Chapter 11
It would not be true to say that Ernst became a normal mischievous little boy overnight but he grudgingly admitted that playing the fool, whilst stupid, was better than bullying and if they meant to fight bullies then he supposed a society to that end was not to be deplored.
The five did not give him a slow hand clap in ironic applause for his grudging tolerance but smiled and said nothing.
It had more dignity; and Sigismund was particularly aware that he had nearly shouted at the boy for insulting his mother and would have thereby given the game away. It was well to be prudent and better to say nothing than to say too much. In which Sigismund had learned more wisdom than many an adult.
oOoOo
Jaromir Frolik had meanwhile sought out his sister Bronislava.
"Now we don't have Stepanka in the way of both of us I thought we could maybe have a frank talk and see if we can't form an alliance" he said.
She regarded him suspiciously.
"What's your game?" she demanded.
He made a gesture of frustration.
"This is what we have become through a princess of a big sister – that we compete to get SOME attention and have no trust in each other; I want a sister who's a sister. You and I, we are both sidelined."
"She is the pretty sister; mama does not like boys and papa does not think you a man because you are not loud like him" said Bronislava "And so you study the dark arts in the way that Frau Von Luytens has spoken of, that you look for a way to be one up because you have always deep down known you are one down and so picking the path to make yourself more of a loser."
"Frank enough" said Jaromir "It was a comment of Frau Von Luytens that made me realise I was missing out on having a sister; that you and I both lost out. We are learning to make a patronus; it is a protective spell to help against certain dark creatures that cannot be driven off any other way; some of them suck and drain positive thoughts and make you feel like the worst thing in the world is happening to you. You have to use positive thoughts for a patronus; and one of the best things I can recall is when I turned Stepanka's buttons into beetles so her dress fell off; and when I said it had been worth the beating Frau Von Luytens said that she and her husband would be more interested in why their children quarrelled so than in punishment. And she's harder than sin; she killed the previous dark arts teacher and no-one can counter her jinxes. So it is not weakness."
"I think papa is weak because if he was strong he would not have to bluster. There!" said Bronislava. "I would not admit to him that I like to write poetry because he would jeer and call it a foolish waste of time; and would not even let me justify it by saying that I have heard others say it is useful for this chanting."
"Is it? Well if you want to write poetry and not use it for chanting, you do. I'll not tell papa. But would you like to chant? Shall we go together?"
"I think I would; because if I can learn more about real poetry that would be nice and I can claim it part of my homework if it is in a school book too" said Bronislava.
"Then we shall learn. I think it would be useful; it is subtle and can lay in magic deeper than mere jinxes" said Jaromir. "I should be protecting my little sister not taking out my hatred of Stepanka on you; you dislike her as much as I, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" said Bronislava "Does she not take every opportunity to remind me that I am plain? To taunt me that I shall never get a husband? I want to do better than her at school and if I can't get a husband to get a job that pays more than any husband she can catch because now that Nachtigall fellow is out of the running because he is disgraced. Is Fraulein Nachtigall the daughter of the uncle who got himself turned into a werewolf?"
"Stepanka did not tell the whole story; as I understand it Heinrich Nactigall's father paid to have a werewolf bite his brother and all the family except this oldest girl who was at school because of the inheritance. I can see someone hating a sibling that much; as we hate Stepanka. But I do not think I should ever go that far!"
Bronislava shuddered.
"It's rather drastic. I guess I'd like to see something spoil her looks but I wouldn't want to be the agency of it."
"Well, I guess if WE have any problems being siblings we ought to ask Frau Von Luytens about it; because she is so very clever. I did not think I would respect someone reared to learn defence against the dark arts but she is so strong – and she does not prate that the dark arts are wrong and evil. She teaches that those who rely solely on the dark arts are sad weaklings because they can't manage to do things the way that takes more effort and because they feel a need to scare people. I expected her to describe Prince Gerhardt and Voldemort as scarily dangerous; not as a fat-arsed twerp and an egregiously sad little fuckwit!" said Jaromir.
"She hasn't used language like that with us" said Bronislava, impressed "She said Gerhardt was flabby in body and mind and Voldemort was a loser with delusions of adequacy."
"Which comes to the same thing" said Jaromir. "Did you consider the dark arts as a way of being ahead?"
"Of course I did; and when Frau Von Luytens said that anyone who did that must be pretty miserable and she was ready always to talk because even if she couldn't fix things she could listen I thought about going to see her. I was going to talk to her after chanting actually. But now you've come and talked to me I guess we can both be better than that. Though you've only got this year."
"I can study extra things on my own time; and the chanting will be something new too. If Frau Von Luytens can recommend books I can buy them to work from. Or perhaps I can use yours if you take it further" he added.
"Yes; and I will too study Arithmancy to high level though it may be hard. And you can study that out of books too; you took it to ZP didn't you?"
"Yes; I found it too hard to go on. Frau Meyer was not a good teacher. You are fortunate to have Fraulein Nachtigall; if Frau Von Luytens says she is good, she probably is. Perhaps I might go and see her and ask her to go through the principles I have failed to understand; and perhaps I can study enough in the year, if I work too in the holidays, to take the ZH." Said Jaromir.
"You are clever and hard working; I would like to be more like you than like Stepanka" said Bronislava "She has only two ZHs both at 'A'; you are taking three and if you can take the Arithmancy too, you will double her efforts!"
Jaromir grinned.
"And one in the eye for papa who calls me stupid" he said.
oOoOo
Jade regarded the chanting class; it was not large but she was pleased with the turnout. Jaromir was the oldest and a surprise attendant; she smiled and nodded to him. Her satellites of the lower sixth had turned up; Zhanargul and Saula, Hilde Mundnimbus, Jochen Wiesel, Stiv Molotov and another surprise in Takeo Namadzu. Zhanargul and Saula had done some chanting, allied to the ECC; they hoped with extra lessons to take it as an extra ZP in their lower sixth year; if they did not do well they could always re-take the year after. Zhanargul was ambitious to study it to ZH on her own time; and Jade was encouraging. Those hoping to take it with the rest of their ZPs were Desolina Uccello, Gisela, the Asimov twins and Sigismundus de Brujin, who had fagged for Franziska Schiff last year and was a hard working academic. Gisela and the twins were blood group too.
Those younger than them would have a very good chance of getting good results; the Eulenspiegel twins, Yorik, Sofie's older brother and Scholastica, Desolina's little sister; and below them four more of the blood group who understood the importance of chanting, Axel, Wencelada – who had very good reason to think it amazing for the healing of her heart that made her a normal, active child – Grishilde and Zyrillis; joined too by Diliana Zhikova and Lothar Wiesel, Jochen's younger brother.
It was no surprise to have the four marauders in the second nor Arkadi and Herwald who had joined in the previous year and who were luminaries of the ECC; Erdmute Nachtnatter was a surprise but as another academic she could see the advantages.
In the first, the five would be marauders were obvious; Bronislava a surprise; Pirrko should not be a surprise as a Finn; Zdena and Sonja came but not Idea; and the allies Alois and Suzette. In addition, Ihor Rebet had resumed classes to take his own knowledge further; and Orlando Carcano had swallowed his pride to begin learning alongside small people and had brought his wives since Jade had assured him that muggles and squibs could assist chanters and could always use the theory to help write a chant. Kathleen had the poetry of the Irish in her soul, though she would not have come save for Orlando; Anastasia was keen to see if she had enough inherent magic that she might perform some magic through a chant where she could not with a wand.
Jade smiled.
"This first lesson we shall have all together" she said "As revision for those who have studied some. Those who hope to take the ZP this year will be coming among you too to help you out. They will also be doing extra classes in the week. From next week, those who worked with me last year will have their own class of largely theory; and I shall hear them chanting while I set the rest of you theory and vice versa. Herr Frolik, are you here for interest or do you wish to work like stink to take a ZP?"
"I'd like to take it to ZP level even if I'm not good enough for the exam" said Jaromir "I'm also hoping to study some Arithmancy on my own time; I didn't understand some of the principles so I didn't go further than ZP; and I only got an 'A'.
"Both Fraulein Nachtigall and I will be glad to help you out with that" said Jade "I'm sitting a detention tomorrow afternoon; come and sit in with me and I'll see what you don't understand. No reason I should be as bored as my little victim after all."
There was some laughter; and Jaromir gave a curt nod. It was not, after all, a detention for him but a chance to get on.
"Thank you Frau Von Luytens" he said.
"You're welcome" said Jade. "First lesson is learning how to breathe; not as easy as it may sound. Those who have been doing it a while should find it second nature; but I do want to check you've not lost good habits over the long holiday."
There were some sheepish nods; it had not become second nature to all and a little revision would be helpful.
"And however much it hurts at first, you new oiks, it's well worth it for what you can do with it" said Zlatka.
There was a little consternation amongst some of the neophytes; the concept of something they thought might be gentle singing actually hurting was not what they had expected.
"As Zlatka said; you will learn to use your lungs more efficiently in breathing as I shall teach you from the chest" said Jade "Even as exercising muscles causes aches and pains at first, so too will exercising your lungs; which are supported by muscles. This is why your homework will be to practise breathing for three minutes every day – so that in time it will come naturally and will NOT hurt. The ZP – or rather OWL – will require a chant sustained for an hour. Without trained lungs you WILL falter long before this. Even with trained lungs, those of us who took part in an eight hour chant – and who contemplate an eight to ten hour chant that is being planned for some fifteen months time – found it hard. I'm in the top half dozen chanters in the world; and I'm NOT looking forward to going through all that again; no you don't need to know details, but it is to break a curse laid in by the fey a long time ago which will help diminish their overall power as well as having certain other beneficial side effects to some other people" said Jade who had been contacted by Severus over a thought that perhaps now they had enough people it might be possible to break the compulsions on elves to self punish over the whole of Europe. A fantastic idea in all senses of the word; for it would involve chanting for the hours of daylight on the shortest day over three or four time zones; for a full twelve hours in total even if not all chanters took part in the full time required. The circle would still need to be maintained before sunrise in the west and after sunset in the east; but in those circumstances locum tenens chanters might take over before and after local sundown. And Zlatko and Zlatka and Zhanargul were likely to be ready to volunteer as secondary chanters at that, and would be welcome.
The class worked hard; and Jade heard those who had been part of her original group explaining to the newcomers that Frau Von Luytens had used chanting to cure Wencelada's heart that had been so bad not even the best transfigurationists could manage; and had turned their blood into a vial of unicorn blood before their eyes as a demonstration.
She might lose some; but on the whole the ones who had come were already convinced.
They went thankfully to Mittagessen, exhausted and hungry.
The musicians were to come to Jade after Quidditch; Beryx and Corneliu were both keen and rather good at quidditch as had been seen in their flying class; and Frida Rundqvist was pleased. She was having trouble putting together a first team from the top three years! Jaromir was the only one any good in the upper sixth; and he played keeper. Zhanargul had already proved herself as a chaser, but of her year only Stiv had any kind of ability which was not saying much; so he too was a chaser, the three made up by Zlatka of the fifth, who was good but not in her brother's class. Zlatko was a brilliant, if sometimes erratic, seeker; he could be sidetracked – like Jade herself as she admitted wryly to herself – by academic pursuits; except that unlike Jade he would take his academic pursuits onto the quidditch pitch. Gisela Schutman, little sister of Jade's factor Ruprecht, and Sigismundus de Brujin were the beaters.
"And the advantage in it" remarked Jade to Frida "Is that you'll have the greater number of the team for three years, and a chance to hone them into a really good team, not the bunch of individuals we had with last year's team, for only about half were really a team. The Eulenspiegel twins aren't the best in the world but they DO work well with the Asimovs; and when you lose Jaromir, then Harald Trollkettil is there as keeper, which as his brother is death on a broom is unusual but lucky. You can then play the younger twins when Zhanargul and Stiv are complaining of too much homework to get them eased in for when the next two leave. And hasn't Wencelada come on, among the younger ones? She's not in the same class as the three boys in her year who excel, but doesn't it make your heart sing to see her enjoy it when she could barely walk upstairs before?"
"It is a joy to see anyone enjoy the game" said Frida "And she is keen enough that with work she might make the team too one day; and that must make her so happy. Your chanting has done wonders; so I shall not resent that you take children away from Saturday morning practice."
"If it can be timetabled in properly when there is a full time teacher it will be handy" said Jade "I'm happy that the kids don't resent their loss of leisure; I've also actually got six babes who are coming straight from quidditch to music lessons with me – it's a side shoot from chanting – all volunteers. Still, a busy child is not in trouble!"
"I am glad you helped me to understand that I was making quidditch tedious by not leaving it to voluntary choice; the ones who had said they hated it have forgotten that this year" said Frida.
"Kids are lazy little ratbags – unless they want to do something" said Jade. "Keep it fun and they'll work like stink for you. Works with other things too; Dark Arts, chanting, music; even Arithmancy. If I'm coaching remedial Arithmancy – which I do as a favour if I'm asked nicely – I find there's a huge incentive to use chocolates to count rather than fingers. Children are attached to the elemental plain of hungry."
Frida laughed.
"You understand them very well!" she said; and if there was a note of wistfulness in her voice at least Jade had shown her the way not to alienate the youngsters even if she could not make them love her and run to her the way they ran to Jade.
oOoOo
The music class went well too. Corneliu was far ahead of the other four of course; and Jade asked him to bear with them and help her get them over the first steps of theory. Corneliu played violin; but Jade used a keyboard to demonstrate the mathematical relationships between the notes. As this was something Corneliu did not know he was pleased to learn something new and said so.
"The Arithmancy of a tune can lie in the differences in notes in a chord or sequentially as well as in the pattern of the tune" said Jade "Using music for magic is very subtle. And too music is of itself a delight that we all crave as food for our souls. That is another reason this ruddy castle is so cheerless; not enough beauty to feed the soul. It all helps to isolate and alienate the children here to make them ripe pickings for less than savoury gangs to prey on, either as victims or as recruits, glad of some kind of sense of belonging. I'm getting a load of pictures and hangings in to cheer the place up; hangings on the walls will make it seem warmer even if it doesn't keep all the draughts out. And your music will cheer us up too. I'm going to let you four reprobates loose on a number of my instruments to see what you like playing; perhaps if you are careful Corneliu will let you use his fiddle. We can get in appropriate instruments when I know what you're interested in; and if it's percussion, that's as valid as any other instrument. Especially in terms of chanting. Some cultures use drums in lieu of chanting to lay in spells; certain African cultures for example. You'll probably pick up a good bit of comparative magic while chatting here and in chanting class; as well as in dark arts so if you get interested I can arrange you a correspondence course for OWL. Marauders usually take more exams than most; it comes of being drawn from the nosiest."
That raised a laugh! And it was indeed something to think about!
"Geomancy is fun also; and that is a new subject here" said Beremud.
"Yes; and all credit to Fraulein Schwefel for teaching herself so well" said Jade "You all enjoy it?"
"Yes" said Sigismund, glancing around "You wish us to take it far?"
"I wish you to enjoy learning what comes naturally; save Arithmancy that I think you SHOULD take at least to ZP" said Jade "But if you study geomancy you may then make such maps as the marauders' map that you will doubtless one day see; where one may project the different levels of the castle and see where move the footsteps of any who are abroad."
"NICE!" said Sigismund.
"Indeed" agreed Jade "And that charm was invented by Professor Sirius Black who also taught himself; and who introduced the subject into English schools. Before then it was taught piecemeal; a little to help apparating, and such aspects of it as were useful in various jobs and ministry offices. Do you intend to blood?"
"We do Frau Professor; and we have made calculation" said Sigismund.
"I'd like to look over your calculation if I may" said Jade.
Corneliu fished the grubby piece of paper out of his pocket where it lived; to keep it away from Ernst if nothing else, though he seemed to be likely to be no more trouble.
Jade looked through their calculations and nodded.
"I can find no fault in it" she said "It does appear to be generally a best fit time according to the data you are using; which I should say was sufficient. For any kind of ritual that, say, intended the lifting of one of you from being a squib or a muggle to join would require a little more depth, involving birth dates."
"It's the day before my birthday" said Lindhard "Will that upset anything?"
"Anyone in May? Beremud? That balances" said Jade. "What about the rest of you?"
"Beryx and me are in July" said Sigismund "Aunt Agata must have worried she was going to reach the end of term!"
"Ah, conceived over Halloween" said Jade "And powerful enough as well as having the seventh month. Coreliu?"
"September" said Corneliu "Nine; three squared."
"You have two sevens and an eleven and a five to balance your numerology; nine is a good enough number to make up for not being a third seven. Clever use of the eleven not to reduce it to two; I'm fairly impressed. Go with it" said Jade. "Pick somewhere very private. Don't forget the sugar rush; remember the spell to heal. Having identical pink scars will be giveaway enough to anyone in the know; having bleeding palms will seriously upset some people. Right, kaffee und kuchen?"
"I LIKE lessons that involve cake" approved Beryx.
oOoOo
It was a busy weekend; Jade was also keeping half an eye on the potions dungeon for Ihor while he visited his new family. Not that she minded; Jade was used to being busy. And with Wulf and Ralph there for her every evening she was more content than she could say. Wulf was spending his days patrolling the grounds and the forest to check for any enemies; in case Zhanargul's uncle came in person or sent any physical incursions. There was no harm in being paranoid. Healthy paranoia on the part of the MSHG had kept Harry alive in Hogwarts; and Zhanargul was in no less danger. Her uncle wanted her either dead or possibly forcibly married to a puppet. More likely dead. And if it happened at school, he could wriggle out of any blame. Wulf also made regular trips into Berlin to keep abreast of the muggle world by internet; he was not so skilled at manipulating it as one who had grown up with it the way Jade had, but he had learned well.
He returned with a printout.
"Nurtazin is Zhanargul's name; I don't know if there's anything in this, but I thought I'd bring it back just in case" he said. Jade read the article quickly. The name Tulegen Nurtazin was mentioned with respect to being a backer of an archaeological team investigating what was believed to be a high status Scythian tomb. Jade pulsed Zhanargul, and when the girl came, asked her
"Is your uncle called Tulegen?"
"He is" said Zhanargul "What have you heard about him?"
"He's paying for some muggles to dig up an ancient tomb" said Jade "Any idea why?"
Zhanargul frowned.
"All I can think of is that there might be some artefact he wants to get his hands on" she said.
Jade scowled; considered; and pulsed Lazlo and Clovis.
They teleported in.
"I need you two to forge documents as muggle historians and archaeologists; Clovis, you can be an expert on plant material. Lazlo, you know enchanted items; be an expert on ritual significance. This man is trying to kill our Zhanargul; find out what he's up to. Draco will understand, Clovis; leave Vissy with Lucius and family and see that Tildi only visits you when Tulegen Nurtazin cannot see. Do not let him know you are wizards. You two are from eastern Europe; credible types to take an interest. Draco will help you sort out papers. If there is an artefact he's after it is likely to be dark; you may have to steal it. Be very careful!"
"Yes mother" teased Lazlo.
"We will" said Clovis. "You think he has ambitions to be a Gerhardt of the east?"
"Something along those lines" said Jade "He apparently raises great form spirits for a hobby; not something I'd like to do."
"Yet I wager you'd do it better than most" said Lazlo "You know the dangers; and you have moral scruples."
"If he has a sacrifice waiting it becomes worth their while to obey him" said Clovis "I don't know a lot about them but I have read widely and such things are recommended to keep demons satisfied."
"Laarverly" said Jade. "Well I leave it in your hands."
"You can trust us" said Lazlo.
"More to the point you can trust us not to fuck up by showing an indecent amount of nobility like Ritter" said Clovis laconically.
That had been why Jade had not called on Ritter in the first place; and as males they would be given more respect than any of the girls in the group by the muggle archaeologists.
"The good news is" she said to Zhanargul "We know where he is; even if we do not know why. And that means he can be watched."
Zhanargul nodded.
"Knowing that these men are my brothers and that they watch for me is of great comfort" she said.
oOoOo
Sunday afternoon brought Ernst's detention; and he gazed on Jaromir, also presenting himself at the detention classroom with horror that so big a boy should have to write lines.
Jaromir nodded to him.
"You are the detainee? I am taking advantage of Frau Von Luytens being in a predictable place for remedial Arithmancy" he said, correctly interpreting the younger boy's look and wishing to make it quite plain that HE was not in detention.
Jade nodded civilly to both.
"You have your text book for your first imposition, Herr Reinkessel? Good; when you have done I shall set you out the lines of the second. As both impots are quite long you may take a break for coffee after the first group and to rest your hand. Jaromir, I brought text books as I imagine you consigned yours happily to perdition."
"Well I kept them for Bronislava; it would be profligate not to" said the boy "But the ZP ones are at home so I thank you for bringing yours."
"Between you and me, Frau Meyer was not much of a teacher and I anticipated helping out any who asked me, especially those who had been protégés of mine" said Jade "So I am well prepared; and happy that Katarina Nachtigall is far more competent and of more moderate temper; so I shall have less to do to unravel the confusion of the fourth and fifth."
He nodded.
"She could not explain in more than one way, the way the book said it" he said "And she would issue collective punishments if any did not understand and got it wrong."
"She was a ministry spy" said Jade "And paid to spy; being able to teach was one of those mere bagatelles that were not important. And if she was supposed to be sussing out and setting right Odessa involvement she wasn't much good at that either. I see you and your sister are reconciled."
He glanced at Ernst.
"I do not want to discuss…."
"I have placed a muffliatus spell up to protect us from being overheard; do you think I should be so free in my criticism of a staff member with the small ears of a first year listening? He can hear nothing; it is one way so I can keep myself aware that his pen scratches suitably."
"A clever spell."
"Much used in the Voldemort years to hide conversations from their government spies who were as dangerous as Voldemort himself" said Jade. "My father – my adoptive father – developed it; Severus Snape."
He gasped.
"YOU are one of Snape's children? But of course, you pretended a despite of goblins – a pose you quickly dropped – in order to get close to Odessa. Do you truly not find goblins loathsome?"
"In truth I find some German goblins loathsome; in terms of their fawning subservience. I like goblins who stand tall and meet the eye and behave like normal beings; such am I used to" said Jade. "Fraulein Schwefel has been teaching such in a free school in England and she still feels some distaste; getting Germans in particular used to being fair minded and sensible is an uphill task. You are Czech; you are outnumbered less by your goblins than the Germans so you need fear less and thus hate less. The only difference to their intellect is in the fact that those who grow up with an inadequate diet – whatever their race – will exhibit depressed intellects. I know a number of goblins who are 'O' grade students in Arithmancy – and one lad who took two OWLs a year early and took 'O' in both, Potions and Transfiguration. Now, touching on Arithmancy…."
Jaromir muttered apology and added,
"And yes, my sister and I are speaking and are agreed to be friends; and to ask you to sort it out if we quarrel."
"Excellent!" said Jade. "And I wager you will have no trouble with your patronus for the joy of having a little sister to love."
Jaromir had not thought of this; but it made sense!
Jade went through each section of the book making notes about what he found difficult; talking through some of the principles with him until comprehension dawned visibly on his face.
"You make it seem so easy!" he cried.
Jade shrugged.
"To me it is easy; and perhaps that is why I can break it down and show it to you from different angles. If Frau Meyer struggled herself she would find it harder to explain. Teachers may be poor for a number of reasons; that they are only barely adequate for the job; that they are immensely clever but cannot reach down to the level of their pupils; or that they are distracted by some issue or other. An idée fixe, of some misery in their private life or merely an inability to relate to children. Teachers are human too and it is sometimes hard to appreciate this when one is a child made acutely miserable by their inability."
"Schrempf did not get so much sympathy from you."
"Schrempf had both a mental sickness that meant she liked hurting; AND a lifetime of honing being nasty. The latter was not her fault; nor indeed was the former, but I could perceive no way of curing it. I do not like killing; but I do not shirk it when I can see no other option" said Jade. "And I have no patience at all with wilful stupidity and terminal silliness; so I was not about to try to reach out to Meyer either. Any more than I'm about to try to heal a gulf with Czerny. Frankly I don't like any of the girls in the class but while the other two behave and do as I tell them I'll be civil back and try to get them a good pass. You're all a bit unprepossessing; Baard at least means well. You're the most interesting though I don't like the way you push little kids about; it is the act of a weakling to bully."
"This I am beginning to realise with your introduction of the Dark Arts both to me and to my sister. Who had been going to talk to you about wanting to use the dark arts to be one up until we spoke together. Now we will do our best to be good and not rely on a prop of easy quick magic; it is true that our father is a bully and we both fear him."
"Ah. One copies what one sees; you CAN break the mould and learn to pity him for his weakness" said Jade. "Besides, if you get hard enough to hold a shield charm up against anything he can throw at you, it won't half make a sweet revenge to tell him how much you pity him" she added. "You and your sister should rise early for the ECC; you will learn more defences there and learn how to sustain spells; and too make friends of a lasting nature. You have learned not to lose your temper because ultimately it causes pain and punishment?"
He nodded.
"He calls me weak if I do not answer back and beats me if I do; what do I do?" he asked.
"Continue not to answer back; it annoys him that he cannot seem to taunt you and that is your victory" said Jade "Bullies hate to be ignored. Stepanka can get round him?"
"Oh she is all daddy's girl" said Jaromir.
"A thought to consider" said Jade "If your mother is mentally cowed by your father, it is not impossible that he has been bedding his own daughter; which would NOT help her behaviour; and would make her suck up to make sure he doesn't hurt HER too much in the commission of such a sin. I don't say it is; I have never deep legilimensed her looking for anything of her home life. But I offer it as a possibility to consider."
He stared.
"It might explain much…. Or it might just be that she is their pretty princess. I do not know. I will take steps to find out" he added.
"Remember too that when you leave school and have a job, Bronislava can live with YOU not with your parents – especially if I am right in my nasty suspicions and he starts on her."
"She might yet be lucky to be the plain one" said Jaromir.
"There is nothing wrong with her bone structure; she has mousey hair and her complexion is darker. Which means she should have less zits. If he starts suggesting she use hair lightening potion, THEN you worry. Do not frighten her; but I would, in your shoes, warn her that there might be something amiss" said Jade.
He nodded.
"I will" he said.
They broke for coffee; and the rest of the time was filled for Jaromir with working arithmantic examples under Jade's eye.
"I'll see you for an hour every Sunday, either me or Katarina will teach you that set lesson, and you will put in an hour on each of three other days in your own time working on in the book" said Jade "If you hit a snag you may bring it to me at any other time."
"Thank you" said Jaromir clicking his heels punctiliously.
"You are welcome" said Jade, wondering if Stepanka's behaviour really had been so bad because she was making a subconscious plea for help.
Maybe Jaromir would find out and would tell her. Because when there was a favourite and a bullying father was THAT fond of one princess, one had to wonder…..