Remus met Adam and Madame Robin outside Madame Julien's classroom. Madame Robin was chatting to Adam in Turkish, and he was enthusiastically replying. He seemed happy that someone could speak his own language in this strange school.
'Hello Adam, Madame Robin!'
'Hello Remus.'
'Hello Sir.' Adam was very timid and hesitant in speaking, he seemed very confident when speaking in his native tongue, but once he switched to English he became much more uncertain. The trio began walking down the corridor.
'I have been speaking to the headmaster, and to Mara, and we feel that it would be good if I sat in your lesson for a while, just to ensure Adam can understand everything whilst he gets the hang of speaking English.'
Remus nodded and was about to speak, but Madame Robin held up a hand, and quickly translated what she had just said into Turkish, so Adam knew what they were talking about. He nodded also, and then looked at Remus.
'That will be ideal Madame, I wouldn't want Adam to miss out on anything. The class is quite small, so we will be able to spend more time with individual students, in order to allow them to understand the lessons.' Remus then paused, and allowed Madame Robin to translate again. 'So Adam, how much English do you understand? I'm not judging you, I struggled when I began learning French, everyone has to begin somewhere.' Adam looked slightly confused, and looked to Madame Robin for guidance, saying a few words in his own language. 'He says you were too fast, could you repeat it?' Remus happily obliged, repeating himself. Adam asked a few questions to Madame Robin, then said, in shaky English 'I understand a little. But not when fast. I prefer slow talking.' Denis nodded and smiled, saying 'that is fine Adam, I will make sure to speak slowly in lessons, and Madame Robin will be able to translate if you need it.' The trio stopped walking, as they had reached classroom 12. Here is your new classroom, if you and Madame Robin would like to take a seat, I think there is one close to the back, I will introduce you. If you would like, I will explain your situation in regards to language, so they understand.'
'I would like sir.'
'Okay, in we go!'
They walked into the class, Remus pointing at a seat diagonally behind Harry's before he stood at the front of the class.
'Okay, as the more observant of you may have noticed, we have a new student with us.' The class watched Remus, wondering why he was speaking much slower than earlier. 'His name is Adam Yilan, he moved from Turkey in the summer, and, at the moment, speaks little French, and a slight amount of English. He is still human though, please don't go excluding him, you just may have to speak a little slower, won't they Adam!?'
' Yes, yes, I understand you, but slowly. Please?' The 5 students looked and smiled at Adam. Jo then decided to introduce them all, before Remus had chance to.
'I am Jo Newman. This lovely lady behind me is Emily Cattel. Next to me, sharing the desk, is Gaelle Nightingale, and Janus Almorado. Behind them, and next to the window, is Harry Potter.' Jo spoke loudly and clearly, pointing to each student as he introduced them, and they all waved back and smiled. Harry knew more than the most of them how Adam felt, but at least, in the school, most could speak English; none of them apart from Madame Robin could speak Turkish. It was then that he decided to find a Turkish translation book in the library at lunchtime, so he could make an attempt to learn his new classmates language.
'Okay, then, now back to the lesson. So, we have had maths and literacy this morning, usually we would just do one before break, and one after, but the first day is always a little different. Tomorrow we will follow the timetable better, but for now we will go onto a bit of geography. I think a good starter activity would be to get out the maps, so we can mark on all the places we have been to. If you could move the desks in the middle together, then I will find the map and stickers.' Remus quickly looked over to Adam, to check he understood, and saw him talking quietly to Madame Robin. As he walked past them, they looked up, and smiled, giving him a thumbs up. 'Thanks, I understand you slower sir.' Remus nodded, and replied, 'No problem Adam. Give us a hand?'
The class, working together, moved the desks into the centre of the classroom, and placed enough chairs around it for everyone to sit on. Gaelle then went to the back of the room, where Remus was reaching into a cupboard for the giant map. He gently passed her the box of sticker dots, saying 'one colour each please Gaelle.' 'You and Madame as well?' He thought for a second, and then nodded. She returned to the table, and began her task, giving Adam red, Madame Robin white, Jo blue, Emily pink, Janus green, Harry orange, herself purple, and Mr Lupin brown. Sir soon followed behind her, unrolling the map onto the table, and laughing as the map decided to roll itself up again. Mr Lupin left it, going over to his desk and grabbing his mug and pen pot. Seeing what he was doing, Harry walked over to the blackboard, picking up the large rubber, whilst Janus picked up his drinks bottle. As the three walked back to the map, the remaining students, Emily, Gaelle, Jo and Adam spread their arms across the map, holding it down and preventing it from rolling back up. They placed their items on the corners, and then sighed in relief as the map stayed in place.
'Okay class. What we are going to do is this. You all have a different colour, so I would like you to all place your stickers on the places you have been. Obviously we will all be in Dieppe, but does everyone know whereabouts in France we are? You may begin.'
The students stood up, stickers in hand, and wandered around the table to reach various parts of the world. Harry only had two stickers to place, one in Surrey in England, and one in Dieppe, near the north of France. Once he had done that, he sat back down, sadly watching as his classmates placed many stickers all over the map. He wished that he would be able to go exploring some day, around the world. But he knew that would never happen, he had no money, and didn't feel as if he would ever have enough to afford a trip away, Aunt Petunia was always going on about how expensive everything was. He was soon brought back from his daydream as his classmates finally finished placing their stickers.
'Okay. Wow we have been everywhere, especially you Madame Robin!' There were white stickers scattered all over the map, Madame Robin seemed to have visited every country!
'Why did you go to all those places Madame?' Asked Jo.
'Well, I have always wanted to help others, so I have spent a couple of weeks a year in all those places, volunteering my time and labour to help people escaping from wars, or natural disasters. I loved doing it, and the people I met were always so grateful for all the volunteers who were there.'
The remainder of the geography class passed in a similar matter, with the students asking each other about the places they had been, why they had been there, and what it was like.
'Now we have finished that, I would like you to use these smaller stickers, to show where you would like to go in the future. You will probably have to explain why. It can be somewhere someone else has been, somewhere you want to go again or somewhere completely different.'
This time Harry could place a lot more stickers. Many of his were in the same place as others, but he placed some new ones as well. Right at the end, as everyone was sitting down, he reached over and placed one at both the north and south poles.
'Many more stickers there guys! You are all very ambitious! Who is it that wants to go to the north and south pole then?'
Harry raised his hand.
'And why do you want to go there?'
'Because not very many people do, and I want to be different. It looks fun and exciting, like an adventure.'
'Good reason Harry. Why have you put a sticker on everyone's home country?'
'Because it would be interesting to see where everyone comes from.'
'Okay. Janus, Gaelle, your stickers are all in the same place for future plans. Why is that?'
'Because we wouldn't want to go everywhere by ourselves.'
'Because Janus is a copycat!'
'Okay, okay!' Mr Lupin laughed, for someone who was usually so shy, she could be quite loud once she got comfortable.
'Adam, you want to explain why you want to go back to Turkey?'
'Because my family still live over there, and I would like go and visit them, and live there.'
'Good good. Emily? Yours are fairly scattered?'
'For most of them it's because I have distant family relations there, who I haven't met before.'
'Jo? Last but not least?'
'America, as I want to see the sights, and Britain, as I want to go and see where I used to live, and show Josh, as he can't really remember it.'
' All very good ideas! We need to pack up now, but I will write who was each colour down, and we can come back to it another day. Unless anyone else would like to write it? Emily?'
'Yes please sir.' Remus passed her a pen and paper, and left her to wrote down the names and colours, while the rest of the class packed up, placing the corner weights back where they came from, and then moving the desks back. Once Emily had finished, they used a couple of stickers to attach the paper to the map, before Mr Lupin rolled it tightly up and placed it back in the cupboard.
'Okay, that was very efficient and quick class. I can't let you go to lunch just yet, so if you pack up your things then we can do some quick questions about the lesson.'
After packing away everything, and then answering the few questions Remus gave them, the class was dismissed. Adam was still at the back of the class, talking to Madame Robin, whilst Harry walked up to his teacher. He quickly told Gaelle and Janus, who were waiting for him, to go on. 'You need to get cooked dinner right? I have pack lunch, and want to go visit the library quickly. I'll meet you by the playground?' With a quick nod, Gaelle and Janus sped off, to go and get some food. This left Harry to speak to Mr Lupin.
'Sir?'
'Yes Harry? I have remembered we are going to the library, don't worry.'
'No, sir, it's about that.' Remus looked a little confused. 'No sir, I still want to go, but, um...' Harry dropped his voice. 'Could I ask Adam if he wanted to come with us? He doesn't seem to have anyone to go with for lunch.' Remus smiled.
'Of course you can. Remember to speak slowly.'
Harry nodded, and wandered to the back of the classroom, where he waited for the Turkish conversation to finish. 'Hello Harry.' Said Madame Robin.
'Hello. Hi Adam.'
'Hello Harry.'
'Adam, I was wondering, if you've not already got plans, if you would like to come to the library with me and Mr Lupin? He was going to help me get a library card, and, well I didn't know if you wanted to get one as well.' Harry stood nervously, waiting for Adam to finish translating in his head.
'Harry? I would like that. We going now?'
Harry shrugged his shoulders, and turned to the front of the classroom. ' Sir?'
'Yes Harry?'
'Adam is going to come with us to the library now.'
'Oh, ideal! Let me just find my card, so I can get a book out, then I'll be right with you. Madame Robin? Are you coming or are you needed on reception?'
'I shall come with you as well, let us walk past reception as I need to pick up a book that needs handing in.'
The two boys picked up their bags, and stood near the door, whilst Remus carried on searching his cupboards. 'I haven't even been here this long, and I've already lost my card! Oh dear.' He muttered under his breath. 'Ah ha!' He said, proudly waving his library card. 'Shall we go then?' The four set out, quickly going up to reception to pick up Madame Robin's book, then back down to the library.
