8/31/1941

Dearest Feli,

Thank you very much for the picture you sent me, it's really beautiful. You really are very good at drawing, you are definitely art-school material (I can't draw to save my life). I really like the colors, you caught exactly the atmosphere of the meadow and the olive tree. Though I have to keep it hidden from Gilbert (God knows I'll never hear the end of it if he sees that you sent me a handmade picture of the two of us under our olive tree), I keep it in my room, and I'm bringing it to school with me.

Which reminds me... tomorrow I'm going back to school. I feel very excited about going back and seeing my friends again and finally learn very advanced things. I can't wait to prove myself. I've also received a Head Boy badge! It means that the Headmaster thinks that I'm one of the best students in the year! I'm really very happy about that. Gilbert won't stop teasing me about it, he keeps calling me Bookworm-in-Chief or Head Poof (yes, he's still going on about the ribbon. He just won't give it a rest! You'd think he has something else to worry about, like not getting eaten by the wild beasts he works with. He really is incredible.) I'm really pleased about it, and father was really proud. He's still not speaking to Gilbert, but I'm seeing definite signs of improvement in their relations, so I'm relieved for that. This is also my last year of school, so I'll be very busy studying for the final exams, so I apologize already if my letters will not come regularly. It just means that I sit under a load of homework, not that I'm not willing to write to you anymore. Remember that, please.

I'm also a bit worried about the future. Once I graduate, I'll have to find myself a job, and what I want to do is very difficult, and I'm not sure I can pass the selection, but I'm going to work hard and give it my very best shot. I'm sorry all of this sounds very vague and strange, but I swear, I'll tell you everything and answer all of your questions when the day comes. And I'm really confident about that.

That was quite a bit about me. And you? Are you alright? Are you still wearing my pendant? Do you know if they're going to re-open your school for the year? I really hope so, I know how important it is to you. I hope you're still drawing and painting, it would be such a waste if you don't, and I mean it.

Reply as soon as you can,

All my love,

Ludwig B.

Ludwig put down his quill and called Gilbird over. He tied the letter to its paw before going to sleep. Tomorrow would be a great day, there was no room for doubts.


Ludwig was already in his uniform the moment he sat down in a carriage on the Hogwarts Express after having given the usual instructions to the new prefects. He was now sitting with his best friends, Berwald (that everyone called Sven because of his origin), an intimidating Hufflepuff in the same year as Ludwig, and Kiku, an Anglo-Japanese seventh year in Ravenclaw.

Ludwig smiled to both of them. Had he missed the guys...

They started talking between themselves, but since Kiku was worried about the N.E.W.T.s and Berwald was going on about Quidditch and how to hold the tryouts for the team, the topic "vacations" came up just when they were nearly in Hogsmeade. But come up it did.

"So? How was your summer?" asked Ludwig.

Berwald kept his usual stony face on as he answered. "Was g'od 'nough. But my cousin was th' usual pain in the ass. I wish I cou'd use magic durin' the summer, so I cou'd hand his ass an' wand back to him."

Ludwig felt a rush of pity for Berwald. His cousin was Mathias, a boisterous, arrogant Danish Gryffindor ex-student that would never leave Sven alone about the fact that he had been sorted in the "Duffer House".

"Just don't let it get to you. He's just a brawn-for-brains idiot and you know it." he said.

Kiku nodded in approval. "Ludwig's right, Sven. Just be happy that he graduated two years ago and you don't have to be bothered with him until Christmas."

Berwald gave a small smile of thanks that looked more like a murderous expression.

"An' you, Ludwig? Where w're you thi' summer? H'ven't seen you in Diagon Alle'."

Ludwig paused before giving an answer. Should he tell them the truth? That he had met and – he blushed a bit – fallen in love with a Muggle? What would they think of that? He took a moment to look at his friends. Berwald wouldn't really think anything bad, he was head-over-heels for a Muggle-born himself. And Kiku... well, he was more difficult to read, but he had never said anything about Muggles and such...

Finally, he spoke. "Uhm... actually, I was in Hungary with my brother." Ludwig didn't like having to lie to them, but he no choice. And besides, it was partially true. He went on. "And I kind of... uhm... met... someone there..."

Berwald's eyebrows shot up in his hair. Kiku let out a small surprised noise.

"Fo' real! ?"

Ludwig blushed for all he was worth. "Uhm, yes..." he brought his hand in front of his mouth in embarrassment. "... a girl."

Berwald shook his head, an amused smile (that looked terribly close to a cruel smirk) on his lips.

"Man, what's with you an' your brother? You both h've a thin' for Hungarians?"

Ludwig shook his head. "No, I met her there, but she's Italian."

Kiku replied thoughtfully. "Does she go to the Morgana Academy? I heard they have a wonderful Charms department there..."

Ludwig took a deep breath. There he went.

"She's a Muggle."

Berwald, who was in the middle of eating a chocolate frog, choked on it. Kiku said a disbelieving "WHAT! ?"

Ludwig blushed and looked out of the window. "I know, I have never liked them. But I met this girl... you guys have no idea... their world is just as complex as ours, and they're just like us..."

Berwald shook his head. "I've been tellin' you that ever s'nce our f'rst year, I think."

Kiku instead liked acting like the voice of reason, and said something completely different.

"You do realize that it won't be easy, don't you?"

Ludwig and Berwald looked at Kiku, curious as to what he really meant.

"What do you mean?" asked Ludwig.

Kiku talked very calmly. "Well, you know what most people think of Muggles, you were one yourself. Associating so closely with one could bring you great sorrow and prejudice. And besides, you're not going to see each other for nearly a year. And I don't think your family will approve. The Beilschmidts are a renowned wizarding lineage, I'm sure that your relatives won't really approve of her. And you are legally bound to marry her if you let the truth slip, or you'll get in serious troubles. I advise you to let it go, unless you are really serious about this whole predicament."

Ludwig took Kiku's words very seriously, but he couldn't say that they were new to his ears. He had known what was in front of him the moment he had decided that he didn't care if Feli was a Muggle or not. And he remembered what a blazing argument he had had with Gilbert on the subject. But it wasn't like he could choose to stop being in love with her.

"I know what you mean, Kiku. I mean, I'm no Seer, so I don't know what will happen in the future. But I know that I at least want to give it my very best shot. I'll work really hard for it to work out. And that's a fact."

Sven smiled (taking on the look of a bloodthirsty werewolf) and nodded. "You r'lly are an H'fflep'ff, uh?"
Ludwig just smiled.


They arrived at Hogwarts merely an hour later, and once the Sorting was done and they were finally dinner, Berwald elbowed Ludwig in the ribs and said playfully "Look, look, Riddle doesn't look too happy w'th the Bloody Baron sittin' next t' him..."

Ludwig looked over at the Slytherin table and smirked. Berwald was right. Riddle, a sixth-year in Slytherin, had a look of uneasyness while the gory ghost hovered next to him...

Ludwig snickered. "Oh well, aren't I so sorry to see him like that..."

Berwald chuckled. "Yes indeed. Oh, look, Dippet's gonna spe'k..."

Ludwig dutifully looked at the Professors' table, but instead of Dippet, it was Dumbledore who rose from his chair. His eyes twinkled as he spoke.

"My dear students, I will have to make the opening speech, since Professor Dippet has had a bad encounter with a Voice-Snatching Vine two hours ago."

All the students let out a discreet sigh of relief. Thank Merlin for that. Dippet's Start of Year speeches were so boring that many students tried to kill themselves with their cutlery just to escape them. They just hoped that Dumbledore's was going to be at least a bit more interesting.

"Now, to our new students, welcome! To our old ones, welcome back! I hope that this will be a year of study and hard work, and not only a chance to sneak out after hours to prove how brave you are to your friends."

Several students cackled and looked at each other with knowing glances.

Dumbledore went on with the same smile. "Now, my dear boys and girls, our Caretaker Pringle has asked me to remind you that everything coming from the Zonko's Joke Shop is strictly forbidden in the castle, but I have a feeling that you know that already. Also, the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students, unless you wish to know what life is like without several limbs. This goes especially for a certain fifth-year student who likes to prove himself a hero over and over." He gave an amused look at the Gryffindor table, where one of the students, a certain Alfred Jones, had snickered loudly.

Dumbledore went on. "Also, Mr Pringle thinks that I should remind all of you that the Broom Closet is a place where you store brooms, and not where you get hot and bothered with your significant other. There's a perfectly good room for that, and it's at your own home when your parents are out grocery-shopping thinking that their sweet, innocent children are simply going to play chess with their little friend."

This time, even Ludwig and Berwald openly laughed, especially at the scandalized reaction of the teachers. From the Gryffindor table, Jones made a catcall directed at the Slytherins, where a seventh-year with very bushy brows had choked on his drink and gone blazing red. Ludwig had always known that Dumbledore was a bit of a unique guy, but he had not really expected such an opening speech to his last year...

Dumbledore seemed to be holding a chuckle when he spoke again. "Yes. Even if I know already that my sensible warning is wasted on a bunch of healthy teenagers. And now, I do think I said everything. Just, one last word of advice before shipping you off to your warm, soft beds."

Dumbledore's face lost all mirth, and all hilarity stopped. Dumbledore looked very serious...

"Whatever you do this year, anything at all, take the following words very seriously, and always remember them."

The students looked at each other with worried eyes.

Dumbledore's voice was very somber when he said "Do make sure to steer clear of orange Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, for they do not taste of pumpkin, but vomit. Trust me. Personal experience."

All the students erupted in a cheerful laughter. Ludwig and Berwald held their stomach, and they could see that even the usually blank face of Kiku was sporting an amused grin.

That night, Ludwig looked at the wrist where he had tied Feli's ribbon. What would he give for Feli to be a witch, and be able to attend Hogwarts with him... surely, they'd have a blast, and they could see each other every day...

He blushed as his treacherous thoughts swerved to the Broom Closet before falling asleep.


A connecting chapter. The next will be better, I swear!