four other boys.
U-may was the only girl in the house this year; probably she would be put to sleep with the second. Bella, looking out for her blood-kin and protégé reflected that at least the second year girls were mostly harmless, unless you fell foul of Ludmila Yaxley's more aggressive plants.
Charis, Magnus and Tobala were in Gryffindor – also unsurprisingly – as was Hazel Spikenard, to a faint groan from her cousin Salvia. There was a younger Harris sibling, a little girl and a Welsh child called Meriel Llewellyn rumoured to be a relative of 'dangerous' Dai Llewellyn of the Caerphilly Catapults, eaten in such tragic circumstances by a Chimera in Greece. Meriel looked a standoffish child but more aloof than stuck up. There were a few other boys unknown to anyone.
Bella recognised the name of Joshua Jones Hatted into Hufflepuff; his family were caretakers at Rowan House and he had had every expectation of being in Rowan so was speechless with joy. Sirius had warned Bella to look out for him; the family had lived in the dire apartment Sirius had – unknowingly – owned; and he felt some family responsibility to the boy. The boy looked far too, well, HUFFERish to be interesting but Bella sighed and resolved to try to keep an eye on him. Another name she recognised was that of Pomfrey; a girl called Heloise, and wondered idly if she was related to Pepperup Poppy as they irreverently called Madam Poppy Pomfrey. The girl seemed unremarkable; indeed all the Huffers looked a tad boring or dim.
The Ravers had a few more interesting types, Jingjie and the Wafflng child who seemed to be fast friends; another was the brother of an older Ravenclaw, one Cyprian Ogren whose older brother Damon was in Bella's year and was notable for his fondness for his own voice and desire to lecture. Another recognisable name was Pince – not Prince – a girl called Isis who gazed on the world through amiable myopic eyes through thick lenses utterly unlike the gimlet stare of Madam Irma Pince as the older ones could testify.
Dumbledore announced that the Head of School this year was to be Francesca Longbottom; and in his opinion she was likely to make an excellent head and would strive to live up to past examples.
He seemed very pleased with the choice; and if he felt that the school had been spoiled recently and now had a rather more pedestrian Head Girl he did not say so. The school split up into its houses, the older ones showing the new weevils around.
"Well apart from the Crabbe boy the weevils seem mostly harmless" drawled Gorbrin in his best Draco voice. "Hey Crabbe, is it true you like torturing little kids for fun?"
"I ain't even ANSWERING a bleeding Gobbo!" said young Crabbe.
"Wrong answer" said Gorbrin, who had been working hard over the holidays. Young Crabbe hoisted into the air wriggling with the excess legs of a woodlouse. "This, small brat, is the standard punishment for racist comments. It's normally the province of the prefects, but I'm stunnin'ly talented doncha know and so I'm taking liberties over my own chastisement."
"Be nice, however, Malfoy, and put him down please" said Leo "It really is my job."
"As you wish" said Gorbrin with a gesture.
The blubbering boy fell in a heap.
"Malfoy's right; you make racist comments, you get to do time as a woodlouse" said Leo. "He asked you a question; you have the right to answer the accusation levelled at you in that question."
"Well he was lying" said Crabbe.
"No he wasn't" said Nathan "Cooper and me and some Gryffs SAW you doing it. I told my brother about it. He was going to see if you could justify yourself 'cos he's dead fair; and you can't because you're a rotter and a bully and you like hurting smaller and weaker beings than yourself just for fun you – you CALIGULA you!"
"And he went for his wand on us that didn't have any yet" said Isambard "But Nathan don't need a wand to cast protection spells."
"Those of us who have a brother who fought Voldemort get a few bits of extra training before we come to school" said Nathan. "As those who have tried to make racial attacks on Gorbrin and our sisters have found out I believe."
"Oh yes" said Gorbrin. "Caligula's cousin and Zabini to name a couple. We don't tolerate incipient Deatheaters in Slytherin House any more Crabbe; your parents ought to have warned you, Voldemort is dead and so are his cohorts. Don't even START because someone is GOING to sort you out. If your need to hurt is driven by unhappiness at home for any reason, equally if you ask an older one we'll do all we can to help out. Because we recognise that sometimes people act up because they're unhappy."
"I was perfectly happy until I seen YOU" said Crabbe rudely.
"Close to the wind, Weevil" said Leo. "Well, well, try to turn into a decent human being; it would so much improve you laddie."
Crabbe glowered.
He did not see what business it was of others – especially stinking gobbos – that he had hurt that wretched beggar brat. Things like that were there just begging to be baited!.
Gorbrin knew Crabbe's sort.
He had seen that sort of look before; and it had been on the face of Samuel Block. Block had assumed a rather eager, almost aroused look when he was able to hurt others; and Gorbrin had surprised that look on the face of Walter Crabbe as he assimilated that there was only one little girl in the house in that year. Equally the look of sullen, resentful lying lay on his face when he was being ticked off by those more powerful than him. It was sometimes said that you could tell a criminal by his face; and that was not entirely true. It was not the features, so much, but the expression they wore. And the expression a face wore of habit would eventually etch something of itself into the very face. The concept of small eyed meanness was as often as not eyes narrowed in a mean expression rather than the size of the eyes themselves; and those who looked down their noses had an arrogant look rather than a prominent nose meaning arrogance of itself.
Gorbrin should know; he had practiced the look in a mirror for hours to give just the right level of Malfoy arrogance if he felt it warranted. Sometimes a total assumption of being in control could avert a fight if one was challenged. Gorbrin preferred to avoid fights. His father, his true father Tobak, had been a man of peace. His stepfather Lucius advised him not to START fights – save for what he believed in if there was no other way – but always to finish them. Lucius rarely had to fight. The faintly raised eyebrow and Malfoy sneer was generally enough to make most people back down.
It was a very useful thing to have at one's disposal.
Being a Malfoy was as much a state of mind as of birth.
And Gorbrin was staunchly a Malfoy – even though he did TRY to insist on being called Malfoy-Tobak – for all that being a Malfoy stood for in this modern age.
Nobody was as fine, thought Gorbrin, as Lucius.
And Lucius would expect him to keep an eye on Crabbe even though the memories of Samuel Block made him quail inside and shudder; perhaps more BECAUSE of that, because it was his duty to overcome such feelings and just use the memories to recognise the same type, the creeping petty cruel types who liked to hurt and distress those weaker and smaller that himself because it was the only way to feel bigger. Gorbrin wished suddenly that Severus Snape was here to talk to; Madam Hardbroom was a kindly tyrant of a house mistress, but she wasn't Professor Snape.
Professors Black and Khan were ALMOST good enough, but they lacked…..well, Snapeness.
Gorbrin sighed.
Perhaps Professor Snape would not mind if he wrote to him for advice; to find out if such types could ever be helped to overcome their nastier predilections. Somehow he doubted it; but he had to ask. And Professor Snape was the wisest man he knew; perhaps even wiser than Dad Lucius. Dad after all had never taught sundry assorted people.
He would send an owl first thing in the morning, with apologies for his cheek but explaining his dilemma. He was sure Professor Snape would understand!