DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$
A/N: Nice thing about Holidays … less distractions. Draco is not AS dumb as he appeared (but certainly as arrogant), so no he's not going to snuff it or be expelled anytime soon. Snape is as smart, but not as nice about things as he first appeared. (He's trying to keep Draco from getting thrashed, not trying to promote acceptance.)
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE HOGWARTS CLUB
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st, 1991 – HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, SCOTLAND, U.K.
Percy led Harry and the others through the castle in what was probably the most direct route to their destination, wherever that was, but it was still filled with enough turns to get them all confused. Even Hermione, who was using one of the magical maps of the school (one that showed them where they were and how to get around as opposed to the ones that also showed where everyone else was), was a little disoriented. They finally arrived at a portrait of two wizards playing chess.
"So, where are we Percy?" Harry asked.
"Fifth Floor, the abandoned North Wing," Percy replied. "This is the entrance to the Club Corridor.
"Abandoned?" Clarice asked.
"Several centuries ago, before the other schools were around or widely known, Hogwarts had a lot more students than today. Today, we're less than half the size of what we once were and obviously don't need all the space that a school for over a thousand students needs. This wing was shut off ages ago and we – er – reclaimed it for the Club."
"The whole wing?" Neville asked.
"Well, that was the plan," Percy said. "Currently, we have access to this floor and the Fourth and Sixth Floors. While you can exit from any floor, this is the only entrance. We were hoping to claim the lower floors as well, but Dumbledore's using the Third Floor for some sort of project."
"That's the one he said is off limits?" Hermione asked.
"Yep," Percy said. "We'd complain, but as this Club is somewhat secret we decided it best not to. Besides, we have more space than we need as it is. Come on then."
Percy turned to the Wizards Playing Chess and said: "God Save the Queen." The portrait slid to the left revealing a large door behind it. Percy opened the door and led the others in.
"God Save the Queen?" Harry asked.
"Password," Percy said. "Our biggest threat is from Pureblood Supremacists and their ilk. You'd never catch them saying that. It's way too respectful of Muggles."
"Still, a password is," Hermione began.
"Not the only precaution," Percy said as the door closed behind them. "The password works only in conjunction with a charmed object that is keyed to its proper owner. Even if someone like Snape were to get one from a Student, it would not work for him."
"Sounds ingenious," Clarice said.
"Fred and George came up with the added feature last year. Course, we had to change the object."
"Why?"
"Last year we used charmed Sickles and Knuts. They were also real ones and had a nasty habit of accidently getting spent during Hogsmeade Weekends."
"So what are we using now?" Hermione asked.
"Those collar devices we passed out on the train. They have the same Charm on them and have the added advantage of not being confused for money."
"What's to stop someone from just taking these and using it to gain access?"
"They are keyed to the person. If two of you swapped your collar devices, you would not be able to get in here at all."
"Seems like an awful lot of security," Harry mused. "I mean while it's true that this Club probably pushes the borders of legality in this country, but I'd be more concerned with what people say in the classes and common rooms than what goes on here."
"That is a potential problem," Percy said. "Everyone pretty much keeps shut about it around non-members and those of us who've been to Japan can always talk in Japanese if we need to. I can assure you that no one else here knows a word of that language. We could be talking gibberish for all they know."
"I always wondered what a Gibber was," Luna said.
"What?"
"A Gibber. Whatever creature or people that speak Gibberish."
Her four friends laughed along with Luna. Percy looked confused.
"Is she serious?" he asked.
"It's hard to tell," Harry said. "After all, her father is the owner and editor of The Quibbler."
"I can assure you," Luna said, "that every story in my Daddy's paper is at least plausible, if you assume there's any factual basis for it." Again, it was hard to tell if she was joking or not. Percy decided it best not to comment.
"Anyway," he said, "This floor is our main meeting area. We have some study rooms and such here as well as well as our Club Center, which I'll show you in a bit. Fourth Floor has been configured for physical fitness, martial arts and magical dueling. Sixth Floor has our Potions Lab and six classrooms we use for tutorials, study and the like."
"Seems like a lot," Hermione said.
Percy shrugged. "We now have almost a hundred students in the Club, all of whom are years ahead of where they are supposed to be. To be honest, classes are boring. So, we spend as much time as we can here learning advanced stuff and helping the others. Basically, most Club Members spend most of their free time here once classes start. Slytherins spend all their time here and would live here if they could."
"Why?"
"You will find that most of the Slytherins who are not in the Club are not the nicest of people. In addition to being mean spirited, they are also not the brightest. Olivia says that hanging out in the Slytherin Common Room sucks the intelligence out of you. If you ask me, they just want to be around their friends and not the thugs whom the Sorting Hat selected as house mates."
"Could they?" Harry asked.
"Could they what?"
"Live here if they had to?"
"Really isn't much of a need," Percy replied. "The Club Members now all have a year in Japan and are more than a match for the other Snakes. The only chance those Snakes have is if they gang up on our Snakes. Course, if they do that, they'll have the entire Club after them. Most of them might not be bright, but they know when the odds are stacked against them
"Still, yes they could live in this wing. There are two towers that you can access from this floor that used to be dormitories. I think one was Gryffindor and the other Ravenclaw…"
"But what about our tower?" Neville asked.
"Remember, there was a time when there were almost three times as many students here as there are today. Also, for centuries the boys and girls lived in totally separate dormitories and, as I understand it, attended classes separately. That changed a little over two hundred and fifty years ago or so and the extra towers were soon closed off. But we do have enough dormitory space for just about the whole Club. The towers are still closed off, but we could open them if needed."
"Why are they closed off?" Hermione asked.
"McGonagall says we don't need them now and is concerned that if they were opened… Well, there are a fair few teenage boys and girls who might take advantage of access to privacy."
"Given the frequent use of the Time Chamber," Clarice said, "I'd say they make do as is."
"Which is why they don't need more options," Percy said. "Then again, not one member of the Club has ever been associated with that aspect of this school."
"I should hope not," Clarice said. "I find it almost criminal what our supposed elders have come to tolerate and it's all because their attitudes about education are such that unless your parents teach you about what the consequences of your actions are, you won't learn it here or at any of our other schools. And then, to effectively allow the people to avoid the full consequences of their youthful indiscretions is absurd! Add to the problem that there are generations of "Muggle Borns" who are anything but that since they are sent to live there from birth and… It's horrid what they do just so they don't have to abandon their antiquated view of things."
"Or have their blood lines and lines of succession not to their liking," Hermione said. "As I understand it, that was the main reason for their policy regarding underage child bearing. Before the Chamber, if a girl got into that kind of trouble, she and her boyfriend had to marry regardless of whether she was actually promised to another. Ruined all the Pureblood plans, it did."
"Well," Percy said, "call it what you will, but according to McGonagall, there was a thirty percent drop in the productivity from the Hogwarts Baby Factory last year. And don't complain too much. The ongoing Time Chamber crisis and now the need to select a new Minister for Magic have kept Dumbledore from prying into the Club."
Percy led the group to a door. "While our biggest secret is obviously Japan," he began, "we do have others we wish to be kept from prying eyes." Percy opened the door and they entered a small room with a wall lined with filing cabinets and a large table with three students seated there.
"For lack of a better word," Percy said, "this is our communications center. We stopped using owls to communicate with the other schools when this began working."
"You talk to them?" Harry asked.
"No. Still write. Voice communications is something we are working on, but for now we'd have to use the Floo and those are controlled. But, the Twins came up with a work around based upon something the original Marauders came up with years ago. Now those guys invented it to pass notes in class without getting caught. The Twins made it into something useful. Let me show you."
He led them to the table. "On the right is a charmed scroll of parchment. We use that to send messages to the other schools. On the left is another charmed scroll where we receive messages. Whatever we write on the sending scroll automatically appears on all of the receiving scrolls. The other schools have this two, so we can write back and forth and such. It's almost instantaneous as the message is received as fast as it's written. We keep copies of all messages by sender and distribute copies as needed. As you can see, we're already in business."
The group looked and saw that the student seated before the Sending Scroll was busy writing away. Harry peeked over her shoulder to see what was being sent.
"1 Sept. 1991 2045
From: HOGWARTS
To: ALLCOM
Subj: Roster modifications.
The following former Junior Members have started Hogwarts and are now Seniors and have been sorted as follows:
Gryffindor: Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnegan, Hermione Granger, Clarice Jameson, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Parvati Patil, Harry Potter, Dean Thomas, Ron Weasley.
Huffelpuff: Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Ernie McMillan, Zach Smith.
Ravenclaw: Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Padma Patil, Lisa Turpin.
Slytherin: Millie Bulstrode, Tracy Davis, Daphne Greengrass, Theo Nott.
NEW MEMBERS: (admitted on train ride from London)
Gryffindor: Sally-Anne Perks. Huffelpuff: Justin Finch-Fletchley, Megan Jones. Ravenclaw: Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein, Su Li, Morag McDougal.
There were no Muggle Borns sorted into Slytherin and no new members from that house at this time.
END"
"It's brilliant," Harry said. "How much use does it get?"
"Considering it's used to send ideas and research and such back and forth and not strictly Club security stuff, quite a bit," Percy said. "There are groups within the Club who send spell ideas, potions ideas, historical research, not to mention Quidditch comments and the like back and forth. If we ever get some kind of voice system set up, there may well be little difference between the schools."
"Is one in the works?" Harry asked.
"Mr. Black gave the Twins a couple of communication mirrors that he and the Marauders used to talk to one another when they were in different locations. Simple enough to use. You say the other person's name and look in the mirror and if they are there, you'll see and hear them. The Twins are trying to figure out how to make more of them. In addition to personal communications devices, they're also thinking of setting up several large mirrors, one for each school. That way, groups from all the schools could meet in a room at their school and through the mirrors talk with groups from the other schools. The Twins hope to have it figured out soon so we could set things up by the end of the Christmas Hols, but we'll see."
"And here I thought they were just into pranks," Neville said.
"Oh they are," Percy said. "Doubt they'll ever give up on that. But those two have always been inventive and that education they're getting has allowed them to do something with their inventiveness."
"Are these secure?" Harry asked. "Could the Ministry tap into it?"
"The scrolls? If they got their hands on an activated Receiving Scroll, they could monitor the traffic. But, they can't make one themselves that would work. The scrolls must charmed by the same wizard with the same wand or they won't work."
"And I assume the scrolls are made here?"
Percy nodded.
"How do you get them to the other schools?"
"We bring the replacement scrolls with us to Camp W had deliver it to the other school Clubs there. To date, no one has bothered to search us when we leave for the Camp. If that ever happens, we have back up plans. Right then, we are here for a meeting. Follow me."
Percy led them to another room on the floor that was set up not unlike a conference room. They seemed to be the last to arrive. The other Club Prefects were already there as were Professors McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick.
"It's so good of you to join us," McGonagall said.
"Sorry Professor," Percy replied. "I was just showing them around."
"Anything in particular?"
"The Comm Room."
"Ah yes, one of our more ingenious bits. Well, we were just discussing an incident on the train. It seems one Draco Malfoy decided to begin his Hogwarts career by harassing our new Muggle Raised students. I was pleased to learn that our Slytherin friends put an end to such nonsense."
"The little worm also tried to bully his way into the Club carriages," a boy named Edgar Jacoby said. He was a Fifth Year Club member and a Prefect from Huffelpuff House with a chevron, diamond and "II" on one collar and "V 8990" on the other, which was the same as Percy. "Little snot does not seem to understand the world is not his oyster."
"Any of you run into this Malfoy boy?" McGonagall asked.
"Not on the train," Harry said. "He did make himself known just before the sorting. I haven't decided if he's as stupid as he sounds."
"Draco Malfoy is the son of Lucius Malfoy," McGonagall said.
"I figured as much," Harry replied. "Seems the apple does not fall far from the tree."
"Oh?"
"Well, he struck me as little more than an arrogant bigot with less brains than a slug and no ability of note aside from the natural ability to annoy people."
"Obviously needs remedial lessons in how to win friends and influence people," Hermione huffed.
"Doubt he'll stand for that," Harry said. "He keeps that attitude and they'll probably name a bed after him in the Hospital."
"I hope you didn't hex him," McGonagall said.
"Nah. Having done his old man earlier, really didn't see the need. Too easy."
"Excuse me?"
Harry told McGonagall about the incident on the platform. "I gave him the benefit of the doubt," Harry concluded. "A stunner was merciful given what that man as done in the past."
"I wouldn't recommend making that a habit, Mr. Potter. However, your assessment of the situation seems reasonable. I can think of no legitimate reason to raise one's wand against another person under such conditions, short of self defense. Lord Black was unarmed?"
"He might have had a wand," Harry said. "But he had not drawn it."
"Right then, moving along I am told you picked up seven new Club members on the train ride."
"Muggle Borns or Muggle Raised," Clarice said.
"They know about the Club already," Sprout said. "Aren't you concerned about security? After all, both Dumbledore and Snape are accomplished in Legilimency."
"They were Cleared, weren't they Dora?" Harry asked.
"Naturally," Dora Tonks replied. "That's been standard procedure since before last year. Doesn't mean they won't slip up, but we have little to fear from Snape."
"How so?" Sprout asked.
"We're taught the Mind Arts from day one in Japan," Harry said. "The art of occlumency is taught in all spell casting classes as it also helps develop the focus necessary to master wandless magic and non-verbal spell casting plus allows the student to master more magic in less time. In defense, we also begin learning passive Legilimency beginning in our Third Year as well as additional defenses beyond occlumency. By N.E.W.T.s, we are required to defend ourselves against an active attack and are also required to know the charms necessary to protect someone not skilled in occlumency from passive legilimency.
"Passive legilimency, while useful, has limitations. With it, I can detect deception – useful in a duel – as well as whether the other person is a skilled occlumens. I can also detect obliviation and the existence of certain memory charms. Specifically, I can detect a charm that sequesters memory both from outside probing and from the person under the charm. However, there is a charm that cannot be detected passively. It does not sequester memory at all. It simply allows a person to be deceptive about something and evade passive detection. We all learn that charm in N.E.W.T. level Defense. It does not mean they can tell an obvious lie. But it does mean they can evade the truth and not arouse the suspicions of a legilimens at least in regard to that which we wish to remain hidden; in this case the real nature of the Club. It does not mean they can't slip up. But short of active legilimency, Snape and Dumbledore will be none the wiser if they try to use passive legilimency to find out what is going on."
"And active legilimency?" Sprout asked.
"It won't stop that. Until they learn occlumency and reach the appropriate level, they are vulnerable. The whole idea of the Charm is to keep the legilimens from seeing any need."
"And it's not like they would," Hermione said. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't illegal to use active legilimency on a child?"
"Some Healers may as part of a course of treatment," McGonagall said, "but otherwise that's true. As far as I know, that is one law Dumbledore has not violated. I'm pretty sure Snape has not crossed that line either, at least here at Hogwarts."
"In that case, the Newbies are as safe as we can make them," Harry said.
"Moving on," McGonagall continued, "Quirrell?"
Harry nodded. "We are not ready to take any action against him, Min … Professor. Even if we were, we feel it is paramount we confirm he is in fact under active possession."
"And how will you do that?" Sprout asked.
"Ideally, a Healer can make that determination," Harry said. "Clarice knows how. The problem is we can't just to it without tipping him off – unless it was part of a routine examination or something. I was thinking maybe polyjuicing Clarice into an adult Healer…"
"Or getting Poppy Pomphrey onboard," McGonagall said.
"Is she trust worthy?"
"She's even more incensed with Dumbledore and Snape than I am about the Time Chamber mess. I think she would welcome any hope of change.
"Assuming we can verify his possession, how soon?"
"November at the earliest," Harry said. "It's a fair bet Voldemort will try and use Quirrell to try and kill me. I doubt he would make a go for me in class. But if I were more exposed? Say in a Quidditch Match? He might make a go. That would justify a counter action."
"This means, of course, Harry would have to be on the Quidditch Team," Hermione said.
"Wood has made it abundantly clear that I should allow him to select from First Years specifically because he does not think we have anyone in Gryffindor who'd be better at Seeker than Harry. Throw in that Harry already has two years of intense completion in the W.I.S.E. League and there are no other Seekers out there with any experience and … Well, with Charlie Weasley gone now, we need all the help we can get at that position. I'm sure it can be arranged."
"I could still play W.I.S.E. League, assuming I make the team, of course," Harry said.
"I don't think Wood would have it any other way. A Match is the best practice you can get and from what I've seen, that League is much more competitive than intra-house Quidditch."
"And how do you propose dispatching Quirrell, assuming he's under active possession by You-Know-Who, of course?" McGonagall asked.
"We're working on that," Harry said. "Obviously, we don't want Voldemort learning anything about me if it can be helped. I could, for example, cut him down with my sword. But while that would end the possession, it would also let Voldemort know I know more than I should.
"Hermione's working on a spell that, if it works, should do the trick. Use it against anyone else and she says they'll experience a blissful euphoria for a short time, long enough to distract their attention but otherwise it would be harmless. Against someone possessed by Voldemort, however, it should prove lethal. Any investigation would conclude that it was an unanticipated reaction to an otherwise benign spell.
"That and a situation justifying self defense should cover our legal bases. As important as this is, I am not willing to go to prison for it."
"Prudent," McGonagall nodded. "If Hermione needs any help with the spell, I am sure Filius would be more than willing."
"Indeed Minerva," Filius Flitwick said. "It sounds most interesting."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione replied.
"And the other items on your dance card this year," McGonagall asked.
"The two horcruxes need to be destroyed," Harry said, "but I think it best we do that after Voldemort had been dealt with."
Minerva nodded.
"Other than that," Hermione said, "I think we could do well with whatever information is available about the Founder's Tower."
"I'm already combing our library and archives for you, Hermione," McGonagall said.
Sally Anne watched with a little sadness as Clarice and four others were escorted out of the Common Room by a Prefect. While she had met some others on the train, it was Clarice who had spoken to her the most and was the closest thing she felt she had as a friend here. Given how few friends she had back home, she really did not want to be by herself especially after what her parents did. She turned and followed two other girls up the stairs into the tower looking for the First Year dorm.
It seemed there were two dorm rooms on each floor. The Seventh and Third Year girls were on the lowest floor, followed by the Fourth Years and Fifth Years and then there was a sign on the third floor that said First Years. She entered a large room that seemed to have three narrow but tall windows. There were six four poster beds with curtains arranged about the room and what looked like a pot bellied stove in the center. Next to each bed was a small writing desk and she could see trunks laid out at the foot of each bed. The other two girls were already seated on two beds and she looked for her trunk, finding it was in front of the bed next to the other two. Quietly, she sat on the bed and looked about the room. There was a second door other than the one they had entered and she wondered what lay beyond it.
"You must be Sally-Anne," one of the other two girls said. Sally-Anne looked over and saw that girl had dark hair and dark skin and seemed to be smiling pleasantly. "I'm Parvati Patil," she said.
Sally-Anne raised an eyebrow and said, "Nice to meet you. Never heard a name like that."
"It's Indian," Parvati said. "My parents are from there. Well, so am I come to think about it. My sister Padma and I were born there after all. We moved to England when Pad and I were two. We're twins you know – identical twins – although that might not be totally true seeing as she was sorted into Ravenclaw and I was sorted here."
"Don't tell me your hurt to be stuck with me, Parv," the other girl said with a fake pout. "I'm Lavender Brown, by the way," she added to Sally-Anne.
"Don't be silly," Parvati said. "How can I complain? It's Pad who got the raw deal. After all we are in the same House as the High Command. And Harry is such a cutie!"
"Think he's taken, Parv," Lavender said. "You know he and Hermione are close."
"That doesn't mean…"
"And I saw them kissing on the train when I passed by their compartment…"
"You mean like real kissing?"
Lavender nodded.
"Oh we are so going to ask Hermione about that when she gets back from wherever."
"Anyway," Lavender said to Sally-Anne, "you're a Muggle Born, right?"
"I suppose," Sally-Anne replied. "How can you tell? Is it written on me or something?"
"Process of elimination," Parvati replied, "well, sort of. You wear your Club year, which says you started in the Club this year. Of course, we could guess that as we know all the kids our age in the Club. Anyway, as you were not at Camp last weekend, that means you joined up since then, right?"
Sally-Anne nodded. "On the train."
"And that means Muggle Born. They try and get all the Muggle Borns to join up on the train."
"Oh. Why?"
"Well, the rest of us found out about the Club through word of mouth either from our friends or our parents found out from their friends. To find out that way you have to be connected with the magical world. That would mean no Muggle Borns and given as the High Command is all Muggle Raised, they were not about to exclude Muggle Borns."
"I think the Club now boasts over ninety percent of the Muggle Borns between age eleven and fifteen or sixteen as members," Lavender said, "plus any of their younger brothers and sisters who are at least six years old."
"About a quarter of all witches and wizards that age," Lavender added, "probably more."
"Not to mention over half of our year here at Hogwarts," Parvati said.
"And all of the Gryffindors in our year."
"Just how big is this Club?" Sally-Anne asked.
"Last summer, we took the entire Club to Japan," Lavender said. "It was something like nine hundred and twenty-seven of us."
"And if you consider that there are only about four hundred in Hogwarts," Parvati added.
"How can there be more kids in the Club than there are at this school, especially since not everyone here is in the Club?" Sally-Anne asked.
"You picked up on that?" Lavender asked.
"Wasn't terribly hard. Not everyone has these things," Sally-Anne said indicating the collar devices, "and I know most of the kids on the train remained in the forward cars including that Malfoy bastard and his friends."
Lavender did not immediately pick up on the Malfoy reference. "Well, there are six magical schools in the British Isles. Hogwarts takes kids from all over. Most of us from magical families have been attending for generations. But we get Muggle Borns from all over Britain too. But, most magical children go to school elsewhere. Let's see… St. Georges takes kids from London and the south of England. Preston Academy takes them from the North. St. Andrews takes in the Scots and some from Northern Ireland. The rest of the Irish attend St. Patrick's. And St. Albans takes students from Wales and some from the west of England as well. Hogwarts is the oldest of the schools and the only boarding school. It's also the smallest. So of course most of the Club goes to school somewhere else."
"Clarice said if you've been to Japan, you're well beyond where you would be here," Sally-Anne said.
The two girls nodded.
"This was our first summer," Lavender said. "They got a time compression ward on the school so that each day on the outside is fifty days long. So we were there for thirty days or so, but were also there for fifteen hundred. That's four years and forty days, but as each academic year was three hundred days, we had five years of education. So Parv and I have already taken our O.W.L.s – that's a major test you take at the end of your fifth year of magical study – and we also progressed from our last year of Primary School to our fourth year of Secondary School."
"But you don't look any older," Sally-Anne said.
"You age at normal speed," Parvati replied. "Physically, I am eleven, just like you. Magically, Lav and I are sixteen."
"And our other roommates are even older," Lavender said. "Clarice and Hermione have finished four summers in Japan. Clarice is ten and Hermione is almost twelve, but magically their like twenty-six or older. They already have their PhDs and at least three Masteries – those are the magical equivalent of university degrees. And Luna has finished three summers so while she is almost eleven, she also like twenty-three or something. She's got her bachelors and two Masteries, I think."
"I'm so far behind," Sally-Anne whimpered slightly.
"Now don't you get your knickers in a twist," Lavender said. "You're in the Club now which means we'll make sure you do well in your classes here. And on weekends we go to the Camp where you'll begin learning magic they don't teach here."
"And we also will make sure you're up to speed in your non-magical studies as well," Parvati added. "They did that for us and it's like a rule that we help 'younger' members do their best."
"And just think," Lavender said, "you went to regular schools before coming here, right?"
Sally-Anne nodded.
"So you'll probably test in as a non-magical Seventh Year. That's like Second Year of Secondary School. Anyway, by this time next year you'll almost be done with Secondary School and have your O.W.L.s out of the way. This time the following year, you'll already have your degree and N.E.W.T.s and your Mastery. Your parents will be so proud!"
"My parents don't want anything to do with me," Sally-Anne said. "They told me not to bother writing and not to come home."
"Oh dear!"
"Clarice said their reaction is not common, but not unheard of."
"Why'd they say that?" Parvati asked.
"When they found out I was a real witch, they said something about my being touched by the Devil and other things. Am I?"
"Not hardly," Parvati said. "Magic's been around forever. The belief that it's evil is mostly a Christian superstition, although some of the more conservative Muslims are not so different in that regard."
"And you?"
"Hindu. Magic is highly praised as a blessing from the gods," Parvati said. "Same's true with Shinto. I'm told the Jews don't see it as a curse. But Christians have an issue with it."
"Nothing about it in the scriptures," Lavender said. "Since they are silent on the issue, those more fundamental Christians assume it's evil. Then again, the witch burnings were more about keeping all women down than about getting rid of real witches. That was mostly on the Continent. England, Wales and Ireland were never really into it."
"Scotland was," Parvati said. "One of the two books about how to hunt witches was written by King James VI of Scotland who later became James I of England. The other, the Maleus Malefacarum, was written by a couple of catholic priests who were part of the Inquisition. That book was banned by the Pope and the authors excommunicated as heretics, but it still caught on in Europe."
"How'd you know that?" Sally-Anne asked.
"Part of our magical history studies in Japan," Lavender said. "The older kids say the history they teach here isn't even worth reading, but we have to act like it's important anyway."
"Why?"
"Technically speaking, we're not supposed to be going to Japan and learning things that the Ministry of Magic considers foreign. One day, we'll let them know what's what. For now, we keep our real learning a secret."
"It's illegal?"
"No. Not really. It's illegal to teach much of what we learned. But it's not illegal to learn it. Since we didn't learn it here and it was not taught in the school by faculty, we get around the laws that exist. But we don't tell anyone about it unless they are in the Club as well."
"Why not?"
"Because the bigoted idiots who run this country might find out from their bigoted progeny and make it illegal to keep the rest of us in our place."
"Excuse me?"
"To quote our fearless leader Harry Potter," Parvati said, "who shall break the hearts of thousands of young girls once it becomes known he has a girlfriend: 'This country is run by the Purebloods for the Purebloods and the rest of us are supposed to rot.'"
"Purebloods? That Malfoy boy and his friends were on about that. But what does it mean?" Sally-Anne asked.
"Lavender and I are what is known as Half-Bloods. Our parents are magical, but you go back a generation or two or three and you will find at least one Muggle ancestor. In my case, my Mum's parents were not magical at all. My Daddy's family has many generations of magicals, but they prefer marrying first or second generation witches, so they are Half-Bloods."
"Muggle Born technically means anyone who is magical but whose parents are not," Lavender said. "Although it seems here in Britain that the term is applied to anyone Muggle Raised, regardless of who their real parents are."
"Muggle raised?"
"A fair few Muggle Borns actually had magical parents but were set up for adoption in the Muggle World," Lavender said. "As far as the Purebloods bigots are concerned, they are no better than Muggle Borns. Those people think Muggles are little better than animals and anyone who associates with them or was raised in their world is sullied beyond redemption."
"Is that why Malfoy and his friends called me a 'Mudblood'?"
"That and they're idiots," Parvati said. "Pureblood simply means all of your ancestors back through your great-great grandparents or so were magical. They think it makes them superior for some reason. Truth is my family can trace its magic back well over a thousand years, far longer than many of those bigots. But because I'm a Half-blood they think they're better than me."
"Maybe fifteen percent of all the magicals in Britain could claim to be Purebloods," Lavender said. "For most, the only way they can is because they arrange marriages."
"Arranged marriages?"
"Usually as soon as the kids display accidental magic," Lavender nodded. "That could be even before they can walk."
"But what if they don't like each other?"
"For them, it doesn't work that way. Once your parents sign the contract with the other family, you are all but stuck with the match."
"That's so wrong," Sally-Anne said.
"It used to be more common," Lavender said. "Still is in certain Muggle situations."
"Such as?"
"Royalty. Well, maybe not the way the Pureblood Supremacists do it, but they still kind of do it that way."
"You're talking about Price Charles and Princess Diana?"
Lavender nodded. "They were not matched as children, but they were kind of set up to date and the match was approved because she was the daughter of a Lord or some such. I don't get the idea they really like each other."
"So, why does Malfoy and that lot…?"
"They think they're better than anyone. All the Supremacists do. It's all rubbish, of course. But those idiots have control of our government and … well, hopefully that will change one day."
"You needn't worry yourself about those morons," Parvati said. "There is none of that lot in the Club and we protect our own, so to speak, and that includes you."
"Pity you couldn't protect me from my parents," Sally-Anne moped.
"Maybe not before," Lavender said, "but now? I'm sure something will be worked out. I'm told Harry had a rough time of it with his Muggle relatives when he was little. He'll make things right."
"I hope so," Sally-Anne said. "Clarice said as much."
"There you go then."
"So what about those Death Eaters I was told about?"
"The worst of the Pureblood lot," Lavender said.
"Clarice said they were like the Nazis."
"Aside from the fact they did not succeed in taking over, she's right. Goodness knows what would have happened if they had succeeded. As it was, a lot of good people died. If you weren't one of them, they killed you just because they could."
"And the government?"
"They took forever to do anything," Lavender said. "Waited until it was almost too late, really. My parents told me it was because the government was overridden with sympathizers and such and was afraid that if they went after the Death Eater too many 'proper' families would be wiped out. Most of the Death Eaters were from those families. If it were up to me, the country and world would be better off without them and their families. But that's just me."
"And I thought…"
"That the magical world would be some kind of Utopia?" Parvati finished.
Sally-Anne nodded.
"Magic is a skill, not a cure for the human condition. We are just as good and just as flawed as anyone. That means we are just as capable of having evil men in our midst as the rest of humanity. But we hope to fix things one day."
"That's why so many of us are going to school in Japan," Lavender added. "One day, the bigots will learn they have no power and they are not wanted or needed."
"So are all the Purebloods that way?" Sally-Anne asked.
"Oh no. Not hardly. Maybe a third or less are and the rest are normal, decent people. That lot couldn't get into the Club if they tried so if you stick with us, you won't really have to worry about them. There are purebloods like us, but they believe as we do that your ancestors mean nothing. You are what you choose to be and you are what you can be.
"But that third has money and political power so they are quite annoying. Something is seriously wrong when five percent of the population has almost total control of the rest of us. Of course, that means there's something that needs fixing."
"Why do I think that I've just been thrown into a world filled with revolutionaries?" Sally-Anne asked rhetorically.
"Probably because you have been," Parvati said.
The meeting ended and McGonagall joined Percy in providing the others with a tour of the Club Corridor. There really was not much to see as far as they were concerned. On the Sixth Floor was what Harry considered a more than adequate Potions Lab provided they had the ingredients which were in a separate room. Fortunately as far as he was concerned, his magically expanded trunk included what he considered a fully stocked Potions pantry. There was also a separate room that the Twins and a few of their "assistants" had commandeered to use to make enchanted items such as the communications scrolls.
Percy told them that he and his younger brothers were giving serious consideration to opening some shops when they finished school. While they were all good at pranking, Percy said they each had skills that could make them some real money on the outside. The twins were more inventive with regard to enchanting items and potions. Not that Percy considered him a slouch in those areas, but they were the mad geniuses. Percy was better at coming up with ideas for stuff and figuring out how to make them in bulk and distribution. Between the three of them and with an adequate staff, he figured they could easily have the biggest store in Britain within a few years if they could get it off the ground. They were already working on mail order items that could be made for little and sold for a good profit.
Hermione was concerned that so many of their secrets were discussed at the meeting. She was reminded that everyone who was there was at the earlier meeting where all of the stuff had been discussed before, if not in such detail. McGonagall told her they needed to know at least some of the details as the faculty sponsors of the Club and Club Prefects' primary role was to "run interference" for the Club. This meant they were the ones who would keep Dumbledore, Snape and the Ministry from learning about what was really going on by "covering" for Club activities that might raise suspicion. To date, that was mostly the hexing of school bullies. But even that could expose the Club without others covering for them as most all Club members knew more magic than was normal. Considering this year the Club would be behind getting rid of Voldemort, that was a "prank" that would require a well thought out cover well in advance and she was pleased that Harry and the others were not going to try and deal with that problem right away.
It was not long before the group left the corridor to return to the common room for the night. They were within sight of the portrait of the fat lady when a voice stopped them.
"Well, well," the voice said, "not even here a day and already breaking the rules by being out of bed! Oh, have I plans for you lot!"
They turned and saw a thin man with long hair and a mean looking face with a cat by his side.
"Mr. Filch," Percy said, "these students are with me and I am a Prefect."
"And I hope they were being properly punished for something. What sort of mischief have they been up to, pray tell?"
"Where they have been and why is none of your concern since they are with a Prefect and not skulking about unsupervised."
"Fine," the man grumbled. "Come along, Mrs. Norris."
Just after the portrait closed and the group was alone in the Common Room, Percy turned to them. "That was Mr. Filch. Just between you and me, I think he's a squib. I've never seen him with a wand or doing magic. He's the caretaker here, although I think his real job is to get students in trouble. The only time I've ever seen a hint of a smile on his face is when he's supervising a detention. He always moans about not being able to whip students or hang them up in the dungeons."
"He doesn't seem very nice," Luna said.
"I don't think the concept of 'nice' is within his comprehension," Percy replied. "Well, I suggest you all head up. Club members are to meet here at six for our morning workout."
Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek and headed up towards the boys dormitory just behind Neville while Hermione followed Clarice and Luna up towards the girls' dormitory. They reached the room and opened the door just in time to hear a squeal.
"I did it!" the voice called.
Hermione looked and could see it was the new girl.
"What happened?" Hermione asked.
"Oh it was wonderful!" the new girl said. "Parvati and Lavender were showing me how to do wandless magic and I made the feather move and then turned it into something else. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but they said even doing it is a good thing and I did and…"
"You're babbling," Lavender laughed.
"Sorry."
"That's okay, Sally-Anne."
"It's just so exciting! I mean actually doing magic 'cause I want to and not because something made me…"
"How long?" Hermione asked the other two.
"'Bout twenty minutes," Parvati said.
"That's pretty good," Hermione said.
"Can I ask you a question?" Sally-Anne asked Hermione.
"Sure."
"Well, Lavender and Parvati told me they've known they were magical since they were little. Clarice said she was almost seven when she found out. What about you?"
"I was eight," Hermione said. "Had no clue before then."
"So you're a Muggle Born then?"
"To the Purebloods," Hermione said. "Muggle Raised actually. I was adopted when I was a baby."
"Oh. Does it matter?"
"What?"
"Whether your parents are magical or not?"
"To the Pureblood elites it does. But in reality, it doesn't matter at all."
"Says the girl who was first in her year all through school," Parvati said.
"She was first 'cause she's really smart and worked really hard," Clarice said.
"Says the girl who was third in that same year."
"Whose brother was second."
"Well, he is older than me."
"And what about you?" Sally-Anne asked Luna.
"I'm Luna Lovegood, by the way. I was a summer behind Hermione and Clarice and I was second in my year."
"So, I'm in a room full of smart people?"
"We're not that smart," Lavender said.
"We're only in the top ten percent of our year," Parvati added. "My sister's the smart one. Besides, most of us who attend full summers do well."
"I guess."
"And we will help you do well too," Lavender said. "Gotta maintain the high standards we've come to expect in this room, don't we."
After a laugh, Parvati turned to Hermione. "Speaking of high standards, spill it, Hermione."
"What?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Oh please! Lavender said she saw you kissing Harry Potter on the train."
"Oh?"
"So are you like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Lavender asked.
Hermione nodded blushing furiously.
"Have you seen him naked?" Parvati asked.
"What?" Hermione replied in shock.
"Yes, she has," Clarice said. "We both have and we have pictures."
"You do?"
"We do? I thought you said there wasn't film in the camera!"
"Maybe there was, maybe there wasn't. Not that I would have developed naked pictures of my brother. That's so wrong on so many levels."
"Then why did you see him," Lavender asked.
"First of all, this was a few years ago," Clarice said. "He pranked us so we pranked him back."
"Forced him to run naked through the hall 'cause we stole all his clothes and towels when he was in the shower," Hermione added.
"And whenever he gets an attitude, we threaten to develop the film," Clarice finished.
"And he's still your boyfriend?" Lavender asked.
"He doesn't have to be told things twice," Hermione said.
"So cute and trainable too," Parvati giggled. "Lucky girl."
"Are you two going to spend the whole night prying into my love life, such as it is?" Hermione asked rolling her eyes.
"If you let us," Lavender said with a laugh.
"Do I need to remind you we need to be up, dressed and down in the common room at six for our morning exercise?"
"You're serious about that," Parvati said.
"If you don't use it, you lose it," Hermione replied.
"You've been telling Harry that, have you?" Lavender joked.
"Fine! Harry and I are together and yes he kissed me and I most certainly kissed back! But we are a bit young for that!"
"Just messing with you," Parvati said apologetically.
"Well, messing with Hermione time is over. We all need our sleep!"
"Yes mother," Lavender whined.
