Chapter 13

The blooded of the fourth received a letter via Wencelada from the Bee Marauders of Prince Peak; in which they were warned that if a girl called Eve Cherrytree should come to Durmstrang they should give her every chance to redeem herself but should be aware that she had been expelled for writing some of the most vile and filthy anonymous letters to first years and that besides being racist, which ought not to show as much in Durmstrang, she was also rather sly. They recounted how she had reduced the size of clothes of a pretty half goblin girl who had been asked to the Yule ball by a boy Eve had wanted to go with as an example.

Wencelada, Axel, Grishilde and Zyrillis discussed the matter and decided that they would not bring the matter up unless this Cherrytree girl made a nuisance of herself; and went to consult too with Agata.

Agata read the letter proffered by Wencelada and nodded.

"I have spoken to Professor Snape after the girl's parents made tentative enquiries of me" she said "He hopes that having the implications of her actions pointed out will be enough to cure the girl of such activities; and I will be pleased if you WILL remain quiet about it and give her a chance. I can sympathise that a girl who finds goblins unpleasant to look upon might well behave more than normally badly if forced into close proximity with them. From the additional information your er counterparts in Prince Peak give you it may be that there is more to it than that; but we shall see. Let us give this girl every opportunity; it is a shame to brand a girl of only just fifteen and take away her chances of education. I appreciate your coming to me, to let me know what you have been told; and too I appreciate your willingness to help. She will indeed be starting next week as I have intimated my willingness to take her. With luck she will settle down and there should be no further trouble for anyone; Axel, I particularly appreciate your willingness to keep your mouth shut as I know you love gossip."

"Ma'am, it's the collecting it I love more than passing it on" said Axel. "Though I HAVE used my reputation to start sundry rumours just for fun, like the one about the dragon Professor Rebet was keeping in a secret dungeon next to the potions stores that Professor Von Freyer has inherited."

"You ARE a bad boy" said Agata "Mind you it seems to keep MOST people from interfering in the stores. An Ukrainian Ironbelly I suppose?"

"What else?" grinned Axel.

oOoOo

Eve Cherrytree, introduced to the fourth, looked around uncertainly.

"I – I did not realise there would be so many!" she said "This – all these people are fourth years?"

"Oh there are only twenty four in this year; it's a small year" said Wencelada. "Some of the largest classes have more than thirty in them; and the numbers are said to be growing. I suspect there were plenty of people who avoided sending their offspring to school when Odessa was in ascendancy; though of course such people nowadays might choose instead to send their offspring to the subsidised school run by Professor Snape's daughter to have their offspring come more readily to terms with the modern era and more liberal outlooks."

"I imagine however there will be plenty of us who prefer not to be affected by the mad experiment of educating sub-beings" said Eve.

Wencelada shrugged.

"Oh there are those who will agree with you; I'm not one of them. But you're as entitled to your view as I, so best perhaps not to discuss it. Forgive me, but if you dislike a large school, why then did you not pick some dame school? Many offer as many as five subjects."

"Because I am used to studying a wide range of subjects; and even so I have had to drop one of my subjects as you do not offer Divination here; so even so I will only be studying seven subjects."

Wencelada shrugged again.

"Many people in the class are taking only seven subjects. If you are come from an English school you will have to adapt to a slightly different slant in learning Dark Arts and studying the offensive as strongly as the defensive; but I think you will not find the difference especially large. It is the emphasis of the ZP exam that is slightly different in that we have to demonstrate our ability to cast curses as well as defend against them and to curse items. And if you take it higher you have to demonstrate that you can cast the unforgivable curses; and nowadays we have a decent teacher who does not consider the Cruciatus Curse a suitable discipline measure."

"You had one who did? On children as young as us even?" Eve was horrified.

Wencelada shrugged.

"On first years. I was in the second when Jade Snape killed her, and we all blessed Jade from the bottom of our hearts. Some of us fully expected to die before we left school. I had a heart condition that Jade cured; it lay beyond the ability of anything but chanting and I feared taking the cruciatus curse in case my heart burst. I'm glad she instituted chanting classes for us too, as well as teaching Dark Arts for a year. She's as great as her father in my opinion."

"Her father isn't great at all; he's a nasty man with nasty ideas and he thinks that gobbo tripe and half breeds ought to have as much chance as people!"

"As I said we'll agree to differ on that score" said Wencelada firmly. "And I wouldn't be too offensive in your speech about either goblins or Professor Snape in the hearing of any Marauders; they might just take offence and decide to single you out for retribution. And it might be funny for anyone watching but I doubt you'd enjoy it."

"Marauders? HERE? Why I came here to escape Marauders! How can there be Marauders in Durmstrang?"

"Why because Jade Snape instituted the idea as a means to fight against the bullies of Odessa of course!" said Wencelada "And to oppose their antiquated and risible ideas… which I'd better not say any more about as you appear to be of their opinion. Well, I hope you settle in and make friends; I shan't be one of them. I'd listen more than you speak at first however because such is becoming for one who is new unless they are able to make an impression. There is a free clutch of lockers over there to store any hobby kit and story books you want; the lock is activated with your wand and thereafter only opens to the touch of your wand, though as you are English I expect you don't bother much with a wand and can do it with force of will alone."

"Not all English cast without a wand" said Eve sulkily; having never learned to do so.

oOoOo

One thing Eve DID enjoy was moving from the equal bottom of the class in Prince Peak to just on the middle or slightly above in most of her classes. She did NOT enjoy the fact that she ended up sharing a desk with a Hortensia Slickstrup, a Danish girl, who had been left to her own devices because she was not popular; and who seemed to think that she had every right to push the new girl around and to sneer at her for being inferior for not being of the Germanic races.

And as Eve had not been taken into the close set of the four blooded and friends, the boy Vladimir Chernykrov took delight in pinching and poking her when he could, twisting her arm and wand-burning her. Eve had no idea anywhere could be so rough that such things were permitted! And some of the punishments were harsh too; Wencelada's friend Axel was caught fighting with Chernykrov by the big and frightening Professor Nagy when he was early to the classroom and both boys were told to bend over the desk for a blow from a ruler; and Eve knew she should speak up, that Axel had in fact stepped in to stop Cherynykrov bullying her but she was petrified of Professor Nagy.

"Sir" said Grisilde Stengel "Von Rabe was stopping Chernykrov hurting the new girl."

Nagy turned and fixed his piercing gaze on Eve.

"Is this true?" he demanded.

Eve swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes sir" she managed.

"You should have spoken up earlier; how would you feel if I had caned a boy on your behalf?" rumbled Nagy. Eve was scared. She was even more scared when Chernykrov, still bent over, mouthed 'I'll get you for sneaking' at her.

"You will NOT Herr Chernykrov" said Attila Nagy who had seen the boy move and guessed his motives. "And for that you will have an extra stroke; one for fighting, one for acting in a way to incite fighting and one for threatening Fraulein Cherrytree; and then you will be accepting a delayed action curse that will take effect if you lay another finger on her or on any of the girls in your form or any younger child. I trust I make myself clear?"

The answer was muffled; and then there were several muffled howls as Professor Nagy caned the boy. Heaving him upright he stared into his eyes, made a pass or two with his hand and nodded.

Chernykrov went to his seat and sat down tenderly.

And Eve felt as though she was in the big Transfiguration master's bad books for not speaking out and went about her lessons like a mouse.

Axel spoke to her afterwards.

"I know you were in a funk; I don't blame you for not speaking" he said "So don't worry; me and my friends wouldn't have blamed you. After all, it wouldn't be the first time I got caned and I doubt it'll be the last. I wade in when people say or do unacceptable things. And Chernykrov is the sort of low-born git who thinks it's okay to hurt house elves and doesn't believe in saying please and thank you to them because he is, in his own idiom, nicultyurniy. Uncultured that is. He's even the sort who'd push human and goblin servants around without the social amenities because he's so low he feels he has to use braggadocio to make himself seem higher, instead of accepting that anyone with manners is automatically accepted as a gentleman – or lady of course – regardless of their birth. He's also plumb nasty and always has been. Chernykrov and I go right back to the first year and I've been caned for fighting him at least once a year ever since because I hate him. Only HE had to sit on a wood chair and I generally get provided with a cushioning charm by my friends; because I have some. Don't worry about him; if he gets someone to hurt you by proxy now he's cursed, tell us, or one of the groups of Marauders. Sitting on bullies is what Marauders do; and us four may have chosen not to maraud but we support. Best thing that ever happened to Durmstrang, Marauding. Sorted out a lot of creeps."

Eve muttered thanks, not sure WHAT to think.

"Marauders cause trouble" she added a trifle sulkily.

Axel laughed.

"Whatever gave you that idea? Marauders fix trouble! Sure when there's trouble, they're in the thick of it but they don't CAUSE it!"

"Yes they do!" flared Eve "They're always playing stupid tricks!"

"Well that's not exactly trouble, is it?" said Axel "Trouble is a creature that's been dead thousands of years that drains people's life force with a cursed knife to keep himself semi alive, and creates inferii out of the remains. That's why marauders practise spells and japes: to go against things like that. They wouldn't let us join in, said we were too young. I'm not sure if I'm pleased or disappointed about that. But the Marauders in the third year were allowed along to deal with the demonologist and his team of dark wizards. I imagine the Prince Peak marauders fought Odessa and the fey and so on; so it's not like it's an odd concept for you. But if the sum total of your understanding of Marauders is that they play tricks I should think you're a rather limited and stupid little girl and rather self-centred too; which doesn't stop Marauders protecting you, because Marauders protect, but if you do anything to piss them off they'll let you know about it."

"It's none of their business!" declared Eve.

"It is if you're sounding off about the sort of people that come under their remit for protection you know" said Axel. "The Marauders here are great supporters of the idea of the subsidised school, for those who are ineligible for Durmstrang."

"Goblins and half goblins and the like" said Eve.

"And the like" said Axel. "Like your parents; I checked your pedigree. You're only barely eligible for Durmstrang and some here would not like you being let in; you're seriously blood-tainted."

"There's nothing wrong with MY blood!" declared Eve.

"But you can't prove pure blood at all; your antecedents seem to have wizardry in the last four generations so you're eligible; but you've blood taint of muggle blood before then. I am quite acceptable; I have a single muggleborn in my line some thirteen generations ago, which probably caused no end of trouble at the time."

"But there's no difference between muggleborn and pure blood; either you have magic or you don't! You're being racist!"

"You little fool" said Axel contemptuously "I'M no racist; I'm just pointing out that such is the attitude of many. I say, if you CAN do magic you SHOULD do magic."

"Oh. That's all right then" said Eve.

"YOU however do not believe that; because you don't believe in the rights of goblins and half goblins who can do magic to be permitted to do so; of the two of us, you're the racist."

"But they're so UGLY!"

"Girl, you're not exactly an oil painting yourself" said Axel "Short and dark of hair, muddy complexion; not a beautiful Aryan woman of long blonde hair, tall, long golden limbs; if we're starting to talk exclusion by looks, you don't qualify any more than for your blood status."

"You're HORRID! I'll report you for being rude to me!"

"Crumbs, you think that's rude? I can be a lot ruder and any professor would still shrug and say 'so what?' to you. What kind of a wimp are you that actually thinks there's a rule against being rude? Especially to a social and blood inferior; which you are. My father's a Baron; I can say what I like to you. Now Odessa's gone I'd probably get a caning if I slapped you about; things have changed since a policy of greater fairness was introduced. But you can't have it both ways. If you want to be a blood snob about goblins you can't complain if I'm a blood snob about an ignorant and stupid little commoner with blood-taint who's rather contumelious in condemning people on looks. You really ARE cosseted in Prince Peak. Listen to me Cherrytree; I do happen to know what you were expelled for, and if you'd done that here the headmistress would have whipped you with a real whip, not just a ruler, probably half a dozen lashes or more before handing you over to the authorities to prosecute. And no I'm NOT going to spread it around, any more than are those few who do know; because you have the chance to start over, so the Marauders who wrote to us asked us NOT to spread it around; but to make sure you didn't do it again. They, you see, have a realistic idea of what would happen to you in Germany and believe it or not are trying to protect you. Now go away; you're a rather sickening specimen and I don't like you."

Eve fled.

She picked a prefect at random; it was Hilde Mundnimbus.

"Please, is it true that there are no rules here about people being rude?" she asked Hilde.

Hilde blinked.

"There are most certainly rules against cheeking prefects" she said "Or did you not mean that?"

"I meant someone in my own class" said Eve.

Hilde laughed.

"Why on earth should there be rules about being rude? Be rude back, little girl. If someone has slandered you or your family, call duel on them; or if you're too feeble for the person involved, tell your tale to a Marauder and get THEM to call duel for you under some pretext; it's the sort of thing Marauders do. A prefect can give advice or break up a fight, but really, the protection of your family name is up to you. Anyone over seventeen is liable for the laws of slander of course, but schoolchild quarrels are not subject to the law unless actual harm is caused or the law is broken. None of us here though would consider any course to settle a slander suit bar duel anyway; we're all from good families. Death duels are forbidden the under seventeens."

"DEATH duels? You fight duels to the death in Germany?"

"Well if family honour is involved, how else would one deal with someone impugning one's honour?" said Hilde. "You're a funny kid, I think you almost expect it to be up to the prefects to mediate in squabbles and tick people off for harsh language!"

"Well the prefects I've known before do so" said Eve.

"Indeed? And I thought you came from Prince Peak that produced Nefrita Von Strang; and she's one tough cookie" said Hilde. "Jade Snape she is really of course, or rather Luytens now she's married. Didn't turn a hair about killing our former Dark Arts teacher who had almost killed one of her fags. Stood up to the school bully and gave as good as she got. He's dead now; decided to join with the Head Girl's wicked uncle and fight the school; an interesting autumn term we had before Zhanargul took the marauders to wipe them out. I doubt you'd even have survived in the previous time; you look like a whiney child and Nachtigall and De Witt so would have delighted in torturing you for being English and looking like a victim. And you complain that someone has been rude to you? Well, Professor Snape DOES keep you on a tight rein if he even regulates your speech!"

"It – it's not like that! Only we're supposed to act as civilised people!" said Eve.

Hilde laughed.

"Well kiddie, you're fortunate I'm considered fairly tolerant; you just called me, a prefect, uncivilised; which THIS time I'll forget. We work on the principle here that all children below fifteen and a good number above it are animals; and let them bark to their heart's content so long as they don't bite. And I do wonder actually if I do Professor Snape an injustice because he's not noted for foolishness; and I wonder if your concept of rudeness is different to his. Like I said, you look that sort of brat that whines; I bet you take offence rather too easily. Now scram; I have work to do even if you don't and you're beginning to bore me."

This school was very different; and deep inside Eve longed for the protectiveness of Prince Peak, not this horrid rough place where SHE was an object of derision, albeit tolerated – barely, by some – for her birth. Eve, essentially middle class, would never DREAM of settling a dispute with a duel! It was so….. well she did not know quite what it was!

oOoOo

Eve spoke next to the girl Aglaia Hallow who was in the fifth.

"I know some of your relatives I think" she ventured "The Hallow-Hellibore boys."

Aglaia rolled her eyes.

"NOT a recommendation to me" she said.

"They're rather rough; I don't actually like them" said Eve "They pushed me around."

"Well your bad for letting them" said Aglaia with a shrug. "What did you want actually?"

"I – I wondered how you coped with the blood snobbery; the contempt for those not pure blood" said Eve.

Aglaia stared.

"What for a moment makes you suppose that I'm a blood-taint?" she said "You cheeky brat! I have pureblood thank you very much; I'M not some lesser being. And if you are I suggest you go away before I teach you a lesson."

She raised her wand. Eve fled yet again; only faster. Even the one other English girl in the school was no ally! It had not before occurred to her that Aglaia had chosen Durmstrang because it suited her attitudes; Aglaia having started there some years before Odessa was overthrown.

oOoOo

The four not-marauders of the fourth consulted; and decided that it was a bit of a reality check for Eve to be on the receiving end of blood snobbery; and to be in a less snug and protective school than Prince Peak, that might give her a better idea of the real world. They would look out for her; but having to come to terms with being VERY small fry in a large pool would probably neutralise the girl somewhat and cow her into staying out of trouble. If she lasted the course past ZP they cynically decided they would be surprised; unless she bucked up her ideas and actually started to think about her own ideas being as absurd as those of a blood snob like the Hallow girl. Well, if she left and did not go on to the sixth, nobody would miss her and doubtless she would meet some equally limited youth some day at the sort of rather shallow parties girls like her thought 'naice' and would produce various shallow offspring who would have to go to Hellibore's Academy since they were unlikely to make the grade for Prince Peak. One accepted that the world spawned parasites as well as protectors.

oOoOo

Term went on; drawing towards the Easter holidays. There was one more match to be played, against the Swedish Gothenberg Giants, Professor Rundquist's old team. Frida Rundquist was greeted heartily by the visitors and Stiv murmured,

"She's not a bad article, let's see if we can't really make an extra good showing for her."

"She means well" said Zhanargul "Yes; we shall play up. Not that we shouldn't anyway."

Xanthippe had played so well in the last match that Stiv had kept her on the team, and Harald Trollkettil was sulking audibly on the stands.

Xanthe dropped a langlock and the new pest-popping pustule curse to give him other woes to think upon; really those kids were quite ingenious, that was two new curses they had invented recently!. Harald was having muffled hysterics.

"Listen Trollkettil and listen real well; and if I think you're listening well enough I'll free you from my endeavours" said Xanthe. "I KNOW you; you'd do any mean trick to get back at Xanthippe for being a better player than you and actually being so because she works harder than you; and if you do you'll have run against not only her, and me but also Zlatko and Zlatka and if you REALLY go out of your way to be malicious, Zhanargul might have to wear her head girl's hat. I know you wanted to show off to a Swedish team as you're Swedish; but perhaps if you'd had less excuses about that game where you didn't save a single goal and had perhaps even admitted to mucking it up you wouldn't be on the bench today. You took one look at the opposition and gave up; and THAT's why you got replaced, so it's your own stupid fault. Now no retribution; nod if you're hearing me."

Harald nodded; he had little option.

Xanthe took the curses off him.

"You Marauders are rotten" he said. Xanthe laughed.

"Because I got my retaliation in before you did something to hurt Xanthippe? Get real; we've been at school together long enough for me to know that you're the mean sort of git who'd do something like steal an exam paper and plant it on her to get her expelled because you don't actually care about blighting the lives of others; and actually you didn't take the obvious course to get reinstated and by the way you're goggling at me you haven't yet figured out what you should have done."

"What?" asked Harald.

"Well, you poor prune, if you'd apologised to Stiv for losing heart, reminded him that you're Swedish and playing against the Giants actually really meant something to you, he might have dropped Xanthippe for this game at least to give you a second chance. But I suppose that was too easy."

Harald stared. The idea of just asking had NOT occurred to him; nor the idea of apologising for his defeatist play.

Xanthe sighed.

"When they have a time out for refreshments I'll talk to Stiv" she said. It might, after all, affect Harald's livelihood.

Stiv listened, sighed, and sought out the Giants captain.

"This is a little complex" he said. "I dropped our goalie because I felt he had a mild attitude problem; but he is Swedish and is desperate to play a home team only the silly idiot didn't think to talk to me about it. There's not a lot to pick between him and my current goalie in skill, only Harald gets easily disheartened which is why I put an optimist in instead. Would you accept a substitution after this break to give him a break? I don't want to blight his career."

The Captain considered.

"Under the circumstances I should be churlish to refuse a countryman" he said "That is in order; I will ask for an extended time out to give him time to prepare himself" he gave Stiv a shrewd look "You do not like him" he added.

"No" said Stiv "It's why I fall over myself backwards to be fair to him."

The opposing captain nodded.

"You are a good sportsman" he said.

oOoOo

Harald was overjoyed when Stiv told him to get his kit on and look sharpish; and then Stiv had to explain to Fraulein Rundquist what had been arranged.

"It is irregular but I am glad that Sven has permitted this" she said "Harald is not, I fear, so determined as some; but if it is his career that depends on it, let us hope that he finds deeper reserves."

"He'd better" said Stiv grimly.

It was a tough match; the beaters were big and strong and fast and Zlatko had his work cut out avoiding them, and his usual trick of flying right between them was too risky. The school team managed to score well for being nimble but the Swedish chasers just bulled their way past Gisela and Sigismundus, plainly intimidating Harald once he had been swapped in. The co-ordination of the school chasers meant that the point differential was not a hopeless business; but the Swedish seeker, a tall, lanky young woman who Zlatko swore could reach the rings if she just stood on the ground she was so tall, was able to deprive him of the snitch by reason of her reach. The school had lost; but it was an honourable loss, the score being less than two hundred apart even with the catching of the snitch.

"If I were you, I'd continue to play your other keeper" said Sven, the captain to Stiv "The boy has perhaps more skill, but it is not all about skill. The girl has the stomach of a true player and so she does more with her slightly lower skill."

Stiv nodded.

"Thank you for confirming what I already believed. But I had to try to give him a chance once I was reminded that he is Swedish."

"It does you credit" said Sven. "You are Russian; do you look to play with a Russian team?"

"I have to say since Russia is still in the grip of Odessa I had rather not" said Stiv. "Is that an offer?"

"I would consult with our coach" said Sven "But you have the sort of honour I like as much as your skill; and the team you run plays a clean match. I will write if I may and let you know if we make a firm offer."

"Thanks; if you did I think I'd accept" said Stiv. He was not so academic that he could afford to turn down a good job offer doing something he enjoyed; he had never thought of courting offers to play, but it was always nice to be appreciated! And there was then the possibility of coaching, or teaching with the new schools that were being started all over when his career as a quidditch player slowed down. Even as a second string player he would have a fair salary; and the chance to play quidditch. Stiv was very glad he had acceded to Xanthe's suggestion.

Harald knew he had let himself down; and that he could not blame anyone but himself for that, and took himself off to brood. Which he had to do alone since he was not popular and had no supporter to cry on the shoulder of.

And that was no more than his own fault either for having made himself unpopular for his didactic views and tendency to malicious tricks.

oOoOo

Eve Cherrytree had observed this whole affair with interest and not some confusion. She spoke to Xanthippe.

"You gave up your place on the team to that loud mouthed boy; he did not play so well as you. Aren't you angry about that?"

"Funny kid you are to ask that; and you English too!" said Xanthippe "My sister was right to suggest the boy have his chance; however much we may dislike Trollkettil he had to be given a chance to make a good showing; he blew it. I thought he probably would; there's a little schardenfreude in that I confess. It irks me that his making a fool of himself made our loss more than I think it would have been with me in goal, but at least it's now demonstrable that it was his fault, so he won't play dirty tricks on me. He being the sort that does. We get some of those types in Durmstrang I'm afraid; petty minded little brats who play dirty to get back as they call it at those they perceive to be at the root of their own lack of adequacy. I suppose you English do not have such things in the so-strict school of Prince Peak; we suffer here from the generations of influence of Odessa, while you English have, I dare say, mostly got over the petty-minded evil of Voldemort and his deatheaters. It will take long for Europe to be so cleansed; there are too few schools and too many pockets of blood snobs. Trollkettil's one of them; he's pure blood too only he goes on about it and oh boy, didn't he create – or so I've heard – over playing Hogwarts school and being in a dormitory with a goblin boy! Silly ass; but Marauders protect silly asses too, and I don't intend to be a professional quidditch player when I leave school, I'm a bit more academic than to have to rely on that! So I could afford to give Trollkettil his break – if he'd only managed to make the most of it."

She laughe a little bitterly, and went on,

"Do I feel slighted that I stepped willingly aside for him and he then made a complete arse of himself flinching from hard quaffles like a little girl? Yes Fraulein Cherrytree, I do. I'm not a tolerant person and I resent a little just how much he threw the match away. I can't say I'd have helped make it a tie but I like to think we'd have lost by a little less and at least made it hard for them to score not the stroll in the park Harald made it. But I should rather feel resentful that he threw back my gesture in my face than guilty that I never gave him the chance to do so. This will be my English training I think, from Jade Luytens; and my conscience as a Marauder. And by the way if that query was an oblique way of warning me that you think he might sabotage brooms, well after what the older twins did to safeguard the brooms when they were first on the team, he'd be a bloody fool. Especially when we Marauders put the same protective enchantments on the musical instruments of the school musicians because a nasty little boy had a spite against one of them and was so lost to shame as to consider attacking his art; being a low and despicable type that thinks only of hurting without considering the fact that a musician or an artist doesn't do what they do for fun but because they have to and that it is an attack on the soul, even worse than spoiling someone's work or broom. Still, if it was your way of warning me, I am aware; thank you."

"I – I know nothing positive" said Eve who had merely eavesdropped on Xanthe hinting at what she might expect of Harald. She did not understand how Xanthippe could be so generous as to give up her place doing what she loved; though the older girl's resentment over Harald's poor showing she was quite able to relate to! She cringed inwardly over Xanthippe's obvious scorn on those who would destroy instruments or – by extension – art; when she had come so close to trying to harm Roseli by spoiling some of her art. If these hard, pure-blooded Durmstrangers – for Xanthippe had said that Trollkettil was pure TOO – thought such things were so wrong she must have been much in error; well she would work through her OWLs, or rather ZP's and then see what her options were. Possibly greater, she reflected, than the idiot Trollkettil.