Chapter 9
"You know" said Sandalla to the other First Peak Marauders "That kid Sextus is something else; being ready to go after Lilith without a second thought."
"I'd do it for you Sandy" said Albert.
"And me for Svetlana" said Granville.
"I guess" said AHHa "Any Marauder would for any other marauder; or for some defenceless kid. But something like that is going to create a special bond, like any life debt. And that works better if there's a bond to start off with. You were thinking partly about their age weren't you Sandy?"
"Yes" said Sandalla, her eyes on Albert "But I still think whatever the age it's a special thing to do."
"I'd do anything for you" said Albert softly "Though I guess a lot depends on what your father thinks of you having a beau who's pretty ordinary."
"You aren't ordinary you prune!" said Sandalla "You're a marauder. And that stands for everything my father would expect me to look for in a husband. We don't have snobbish royalty like lots of people do; the best man does the job. If I made a hopeless princess the people would vote me out of office; but with a strong partner anything is possible."
"Well that's good" said Albert. "Will you marry me, Sandalla?"
"I'd love to" said Sandalla.
"And will YOU marry ME, Svetlana?" asked Granville.
"It took you this long to ask me?" said Svetlana, glowing.
"I think we'll leave the necking party to it" said AHHa to the rest of his set; and they left two sets of twins exploring the heady realms of first kisses.
oOoOo
"Look here" said Hiob "It's getting on for the end of term and we haven't actually done anything marauderish; except Law holding our end up against Hellibore's but he'd do that if he was a marauder or no. We need a jape."
"Boleslav and I have been busy adapting to the English way of doing things and to learning three languages to do our lessons in" said Otylia. "And I find lessons some of them quite hard, though my brother is good."
Boleslav grinned at his twin.
"You are very good at enchanting and you are more patient with history than me" he said "It could not be helped that you were concentrating so hard on the divining rods that you almost fell in the well; and CuHH caught your skirt."
"And they didn't even twitch for being right on top of water" said Otylia mournfully.
"Well I'm no better" said Rence "Weasleys never are though. Like Weasleys are clumsy; Madam Gimlet reckons I've broken more teacups trying to read tealeaves than anyone since Grace's cousin Sylvia."
Grace grinned.
"Hubble moments" she said.
"In Hogwarts they call them Weasley moments, cousin Professor Ron says" said Rence.
"It's the same sort of thing" said Grace "And at least I've only melted one cauldron so far and covered another with boils."
"Look here, comparing notes of what we're not so good at is not getting us anywhere" said Hiob "We need to make our mark as marauders before the end of term so we are KNOWN to be marauding."
"All very well but have you got any ideas?" demanded Rence.
"Well we're studying simple grooming charms right now" said Law "And none of us is BAD at charms; and the next section in the book of useful charms is the sewing charm. Why don't we use it to sew up all the PJs of the big people?"
"Excuse me, PJs?" asked Otylia.
"Pyjamas" translated Hiob "I LIKE that, Law; it's no end silly and irritating but it gets us known and we'll get a massive pree impot but it's very good to have to do library work for a jape. We could put a tickling charm on their slippers too."
This was voted a good idea and the would-be marauders disappeared into the library.
oOoOo
Flo, who knew marauders, warned the rest of the seniors that as sundry juniors were in the library there was likely to be an outbreak of mischief; and the Muggle Marauders and First Peak Marauders at least believed her and took such seriously, as did Flo's own little set.
The seniors were therefore less surprised than they might have otherwise been to discover that their sleeves and trouser legs were sewn up and Flo at least tried finite incantatem to deal with the problem; meaning that she and Vya not only got their pyjamas on but avoided tickled toes since it was an area of effect spell.
Those who carefully unpicked the stitching found the rest of the surprise in the morning hopping around outrageously as their slippers tickled them.
"Little so-and-so's" said Sandalla indulgently "Head girl's impot, Flo!"
"Rather" said Flo "Well I suppose the little wretches will at least be pleased to know that some of you chose the methodical route instead of the lazy one I picked."
"Don't you dare tell them it was a couple of marauders who were caught twice!" said Sandalla.
oOoOo
Flo having sent for 'such small persons who are responsible for sundry bedroom occurrences' and received the seven.
"Horrors" she said "Those of us canny enough to use the spell finishing charm did not suffer tickled feet; the rest of you are going to wear the slippers of those who WERE caught long enough to sing for me 'Bananas in Pyjamas'."
She had gathered up the afflicted slippers, sending word to the upper sixth and both sets of boys not to remove the jinx in order to have a vehicle of punishment.
The song was accomplished with much squirming and giggling; and they had to sing it about three times before Flo pronounced it sung clearly enough and permitted them to take of the offending footwear. They escaped thankfully.
"Well at least it is not an impot that will eat into our prep time" said Otylia.
"Flo's tough but she is fair" said Hiob. "Crumbs, those were efficient charms we pulled off!"
oOoOo
The Ubiquitous Marauders felt that they could not let that pass without some kind of follow up to put the youngest in their place; that they were the only marauders pulling japes was not seemly.
"We have a brilliant potioneer and two rather good geomancers" said Wilhelm, who was one of the geomancers "It seems to me that we should play to our strengths."
"I seem to recall hearing my father talk about a potion that Professor Snape brewed for a previous Triwizard that was a liquid portkey" said Zhenga "It would require you, Wilhelm and Fyra doing all the geomancy and Bruno checking your Arithmancy and Alrik can help me brew. And we shall place it in the pumpkin juice and send people on short trips."
"Wonderful" agreed Wilhelm; and the others nodded giggling.
That it was a potion well beyond most NEWT students never occurred to Zhenga, who was, like her mother, a natural potioneer; though she would never have attempted it without having confederates bloodjoined to her who had Place Sense, not merely an affinity for Geomancy. They decided to have their liquid portkey send everyone to slightly different parts of the great hall; and Bruno was kept busy working out the different parts.
"We can't actually just lace the pumpkin juice or there's a chance everyone will end up inside each other" said Wilhelm "We need to have slightly different brews in bottles for people to pick up."
"Why don't we just ask the Bee Marauders to test our new potion?" said Alrik "Then it's only catching Marauders, who won't be as waxy about it, and get their attention, and do it to people that are easier to rescue if we make any mistakes."
"Good idea" said Zhenga. "Right; let's get brewing."
The Bee Marauders duly received an invitation to test a new potion for the Ubiquitous Marauders and turned up dubiously.
"I hope Zhenga did the actual brewing" said BaHH suspiciously.
"Of course I did!" said Zhenga "The others did the research for the effects of it."
"Which I suppose you brats are not going to tell us" said Yrdl.
The younger group beamed.
"Thought not" said Yrdl.
"It'll be funnier if you all drink together" said Serrik.
"From whose point of view?" asked Crow.
"Ours" said Serrik.
"Yes I was afraid of that" said Crow. "Well whatever you do, Professor Snape is at least a ruddy genius and can find an antidote to your perfidious potions of pestilence."
They drank.
There were assorted startled yelps that were broken off rapidly as they all disappeared and the Ubiquitous Marauders ran to the great hall.
"Oh my giddy aunt!" said BaHH "Did you get the scattering effect on purpose or were you just lucky?"
"We got it on purpose, thank you very much, Bellamy Hallow Hellibore" said Fyra.
"Oh, that's all right then" said BaHH "You little sods! Go and write it out in full in the book of all wickedness; Zhenga, YOU'RE a ruddy genius. I'm going to go and tell Sev off the record that his position of pre-eminent potioneer is under challenge. Did you HAVE to drop us two feet? I have a bruised arse and worse bruised ego."
"We preferred to do that and be certain you were not about to be a permanent fixture with your feet below the floor" said Wilhelm "We got flustered with the height difference."
"Ah well; better safe than sorry then; and it is in that case forgiven" said BaHH "You have however seriously startled Kizzy who is not used to you mad lot so you will apologise to her please."
Kizzy had been frightened almost into tears, which had dissolved when she realised the rest of her group were also there shouting in surprise, swearing or laughing – BaHH – but japes were not things she understood. She was coming to terms with the life of a schoolgirl, aided by the Cassie books, but she had been shocked.
The Ubiquitous Marauders all went to apologise to her, and she was hugged and kissed by the two girls and patted on the arm by the boys.
"It is a very different feeling to the apparating I am used to" said she. "Less under control."
"Nobody LIKES travelling by portkey" said Wilhelm "But it is handy to transport a large number to a single site where there are juveniles to take. Because most kids CAN'T apparate of course; it's only our bloodbond that means most of us can. Sorry to upset you."
"I will not be upset" said Kizzy firmly "It is foolish to be so; it is a jape. A very successful one too" she added.
"Lumme, if only we had governors, wouldn't it be a hoot to do it to them!" said BaHH wistfully. "We can't REALLY do it to Grandfather when he comes visiting for the end of term play though; mocking the afflicted is just not on." BaHH was Engelbert Hellibore's grandson.
"Oh well, we're bound to be inspected by the ministry at some point" said Batty cheerfully "And failing that there's always examiners, once the exams are over."
Two groups of Marauders exchanged looks of unholy glee!
oOoOo
Potions did not come so easily to everyone as they did to Zhenga.
The third were brewing various basic cosmetic potions – hair, skin and nail improving potions of various kinds – and were working on a nail strengthening potion.
It would be most charitable to assign the mistake Werner Wasner made to artistic temperament; and the inclusion of an ingredient that was never on his list to a misreading of the recipe whilst his brain was more deeply involved with the piece of jewellery he was working on in both metalwork and – in its working drawings – art classes.
The class rubbed their nails with their potions; and if William Weasley's did very little most people had the effect of their nails brightening, thickening and growing to a reasonable length. Karin Meyer, another born potioneer, beamed down at the first perfect nails she had ever had and resolved to stop biting them to keep them so nice.
"Mine are growing; are they supposed to?" said Werner.
"Some" said Wolfram "But I think yours are growing more than they ought to old man."
"Ma'am!" said Werner urgently.
Dimsie Nuffield came over.
"Oh dear" she said "I rather fancy you may have made something of a mistake with that….you silly boy, did you actually ADD any of that phoenix down you have on your desk?"
"Wasn't I supposed to?" asked Werner in a small voice.
"Werner! Read your instructions!" said Dimsie.
Werner read through his instructions and went red.
"I guess I made rather a bish" he said "I say, they WILL stop growing won't they?"
"I hope so" said Dimsie "I shall have to analyse your evil concatenation and find out you silly little boy. Let me at least pare them for you" she added; for Werner's nails were now almost a foot long. A rapid and carefully defined diffindo dealt with them; but they were still growing. Dimsie sighed.
"I shall have to brew up a growth inhibiting potion" she said "We don't want to stop them entirely; or you won't get the natural growth to replace wear and tear…. Actually I think this is beyond me. Take your cauldron to Professor Snape and ask him to rescue you."
"Yes professor" said Werner mournfully.
"Werner" said Dimsie "I'm not sending you to the head as a punishment; you've done that to yourself. Just because he's a better potioneer than me."
Werner brightened a little. That at least was something.
oOoOo
Severus had handy an antidote for excessive growth of anything; he had not taught for as long as he had been without discovering by hard won experience that it was necessary. He smeared the boy's nails with it – already back to a foot long – pared them for him, and sent him about his lawful occasions with a waspish suggestion to TRY to be more careful in future.
Werner escaped thankfully with a deep bow and sincere thanks for rescue from his predicament.
And Severus acquainted Dimsie with a selection of his specialist schoolchild antidotes whilst remarking with some asperity that he added to them over the years as pupils became more creative about being daft and alas there was no antidote against schoolchildren.
Dimsie laughed.
"Mostly it's sheer inattention" she said.
"Oh utterly" said Severus "And you can't think how grateful I am, my dear, to have you to get the little horrors through the worst of their junior inattention spasms. It's why I don't have grey hair yet; you saved me just in time."
Dimsie chuckled; Severus was very droll!
oOoOo
There had been no fixtures arranged with professional teams since the fiasco against the Berne Bears to relieve the tensions of bad weather; though the bad weather, save when the Prinzhorn was above it, would have prevented quidditch too. Dancing relieved boredom and gave exercise to work off high spirits – not that this prevented the third as a collective from making apple pie beds for all the professors in an unwonted outbreak of high jinks – and hobbies absorbed a lot of time. Making gifts for the orphans in the German orphanage under Jade's care kept noses to the grindstone, and personal hobbies could then be enjoyed without boredom setting in.
Some of course had hobbies that absorbed more effort and time than others; since the Lowther twins, reared as muggles, had discovered that Hette and Vava Breuer had developed an interest in Star Trek they had introduced them to the complex board game 'Star Fleet Battles'; and not content with cardboard counters the foursome had acquired the miniatures of the various ships, and enchanted them to glow with shields up, the glow diminishing as play reduced shields, and to be charmed to have the simulation of firing weapons when battle was joined. It would doubtless be one of those crazes, thought Severus, that last a year or two and then die out; like the game 'Beat Voldemort' which was still taken down occasionally from the common room shelves where the school copies resided but which had been largely abandoned for the old favourites of exploding snap, wizarding whist, spell scrabble and so on.
And the third – between their bed making efforts – put most of their time into rehearsals for the rapidly approaching play. It was some specie of pantomime and had been written collectively by the class; and there was a princess – Solange Lebatons – and a good prince – Siegfried – and an evil prince – Fulke Blackwood – who had some hold over an efreet – William Weasley – and a selection of maidens for the princess and evil servants of the evil prince including the evil princess – Birgitta, cast against type and hamming it up considerably – who was prepared to go to any lengths to prevent her brother, the evil prince, marrying the princess because she would spoil things. The script could be interpreted as hinting at an incestuous relationship though Severus did not believe for one moment that the children had even thought of that. They had named their evil princess 'Morgana' less, he thought, for Morgan La Fey than for Morgana Fairchild. The theme was vaguely eastern, and the boys and girls doubling as various minor characters wore simple white gowns or baggy trousers as a basis, with floating and filmy open gowns over the dresses in different colours according to their role for the girls or different boleros, turbans or robes for the boys.
That the potable portkey Zhenga had come up with had possibilities had also occurred to the third; and the Ubiquitous Marauders were asked if they could make reproducible potions to bring the efreeti prince onto stage from the dressing room rather than rely on a rather dodgy trapdoor; and Zhenga and Karin also got together to produce appropriate fireworks to herald his presence. With practise Zhenga managed a potion that delivered William onto a clockwork earthquake from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes that set off the fireworks by its action in detecting his presence on top of it; and William learned how to keep his balance and make the heaving of his personal earthquake seem like the flickering of a creature of flame that he was supposed to be. It was all very melodramatic.
And between this was the end of term exams. Severus believed in Yule term exams; keeping noses to the grindstone reduced too many misplaced high spirits. And it DID go to check that the children were on track after the long holiday, and that nothing had occurred at home to change their class averages too drastically.
Of course the rivalries could be a trifle bitter at times; but at the moment there seemed to be no real nastiness at all in the school; and he was thankful.
There were those too who had pulled up their game; Antti had been more willing to accept peer help since he had demonstrated his willingness to be a part of his peer group and seemed to have pulled ahead of Blaise Paddock in class. Blaise was a good hard working boy; but clever he was not. Severus had accepted him because the family were associated with the school and with Hellibore's; and because he had wanted more boys. And he COULD keep up; and would certainly be well up in any class in Hogwarts. And it WAS a clever year in an academic school. Blaise had nothing to worry about, and Severus had the boy in his office to tell him so.
"I kind of thought if you thought I ought to be doing more you'd have lit a fire under my tail sir" said Blaise equably; for whom the adjective 'Placid' might have been invented. "The lot of them are bright; I'm not as bright but I can work hard and I didn't think I was behind. Just not as much ahead as some of them; but Marauders and the like just go rushing ahead to find new and creative ways to get into trouble."
"A nice summation" said Severus "I just wanted to make sure that you did not feel stressed."
Blaise grinned.
"I don't really do stressed, sir" he said "I know my limitations; and I work hard to attain them without letting the attainments of others get me down. I still reckon I'll walk out with three times as many qualifications as I should have got at Hellibore's."
"That's God's own truth" said Severus. "Well, well, carry on then lad; and come to me if anything DOES worry you."
oOoOo
Severus had an announcement to make to the school before he declared the results of the end of term tests.
"We shall be joined by three new pupils after Yule" he said "Two in the first and one in the fourth. Firstly, Gudel gan Andag will be joining us after a term in the German school Schloss Adler; she has shown a talent with art and is consequently transferring to take advantage of our art lessons. She is well up in her lessons so she should need no help to catch anything up, though I rely on the first to help her settle in and to see that she IS well prepared in case the Schloss Adler teachers cover subjects in a different order to the way we do things. She comes from Hamburg and the first little horror with Americanisms uppermost who calls her a Hamburger will be thoroughly jinxed by the upper school; you have been warned. I'm told she is a pleasant child who had to do a lot of heart seeking to leave new friends to pursue her art so I'm sure she will readily make friends. The second child into the first is a French girl called Vivienne D'Aubert together with her brother Viridian who is coming into our fourth. He too is an artist and has been recommended to transfer by our own Darryl Zabini who is teaching in Beauxbatons this year. I'm sure the highly talented fourth will greet another talented lad, who has had a few knocks to his belief in people; be aware. I am not sure how much he will need to catch up in terms of academe; if I know Darryl he will be well prepared in chanting and well coached in Arithmancy but I am sure you will help him raise his game in other subjects. As for Vivienne, she has received almost no schooling since she was withdrawn from school over a medical problem. In short, she has been under a curse; and has been for a few years. She will need to find herself and adapt to school life as well as needing help to catch up. She has received some home tutoring to lesson plans I provided for her parents but I ask you all to be gentle with her."
"Gosh sir, it won't half be nice to have a couple of extra girls to even us up some!" called Grace Hubble.
"And another boy to leaven Henik's and my lump too" added Rudi. Being one of only two boys could be trying!
Severus smiled.
"And you four girls in your year are all delightful children who will make our newcomers feel at home; as will you two older boys" he said. Indeed all the children in the school were pleasant children; and as such it did no harm to share with them that Vivienne had been cursed because they would show sympathy towards her; and the sensitive fourth would pick up that Viridian had been as hurt by his sister's cursed behaviour in some ways as she had been. The D'Aubert parents were sensible people at least; a contrast to the Crabbes and their behaviour over poor little Walter and poor Victor!
oOoOo
The next task for Severus was to write the end of term reports for the first years.
They would not be so two edged as the first reports he had written for some of the year above; this year's crop of Marauders were cheerfully mischievous but not such inveterate little hellions. It was hard to believe they had got through a whole term with only one serious jape from the Ubiquitous Marauders and that aimed only at more or less volunteer marauders higher in the school.
The four non marauders first; Cleone Blackwood to start with. He wrote,
"Cleone could be very good at potions if she were not quite so inclined to undertake the instructions that she thinks she has read, or to add extra components that she believes might help out the potion; as she is also very good at Herbology and too at the care of beasts she has a nice set of complementary subjects. It might help if she could apply the enthusiasms she feels for DADA to more pedestrian uses of charms and transfigurations since she is more likely to need to use grooming charms than to obliterate dark creatures. She is a nice child who fits in well." The incident of the snidget-down came to mind; the children had brewed a levitating potion and Cleone had become convinced, having noticed a bottle with the down in it that it would enhance her potion. Where all the other children had floated satisfactorily, gently descending as the small dose they had taken wore off, Cleone had fluttered wildly and uncontrollably about the room and crashed into the window embrasure where it had taken the combined efforts of Strang and Severus to extricate her. There was such a thing as too much enthusiasm.
Of Claude LeBatons he wrote,
"Claude is, on the whole an excellent all round student; his few poor subjects are more than made up for by his excellence at both comparative magic and geomancy, subjects too rare to neglect in a youth who shows talent. He is a pleasant and hard working youth." Claude was a pleasant and hard working youth, academically very good, but neither mischievous nor priggish. Severus thought him to be rather shrewd and likely to exploit his rare talents in order to take a highly paid job, either as a finder or teaching.
He would not really have to write much of a report for Motti, whose parents were on the spot; but he decided not to single out Motti by failing to do so.
"Motti is an excellent student if he can remember that curiosity killed the cat" he wrote. Motti had an insatiable desire to find out what things did and what was going on; and had received a number of rebukes – mostly verbal with the odd cuff – for following up his desire to understand free people in getting rather too close to observe courting couples. He had also managed to singe his robes by trying a recipe he had found scrawled in the corner of an old book – Severus had since annotated the said scrawl to prevent it happening again – and had produced, fortunately during lesson time, a delayed action fire powder which had gone off while he was poking it in disappointment that nothing seemed to happen. Dimsie had set him to copy out the entire of 'How the elephant got its trunk' from the Just So stories as an awful warning about what happened to people who stuck their noses in too often.
It was a jolly useful powder though and Severus had appended a copy to the book of all wickedness.
Eva Schiff was next.
"Eva is a friendly child, mostly over her early experiences but less inclined to excitement than her sister through, one suspects, a desire for a nice ordinary life" he wrote for Franziska to read. "She has a talent for divination that is worth nurturing and as she is also a skilled herbologist so far I am considering introducing her to a Centaur when she is older to learn their methods of divination by the burning of carefully prepared herbs."
Then it was the Marauders to do; Hiob first on the alphabet.
"Hiob is a very talented little boy who succeeds easily, as Yrdl does, at everything he undertakes. He shows a real talent for metalcrafting and should go far. He has a very great deal of potential and I look forward to helping him develop it" he wrote. After all, Hiob was potentially a real high flyer. As so many Marauders were; certainly CuHH was. And of CuHH Severus wrote,
"Chrysander is clever and talented; I would not be human if I did not rejoice that his major talent seems to be in my own subject, potions. Though he has made friends and aspires, I believe, to maraud with his own set I have found him hard to get to know as yet as he is very reserved. I have no worries about this however; because of his own set of friends; and being reserved myself I should be the last to cavil. I only hope that Chrysander will remember that older folk are there to go to with any problems that may arise and not attempt in his self contained way to deal alone with any problems that should come his way. He reminds me too much of Harry Potter not to feel a concern about this." CuHH had a similar look to Harry at times; a closed, stubborn look. Severus did not entertain any notions that he was in any way put down at home by his parents; but suspected that some well meaning and idiot relative – quite possibly Englebert Hellibore himself – had made some disparaging comment that he rankled and caused CuHH to draw in on himself. Or maybe it was just through being the baby of the family and being determined to do his own thing, not be pushed into any path a sibling took, or let the big ones know his plans. Yes, it could be as simple as that. Grace Hubble next.
"Grace is as typical a Hubble as anyone might meet in all but one particular; she is an efficient little body who manages to look as though she has prepared thoroughly for every eventuality, which indeed she usually does. Her potioneering is to despair for but at least she does not make her efforts worse by being slapdash. She is like all Hubble girls friendly, cheerful and a delight to know."
Law – Lawrence Visick next.
"Lawrence is designated Law at school for being the first of two Lawrences to arrive and I shall henceforth refer to him thus for my own sanity" he wrote. "Law is a clever child and an all round achiever. He shines especially well in divination and may be a true seer; certainly I would say he looks to have the talent to be either a medical or insurance diviner according to his desires. He should however never be permitted near tools; he is a happy and pleasant child with an exaggerated idea of optimism when it comes to expecting things will be all right in situations where it is not always justified."
Ming had not actually banned Law from metalwork but had advised him to use the class time to do extra prep; since tools in Law's hand seemed to transform themselves into accidental missiles; if Law picked up a hammer it was bound to slip from his grasp and fly backwards in a random sort of way. Law had accepted the strictures philosophically after begging to be allowed to try again because he was bound to improve. He had not; though Ming had given him every opportunity to do so. Some people were just not safe allowed out with hand tools. At least the boy was not a muggle; Severus shuddered to think of him let loose with such things as an electric drill or a hedge strimmer.
The other Lawrence next; and Severus wrote of him that his nickname was Rence for being the second Lawrence to arrive; he had no intention of struggling to recall which was which by using full names when the first had solved the problem amicably with the cheerful acceptance of the boys involved.
"Rence is an academic lad with some radical political ideas that suit him well in my school" he wrote, reflecting that Engelbert would have had a blue fit had William continued at Hellibore's with Rence following him, with such declared ideas that laws should be passed to free elves and people ought to be made to get to know muggles. The boy did not even notice goblins as being in any way different now though he had been pleased to see goblins walking tall and free elves too. Severus added "Rence is a down to earth little boy who helps to keep our more imaginative spirits on a more practical plane."
Only the Polish twins to go. Boleshav first; not that it mattered.
"Boleshav is a pleasant little boy whose radical political ideals fit in well with those of others of his ilk and indeed with the philosophy of the school. He goes out of his way to be helpful and polite to all; a perfect gentleman. He is also a very talented young wizard and potentially a great one. His interests in cross-cultural magic should take him far" he wrote. "Boleslav struggles only with history which is a shame since one cannot shape future politics without understanding the past; I suspect that because school history has perforce to deal with a certain degree of learning dates he finds it less exciting than he would like. I would recommend the reading of historical novels suitable for children through which he will absorb more than he realises. Perhaps Clovis Gierek might know some stories to fire his imagination." He turned to Otylia.
"Otylia may not be as academically talented as her brother but I can truthfully say that she is his anchor and displays her own excellent talents; as she is indeed a very down to earth little body whose practical good sense keeps the entire group to which the twins belong out of serious trouble. She is a peacemaker in the rare event of squabbles and has the wisdom of Solomon in sorting out disputes. One day she will be an excellent Judge, Mother or Headmistress, all of whom need similar skills. Her instinctive understanding for history may help her brother to come to terms with its importance as well as being a talent she should develop for her own needs; I can see Otylia studying the law some day. I should like to see her discover leadership qualities in herself as I see in her much of what is best in our current head girl, incidentally also the twin of an academic boy. Otylia and Boleslav have both settled in well and have picked up the other languages we use very well, and have indeed been teaching such of their fellows as take an interest their own tongue. Their understanding of Cyrillic will stand them both good stead in Ancient Runes though they have a bit of a struggle as yet with the similarity and yet difference of Ancient Greek. We are very pleased that their parents chose Prince Peak as their school as they show every likelihood of being ornaments of the school."
And the further afield from which they got the academic high flyers or talented the wider would be the dissemination of the knowledge that goblins and elves were essentially no different to any other people; which was essentially what Prince Peak stood for in addition to academic snobbery. Well, another term was nearly over; and these babes would be eligible for the NEXT Triwizard with permission from their parents.
