Chapter 9
"Please, Yrdl, I am not ungrateful, but what will Harry Crockfort think, if I am to be whisked away to Prince Peak?" asked Iphianira.
"Oh he will be joining you as soon as possible, to keep him safe too, as you have mentioned him," said Yrdl. "And we'll do the ritual on him but a bit less impromptu. Severus is all for keeping friends together. And I'm sure you'll like the Marauders in your class, whether you and Harry decide to Maraud or not."
"Oh, if Harry can come, I don't mind," said Iphianira. "But can his family afford that? And for that matter, what about my fees?"
"Severus will waive fees to keep you safe; he teaches for fun, anyway," said Yrdl. "And you can pay some back by letting him write up the changes to your Malfoy lines, for publishing the chant's effectiveness."
"Oh good," said Iphianira. "And where is Aglaia going to go?"
Yrdl shrugged.
"She must make up her own mind about whether she wishes to return to the Russian school or finish her education with you at Prince Peak. Severus will offer her that option."
"He is kind!" said Iphianira.
"Yes, he is," said Yrdl. "He collected my whole family when they were dying of Black Goblin Fever."
"But that's extinct; even I know that," said Iphianira.
"Not in Germany, where the potion wasn't known," said Yrdl, dryly. "It's now becoming extinct. My little brother Hiob will be in your class, and will tell you what a revelation it was that our sponsor, whose surname we use, raised wand on him not to harm, but to heal his club foot; and that the kindness of the Snape family was not like anything we had know before from Wizards. You are a delightful girl without side or prejudice, but alas, all too rare."
"Well prejudice is silly. The meaning of it says so; to pre-judge. And how can you judge something before you've examined it?" said Iphianira.
"You'll do," said Yrdl.
oOoOo
"I can't go back to the Russian school, Professor Snape! What am I going to do?" Aglaia sounded more panicked than she had ever done in her life.
"Why can't you?" asked Severus, head on one side, plainly meaning her to think about her answer.
"Well, because I wanted to kill Dolokhov, I suppose, because I let Yrdl help me, and everyone sees you as the enemy, and goblins as inferior!"
"And can you not say that if goblins are so inferior, how come it wasn't one of them helping you get your sister back, not a girl who is a goblin, and a year younger than any of your compatriots, and a little girl of thirteen?"
"Your daughter doesn't count; she's Voldemort's granddaughter and she's supposed to be a genius," said Aglaia. "She seems quite a normal sort of pest apart from that."
"She is, and she'd appreciate that you took time to think of that, not label her 'the girl who inherited' as you might say. But if they are so much better than goblins, why didn't they help?"
"Because apparently my beliefs and theirs are entirely erroneous," said Aglaia. "I've never known anyone behave so kindly as Yrdl, and she knows more than I do!"
"Yrdl is an exceptional witch for any race," said Severus. "I doubt she'll win the competition, not because she isn't good enough, but because she's more likely to stop and help others, and treat it as all a bit of fun, not go for a win. It'll be Zyrillis or Lilith, Zyrillis because he wants to show us that Germans of Durmstrang can be as good as the English, or Lilith because she's young enough to throw herself into it heart and soul. And you'd be higher up if you cared enough for your school and schoolmates."
"I dislike most of them cordially," said Aglaia, "but my parents were adamant that I must go to a school that favoured the pure blooded. And I believed them to be correct. What about the contest though? It's magically legally binding, isn't it?"
"It is," said Severus. "Essentially a kind of unbreakable vow. And can you compete for the Russian school if you are not at the Russian school?"
Aglaia sighed.
"I suppose not," she said. "Well, if Dolokhov is not there, it can only be some improvement."
"I think you'll find Hawke and Lynx a considerable improvement," said Severus. "Of course, some of your other staff might be spending time as woodlice, giant rabbits or statues, but that will be entirely up to them. Is that a smile? Much better! And your fellows who came along have seen rather a lot, and I suspect it may have changed them somewhat."
It cost Aglaia much courage to slip her arm into that of Palagina Motyleka, but she managed it.
"Are you coming back to school with us, Aglaia? I thought you would abandon us for Snape's school," said Palagina, with surprise and warmth.
"I am grateful that they have helped my sister, but I am not about to quit my school, especially as the little ones will need us to help them through the transition to a new headmaster," said Aglaia, who had thought that even if almost anyone would be an improvement on Dolokhov, to kiddies Iphie's age it would be a frightening change to have foreigners over them.
"I wish I cared about my brother and if he would be upset as much as you care about your sister," said Palagina. "But he is a boy, and boys can do no wrong."
"Your father is what most English would call a git," said Aglaia.
"What is that, please?" asked Palagina.
"Somewhere between Mudlo and Durak," said Aglaia. Palagina giggled.
"Oh, I was ashamed of how he made the family look at the first task!" she said. "Aglaia, have we been taught so wrongly?"
"I… I don't know," said Aglaia. "My parents are from a family that sends boys to Hellibore's and send girls to what is now Prince Peak; and when they took goblins, my parents said I should go to Durmstrang instead. And it was hard there, in the Odessa years, much bullying, and I hated goblins for existing and stopping me from going to a small school where I could study, instead of having to find places to hide so I could study without my work being spoilt by others. I wish at times they had sent me there; I could have ignored goblins to have the chance to learn more. And the goblins from there and from Hogwarts are not performing by rote. You can believe that they get good exam results by learning by rote, but it doesn't work in something like the Triwizard. You have to actually be quite adaptable and able."
"I wouldn't have liked the tasks so far," said Palagina. "Fedya and I have decided to help the new heads and to learn all we can."
"I think we all need to learn," said Aglaia. "You and Fedya are the nearest I've ever had to friends. Though…. I count Yrdl Breuer as a friend for what she has done."
"I think it would be ungrateful and disloyal to do anything else," said Palagina. "I would be grateful to her for saving my brother, though I do not love him so well as you love your sister. They know more than we; I think that there must be flaws in our education, perhaps related to flaws in ideology."
"I have to say, Durmstrang was a better place to be, and I learned more, once the Odessa crowd were out," said Aglaia. "Can it be as simple as ideology?"
"I don't know, but if the English techniques can give me more than the three grade 'E's I'm anticipating, I will embrace any ideology they care to tell me about," said Palagina.
oOo
Hawke and Lynx came to collect their new charges, Hawke looking arrogant and slightly sneering, which was his defensive face, and Lynx still giggling over the concept of being a junior headmistress.
Aglaia gasped.
Their blood sang with hers!
Hawke shot her an interested look, nodded to her, and then proceeded to explain in faultless Russian that their level of education might not have long to improve in, but that it would assuredly improve without the durak with asses ears in charge.
"At least he wasn't a wereknarl," said Lynx, and fell about laughing.
"Long story, my Russian children, and one perhaps to be told another time," said Hawke.
"We will like to hear it, sir, when you feel ready," said Fedya. He and Palagina and Aglaia stood a little apart from the other three, plainly having fallen into two factions.
Hawke laughed.
"Well, why not?" he said. "When I was at school, a boy in our class was rather an interfering bully, and he made waves about my twin's girlfriend. You heard that one?"
"It's an extraordinary piece of ritual," said Fedya. "Only a fool would interfere with people capable of that."
"He was – and presumably still is – a fool," said Hawke. "Anyway, he was wont to write to the Ministry with his fatuous and opinionated ideas, rather than taking any concerns to the headmaster. So we dressed up Lynx – Professor Black, to you – as a wereknarl, with a spiky wig, after leaving out books which hinted such things might be possible, which so far as I'm aware, they aren't, and he fell for it. He got into dreadful trouble with the Ministry, and we all gloated," he added. "He had also been getting at a girl who was a late developer who had been called a squib, and she was vulnerable. Bullies attack the vulnerable, because they are such weaklings that they can only attack those they think weaker than themselves. The strong protect the weak."
That would hopefully be an object lesson.
Hawke had no real expectation of problems. Younger children accepted new teachers and heads, and force of personality would soon sort out any problems. Having three of the seniors who appeared to be ready to actively help was a bonus. He was expecting the Triwizard contenders to all be perversely loyal to Dolokhov.
He could get a lowdown on the teachers from his bloodsister Aglaia as well, with luck.
It would be fine.
And if Hawke was not quite so insouciant in saying that as his brother would have been, he had learned enough to mean it, not merely say it to make himself feel better as he might once have done.
oOoOo
The other schools managed a return to some semblance of normality after the drama, leaving Hawke and Lynx to side-along their pupils quite firmly to the Russian School. There was some brief excitement to be felt amongst the Blooded, and a few headaches passed around as power was shared to Hawke, Lynx and, to her surprise, Aglaia, and a laconic thanks from Hawke and the message that all seemed quite in hand now, but as the Russian School had acquired a few more statues, the teaching might be a little sketchy.
Severus approached Leesitsa and Domna.
"If you girls feel able to teach for a couple of terms, I'll give you next year's study here for free," he said. "The Cheesty Korova school is short a few teachers."
Domna stared.
"Did you mean to call it the 'Pure Cow' school?" she asked.
"I bet he did," said Leesitsa.
"I did," said Severus. "The pun was too good to pass up."
"When you say 'short a few teachers', what exactly are you meaning?" asked Leesitsa.
"Why, Hawke and Lynx turned several into stone, as retaliation for the Killing Curse," said Severus. "So much less permanent than killing someone; a statue can be brought back, if you want it, and less trouble than guarding a prisoner, who also needs feeding."
"I see," said Leesitsa. "We really should go. Only…."
"You won't be at much risk from the Witch-King of Angmar, Prince Aleksandr that is," said Severus. "Hawke cut his teeth, as you might say, fighting dark wizards; being fully thirteen, he and his twin and their friends participated in the Battle of Hogwarts against Voldemort and his minions. Dear me, that almost makes me feel old."
"I don't think you do old, Severus," said Leesitsa. "I would not have believed it had I not seen your remarkably capable youngsters here."
"We'll go too, just for shits and giggles, and to get things settled," said Zlatko, who was eavesdropping. "We know enough Russian to insult anyone roundly."
"If they need it," said Zlatka. "Just so long as we can pop back at weekends for discussion here."
"Certainly," said Severus. "If you two will go as well, I'm sure all Leesitsa's fears will be settled."
"Yes; they're insane," said Leesitsa.
"One of the would-be Triwizard contestants is distantly related to me," said Domna. "Palagina Motyleka. I have the slightly different name, Motylechova, my family started out as a…. cadet branch; but they got rich along the way. I believe I might manage to bring some of them towards helping. My parents have always been agreed that it is as well to question everything, and my father's father taught him that."
"Then it would be useful," said Severus.
"I'll go too," said Mafalda. "I've only learned the sketchiest of Russian, but I'm sure you can remedy that, Severus, and it would also be a good opportunity to discover whether I like teaching or not."
"Dealing with a bunch of kids encouraged to be prima donnas of the kind that would make most Ravenclaws blench is a long way from dealing with those who… no, actually, I take that back," said Severus. "Corbin's precious loveys probably are just as arrogant, self-opinionated and nasty at the one end, and cowed and miserable at the other as in any supremacist's school. It should test you to the limit, Mafalda."
"I am sure that Hawke and Lynx will advise me," said Mafalda. "I knew Lynx briefly before she moved here, and she was a good prefect. And the Belle Marauders rate the whole of that group highly."
"Yes, and now you are sufficiently self-confident to take advice," said Severus.
"I prefer not to go," said Amos.
"They'd be a strain on your artistic muse," said Mafalda, kindly.
"He'd want to kill them," said Amyetis, "which is why I'm not volunteering. I know my limitations. Experience in teaching I should like, but not in a school where the pupils also need saving from themselves. I have not the life experience."
"And a wise person knows their limitations," said Severus. "I'll arrange teaching experience for you, Princess Orinjade. Mungo, Guy, Ignaz and Elise are also wisely keeping their mouths shut for a variety of reasons."
"Threatening to eat them is not usually considered a viable discipline method," said Mungo.
"Only poisoning in the fourth year," said Mafalda.
"Well, my pupils certainly know their antidotes," said Severus.
Hawke and Lynx sent thanks, and it may be said were especially glad of the Asimov twins. The Russian girls, known as big girls to all but the youngest, would also be an asset in keeping the middle school quiescent.
And the statues might be restored and interviewed one by one, ruthlessly legilimensed, and either returned to the state of statuary, or to their teaching positions.
oOoOo
Krait had spent the time when Severus was sorting out Aglaia in going to see the Crockford family; and collecting Harry Crockford. Once Yrdl had performed the chant, Krait and the other chanters on the staff had rapidly recreated it, and Harry was bemused to be told he was no longer a squib and that he and his friend Iphianira were now to be in the second of Prince Peak and needed to decide if they intended to Maraud.
"Of course we're going to Maraud if the Marauders will have us," said Iphianira, eyeing the thirteen-strong second year firmly and trying to guess who the Marauders were.
"Oh, no time like the present then," said Law Visick, getting out his silver knife and slitting his palm. He could feel that this was going to happen, and might as well happen sooner than later.
The Blooded staff chanters laughed, and joined in.
There were just a few who stood apart. Briefly.
"I WILL Maraud now, I feel able to do so, now life is settled!" said Eva Schiff. "If I may?"
"We always said you might change your mind," said CuHH.
"Oh please," said Gudel, " Cleone and I might help, may we join?"
"And me?" asked Motti Kalinka.
Law handed Gudel his knife and CuHH handed his to Motti. It had been something Law had seen; and almost the entire big class of the second were now Marauders, only Claude LeBatons holding back.
"That's a first," said Krait, as she cheated by summoning cocoa.
"Good for the lot of them," said Dione. "All of them remarkably decent kids. Never going to cause us grey hairs like some Marauding groups, but I am not complaining about that."
"Cor, Iphianira, your sister came good, now tell us all about you and, er, Harry," said Grace. Iphianira was nothing loath!
"Hey, is it true you're Arithmancers?" said CuHH. "Because if so, that's QUALITY because Arithmancy is the basis of all higher magic and mischief and none of us can count our way out of a paper bag."
"And if she's half as good at Runes as her sister, that's a real asset too," said Hiob.
"And Harry can do muggle magic with computers," said Iphianira.
"Gosh!" said Grace, "I know it wasn't nice for you, but I am glad the Durak tried to vanish you so that Yrdl could steal you for us!"
"No tact," said CuHH, which had his fellows poking him for pots calling cauldrons black. Iphianira held Harry's hand feeling ridiculously happy. She could feel him, and she could feel her sister, and she belonged somewhere.
oOoOo
In Russia, Aglaia felt the shock of her sister, and others, joining; and turned to grin fiercely at Hawk and Lynx, who were still muttering 'mobilostatua' to various stone teachers.
"Now she'll never be alone!" she said.
"No; and if she'd been a part of it, that would have been another way to cure her of being a squib," said Hawke, "which is that really happened to Sephara, the girl logged as a late developer. But you can't usually bring people in unless you know they are right; though sometimes there's an emergency," he added.
Aglaia flushed.
"You mean, I'm not right," she said.
"Merlin's bedsocks, you're pricklier than I used to be," said Hawke. "No, I didn't mean that. Your loyalty makes you right. I'm sure that the Marauders were planning on cutting you out at some point, Yrdl just had to jump the gun rather."
"Are Marauders everywhere?" asked Aglaia.
"Pretty much," said Hawke. "Have to get them set up here."
"Isn't that a bit of a tall order?" said Aglaia.
"Meh, if Jade did it single handed in Durmstrang, y'think that's going to daunt us?" said Lynx. "Jade and I went through school together; I ain't about to be outdone by her!"
"We never got marauding started in the free school, mind," said Hawke, regretfully. "It really is a school for magical also-rans, on the whole. Mostly we passed off the brightest and the best to Hogwarts and let them find Marauding there, or not as took their fancy."
"Why teach magical also-rans?" asked Aglaia.
"Why educate a squib?" said Hawke.
Aglaia flushed.
"I see," she said.
"They can, with industry, get better jobs and do well enough," said Lynx, "And it helps increase society as a whole. Muggles have compulsory education for all, which as a lot of them don't appreciate it isn't necessarily a good idea, but it should be compulsory to have everyone taught to read and write and figure at least, so they know what edicts are issued and so on."
"Or use it to read the smutty stories between the pictures in 'Playwizard', said Hawke, dryly. "Yes, I'm a snob. But at least the kids who go to the free school want to better themselves, and that does help them, and their families, and increase industry for greater wealth in society. And the ones like Mort Bane, who's my ward, are the shining lights. He'd have given you a run for your money in the Triwizard, Aglaia, though he was only one of the hopefuls when Jade and Lionel sauntered through it. I have to say that it's a nice close thing this time; any one of five of you in with a chance, and Zajala too on a good day."
"I do have a chance, don't I?" said Aglaia.
"If Lils mucks it up through being overconfident," said Lynx. "But nobody can take exception to losing to Lilith; she's exceptional, and Draxana almost as bad. Richard and Sevnev are quieter about it."
"Do you know everyone?" asked Aglaia.
"Most of them," said Hawke. "At least, those who count, oh good, Sev says he's sending us some substitute teachers."
The five substitute teachers turned up with the faintest of 'Snic' sounds, inside the anti-apparating zone, to the consternation of the Russian sixth formers, a few of whom were covered in purple bindings for trying to help the other teachers. Arkadi Volkhov was also sporting zits saying 'durak' and 'mudlo' as Aglaia and Fedya had both gleefully let fly jinxes at him that they would not have considered doing with Dolokhov in charge, and the bully allowed to do as he pleased. Aglaia recognised with a shock that she was blood-joined to two of the newcomers, the Asimov twins whom she had feared; and that two others had been those girls who had been talking to the Prince Peak contingent during the duel, and were apparently recognised by several of her classmates.
Well, it should prove interesting. And Aglaia felt hot shame that she had been prepared to betray Zlatko and the others to the Russian invaders.
Zlatko came over.
"You came good, Hallow," he said. "It's not going to be easy, but at least we can feel you now. You were one mixed up brat; why on earth didn't you come to m'sister and me and ask for help before even Jade arrived? We would have done."
"I… I suppose I didn't see what help second years could be against the big ones," said Aglaia. "It was easier to keep my head down and hope not to be noticed too much by anyone."
"And we were too busy keeping the bullies off our own backs and the younger twins," said Zlatka. "We didn't notice. And I have to say, we thought any English who sent their kids to Durmstrang must be next door to dark wizards too."
"I don't say my parents wouldn't have supported Voldemort if he'd won," said Aglaia, in a low voice, trying not to cry.
"Well, Lucius did support him until he realised he'd been played for a sucker," said Zlatko. "Apparently he could be plausible enough to get people to believe in him long enough to put compulsions in him. Especially if they had daft-like ideas in the first place, or were people he could work on flattering from childhood. Like he did with the English Deatheaters. School is a great place to brainwash kids."
"Which is what is happening here," said Aglaia, "and I've been a willing part of it. I can feel my sister's friend and he's part goblin and he is quite brilliant."
"Trouble is, it's a drastic way to show someone the truth, and you wouldn't want to be bloodjoined to some of the gits there are," said Zlatko. "And they'd tear us apart while tearing themselves apart."
"Professor Snape said that would happen to me, if I tried," said Aglaia, "But I felt no desire to. Suddenly I didn't need to hate because… because Yrdl had saved my sister, and that was all that mattered."
"Eve was right when she said you were worth reaching for," said Zlatka. "And she turned out well in the end. The most implacable foe is sometimes someone of great worth, fighting for a stupid cause because something has set them on the wrong track, and their honesty and loyalty keep them fighting for it. You're all right, Hallow."
