Chapter7: I'm no genius
"Animagi," said Neville Longbottom to the gargoyle guarding professor McGonagall's office which immediately sprang aside to allow him to climb the slowly moving staircase. Finally he reached the top and knocked on the huge oak door.
"Come in," came professor McGonagall's voice.
Slowly professor Longbottom pushed open the door. He seemed to be the first to have arrived.
"Ah you have come about Mr Coleman I assume," McGonagall said looking at him.
"Yes, the rest of the teachers should be arriving shortly."
"Sit down."
Neville sat. And then only a few minutes later the rest of the teachers arrived.
When everyone had taken a seat Minerva spoke: "so, you have come here to talk to me about …"
"Merlin Coleman, yes," said Thomas Spill the potions master.
"So what do you have to tell me about him?" McGonagall demanded.
"He's a genius," Enford said immediately.
All the teachers nodded. But some less vigorously than others.
"And …" McGonagall insisted, "what has he done?"
"He can do non verbal magic"
"And stuff we learn which most first years struggle with is child's play for him."
"He seems to know almost every spell."
The teachers all burst out.
"Okay I see, but I think I would like to see this talent myself," McGonagall said.
"But when will that be?" Enford demanded.
"Yes the tournament starts tomorrow," the defence against the dark arts teacher agreed.
This was true too, the next day the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would arrive and the tournament would officially begin.
"I will see him after the first task has taken place," McGonagall said.
"But professor that's a long time," professor Enford said.
"I know Nigel but until then I will be very busy."
Everyone knew this was the sign to leave. They had said what they had come to say about Merlin, and now they had to go.
Merlin himself had no idea that a meeting about him had just taken place. Had he known however he would not have been pleased at all. As Merlin seemed to want as little attention as possible. Which Grace thought was something close to madness. But she and Albus had through Merlin become friends. And Merlin and Albus were certainly better off that way. For although Merlin's practical skill stretched beyond anything Grace could do, anything perhaps even the teachers could do his knowledge about theory was certainly as good as or even worse than most people of his age. This meant of course that in most homework he was not much help. Grace however who seemed to remember everything she read always got full marks in all her homework. So by getting her to read it through Merlin and Albus were able to get all the correct answers.
It was the day before the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving.
Merlin, Albus and Grace were sitting in a deserted classroom on the first floor. They were practising the hover charm. Merlin had of course mastered it at once and was now showing Albus how it was to be done. It was Merlin's extraordinary magic that had made Albus and Grace, who had for a time been quite foul to each other to make friends so they could try and get Merlin to teach them.
It hadn't really worked. He would however now teach them spells. But only those they had learnt in class. And they had still not discovered how to make it rain condensed milk which he had shown them when they had first tried to persuade him.
"Come on," Grace said finally, "we should get back to the common room, we've still got that essay for Enford to finish."
The two boys nodded and they headed up the stairs, down a corridor and right into Filches path.
"What are you doin' out so late then?" Filch demanded leering slightly. The light from a torch nearby danced across his face making it look all the madder.
"We've come from the library," Albus said at once.
"The library aye," Filch repeated, "well that's very odd, you seem to have come in the wrong direction as that's where I've just been."
"We got lost on the way," Merlin said hoping this would suffice. It didn't.
"Got lost did we? Well then you can come down to my office then. I'll teach you the way to the library," and wheezing horribly he moved away.
Albus and Grace both turned to Merlin. Why was it always up to him to do something?
But still he raised his right hand carefully and deliberately in front of him. Then quite suddenly everything went white and foggy. The friends could no longer see anything. But nor could Filch who was stumbling away from them.
Then Albus found Grace's hand and following Merlin's footsteps they got out of the corridor.
Merlin allowed Grace and Albus to pass him for the moment he left the corridor the whiteness cleared and they could see again. And they made their way back to Gryffindor tower listening carefully at every corner to make sure Filch wasn't behind it.
The next morning there was a strange intensity to the chatter as they came into the great hall for breakfast. Everyone seemed to be talking about the arrivals of the schools that evening.
Once they had finished their breakfast they headed up to defence against the dark arts. There they had one of the oddest lessons ever. They were simply set to practice disarming which they had started to lesson before. The whole class went to the task with rather more noise than usual. Everyone was obsessed with the topic of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
"I heard Durmstrangs old headmaster used to be a death-eater," someone said.
"Yeah but he deserted them didn't he," someone else replied, "that's what I heard."
Somehow their teacher; professor Lickenstall didn't mind the talking although he normally insisted on almost total silence.
Then after lunch they hurried up to their dormitory. Dropped off their bags and then made their way to the entrance hall.
"First years to the front," one of the teachers shouted.
So quite suddenly Merlin found himself in front of the rest of the school with a perfect view over the grounds.
There was silence for several long minutes. Then a noise like when a plunger being removed from a plughole began to start. The gruellingly of water. It was coming from the lake. Then something happened. At stick poked itself out of the centre of the lake. Then it rose and began to take shape as the mast of a ship. Then with a huge noise the main ship bust through the water with water running from its decks and the white pale glow from the portholes which were reflected in the turbulent water of the lake the ship looked like a sort of ghost ship. It floated slowly towards the shore. Carried on the waves it had created. Then a gang plank was lowered and people began to appear.
As they moved forward the light spilling from the entrance hall allowed Merlin to see that they all wore thick fur coats.
"Why are they wearing coats?" Albus enquired. He was right. It was a pleasant evening with a slight warm breeze blowing through the trees at the edge of the lake.
Then the Hogwarts students parted. And the Durmstrang students made their way up the steps lead by their headmaster. Who when he reached McGonagall went into a slight bow and held out his hand.
"How good it iz to see Hogvarts," the man said with an accent Merlin couldn't place.
"Good evening professor Ianakiev," McGonagall said rather stiffly.
Then following their headmaster the Durmstrang students went into the entrance hall to wait for the arrival of Beaubaton.
They did not have long to wait before the sound of wing beats reached their ears. Everyone looked around. And then slowly one by one people began to look up at the sky were a few seconds later what they were looking for appeared. It was a huge carriage pulled by about a dozen winged horses which brought the carriage smoothly to land.
Merlin just had time to see the emblem of crossed wands on the huge door before it was flung open and steps were pulled out.
The women who came out was very beautiful but also very tall, she must have been something like the size of the gamekeeper; Hagrid. She was followed by a line of children. All it seemed shivering in their pale blue silken robes.
Rather than looking at McGonagall the huge women turned to Hagrid and gave him a huge beaming smile. Then followed by her students students she made her way over to professor McGonagall. Who was tall but looked tiny in comparison to this huge lady.
"How good it is to see you. I take it 'Agrid remembers 'ow to look after my 'orses?" She asked turning once again to Hagrid.
"Of course," he replied looking slightly redder than usual.
"Welcome Madam Maxime, we are very happy to see you and your pupils back at Hogwarts," McGonagall said politely before the students from Beaubaton walked into the entrance hall.
"Everyone into the great hall McGonagall ordered. "Prefects lead the way."
"This way first years," Victoire's voice came over the heads of the chattering students, they followed Victoire into the great hall which was decorated with the four house colours and the hundreds of floating candles reflecting in all directions from the golden plates and goblets below.
On on their way in they passed the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang standing in the entrance.
Then when they had all taken their places the Durmstrang students followed their headmaster entered. They stopped briefly at the entrance to decide which table to sit down at. To Albus's disappointment they went over to the Slytherins.
"Don't set next to those git's," Albus said watching Malfoy leaning over and talking to one of them who had sat next to him.
Then the Beauxbatons students came in. They too looked around and then to Merlin's surprise moved towards them.
"May I zit down?" a boy in blue asked. He did not have a French accent however and Albus said almost accusingly:
"You're not French."
"Albus, don't be so rude," Grace said looking reproachfully to Albus, then turning to the boy, "of course you can sit down."
The boy sat then turned to Albus. He had not looked at all upset at being told he wasn't French and now said:
"I am German but zeh vizards school zere is very new, only about von hundret years old."
"Oh" Albus said. Just then he was saved from from saying any more as McGonagall rose to her feet.
"Welcome Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, welcome to Hogwarts. I hope your stay here will be pleasant," McGonagall smiled as said this and nodded to Madam Maxime on her right and professor Ianakiev on her left. But there were more unknown people sitting at the staff table. "May I also welcome Mr Watson and Mr Jefferson who will be helping with the tournament," at the mention of the tournament the attention in the room seemed to quite suddenly be turned up and everyone continued to look at professor McGonagall expectantly.
Just then the caretaker came scuffling up and laid a wooden box in front of professor McGonagall.
"Thank you Filch," she said softly.
And with everyone's eyes on her she opened the casket and pulled out what was inside.
It was a goblet. I quite unremarkable wooden goblet. What however made many people gasp was what the goblet was full of bright blue frame.
"The goblet of fire is what will chose the 3 champions. It will be placed in the entrance hall until Halloween when it will reveal the champions," McGonagall explained. Then she continued, "I must say that by putting your name into the goblet you are saying that if you are chosen you must carry out the hole of the tournament. So it is nothing to joke about," then finally as Filch took back the goblet she said smiling, "let the feast begin."
The plates in front of them were suddenly full of food. And not all of it looked English either.
Then when they were helping themselves Albus said:
"What do you think she means about it being dangerous to put your name into the goblet?"
"I'd think that's obvious. That the tournaments going to be very difficult," Merlin said coldly.
"I don't care what she said. I'm putting my name into it anyway. I mean it's not like I'm going to be chosen," Albus said as though he hadn't heard Merlin.
"Are you?" Grace said looking at him, "I'm still not sure if I will I mean do you think a first year could do it?"
"No." Merlin said immediately. He knew he wasn't going to put his name in.
"But imagine," Albus said in a dreamy voice "Imagine winning."
"But you wouldn't be able to win," Merlin said exasperatedly.
"I'm with Albus," Grace said looking at Merlin "We won't be chosen anyway but it'll be cool to try."
Merlin sighed and turned away. Grace and Albus continued to discuss what it would be like to win but Merlin now ignored them.
"where do you think they'll sleep?" Grace said gesturing at the students from Beaubaton who were all talking in French. As the main course disappeared.
"Don't know," Albus replied, "we could ask"
Merlin then turned round and said nervously to the German boy.
"Excuse me."
"Yes," he said.
"Where will you sleep?"
"Zeh carriage," he replied.
"Are you entering the tournament?" Albus asked eagerly.
"Of course."
Then he turned away and continued eating.
Finally the feast was over and they made their way up to bed.
Albus fell asleep immediately dreaming about the tournament.
Merlin however could not sleep. He lay awake unable to empty his mind enough for sleep.
